 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of His Majesty's loyal opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health. The Minister of Health has risen in this House countless times over the past few weeks, saying the government had, quote, prepared for the surge in respiratory illnesses. And yet, just this past weekend, Chio and Ottawa has had to call in the Red Cross to help. That is not what a well-resourced and prepared healthcare system looks like, Speaker. Does the Minister think it's acceptable for a hospital to have to call in the Red Cross? I'm the Minister of Health. Very much, Speaker. We understand how difficult this fall has been. We've inherited a broken system which has put pressure, put under pressure by the triple threat now of RSV, COVID and influenza. But we inherited the system and we intended to take steps to fix it, which is what we've been doing to ensure children get the care they need. Our government is in constant contact with our pediatric hospitals. And in fact, our government funded a second pediatric ICU at Chio for the fall surge, which Chio has been staffing until now. But now they need a little extra help and they have asked a small team to come in temporarily from Red Cross to assist them with the second pediatric ICU. But that was certainly part of our planning to make sure we had the care we need for pediatric patients at Chio and other pediatric hospitals. Thank you, Speaker. Supplementary question. Well, Speaker, I'll help the Minister out. Calling in the Red Cross to help in our hospitals should never have to happen. Full stop. Ontarians deserve a healthcare system that provides the care they need when they need it. Chio has already had to cancel surgeries, open a second pediatric ICU and transfer teenage patients to adult hospitals. It's now clear this government hasn't done enough. Why didn't the minister do more to ensure that the province was prepared for the respiratory season? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to Member Opposite for the question. Our government has been moving all kinds of things in order to make sure we're prepared for the fall surge and that is why we opened a second pediatric ICU at Chio and why Chio is now making sure they have more staff to assist. As Tammy D. Giovanni, the chief nursing officer at Chio, has said it's been an all-hands-on-deck at Chio this viral season as we have responded to unprecedented volumes of RSV, the flu and COVID. We have redeployed staff and medical staff from surgical and medical care units, added extra beds in workers in our pediatric intensive care, emergency departments as well as inpatient units and asked non-clinical staff to support clinical teams where possible. Everyone at Chio has been doing all they can to take care of kids and their families and our government applauds the work of our health care workers in making sure that pediatric patients and all patients in our system are getting the care they need. Member from Waterloo will come to order. Member from Brampton North will come to order. Final supplementary question. There's a massive disconnect between what the minister says and what's happening in our children's hospitals. The FAO has shown that in the first half of the year the government underspent in health care by nearly a billion dollars. To add insult to injury, the government plans to appeal the ruling on Bill 124, which has already driven countless health care workers out of our system. The government continues to underfund and degrade our publicly funded health care system. Why is the minister letting the situation in our hospitals get so bad? President of the Treasury Board. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Let's be clear, over the last year as our public accounts showed, we increased funding to health care by 5.2 billion dollars in base funding. That is the largest increase in the history of this province. What does that mean? That means that since March of 2020, this province has added over 12,000 health care professionals in Ontario. This year alone, we have helped train over Ontario College of Nurses, has registered over 12,800 nurses. This is because the investments that this government is making to shore up our health human resources are working. We're going to continue to make those historic and unprecedented investments into health care to ensure that we have the support across this province. Mr. Kitchener-Conestoga will come to order. The member for Waterloo will come to order. The next question, Leader of the Official Opposition. Speaker, to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The Harris P.C. government sold off public land in the Duffins Rouge Agriculture Preserve over two decades ago at deeply discounted prices, on the condition that these lands remain farmland in perpetuity. By foregoing rabbit news and selling these lands at a deep discount, the people of Ontario bought and paid for a massive investment in Ontario's natural and agricultural systems. The value of this public investment is to date worth billions of dollars. Why is the Minister betraying the public's trust by removing these farmland protections and giving away this immensely valuable public investment to powerful land speculators like the DeGaspers family? Mr. Conestoga, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Well, the government wants to thank everyone who provided comments on the environmental registry of Ontario for our posting related to the Green Belt. As members will know, that posting at the end of the day will add over 2,000 acres to the Green Belt, while at the same time providing under very strict criteria the opportunity to build up to 50,000 homes. Because his members wouldn't let me read an excerpt from Mayor Kevin Ash from the City of Pickering regarding DRAP, I'll do it today, Speaker, with your indulgence. Mayor Ash says, I'd also like to support and thank you and your government for your efforts in proposing the removal of the Cherrywood area lands from the Green Belt plan and in proposing to repeal the Central Pickering Development Plan. In light of this plan, residential and commercial growth, I am encouraged that your ministry will ultimately respond and strengthen the Green Belt by adding 9,400 acres to it. Thank you. It began to the minister immediately after public lands in the preserve were sold off at deep discounts. They were snapped up by speculators like Silvio de Gasperas even though those lands were protected and could not be developed. It's as if they knew these protections might soon be removed. And sure enough, the City of Pickering under Mayor Dave Ryan removed the protections and violation of the agreement between the city, the region and the province. The Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Act was passed in 2005 to reverse this betrayal of public trust. Why is the minister repealing the act and once again betraying the public trust? Thank you. Again, the member opposite quotes former Mayor Ryan. Mayor Ash references Mayor Ryan in his letter. He acknowledges that I recently received a letter from Mayor Ryan requesting the repeal of the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Act 2005 in the City of Pickering. And as noted in this letter, the lands would be part of a regional and municipal growth plan for settlement area. This was in a plan prior to the Green Belt's creation some 20 years ago. We've got letters from both Mayor Ryan and now Mayor Ash asking the government to do exactly what the Post-In on the Environmental Registry did. Speak again to the minister. The sale of discounted public lands in the preserve was overseen by Tony Miele, who's president of the Ontario Realty Corporation. Mr. Miele and the ORC both had a reputation for questionable land deals. Mr. Miele currently serves as chair of the PC Ontario Fund at a time when serious questions are being asked about why the beneficiaries of questionable planning decisions by this government tend to be PC party donors. The minister is about to remove protections from the preserve giving billions of dollars worth of public wealth to private interests. Why is the minister enabling this betrayal of the public trust? Mind the members of the House that you can't impute motive. Government House leader to respond. As the member knows, nothing can be further from the truth. We're elected on a very strong platform to ensure that the people of the province of Ontario were well serviced by their government. What that means right now is that the people of the province of Ontario know that we are in a housing crisis. The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing has brought forward a very thoughtful program that will allow us to work in consultation and in cooperation with the city of Pickering to ensure that we can bring homes to the people of this province. I look around me and my cock is here. I wonder how many of them are first-generation Canadians or parents came here with one dream. That was dream was to have a better life for their family and for their kids, Mr. Speaker. And part of that dream I know for my parents was to have their first home, their first home. Now the opposition would take that dream away from the over what, 500,000 people who are expected to come here each and every year. We won't do that. We have a responsibility to the people of the province of Ontario to ensure that they can meet their dreams like countless generations have. They want to take that away from people. We'll make sure that they get it. Thank you, Speaker. Through you to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Last week, the minister failed to explain why he was allowing his ministry to be lobbied by his former chief of staff, Lucca Bucci, who left the ministry in April, less than eight months ago. The government house leader wouldn't even let the minister answer. Maybe the minister will answer this. Before Mr. Bucci became CEO of the Ontario Home Builders Association or since, did the minister or any other government official share information with Mr. Bucci, information not available to the general public that could be used by a member of the Ontario Home Builders Association to further their private interests. I know that the members of the opposite will do anything. They're like a leak, right? You know when you have a leak in your house you want to find out where the leak is because there's too much damage, right? Now, of course, the people of Ontario know what happens when you don't find that leak. By consequence, we didn't find it in 1990 and 1995 and the NDP almost bankrupted the province. But more importantly, Mr. Speaker. Order. More importantly, we have a situation in the province of Ontario where we are in a housing crisis. Now, the NDP are going to do and say everything they possibly can to stop hundreds of thousands and millions of Ontarians from having the same dream millions have. Like, put your hand up. Put your hand up in this caucus or over there if you're a first-generation or if your parents came here. Look at the hands that are going up. And the number one dream The last of the government house didn't make its comments through the chair. Mr. Speaker, they hate it, right? They hate it. They hate it because the number one dream, Mr. Speaker, of millions and millions of people who built this province, who built this country, was to have a better life for their families. My parents came here and published from Italy. They came here to have a better life for their kids, Mr. Speaker. And the number one dream is the value of a home. And they've got it. And look where they have it. Order. Order. It's Dr. Clark. The supplementary question. Speaker, so the government house leader doesn't want to answer the question. On September 15th, just two months before the minister announced plans to remove certain properties from the green belt, one of these properties sold to a company controlled by developer and PC donor, Michael Rice. The real estate listing advertised the property as, quote, prime land banking opportunity. As if expecting the value of this green belt land to rise. The seller was the developer, Schickadance Brothers, who sold the property for nearly nine times what they paid for it in 2000. Speaker, Bob Schickadance was president of the Ontario Home Builders Association on September 15th at the same time Luca Bucci was CEO of the Home Builders Association. Did the minister or any other government official share information with Mr. Bucci that could be used by the buyer or seller of the Schickadance property to further their private interest, yes or no? Obviously the minister has already said no. The minister has said that he will work with the integrity commissioner. But more importantly, Mr. Speaker, what you're seeing day in and day out, colleagues, what you're seeing day in and day out is the NDP who refused to acknowledge that in the province of Ontario there is a housing crisis. Now that housing crisis was created by policies that they helped support. We know that in the province of Ontario in the province of Ontario we want to continue to welcome people from all over the world to help us build a better and more prosperous Ontario. Just like my parents did. In the early 1960s all of them, the brothers and their sisters, six of them lived in one house some lived in the upstairs some lived in the basement and one by one they managed to have the dream of a brand new home right here in the province of Ontario. That was the dream that they came. They wanted their kids to have a better future than they had, Mr. Speaker. That's why millions of people came here struggled and helped build the province of Ontario. They want to take that dream away from people. Mr. Speaker, last Friday I had the pleasure of meeting with the iron workers of local 765 along with the Minister of Labor and Immigration Training and Skills Development and local 765 is located in the great community of Metcalf in my riding of Carlton. I saw the amazing work Ontario's skilled tradespeople do to keep our province's economic engine running. Unfortunately Mr. Speaker Ontario is facing a crisis in the province of Ontario and unfortunately Mr. Speaker Ontario is facing a labour shortage in Ottawa alone there are more than 42,000 vacant positions. The skilled trades are no exception and opportunities abound for people looking for a job in this sector. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Labor Immigration Training and Skills Development what is our government doing to bring more people into the skilled trades? Thank you. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I want to thank the member for Carlton for that question and for an amazing day that we had in her riding on Friday. Speaker, we need all hands on deck to get more people in the skilled trades and to build those 1.5 million homes by 2031 and to welcome all of those new Canadians that are going to be coming to Ontario. Speaker, that's why we are investing a record $1.5 billion over the next four years to teach anyone who is eager in the trades the skills they need for these life-changing careers. The iron workers, local 765 in Ottawa and right across Ontario are constructing installing and erecting the iron that our major infrastructure projects depend on. Speaker, simply put we depend on them to keep Ontario standing tall. They are everyday heroes and we need more people like them to continue building Ontario. And the supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the minister for that answer. Speaker, I am pleased to hear that our government is making the necessary investments to help grow Ontario's economy through its skilled trades strategy. With one in three trades people over the age of 55 it's critical that our government fill the oncoming vacancies from retirement by training the next generation of skilled trades workers. Speaker, my question is once again to the minister of labour immigration training and skills development. Thank you to the skilled trades to young people. Thank you. Mr. Labour. Well thank you Mr. Speaker and again thank you to the member for Carlton. Speaker, to fix Ontario's skilled trades shortage we need to show more students that these are rewarding well-paying and in-demand careers. That's why for the first time in Ontario's history we hosted five skilled trades career fairs this fall with more than 20,000 students and parents attending. Working with our union partners employers and colleges students got hands-on experience with a variety of trades and the chance to hear directly from tradespeople about the work that they do. Speaker, to tackle the shortage in the skilled trades we must promote these amazing careers to our young people. They are the next generation and we need them to build a stronger Ontario for all of us. Thank you. Good morning Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Highway 105 was washed out separating Red Lake and Air Falls from the rest of Ontario and Solicote experienced flooding during the spring the unprecedented flooding. Solicote experienced the flooding that damaged over 30 homes and businesses including two hotels. Last week the auditor general said Ontario is not doing enough to help municipalities with this planning. They need assistance. What is Ontario doing to help communities in the north to mitigate future flooding? Government House Leader. Given how important the north is to the province of Ontario and we've said that right from the beginning. We've put not only into northern communities but across the province of Ontario to ensure that we are prepared to meet the challenges of natural disasters both in southern northern Ontario but urban and rural communities. That means working very closely with our municipalities who have expertise on the ground. Now the important thing when we talk about the north Mr Speaker is that we have to create those partnerships because it is so important that's why we are bringing of course more roads and transportation networks to Ontario. I know the Minister of Mine has been working very hard with First Nations partners and with our mining partners to ensure that we can unleash the power of the north. I know the Minister of Energy just talked about last week how we finally were able to get hydro electricity to some parts of northern Ontario and I know the Honourable gentleman was there as well taking them finally off the diesel generators. That's why we are working so closely with our partners to mitigate that. I know there's floods there's fires that keep happening in the north and we need to be able to have good plans for First Nations and municipalities to protect the towns and also the First Nations. Every year communities evacuate because of forest fires that threaten everything. The auditor general found that it took up to 11 hours to coordinate a response. That is unacceptable. Speaker, Ontario can do more to prepare and manage emergencies response to these annual forest fires. What is Ontario doing to improve forest fire responsiveness and planning for First Nations and communities in the north? An important question again from the member opposite. I know the Minister of Natural Resources has been working with his cabinet colleagues and Minister of Northern Development as well as the Minister of Mines and member for Sioux Saint Marie to ensure that our northern parts of the province are well serviced. In particular we've seen a number of forest fire seasons that were very challenging. The First Member knows that we've invested to ensure that our fleet of water bombers and fire equipment is available to the north but we're also doing it in partnership not only with other municipalities but with our partners both in Quebec our partners in Manitoba. We all face very similar challenges and that's why we have been working so closely with partners across the board. But Ontario has made those investments really more investments to make as we continue to see the growth in northern Ontario. Look simple growth that had not existed with any other government because everybody else seemed to ignore northern Ontario. We understand how important it is the economic vitality of the province of Ontario and we'll continue to make those important investments. Next question the member for Newmarket Aurora Mr. President Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Frequent Foreign Affairs within the implementation of economic development for Francophone communities implementation our government will finance four projects that is $500,000 to support entrepreneurship among Francophones. Ontario Francophonie contributes to our cultural wealth and our economic growth and using French language is linked to the economic development of Francophone companies can the Minister tell us more what is done to support Francophone companies? Mr. Speaker thank you thank my colleague also for her excellent question Ontario Francophonie is an economic advantage for the province that's why we widening the offer of services to young Francophone companies $1.5 million to support Francophone entrepreneurs and workers. The Ministry of Francophone Affairs initiatives helping Francophone entrepreneurs to give them support to give them advice in the different phases and the Francophone Economic Development Strategy wants to improve their help and to have more people who speak French working in the job market and also to make it easier for Francophone companies to work in Ontario I'm very proud of the work that we do in supporting Francophone communities in Ontario particularly in terms of economic development. Thank you Madam Minister. Thank you the Speaker to the Minister for her answer. I am so happy to talk of all the initiatives that encourage new companies for their initial period. This strategy will help Francophone entrepreneurs every day and that's why our Government wants to support Francophone Entrepreneurs throughout the province within our plan to build Ontario. Mr. Speaker the Minister can she tell us more about the projects that were kept this year and the support that our Government is provided within this investment program. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Francophone Entrepreneurs in Ontario represent almost 30,000 companies and that's 50% of Francophone companies outside of Quebec. The projects that we have kept have innovative approaches to help small enterprises that are starting and also help to start new ones. This investment will reinforce an ecosystem that is being developed and will put to show our well-being and well know-how of Francophones in Ontario. There is the Council of Cooperation of Ontario the City Collegial is another project that tells the association Francophone Association of Help. Three organizations Mr. Speaker contribute to ensure the prosperity of our Francophone communities in Ontario. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you Mr. Speaker my questions to the Premier. Over the past half decade under your watch my community and its hospitals in Niagara have struggled to keep safe. The policies like bill 124 have contributed to a nursing and staff crisis month over month. Over the summer Niagara health had over 608 staff vacancies. I know that number has grown now. Even worse those vacancies have more than doubled since November 2019. The month that your health care morale killing policy bill 124 the courts overturned bill 124 Premier. Premier will you do the right thing and recognize your policies have worsened our health care staffing crisis. Mr. Colleges and universities Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member for the question. In fact we have increased the number of medical seats at Brock University. I hope you've had the opportunity to tour the university and see the amazing things that are happening at Brock University. Mr. Speaker in fact this fall we saw a record number of applications at Ontario's colleges and universities. This problem 25,000 students were applying for nursing programs at Ontario's colleges and universities. World class post secondary education. In fact we are seeing record numbers of students looking to join the profession and we've already seen the council of Ontario universities says that more than 13,000 students applied to university nursing programs this past year. We've also seen increased to ministry of health through the Ontario colleges of nurses where we've seen a record number of 14,000 registered nurses this season. Thank you Mr. Speaker there's lots more to come. Thank you Mr. Speaker you can cherry pick your record on health care however any way you slice it is still getting worse. I used to work in health care and let me tell you you are not tricking the nurses on the front line you're not tricking the seniors and parents that have to wait endlessly. Ask the member to make her comments through the chair. Continue with your question. We see the receipts we see the results and the results are results. Premier why do you still plan to appeal bill 124 when it is clear your health care policies over the last half decade have led to a worsening of staffing crisis in Niagara and straight across Ontario. And I'll ask them to make their comments through the chair. The member for Niagara west to reply. Thanks to the member opposite for the question. I appreciate the opportunity to respond to some of the information that is not accurate in the member opposite statement. We know the importance of ensuring that investments continue the types of investments that we've seen including in three new hospitals in the Niagara region, the west symptom memorial hospital, the new Niagara hospital and investments in the hotel do shaver hospital. We've seen two new palliative care expansions 20 new palliative care beds being brought into our area. We've seen a new nursing program launch at the Niagara college as well as an expanded nursing program doubling the amount of nursing graduates from Brock University. These are the types of investments under the leadership of Premier Ford and this team we are making in Niagara to ensure that each and every patient in our region has access to the world-class care that they deserve. The opposition had years to make that happen. Please start the clock. Next question, the member for Guelph. My question is for the Premier. Thousands of people and communities across Ontario attended rallies this weekend calling on the Premier to keep his promise not to touch the green belt. My favourite chant was no to housing in the green belt, yes to housing in my backyard. The government's own housing affordability task force said there is no need to develop the green belt. There is plenty of land already approved for development to build the homes that people need. The Premier himself has said and I quote speaker, I've heard it loud and clear that people don't want me touching the green belt. We won't touch the green belt. Speaker the people are speaking out loud and clear right now. So the question is, will the Premier listen to the people who don't want him to touch the green belt or will he listen to land speculators who want to pave over the people's green belt? The member for Kitchener County still will come to order. The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to reply. Speaker, so here's what we know speaker. Our per capita housing supply lags behind our G7 and our Canadian peers are in a state with for jobs and investment today. Our province is nearly 1.3 million homes rented or owned short of that G7 average. That's why we're in the middle of a housing crisis. The University of Ottawa's based smart prosperity center found that Ontario's pre existing shortage is already 471,000 homes in 2021. We need just to get to that average of other G7 countries and our Canadian peers. And then as has been noted this morning, we already know that we're going to have an influx of new immigration who we want to welcome to our province. Probably 60% of that half a million Canadians are going to come here. So that's why we're putting forward policies, procedures, bills, regulations to get shovels in the ground. Yeah. Speaker, there is one thing I will agree with the minister on. The housing crisis has gotten worse under this government's watch. But let's be honest with people breaking the premier's green belt promise will not solve the housing affordability crisis. This government's own housing task force says that housing experts and activists say that we know that developing a green belt will help a handful of wealthy land speculators turn millions into billions. And the rest of us are going to pay the price, Speaker, longer, more expensive commutes, flood threats to our lives, livelihood and property, higher property taxes, threats to our food security and farming economy. Speaker, if we want to solve the housing crisis, let's end exclusionary zoning and build affordable homes where people want to live in communities they want to live in and close to where they work. So the question, Speaker, is will the premier put people before speculators and repeal Bill 23? It's pretty rich coming from the member for Guelph. Guelph City Council, if you can believe this Speaker, voted against student housing on land that's owned by the University of Guelph. Unbelievable. Speaker, Millennials in Ontario have to save for over 20 years to get a down payment on a home. The lack of affordability in the Greater Golden Horseshoe is even steeper. I am not going to stand here like the member for Guelph, the leader of the Green Party and defend the status quo. He opposes building homes. He opposes getting things done and he opposes the realization of home ownership for a generation of Ontarians. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you, Speaker. There's a growing interest in geological carbon capture and storage and this questions to the Minister of Natural Resources There's growing interest in geological carbon capture and storage to safely store carbon dioxide deep bedrock formations. Storing carbon dioxide deep underground is one way of reducing the impact of greenhouse gases from high emitting sources like heavy industrial activity in response to evolving energy needs and priorities. Ontario businesses have been interested in pursuing new underground storage opportunities. According to a discussion paper posted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, there is a potential for enabling carbon storage in Ontario. Several areas throughout our province might have the right geological conditions for storage capabilities. Speaker, can the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry please elaborate further on carbon storage, technology and its environmental and economic benefits. Thank you. I want to thank my colleague of course, a member from Sarnia Lampton for that important question and for his hard work on behalf of his constituents. Carbon storage that involves injecting carbon dioxide deep underground rock formations for permanent storage. You take the carbon dioxide emitted from power plants, from steel mill or any other industrial process that you can think of and capture it. Mr. Speaker, instead of having the carbon dioxide released into the air, this process ensures that it never gets a chance to be released in the air. The strategy is allowing us to develop a self-sustaining sector in Ontario, create local jobs and attract investments while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Mr. Speaker, I think all of us in this House, whether you're on this side or that side of the House agree that we need to do our part to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that answer. In fact, it's not in here, but Sarnia Lampson's got the right geological formations for that kind of carbon capture and storage. I'm very impressed. Exploring the implementation of carbon storage is certainly a significant step in helping to reduce Ontario's greenhouse gas emissions and in producing low carbon hydrogen. Along with environmental benefits this technology also provides opportunities to increase Ontario's competitiveness and supports job creations. Ontarians are counting on our government to implement measures that will help support economic growth, productivity while ensuring environmental protection. Speaker, can the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry please elaborate on what action this government is taking to enable underground geological storage of carbon as we move forward? Mr. Speaker, I think that's a good question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank my colleague for that important question once again. Just last Wednesday, as part of the less red-taped stronger Ontario Act 2022, we proposed an amendment to the Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Act to remove the restrictions related to carbon storage in our province. This initial step of course signals to the industry that our government should support geologic carbon storage and that we are taking a phased and thoughtful approach to regulate the activity. We know that carbon storage is new to Ontario and we want to ensure the activity is undertaken responsibly with measures in place that make sure that it is done in a way that is safe and effective. This ambitious plan that we have announced as part of the Red Tape Stronger Ontario Act will help response our efforts to reduce Ontario's emissions and cut red tape for businesses and industry while safeguarding the people of Ontario and our environment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Next question, the member for Toronto, St. Paul. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Last week, the Auditor General reported that the P3 contracts used to build Ottawa's LRT resulted in more problems and less accountability. The companies contracted in Ottawa through these shady P3s are responsible for the Eglinton Crosstown P3 expensive P3 mess that has frustrated my community in St. Paul's for over a decade. My community needs accountability from this government more than ever. They need assurance that the Ottawa LRT fiasco will repeat itself on Eglinton. My question is to the Premier. Why is the Premier, the Minister and Metrolinx choosing to conceal instead the answer to the public, the people paying for the actual project? How long this latest Eglinton LRT delay really is going to be? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker and I thank the member opposite for the question. Speaker, the delays that are plaguing the Eglinton Crosstown LRT are frustrating for everyone, for people living along the line and for businesses that are there. As the member opposite knows, this is a project from the previous Liberal Government that mismanaged the project from the start. Right now, Speaker, our focus is on making sure that the Eglinton Crosstown LRT is safely operational as soon as possible. But Mr. Speaker, let's be clear. We are continuing to make progress on our priority projects for the GTA, the new Ontario line and the three extensions. But to get those projects built, Mr. Speaker, in a different way, we passed the Building Transit Faster Act, an act that's designed to address a lot of the issues that the member opposite is raising. And Mr. Speaker, that member and the party opposite voted against the Building Transit Faster Act. They voted against getting shovels in the ground and getting transit built faster, Mr. Speaker. I think that's the question that should be asked in this House Speaker is why they voted against such important piece of legislation. It's 75% over budget. That's why we said no. The ability isn't all we need. For 10 years, small businesses in Midtown and Little Jamaica have been devastated by the LRT's construction with more businesses shutting down for good than I can count. Small businesses are a community. The latest LRT delay pushing the Open Day to late 2023 at the earliest will be the last straw. While many of our small businesses didn't get help during the pandemic, Speaker, this Premier gave nearly $1 billion to corporations and businesses that didn't need it or didn't qualify. Some of them were even in Ontario, Speaker. My question is back to the Premier. Will you be providing substantial financial support for our small businesses so that they can weather this storm that this Government has created? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And our government does not believe that these kinds of delays are acceptable and that's exactly why we passed the Building Transit Faster Act. I can't understand such an important piece of legislation that will make sure that future transit is built more quickly and is built better than the way the Liberals had planned. But Mr. Speaker, let's be clear. We have been there for businesses along the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. We have provided supports for those businesses that have been impacted by construction. We are collaborating not only with the City of Toronto but also with local BIAs to establish joint committee that's responsible for determining where these funds should go. Mr. Speaker, we know that this has been a difficult go for the people along the Eglinton Crosstown LRT and that's why we're so determined to do it differently. Mr. Speaker, homelessness is an extremely important and complex issue that impacts Ontarians. You know last week I was speaking with one of the members of the government from LAMP Community Health in my riding of a Tobacco Lakeshore and we discussed the challenges that are faced by individuals, families experience unsheltered homelessness and how they become all more heightened during the winter months. While it is essential that assistance and programs are available to meet urgent needs, there must also be new solutions and coordination of services to support Ontarian's most vulnerable people. Many individuals and families whose physical, mental and social well-being are at risk because they need access to resources and local supports. Speaker, can the Associate Minister of Housing please explain what our government is doing to provide vulnerable Ontarians with the support that they need. Good question. Thank you very much Speaker and I want to thank my Honourable colleague for this very important work that she does in her community Mr Speaker. I want to point out that Ontario under this government is the primary funder of all homelessness programs with 86% of the funding coming directly from the province. Speaker, earlier this year we developed a new homelessness prevention program to simplify and streamline operations to allow service managers to help more people find a home and less time on paperwork and we also increased this program by $25 million this year bringing the total close to half a billion dollars annually. Speaker, I recently visited Scott Mission here in Toronto and Ottawa Mission before heading north to visit Urban Abbey and Grace Place in Thunder Bay to see first hand the great work that's being done to support those who are facing housing challenges. Mr Speaker, I've said it again. We'll continue to be there and we'll work with all partners to make sure that this program continues to be there. Thank you. I just want to thank the minister for that answer. It is extremely important and during the winter months the weather in many regions as we all know can draw up to extremely cold temperatures. This creates conditions that can adversely impact the health and well-being of those in need of shelter. Individuals and families experience or at risk of developing hypothermia or frostbite than the general population during the cold winter seasons. Our government must provide assistance to individuals whose health and safety might be at risk because of the cold. Speaker, can the Associate Minister of Housing provide details about support systems and programs available to those needing shelter? Thank you. My colleague for the follow-up question. Speaker, through you to my colleague rest assured that we'll continue to be there for anyone in Ontario that needs support. We'll continue to work with our municipal partners and our federal partners as well to do more so that we can continue to address homelessness in Ontario. Speaker, I would like to point out that a few municipalities across our province have opened up warming centres for those who are looking to stay and we need to continue to work together to be there for all those in need of support. And I encourage Ontarians who need more information or assistance to dial 311 Speaker, this government will simply not leave anyone behind and will continue to work with our partners like the Salvation Army amongst others to ensure that every Ontarian has a warm and safe place this winter season. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Municipal Affairs and Housing. Last Thursday we heard from 18 witnesses about Bill 39. 14 of those 18 witnesses spoke against the bill. They represent the overwhelming public outcry against this government's unprecedented attack on local democracy. The Association of Municipalities of Ontario made this very point saying, Bill 39 will disenfranchise elected councillors and potentially destabilise and undermine the authority of municipal government. AMO is not alone in its understanding of this matter. It has been expressed clearly and repeatedly by countless media outlets, leading scholars, political commentators and others who care about democracy and good government. Minister, will you listen to Ontarians and withdraw Bill 39? Minister, Mr. Affairs and Housing. The member opposite did a member of parliament acting like Bill 39 was passed in the legislature. The bill is in committee. There are dealing with, in fact, I think the opposition only mustered up three amendments to the whole bill. So never underestimate the NDP to do the least amount of work possible. Again, Speaker, I support Mayor Tauri. Mayor Tauri's request for this amendment to the legislation is something our government supports because we want to ensure that Mayor Tauri who received a strong democratic citywide mandate in the October 24th election, he wants to get shovels in the ground and he wants to support our goal to build 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years, unlike the NDP speaker who won't even utter the word of ownership in the legislature. Shame on you. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the premier. Former mayors of Toronto have called Bill 39 an attack on one of the essential tenants of our local democracy and with it, a fundamental democratic mechanism, majority rule. The mayors also note that with the integrity and the well-being of Ontarians on the line, people are organizing for a historic showdown. The title of this meeting is the member of the chamber. This member may take her seat. So there's a loud conversation taking place at the chamber and it's making us difficult to hear the member who actually has the floor. Member for Carlton will come to order. Member for Scarborough Guildwood will come to order. Brampton North, I think for the fourth time today. Thank you, Speaker. So I'm just going to repeat the question. This government's show remember the last time that they tried to trample on the rights of Ontarians. The people were united, they fought back and the government was embarrassingly forced to repeal their unconstitutional bill that time in less than a week. Speaker, through you to the premier, will the government withdraw Bill 39 before they're forced to repeal the bill? I'm going to quote MPP Wong-Tam when they had the title of city councillor. I think it really sends a message on how the NDP operate. Here's a quote. Good luck trying to build your tower or your condo if we don't give you the road occupancy permit. Good luck if we don't give you that permission to remove that single tiny little tree. It is simply not going to happen. Wow. Talk about bananas. Yes, talk about bananas. We're going to support Mayor Tory who received a strong democratic citywide mandate. I've said in this House, every other councillor combined the mayor still had 36,000 more votes. He wants to make the strong decision. We want to work with him. We need to have a third of the growth speaker. A third of the growth in the next decade is going to come in our two biggest cities, Toronto and Ottawa. We have to give those mayors the tools to get shovels in the ground faster. That's exactly what Bill 39 does. Thank you, Speaker. Our government recently announced an environmental assessment proposal this critical mineral project will bring job opportunities and secure Ontario's future as a leader in the generation of clean sustainable electric vehicles. While we hear from the opposition that our government does little to protect the environment, it is evident that our government's actions demonstrate environmentally responsible leadership. Can the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks please explain how this environmental assessment is going to work? To apply the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. I would like to thank the member for that excellent question. He is right, Speaker. Too often we hear this false choice. Environmental protection and economic development go hand in hand. That's a belief of this government. In fact, that worrying false dichotomy presents a fundamental lack of belief in Ontarians and the potential of the men and women in the north. Speaker, there is no net zero without mining. In the north, the Corridor to Prosperity means the critical minerals we need to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. Just this past week, I approved with my powers under the Environmental Assessment Act, Generation PGM's Marathon Mine project. This approval is a guarantee that this vital project will go forward and Ontario is leading Canada. Leading Canada showing that by working with businesses, not taxing them, we can realize the potential of the north, work hand in hand with indigenous partners and ensure that Ontario is on the forefront of decarbonization. Thank you, Speaker. Supplementary question. Speaker, it's great to learn that our government is taking concrete steps to cement Ontario's place in production and innovation. It is evident that these efforts are bringing good jobs and prosperity to the people and communities of northern Ontario in an environmentally responsible way. There is tremendous potential in the north and many positive outcomes can be achieved as our government continues to promote Ontario's mining sector. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Mines. Can he please elaborate further on the importance of this mining project and the critical mineral strategy? Minister of Mines. Mr. Bay Atacoken, for your question and for the great work you're doing in your writing. Mr. Speaker, Generations Mining Marathon Palladium Project supports our critical little strategy by creating a source of palladium, a mineral vital in the production of clean technologies right here in Ontario. This market is important because Russia has cornered the market and is a primary global supplier and the energy is combating this and ensuring our allies have access to these resources by creating the right conditions for companies to do what they best, build mines and create jobs. Mr. Speaker, just listen to what Jamie Libby, CEO of Generation Mining had to say about our government's support for their project. We appreciate the support of the province throughout this process. This important critical mineral project will bring economic prosperity to the regional indigenous communities by creating 900 construction jobs and 375 mining jobs. Mr. Speaker, our critical mineral strategy is working. Next question from Thunder Bay Superior North. Thank you, Speaker. Last year the Premier promised workers at the Alstom plant in Thunder Bay we will make sure anything bought in Ontario should be produced in Ontario. But this government has secretly lowered the Canadian content rules for the Ontario line from 25 to 10%. The Ontario line contract went to a Japanese consortium and $2.3 billion worth of subway car manufacturing jobs are leaving the province. The United States requires 75% American content for publicly funded transit vehicles and this government won't even commit to 25%. Let the Premier break his promise to Thunder Bay workers and send their jobs overseas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Under the leadership of this Premier we are delivering the largest transit expansion in Canadian history all while investing in high-quality, high-paying homegrown jobs. In the last three years alone our government has invested $100 million to support Thunder Bay workers at the Alstom plant. We currently have nine open contracts with Alstom for projects across the province. We've recently ordered 60 new streetcars and refurbishment of 94 GO train coaches to maintain 300 good manufacturing jobs at the Alstom facility. Mr. Speaker, as part of our largest transit expansion plan in Canadian history the City of Toronto has been provided with the opportunity to redirect more than $5 billion in its state of good repair funding to the existing TTC network which will then include the purchase of new streetcars and new subways. This means real opportunity for the province of Ontario and the member opposite party voted against that deal. From a facility with 700 to 1300 workers it currently has 150. The plant is at risk of shutting down permanently by 2024 if contracts are not in place by the end of the year. There is a major contract for new TTC subway cars in the works but the provincial and federal governments have yet to come up with their share of the financing keeping the project in limbo. Will the Premier commit to announcing their financial support for the new TTC cars before the new year and further will the Premier commit to maintaining at least 25% Canadian content in all future light rail projects ensuring that our world class manufacturing facility in Thunder Bay not only survives but thrives. Speaker under the leadership of Premier Ford no government has ordered more Canadian made vehicles than ours. Speaker the NDP and the Liberals have it both ways. They can't ask us to order more cars and then vote against the deal that's going to provide those cars and those jobs for the workers. In part of the deal with the federal government and the City of Toronto and York regions involved the redirecting of $5 billion of funding to the state of good repair. The NDP and the Liberals voted against that deal Mr. Speaker. That is the way we're going to continue to send more orders to the government. Please recognize the building students in this country live and die without their families and their family. Good paying jobs are there for years and years to come. But Mr. Speaker we're putting forward the plan and the members opposite keep voting against it. The opportunity to visit and meet with businesses in my writing of Ajax. regulations. Businesses in my community and across all of Ontario suffer from legislative barriers and the largest red tape burden in the country. Ontarians expect their government to support them and to implement measures to increase our province's competitiveness, productivity and economic potential. Speaker, can the Minister of Red Tape Production please share how our government supports small businesses across Ontario? Mr Speaker, I want to thank my colleague the member from Ajax for that important question. She has been doing obviously a great job obviously working with her businesses and also bringing some of the concerns to my attention, Mr Speaker. And the member is absolutely right. Our government inherited a regulatory system from the previous Liberal and NDP coalition government that was hurting our small businesses and drove hundreds of thousands of jobs out of the province, Mr Speaker. Thankfully our government is taking action. It's been a privilege to work with small businesses across our province, of course resulting in the introduction of Let's Red Tape and Stronger Ontario Act. The bill will build on our government's strong record of cutting red tape over the last four and a half years, Mr Speaker. Since 2018, the red tape production measures have, we have introduced, have saved businesses over half a billion dollars in annually and compliance costs, Mr Speaker. We know our work is not done yet and I will speak to it more in the supplementary, Mr Speaker. It's time for a supplementary question. Mr Speaker, I'm pleased to share that small business in my community recognize and appreciate our government's continued efforts in supporting them. Removing duplication and other ineffectiveness are positive actions to enable people to thrive and businesses to prosper. The historic progress achieved by our government to modernize processes and reduce red tape is helping businesses save time and money. Business owners in all Ontarians expect their government to focus on measures that make government services easier to access and interact with. Speaker, can the Minister of Red Tape Reduction please explain the positive outcomes that have been achieved for the people of Ontario by cutting unnecessary red tape? Thank you, Mr Speaker. I want to thank my honourable colleague for that question again. Mr Speaker, common sense changes like modernizing government and other initiatives in the bill will help improve affordability for all Ontarians. These 28 measures in red tape bill will result of course in lower costs for consumers without compromising public safety or the environment. But don't just take my word for it, Mr Speaker. This is what the Ontario Chamber of Commerce had to say and I code. We welcome the government's continued commitment to creating more competitive business environment through its red tape production bills. These measures can help support economic recovery by accelerating business growth, advancing innovative solutions and attracting investment and a code. Mr Speaker, we know we have more work to do. We will continue to work hard each and every day and get it done. Thank you, Mr Speaker.