 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of his Majesty's Loyal Opposition Good morning speaker. My question is for the Premier this government has so many Backroom deals with their insiders that it's actually hard to keep track Just a few years ago. This government was once again embroiled in a scandal where they attempted to pass a law to Accredit a private evangelical university a School known for being islamophobic Homophobic transphobic a school run by a very close friend of the Premier Charles McVeedy At the time the government claimed the process was all up to code and now they're subject to a lawsuit Speaker does the Premier believe the process of accreditation for the school was free from interference? Mr. Colleges and University's truth. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker the Court of Appeal dismissed Canada Christian College's appeal and the Ministry is pleased with the Court's decision And there's no further comment on the situation or matter at this time The then Minister of Colleges and Universities said the process and their actions were and I want to quote him here the most transparent thing that could exist now a leaked recording of a phone call between McVeedy and that same minister found the minister was working Overtime to help McVeedy get his school accredited even asking him to make the submission and I quote again as Easy as possible for me to sign off on no matter what Speaker back to the Premier is the Premier concerned about the ongoing pattern of preferential treatment his friends are receiving Thank you, Mr. Speaker and as I said the Ministry is pleased with the Court's decision and has no further comment on the matter I will comment though PCAB submitted their report and the Minister of the day accepted that report of the recommendations to The University to not receive answer the college to not receive their university status But this government will stand up against all forms of hate and ensure that all students are feel safe on their campuses If the government appreciates just how bad all this looks Backroom deals in land use planning the green belt grab MZO's private health care and even Universities now, and I have another quote for you Speaker because weeks after that recorded phone call that minister told this house We cannot interfere with these types of procedural safeguards. It's wrong It violates the principles of fundamental justice, but privately He was telling McVeedy something very different, and I'm going to quote again We're going to guide this process through he said and we are going to make sure you got to where you want it to go And right where you want it to get So back to the Premier why was your government saying one thing to the people and a different thing behind closed This government will stand up against all forms of hate and ensure that all students feel safe on campuses across this province Peacop submitted their report and the recommendation to not Give the university status to the college and the Court of Appeal dismissed Canada Christian College's appeal And we are just no for the comment on the matter this time Thank you. The next question once again the leader of the opposition More about this government's shady deals and double-speak this time about urban boundary changes This time we're going to talk about urban boundary changes to the Premier Two weeks ago the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing was asked whether he would reverse the forced expansion of Hamilton's urban boundaries He said and I quote No, mr. Speaker. I will not reverse the expansion of the urban boundaries But just two weeks later the minister suddenly reversed course So to the Premier what spooked his minister so much that he would completely reverse a position He was doubling down on just two weeks ago And a week ago the leader of the opposition wasn't going to force the member for Hamilton Center out of the party and in the same week she flipped law three or four times You know what changed mr. Speaker very sincerely. I had a long discussion with Mayor Sutcliffe in Ottawa He explained to me what Ottawa would like to accomplish with respect to their housing targets. I did the same with other mares I had a very good conversation With the former leader of the NDP who is now the mayor in Hamilton And they are all on the same page with wanting to ensure that we build 1.5 million homes for the people of the province of Ontario and to work with us to get that happen So I made the decision mr. Speaker to to better work with our municipal partners and to build on the successes that we've already had In bringing housing supply action plans to this house mr. Speaker. That's what the change was Supplementary question Mr. Speaker it was never about land. It was never about housing. You didn't need that land And it wasn't just two weeks ago speaker It was as recent as last week because last week we asked the minister about this government's overuse of Ministerial zoning orders to give preferential treatment to their favored speculators and once again the minister doubled down and defended His government's abuse of MZO's Now he's reviewing them Back to the premier. Why does it take an RCMP investigation for this government to understand why preferential treatment is wrong? Make a comment through the chair Mr. Missful fairs in house. Good luck mr. Speaker. I can get up here and again identify all of the MZO's that are Allowed for housing to be built in the members own community housing requests MZO requests We got from the city of Toronto requests that we got From other municipal partners requests that we got from from the minister of health so that we could build Hospitals requests that were submitted by the minister of long-term care to build long-term care mr. Speaker What I am reviewing are those MZO's that were given for the purpose of building housing that at this point have not started as I've said in my first press press conference I want to move to a system of use it or lose it there is no benefit for the people of the province of Ontario For our home-building partners to be sitting on allocations if they're not going to use it And that's what I am reviewing mr. Speaker because the primary goal of the MZO's has been to move Development ahead whether it's for schools long-term care hospitals and supportive housing to the tomb of thousands of homes in The members own community mr. Speaker Final supplementary Speaker it's their friends, but it's Ontarians money The CBC reported that certain amendments to Hamilton's official plan were written Word for word by a well-connected developer and conservative donor Sergio Mancha The very same Sergio Mancha who received preferential treatment in the Greenbelt grab The very same Speculator who bought tickets to the now infamous stag and dough from the head of the conservatives fundraising team The integrity commissioners report has evidence the premier repeatedly called mr. Mancha prior to the changes to the Greenbelt and Hamilton's official plan Speaker back to the premier in any of those phone calls did the premier discuss changes to Hamilton's official plan with mr. Mancha Mr. Mitchell Let me explain to the leader of the opposition some of the things that happen when you are When you are working both as a government and as a member of parliament so in advance of official plans I can say that in my office I had community leaders tell me what they wanted to see happen I had mayors call me saying what they wanted to see happen I even had home builders making suggestions to me, but ultimately mr. Speaker what we should be guided by is the provincial planning statement the reason I made the decisions to reverse some of those Changes to official plans is because I didn't feel that they met the spirit That is important to bring public trust with you now I know the leader of the opposition order coming and hauling she asked a question She doesn't want to hear the answer to you know why colleagues because for her it's the same old thing Roblox is fun in the way, right? That's all they're about Stand in the way of development stand in the way of progress There are a radical small group of people who don't understand what it takes to move the province forward and that is why they continuously lose This morning order DBC Hamilton Even the opposition will come to order the government Government host leader Minister of Municipal Affairs will come to order The Minister of Municipal Affairs will come door to the member for Kitchener Conestoga will come to order The rest of you will all come to order Member for Hamilton West and Castro Dundas has the floor To the Premier this morning CBC Hamilton confirmed that the government's changes to Hamilton's official plan came Directly from speculators connected to the Premier the city of Hamilton rejected the original application for development because it contradicted Hamilton's zoning rules and faced public opposition Instead of listening to city council and local residents the government's decisions came word for word from speculator Sergio Mancha and lobbyist Matt Johnson to allow an eight-story building on a designated heritage site So Premier our ministers in your cabinet taking directions from speculators Once again remind the members to make your comments through the chair Minister of Municipal Affairs in housing I know who I take my direction from the people of the province of Ontario Mrs. Maybe that's what I take my direction from and when I hear parents tell me that they have kids who have made Twenty-one offers on homes and are not even in the game I know I have to double down and do even more and you know who else knows that all of the progressive conservatives who are Sitting in this chamber. We are completely focused on one thing making life more affordable for the people of the province of Ontario Building 1.5 million homes so that the next generation of ontarian families can have the exact same dream that almost every one of us in this chamber Have mr. Speaker that's the dream of home ownership It is why millions of people have chosen to come to the province of Ontario in her own community Mr. Speaker so to the member opposite I say very very clearly we will not stop working on behalf of the people of this province We will not stop building a bigger better stronger province of Ontario Even if that means fun rolling over the radical NDP who simply say no to everything mr. Speaker if it was up to them We'd be back in 1933 and we won't let People of Hamilton wish you would just stop taking direction from speculators That's what we wish in Hamilton and these are not just any speculators that the premier took direction from but the exact people Who were at his daughter's dag and dough? They're the same people interviewed by officers of the legislature because of preferential treatment in the green belt grab Ancaster counselor Craig Kassar said it best it is entirely Undemocratic for the province to accommodate for-profit interest that are in complete contradiction to the public interest So how many changes to official plans came directly word-for-word from speculators Mr. Missful fairs and housing well, I think that the valuable part of that question was profit, right? And here is the crux of everything the NDP they don't want a system where people can get ahead in this province, right? Anything that is about helping people advance They're going to be against mr. Speaker. What are we doing? We're building more homes for people and we're removing obstacles so that we can get more homes built for people in the province of Ontario we're cutting taxes so that the lowest income earners don't have to pay taxes to the government Imagine that they voted against it. I'm building long-term care homes because as the minister of long-term care says we owe a Responsibility to those who help build this province mr. Speaker they're against that later on today We will be bringing a motion forward the member for storm out there for a Chatham kandesics He will be bringing a motion forward to call on the federal government to remove the carbon tax from fuel and we are hoping We are hoping the NDP will do the right thing and vote with us to put more money back in the people's pockets I bet mr. Speaker they won't and they'll continue on a destructive path Order the next question the member for Burlington Thank you speaker my question is for the minister of economic development job creation and trade The policies of the previous liberal government supported by the NDP saw our tech sector stagnate Our brightest tech workers were leaving the province order game changing tech innovations were occurring abroad Thankfully our government took office and immediately reverse the Liberals anti-business policies Now Ontario is home to one of the fastest growing tech hubs in the world Our critical technology initiatives is one of the measures. We are implementing to remain a global tech leader Speaker can the minister please speak to the importance of our critical technology initiatives and some of the projects it has supported Minister of economic development job creation and trade government is making strategic investments to ensure that Ontario is at the forefront of global tech innovation through our 107 million dollar critical technology initiative we're accelerating the development commercialization and use of important technologies like cyber security and AI this includes a five million dollar investment We made to support cctx's Ontario cyber security excellence initiative this will help companies across the province Develop and adopt cyber security technologies help them to become more competitive grow and create good-paying jobs Speaker we are making sure Ontario is a global leader in tech innovation and ensuring that businesses have access to the Technologies they need to remain competitive Thank you speaker and thanks to the minister for his answer It's great to hear about the important investments. We're making through our critical technology initiatives We know these critical technologies present massive economic opportunities for Ontario AI 5g and quantum technologies are expected to contribute $29 trillion to the global economy by 2035 By supporting technological innovation we can help more companies across the critical technologies Access the critical technologies they need to become more competitive Speaker can the minister please elaborate on other investments recently made by our government through critical technology initiatives Minister of economic development Speaker critical technologies Fuel innovation they drive growth in every sector and that's why our government Invested 50 million dollars into the Ontario centre of innovation for their new program to help Businesses adopt these critical technologies it will focus on helping businesses in mining Agri-food and advanced manufacturing so that they too can increase their competitiveness and boost their productivity That's in addition to the 27 million dollars We invested in the Vector Institute as they make it easier for companies to develop AI Applications for safe and ethical AI right here in Ontario. You know the Premier reminds me every day we have 414,000 tech workers here in the province of Ontario Because we're building this world-class Ecosystem to make sure that those technologies are developed right here in Ontario Thank you speaker at a time this province was building off-market buildings These were houses that were built according to the needs and not for profit the government has stopped in 1995 yes when the conservatives decided to reject that responsibility and That led to the housing crisis today to the Prime Minister to the Premier well He support the NDP's a solution to provide off-market housing that we so desperately need Speaker so in fairness I did take a look at the NDP plan that they that they provided yesterday It's very similar to a plan that was brought forward by Bob Ray between 1990 and 95 now the hallmark of that plan is to speaker The hallmark of that plan mr. Speaker was that he suggested one price and then he came in Hundreds of millions of dollars over budget and what they thought would happen didn't happen It didn't provide the housing that was required mr. Speaker what then ended up happening was that the government had to go out and spend money on Buying land speaker so housing wasn't built so the program was cancelled because it wasn't coming through for the people the province of Ontario and because the previous NDP government literally bankrupted the province of Ontario now to put it in context They left the province of Ontario back in 1995 with an 11 Billion-dollar deficit in 1995. What's that the equivalent of 25 billion dollar in today's in today's economy mr. Speaker And what did they accomplish well they actually outpaced the liberals they accomplished even less than zero Thank you speaker Maybe the minister should go see in the parks and see how there's a tent villages We see them even in northern Ontario that we didn't see beforehand. I think he's disconnected from reality mr. Speaker At the same level in importance as health education and pension plans if If the private sector can't build enough Affordable housing for all those that need it the public sector can has to then take up this effort Us on this side of the house we'd like to ensure that every Ontarian has a house and a roof over their heads a Housing that they can pay for without having to make choices about whether they can Provide for their family When will this government take housing seriously? Look we brought in a series of bills in this place since 2018 that the member opposite has literally voted against every single one of them He talks about he talks about in his answer some of the issues with surrounding mental health and addictions order He has voted against the roadmap to wellness. He's talking about jobs and opportunity yet He and his colleague from Sudbury voted against minds and more opportunity for people Their plan is predicated on the fact that somehow there is a secret cash of bureaucrats somewhere Who are going to go out and start building homes for the people of the province of Ontario if they're there? Then I will unleash them, but I have not found the secret cash of people or if you know who build social housing It is the same people that build rental housing It is the same people that build the homes that all of us live in mr. Speaker and what we have done They say they want to take the profit out of it But they want to add a tax to it because when we took away Development charges on purpose built rentals on the HST when we said no development charges on social housing they voted against it Thank you the next question the member for Bradford Brands Thank You speaker my question is for the Minister of Mines Speaker Ontario's mining sector has never been more important than it is today Our province depends significantly on our resource sector which impacts every part of our daily lives From the cars that we drive to the phones that we carry in our pockets Mining is also responsible for creating creating the economy of the future And it is a source of job opportunities in the north and throughout Ontario Sadly the opposition NDP and Liberals continue to say no to opportunities that will help maintain Ontario's position as a world leader in sustainable mining That is why our government must continue to act with urgency in supporting this vital sector Speaker can the minister please explain how our government is strengthening Ontario's mining sector. Thank you the Minister of Mines Thank you to the member from Bradford Brandt for the question Thanks to our government the opportunities for the Ontario mining industry have never been better than they are right now This is the result of our plan to make Ontario the leading mining jurisdiction in Canada We have made strategic investments like the thirty five million dollars in the Ontario junior exploration program and five million dollars in the Ontario and the critical minerals innovation fund We have passed the building more minds act to cut through red tape to ensure that government Operates at the pace of business here here Speaker the response from industry has been overwhelmingly positive and we are just getting started Even though we all know how important mining is for the economy the NDP voted no to every investment and every red Type type and an initiative we have done to support this sector It's a shameful record speaker Thank you speaker Speaker I know from speaking to the minister that the mining sector supports 75,000 jobs across our great province and contributes over 13 billion dollars to our GDP every single year Yet the NDP continues to vote against every investment made by our government that helps to strengthen this sector It's unfortunate that the NDP and the Liberals Continue to promote narratives that incite fear and mistrust of Ontario's mining industry In contrast our government must support mining and the many benefits it provides to northern and indigenous communities And our province as a whole Most importantly we must show respect to the hard-working and dedicated miners who are reshaping our economy and advancing electric vehicle production Speaker can the minister please elaborate on the role of the mining sector in building a stronger Ontario. Thank you For this question Mining provided a career and life for many people in my hometown of South Park a bind and as our government and this premier That is creating more opportunities for mining We're ensuring everyone in Ontario will benefit from this generational opportunity to fuel the future We know we can't do this without strong industry parent partners like the Ontario Mining Association. I Invite all members to join the meet the miners reception with the OMA at 5 p.m. Today at the Sheraton hotel I encourage everyone including the opposition to come and learn about the sector And they have which is sector they clearly have lost faith in The future of economy is evolving right now But none of it can happen without mining Everyone needs vote to to vote yes to mining here here The next question the member for Niagara Center speaker through you to the premier this afternoon this Being vulnerable persons in support of living accommodation act and once again I want to thank well in City Councillor Bonnie Fokens and Carolyn fast for being here today if past it will provide a Regulatory framework requiring all supportive living home operators to be licensed and allow for inspection and complaint protocols The Toronto Stars investigation into unregulated supportive living homes revealed gut wrenching conditions Speaker in just one home They found rats mold bedbugs and soiled mattresses and there have been deaths due to fire Will this government support this legislation? I want to thank my colleague for the question speaker I want to be very clear We expect everyone to uphold public health and property standards Especially when it comes to housing most vulnerable in our communities mr. Speaker all Landlords and housing providers have a legal responsibility to provide safe and habitable homes to their tenants That's the law mr. Speaker. We're tackling the issue from both sides My colleague the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing is creating more Opportunities for at-risk people to receive the critical supports they need and our government has made two of the largest increases to ODSP programs in the programs history mr. Speaker putting more money on ODSP recipient this year Mr. Order we're investing two point one billion dollars to fund accommodation that meets the needs of adults with Development or disabilities mr. Speaker that's an increase of fun nearly a half a billion dollars since 2018 when we formed government mr. Speaker Thank you Minister will take a seat. Thank you member for Toronto St. Paul's come to order supplementary question Little comfort to vulnerable persons my private members bill will set minimum standards so that vulnerable tenants no longer suffer from dangerous and sometimes life-threatening Situations following the death of a tenant in London an unregulated supportive living home the city acted quickly to put by-laws in place But me municipalities want provincial regulations Will this government listen to its municipal partners pass my bill and bring it back from committee as quickly as possible Before we see more deaths of vulnerable persons in Ontario supportive living accommodations Mr. Speaker when it comes to providing support as I mentioned this year the For the developmental sector alone We're investing nearly three quarters of a billion dollars more than what we did when we formed government on support of housing 2.1 billion dollars of being to invest mr. Speaker on this side of the house and in the middle across We have put initiatives forward to make sure that we protect Ontarians especially on most vulnerable and mr. Speaker We will stop at nothing to hold orders accountable who do not protect people of this province Especially our most vulnerable the only problem is mr. Speaker every single initiative that we put forward to provide Supports for the people of Ontario the opposition votes against they'll come here and ask for things But when we put bills forward that support Ontarians, especially our most vulnerable the NDP constantly order Okay Remember for Toronto St. Paul's will rise and withdraw her unparliamentary comment Thank you order order Order order We're ready to start again start the clock member for Haldeman Norfolk Beaker my question is to the Minister of Long-Term Care Nearly two years ago there was cause for optimism for long-term care and Haldeman Norfolk with 334 new beds and 324 upgrades announced two years later and ground has not been broken at any of the six facilities where beds or improvements were announced Speaker when will the members opposite admit the environment to build does not exist here in Ontario I'm told construction costs have been have risen to the point all these projects may be in jeopardy All the while wait time wait times continue to grow and are abysmal with most families waiting over a year for a bed Speaker through you to the minister What is the ministry doing to ensure these announcements from two years ago? We'll actually go ahead and one is the plan to expedite construction Mr. Long-Term Care Thank you speaker a lot to update this house on a long-term care Which we've been doing for the past while several years to be frank a 10 billion dollar capital plan with a plan to build and redevelop 58,000 and they're not bad. They're homes in this province for amazing seniors in fact speaker The member does mention something very important, which is that construction costs have escalated That's why we introduced the construction funding funding subsidy under the leadership of our last minister of long-term care Which has led to the approval of 11,000 beds for construction Speaker the member sits next to the independent Liberals who built 611 net new beds for the better part of a decade. I'm proud to update this house that under this premier's leadership Since 2018 we have completed or under construction 18,000 beds We're going to take care of our seniors in Ontario Well the minister talks sunshine and rainbows for other parts of the province that does not help my seniors in Haldeman or folk Approvals and supporting projects elsewhere is not actually getting the beds built in Haldeman or folk Dovercliffs a retirement home in Port Dover was one of the projects announced for expansion But those plans have been paused after the project went to tender this spring from announcement to tender It's been four years. I call that a snails pace Dovercliffs is a class C facility B and C class licenses will expire at the end of June in 2025 where will those 70 residents at Dovercliffs go? There are actually 26,531 licenses set to expire in two years according to the financial Accountability office and yet again here this morning. We don't see a plan to get shovels in the ground speaker And the minister assure seniors of Haldeman or folk there will be a bed for them close to home in 2025 Or will he relocate them halfway across the province? minister So speaker on well I kind of went through the update on the first answer mentioning that we've got shovels in the ground or have built 18,000 beds while on the way to complete that 58,000 but the member is correct I mean there are more beds to be constructed in fact We've got members from from our government coming up to me with projects in their neighborhoods We've got members of the NDP coming up to me with projects in the neighborhood The member chooses a peculiar way of lobbying for her writing. We acknowledge that seniors or more homes It is this government that has taken upon themselves to actually build that capacity and staff with the health human resources So I encourage the member perhaps instead of standing in question period And saying oh well the the neighborhood needs this and that will come to me and show that information to me And let's work on that because this government has proven under the order this period that we are building those very beds in this province So after a decade of neglect under the people who sit next to her this government has taken it upon themselves to take care of our Seniors they took care of us the member for Scarborough agent court. Thank you, mr. Speaker My question is for the Minister of Infrastructure the previous liberal government Supported by the NDP ignore the housing crisis that was developing across our province There are currently hundreds of thousands of individuals and families Struggling to find a home that meets their needs Also the lack of transit infrastructure creates barriers to accessing convenient transit services Our government put forward the solution of developing transit oriented communities to increase housing supply This is a positive step forward and shows that our government understands that housing is one of the most important Infrastructure issues facing our communities Speaker Can the minister please explain how transit oriented communities are helping to build a stronger Ontario? Thank you And to apply the Minister of Infrastructure Thank you, mr. Speaker. Thank you to the member for asking the question Mr. Speaker our government has made a commitment to build more homes in the province of Ontario and one of the ways that we intend on Reaching that target is through our transit oriented communities program. Mr. Speaker We have a once in once in a generation opportunity We're expanding the subway system by 50% in the city of Toronto and in York Region And that's why we're no longer building station boxes, but rather communities around the stations Mr. Speaker Exhibition King and Bathurst Queens Padina Corktown East harbour bridge and high tech are already under way and last week We announced that we're sharing information with the city of Toronto working collaboratively with them on six new complete Communities Eastern Gerard Carlisle South Pape Cosburn Thorncliffe Lawrence will all be new transit communities that people response future And the supplementary questions Mr. Speaker It is clear from the minister's answer that our government is committed to increasing housing options and Making access to transit infrastructure more convenient there are many economic social and Environmental benefits that come from the increasing housing supply and bringing housing closer to transit stations Our government has made excellent progress to expand transit networks But we must remain focused on solutions that will provide even more transit options Speaker can the minister please explain how our government is addressing Ontario's growing transit infrastructure needs. Thank you Mr. infrastructure Thank you very much mr. Speaker and again Thank you to the member mr. Speaker this these six proposed to see is would create approximately 5,900 new residential units in the city of Toronto including affordable housing units as well as 1,900 jobs all or within walking distance of a transit station Mr. Speaker we are building complete communities that will have housing jobs and community amenities Close to transit by building complete communities We are making life more convenient and affordable for the hard-working people of Ontario Thank You speaker the residents watching from the gallery today are from no dem evictions Toronto They represent tens of thousands of tenants whose lives will be thrown into chaos when their homes are demolished to make way for new luxury Condominiums one tenant told my office how they're considering applying for made medical assistance in dying because of the hopelessness that they feel about their losing about losing their home When it has been enabled by the Premier's housing legislation Speaker will the Premier give the tenants hope today and commit to a moratorium on Dem evictions in large rent controlled buildings Thank you very much the speaker look since we came in office in 2018 We have been focused on building homes for people and that has included of course rental housing One of the things that we saw which was the hallmark of the previous liberal and ndp coalition in this province Was that rental housing starts literally collapsed across the province of ontario? So what we are seeing of course is that rental housing starts in the province of ontario and our government are at a 30 year high And the good news on that mr. Speaker is that in the first half of 2023 that pace has increased by over 44 One of our biggest challenges in toronto and across the province has been the supply of rental housing Mr. Speaker and we are tackling that head on at the same time We are making significant investments in the landlord tenant board to ensure that we can get to uh Cases much more response. Thank you attorney general for that We have introduced a number of pieces of legislation to better protect Tenants across the province of ontario, but ultimately we have to increase that supply so that there are more options for all ontarians Speaker vulnerable tenants are contemplating suicide rather than facing eviction and demolition Terry lives in a 250 unit building in my riding which is slated for demolition She's 92 years old. She's in the gallery today She shares with me. I want to die. I live here alone. I am widowed. I'm not even looking for another place Terry's story is not singular Thousands of families are facing eviction from large Good rent control buildings This question is from terry to the premier. Will you will he use his extraordinary powers today? To help terry and hundreds of her neighbors by stopping the demolition of their home Speaker, uh, I have actually the used we've used our extraordinary powers quote unquote from the member opposite To use ministerial zoning orders to build thousands of supportive housing units across Across the city of toronto including in the members own riding now I say very clearly to the member opposite She is against that order at the start of question period today Her leader Asked question after question after question telling me that I should not do that order i say to the member opposite I will continue official opposition come to order zoning orders when it helps build housing for the people of the province of ontario Official opposition will come to order Mr. Municipal Pharisees Really it hurts them when their own radical ideas are put back in their favor for ottawa center The member the minister of long-term care talked about 58,000 new homes for seniors We've brought mzo's to build supportive housing in the city of toronto. They voted against it We brought protections for landlords and tenants. They voted against everyone member for ottawa center will come to order The next question Okay, member for ottawa center will come to order The member for kitchens center will come to order The member for ottawa center is warned the government side will come to order The next question the member for Scarborough h.m. Court Gilwood scarborough gildew Thank you Mr. Speaker My question is to the minister of municipal affairs and housing The resident of scarborough gildewood and across ontario are struggling and under his government Rent has never been higher the average new listing for rental apartment in toronto is almost four thousand dollars a month Or 60 percent of the household income of my riding this government has had five years To address the housing crisis, but what do they have to show for it one rcm criminal investigation Does the minister think it is past time for his government to bring back rent control? Or will they keep showing that they don't care for the renters of ontario Unfortunately for the member for scarborough gildewood I happen to know the riding very very well having grown up there and gone to high school at pope john paul Just in that riding mr. Speaker and you know what the problem is in that riding 15 years of liberal inaction when they had the opportunity to do something So I know the member I know the member is new to the house But I would suggest the member to the member opposite order if she wants to find out Why there are no homes being built in her riding? She should ask the leader of her party if she wants to find out why there are no new long-term care homes Under the 15 years she should ask the person in front of her Why it's this government that has to bring in new universities and medical schools to her riding because of this government We build bridges the right way they build them upside down. They didn't get transit transportation Did we got it done? So if you want to know why your community is suffering it is because for 15 years liberal supported by nvp Did nothing for scarborough mr. Speaker and despite that we're getting the job done for them About the clock house will come to order so that we can resume question period restart the clock supplementary the member for scarborough gildew Mr. Speaker every day I hear this government blaming everybody for just about any problem But instead of addressing the issues they have only gotten worse But he has only recently been appointed minister of housing. He has the opportunity to write his government's wrongs He has already backtracked on the previous minister Decision to expand urban boundaries and develop farmland And he's already backtracked on developing the green belt after it came out that his government gifted their developer friend Friends 8.3 billion dollars in prime real estate now through you mr. Speaker I once again ask if the minister intends to backtrack again and restore of universal rent control That his government got rid of in 2000 mr. Speaker Just very very similar to the minister i've spent years and years in scarborough gildewood We have a lot of friends there, but i'll tell the new member I'll tell the new member Why don't you ask your colleagues why they voted against a hospital that's been overdue for decades? Why don't you ask your members why they Stop the clock I'm gonna ask the premier to pause for a second. I can't hear the premier Because of the noise in the house And it's not an issue with the volume of his voice. It's the heckling that's going on So come to order We start the clock the premier has the floor Thank thank you speaker just just to remind the member again voting against hospitals voting against subways That you had the opportunity for 15 years you totally ignored scarborough the forgotten city until we came into power You forgot to mention extended care that that was built Long-term care and the one on kennedy uh road kennedy lodge as well We built two long-term care all months right and you're riding but guess what you did you voted against it You vote against everything for the people of scarborough. You've voted against our housing bill. You voted Thank you. Thank you. The premier will take a seat to stop the clock Two reminders the first one being members should make their comments through the chair Secondly when the speaker stands whoever has the floor should sit down Order start the clock the next question the member for richmond hill Thank you, mr. Speaker My question is for the attorney general All ontarius deserve access to a justice system that is easy to assess efficient and fair However, ontarius justice system is difficult for some to assess due to various like as inclusivity equity and affordability of legal services These are all important issues that need to be addressed in order for ontarius justice system to be effective Speaker this week marks the start of access to justice week across canada This is an opportunity to explore how this sector can be improved and updated Speaker can the Attorney general please explain the significance of access to justice week and how its goal promote an effective justice system for all To apply the attorney general Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friends from richmond hill for the for the question And i'd be happy to explain what access to justice week means both for for this government and for my ministry It's occurring across canada All throughout this week and involves government and stakeholders Reviewing and working together important changes across canada and within our provincial justice system This year is going to be the eighth annual access to justice week and with participants examining a variety of different issues across our system But right here we're building a justice sector that is modern and works for people mr. Speaker Under the leadership of the premier we've seen transformational investments and improvements to our system greatly increasing access to justice We are investing in people processes technology and capital. I'll have more to say in my supplementary mr. Speaker The speaker and thank you to the attorney general It is great to hear that our government is committed to making continual improvements to ontarius justice system However, I hear from constituents that due to the previous and liberal governments neglect of our justice system They have encountered inconvenient And confusing procedures that deal with our courts speakers Ontarius benefit from a convenient and efficient court system that supports them in addressing their legal matters That is why our government must focus on replacing procedures that are slow outdated and ineffective Speaker can the and turn attorney general please explain how our government is transforming and modernizing access to the justice system Hey, mr. Speaker, I'd be happy to outline some of the initiatives and funding and changes that we're making We provided funding to legal aid to ensure that there was continued access to justice for those who need it and in 2020 We updated the legal services Legal aid services act for the first time in 30 years mr. Speaker in august We announced the generational online transformation of our justice system 166 million dollar investment That will drive the court's digital transformation Centralizing and improving access to court information and documents for everybody mr. Speaker and when it comes to tribunals We've seen millions of dollars in investments In in people and staff and processes and systems that were left to rot under the previous administration mr. Speaker We've had to replace them and this builds on our previous work of justice accelerated Which saw generational change to our justice system through technology and updating outdated rules mr. Speaker You can no longer serve documents by telegram. You can do them by email mr. Speaker, and you think that's funny It is kind of funny, but it's very sad. That's what was left to us in 2018 mr. Speaker. Thank you The next question the members of Parkfield High Park. Thank you speaker my questions to the premier Elaine a senior has been living in her rent control department at 220 Lake promenade for decades She will soon be evicted because her building is slated for demolition even though it is in good repair Tenants are being unnecessarily displaced and new buildings will not be under rent control because this conservative government removed it These demolitions of perfectly good apartments is making the housing crisis worse because it's removing rent controlled units from the housing stock Will the premier protect tenants like Elaine by bringing back rent control for all tenants Speaker look one of the problems that we're having across the province of Ontario Is a lack of supply and that's a lack of supply that has been brought on by historic Obstacles put in the way by the liberals and the nvp right they say that they want to help tenants Yet every bill that we brought in here to protect tenants further to give them more rights They have literally stood in their place and voted against They want to increase taxes on those who want to build affordable homes. It is part of their plan So I say to the member very sincerely if you want to help tenants help us build more homes We're at this year alone the first half of this year a 44% increase over last year in purpose built rentals across the province of ontario We are at a 30 year high. Mr. Speaker But more needs to be done more needs to be done, Mr. Speaker You cannot unravel the mess that they left this province in in five years We're seeing that right and it's going to take us longer But if they would help us we could move even quicker, mr. Speaker The supplementary question remember for Toronto St. Paul Speaker to the premier Wanda is a senior living at 55 Brownlow With her daughter and granddaughter as we speak her and their neighbours are facing them eviction They're being told that the city must rush through approving their demoviction because if they fight it the ontario land tribunal will leave them with nothing Planners are telling tenants they need to take away their homes today So that this government's tribunal once stacked with their buddies. I might add doesn't take away their housing tomorrow All while giving Wanda and her family nowhere else to go My question is to the premier Will you repeal bill 23? Will you stop demovictions? Will you bring back rent control? Where is Wanda? Where is her family? Where are neighbours and tenants across ontario supposed to go? Will he speak to them? Will the premier of ontario speak to the tenants in our gallery today and let them know That their right to housing is a human right that they will respect Thank you Mr. Speaker it is one thing to rise in your place And scream and holler. It is another thing entirely Order it is another thing entirely To actually do the work that is needed to bring more housing for the people of the province of ontario Speaker this is a member who has voted literally against the very same people that today Is suggesting that she wants to support when we have brought more measures into protect tenants That member rose in her place and voted against it when we've reduced taxes so that more purpose built rentals can be built That member voted against it when the minister of finance brought in a bill and forced forced the federal government to remove the hst And pst on on purpose built rentals. They voted against it. Mr. Speaker You know what is causing the problems across the province of ontario 15 years of attitudes like that that put obstacles in the way of the people of the province of ontario Mr. Speaker that is what caused the problem Order The next question the member for thornhill Thank you, mr. Speaker My question is for the associate minister of small business As 2023 small business month continues thousands of entrepreneurs across this province and in my own riding Are looking to our government for the resources they need to launch a successful small business There are many ways to earn a living in ontario, but entrepreneurship will always be among the top So owning your own business gives you independence as well as an opportunity to provide jobs for others in your community That said starting and growing is hard work That's why it's important that our government continues to make critical investments that will support small businesses across ontario Speaker can the associate minister Please share how our government is supporting ontarians to successfully launch their own small business The associate minister for small business. Thank you, speaking. I really want to thank the member from thornhill for the great question Speaker during small business week I visited many great small businesses across our province together with our great caucus And I want to talk about one specific business in a really that I visited alongside the premier and the member from simcoe north led better foods launched a butcher store in 1926 on main street in markham Through their hard work and determination The led better family was able to grow that small business and have expanded their operations into processing and distribution They now have two large facilities in a really and are continuing to provide good food and good jobs right here in ontario The led better families journey and success is a testament to what small businesses can do in this great province Mr. Speaker our government will continue to make record investments help create the stable economic conditions needed For more ontarians to start operate and grow a successful small business right here in ontario Thank you, mr. Speaker and thank you to the associate minister for that great response And it's really great to hear about local success stories like this one the one that the associate minister shared The previous liberal government supported by the ndp gave up on small businesses They watched as both businesses and jobs Fleed the province their agenda was higher taxes and more red tape But under the leadership of the premier ontario is once again open for business Speaker Can the associate minister please explain how our government is creating the conditions for small business owners to thrive once again The associate minister for small business Thank you, mr. Speaker and again to the member for the question Because of the leadership of this premier We've worked tirelessly to lower taxes reduce electricity costs and cut red tape This has resulted in an estimated eight billion dollars in cost savings and support for ontario's employers With 3.6 billion dollars of that going savings and impacting our small businesses Speaker what would be beneficial is if the ndp Understood that their job in this legislator is not to unequivocally oppose everything that this government is doing Especially when it comes to sporting our small businesses in their constituencies, but unlike them mr. Speaker Our government will continue to ensure that more entrepreneurs can enjoy the same response The led better family has and make certain ontario remains the best place to live work Raise a family and own a business Question for member for water Thank you very much my question to the minister of health speaker in april 2022 This government announced that it would finally be investing direct funding for home care This money was supposed to go directly to improve access and quality home care because it was a mess Quality home care should actually be a shared goal for all of us It means more than one bath a week for sure However in filing an foi request seniors for social action ontario has learned that at least seven of the provincial home and community care support services Have returned millions of dollars to the ministry of health as of march 31st 2022 Speaker when our seniors are crying out for better care And some have become so despondent that they are contemplating Medically assisted in dying because that seems like the only option for them These caring agencies didn't want to send this money back. They know what the need is speaker Can the minister of health explain why millions of dollars are being returned to the ministry when the need for home care in ontario is so great Thank you, you know on one point We will agree and that is the need for home and community care continues to increase And we will continue to invest of course in our most recent budget a billion dollars in home and community care That first stabilize the health human resources that are working in the field But more importantly actually allow us to make sure that there is consistency In what we are providing to our patients to individuals across ontario in a very stable manner We've been able to do this and and frankly I asked the member opposite Why yesterday when we were improving and bringing forward legislation that would actually stabilize home and community care The member opposite in the ndp party voted against it We voted against bill 135 minute speaker because it's actually going to complicate an already chaotic system And people in this province deserve so much better Speaker almost 78 million dollars of home care funding was returned to the ministry of health That's 3.8 million from toronto central 24.3 from uh, champlain 5.5 million from waterloo wellington That's a lot of money that is needed in those systems A constituent of mine says that she was appalled to learn that the funds were not invested after she spent years As a primary caregiver to her husband She witnessed firsthand the lack of stable care the different people coming to bathe and dress them This caused great hardship for that family and she is only one person that would have benefited from this 5 million dollars So speaker to the minister of health will the government return the 78 million plus any additional funds as yet unreported by other offices And truly invest in stable funding and fair wages so that people in ontario can age in place with some dignity Speaker it sounds like the member opposite in the ndp party are saying that we shouldn't stabilize Home and community care wages. It sounds like the member opposite is suggesting that there is no opportunity for improvement In the home and community care sector. It sounds like frankly the member opposite in the ndp are satisfied with the status quo We are not we will move forward. We have a plan and it's working Thank you. That concludes our question period for this morning The leader of the opposition has a point of order I wanted to take a moment to introduce In this place, uh, some cj pack interns who are visiting us today Bayless saltsman jonathan alter and staff member rabbi jennifer gorman who are visiting the legislature Welcome to your house Member for guelph is a point of order Mr. Speaker, um, I need to correct my record from yesterday in question period I I made a mistake. I will admit Uh, I did make a mistake in the excitement around my possible name change I mistakenly said the government took 1.5 billion away from municipalities And I should have said 5.1 billion dollar speaker and I'd like to correct my record Correct your record. Member for glen gary prescott russell Thank you, mr. Speaker. I want to welcome a special visitor on behalf of the member of ndp Vincenzo cala is from mpp mccloud's office. He is the social media manager, so I'd like to welcome him to the house Thanks Technically not a point of order that we welcome them Point of order the member for richmond hill Thank you, mr. Speaker I'm happy to welcome our honored guest from vietnam who have arrived during the question period Please join me to welcome ambassador from vietnam. Mr. Ichi fam queen in His lovely wife Madam joint thigh good dead Nang head of vietnam, uh, vietnam trade office in canada commercial counselor mrs. Quinn trim ambassador ambassador secretary mr. dial new cool And joining them are evan chen president from acce As well as karen executive karen a executive director acce Welcome to queen's park not a point of order, but we welcome them to queen's park The minister of children community and social services. Thank you very much speaker speaker I move that the house observe a moment of silence for the four victims of the unspeakable tragedy uh in susan murray history minister of You need to seek unanimous consent to move a motion unanimous consent mr. Speaker, uh, the house Observe a moment of silence for the four victims of the unspeakable tragedy in susan murray history Minister of children community and social services is seeking the unanimous consent of the house for a moment of silence in memory of the Children who've lost their lives in susan murray agreed Members will please rise Thank you members may take their seats Next we have a deferred vote on private members notice of motion number 65 Calling the members. This is a five minute bell