 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of His Majesty's loyal opposition. Good morning, Speaker. Yesterday, this government tried to bob and weave on questions of their integrity, but people still have many questions. On September 14, 2022, the chief of staff to the housing minister, Ryan Amato, was handed brown envelopes from speculators requesting green belt removals at the build dinner. The very next day, Amato sought clarity directly from the Premier in a meeting the Premier conveniently, and I quote, does not recall. In fact, Ryan Amato texted a colleague that the Premier and his chief of staff were, again I quote, very serious. Can the Premier tell us what happened at this meeting? And to reply, the Government House Leader and Minister of Municipal Affairs. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I think that was addressed in the Integrity Commissioner's report. I think the Premier was very clear last week when he said that opening up the green belt was a mistake, Mr. Speaker. That's why we're bringing back, we're introducing legislation that will not only protect the green belt, but will ensure that it is protected for many, many, many years to come in a way that it has never been done before. But again, I draw the member's attention to the Integrity Commissioner's report himself. Page 135, page 140, page 141, page 142, where the Integrity Commissioner was crystal clear that the Premier's office did not direct, nor was it responsible for any of the lands coming out of the green belt. Mr. Speaker, you can't pick and choose which parts of the Integrity Commissioner's report you choose to believe. Mr. Speaker, if you believe that the Integrity Commissioner has done a good and effective job, which I do believe— Response? —then obviously the Leader of the Opposition should also accept those parts of the report where the Integrity Commissioner was clear that the Premier had no knowledge of what was happening with respect to the green belt. A supplementary question. Well, Speaker, the coincidences don't end there and the people won't be satisfied with responses like that, because one day after that meeting, which the Premier doesn't recall, Mr. Amato informed the Ministry of Housing that they wished to initiate a site-specific review where three priority sites were identified to be removed from the green belt. Two of those sites were in the packages delivered to Mr. Amato at the billed dinner. In just three days, this government had moved from criteria-based selection to three site-specific properties accounting for 91% of the land that this government was trying to remove from the green belt. Did the Premier ever discuss site-specific removals with ministers or staff prior to October 2022? Minister for Affairs and Housing. Again, I refer the member to page 135 of the Integrity Commissioner's report. In fact, I found that the Premier's office staff were not providing such direction. The Premier's office was kept in the dark by Mr. Amato as the process he drove for the selection of properties to be removed from the green belt until very near the end before the briefing of the Minister. That's on page 135. On page 140, I accept the purpose of the decision to remove lands from the green belt was to address a housing crisis, Mr. Speaker. The Integrity Commissioner was very clear. We have said last week the Premier was also clear that he accepts responsibility for a policy direction that was not supported by the people of the Province of Ontario. That is why we were storing those lands to the green belt. That's why we've added an additional 9,400 acres to the green belt. And that's why very soon I will be coming with legislation put forward to this House that will guarantee the boundaries of the green belt, not in regulation, but in legislation, Mr. Speaker. Final supplementary. Speaker, how can anybody believe this? The Integrity Commissioner, the Auditor General's report, they all make it very clear that the Premier is hand-selecting Chiefs of Staff to Ministers. He's writing mandate letters. He's got a close interaction, and we see this repeatedly. Order. He has close interaction. From inside them to order. There's a record of close interaction between political staff in the Premier's office and Chiefs of Staff to Ministers. The Premier has had his hands in everything except this one meeting. So I want to ask the Premier what happened at this meeting on September 15th? The opposition can't have it both ways, right? She either agrees with what the Integrity Commissioner has said, or she doesn't. If she does not agree that the Commissioner has done his job properly, then she should stand in her place and say that she does not have confidence in the Integrity Commissioner because on page 135 of the report, the Integrity Commissioner was very clear. I draw her attention to page 140, to page 141, to page 142, Mr. Speaker. She can't have it both ways. Either you agree with what the Integrity Commissioner has said, or you don't. That is why we have moved forward. The Premier was very clear last week he accepts responsibility for a decision that the people of the province of Ontario were not in support of. That is why we were restoring those lands to the green belt. That is why we're adding 9,400 acres to the green belt. That is why I'm coming forward with legislation to codify the boundaries of the green belt in law, Mr. Speaker. Not in regulation but in law. A protection that has never been afforded to the green belt ever before, Mr. Speaker. We're getting it done. I hope they support us on that, Mr. Speaker. Leader of the Opposition. Global News reported that shortly after the 2022 election, the Premier gave out his personal phone number to a packed room at the Empire Club. There were a lot of lobbyists there, Mr. Speaker. A lot of lobbyists. The Premier told attendees that they could text him. That his Chief of Staff, Patrick Sackville, helps him to manage the messages and requests he receives on his personal phone. Curiously, a request for the Premier's phone records during the same time period that the decision to carve up the green belt was made returned no records. No calls. No texts. Is the Premier using his personal phone to conduct business to avoid freedom of information requests? Mr. Speaker. I don't know where the member has been. In fact, the Premier gave out his phone number here in the legislature in 2018. It wasn't at a dinner in 2022. He might have retold everybody again, but he actually stood in his place as Premier and gave his phone number out to everybody. It's enhanced. It's on the record. Yes, he gets lots of calls from a lot of people. And it is a shocking concept for people when they can call and get the Premier on the telephone. Many of us in caucus have been on the opposite end of this, that you have to call somebody back. He's been at Walmart doing some shopping and he spoke with somebody and they want some action from a minister or from a caucus colleague. That is the difference between this Premier, Mr. Speaker, and that member over there. We actually listen to people, right? We listen to people. And if it's all the Premier, last Thursday I'm listening to people. We acknowledge we made a mistake. We're returning those lands, Mr. Speaker, and we will move forward with building 1.5 million homes. A supplementary question. Just to be clear, Speaker, the Premier is using his personal order to conduct government business on the record. Speaker, we may not know what the Premier was texting or who he was calling at that time because he won't share that. But we do know that Mr. Amato was busy texting. On September 23rd, Mr. Amato sent a message to a fellow staffer. I will call you in a bit, he said. I have some clear direction on everything. Greenbelt and official plans bill. Just had an hour chat with Pat. And then he continues, timelines aren't helpful, but clear direction. Speaker, can the Premier tell us which Pat this was and what clear direction he gave to Mr. Amato? I think the integrity commissioner was clear on that. I'm not sure if the Leader of the Opposition has read the report, but if she doesn't I'll make it easier for her. She can start on page 135 where the integrity commissioner says, in fact I found that the Premier's office staff were not providing such direction. That is in the integrity commissioner's report. Now she either accepts the report or she doesn't. Now if she has lost confidence in the integrity commissioner, I invited to put a motion in front of this house saying that. If not, Mr. Speaker, then she can join with us in ensuring that we put policies in place that build 1.5 million homes across the province of Ontario. In fact, she won't be alone on that, Mr. Speaker, because this is what the member for University of Rosedale said. In some pockets of solutions I see, one is around increasing supply. We do have a housing shortage, and it will require, wait for it, our government to provide incentives to open up land and change zoning rules in order to build more supply, Mr. Speaker. I'm not sure what land the member for University of Rosedale was talking about, but I'll tell you what. The land that we opened up, people were not in support of it, and that's why... The final supplementary. Why don't I try to answer the question for the member opposite? The government side, come to order. To the integrity commissioner, the pat in question was Patrick Sackville, the Premier's Chief of Staff. So we've got the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Chief of Staff, seemingly relaying a conversation to the Premier's Chief of Staff where he received clear direction on, quote, everything greenbelt just a week after receiving an envelope at a speculator dinner. We know civil servants had proposed a criteria-based approach for removing these lands. So back to the Premier, who made the call to give these speculators preferential treatment instead? Minister, Mr. Harrison, housing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I refer the Honourable Member to page 135. The Auditor General, the integrity commissioner, have outlined the fact that the Premier and his office were not giving any direction. The report itself says that that direction came from Mr. Amaro. Again, if she does not have the confidence in the integrity commissioner, she should table that emotion before this House and we can deal with that, Mr. Speaker. But at the same time, the Premier said last Thursday we made a mistake. We're putting those lands back. But he also said another thing, Mr. Speaker, and this is where they can help. He also said that we will not stop in our quest to build 1.5 million homes for the people of the province of Ontario. I'm glad that we now have the support of the member of University of Rosedale to actually move on this commitment like we are going to. I hope the rest of the NDP caucus will follow the lead of the member for University of Rosedale and work with us as we move to build 1.5 million homes for all people in the province of Ontario and continue to grow our economy. Thank you. The next question, the member for Waterloo. Thank you very much. This question is to the Premier. Speaker, this government is refusing accountability at every turn. Yesterday they denied our request for a Speaker's warrant to compel testimonies from developers we know had undue influence on government decisions. They have refused to request an investigation from the Integrity Commissioner about ministers taking trips with developers with business before this House. But don't worry, we will get answers for the people of Ontario, but it does beg the question it truly does. Is the scandal worse than we thought? Premier, why is this Premier avoiding accountability at every turn? Thank you, Mr Speaker. I guess that's the difference between the NDP and our caucus and our team and our Premier, right? The Premier has responsibility to this House, but he also has a responsibility to the people of the province of Ontario. And last Thursday he showed that, Mr Speaker. admitted that we had made a mistake in removing those greenbelt lands and returned those lands to the greenbelt. He went a step further and ensured that the greenbelt will be protected not only in regulation, but in legislation, and I will be bringing that forward. But there is also another commitment that we made to the people back in 2018 and that is to get the economy moving. That is to build more homes across the province of Ontario. That is to fix infrastructure to improve our education system. So that we can move forward to a bigger, better province of Ontario. Mr Speaker, we're turning our backs on the policies of the Liberals and the NDP. The high interest rate policies that have put so many people out of the market for a home. We're not going to do that. We're going to get the job done for all families across the province of Ontario. Can you supplement your question? Speaker, the people of this province deserve answers on a scandal that has lost this Premier three ministers, two senior staff and the respect of the people of this province. The Premier says he is very, very sorry and that the buck stops with him but continues to backtrack on any involvement he or his office may have had. They denied our call for a Speaker's warrant and refused to request an investigation from the Integrity Commissioner about his minister's trip to Vegas. Why hasn't the Premier requested the Integrity Commissioner's opinion about his own minister's conduct on the Greenbelt and on the Las Vegas trip? Because it tells a different story than this government is sharing with the people of this province. It is very hard to take ethics advice from the only member of this legislature who has found guilty of an ethics violation since I admitted Mr. Speaker. Now having said that Mr. Speaker we are going to double down. You know what we're going to double down on? We're going to double down on building the bigger better province of Ontario. Order. Order. Order. Order. Both sides of the house will come to order so we can continue a question board. And so that I can hear the member who has the floor attempting to respond to the question. If it happens again I'll start calling you out by my name. Start the clock. Mr. Minister of Affairs and Housing hit the floor. Mr. Speaker we are going to double down on making sure that we build a bigger better province of Ontario. That includes all of the people of the province of Ontario. We're turning our backs on the liberal and NDP agenda. We're seeing the same agenda in Ottawa right? High taxes. High spending. Out of control debts and deficit. Red tape. Regulation. Jobs fleeing Mr. Speaker. We're turning our back on that because you know what it has led to? It has led to increased interest rates. You know what increased interest rates means? The government in the province of Ontario can no longer own a home. That's what they stand for. We stand for something different. We stand for the people of the province of Ontario and giving them the home that they deserve Mr. Speaker. Order. Order. The next question. The member for Thorne Hill. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Speaker, the Minister of Economics has a very important role in building a resilient manufacturing sector. That's why in July we added more manufacturing jobs to our economy than all of 50 U.S. states combined. Absolutely. And we've made sure that these jobs are being created in every region of the province. Speaker, can the Minister provide an update on some of the manufacturing investments we've welcomed since we last met in June? Speaker, over the summer we were thrilled to welcome many job-creating investments across the province through our government's various regional development programs. NewMesh announced an almost $40 million investment to build a brand new facility in Branford. They are the largest Canadian manufacturer of welded steel and wire mesh used in concrete reinforcement. With nearly $3 million in support from our government, the new facility is creating 56 new well-paying jobs in Branford. Siltec Corporation, a silicone-based chemical manufacturer, announced a $100 million investment to build a new state-of-the-art facility in Fort Erie. The new facility was supported by $5 million investment from our government, and that boosts Siltec's manufacturing capacity, and they've hired 50 new workers. Speaker, these investments will strengthen our world-class manufacturing sector and create jobs for hardworking families in Ontario. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for his answer and the great work, and it's so positive to hear about the manufacturing jobs that are being created in places like Branford and Fort Erie after years of hearing about manufacturing jobs fleeing our province under the Liberals. Our government recognizes how important the manufacturing sector is to the success of our economy, which is why manufacturing employment is now at one of the highest levels since December 2008. Speaker, can the Minister tell us and tell the House about other recent manufacturing investments? Mr. Economic Development, job creation, and trade. Speaker, we welcomed a $15 million investment from Cavalier Tool and Manufacturing, a global manufacturer of molds used in several sectors, especially automotive. With $2.25 million in support from the province, this investment will help the company increase production at their Windsor facility and create 30 new jobs. BreadSource Corporation, a family-owned company that produces absolutely delicious baked goods, announced an $18 million investment to build a new baking facility in Scarborough. The new facility was supported by an almost $3 million investment from our government. It will triple the company's production and create many well-paying jobs. Speaker, we are creating the conditions for job growth in every single region of the province by lowering the cost of doing business by $8 billion every year. These game-changing investments are just the beginning, Speaker. The next question, the member for Oshawa. Thank you, Speaker, and my question is to the Premier. The Greenbelt land along the proposed Highway 413 belongs to many of the same donors and developers the Premier's office favored in his Greenbelt disaster. The 413 is a mess, won't deliver any measurable benefit to drivers as a project delivering favors again to developer friends and will cost untold undivulged billions. Will the Premier scrap this terrible project and also return those Greenbelt lands? Well, Mr. Speaker, I know the NDP and the Liberals, they don't believe in building roads. They don't believe in building highways or infrastructure of any type at all, Mr. Speaker. We're going to continue to focus on infrastructure, building the 413, building the Bradford bypass and Highway 7 and Highway 3 widening it, but guess what, Mr. Speaker? I will guarantee you, those same NDP members and the Liberals will be on that Highway driving on the 413 when we build the 413. That's a supplementary question. Thank you very much, and again to the Premier. The former Minister of Transportation has never come clean about the costs of the proposed 413. Ecologically, it's a terrible idea. Financially, best estimates put it at untold billions. Again, the article by the Toronto Star, the Friends with Benefits article, laid it out pretty clearly. The highway is a gift to powerful mega-developers who each own land along the proposed route. The highway is for them and not for the people, but the people will be on the hook for these untold costs again. So again, will the Premier scrap this terrible project and return those Greenbelt lands? To apply the Minister of Transportation. Mr. Speaker, I want to remind the members of the opposition that the people spoke loud and clear. Thanks to many of my new colleagues in the House today, the member for Brampton East, the member for Brampton North, the member for Brampton Centre. We put this question to the people of this province, the people of Brampton, and they resoundingly told us loud and clear, build Highway 413. We've got one of the fastest growing populations in the entire country, the Peel region, one of the fastest growing regions in the entire province. We need to build infrastructure. If it was up to the NDP and the Liberals, we would get nothing built. We're going to build Highway 413, we're going to build the Bradford Bypass, and we're going to build the Ontario line and the Sirpans quick extension, and we won't let these members of the opposition stop us from building Ontario. Member for Carlton. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Today on Rowan's Law Day, we remember and pay tribute to Rowan Stringer's life and legacy. Rowan's law, introduced and championed by the great member from the Pean, Lisa McLeod, was named for Rowan Stringer, a high school rugby player from Ottawa who tragically died in the spring of 2013 from swelling of the brain as a result of experiencing three concussions over six days while playing rugby. I'm pleased to join the members of this Assembly by wearing a purple ribbon to honour Rowan's legacy, to promote safer play in sports, and ensure that athletes and coaches have the information they need about concussion safety. Speaker through you, can the Minister please provide information on the measures implemented by our government to raise awareness about concussion risks to make sports safer in Ontario? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, thank you for the question, I'd like to thank my colleague for all the work she does in her writing, and I'm happy to support whenever I can. Speaker, Ontario is an international leader in concussion safety. Ontario is the first and only jurisdiction in Canada past concussion safety legislation. We've made important investments to support concussion awareness and prevention since 2018. Funding and other supports to concussion legacy foundation of Canada, coaches association of Ontario, Canadian mental health association, Special Olympics, they've all made a massive difference in working towards safety around youth and head trauma. We continue to work with our partners and sport organisations to increase concussion safety and awareness of which I'll talk about a little bit more in the supplemental. But I'd also like to thank everyone in this House for their support around this Rowan's law, our working group who has worked for years to get this right, and of course my colleague from the PN who has championed the successful passing of Rowan's law. Thank you. Thank you very much. And that's a romantic question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and through you, thank you to the Minister. As noted by the Minister, Rowan's law was passed in 2016 and has been strengthened by our government since taking office. Rowan's law remains a piece of groundbreaking legislation that not only honours the legacy of Rowan's Stringer, but has also changed the way Ontario sport organisations identify and address potential concussions. Over the past five years, since Rowan's law was implemented, we hear that there have been a considerable increase in the awareness prevention detection and management of concussions. However, we know that educational programmes, protocols and codes of conduct only go so far. There must be implemented and these must be implemented and enforced in order to create a safer culture in sport across our province. So once again, through you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister please provide an update on the effectiveness of Rowan's law in fostering a safer sport environment for all participants? Thank you. Mr. Tourism, Culture and Sport. Mr. Speaker, again, thank you to the question. One of the key words in that question was culture. Our government recognises the importance of being able to measure the effects of concussions. That's why we are partnering with select sport organisations on a pilot program to collect and report concussion data off the field of play or any surface, quite frankly. Additionally, stakeholders are telling us that Rowan's law is making a difference and I can tell you first and at all levels Rowan's law is making a difference. I've coached in the community of Burlington and Hamilton for a number of years. Just a couple of years ago, coaches were mandated to take a course, understand concussion and awareness and then before players in my sport football could take the field with equipment. They had to go through a full practice with the coaches, understanding, getting the head out of contact. It's helping in all sports. The response? Ontario Cycling is doing something. Anytime a rider goes down and there's contact, they examine them before they get back into play. This is really important, Speaker. Thank you. Thank you very much. The next question, members of the Hamilton West, and casters undone. My question to the Premier, Hamilton City Council and the people of Hamilton voted overwhelmingly to meet our housing targets within existing urban boundaries, but this government forced an undemocratic urban boundary expansion on Hamilton. Just like we saw with the Greenbelt scandal, the Ministry's review of Hamilton's official plan gave insiders preferential treatment. The Integrated Commission's report revealed that developers were privately consulted on the urban boundary changes even before the city of Hamilton. So instead of enriching favored insiders, when will this Premier do the right thing and reverse the forced expansion of Hamilton's urban boundaries? Member ought to know that an expansion of the urban boundary in and of itself does not necessarily mean that housing will be built on that expansion. The city still remains in control of the process. The city will determine when homes or if homes will be built in that expanded area. The city determines if the land will be serviced and when it will be serviced, Mr. Speaker. So that is the reality within expansion of the urban boundary. It really all comes down to the same thing, though, right? It's over and over and over and over again, Mr. Speaker. It is no homes. The legion of doom and gloom over there have one thing in common. Neither one of them want to work on behalf of the people of the province of Ontario, Mr. Speaker, but I tell you what, we are going to continue to do our job for all of the people of the province of Ontario because people deserve to get out of their parents' basement and living in homes, Mr. Speaker. That is their dream and we're going to make sure that they can have that dream come to reality. Just ordered to supplement your question, Member for Ottawa, West Nippean. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the Premier. Last November, this government unilaterally added 654 hectares of land inside Ottawa's urban boundary. According to media reports, the main beneficiaries of these urban boundary expansions are donors to the PC party. The forced expansions included land no one had even considered for development but had been purchased a year earlier by five people who had donated thousands to the PC party. Does the Premier support giving preferential treatment to insiders, or will he reverse this forced urban boundary expansion? Again, Minister of the School of Care is in housing. Again, Mr. Speaker, as I just said, an expansion of the urban boundary in and of itself has no impact on when homes will be built. The City of Ottawa is still in control of that decision, Mr. Speaker. The City of Ottawa will still be in control of whether those lands will be serviced. The City of Ottawa is still in control of when homes will be built on that error. That is the reality. So I can hear, I can hear the former, the leader of the Liberal Party, Holler and Comporter. The party is now in control of when homes will be built on that error. They failed. He was part of a failed government for 15 years. This is a guy who stood up and built 11 long-term care beds across the entire province in 15 years. This minister has built more in your writing than you built in 15 years. Ottawa South will come to order, the member for Brampton North will come to order. Member for Kitchener, Conestoga will come to order. The member for Brampton North, come to order. I will remind members to make their comments through the chair, not directly across the house. I'll remind members that all interjections are out of order. We'll start the clock. The next question, the member for Dawn Valley West. Thank you, Speaker. Last December, I asked the Premier if the people who told him to pave over the green belt were the same people who stood to benefit. I didn't get an answer then, but we know now, thanks to the Auditor General, that that is exactly what happened. This government's decision to finally accept the Auditor General's most important recommendation to reverse the green belt land swap is a welcome decision. However, it's not that simple. There are still lots of questions that need answers. What will happen now? Developers and companies that bought green belt land were expecting an 8.3 billion dollar payday from their close relationship with this government. My question to the Premier, will he assure this house and the people of Ontario that not one red cent of taxpayer money will be spent to make good on their 8.3 billion dollar payday deal with developers? Mr. Minister of School Affairs and House. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I think I've been clear on that as well. I will be bringing forward legislation in this house that will do what the Liberals never did, that is codify the boundaries of the green belt in legislation and not regulation so that we don't have what the Liberals did going in and out 17 times under the cover of darkness and making changes, Mr. Speaker. We're not going to do that. We also are not going to be providing any compensation with respect to any potential changes that were contemplated, Mr. Speaker. The Premier said very clearly it was a policy decision that the people of the province did not support. That is why we were turning those lands to the green belt and that is why we're adding 9,400 acres to the green belt as well, Mr. Speaker, but there is no compensation that will be made available to any of the people who might have been building in that area. Thank you. You have a question? Back to the member for Don Valley West. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week, we heard the Premier apologize that his government created a process that moved too fast and that he was very, very sorry. This apology followed the Auditor General's report on the green belt, which revealed to put it mildly, a flawed process and an 8.3 billion dollar windfall for his developer friends. Speaker, usually sorry means I will do better. And yet the Premier's apology has not extended to other major files that the people of Ontario are concerned about. We have Ontario Place, where this government made a 95 year deal with an Austrian Megaspa and the names of the people who own it are not known. We have the surprise decision to move the Science Centre, another flawed process with no public consultation. Speaker, my question to the Premier. Is he sorry enough about the green belt's flawed process that he will open the books on Ontario Place and Science Centre and ensure the people of Ontario that he has put an end to brown envelope backroom deals? Minister Ms. Holt-Faresen housing. What do all of these things have in common, Mr. Speaker? She talks about Ontario Place and asks it that they allowed to go run into the ground for 15 years. That got so bad that it had to be closed and that we now have to fix. The Science Centre that never got any repairs or anything done to it. And that is on its last legs because they did nothing. It had to be closed. We're building subways, why? Because they couldn't build subways. We're building roads, why? Because they couldn't build roads. We're building long term care, why? Because they didn't build long term care. We're renewing our hospitals, why? Because they didn't build hospitals, Mr. Speaker, on every single matter that matters to the people of the province of Ontario, the Liberals fail. They drove away jobs. This minister is bringing it back. And you know why? Because this Premier had a vision to restore the province of Ontario to the economic engine of the country and 700,000 jobs and billions of dollars investments show that it's working, Mr. Speaker. So will we turn our back on that? No, we'll continue to move forward, Mr. Speaker, because that's what could go. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Chatham, Ken Leemington. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Colleges and Universities. September marks the beginning of a new academic year, and our post-secondary students are already well into their studies at campuses across Ontario. With the continuing demand for professionals in the healthcare human resources sector, students enrolled in healthcare-related programs are needed in communities across the province. Our government has a strong track record of making meaningful investments that prepare students to enter the workforce with rewarding, good-paying jobs right here in Ontario. That's why our government must continue to prioritize measures that support students and prepare them for careers, which will strengthen our entire healthcare system. Speaker, can the minister please share what actions our government's taking to prepare Ontario's post-secondary students to enter the workforce? And to reply, the Minister of Colleges and Universities. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member for the important question. And also, I'd like to thank him for the incredible tour of his riding this summer. I'm proud to say that because of our government's unprecedented actions to strengthen the healthcare workforce through expanding education for those on the front lines, almost 2,600 students have started classes as part of the first ever Ontario Learn and Stay Grant cohort. This means that thousands of students that have entered into nursing, medical lab technician, and paramedicine programs, in priority programs, communities at over 20 institutions across the province with full upfront funding to cover the costs of tuition, books, and other expenses in return for working locally and caring for the people in the region where they studied for a term of service after they graduate. Mr. Speaker, we inherited a healthcare crisis thanks to the previous... Bonds? But through our work alongside the Premier and the Minister of Health, our government is taking meaningful and concrete action to improve the healthcare system today. Supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister for her response, her dedication to our students, and her commitment to improving our entire healthcare system. Financial supports available through this grant program are a positive step in building up our workforce. However, Ontario's healthcare system is in desperate need of more healthcare professionals to provide this essential care. In my riding of Chatham-Cantleamyton, my constituents are looking for a connected care and services closer to home. Our government must continue to take decisive steps to educate and retain more healthcare workers across our province, something I heard loud and clear at my healthcare roundtables that were also co-hosted by the amazing member from Newmark, Aurora. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how the investments made by our government into the Lure and State Grant program will benefit communities across Ontario? Mr. College, it's in universities. I'm happy to provide the House with details on the uptake of this grant. To the member from Chatham-Cantleamyton, I'm proud to say that in your region of Southwestern Ontario alone, there are over 1,000 confirmed students beginning their studies as nurses and medical lab technologists, students that will go on to make immediate impacts in local hospitals and healthcare facilities like Windsor Regional Hospital and Chatham-Cant Health Alliance. In Eastern Ontario, there are almost 800 enrolled nursing students across six institutions like St. Lawrence and Algonquin College. And in Northern Ontario, there are over 700 students enrolled in nursing, med lab tech and paramedic programs. Speaker, this means that in regions ranging from Thunder Bay to Chatham-Cantle to Ottawa, students are beginning to pursue critical degrees across Ontario, which will directly address the healthcare shortages felt in Ontario's underserved regions, the ones that need the support the most. These outstanding numbers speak for themselves. Students are eager to begin lifelong careers in the healthcare sector and our government is supporting them every step of the way. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Hamilton Center. This question is to the Premier. Hamilton is currently exceeding its housing targets for this year despite the Greenbelt fiasco. Hamilton City Council and many organizations such as Environment Hamilton have been loud and clear in saying that we need both more homes in our urban centers and to preserve our farmland. Will this government let Hamilton get on with its plan to build the new homes we need, stop creating chaos and enriching favorite speculators and reverse the forced expansion of Hamilton's urban boundary? Minister Ms. Holfair is in housing. In fact, I will say that at AMO, I had a wonderful conversation with Mayor Horvath and she was very gracious and we talked about not only at the time, but also in the long-term care about building homes in Hamilton and she agreed that we do have to get on with the job of building homes for the people of the province of Ontario, including in Hamilton, Mr. Speaker. So I am very excited to continue to work with her. But this is something that the member for Flamborough Grandbook has been talking about since 2018, really. Since 2018, she's been talking about the need to build homes in and around Hamilton, Mr. Speaker. She has voted in favor of removing obstacles to build homes in that community. That's what she has done. The member's opposite have voted against every single one of those measures. So I would say to the member opposite, I appreciate your support of building homes in your community. We now have the member for Hamilton's Center. We now have the member for University of Rosdale endorsing the work that we're doing to build more homes. I see a trend happening here, Mr. Speaker. Who knows? By the end of this week, we might actually get the entire end of the week off of Flamborough. John, if such a short period of time. The supplementary question, the member for Hamilton Mountain. Thank you, Speaker. Hamiltonians, the Mayor, City Council have been clear. We want you to reverse the urban boundary expansion and stop the sprawl. Speaker, the Conservative government has no real solution to their housing crisis. And we know that the Green Belt land grab was never empty about housing. Hamilton has already exceeded its housing goals without touching the urban boundaries or the Green Belt lands. 134% of actual growth targets have been met within our former boundary. Will the government respect our local autonomy, reverse their decision on our urban boundaries today? Mr. Mayor, Mr. Chair, I have an earlier question. The urban boundary expansion does not necessarily mean that homes will be built in that area. It is still up to the municipality to decide when or if homes will be built, when there will be servicing in that area. But imagine this member getting up and asking a question about housing. So when the Minister of Environment, when the Minister of Environment was ensuring that we had clean steel being made out of communities in Hamilton and in Sioux-Saint-Marie, that member voted against it. When this minister and this Premier were signing big deals to return the automotive sector to Ontario, manufacturing to Ontario, that member and that party voted against it. You know who will be making the steel for those cars? It'll be that, the member from Sioux-Saint-Marie and Hamilton, her writing, who will be making the steel for those cars, Mr. Speaker. So that member votes against everything. It's not surprising to me that, unlike University of Rosedale and Hamilton Center, that member is still not on board with building more homes. But don't worry, you and I will work together with those caucuses. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Kanata Carleton. Good morning, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. My fundamental belief is the key to our democracy. Indeed, the guiding principle of everything we do here is truth and integrity. There are still too many unanswered questions about how this government allowed a small group of insiders to obtain a significant financial advantage. Not long ago, my colleague from Beaches East York put forward a motion to the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy, asking for a full parliamentary investigation into the dealings of the $8.3 billion Greenbelt land deals. The motion called on government ministers and staff to testify before a committee and for a report to be tabled. It was an opportunity for this government to be fully transparent with Ontarians, but unfortunately, the government members defeated the motion. Mr. Speaker, will the new minister do the right thing and allow a committee to investigate the entire truth? The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. First, let me welcome the member and congratulate her on her victory and also to really thank her for her service to the country for many, many years as a member of the Armed Forces. Having said that, Mr. Speaker, unlike Ottawa where, for instance, on an SNC or something like that, the Prime Minister's office directs his people on what they should do here at the Legislative Assembly, a cabinet minister, a premier, or other members of the Executive Council do not direct the work of committees. They make those decisions on their own, Mr. Speaker, and I would suggest to the member that that is a principle by which we remain ourselves here at the province of Ontario. Thank you. And the supplementary question. Thank you to the Honourable Minister. The government has admitted that mistakes were made, and I do appreciate that, but critical to making sure that these mistakes are not repeated and that individuals are held accountable is to thoroughly investigate everything that happened. Yes, the reports by the Auditor General and the Integrated Commission have helped shed some of the light on this issue, but there are still questions that are unanswered, and the Ontarians deserve transparency from this government. If we really want to regain the trust of Ontarians, then this government needs to hear testimony from those directly involved. I will ask again, will the minister allow the committee to discover what parliamentary processes and procedures were or were not followed by whom and when, all Ontarians can learn the whole truth about the 8.3-billion-dollar Green Belt land deals? Minister, Mr. President. No, Speaker. Look, I'm not going to overrule a committee. That's not the job of the executive, and I don't think that is the job that parliamentarians would expect their committees, how their committees would work, Mr. Speaker. Will the committees decide what it is they want to study and when they want to study, and I know in the fullness of time the report of the Auditor General will make its way to public accounts. That is the process that happens here, so that will be studied, in fact, here at the legislature. The public accounts does actually review reports of the Auditor General, so they are mandated to do that work, and they will do that work regardless of whether there's a motion or not. Next question, the member for Teterboro, Co. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. In that decade, the number of active wildland fires has increased in Ontario. Unfortunately, forest fires are unpredictable, costly, and resource-intensive. These fires have devastating impacts on our communities, putting people, property, and livestock in danger. Wildfires also negatively affect economic activity and create unsafe conditions. That's why it's crucial for our government to continue to dedicate resources and planning measures to ensure community safety. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please update the House on what steps our government has taken to enhance wildland fire management? Mr. Nutt's resources and forestry. Thank you very much, Speaker, and thank you to the member from Peterboro, Co. for the question. And of course, this is an issue that we take very, very seriously. And you know, we have the very, very best wildland firefighters and the work that they do. They are internationally recognized. And I want to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you for the great work that they've done through this fire season and previous fires. That is, you know, those that are on the ground, the men and women on the ground, those that are in the air, those that are doing all the logistics and supports to supply everything that is needed to keep community safe, keep people safe. And we continue as a government speaker to make the investments that are needed. $135 million in base budgeting. That's a 92% increase from the previous Liberal government, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that our communities are safe for wildland fires. We'll continue to invest in the men, the women, and the equipment needed to get the jobs done here in Ontario every single year. It's a question back to the member for Peterboro, Co. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for his response on this important issue. This year has been Canada's most severe forest fire season on record with wildfires impacting many provinces and territories. We saw that our government worked collaboratively with other provinces and international partners to mitigate these fires and respond to crisis quickly that occurred across our country. I know that many people across the province are reassured to know that our government is making significant additional investments into Ontario's wildfire preparedness strategy. However, it is crucial that our government has a plan to deploy sufficient resources and supports to ensure that Ontario's fire rangers and our communities are safe. Speaker, can the Minister please inform this house about the additional measures that our government is implementing to ensure preparedness for future national wildfire wildland fires? Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Again, I thank the member from Peterboro, Co. for the question and I had said we are internationally recognized in my previous answer for the great work we do. That's because our firefighters have been to other countries and other provinces to provide assistance when needed and sometimes we provide that assistance and sometimes we require that assistance. That's the great thing about wildland fire prevention. We all work together and I want to thank Minnesota, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories and the great firefighters from Mexico who have assisted us during the 2024 season. I also want to say thank you to our firefighters for being in Nova Scotia when they needed help, being in the Northwest Territories when they needed help, being at Alberta to help our friends there, being in British Columbia to help citizens there. We all work together, Mr. Speaker, to make sure people and communities remain safe. We have a new agreement with Portugal coming online to provide mutual aid assistance. Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work together to keep people in Ontario and other jurisdictions safe from wildland fire prevention. Thank you very much. The next question is for St. Catherine. Thank you, Speaker. My questions to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports. We learned this week that the CRA is investigating the GTHL for conducting questionable backroom deals that benefit insiders. These deals are so sketchy that the CRA is investigating possible tax fraud. In the spring, I asked the Minister if he thought the GTHL's actions were worth investigating. His response, no. So, I'll give the Minister another chance, Speaker. Will you commit to a public investigation to hold the GTHL to account? Members to make their comments to the Chair, to apply to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Mr. Speaker, thank you for the question. I don't believe that was my answer. I believe my answer when we talked about the GTHL that there was an independent study being going on and an investigation be led by, I believe, a retired judge and a retired police officer who was involved in investigations throughout his career. That's where we were going on this. My answer to that is I wait for that report to come back. We will talk more about the GTHL and making allegations when we haven't got the facts. Facts are important, Mr. Speaker. If we're going to step out and do something about anything, anything, then we're going to make sure we have the facts. It isn't about timing, Mr. Speaker. It is truly about the information and the facts, and that's what we'll react on. Thank you, Speaker. I hope the Minister isn't suggesting that the CRA is not giving facts to the GTHL. The GTHL is the largest amateur hockey organization in Canada and it's worth protecting. The stakes are too high for passive oversight and protecting backroom deals. When organizations like the CRA, Hockey Canada, the federal government and sponsors like Nike face issues in amateur sports, they take decisive action. How will this Minister do the same and initiate a public investigation to restore trust? Mr. Speaker, the GTHL falls under the Ontario Hockey Federation and is recognized within that. But I do like where you are going or the member operatives going, Mr. Speaker, because I think the information is important. Getting the facts is important. Getting it to see anything that would suggest otherwise other than conversations and allegations. I'm a big believer like I am in sport. If you want to make a change, you want to make a difference, do it on fact-based information, whether you're on or off the ice surface or not. And the GTHL actually is the largest amateur sport or hockey in the world, I believe, and I've got a number of people some in my staff, their kids play there and they are enjoying their opportunity at the point. We will find out when we get information and we will examine it when that information comes. There is no flopping on this, Mr. Speaker. This is about facts and information coming to us so we can respond. The next question, the member for Carlton. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Franco-Fan Affairs. Our government needs to support our Francophone population. There are a big assets for our province. It will also show that we support Ontarian Francophonie. We should never give up. We also established many measures in order to support Franco-Ontarian initiatives in the future. We want economic prosperity for our province and we want our communities to be well. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister can tell us about how we progressed and how this strategy was fruitful in bettering the life of Franco-Ontarians? I would like to thank my colleague for her question. Since we arrived in power, we know that Ontario prosperity is closely linked to our province vitality. This is why we established a program to help Franco-Ontarians. Since 2017 we had more than 200 businesses supporting this initiative. The goal is to offer services and goods to Franco-Ontarians. This way, Mr. Speaker, we can promote the vitality of Franco-phones and French language. This initiative helps giving answers to Franco-Ontarians and helps us establish programs. We are proud of our Franco-Ontarian population that is strong and resilient and dynamic. Thank you Mr. Speaker and thanks to the member for her answer. We are supporting Franco-Ontarian communities around the province. It is critical to promote Franco-phone prosperity that could help prosperity in Ontario. The minister announced recently that five projects had been selected to receive support for our 2022-2023 Franco-phone program. Many solutions were issued in my writing and many of them were selected. We are working with organizations that offer services in Ontario. Mr. Speaker, can the minister tell the House what we accomplished thanks to this new edition of the program? Thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank my colleague for her following question. There are 51 projects that were selected including projects on culture. Six projects were around economic development. The list of small businesses is way too long for me to list it. However, we are helping Franco-Ontarians. Each project should have a positive impact on Franco-Ontarian communities. Francophonie is an economic asset. It is highly important for our province. This is why we are investing in this sense. Mr. Speaker, I know that many of our government will be prospering. My question to the Premier. After report, there is more than enough land within urban boundaries to build the housing we all know we need. Yet this government is forcing those urban boundaries to enlarge. You know what's going to happen in some of the most fertile farmland in North America is going to be exposed to exactly the same speculators who are going to profit from the Green Belt. It took two investigations and the resignation of high-profile ministers to make the Premier realize the importance of the Green Belt to Ontarians. What's it going to take to make him realize the importance of all farmland in this great province? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, as I said, the expansion of the urban boundaries in Ottawa and Hamilton in and of itself do not make any changes. It is up to those two councils to decide what happens in those expanded urban boundaries. It's up to those councils to decide if those lands should be serviced. It's up to those two councils to decide when that should happen. It's up to those councils to decide if it should happen. I trust that our partners will always work collaboratively to ensure that we build housing. I can say very clearly the member opposite. We are going to do everything in our power to make sure that we do build homes in those areas where land is available. We have recommendations through the Housing Affordability Task Force. I've written letters to each of the mayors. I've asked them to double down to ensure which of those recommendations can we move on very quickly. You can bet your bottom dollar, Mr. Speaker, that we are going to be going in every single riding across Ontario, and we're going to be saying we need you to build up, we need you to build better, and we need to get the job done. Thank you. And a supplementary question. Remember that this has been talked about. Thank you, Speaker. Expanding urban boundaries does put much more pressure on municipal governments to allow sprawl. We all know that. Let's be clear about what's going on here. And report after report has said we don't need to expand those boundaries to build the housing we need. I would like to thank the Farmers of Ontario for uniting and telling this government how important farmland is. When is the government actually going to realize that we need farmland to actually feed the cities? The people that are coming are going to need farmland. It's the greatest gift we've ever been given. Thank you. Thank you. I agree, Mr. Speaker. That's why, of course, we are not only the farmers, but also the government. As Mr. Speaker said, we made a mistake on the policy decision. We're restoring those lands to the green belt. That's why we're protecting an additional 94 hundred acres. That is why we're solidifying the boundaries in law and not in regulation. But I say to the member office, he can actually help. He can actually help because right now his federal partners in Ottawa is removing farmland and reforesting it. The NDP are supporting that policy like they did when the Rouge National Urban Park was created. Class 1 farmland, the NDP position was that it should be reforested and that land should be taken out of production. Now, we know that the Liberals actually did it. They're the only government to actually evict farmers from the lands in the Rouge Park to build a park. I can guarantee you that we will always stand up for farmers, but help us. Have the federal Liberals and your NDP partners in there turn their back on that policy. Thank you very much. That concludes our question period for this morning.