 It is now time for question period. I recognize the member for Brampton Center. Thank you and good morning speaker. My first question is to the Premier. Speaker on Friday the Premier announced long overdue public health measures to control the spread of COVID-19. Sadly these measures come after months of delay and under investment from the Ford government. It was little over two weeks ago that the Premier rolled back public health measures and claimed, I quote, we see the curve going down, end quote. Even as those case counts were spiking in communities like the region of Pio, has the Ford government's health table estimated how much COVID-19 spread as a result of the government's refusal to recognize the crisis? Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Of course nothing could be further from the from the truth that the government has been has maintained its focus on halting the spread of COVID-19 not only in the summer but through the fall Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Health brought forward a very comprehensive second wave program which included substantial investments in testing. Mr. Speaker included also investments by the Minister of Long-Term Care. So I would say to the member that progress has been made while we continue to work a whole of government approach to flattening the curve we do understand how difficult this is for the people of the City of Toronto and to the people of Pio and that's why we're going to redouble our efforts to make sure that we can flatten this curve Mr. Speaker because I think those two communities as well as the entire province deserve that. The supplementary question. Thank you Speaker but the new lockdown measures imposed Friday will have devastating impacts in communities like Brampton but it's all the more devastating because they actually could have been avoided if the Premier had not spent weeks and months denying and minimizing the threat posed by the second wave and ignoring ignoring the fact Speaker as he is he prepared to admit that his government's inaction and denial has made this crisis far worse in the province of Ontario and commit to an honest and transparent response moving forward. Again Mr. Speaker look I do appreciate the passion and concern that the member opposite has with respect to her community. I think we're all on the same page and wanting to ensure that that Pio region gets back on its feet as soon as possible. We have redoubled our efforts working with the federal government of course and with the Pio region and with our municipal partners in that in that area Mr. Speaker we understand that's why the the Minister of Health has brought in additional contact tracers that's why we brought in additional testing in to Pio region. This is a very difficult situation it's difficult for the businesses there it's difficult for families. We understand that Mr. Speaker the Minister of Finance has brought in additional resources to help our small businesses but ultimately Mr. Speaker what will work best for that community is if we all redouble our efforts do what public health officials are saying it is in our control not only in Pio and the Toronto response is in our control whether we flatten this curve and we reopen Ontario for business as soon as possible Mr. Speaker and the member has my assurance and the assurance of the entire government in fact and the entire legislature that we will do everything we can to get on the final supplementary. Thank you Speaker and thank you to the government house leader for that answer but you know what numbers are rising here on the daily and the Premier claimed that he was actually flattening the curve when we see those numbers rising today we hit record highs in Pio alone 535 cases but instead what the Premier did was actually loosen public health measures while those case counts were spiking he claimed that public health officials backed him when they in fact did not he forced them to sign gag orders so that they couldn't contradict him Speaker I think that the people of Ontario deserve much better will the Premier admit and commit to lifting the gag orders providing an honest and transparent response and put the interest of people in communities ahead of political the political needs of this board government. Thank you Speaker we have been putting the health and well-being of people of Ontario first and foremost since this pandemic began and will continue to do so the situation in Pio region is very concerning I agree with you and despite having stricter measures since about October 10th we're finding that the case numbers continue to climb that's why it was necessary to move both Pio and Toronto into lockdown measures as the member will know to move into the red zone the cases have to be 40 per 100,000 right now in Pio there are 179.4 action has to be taken we have been following this very closely since the beginning we've been working with the Chief Medical Officer of Health but also Dr. Lowe the medical officer in Pio as well he is certainly in agreement with the steps that have needed to have been taken and we are making sure that all of the members on the the team the pandemic task force the health measures table and so on they are not so required to sign gag orders or non-disclosure orders they are free to speak but everyone agrees that action needed to be taken and that is what we've done the next question once again the member for Brampton Center. Thank you Speaker and my question once again is to the premier at the COVID-19 pandemic has hit all Ontario Ontario families hard but it's especially devastating in communities like Brampton Brampton is home to thousands of essential workers these are the people who have kept us going and they've kept going into work so that others can stay home these are our truck drivers our cab drivers warehouse workers or even frontline health care providers they deserve a lot more than just our thanks they need actual support they desperately need hospital services they need testing they need paid sick days so that they can stay home when they're sick why has the Ford government failed to provide any of this? Well in fact we have provided measures at every step along the way for all frontline health care workers and frontline workers as you've indicated the truck drivers the other people that work in the supply chain all of those people need our help and support that's what we've been working on since the beginning we have been supplying the personal pandemic equipment personal protective equipment that people need we've been making sure that people receive financial assistance that they need to if they've been laid off work or if they have had their hours cut we're doing everything that we can along the way ensuring as well for our frontline health care workers that they have the personal protective equipment that they have the resources within the hospitals or care facilities and making sure that we're expanding the capacity as well for the people that we know that are contracting COVID-19 as well as continuing with the surgeries and procedures that were postponed during wave one. Supplementary question. Speaker working people in Brampton who are putting their health at risk in a pandemic shouldn't have to worry about the basics like choosing between losing a day's pay or going to work sick. The Premier proudly scrapped paid sick days last year and when new Democrats forced the federal government into creating a program this Premier dragged his feet and refused to cooperate. Will the Premier follow the advice of public health experts like Brampton Peel Region's very own Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lowe and immediately establish a program to ensure that workers can take paid sick days if they need to. The Parliamentary Assistant and member for Burlington. Thank you so much for the question. On July 16th Premier Ford joined our government in a historic 19 billion safe restart agreement. This includes $1.1 billion in 10 paid sick days. The federal government has introduced legislation Bill C2 that will provide access to paid sick leave. This bill passed first reading in the House of Commons on September 24th. We're monitoring the progress on this bill and we will be ready when and if this bill passes into law. Thank you. Final supplement. Thank you Speaker. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the problems the Premier would rather ignore. Communities like Brampton, Scarborough, Weston, Jane and Finch these communities have struggled for years with underfunding and second-class treatment. They don't need a lecture from the Premier about avoiding parties. What they need is hospitals and health centres. They need dedicated resources for testing and contact tracing during the pandemic. They need culturally specific outreach programs to spread the word and create awareness about COVID-19 and they need the support to ensure that they can pay their rent, feed their kids and take a sick day if they're worried about COVID-19. When will the Premier do any of that? The Parliamentary Assistant Member for Burlington again to report. Thank you so much again for that question. Unlike our government who continued to work through COVID-19 for the people of Ontario, the federal government prorogued the House. I clearly understand your frustration as we have been waiting for months. We hope to have an answer for soon for you. Thanks so much again for the question. Thank you. The next question, the Member for Waterloo. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Speaker, this morning residents woke up in Peel and Toronto to a full lockdown. Everyone knows they have to do their part to stay home and slow the spread of COVID-19. But for business owners who have already had the hardest year of their lives, the news was devastating. We're coming into Christmas season. The time many businesses rely on to get them through the rest of the year, especially this year. And now business owners are having to close their doors without any financial help from the government. Speaker, the Premier promised to, and I quote, double the supports. But when you double nothing, it's still nothing. Why doesn't this government think small, mainstream businesses are worth saving or even worth fighting for? And why are you so unwilling to help? The Associate Minister for Small Business and Red Tech Production. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I disagree with the premise of that question. Look, we understand there is absolutely no sugarcoating it. These are very tough times, unlike anything we have experienced. There's no family. There's no business. There's no person that hasn't been affected by this pandemic. But that's also why this government has put forward unprecedented supports for businesses since the start of the pandemic. Just recently, the Minister of Finance released and is now providing over $600 million in relief to support eligible small businesses. This application is online and available, very easy to apply to one portal. And those eligible businesses that can also apply for the Main Street PPE Grant can also access this funding immediately. So I urge all business owners impacted by these restrictions to immediately apply through this online portal and get the supports they need. He's supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, it is shocking that this government has not acted on direct financial support. If policies aren't implemented now to protect and support workers and business owners, especially small business owners, our economic recovery will be that much harder. But still, this government refuses to offer direct financial support. In fact, they've actually made it harder for small business owners while giving big breaks to big box stores and huge corporations. In a release, the CFIB suggested that the lack of support for Main Street businesses was, and I quote, outrageous and immediately called for the creation of a small business first strategy, something new Democrats have been calling for four months. How many more businesses are going to have to close before this Premier and this government finally listens to businesses, to workers and to groups like the CFIB and finally step up with some real support? Thank you once again for the question, Mr. Speaker. Our government understands that businesses need our support more than ever before. That is why we put forward immediate financial relief to the tune of $600 million in direct support to these impacted businesses. On top of that, today, the federal government has announced that they have opened online applications for rent relief, 10 of direct programs, 90 percent rent relief for those businesses that have been impacted. We have put forward a $60 million PPE grant program to help those impacted direct support. We've also, in the summer, launched a $57 million, the largest investment ever by a government to help businesses go digital, $2,500 grants for Main Street small businesses to help them pivot to e-commerce online models to adapt to the new challenges of the pandemic. Mr. Speaker, this government will continue to work with our small businesses and support them in their time of need. The next question, member for Willowdale. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question this morning is to the Minister of Transportation. Speaker, all too often we see politicians passing the buck to other jurisdictions when it comes to building infrastructure in Ontario. And this has been an ongoing and deadly problem in my riding of Willowdale. At the self-end of my community, the world's longest street, Young Street, meets North America's busiest highway, 401. And for two decades, two decades, Speaker, Willowdale has been asking their elected officials to redesign the interchange at Young and 401, but nothing was done. This is not just a matter of easing congestion, Speaker. This is about public safety. Through you, Minister, can you commit to this issue so that we can work towards making Willowdale streets safer and finally fix the ramp? Minister of Transportation. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the member from Willowdale for the question. This is a major interchange on the province's busiest highway. And I know how important this issue is to the people of Willowdale. Speaker, political gridlock often leads to gridlock on our streets. And as the member highlighted, this has led to a longstanding and a dangerous problem in Willowdale. That's why I've directed the Ministry of Transportation to look into this. And I am pleased to confirm that our government has given stage one planning approval to improve the highway 401 and Young Street interchange. In addition, the province will also fund up to 50 percent of the cost for the City of Toronto to conduct the environmental assessment. I want to assure the member from Willowdale and his constituents that work is underway to improve this interchange and to reduce congestion for local traffic. Thank you very much. The supplementary question. Thank you very much, Speaker. And thank you so much, Minister. It's hard to stop smiling because this is such great news for my constituents in Willowdale. And it's from my first day in office. This has been something that I've been speaking to your ministry about such an important initiative in Willowdale. I'm proud that this government is working to ending the culture of delay and mismanagement to get rid of that political gridlock. Speaker, the former Liberal government had over 15 years to act on this issue, and they did nothing. In fact, it's one of the reasons I ran for this very seat. Speaker, getting transportation infrastructure built across Ontario is a priority for this government, especially as we look to Ontario's economic recovery following COVID-19. So, Speaker, through you to the Minister, my question is simple. What's our recovery plan look like in Ontario? Mr. Transportation. Thank you again to the member from Willowdale for the question. We need to get Ontario building. We need to make bold investments in infrastructure to create jobs and to stimulate our economy. We have a 10-year, $144 billion infrastructure plan to ensure that Ontario is ready for the future. And nearly half of that money, Mr. Speaker, is in public transit. But a stimulus plan is only as good as the tools that drive it. That's why last month, we introduced the Ontario Rebuilding and Recovery Act, which, if passed, will give us the tools that we need to get shovels in the ground sooner. Speaker, this is the bold action that we need. It's the bold action that has been missing for years. And, Mr. Speaker, the opposition has an opportunity with this bill to work with us and support this bill so that we can ensure that Ontario emerges stronger than ever. Thank you. The next question, the member for Davenport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This question is for the Premier. Speaker, last week I asked the Premier about an outbreak at Begley Public School in Windsor that closed the school. In his response, the Minister of Education said, and I quote, transmission is not happening within the school. While sadly, Speaker, there are now 26 confirmed positive cases coming out of that school outbreak. And on Friday, another Windsor school was shuttered this time in the Catholic Board. The Windsor Essex Public Health Unit informed the public that, and I quote, the entire school is considered high risk for exposure to COVID-19. So my question to the Premier is this, with the evidence so clearly showing the increased risk of a second wave that was allowed to get out of control under his leadership, why were no additional measures announced to protect students and staff? Mr. Speaker, the Chief Medical Officer of Health of this province, including leading pediatric doctors, have been very clear that the plan we have unveiled is keeping kids safe. And that is so imperative. It is so important that we continue to ensure schools remain open in this province. In the context of FW Begley in the Greater Essex County District School Board, the local public health unit member has yet to confirm if that transmission occurred in school or in community. And I think it is absolutely unacceptable that you would advance a message absent knowing the facts at a time when parents in that community are simply looking for those facts. That actually does not instill confidence in their institutions. It undermines it. And so I would ask for a bit of time for the local public health unit to provide that clarity. And I would ask for a better sense of adherence to facts. In this province, here's a fact. 99.95% of students are COVID free in Windsor. In every week of this province, 99.85% of students have never had COVID. That speaker underscores that the plan we've unveiled, endorsed by the medical officer of this province, is working. Mr. Speaker, the person who parents are lacking confidence in right now is the Minister of Education of this province, Mr. Speaker. Order. Our frontline education workers, school administrators, and students themselves have worked tremendously hard to keep our schools safe. But it's been in spite of this government's lack of support. By October 26, there had been 1,770 school-related cases of COVID-19. The minister then said that transmission is relatively low and that his plan was flattening the curve. By November 9, we were up to 2,700 total cases. Today, there are over 3,800 and positivity rates among kids under 10 is going up, while testing and tracing have gone down. Speaker, we know the government has refused to cap classes at 15 to reduce the risk. Will they at very least ramp up the testing, the tracing, and screening in our schools? Transcription reply. Mr. Speaker, the Chief Medical Officer of Health has endorsed a protocol that leads the nation in every measurement the member has set. In the context of testing, the Minister of Health has been clear that we have the most level of testing in any province in Canada by far. And Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the data points that underpin the success and the safety of kids, I know they're inconvenient to you. I know that they undermine a narrative you choose to advance, but parents want the facts. And here's a fact that I think would instill a level of confidence if they knew that 99.95 percent of students are COVID free, that 99.92 percent of staff are COVID free, that 99.7 percent of staff have never had COVID. I appreciate that that may, for whatever reason, bring concern to you. But I think for most folks out there, they're pleased to hear that our leadership in public health and our school boards are working together to reduce the risk and to keep our kids safe. And that is a good thing we should celebrate in this problem. Thank you. I'll remind the members to make their comments through the chair. The next question, the member for Ottawa South. Very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Long-Term Care. Today, there are 101 long-term care homes in outbreak in Ontario. 19 of these homes have double-digit resident cases. At Rockliffe Care Community Home in Scarborough, 98 residents have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Sadly, 12 residents have died. And we've seen that when COVID-19 gets into a home with four-bed wardrooms like Rockliffe or Starwood and the Pean or West End Villa in Ottawa, it spreads like wildfire and it's deadly. Homes have been asking since July for a plan to move residents out of four-bed wardrooms to reduce the risk of transmission. So, Speaker, we built a field hospital in Burlington. We're doing that in Ottawa. So through you, Speaker, how is it that long-term care homes don't have a plan for alternative spaces for residents to reduce the risk of COVID-19? Minister of Long-Term Care. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member opposite for the question. Today, Rockliffe Care Community Home has 53 residents, so they are rapidly improving. And my heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by this. The issue of how we deal with an integrated plan to either transfer residents from a long-term care home early or transfer those who are ill and need medical care has been ongoing. This is something that our ministry had a working group or a task force put together months ago to review this. This is an ongoing assessment involving our IMS table, our Chief Medical Officer of Health. There are many aspects to this and we need to understand both the needs and the rights of the residents in long-term care and the various ways our community can provide support. The Windsor Field Hospital is an excellent example of how that could happen and it's a very valuable learning and I've been in touch with them. So this is ongoing. We will continue to add measures and again my heart goes out to everyone who's been affected by this unprecedented challenge. Thank you and supplementary question. Oh, thank you, Speaker, and I appreciate the minister letting us know that only 53 residents have COVID-19 now. 12 of those residents that no longer have COVID-19 are no longer here. So I ask you caution you that saying, minimizing things by saying, most of the homes aren't an outbreak. Most of the homes don't have resident cases. Most of the homes don't have double digit cases. It's not respectful to those people who have lost a loved one. And so our responsibility is not to protect the majority of people in long-term care. It's everybody. So across, you know, it's been eight months and across the river in Gatineau in Ottawa, they've taken over hotel. So I understand what you're saying about residents rights, but there's a right to protecting people and homes have been asking for eight months for a plan and there is none. And there are fires burning in homes, not every home, but some homes they are really burning and we knew what that would happen and I don't understand maybe the minister can explain to me why there isn't a plan now. Mr. Long-term Care. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you for the member opposite. I believe it's important to deal with fact. And that's why it's important that we put out information that's accurate so that everyone can understand and be on the same page. And that's what we've been doing all along. I have tremendous respect for our frontline providers. I have tremendous respect for all our families and our residents in long-term care. And I also have tremendous respect for everyone who's working around the clock for many, many months, almost a year now to address these unprecedented challenges in long-term care where our most vulnerable people reside. And I will continue to do that as the minister. And I will continue to make sure that every measure and every tool is being used. And our government has put dollars behind all these strategies, $540 million, $461 million for increased pay, $243 million originally to help support our homes. The dollars keep rolling out behind the policies that we're putting forward to prevent more tragedy in our long-term care homes. And my heart goes out to everyone who's working so hard and who's been affected by this. Thank you. Thank you. Next question, member for Willardale. Speaker, my question is for the minister responsible for small business and red tape production. Ontario has never faced a challenge like we face the last eight months with COVID-19. And we know that this unprecedented challenge has required the government to make some difficult decisions. And in consultation with the chief medical officer of health, many businesses in the province are required to close or significantly restrict services due to enhanced public health measures. Speaker, through you, can the minister please tell this House how our government is providing the much needed support for businesses that have been affected by the new health restrictions? The associate minister for small business and red tape production. Thank you very much to the member from Willardale for his question. And I want to thank him for his advocacy and support of small businesses. So we look for solutions to support them in this very difficult time. There's no sugar coating it, Mr. Speaker. The economic and financial burden this pandemic has had on small businesses has been especially tough. And our government understands that small businesses are an essential part to our province's economy. Supporting businesses impacted by the necessary public health restrictions in regions like Peel and Toronto, we're trying to help employers manage these very difficult times. Our government is now providing $600 million in relief to support eligible small businesses required to close or significantly restrict their services due to the enhanced public safety measures. This is doubling our commitment. On November 16th, we opened an online portal whereby these businesses can apply for temporary property tax and energy cost rebates. For the businesses' subjects to these new restrictions, I want to thank you very much. And the supplementary question. Thank you very much, Speaker. And I appreciate that the minister recognizes that these small businesses are the backbone of Ontario's economy. And behind every single door of these small businesses is a hardworking family trying to provide for their loved ones. And so it is crucial that our government takes the action necessary to support these job creators. Small businesses, Speaker, are the economic engine of this country and the largest job creator. And we need to bring more jobs to Ontario to contribute to our recovery process. And that begins with supporting our small businesses because, Speaker, we know that one day COVID-19 will be in our rearview mirror. Speaker, through you, can the minister explain how our government is planning to support our job creators and contribute to that strong recovery that we are looking forward to? The Associate Minister. Thank you very much to the member for his question. Mr. Speaker, our government is taking steps to lessen the burden on businesses. In the 2020 budget that we put forward, we announced a variety of measures to help small businesses. We are going to be lowering property taxes on job creators, reducing the business education tax for over 200,000 businesses, over 94% of all business properties in Ontario. This will create $450 million in annual savings for many businesses. We are proposing to provide municipalities with the ability to cut property taxes for small businesses and provincial commitment to consider matching these reductions. This would provide small businesses with as much as $385 million in total municipal and provincial tax relief by 2022 and 2023. We are investing in initiatives that will support jobs now and will help to contribute to Ontario's strong recovery. Thank you. The next question, the member for Kitchener Centre. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. The Premier seems tied at the hip with Charles McVidi. They've campaigned together. McVidi sold memberships for the Premier and even helped him win the leadership of his party. And that is why Ontarians are disgusted with Schedule 2 of Bill 213. The National Council of Canadian Muslims wrote to the Premier this morning, and they said, I quote, the President of the College, Charles McVidi, has expressed deeply Islamophobic views inconsistent with the Ontario's Human Rights Code. McVidi has also expressed sentiments targeting other minority communities in ways that are abhorrent and condemnable. So my question, will the Premier inform NCCM and all Ontarians that he is pulling Schedule 2 from Bill 213? Or will he remain silent in the face of his own bill that legislates an even bigger hateful platform for his longtime buddy, Charles McVidi? Minister of Colleges and Universities to respond. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So once again, I'm happy to respond to the member opposite and to all the members opposite and everyone in this house in the province of Ontario on the importance of procedural fairness in our system of laws in this country and in this province. The PCAB process is a very independent process. We've talked about that several times, Mr. Speaker. There's no way to interfere with the PCAB process. It's impossible. Application goes from the institution directly to PCAB. PCAB makes a recommendation to the government. In order to make this even more transparent, Mr. Speaker, in order to provide the most level of clarity, what we did was we also said we're going to legislate that whole process and that's what we're here. That's what we're talking about. That's why we're debating this issue, Mr. Speaker. If the PCAB process is completed upon completion, then the legislation would be proclaimed into force. You have the most transparent, fair, equitable process there is because you know what, Mr. Speaker, equality under the Charter provides equal protections and benefits under the law for all. The supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And back to the Premier. Interference with independent processes are legislation like Schedule II and Bill 213. That's actually interference in an independent process. The NCCM letter details years of Charles McVeedy's hateful views. They write in their letter and again I quote, it is inappropriate especially in these times of turmoil and our public health crisis that Mr. McVeedy should enjoy special privileges as a bigot. The Premier and his caucus have uttered not a single word to condemn the years of bigoted comments of their friend, party member and ally Charles McVeedy. It's about time that the conservative caucus, especially the backbench and the members of cabinet who see themselves as inclusive in allies to diverse people, speak out against this bill. Will the Premier grant his caucus a free vote on Bill 213 or will he force his caucus to agree with him and Charles McVeedy and tow the line on a bill that legislates and approves hate? Mr. Colleges and universities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know it's really easy for the opposition to stand there and speak about interference and processes. They love the concept of interfering. They continually interfere with processes. That's what the opposition members do. As a government, Mr. Speaker, we have a responsibility to uphold the charter. The entire purpose and the principle behind the motion that has been brought forward by the member opposite and originally by the leader of the opposition who unfortunately isn't able to continue on with that motion but the entire premise of that motion, Mr. Speaker, the entire premise is to violate the charter. The whole premise of the entire motion says we should do everything in our power to stop an institution from being able to apply through an independent process. Mr. Speaker, it's illegal. It's unconstitutional. It has absolutely no merit. I mean, the way motions work, unfortunately, they're allowed to bring forward motions that have no constitutional merit and as by their very nature are unconstitutional. But as individuals in government, we have a responsibility to uphold the rule of law, Mr. Speaker. We have a responsibility to uphold procedural fairness. Mr. Speaker, we're going to continue to do that because that's what Thank you. The next question, the member for Guelph. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. My question is for the premier. Researchers say we need more flood mitigation to prevent the cost of flooding from tripling over the next decade. Instead, your government is attacking conservation authorities, which will lead to less flood mitigation. Municipalities are on the front lines of the damage. I'd like to quote the mayor of Milton. These changes would hurt residents if housing is allowed to be built on flood plains and who is going to pay? It will be our local taxpayers picking up the bill for events that could have been prevented. Speaker, this is why mayors, scientists and conservationists are sounding the alarm bells. So I ask, will the premier listen to local leaders and remove schedule six from bill 229? To apply for the government, the member for Barry and his fill in parliamentary assistance. Thank you, Speaker. And our government is helping conservation authorities achieve their goal, achieve their goal, such as prevent much flooding. You just have to look at some goals that were achieved in the past, like in the 1970s, where the river bank was hardened at the Grand River. And that has proven infrastructure that helps flooding. But that is just building on big accomplishments that conservationists have made and including the accomplishments of our government. Mr. Speaker, unlike the Liberals, we will not be disobeying conservation authority guidelines by building a personal pool like their new leader, Deluca, is doing, nor the members of the New Democrat Party who don't even mention conservation authorities and their New Deal Democratic Green Plan. Mr. Speaker, our government has a proven record on protecting the environment, whether it's the Living Legacy Fund, whether it's the Oak Ridge's Marine, whether it's the Niagara Escarpment, and most recently, the $20 million we're giving to the Nature Conservancy, we're protecting the environment. Thank you. And the supplementary question. Speaker, with all due respect to the parliamentary assistant, the Grand River Conservation Authority is holding an emergency meeting right now this morning, and they opened it by saying, and I quote, this will cripple our ability to protect the watershed. Speaker, we have to be honest about this. This isn't about efficiencies or streamlining or, you know, economic recovery. This is about development in the wrong place at all costs, and it will be the people of Ontario who will be left paying for the mess that this change will make, paying for it by paying more for flooded basements, paying more for home insurance, paying more in taxes to fix the infrastructure damage from increased flooding. Speaker, it is wrong. So can the members of the opposite explain why they are changing things so the minister makes the decision overturning the science-based and evidence-based decisions that conservation authorities make to protect us? Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. And conservation authorities can still provide advice and we're enabling them to still provide advice. And in fact, we're helping conservation authorities achieve their goal to prevent flooding. And the member mentions the Grand River, and frankly, the parts that weren't fortified by Riverbank hardening are still flooding this day. So perhaps we should go back to what was clearly working in the 1970s, and our changes clearly do this by helping less people have flooded basements. It's in our main environment plan where we talk about how to prevent people from flooding, and this is why we're making the much-needed investments. And like I said, unlike the NDP, we do talk about conservation authorities and how to help them. And unlike the Liberals, we're not going to be carving up and making things look like Swiss cheese. We're actually protecting our environment. Thank you. Thank you. The next question, the member for Willowdale. Thank you very much, Speaker. This province has again shifted regions into further restrictions and lockdowns to protect the health and safety of the people of this province. Now that means that events that were planned for months will face that tough news, Speaker, that they won't be able to celebrate the way they thought they might. This is difficult and sad news, of course, for the hardworking people in those industries, for festivals and events. With the fraction of time they originally had to plan and the fact that they will have to celebrate under the restrictions of COVID-19 in those friendly formats. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism, Culture, Industries. Minister, through you, Speaker, can you tell us how this government expects festivals and events to be able to adapt to these changing restrictions and still host a successful event? Thank you, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism, Culture, Industries. To reply. Thank you very much, Speaker. My pleasure to answer the member from Willowdale and his strong advocacy for his city, and I know it can't be easy going into a further lockdown in our two of our largest cities in the province. We often talk in this assembly about the health care crisis rightfully so. We also talk rightfully so about the economic crisis. Our ministry has been obviously very concerned with both in addition to the social crisis that we've seen across the province at various stages of this pandemic, and that's why the ministry worked hard in early days of the pandemic to flow existing money for sunk and eligible costs to festivals and events across the province of Ontario. And in many cases they were able to adapt either through drive or drive through entertainment or to go virtually in online. And we flowed that $9.7 million so that we could encourage people to safely experience their own province. So right now in Niagara Falls we'll be continuing to support Winter Festival of Lights through their drive through format. We also were able to help Saunders Farm in Ottawa during their freight fest, and of course we have our existing program Ontario.Live to provide Ontario. Thank you very much. The supplementary question. Thank you very much, Speaker, and I appreciate the minister's sentiment that this this has been a big impact on the festival and event industry. It's not just during this pandemic, but also because the holiday season is around the corner. And I know that this program was announced last month, Speaker, and it's hard to imagine that festivals will be able to adapt in time for the holiday season. So I'm wondering if the minister can tell us how this government will ensure that the festivals and events industry will be able to celebrate this holiday season. Minister. Thank you very much, Speaker, and a very important question as we know Ontarians are social people and we love to gather. And unfortunately right now, in many places across our great province, we're unable to do that. But that's why our government on October the 8th decided to flow $9 million in festival and event funding for a for a reconnect program that would allow virtual online drive through and drive in entertainment. That money is starting to flow, Speaker, and we are excited to be announcing that over the next month and a bit will be supporting festivals and events right across this great province, including right here in the city of Toronto. We'll have more to say, Speaker, on what those events are. But I think it suffice to say that as we move toward the holiday season, when many of us would rather be gathering with our loved ones, but unfortunately won't be able to, that there will at least be some some Ontario content that they'll be able to support and enjoy. And I'll just say right here in the city of Ottawa, we're investing $24,000 into the Gippur Literature Festival for Toronto in 2020. It's three nights starting on November the 27th. The virtual event will be able to move toward with the silent auction and author sessions featuring local. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Toronto Centre. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. At the Fudger House long-term care home, a 250 bed facility in my riding in Toronto Centre, almost half of the residents in the home have tested positive for COVID-19. Since the outbreak was declared at the home in October, nine residents have died. For months, the Premier has promised an iron ring of protection around our long-term care homes. But it's clear that he's failed to protect seniors in long-term care. There are 97 outbreaks across the province. What does the Premier have to say to families who are anxious about the safety of their loved ones in long-term care? Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the member opposite for the question. We are making sure that we have an integrated process to assess and support our long-term care homes that are in outbreak. And I would remind everyone that an outbreak means one resident, at least one resident or at least one staff who has tested positive for COVID. Out of our 101 homes in outbreak, 47 have no resident cases. 14 homes have one resident case. Four homes have two resident cases. One home has three resident cases. And this is simply to prevent or to provide the facts. And we must do more to add layers of protection in certainly areas where there is high incidence of COVID because we know that is a driver of the cases into the long-term care homes. And that's why we've increased the testing in areas that are in red or lockdown or orange in terms of the weekly testing now of all staff. It used to be two weeks, every two weeks. We are continuing to add layers, continuing to add measures and protect our residents in long-term care. Very much. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. And respectfully back to the minister. I'm not asking about the homes that have one or two cases. I'm asking about a home in my riding with 112 cases and what you are doing about it. Fudger case did have zero cases of COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic. And now it has one of the worst outbreaks in the city. COVID-19 outbreaks are spreading rapidly in homes across the province. This weekend, 20 residents in long-term care homes in Ontario lost their lives to COVID-19. It's heartbreaking to think about how devastating this must be for their families. Experts warned this government months ago that without urgent action that the second wave of COVID-19 would be disastrous for long-term care. But this government ignored that advice. Why has the Premier refused to act to save the lives of residents in long-term care? Mr. Long-term Care. Thank you, Speaker. I reject the premise of that question. Absolutely. Our government has consistently acted swiftly. And my heart goes out to everyone who's been impacted by COVID-19 in Ontario and across Canada and across the world. This is unprecedented. This is a virus that can spread with no symptoms. And that's why the testing is so important. I'd like to provide some accurate information. Fudger House now has 23 residents who are positive. And my heart goes out to everyone who's on the front lines fighting this, everyone who's been impacted by it. But that's why it's so important to continue to add layers. That's with our testing of every week required for homes in these areas where there's high incidence. It's important to learn from our experts. And our experts are continuing to advise us on the measures we need to take. We are listening to that advice. We will continue to listen to the expert medical advice and take more measures as they present themselves. The testing and the rapid testing is one of those areas we will continue. Thank you. Thank you. The next question, the member for Orland. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. COVID-19 testing still has not reached the levels that the Ontario government has promised. Hospital capacity is at a tipping point. Many in Ontario can't have access to the flu vaccine. Public health agencies and pharmacies are reporting shortages across the province. Deaths in long-term care continue to rise. And now nearly one-third of Ontarians have returned to lockdown. Mr. Speaker, my question for the Premier is simple. Does he still believe that his COVID-19 plan is working? The short answer is yes. The plan is working. We set out our fall preparedness plan. We're following the measures of it. We have increased testing. Over the past weekend, we did over 48,000 tests in one day. We're very close to the point of having tested 6 million Ontarians for COVID. That is far in advance of any other jurisdiction in Canada. So we're moving fast on that. And in some areas where there are hot spots, we are bringing in mobile testing. We are having allowing people to come in without appointments at assessment centres because we recognize that in some of those hot spots, it's a difficult situation for many people to either make a phone appointment or an online appointment. So we're moving with COVID to make sure we get to those hot spots, to try and get there in advance and to deal with it. We're advancing our hospital capacity. We've created more than 3,000 beds since this pandemic began. We're increasing our capacity for contact tracing. I'll have more to say in my supplemental. Supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My supplemental is also for the Premier. Last week, the Minister of Health told the legislature that Ontario will receive 1.6 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 800,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine. Those numbers were quickly called into question by the federal government only hours later. Now, people make mistakes. These things happen. But coming off of a flu vaccine program that has been less than stellar, the government can understand why Ontarians have questions about the COVID-19 vaccination program. In fact, we still have not heard from the government clearly their plans for vaccine distribution across the province. My question, Mr. Speaker, when will the government present a clear and concise plan for the COVID-19 vaccine for Ontarians? Minister of Health. Well, first, let me be clear. The numbers were not incorrect that we quoted with respect to the number of COVID vaccines we anticipate to receive. We know how many are going to be received by Canada. And on a per capita distribution, the numbers that we indicated last week are the numbers that has been confirmed through my office and confirmed with Minister Haidou, the federal minister of health. So those are the numbers we expect to receive now. The distribution of vaccine is going to be very, very important. We have a whole team of people that are set up within the Ministry of Health and the Solicitor General's Office to make sure that as soon as we receive those vaccines, they're going to be deployed and into people's arms as quickly as possible. This is vitally important. There's no other issue that's as important as this. This is relevant to all Ontarians. We want to make sure that of course, our frontline healthcare workers are going to be in priority because they're the ones that are dealing with COVID-19 on a daily basis. But rest assured, a detailed plan is being prepared with several ministries involved with it. Thank you. The next question, the member for Humber River Black Creek. Thank you, Speaker. My questions are for the Premier. An angry presser by the Premier earlier in March left pusitaries with sanitizer all over their face. The Premier said, and I quote, you're done. You're gone. If you're convicted, you could face a year in jail. So when a price gouging hotline was announced by the province, the Premier faced no criticism from the NDP since consumer protection is always at the core of NDP values. But last week, a CBC marketplace investigation revealed that after 29,500 complaints from Ontario consumers in the last eight months, not one fine or charge was laid. That begs the question, does the Premier think all 29,500 complaints from Ontarians were false? Or is consumer protection not enough of a priority for this government to take real action? Thank you very much, Speaker. And to the member opposite, I thank him for this question because it allows me the opportunity to share on behalf of the Premier and our government that we have taken action. It's important to recognize that my ministry is working hand in hand with the Solicitor General. And with the most egregious complaints, we refer them to police forces across Ontario. And we have referred over 900 to police to investigate. Further to that, we also reach out and talk to the people that complaints have been filed against. And with that said, we are educating via letters and strongly positioned reasons why price gouging needs to be very much addressed during the pandemic. And I'm very pleased with the efforts of my ministry in this regard. And I would like to thank the Solicitor General as well for helping out with the most egregious offenses. And a supplementary question. Thank you. Strong talk again, but no follow-up and still no charges laid. Just after midnight, Toronto and Peel region went into a second lockdown. Overnight, many residents of these regions will have lost their jobs. Many others will remain unemployed or their businesses will have lost a significant portion of their income. Right now, many Ontarians are living hand to mouth. They are already having a hard time trying to figure out how to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads. So when they have to pay more than $30 for a pack of toilet paper or they are being gouged on other essential goods, it really hits them hard. Again, we've heard strong words, but we've not seen real action to protect consumers from gouging. What real action is the Premier prepared to actually take to protect Ontario consumers during this pandemic? Minister for response? Again, Speaker, I would like to share with the member opposite that the real action that we have taken is the fact starting with we have a consumer protection hotline. And I ask anyone who experiences the price that they feel is egregious, reach out and let us know, because we take immediate action. Speaker, we work hand in hand with the Solicitor General and I can tell you of all the complaints that have been registered. We've worked with police forces across Ontario. Over 900 complaints have been followed up with by police. And that is a very, very impressive number in light of the research and the investigation that has gone into this. Over and above that, the action we have taken is working with people who have had complaints filed against them. Again, we work with them to understand what the situation is and we absolutely educate not only the vendors, but their suppliers in terms of the inappropriateness of price gouging. And we ask everyone to work with us. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Glen Gary Prescott Russell. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of the Environment. Last week, the auditor general released a scathing report highlighting the governments in action on the environment and that they're not even compliant with their own environmental laws. Let's be frank. It's this government that eliminated the position of the environmental commissioner, as well as other important commissioner positions. And now they're intact on the environment continues. As the auditor mentions in her report, the government is starving the Ministry of the Environment by hamstringing its staff and preventing the Ministry from preventing the environment. So, Mr. Speaker, I have to ask the question, does the government believe in climate change? Does it believe it's real? And if the answer is yes, why does it act as though it doesn't exist? Thank you, Speaker. This government takes the environment very seriously. In fact, we introduced a made in Ontario environment plan where we're bringing together, making sure that we have emitters who are held accountable. We're making sure that there's more capacity in landfills by revolutionizing the recycling program. We're doing things like expanding the amount of green space by investing $20 million in nature conservancy fund. And this builds on our legacy of things like the Oak Ridge's marine and the agro escarpment. And frankly, when the auditor general did her finding, she found a lot of things. For example, we have improved the environmental bill of rights by encouraging people to use it as an avenue to give feedback. And she mentioned that in her report. And there's other things that she mentioned her quote in her report, I should say. And for example, the auditor general explicitly states herself the report that there was not only has there not been the government's been compliant and been extending deadlines, but also the fact that she points to the number of times that we have expanded deadlines. Thank you. And the supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Quebec Premier François Legault has announced his bold plan for a green economy 2030, which notably moves to ban gas powered vehicles by 2035. Is this government will this government follow suit? Well, I think the honorable member for her question, and I encourage her to support her made an entire made an interior environment plan. That plan clearly lays out a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, if it wasn't for Ontario's actions, the rest of Canada's emissions would have gone up. It's thanks to this province, this made an interior environment plan, where we're protecting the environment, we're reducing emissions. And frankly, the federal government even accepted our order standards. The other thing is record setting is we're also bringing forward the first order impact environmental assessment throughout the entire province. This government continues its legacy of protecting the government house leader, come door to the opposite. And actually, you know, stand up for the environment and support the main made an entire environment plan. Thank you. The next question. The member for Parkdale High Park, my questions to the premier. I continue to hear from parents in my riding of Parkdale High Park, who are upset that the government ignored expert advice on capping class sizes to 15 and instead forced the collapse of smaller classes into bigger ones crowding our classrooms. The mishandling of the second wave has parents worrying about the safety of their kids and the prospect of more disruption ahead. Parents want schools to remain open in the new year, but they want them to be safe. The budget has not allocated any new money for education. Why is this government hoarding billions of dollars in unspent COVID relief money that should be used to keep kids safe? Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to member opposite for the question. It is this province that leads Canada in our financial commitments and investment 1.3 billion dollars unlocked working with the federal government and working with our reserves within our school boards together provides a significant infusion of funding. But the member is right. We are facing a second wave, but we'll need to step up our contribution. It's why we're working very quickly working very well with the federal government to ensure that the next tranche of 380 million dollars dedicated for 2021 flows to school boards as soon as possible to further reduce classroom sizes. Classroom sizes that have been reduced in all school boards in this province to further hire more custodians well over the 1200 hired in this province to hire more teachers more than 2700 because the premier of this province has made sure that our classes remain small and the risk remains reduced for kids and that is a good thing. We'll continue to build it up, Speaker. Supplementary question back to the minister. Poor ventilation in schools is a long standing issue and the pandemic has highlighted just how urgently we must fix our schools. And now the Ford government is yet again refusing to release the updated facilities condition index on Ontario schools, which would allow the public to assess whether the annual funding level for repairs is sufficient to fix Ontario schools. Speaker, this is information collected using public dollars. Why is the government hiding this information? Please take your seats. Minister of Education to respond. Thank you, Speaker. On the contrary, this question was posed by the education critic in estimates in the ADM responsible suggested that the facility, the maintenance of schools have not increased. That backlog has not increased this year so far. That is a matter of the record from some weeks ago. Having said that, the province has unlocked work doing with the federal government with the Minister of Infrastructure, an additional one time 700 million dollar investment. That's on top of the 2.5 percent that we provide every year. Meeting the requirement of the auditor general have 2.5 percent in renewal funding. In addition, we have provided 700 million for projects up to 10 million dollars to be completed by December 31st of 2021. That is going to make a material difference to reduce that backlog, to improve the state of schools and just to make sure that our HVAC systems and air quality continue to be improved problems-wide. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health. At the end of September this year, it was announced with great news that PSWs working in the Ontario healthcare system would receive $3 pandemic pay increases until the end of March 2021. Many PSWs have reached out to me to say that they have yet to see one penny flowing to them. A long-term care operator, including extended care in my writing, have also connected with me to say that they have not received any of the money that the government promised with flow, that they feel really bad, that their PSWs are coming to them, asking them for this $3 an hour pandemic pay that they are not able to pay because the government has not flown them the money. When will the money flow? I thank the member very much for the question because we greatly appreciate the work that personal support workers do in the province. They are across all sectors in hospitals, retirement homes, long-term care homes and in home and community care. It's a problem because a lot of people are graduating but aren't staying. That's why we've offered that additional pay of $3 per hour. That is something that we are working on right now. People should be receiving that imminently because they deserve it. We want them to stay. We are also looking at some of the other conditions that are important to them, working conditions, some of the other issues that they've been asking about. We are in regular contact with the Association of Personal Support Workers and others because we want them to come back and we want them to stay in place. We are working on that solution now and the money should flow very quickly. Thank you very much. That concludes our question period for this morning.