 It is now time for all questions and I recognize the leader of her Majesty's loyal opposition. Thank you speaker Speaker my first question this morning is for the Premier yesterday the Premier announced his plan to move Ontario into phase three Unfortunately the Conservatives refusal to include a province-wide plan for child care and education is going to make life even harder for workers and Business owners in every corner of our province because it's going to make it next to impossible For working parents to get back to work Does the Premier accept the reality that Ontario won't be able to get back to work if working moms and dads Can't rely on schools and available child care spaces Well, thank you speaker and thank you to member opposite for the question mr. Speaker I was proud to join the Premier the Deputy Premier the Minister of Finance to announce our stage three reopening part of our broader plan to get Our economy back on track and part of that obligation Speaker is for the government to ensure child care remains sustainable and accessible in every community in this province It's why speaker we've taken action in conjunction of working closely with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and Dr Williams to expand those cohorts based on the incredible work of the people of this province the risk To covert has been reduced and that is a demonstration of all of our collective efforts as a population as a result We've been able to expand that capacity going from 10 to 15 that represents speaker in around 91% of pre-covid capacity to assist those moms and dads the very people you speak of to ensure that they can get back to work with Coffins and remain safe our health protocols remain in place our funding remains in place to ensure child care remains accessible and affordable for people in this province Supplementary question speaker yesterday the Premier claimed that it was entirely up to school boards whether they would be able to open All day all week But last week an email to school boards made it clear that the government wasn't offering boards a choice and That boards were to adopt a model in which kids would be in school as little as two days a week The Council of Ontario directors of education was told quote the government is not flexible on this matter So can the Premier clear this up? Was this memo inaccurate or did the Premier get it wrong yesterday? Speaker we need to prepare for all eventualities and adopt a prudent flexibility for whatever path this outbreak takes It's why speaker we are ensuring that in September We are prepared for three circumstances as we see around the world in jurisdictions that have reopened their schools in Hong Kong to Germany We've seen risk when they have done so we have an obligation to the people of this province to ensure to save the member Opposite the leader of the opposition yesterday said in a press conference attacking the minister quote for not knowing what September will look like I like to ask the member of her supplemental Could you provide us with the transmission risk and the data of what September will look like in the absence of knowing that risk speaker? We have an obligation to ensure we're prepared for every circumstance to ensure the contrary of learning is not impeded Yes day-to-day conventional learning with height and safety on online options should it be required in a hybrid of 15 kids Cohorted based on public health advice. This is not a time to in any way infuse a sense of Policizing the service. We have an opportunity to work with public health work together as parliamentarians to keep kids safe It's exactly what the government will continue And the final supplementary well speaker It's this government's obligation to actually put a functioning Workable plan together for parents and kids for the fall a safe plan a safe plan And that's gonna mean investment and maybe that's what they don't want Maybe they think seven cents a kid is enough investment to get our kids back to school safely and our mums and dads back to work But we don't think that that's good enough and neither do parents and neither do educators and neither do Children and neither do school board speaker. So there's an announcement for the minister right there The fact is they have been left on their own to confront this challenge And they're doing their best to come up with solutions for kids or the government is not doing their part speaker The boards have been clear. They're eager to return for five days a week, but they need additional funding They need additional staff. They need additional space and the government should be providing it So is this government prepared to support school boards and parents that want schools open five days a week The government continues to work with school boards under the guidance of the chief medical officer of health to ensure That when parents return their children to class in September, it is safe. That is why speaker We've added 730 million more dollars in the grants for stew needs to ensure that the restart is safe It is why speaker. We've enhanced mental health funding by an additional 10 million dollars It's why we've added more money for technology and additional 15 million dollars The per people fundings of every single board in our province is getting more funding to ensure to save but speaker beyond the investment It's about preparing for three circumstances because like the majority of provinces within the Federation We are unaware unlike the member opposite of what that risk will be with precision in September So to get this right to be prudent to be ready for all circumstances We're asking boards to prepare for in-class day-to-day for online and an adaptive blended model of the two That is the right thing to do to keep kids safe speaker The next question Shinsa, thank you so much is that is back to the premier But I gotta say a wait-and-see approach is not going to get people back to work It's not going to get employers having their staff coming back to work because those staff are parents and they need Predictability about what's happening in the fall and what they're all saying the majority are saying is they want five days a week And they need child care and this government has been crickets when it comes to that kind of commitment And it's their job to put something in place that is actually safe and meets the needs of students of parents and of the Employers of our province and it's shameful that that hasn't happened wait-and-see is not a plan speaker We need a predictable plan in Ottawa Carlton The parents were clear that the premier's plan to have kids at a school for most of the week and one of their models is not going to work It's simply not going to work So is the premier prepared to start hiring teachers and Education workers and finding more space so that the eager folks that want Kids back in the schools five days a week actually get that to happen And the Minister of Education Thank You Speaker mr. Speaker the government under leadership of the premier is preparing for all circumstances So the child's education is not in any way undermined or impeded we have a duty to get this right You know we have to ensure that public health data informs our planning the member opposite is Asserting to the government I mean is this the recommendation the Democrats to plan apps and public health data We are saying to the people of this province that in order to be responsive to the risk That is not linear province-wide that is moving each and every day though We have to plan for all three circumstances That is a sensible proposal to ensure that no child Education is at risk in September because we're looking around the world if we benchmark Ontario versus every other industrialized economy like Israel like Hong Kong including Germany they have reopened with challenges. So let us learn from those lessons. Let's put the funding in place Let's work together to keep kids in place. Thank you speaker Supplementary thank you so much speaker and we're waiting for that. We're waiting for funding for PPE We're waiting for funding for more staffing. We're waiting for funding for protective equipment for transportation for technology for mental health Supports seven cents a student Ottawa Carlton board says is not enough and when you look at schools in northern Ontario They're facing challenges to yesterday teachers in the Kuwait and Patricia board told global news that the general guidelines developed by the Minister of Education Don't take into account the lack of resources in the far north remote schools Don't have extra staff to deal with COVID related emergencies They can't access Wi-Fi for remote learning Kim Douglas a teacher in the Kuwait and Patricia board told reporters and I quote When there's no administrator on site and kids get sick, what do you do? Who's gonna be responsible for that child? It's a very good question. Is the premier ready to admit that the government's plan for schools is not working And they need to step up and provide the support the schools need Thank You speaker indeed we understand that in remote and northern communities they face increased challenges That's why speaker under leadership the Minister of Infrastructure We have set aside three hundred fifteen million dollars to expand broadband in all communities in the province of Ontario It's why I'm joining I joined the Minister of Infrastructure to call on the federal government and the CRTC to invest and to achieve the commitment They said of high-speed internet for all Canadians We agree we asked them to expedite that delivery to help more families in remote parts of the province speaker every high school in Ontario This September will have internet in addition speaker We've allocated an additional 15 million dollars in funding for technology to procure in around 37,000 devices We understand the challenges within the north It's why we're funding and investing in those communities to get them connected the internet so that their kids could as well be learning no matter What challenges take place in the fall? And the final supplementary Well speaker I gotta tell you parents are really worried that this government is forcing them to choose between their jobs and their Lively hoods or their children's education. That is an unacceptable choice But yesterday the premier claimed that parents were thanking him thanking him for being forced to quit their jobs and Shell out thousands of extra dollars for child care costs just like he claimed that teachers were thanking him last year when he announced 10,000 of them would be fired. You know what working parents and their kids deserve so much better than this speaker So will the premier stop ignoring this crisis? Agree to cover COVID-19 costs such as personal protective equipment extra staffing transportation cleaning supplies and school retrofits and maintenance and start working with Parents and school boards who want to see schools open five days a week Open safely and make sure child care spaces are there for parents who need them Well speaker, I'm very proud to be a part of a government that is investing over half a billion dollars to rebuild schools and build new schools After a decade of closure under the former liberal government speaker I'm proud to be part of a government that is investing Over 1.3 billion dollars speaker in renewal achieving what the honor to general has required us to do of 2.5% of renewal funding to ensure schools may are maintained and Ultimately safe for kids. I'm proud to be part of a government that has increased the grand for soon needs the vehicle funding to school boards I net 730 million dollars more funding for cleaning more funding speaker for technology and mental health and special education These are the investments are going to make a difference and speaker We've also set aside 200 million dollars in the support for students fund to hire more educators to hire more custodians 2,000 more custodians can be hired in school boards as a result of that investment. We understand the importance of getting it Right, we are working closely with the chief medical officer to do that to keep all staff all students safe in Ontario Thumberland Peterborough South will come to order the member for Carlton will come to order the member for Mississauga streets Phil will come to order Restart the clock the next question Leader the opposition Speaker my next questions also for the Premier this morning. I met with Lisa who's a frontline worker in our long-term care system Lisa's a dietary aid She spent the last four years working tirelessly to sound the alarm on the crisis in Ontario's long-term care system and she notes that one of the key issues one of the key Factors that workers in long-term care are facing is severe under staffing which has only gotten worse of course during the pandemic Workers in our long-term care system speaker are left physically mentally and emotionally exhausted From being stretched far far too thin on the job working long hours and putting literally their lives on the line for vulnerable Seniors the Premier has a responsibility speaker to protect these workers by mandating Standard of care of four hours per day per resident and increasing wages for these workers and Protections permanently he has to take steps forward to ensure the safety and security of these essential workers The frontline workers are there not only during the pandemic, but also afterwards So will the Premier make a commitment to make those permanent changes for those health care heroes? Mr. Long-Term care to apply thank you speaker and thank you for the question our government's number one commitment is to the safety and well-being of residents and staff and That has been consistent throughout this pandemic. It was consistent before Every measure every tool taken We started as a new ministry of long-term care Our government showed its commitment to long-term care and staff in long-term care to understand the staffing Challenges and I've stood here and said this before we know that the ward rooms played a role We know that the staffing crisis that was pre-existing leading into the pandemic Was a serious obstacle for our homes to overcome the difficulties they were having in controlling the spread staffing was an issue and our government took measures to create flexibility in the staffing to do everything possible a matching portable Portals respond $243 million to to help homes address the staffing We took every measure possible the safety and well-being of staff and residents order. Thank you Question experts are saying that the matter of a second wave isn't an if but rather a when and so Well, the government spends its time Ramming legislation through that a lot of goodies to their developer friends They are doing nothing to make permanent the changes that we need to see Stop the clock. Minister of Education come to order. Associate Minister of Transportation GTA come to order government house leader come to order Restart the clock. I apologize the leader the opposition Speaker these brave frontline heroes have literally given their lives given their lives for the in the fight against COVID-19 But it never should have come to this We all heard that the minister went and asked for more money, but was refused We all know the Premier's claim about Iron ring around long-term care certainly wasn't accurate but legislating standards of care now Sustainable staffing levels now fair wages now the Premier can provide these workers with the safety and security that they deserve So will the Premier listen will we listen to what Ontario's frontline heroes have been saying for years which the Liberals ignored But will they do that adopt these measures now change them permanently? Or will we see the vulnerability continue and this deadly virus go through our long-term care system again a second time Ministered long-term care. Thank you speaker. I thank you once again for the question when our Homes were affected by COVID-19 our government took every measure and we continued to order We continue the opposition come on every measure possible day after day We were at work putting dollars behind emergency orders amendments to regulations I've asked the minister to take her seat leader the opposition has to come to order Minister long-term care can conclude This is a global issue and we will continue to do everything we can that is possible the previous government Had 21 reports highlighting staffing that a fix was needed and They did not act and you and you as the leader of the opposition Supported that government the house will come to order The next question the member for Northumberland Peter Burroughs out speaker My question is for the Minister of Heritage Sport Tourism and Culture Industries Mr. Speaker as Ontarians think about the new normal many of them are happy to hear that they can enjoy patio season with families and friends Mr. Speaker when I say the new normal and when Ontarians think about that behind the new normal our stories stories like George who came to Canada as a Greek At the age of 14 and started Olympus burger which became Canada's best burger that I took the Minister of Finance to last week or Maria and her husband who started railside restaurant or Many of the Monpo shops who serve Folks in Northumberland Peter Burroughs South on a day-to-day basis with a smile as Ontarians explore their communities and the province this summer Businesses generated by patios will be a huge help to our food service sector and remarkable men and women That work in that sector. Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister please share with us just how significant Ontario's patio access and expansions are Going to be to this province over the summer months. Thank you Minister of Heritage Sport Tourism and Culture Industries I want to say thank you for the hard-working member from Northumberland Peter Burroughs looking forward I want to thank him and all the members of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs who identified this as an issue early on to make sure that Ontarians could reconnect in their communities and that's very important to our tourism sector But speaker as a member noted we are now in a new normal We want to make sure that we travel this province and we travel in our own communities as safely as possible And I can tell you that the member has been obviously Circulating in his community to support his community I had the opportunity as well to join the Minister of Infrastructure the Minister of the environment and the MPP from Cambridge on Patios in their communities and I can tell you from the contact tracing to the level of Sanitization to the physical distancing that's happening in our in our areas is very safe to start to continue to Circulate around our communities and response three across the rest of the province We're starting to see that even in diamond activity. So I want to say to all Ontarians Let's get out there. Let's support our local economy This has been a triple threat of a public health crisis an economic crisis, but this is a great. Thank you very much Thank You mr. Speaker my follow-up question is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and housing Mr.. Speaker the majority of Ontario as we moved in to stage two We're spreading a little around. Yeah, mr. Speaker the members opposite The members opposite have no plan for restaurants They would rather give them handouts than give them a leg up mr. Speaker But that's not what the hard-working businesses of Northumberland Peterborough South want mr. Speaker they want flexibility Mr.. Speaker and a government that supports them so minister I know patio space can be especially limited in rural Ontario So can you tell us about steps that you've taken to help expand patio space so that these small Businesses hard-working men and women can get back to work and that we as Ontarians can continue to enjoy their restaurants. Thank you Thanks, thanks speaker and I want to really thank the member for Northumberland Peterborough South for all of his Advocacy he's done a tremendous job for his riding during the pandemic and I think on behalf of his constituents I want to extend my thanks to him for his advocacy He's right speaker restaurants and bars are a very important part of our economy and our communities And we know that Ontario's patio season is short So that's why our government is cutting unnecessary red tape and speeding up the process I think it's critical So we issued a new emergency order to allow municipalities to pass temporary Bylaws to create and expand patios to serve customers during this short patio season Our changes are going to shorten the approval time from several weeks to several days And and I want to announce this as well speaker because this is very exciting at the request of respond City Council I issued a new ministerial zoning order to more easily expand patios across the city and to allow the launch of their new Cafe to your project so my message to Ontarians is get out and enjoy a patio and a local restaurant this season Thank you very much speaker my question is to the premier speaker yesterday the premier refused to answer my questions Some really simple questions around how a private health care provider was given Contracts to do mobile COVID-19 testing speaker The premier also refused to answer my questions as to how his former PC party caucus executive director Jeff Silverstein was able to secure a contract for this company switch health speaker instead of instead of Transparency they dodged if this government truly had nothing to hide they could have done the right thing and as I requested And tabled all relevant information on this Contract speaker today will the government do the right thing and table all the documentation of how it selected this private health care company To handle COVID-19 testing That would be premier and minister tell thank you speaker And I thank the member very much for the question again in actual fact What happened was the contract was given by Ontario health This was not something that had direct responsibility for the ministry. It was done directly by Ontario health with a group It was selected from a group of applicants and that is how the contract was given Speaker the government overlooked its own capable public servants in order to outsource to a friendly provider Usually and we certainly heard that before in the previous government the liberal government the arms length Disconnection but we we know that the premier is now playing from that same playbook Speaker migrant workers and the whole region of Windsor Essex deserve a Coordinated public health care approach to get testing done months ago not waiting after a private Provider showed up with just the right lobbyist connection to get the premier's attention speaker today I wrote to the auditor general to ask her office to review these contracts The premier has the power to order a review from the auditor Will he clear the air today and join me in asking the auditor Mr. Bell Mr. Speaker that the contract was granted in accordance with the required procedures that were necessary for this to happen And that the people of Windsor Essex can be assured that they will receive the testing order way that they need it We know that there still are a number of agricultural workers that need to be tested They will be tested We receive the reports on a daily basis About the levels of testing and right now number for Essex come to order as a leader in Canada on testing We are surpassing over 20,000 tests every day We're increasing our capacity to 50,000 and that is going to continue until we make sure That we have tested the agricultural workers and make sure that member for timmins come going to be safe and secure in their own homes The next question the member for Don Valley West. Thank you very much, mr. Speaker and my questions for the Minister of Education I'm asking this question, of course in my capacity as a politician But I'm also asking it as a mother and a grandmother who is extremely worried about the well-being of children and educators of this province There's an enormous amount of debate and we've heard some of it this morning around the reopening of schools and a common thread Throughout that debate is that everyone wants a full return to school But not if the safety of children and school staff are at risk. I've heard government members say that What is missing from the debate is a thoughtful proposal from the government on how those two might be reconciled I'm hearing from constituents parents who are worried sick that their children will not be supported in September Mr. Speaker if the government were willing to invest the necessary money in helping boards find community space Develop outdoor classroom space hire additional staff to keep class sizes low Invest in the protective cleaning measures necessary children could return to school safely full-time in September with smaller class groupings it would not be a question I understand that but it is possible with adequate funding I asked the minister to explain to the children of Ontario why they are not worth that investment Minister of Education will apply well Thank you speaker and thank you to the member opposite for the question The students of this province are worth investing speaker 730 million dollars more to do just that to ensure that students in September when they return Can do so with confidence that it is safe There is more funding for PP more funding for cleaning more funding for custodial staff more funding for more specialized teachers And areas of math mental health and special education that is the reality speaker because we acknowledge It is going to be increasingly difficult for school boards to operationalize these plans given the risk We also know speaker and I appreciate the member opposite has acknowledged that The unknown of September that we must be preparing and planning for all circumstances that may manifest the province as we look globally And other jurisdictions that have reopened schools They have seen challenges in France as well And so the lesson learned is to be prepared for three circumstances indeed daily Conventional delivery is our preference the investments will be in place Responding will be in place and of course the continued support for all school boards will remain in place to ensure they could be safe in September Mr. Speaker that's very encouraging but the trouble is we're not seeing the hiring that needs to be done We're not seeing the planning that would need to be done. It's the middle of July School starts the first week in September. Mr. Speaker. We started raising these issues in May It's now the middle of July and in the intervening weeks There's a lot that could have been done to ensure a safe return to school the implications of not getting the reopening of school Right are different for different children Children who were struggling before will struggle more now the inequities that exist among kids have been laid bare and exacerbated by the pandemic Schools need more support in order to be able to address those inequities most of the money that the minister has Announced is money that was already going to schools There's a little bit of new money, but most of it is a re-announcement of money that was always going already going That's not good enough. Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. There is no Successful economic recovery without the health and well-being of the two million students in Ontario and their families I asked the minister again why he is not working with teachers and their unions support staff Administrators school trustees parents students and medical health professionals to determine the investments needed to provide for a safe Healthy full-school reopening this fall Minister of education Thank you speaker and thank you again to the member officer for the question indeed speaker We are working with all stakeholders federations boards of education listening to parents and indeed the chief medical officer I spoke to him as recently as last night to dr. Williams to inform us on the way forward because at the end of the day Speaker our obligations the government is to keep our children and our staff safe We have a interest in ensuring kids could continue learning However taking action to reduce the risk in September to them and to their families and to the broader community spread that we seek to avoid Speaker what our government has done yesterday for example in child care is safely and methodically increased capacity based on public health data available To us that demonstrates that we can indeed cohort kids keep them safe and provide that assurance to parents They return to labor market that they can do so with confidence Speaker we're going to continue to seek the advice of the chief medical officer indeed work with educators and Frontline workers to ensure that when they go back in September they can do so knowing full-walled that their children will remain safe You the next question the members of Carlton Thank you mr. Speaker mr. Speaker my question is for the associate minister of energy But before I ask my question, I can't help but comment You know it's it's it's there's a reason that the Liberal Party is in the corner and in the penalty box Because they they talk about our government investing in children Well, where was the member for Dawn Valley West? When they shut down Munster Elementary School The purpose of question period It's for members of the legislative assembly to ask questions of the executive council and hold the executive council to account They might be government back ventures asking the question. They might be opposition members But it's not to take potshots back and forth across the So I'm now going to start the clock and allow the member for Carlton to place her question to the minister Thank You mr. Speaker mr. Speaker could the associate minister of energy Please talk about phase one of our government's natural gas expansion program Which is helping Ontarians in rural and remote areas and in indigenous communities who have access to natural gas Giving them even more connections coming soon and our government knows that making the switch from electric heat propane or oil to natural gas Results in significant savings. So could the associate minister? Please update this house on the status the natural gas expansion program Thank you very much mr. Speaker and thank you to the honorable for Carlton for the question and the great work She does on behalf of the people of Carlton We are making life more affordable for communities across and Cheryl through the natural gas expansion program with projects completed and under way through The first phase of the program last year I was honored to plead and pleased to announce that we would be moving forward with a second phase to expand access to natural gas Even more communities across the province mr. Speaker the interior energy board is currently in the process of collecting information About expansion opportunities through phase two and will develop a report on eligible projects due to the pressures faced by Municipalities and utilities as a result of COVID-19 outbreak our government extended the time for proponents to file their projects and their information Proponents now have until August 4th to file project information to the OAB mr. Speaker We know that municipalities and utilities across and Cheryl and the people that are going to receive these Facilities and services are excited about this program response I encourage all interested communities to partner with their local utility to submit projects for consideration Lowering the cost of their energy bill and providing jobs across our great province And the supplementary question Thank You mr. Speaker and thank you to the associate minister for that response I want to also thank the associate minister and the minister who came to my writing of Carlton in February 28 prior to the pandemic and Host a very informative roundtable to learn more about what our government can do to support the people of Carlton and so I really appreciate hearing that update on the status of the program and measures taken by his ministry to accommodate Municipalities facing increased pressure due to COVID-19 I know that many communities across the province including my owner excited about expansion projects that have connected them to natural gas and Projects that are currently underway to connect even more communities Could the associate minister please give us an overview of the benefits that communities in Ontario are seeing from this great program. Thank you Thank You mr. Speaker and again a great question and thank you for inviting us first-hand to be up there and seeing what was needed in Carlton And I'm pleased to say we're responding through the first phase of this program Unserved areas in communities like Chatham Kent Southern Bruce the Chippewa's of Tams and Skogog Island are set to see the benefits of this program this year Mr. Speaker residents in these communities will save between 800 to $2,500 on home heating costs with businesses also set to see significant savings just last week I was proud to announce up to 1.8 million dollars to expand natural gas access to households and businesses in So again first nation to the natural gas with my colleague Lisa Thompson Residents and business owners are eagerly awaiting the completion of this project and are excited to get started mr. Speaker the natural gas Expansion program is making a real difference in communities right across in Toronto I'm excited that we are moving forward with phase 2 of the program And I'm eager to get more shovels into the ground as quickly as possible and help as many people across this great province as we possibly can Thank you speaker The next question the member for st. Catharines. Thank you speaker my questions to the premier Garden City Manor is a long-term care home in my riding that is in the middle of another outbreak of covet 19 At least 10 people are sick Three have died The home has been inspected 14 times. Let me repeat that 14 times and each and every time It was found that they had failed to comply with covet prevention protocols speaker Staff are doing their best But they are overwhelmed and they are run off their feet Why won't this government commit to doing something literally anything? To fix long-term care today Lives are on the line here Why What are you waiting for? Minister long-term care Thank you speaker, and thank you for the question Let me assure you that we are not waiting and we have been actively working on creating a modern 21st century Long-term care system that puts the resident at the centre ever since the ministry of long-term care was created in the summer of 2019 we have been at work addressing the neglect of the past 15 years And that is no small piece of work. Let me tell you We have we have and we will continue to use All our means to build capacity We will build capacity We are in the process of using multiple solutions to create the environment for which our residents can be cared for with respect And dignity and where staff can be appreciated for the amazing work that they do in long-term care That is much more Than anybody did for long-term care in the last 15 years Every long-term care home has the duty to maintain standards of care that is not negotiable And our government has conducted 2800 inspections the 14 inspections that you refer to are through the public health units That is Thank you speaker the assurance has been over there for two years Again to the premier Niagara acting medical officer of health is pointing the finger at both the government and the private for-profit long-term care operators He told us that What you are seeing is the systemic problems that have caused problems for long-term care homes in nigra are playing here And according to the medical officer of health revira the big corporation Profiting off the care of our loved ones Only operates a quote skeleton crew staff But still the conservatives continue to go out of their way to protect the bad operators like this one What is it going to take? How many more lives How many more families will lose the family member before this premier Finally wraps down on these for-profit homes Minister of long-term care to reply Thank you speaker and thank you thank you for the question The evidence is demonstrating That it is the systemic issues because of the neglect We have wardrooms that are continuing to exist because the redevelopment did not occur under 15 years the previous government only managed to build 611 beds between 2011 and 2018 And that is the unfortunate reality that our government is dealing with As quickly as possible The reality is that we are overcoming the shortcomings that were left behind by the previous government supported by the ndp Including order staffing as I mentioned earlier 21 reports On the staffing fixes that were required never acted upon by the previous government supported by the leadership of Of the ndp Older homes had more war beds That is the problem. The staff was in a crisis This question member for ottawa south. Thank you very much mr. Speaker and my questions for the premier Speaker yesterday the premier announced phase three in the reopening of ontario's economy And for families and for our economic recovery There's a piece missing The single most critical piece and that's the plan to get our kids back into school full time in the fall Speaker there is no plan to invest in our schools No plan to invest in extra educators or extra spaces so we can keep our class sizes smaller and safer There's no plan for students with special needs Speaker investing in our schools is actually the cornerstone of ontario's economic recovery. So speaker through you Just like we invested in our hospitals in march to make sure That there was space and that they were safe Is the premier prepared to do the right thing the same thing for our schools Minister of education Thank you speaker and thank you to the member opposite for the question indeed the premier is Absolutely committed to ensuring the safety of our staff and our students It's the basis for why speaker the government announced the grant for student needs the highest And most increase in investment in education ever in the problems history It's why we speaker have put more money in the gsn the grant for soon need to enable all school boards public And catholic english and french to succeed in september It's why speaker we have set up a command table the best doctors in the province and country to advise school boards on their plans It's why we've asked them to prepare for three circumstance out of abundance of caution to ensure that no child's education is impeded because of the challenges of the outbreak in 3040 70 days from now Speaker we're putting the investments in place. I accept the premise This is the most important thing a government could do is to protect our most vulnerable. It's why the money is in place It's why the training compulsory training is in place for september And it's why we continue to work cooperatively with dr. Williams the chief medical officer the command table Federations and school boys against this right keep kids safe in september supplementary question Thank you speaker. I appreciate the officer of the the answer from the minister But he does know that his increase is related to increasing enrollment and labor costs that have increased This year and last year and it's not going to fix what we're talking about right now So parents are concerned and they don't want their schools to be like long-term care where the government Waited a month to raise the wages of the lowest paid workers and to stop them from working in more than one home or migrant workers We've all seen the results in the government not doing what it needed to do when they knew they had to do it And parents don't want that to happen here and there's a big risk of that so parents Mostly women Have been carrying the freight since our kids have been out of school It's affected their jobs and kept them out of the workforce and that's bad for our economy Speaker through you. It's a pre premier prepared to do what's right for the economy And for our families and invest in a plan for our schools right now to keep class sizes small And safer and get kids back into school full-time Minister of Education Thank you, speaker The answer in short is yes The government will continue to make those investments in school boards right across Ontario to ensure that our kids remain safe Speaker when I announced some weeks ago additional investments in schools That was set aside to respond to the challenges taking place around us. For example, speaker We've seen we've seen increase stress and challenges mental health challenges Imposing our students and our children in the province of Ontario That's why speaker in addition to the historic doubling of mental health funding one year ago We've announced an additional 10 million dollars to hire more psychologists more psychotherapists more social workers within our schools That's why speaker when we acknowledge the potential for students to have to be learning online Given the unknown of the fall We've invested 15 million dollars do new funding speaker to procure tens of thousands of more devices speaker We recognize that the challenges for school boards and likewise the ministry in preparing for september But we will ensure funding is in place Training is in place so we keep all of our staff all of our kids and most importantly all community safe in september The next question the member for oakville north burlington Speaker my question is this morning is for the associate minister of mental health and addictions minister COVID-19 has affected so many ontarians in different regions across the province Especially when it comes to their mental health In many cases ontarians have spent the past few months isolated in the loan For the past few months ontarians have understood and supported our shared goal of stopping the spread of COVID-19 So we could move further towards reopening the province constituents in my riding of oakville north burlington are concerned about the mental health of their loved ones And they know we have taken and are continuing to take action Minister could you please update the members of this legislature about the actions our government has taken to address the mental health of ontarians During the COVID-19 outbreak The associate minister of mental health and addictions. Thank you, mr. Speaker and thank you to the member from oakville north burlington for that excellent question Mr. Speaker, I want to begin this morning by thanking the front line mental health workers Pulled it together and kept the people in the province of ontario safe during this difficult time. They adapted programs They changed to using Virtual services and online supports to deliver these services ontarians And I congratulate them for the great work and the continued work they're doing Mr. Speaker the COVID-19 outbreak in ontario has been difficult for so many ontarians The unfortunate reality is that in difficult times There's a tendency when we have these disruptions and stress for people to not always look after themselves and that includes mental health That's why our government under the leadership of premier Doug Ford Took immediate action to respond to this challenge. We invested 12 million dollars in mental health And we've seen an expansion of several notable online virtual supports including connects ontario kids help phone Good to talk and bounce back ontario Thank you speaker and thank you minister for that great answer It's very reassuring to know that even during COVID-19 pandemic in ontario Our government has remained committed to making mental health and addictions a priority Minister, we know that in addition to those ontarians who may be Experiencing anxiety and depression during these difficult times many of our frontline workers May be experiencing burnout or even in some cases episodes of PTSD As a result of their heroic efforts during the COVID-19 outbreak Minister, could you please tell us how our government has been supporting those who may be living with anxiety and depression Including our frontline heroes during the COVID-19 outbreak Thank you, mr. Speaker as part of our 12 million dollar commitment to mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak here in ontario. We made a significant investment to significantly expand online and virtual therapy options For those living with mental health challenges This includes internet based cognitive behavioral therapy for ontarians Including our frontline heroes who may be experiencing heightened anxiety or depression Since the very beginning of COVID-19 outbreak in ontario We've been working closely with the mental health and addiction center of excellence at ontario health In addition to a number of hospitals across the province to develop specific services for our frontline healthcare workers This includes self-referral and intake services weekly online peer discussion groups Access to confidential supports for clinicians and ICBT supports as well Thank you. The next question member for Hamilton west and caster dundas. Thank you, mr. Mr. Speaker my question today is for the premier Eric summer owned spring valley A successful innovative construction business and an caster. He's done everything possible to keep it open during COVID-19 He's applied for a canadian emergency business account Access the canadian emergency wage subsidy and extended his line of credit But after all that he still owes tens of thousands of dollars in rent because his landlord is refusing to participate In the canadian emergency commercial rent assistance program. Now his landlord is demanding payment in full Clearly the existing supports are not enough Business owners are asking for and they need breathing room to recover from this crisis and they need direct financial support Not just more deferrals and more debt. So why won't this government give that to them? Minister finance Mr. Speaker and I I appreciate the question from the member and would always Appreciate hearing more about any specific situation But mr. Speaker this legislature knows that this government has been four square behind business through this very difficult time That includes that includes mr. Speaker over a billion dollars in the program In our partnership with the federal government that the member references that includes An eviction suspension of evictions that my colleague the mr. Municipal affairs Led the way to support those businesses and that includes our ongoing dialogue and discussions with business through a number of my colleagues Making sure that we're understanding what are the pressures that business are under most importantly, mr. Speaker That includes the safe reopening of the Ontario economy And that's why we were so proud yesterday along along with uh with the experts in the health community to talk about moving to phase three Mr. Speaker response that those businesses are able to operate effectively and we hope that that will be spread further Across this province over the weeks ahead And the supplementary question Well, thank you to the minister of finance for this his concern for small businesses And so I would say back to the premier Uh, you know, I'm sure eric would appreciate a call So if you would like to give him a call to tell him how you're supporting him, I can provide you that information I'm sure we'd be happy to hear from the minister of finance But it's not just businesses like eric or suffering because of this conservative inaction Brian slope owns expressions in wood a furniture business in hamilton that is now being locked out of their business By a landlord who also refuses to apply for the rent relief program Speaker there's supposed to be rules in place to prevent this But the government has said that they aren't going to enforce them And instead they told brian to get a lawyer Speaker The premier promised to crack down on bad landlords But it's clear that their so-called commercial evictions ban is completely toothless How many more small businesses will have to close before the government finally starts enforcing their own rules Again minister finance Mr. Speaker again if the member has has specific examples of people violating The very clear direction of this government. I appreciate her passing them along But but when it comes to speaking to business, mr. Speaker, you know, whether it was the richman hill Board of trade whether it was the ajax board of trade whether it was the retail council of canada The scarborough agent court board of trade the taiwan canadian business board of trade the ontario chamber of commerce the ottawa board of trade The markham thornhill's board of trade the duke heights bia, mr. Speaker That's just a partial list of some of the conversations and these are just the ones that my colleagues have shared with me, mr. Speaker Our government is in touch with business. We would like to hear about any Concerns or anybody who is not acting within the rules and we will take that very seriously But small business medium-sized business Business owners and entrepreneurs know that this government under the leadership dug for it stands behind them through the The next question the member for etopico lake shore My question is for the minister of children and women's issues Speaker has been reported that the practice of birth alerts disproportionately affects racialized and marginalized mothers and families Our government has heard from experience of birth alerts that can be traumatic And can increase mistrust and fear of child welfare and health care systems by those in indigenous communities For decades these practices have deterred expected mothers from seeking pre natal care And parenting supports due to the fear of having their child taken away from them due to unfair practice This minister has spoken in the house numerous times about wanting to make positive changes Especially for women and especially for the child welfare sector She has spoken in and out of the house will keep you families together And working to end systemic racism Mr. Speaker birth alerts are a clear example of separating families and form a systemic racism Can the minister please tell the house what our government is doing about this discriminatory sorry this discriminatory practice Thank you, mr. Speaker and thank you to the member from etopico lake shore for your advocacy of women and children in your riding Speaker the member is correct birth alerts have a long and ugly history of racial prejudice in ontario and across canada Eliminating them is one of the recommendations of the inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls I am proud to say that our government is ending birth alerts in ontario We have heard from indigenous and racialized communities that this practice separates newborns from parents shortly after Delivery and disproportionately affects racialized and marginalized mothers and families No woman should be discouraged from seeking pre natal care or parenting support Because they're afraid their child will be taken from them if they do Going forward the government is directing children's aid societies to end the practice of using birth alerts by october 15th 2020 This means developing collaborative Response that involve families community partners and service providers working together for the betterment of children across ontario Thank you, mr. Speaker and I want to thank the minister for that response and for acting against such a negative and harmful practice We know that child welfare is in need of an overhaul and birth alerts are just one part of that Is unfortunate that racialized and marginalized communities experience this practice far too often Even worse instead of celebrating a new child in the family Which is such an important day these parents go through the trauma of fighting for their children Simply because they were profiled Speaker this harms the family system and can lead to children being removed from their Community and constantly moving and we know that a children and youth do far better when they're in a stable home Speaker can the minister explain how this decision impacts the larger goal of transforming ontario's child welfare system associate minister Thank you, mr. Speaker and thanks again to the member from otobicoke lakeshore for this important question Our top priority is a safety and success of ontario's children youth and families While we cannot go back in time. We can make progressive positive changes moving forward This means developing a system that supports and protects mothers and children Instead of being profiled based on racial identity social economic status or other factors Let me be clear hospitals and other public services Still have a duty to report if they believe a child is in danger of abuse or violence However, instead of taking a reactive approach We are directing cis's and hospitals to collaborate and create new protocols Which support families and mothers every step of the way This is a result of ongoing engagement and consultation with partners across the sector Including those with lived experience We are committed to building a child welfare system not only for today, but for future generations Next question the member for london north center My question is for the minister of education speaker I've heard from countless parents business owners and students who are concerned about this government's lack of a concrete plan in september It's like a bad choose your own adventure book Education should never be voluntary instead of government should provide spaces for students to learn as they are legally required to do And make provisions based on advice from health representatives Students should all be able to go to school with a plan to keep them healthy One of my constituents christina told me that this is not a realistic plan for parents With families of two parents working full-time jobs If students are to return with a model that includes 50 at home distance learning Either my husband or I will have to reduce our work hours Our income and careers will suffer as a result Parents have made enough sacrifices during the covet 19 crisis speaker How can the minister propose a non-plan that demands parents sacrifice yet more? Thank you speaker indeed We have asked school boards to be prepared for three scenarios out of abundance of caution to give that the member opposite likewise His leader will not know the Risk assessment according to covet in 30 60 90 days That's just the reality we face in ontario It's a reason why the majority of provinces the federation are in the exact same position of ontario Of discussing school boards to be prepared for a variety of circumstances including online I've said it before You know god forbid we need to go there we need to close schools again We were the first province the country to do so to maintain health and safety We will do so again if that's the advice of public health the preference is conventional day-to-day delivery We put investments in place We have a training program in place for all schools and we of course speaker are making clear That the advice and the decision point to send children back will be made exclusively On the medical advice of the best pediatric doctors in canada to ensure that every student and every staff member remains safe for the province of ontario Speaker this illogical adaptive hybrid model will not reopen our economy nor is it good for education The minister needs to plan for students to be there all of them safely Speaker the stress that london parents are feeling right now is made worse by the lack of affordable child care spaces in this province Nadia one of my constituents wrote to me saying many women have left work indefinitely to care for the children This must be addressed and actioned upon Dana another london mom agrees She told me child care remains the biggest issue and the government needs to address it Parents are stressed and not sure how they'll manage and feel no reassurance from this government Child care and education are fundamental to the operation of our economy When will the minister give london parents the assurances they deserve and release firm commitments to education and child care in this province? Again the minister good occasion Well speaker, you know the member opposite proudly hails from thames valley just school board one of the boards in his community I'm proud to confirm the 35 million more dollars is flowing in his community to ensure students remain safe in september Speaker that represents Roughly 952 million dollars in total funding for that school board It's a another proof point the member from waterloo likewise investments in waterloo in swan on hamilton every region of ontario Funding is up and the reason speaker it is so is because we recognize the challenges of reopening schools We also look globally to other jurisdictions who have just done in the past weeks We recognize we have to get this right the single greatest preoccupation of government has to be the safety of kids And I appreciate full well the impacts those decision points will have the labour market on parents But all of us must I think prioritize as the single priority keeping kids safe And that is exactly what there's been working directly with the chief medical officer of health Next question the member from mississauga malton. Thank you, mr. Speaker My my question is to the minister of heritage board tourism and cultural industries over the last few weeks Ontario's have received exciting news when it comes to our athletes and as well as professional sports Thanks minister for your previous highlights We know that stage three will open up even more training and access to the games and sports or athletes love And champion here at home and around the world Stage three will open up even more opportunities for the ontarians to once again host professional sports for the competition and the championships that excite our country builds up economy Draws us together and inspires us to challenge ourselves Mr. Speaker can the minister please share the latest developments around the return of professional sports To our province and what ontarians can look forward to as professional athletes get back to the ice diamonds and fields Thank you The member from mississauga malton has been an absolute champion MVP all-star when it comes to return of sport and return to play in the province of ontario And let me be perfectly clear. We are working with our professional Sport organizations across the ontario working with the cfl to get them to return to conditioning We work with the ml Be and that's going to be very close to get our blue jays back on the pitch very soon We are working with the maple leafs And i'm excited to say that we're going to be a hub city in this province in the city of toronto And of course that we continue to work with the nba in order to make sure that our athletes have been trained and conditions I look forward to the supplementary Thank you, minister I appreciate your updates and i'm excited to see some of our favorite teams returning soon with Caution as health and safety measures are our top priority Miss speaker We know that yesterday some major news were delivered when the premier announced that the parts of our province Were on track to join phase three of our province safe and gradual reopening of our economy Both our professional and immature sports are going to see really great measures that will help us define the new normal from Research shows that sports boost self esteem develops leadership skills and discipline from adapting our contact sports To training and gym facilities our province is taking a lead role when it comes to welcoming back Play to ontario mr. Speaker can the minister please share the good news that our athletes sport fans Coaches trainers our children our parents our families can expect once their respective regions enter stage three Thank you, mr. Speaker Thanks speaker that question really knocked it out of the park at ontario.ca backslash return to play All ontarians can check out how they can have a safe return to their sport across the province In stage three and i'm excited in particular that we're going to start to see youth sports return In every community some at some point this summer so that we can get a return to normalcy But i must say i'm very excited to start to watch our toronto blue jays our toronto raptors Our toronto may believes maybe not so much my ottawa senator speaker And of course our three cfl teams get back to what they do best which is bringing pride to the people of this province Thank you that concludes our question period for this morning