 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of His Majesty's loyal opposition. Good morning, Speaker. This government didn't campaign on a plan to sell off our public health care system. At no point during the campaign did they say they were going to bring in two-tier health care. That's why on Friday and Saturday, hundreds of thousands of Ontarians voted in the Ontario Health Coalition's citizen-run referendum to keep our health care system public. People are making their voices heard because of overwhelming evidence, Speaker, from many other provinces that the government's plan will worsen services for patients and cost so much more. Speaker, to the Premier, will his government listen to the people of Ontario and reverse course on their plans to sell off our public health care system? Do you apply, the Premier? All through you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for that question. I don't call it a referendum. It was a political poll driven one side. But in saying that, Mr. Speaker, because we do our polling too, right now, and I'm going to include the Liberals, through many years, we've compiled over 800 community surgical diagnostic centers that are operating right now in the province. What we're doing, we're expanding it. And the poll should be very, very simple. This is the way the poll should be, is do you want to wait in line for a hip replacement for 18 months? Or would you like to get something done in 60 days from the exact same doctor? The exact same doctor in a surgical clinic, in a center, and get out in two or three months? We had the opportunity to myself and the Minister of Health, we went to Kensington Health. What a phenomenal facility that is. I'm just wondering if the NDP wants to close Kensington Health doing 12,000 cataract operations a year. That's the question the NDP, because it'd be a disaster if we ever closed Kensington Health and canceled 12,000 cataract operations. That's what they want. That's a supplementary question. If you speak, it's apples and oranges and the Premier knows that. This government's plan for healthcare are seeing emergency rooms in smaller and rural communities across the province closed for hours, for days, or even permanently. Last week, I joined residents in Minden as they rallied desperately to save their local emergency room. It's set to close permanently this Wednesday. They're worried, Speaker, as anyone would be if the emergency room they relied on was shut down and they were forced to leave their community in a time of crisis. Back to the Premier, how many communities will see emergency rooms closed this summer because of this government's failure to act? Thank you, Appli, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. The NDP are satisfied with the status quo. I can tell you that our government is not. We have made many different investments than to quote Anthony Dale, the President of the Ontario Hospital Association. Quote, we're rushing to make up for the lost time and the government has implemented a wide range of well-designed and very constructive programs to recruit and retrain to incent healthcare workers and especially nurses to consider practicing in rural and remote communities. We're making that effort. We're making those investments and we will continue to do that because we understand as Ontario grows, we need to continue to make the investment in healthcare. And healthcare budget that I might add is over $80 billion in the province of Ontario. We are investing. We are ensuring that people who want to practice in the province of Ontario have that right through many different programs. Thank you. The final supplementary. Speaker, it's working so well that the emergency rooms are closing. That's what's happening under this government's watch five years in and it's not just Minden, Speaker. Chesley, Walkerton, Seaforth, Alexandria, Clinton, Perth, Campbellford. The ER in Thessalon announced this morning that it would be closed again today due to staffing shortages. Speaker, this community has been without a primary care doctor for two years and now they're gonna have to drive 40 minutes to an emergency room. While you're busy trying to take more staff out of our system and move them into private for profit clinics, the solution is simple. Invest in the staff we need to keep those emergency rooms open. So to the premier, what will he do today to make sure that this closure in Thessalon is the last ER closure Ontarians will see this summer? Minister of Health. It's not what we're doing today. It's what we have already started. And that was, for example, a learn and stay program that allows three critically important healthcare pathways. The lab technicians, the nurses, the paramedics who are willing to train in communities that are underserved, have their tuition and books covered if they agree to stay on for an additional two years. We have now in the province of Ontario first across Canada as of right rules under Bill 60, which means that an individual clinician, doctor, nurse who wants to practice in the province of Ontario can do so today instead of waiting months to get that qualification for the College of Nurses and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario to quickly deal with the backlog that had individual educated trained people who are waiting for those licensors. We now have and we saw a historic number of nurses who were able to pack into that program. We'll continue. Thank you very much. Thank you. We'll move to the next question. Once again, the leader of the opposition. Thank you, Speaker. This question is for the Minister of Transportation. A 2018 report by the Auditor General revealed serious problems with the construction of the Eglinton Crosstown and the public-private partnership set up to build it. The minister could have acted to fix these problems, but two years later, a follow-up report said, quote, no improvements had occurred. In fact, the problems had gotten even worse. The P3 contractor was building at risk, which means the safety of these designs had not been confirmed. It suggests that the deficiencies with the Eglinton Crosstown could be much more serious than the public's being told. So, Speaker, why did the minister ignore the problems with the Eglinton Crosstown? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the leader of the opposition for the question, but it is so ironic to hear the leader and members opposite ask about problems that are faced with the Eglinton Crosstown because we brought forward a bill to this House in 2020 to address a lot of the problems related to the lot of those delays that were created that we saw on the Eglinton Crosstown, Mr. Speaker. It was a bill called the Building Transit Faster Act, Mr. Speaker. It couldn't have been more clear what the intention of that bill was. And what did the opposition do, Mr. Speaker? They voted against it. So for the leader of the opposition to stand in this House and ask why we're not building transit faster, I would ask her, why did they vote against that important piece of legislation so that we can avoid a lot of the problems with the Eglinton Crosstown, get shovels in the ground faster and build the transit that the City of Toronto and your greedy... A parliamentary question? Mr. Speaker needs to follow along here. They passed their bill and we are in this situation. It's done nothing. Speaker, transit P3s in the United Kingdom experienced repeated lawsuits in solvent season bailouts. A 30 billion pound P3 scheme to upgrade the London Underground fell apart. Costly P3 failures like this are why the UK's Conservative government abandoned P3 contracts altogether in 2018. Now Ontario is running into the same. Costly delays, overruns and deficiencies. If the Eglinton Crosstown P3 contractor doesn't get another public bailout, are we going to see the whole thing collapse just like what happened in the UK? Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, the Leader of the Opposition is asking me to follow along. And with all due respect, Mr. Speaker, I would ask her to follow along. We passed the bill because of the majority that we have, despite their voting against it, in 2020. And what have we seen? In 2019, the Premier introduced the most ambitious public transit expansion plan anywhere in Northampton. We've seen shovels in the ground on the new Ontario line, a line they voted against. We have seen significant progress on tunneling on the Eglinton Crosstown West extension, Mr. Speaker. The tunnel is halfway done. On Scarborough, Mr. Speaker, we've seen significant progress on the Scarborough Subway extension, Mr. Speaker. And just a few weeks ago, we announced the RFQ for the Young North Subway extension. They claim to believe and to stand up for transit riders and for the people of the City of Toronto and York Region and Hamilton, Mr. Speaker. But at the end of the day, the Leader of the Opposition and her party always vote against it. The final supplementary. This is outrageous, Speaker. This Minister needs to demonstrate that she is focused on protecting the interests of the public and the transit riders and not the interests of private contractors and political insiders. And yet, this Minister has stacked the Metrolinx Board with cronies, including former conservative politicians and fundraisers. Her latest appointee is Mark McQueen. The private financier who gave the Minister her first big job in Canada and has donated thousands of dollars to her and to the Conservative Party. Confidence in Metrolinx and the Minister are at an all-time low. So, Speaker, to the Minister, why is she appointing her friends to the Metrolinx Board instead of fixing the problems with the Eglinton Crosstown? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What's truly outrageous is to hear the Leader of the Opposition stand here and pretend to be standing up for transit riders while, during the height of the pandemic, our government brought forward with the federal government the Safe Restart Agreement to provide billions of dollars to keep our public transit running throughout the pandemic to get our essential workers to and from work. Mr. Speaker, $1.5 billion to the TTC alone. $2.1 billion to public transit systems of Ontario. But you know what the NDP did, Mr. Speaker? They voted against it. If they had had their way, Mr. Speaker, we would have had to shut down the TTC. We would have had to shut down OC Transpo. We would have had to shut down municipal transit systems across the province. But thanks to the leadership of our Premier and our government, Mr. Speaker, we put forward substantial funding to keep public transit going. We're building public transit, Mr. Speaker. We're supporting it. I'll remind the House I need to be able to hear the member who has the floor and the interjections are always out of order. The next question, start the clock, the member for Ottawa Centre. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the Transportation Minister. 16 months ago, the Transportation Minister said she would investigate consultant Brian Guest and his firm Boxfish. Mr. Guest, Speaker, was a key advisor to Ottawa's LRT, the President of Metrolinx, and the key leader in most of Toronto's LRT contracts, including the Eglinton Crosstown. Boxfish earned millions for contracts in LRT systems that are failing or don't work. The Minister at the time said, quote, she was extremely concerned about any perceived or potential conflict of interest with Mr. Guest and pledged to investigate him and Boxfish. But, Speaker, we've done our own investigation and we have confirmed Mr. Guest has never been investigated. Neither has Boxfish. So if the Minister of Transportation was truly extremely concerned, why did she break her promise to this house and the people of Ontario and fail to investigate Mr. Guest or Boxfish for any of these contracts? Minister of Transportation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, we conducted an internal investigation and determined that the consultancy work that was being provided by Boxfish came to an end, which it did at Metrolinx, Mr. Speaker. But, Mr. Speaker, that member opposite knows full well how important it is to make sure that people who are building a transit system have the time to make sure they do it right. That's why our government called a public inquiry into what happened at the Ottawa LRT and that's why learning the lessons that Justice Horrigan put forth in his report on the problems that plagued the Ottawa LRT, is determined to make sure that with respect to the Crosstown we do it right and we make sure that we build this system properly, that it is safe for transit riders, that it's safe for transit operators, and it will open when it is safe for all. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the member for the LRT. Back to the Transportation Minister. It's confusing for the opposition. When we do our own freedom of information search, Speaker. When we do our own freedom of information search specifically has an investigation been done into Mr. guest in Boxfish and the Minister's assistants get back to us with a no and we're told in this house that somehow an investigation has happened. Is the Minister prepared to make that investigation public? Because this firm Boxfish has worked on the Eglinton Crosstown worked on stage one of Ottawa's struggling LRT and all we know to date from publicly available information we have asked for and received is that nothing has happened. So very clearly to the Minister the investigation that she claims to have done. Will you make that internal investigation public? Will accountability be brought to Eglinton Crosstown to stage one of Ottawa's LRT and every other transit project being done under this government. Please take your seats. To reply, the Minister of Transportation. The member opposite talks about what's confusing. I think what's confusing would be confusing for them his constituents in Ottawa would be to find out that he voted against the safe restart funding that we provided to the Ottawa transit system year after year after year during the pandemic. Our government put forward millions and millions of dollars to make sure that the Ottawa transit system could continue to run for his residents for his constituents for the essential workers who are taking care of us during the pandemic. We put that money forward Mr. Speaker and when the member opposite had a real chance to support public transit in his riding and in his city that he stands up here and talks about defending Mr. Speaker he voted against it and I think that is what is very confusing and he owes an answer to his constituents for why he did so Speaker. The next question, the member for Mark and Thorne Hill. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Economic Development Job Creation and Paid. Great Minister. Last week the Minister was in Germany again to continue meeting with an attracting investment in the automotive and EV sectors. With the recent news the Volkswagen coming to Ontario there is no question that the province should continue to focus on its manufacturing capabilities and ensure that there are good jobs for families across the province now one into the future. Speaker can the Minister please provide us with an update on his recent mission to the Germany. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. of Economic Development Job Creation and Paid. The mission to Germany was an opportunity to build on the 25 billion dollars in auto and EV investments that we have landed in Ontario in the last two and a half years. We were able to we were able to thank the Volkswagen team who we worked with day to day for the historic $7 billion investment here in Ontario but it was an opportunity to discuss the nature of the main suppliers they now need to begin operations. Cathode, anode, separator, copper foil, electrolyte, lithium hydroxide. Speaker these aren't just words each of those are main components needed in a battery and each of those represents a one to three billion dollar company coming here to Ontario. Speaker we're also talking about a suppliers day to help identify opportunities for their new facility in St. Thomas. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you Minister for the great response. It sounds like the trade mission comes at critical time in Ontario automotive and EV journey. The future of transportation is shifting towards electrification and with the comes with renewed focus on clean technology. Ontario must continue to promote itself as a great place to do business but beyond that it must promote itself as a leading jurisdiction in the EV revolution. Mr. Speaker can the minister please elaborate on how companies overseas feel about investing in Ontario and what they see our competitive competitive edge to be. Thank you Mr. Speaker. In Germany we also met with Mercedes Benz and many EV parts companies to promote Ontario as a destination of choice. Of note we're Erling Klinger and Eberspecher Group. Now Erling Klinger currently operates a manufacturing facility here in Leamington and Eberspecher has facilities in Mississauga and Concord. We also took a day trip to Poland to meet with similar type companies everywhere was consistent in this turmoil filled world post-pandemic Russia invasion Chinese dominated supply chains they all look at Ontario as a sea of calm a stable, reliable trusted partner and they also view Ontario as a safe jurisdiction, safe for their employees, safe for their families, safe for their executives to visit. We showed them that Ontario is all that and more. Next question the member for St. Catharines. Thank you Speaker. A few weeks ago the NDP and I presented evidence of cash for access culture in minor hockey that is letting rich parents buy their children spots and teams, shutting out talented young athletes in the process. Evidence of not-for-profit teams being bought and sold for millions in private profits. The Minister of Sports shrugged his shoulders. Since then a whistleblower provided the minister with new evidence of this widespread corruption financial documents and communique that suggested this is happening at every level. You know what they heard back from the minister? Nothing. My questions to the minister of sports and tourism. Much more evidence of corruption does he need before he takes complete action. Good question. Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Good morning to everyone. I thank the member opposite for the question. I have been in contact with the members of the GTHL and we have discussed the ongoing investigation that is happening that if something is exposed with respect to run-doing dollars or whatever we as in our ministry will be brought up to speed. The one thing I don't want to get caught up into is speculation. Someone says something else. Let's like everything else get the facts of what's going on and when we get the facts we will respond but only until we have the facts and the information then we can make good decisions. Thank you Speaker. Last week the whistleblowers sent information to both our offices and it seems to me that's quite a bit of fact on those papers. I'm willing to send it back over to the minister if he'd like. Speaker, I don't buy it. The minister says an independent investigation is underway but is akin to the GTHL investigation itself. The minister says he has quote, no authority. Speaker, that is not accurate at all. His ministry regulates national sports organizations. The Ontario Hockey Federation is that organization. The GTHL is its member. The ministry requires these organizations to verify annually that they meet the requirements for this special status. Speaker, the puck is supposed to stop with the minister of sports. So back to him. When will the minister of sports do his job and take responsibility by launching an actual investigation to stop this corruption? Well, thanks again for the question. The ministry does not have a direct relationship with the member organizations of the PSOs and has no authority over their operations. The GTHL is a member of the Ontario Hockey Federation and I think you know that or she knows that Mr. Speaker the member opposite is well versed of what's going on. But again, when we talk about an independent investigation I don't believe I've received a phone call back from those that are doing the investigation or the GTHL with their findings. And once again, I know there's conversations that go around. It is sport Mr. Speaker and everyone has an opinion. But I'd rather respond and act on results and specific information before we would get involved with the PSOs Thank you Mr. Speaker Thank you. The next question the member for Peterborough, Coortha. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Energy Individuals and families and even businesses in my community as well as all across Ontario are looking for relief on their energy bills. When our government was first elected in 2018 we made a commitment to make life more affordable for the people of Ontario. We have to make every effort to deliver on our commitment and we need to be providing more ways for Ontarians to take control of their energy bills and encourage energy conservation. Under the previous Liberal Government Ontario witnessed out of control energy costs as a result of their failed policies. Change. The people of Ontario expect our government to do all that we can do to reduce these costs. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how our government is providing support to the people of Ontario in helping them save on their energy bills. Can you reply to the Minister of Energy? Thanks very much Mr. Speaker and congratulations to the member opposite on his Peterborough Pete's winning the OHL championship last week. As usual the member is correct Mr. Speaker. I know from my time as a critic on that side Ontarians felt helpless as they watched their hydro bills just skyrocket on a monthly basis. Then in 2018 we took office Mr. Speaker we began taking steps to reduce the costs and empower customers to lower their costs. We implemented the Ontario electricity rebate, the OER which is lowering the cost of electricity by 12% Mr. Speaker. We introduced more customer choice. We gave customers the power to take control of their hydro bills with green button standard being implemented right across possibly saving customers up to 18% electricity customers also will soon have the right and they do in some jurisdictions to have an ultra low overnight rate Mr. Speaker and I'm going to have more to say about the Pete Perks program coming up in my supplementary. Order. The supplementary question. Thank you Mr. Speaker I know the member from Ottawa said it doesn't want to hear these things but when I was out canvassing in 2018 in the rural part of my riding frequently I heard about people who had to make the decision between eating and that's just not acceptable that's right. It's encouraging to hear about the many different energy initiatives and supports brought forward by our government to help Ontario's hard working families and businesses however affordable energy remains a serious issue for our province. That's true. Our government must continue to implement solutions that will bring costs down and provide help to Ontarians after the previous liberal government squandered our provinces clean energy advantage. Shame. Our government must continue to show respect for the people of Ontario by implementing programs that offer choice and will help to reduce costs. Speaker can the minister please share more details about the recent announced Pete Perks energy program and how this will benefit the people of Ontario. Minister of energy So Mr. Speaker I wouldn't say it three times fast but the Pete Perks program is an energy efficiency program that means families have yet another tool to help them with their energy bills. Families are going to receive a $75 financial incentive this year for lowering their energy use at peak times and they can receive it in future years as well if they remain in the program a $20 incentive and that's good for families and it's really good for our grid and this new program it's funny hearing the members opposite scoff because during their time Mr. Speaker electricity prices were soaring these folks are afraid of giving people control of their electricity bills because they can save money. The Liberals and everybody remembers what the Liberals did to energy costs in this province and I can't believe when Premier Kathleen said it was the biggest mistake that she made during her time here is the Premier that they're still defending it Mr. Speaker and they will still defend it we're bringing in an electricity restart the clock. Member for Damascus, Minkock here. Bill 97 will allow three separate residential lots per farm property this could severely limit livestock expansion because of MDS guidelines. In response to my question a few weeks ago the minister stated that and I quote we have taken a thoughtful approach and we are going to be okay. Since then Ontario farmers have united to stand in strong opposition to the proposed bill 97. These are the people who feed our cities and they're telling you this is a mistake will you remove the AG severance provisions from bill 97. Thank you Speaker the NDP continues to spread misinformation about our government's balance and thoughtful proposal and conclude her answer our government has a balanced and thoughtful proposal that is still open for public consultation. As we previously stated our goal has always been to support farmers their families and agricultural workers by increasing the supply of homes near the place of work. That is why we put forward for consultation a thoughtful draft proposal that would establish specific criteria to allow farmers the voluntary option of adding additional residential lots to their own land. The government intends to extend the commenting period on the environmental registry of Ontario beyond the original closing date of June 5th. This will give the public a greater opportunity to comment on these proposals and will give our government more time to consider alternative solutions for multi-generational farm families while addressing the concerns that have been raised over the current Supplementary question Thank you Speaker I sincerely hope the government does reconsider because the issue that they have missed there is no problem for a farm putting more residences on the farmstead itself the problem is that's not and everyone's an agreement about that the problem is when you sever a lot and I've had to do it in my own farm I had to buy the neighbor's house so I could actually expand my farm and that's going to happen over and over again if we don't fix it so I am encouraged that you're willing to reconsider. I hope that the Premier does reconsider and fix 97 so that livestock operations aren't restricted when they try to expand. Thank you Premier? Thank you for the question we all agree including the farmers we do so we had a great meeting with all the farmers on Friday and came up with a solution about the severance but the number one complaint that I get when I go to the farms I want my kids to stay on the farm and there is certain jurisdictions that won't allow you to build an additional residence. The other number one complaint is and I heard it this morning from a farmer what I spoke to on the way down here he has a hundred migrant workers that work on the farm that are critical to his operation but he has no place to put him but we're going to come up with a happy compromise and work with the farmers because they're the ones that have to live with us day in and day out so we're kind of believe it or not we're all we're all kind of on the same page here we're going to work with them but they did say one thing Mr Speaker they said there's no government in the history of this province that supported their farmers more than this government and they appreciate it House will come to order the next question start the clock Member for Don Valley East Mr Speaker my question is for the Minister of Health just over two months ago I tabled my private members bill to address the most predatory hiring and recruitment practices used by temporary nursing agencies while also establishing a safe and responsible licensing framework mere days after I tabled this legislation the Minister of Long-Term Care stated that it would reform a technical advisory committee to examine the issue of price gouging by nursing agencies but since then it's been radio silence instead all we've heard is a cry for help from hospitals and healthcare workers in response to legislation like bill 124 and a worsening lack of government support this kind of public policy makes the tragic situation in Minden inevitable and now this government is doing what it does best it's looking the other way it's washing its hands up the Minden hospital washing its hands of our healthcare system why? so that temporary nursing agencies can profit so that private for-profit clinics can turn a profit this government is an expert in looking the other way when will the Minister of Health stop looking the other way and look at the messages made of Minden and Ontario's healthcare okay we reply Deputy Premier and Minister of Health thank you Speaker you know well the member opposite continues to defend the status quo we are not satisfied with the status quo here which is why we have made so many different investments that are ensuring we have health human resources available across Ontario you know we are experiencing challenges as is all Canadian jurisdictions in ensuring that we have sufficient staffing but we are doing that with investments two new medical schools in the province of Ontario we have never seen this kind of investment in training in retaining and keeping and giving people the opportunity to practice in medicine than we have in the province of Ontario and I might remind the member opposite that it was actually Kathleen Wynne in her major exit interview after she was defeated talked about the regret that she had in terms of cutting residency for physicians and in fact not sufficiently supporting we are making the investments we are doing that work thank you very much this is a supplementary question thank you Mr Speaker you will have to forgive me but it is the same hollow talking points from the Minister of Health when I was in Minden last Sunday I was told about temporary nursing agencies came to the region and picked hospitals clean of their staff patients rely on local emergency departments in times of crisis this isn't about Minden it's about the 2.2 million Ontarians who don't have access to a family doctor who are forced to rely on emergency rooms as their only source of primary care this government claims hospital closures are not their jurisdiction well the green belt wasn't supposed to be their jurisdiction either but somehow this government finds a way to get what it wants if they wanted to keep local hospitals open they would solving emergency room closures would mean a fair wage it would mean telling private for profit interest to rein it in but they won't Mr Speaker I know this government loves saying yes to corporate interest but just for once for the sake of patients not profits will this government say no to the most predatory practices of temporary nursing agencies as the member opposite talks about the need for investments he actually voted against bill 60 what would bill 60 do it actually ensures that people have as of right so clinicians who are practicing in other Canadian jurisdictions for the first time in Canada are going to be able to start working immediately in Ontario as they get that license approved through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario it is very challenging for me to listen to this information while we make the investments and they continue to continuously go against those same investments I don't understand how you cannot make the connection as a physician to understand as of right in the province of Ontario is going to increase the capacity ensuring the College of Physicians and Surgeons immediately access approve and ultimately assess give licenses to internationally educated and trained physicians those are the changes that we are making that could have been done under the previous Liberal government the next question the member for Carlton thank you Mr Speaker my question is for the Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing first I would like to thank the Associate Minister along with the Minister of Housing for visiting Ottawa last week everyone deserves to have a safe place to call home that's why it's so crucial that our government addresses the need for more supportive housing across our province we made a commitment to support Ontarians who are at risk of and those who are experiencing homelessness as we work towards increasing housing supply across our province in the coming years we must ensure that every Ontarian can find housing that meets their needs and budget Speaker through you can the Associate Minister please elaborate on the measures our government is taking to increase the supply of affordable housing thank you the Associate Minister of Housing thank you Speaker and thank you to the great member from Carlton for the question our province is committed to tackling homelessness and ending the housing supply crisis in Ontario Speaker last week I was pleased to announce that our government is investing an additional $24.1 million to create more affordable housing in Ottawa the 138 new affordable and supportive units resulting from this funding are being built even as we speak and I had the opportunity to tour the site last week along with the member from Carlton the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and his worship the Mayor of Ottawa Speaker this is a great example of how we will continue working with all of our partners across this province to make sure the most vulnerable people in our society are safe and home it's encouraging to see how our government is investing in affordable and supportive housing in Ottawa this funding is vital in providing safe for individuals and families in my community of Carlton and across the city of Ottawa we know that homelessness is a serious concern throughout our province and that's why our government must continue to provide solutions that address and prevent homelessness in Ottawa and across Ontario Mr Speaker through you can the Associate Minister please expand on the measures our government is taking to assist municipalities as they support the most vulnerable people in our community Thank you Mr Speaker once again thank you to the member everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home and I'm proud of the work this government is doing to create a better future for all Ontarians I look forward to seeing the positive impact these new affordable homes will have on the lives of so many in Ottawa as I previously mentioned we're committed to helping all of our municipal partners in their fight against homelessness that is why our government has increased funding for the homelessness prevention program and indigenous supportive housing programs by historic $202 million we will continue working to ensure our municipal partners have the tools they need to protect vulnerable members of their communities because we know that when communities thrive Ontario thrives Thank you Thank you Mr Speaker Happy World No Tobacco Week my question is for the Premier Tobacco is the leading cause of disease and death in Ontario Tobacco is responsible for the death of 16,000 Ontarians every year and costs our health care system $2.2 billion The tobacco industry has caused this epidemic the time has come for big tobacco to pay for the harm that they have inflicted The provinces including Ontario are presently in a settlement negotiation with three major tobacco companies but health care organizations with us today including Canadian Cancer Society, Harding Stroke and the Long Associations have not been consulted at all they are appealing to the government to adopt a reasonable measure included in their open letter to the Premier as part of a potential settlement the government guarantee that public health measures will be included in any agreement Thank you Thank you very much Mr Speaker, I appreciate the question from the member opposite we have been working very closely to ensure that there is maximum accountability with respect to the harm done to the people of Ontario and will continue to do that at the same time with the Minister of Health as well as a number of colleagues on both sides of the House frankly have been working to ensure that not only young Canadians but Ontarians in general understand the challenges and the risks associated with cigarette smoking and tobacco use but specifically to the member's question opposite will continue to work very very closely with our partners to ensure the best possible outcome for the people of the province of Ontario Thank you Mr Member for Toronto Centre Thank you very much Speaker the Minister of Long-Term Care has said that their government is working very closely with those stakeholders but they haven't even consulted them so hard to imagine that that's actually happened Speaker, to the Premier over the past five years beyond a few measures on vaping already implemented elsewhere in Canada this Conservative Government has not implemented a single new tobacco control legislation or regulation but the process is real by the end of question period Speaker two more people will die from this disease from the use of tobacco this happens every single hour this government can do more to curb tobacco use they can do more to prevent addictions they can do more to end disease and death in Canada there are five there's $500 billion in lawsuits at stake $500 billion in lawsuits it's time that the big tobacco industry is held accountable it's time to make them pay will the Premier and the Conservative Government finally prioritise this once in a lifetime opportunity to protect future generations of Ontarians from the harms, the disease and death caused by tobacco addiction and use Yes Mr Speaker because that's what we have been doing right from the start whether it's with respect to this particular lawsuit but how can the Member suggest that any Ontario Government any member of this place has not been focused on ensuring that people understand the risks associated with cigarette smoking and tobacco use Mr Speaker this isn't something that just the Member has ownership of in fact I would ask the Member to take a look at what a number of parliaments have done to reduce the use of tobacco to make it harder for people to access it Ontario has literally led the way and we have done that Mr Speaker not by working in isolation with all members for decades in this place Mr Speaker so I would ask the Member to maybe take a moment to look at the success not only the Bob Ray Government of the Liberal Government of the Conservative Government we have all done our part Mr Speaker it's not her ownership we've all done our part and I'm very proud of what Ontario parliaments have done to ensure that the people of province of Ontario are safe The next question the Member for Cambridge is for the Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction Small businesses are crucial to Ontario's economy and their success and their accomplishments are felt in all communities across the province unfortunately many of them bear the burden of excessive regulation that prevents them from further growth Ontario business owners want regulations that are easier to understand faster to implement and less costly to comply with that is why our Government must continue to help people and businesses to save time and resources by reducing red tape which will encourage new investments Speaker can the Minister please explain how our Government is paving the way for better services and helping small businesses grow Mr Assistant and Member for Niagara West Thank you very much to the Member for Cambridge for that question During the 15 years of the former Liberal Government propped up by the NDP we saw job killing regulation after job killing regulation brought into this chamber It led to 300,000 manufacturing jobs leaving this province but under the leadership of this Premier and this Government we're taking a different approach Today we started third leading of the less red tape stronger economy act which will build Ontario's businesses by cutting red tape The Liberals and NDP left businesses in places like Niagara and across small communities in this riding without help when it came to accessing the broadband infrastructure they deserve but by removing red tape our Government is getting the job done we're making that process faster and ensuring that communities like those in Cambridge like mine in Niagara West are receiving the services they deserve when and where they need them Thank you Mr Speaker and thank you for that response No one except the Liberals and the NDP members want more red tape in our province By reducing unnecessary regulation burdens on our Government can create an environment that drives new investments and grows our economy while maintaining high public safety and environmental protection standards We must continue our ongoing efforts to support Ontario hardworking job creators and enhance our competitive advantages for the years to come Speaker Can the Minister please elaborate on how our Government is fueling future economic growth by modernizing Ontario's regulatory system Member for Niagara West Thank you to the Member for Cambridge and I know that the Minister is leading the charge when it comes to cutting red tape reducing costs for businesses and ensuring that it's easier to start operate and expand a business creating jobs and driving our economy forward Now since forming Government under the leadership of Ontario and this entire party we've seen real progress we've reduced Ontario's regulatory burden by 16,000 regulatory compliance requirements saving businesses some $700 million not once but every single year the results speak for themselves over 85,000 new jobs in Ontario last year and since we came to office over 660,000 new jobs here in the province of Ontario we know there's more work to do to clean up after 15 years of Liberal and NDP mismanagement but we're going to get the job done under this Premier and under the leadership of each and every member of this House Thank you Speaker Last week a letter from a teacher warned that students and staff at Tomkin Road Middle School do not feel safe going to school Tomkin Road is far from alone Violence in our schools is reaching a crisis level but instead of investing in mental health supports and additional staff this government offers nothing but platitudes in fact school boards are being forced to cut safety monitors and child and youth workers what will it take for the Premier to finally make the investments needed to keep students and workers in our schools safe Congratulations Mr Speaker there is absolutely nothing to dismiss about a 400% increase in mental health supports under our progressive there is nothing platitudinal when the member from Burleigh brings forth a motion calling on government to mandate mental health literacy in the grade 7, 8 and 10 curriculum which we are doing for this coming September we are taking action not performative action, real action investments, funding staffing and mandatory learning in the school system this shouldn't be a political exercise for the NDP if we should be working together to further educate students on how they can see themselves as part of the solution on the day-to-day challenges of living a life in this country we know that there are challenges of violence in schools that's why we're increasing support there's 3,000 more EAs helping those kids, there's 7,000 more staff in our publicly funded schools and this September if the members want to be supportive of those kids vote for our budget that will add 2,000 more educators to Ontario schools any supplementary questions the minister can spin as hard as he wants, students, staff and parents can see with their own eyes that the supports are not there in our schools for our children when they need them students with autism and disabilities are being excluded from our schools because the supports are not there to keep them safe at school we did a survey to parents which shows only a small snapshot of the problem and shows that at least 78 kids with special needs missed out on 155 hours of school in just the past two weeks knowing the extent of the problem is the first step to fixing it will the government finally listen to parents like the parents from the Ontario autism coalition and finally track and public the report on all exclusions in our schools Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker our government brought forth Bill 98 the better schools as soon outcomes act specifically designed to increase transparency for parents in Ontario because we provide the member from Eglinton Lawrence speaks so passionately about this issue $125 million more in specific spec ed and parents want to know where do those dollars go and they have a right to know we're going to ensure more transparency there are 3,000 more education assistants hired by our government under our premier's leadership we too want to make sure that there's more of those investments and for that staffing Mr. Speaker we added a 400% increase in mental health we're spending more in special education than any government but Mr. Speaker the virtue is not just spending more it's getting more out of the system for the kids we represent and we're going to stand up for better outcomes more accountability and a better school experience for children in Ontario thank you the next question the member for Scarborough Centre thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the minister for seniors and accessibility May 28th Mark the sort of national accessibility awareness week this is an opportunity for us to raise awareness about the importance of accessibility and to show our support for Ontario's Ontarians with accessibility needs we also celebrate community leaders and advocate with disability who are working to build a more inclusive society Mr. Speaker can the minister please explain how our government is promoting national accessibility awareness week Minister of seniors and accessibility thank you the MPP Scarborough Centre for asking the very important question national accessibility awareness week is very important to this government and to me personally thanks to the leadership of the Minister of Labour we are announcing over 4 million dollars the skills development fund this week this marvellous fund will support local organization like the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and the Geneva autism centre they make sure people with disabilities have the right programs and services to find meaningful training and jobs join us in celebrating those who are making this province more accessible and inclusive for everyone every person Ontario deserves inclusion and accessibility it is great to see that our government is committed to raising awareness about the needs to improve accessibility but there is more that needs to be done to remove barriers in every community across Ontario to make the life easier for people with disability our government must continue to move ahead with projects that will make accessibility a part of everyday life for everyone the minister can the minister please explain what our government is doing to make Ontario more accessible there is no better advocate for accessibility than this premier he understands the accessibility inclusion requires low-term vision every dollar we spend on infrastructure is a dollar being invested for people with disabilities every dollar of history 60 billion dollars investment into transit is being invested for people with disabilities every dollar that the premier and this government is spending on building Ontario is a dollar span on making the province more accessible Mr. Speaker project by project community by community we are making Ontario more accessible every day thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the premier last week at a private for profit long-term care home a resident who lives with a disability was forced to sit for an entire night due to staffing shortages at the home staff was unable to assist the resident because they didn't have any staff and according to the resident it's not the first time this has happened Speaker when is this government going to put forward an actual plan to address the staffing crisis in long-term care and ensure that residents our parents are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve the government house leader and minister of long-term care thank you very much Mr. Speaker I appreciate the question the member is correct I was very unhappy by what I heard last week the two instances I've been unhappy with in one instance there was an air conditioning challenge in one of our homes to find $25,000 under new rules that we brought into place and in the other instance again equally unacceptable Mr. Speaker I've asked the inspections branch to immediately go into the home investigate at the same time directly to the members question we are adding four hours of care a day per resident this will be a North American leading standard at the same time we're adding an additional 27,000 healthcare workers to meet that standard on doing that a couple of years ago in the minister of course of colleges and universities has a program that has been leading to thousands of people getting back into the sector Mr. Speaker so I've been very excited about that we've also met our targets as we've been increasing the level of care we've met our targets over the last two years so we do have a plan in place of course the member opposite voted against that plan he voted against extra staffing in his own writing Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker I appreciate the response but I will say if you appeal bill 124 that was certainly how help with your staffing this is not the first incident of this kind in a private for profit long-term care home in the province of Ontario we learned recently that this government is going to fast track the expansion of ultra villa a private for profit home where the military had to step in during COVID where residents were left with spoiled diapers rooms were overrun by bugs where some seniors died due to dehydration and we know during COVID the vast majority of deaths happened in private for profit homes when is this minister in this government going to stand up to the private long-term care companies and say enough is enough thank you Mr. Long-term Care in fact this government stood up on behalf of all residents in long-term care and passed the hallmark the landmark fixing long-term care act which the member voted against what does that include it includes a guarantee of 4 hours of care it includes a bill of rights for the residents in our long-term care homes they voted against that I've already said we're increasing staffing to 4 hours North American leading standing we're building 60,000 new long-term care homes I know the opposition is just ideologically opposed to anything that has to do with private individuals having any role to play in any part of society we've talked about this before the only thing that they care about is ensuring that people are dependent exclusively on government we view things differently Mr. Speaker we want to give people the resources and the cause to succeed he talks about Orchardville he talks about Southbridge being one of the best long-term care homes in the province of Orchardville he sings Lennox and Addington thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the associate minister of mental health and addictions everyone in Ontario deserves the highest standard of mental health and addictions care there is no health without mental health which is why our government must continue to make investments to support indigenous led initiatives that are tailored to meet the needs of their communities our government must remain committed to building an Ontario where everyone is fully supported in their journey towards mental wellness this includes working with indigenous partners and communities to improve access to mental health addictions and well-being services Speaker can the associate minister please explain what measures our government is implementing to make these vital services possible in indigenous communities to apply the associate minister of mental health and addictions thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member from Hastings Lennox and Addington for this important question ensuring that the services we provide are culturally safe and culturally appropriate is an extremely important part of building a continuum of care that works for everyone in Ontario indigenous leaders have consistently told me nothing about us without us I am proud to say that after working with community leaders we have developed land based healing detox and after care programs with Keshwan take Kwa Tegamu First Nation and Meshkega Wauktrabi Council with more to come across the north we are making investments to build capacity aid in crisis response and support local community members and frontline healthcare workers in First Nations communities our government's investments are building out the culturally safe services that are critical to ensuring that Ontario no one goes without the support they need thank you concludes our question period for this morning