 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of the official opposition. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, my questions to the Premier. Over the last week, we've had the privilege of being able to hear directly from parents about the challenges that they face providing support to children with autism. The families that the Premier promised to support, 1,000 percent, would the Premier agree that they are owed at the very least honesty from their government as they seek to provide for their kids? Premier? Through you, Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what we're doing. When the minister went and picked up the file, found out it was bankrupt. Right away, Minister McLeod ran over to the Treasury and asked for a hundred million extra dollars to make sure that the 23,000 families that were forgotten under the previous administration and the opposition that supported the previous administration on that file, there's 23,000 families out there that are struggling. But we're fixing that problem. We're fixing that problem and make sure that we have funds there because we inherited a $15 billion deficit. We inherited the largest subnational debt in the entire world of over $340 billion. And we know that the third, fourth largest line item is $12 billion. Response. Through you, Mr. Speaker, we will make sure we take care of the 23,000 families. They will be off the wait list in 18 months. Start the clock. Supplementary. Well, on the contrary, Speaker, this Premier is going to be bankrupting families with children that have autism. That's what this Premier is doing. But not only that, Speaker, we found, of course, that numerous reports now indicate that in October of last year, or perhaps earlier, the government not only ordered service providers not to provide services for children and families on the wait list, but told those service providers not to even inform parents that this freeze was being put into place. Why did the Premier freeze all services just six months into the year and why were the service providers told not to tell the truth about it? Premier. Community and social services. Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Thanks very much, Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to stand here today. Look, in June of 2018, the Premier appointed me to be the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services with responsibilities for the autism program. The first thing we saw was that we had a broken and broke system where 23,000 children were being denied service by their government under the previous Liberal Administration from the members of Don Valley East and Don Valley West. It broke my heart. We traveled across the province. Opposition, come to order. Spoke directly with service providers and we came up with what we believe is a fair and equitable plan. Member for Waterloo, come to order. Just 15 minutes ago, my Deputy Minister has announced that she has repudiated the erroneous reports that there was a freeze in the wait list and for anyone to perpetuate that is providing false hope to parents. A false narrative. Response. Our motivation in this government has always been to ensure the 23,000 children denied service. Like what the first thing that they did was make it worse for families, not better after receiving the file. The government told service providers that no children were to be approved for new services. But that service providers were to keep that information secret. And parents were told that approvals were still going ahead, even though they weren't. Now we've heard from parents across Ontario that their children were moving up the wait list. They were planning their lives around this information. Why weren't they being told the true speaker? Speaker, this is a very difficult and emotional file for the 8400 families who are receiving support. That's only 25% of the children in Ontario who have autism. As I've just stated, my Deputy Minister has repudiated the false and erroneous reports that were out over the weekend. Our commitment in this government is to ensure that we support all children with autism in the province of Ontario. The three out of four children who were denied support by their previous liberal government. Let me be perfectly clear. John writes into my office that all families will be able to get funding is a huge step forward. Speaker, we spoke with Matthew Jason Dever who said quote, we have an opportunity to change the model and provide choice to parents to fund therapies other than ABA. Hashtag, thank you Lisa. Speaker, our application has been consistent and clear since day one. Eliminating the way that 18 months for the three out of four children who were denied service by their Ontario government. Order. Start the clock. Next question. My next question is also to the Premier. For weeks the Premier and his minister have insisted that thousands of families are languishing on wait lists. Can the Premier tell us how many children were secretly denied service and how many families were added to those wait lists by the freeze the government refused to tell parents about? Premier. Again, through you Mr. Speaker I want to make sure everyone understands the situation of the finances when we opened up the file. When we opened up the file the previous government not only banked up this province without the autism file to a 256 million we're enhancing it by 100 million dollars we're doubling the therapist we're making sure that the 823,000 people that were on the wait list will be off the wait list because we're taking care of the finances of this province for the first time in 15 years there's now confidence in this province that people are opening up business will get more money to help these create more jobs that's what we're doing for people that have autism Supplementary Speaker, we know that the past liberal government failed these families but this Premier decided to give rich people 275 million dollars in tax breaks and bankrupt families of children with autism that is not the right choice for the right to behind the liberal failures but this is his own failing the Ford government has pulled support from families who desperately desperately need it his minister has threatened professionals who refuse to endorse those changes and now we learn that she misled the families she's supposed to help the minister is supposed to be a voice for children with draw Speaker and now we learn that she pushed aside the families that she is supposed to be helping children with autism that is not the right choice for children at the cabinet table Speaker, how can he keep her in this job Premier Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Minister of Children, Community and Social Services the Premier is keeping me in this job so that we can implement the plan to ensure that we get 23,000 children who are currently being denied support from their Ontario government the support they need in the diagnostic hubs we have invested an extra $102 million so the 25% of children who are currently receiving support will continue to receive it we are going to directly empower families with up to $140,000 with the childhood budget so they can choose the supports that they want but Speaker, I think today when I left for a question period I received a beautiful note from Dr. Carl A. Rubino he says as one of the originators of behavioural analysis services in Ontario I applaud what you have done to develop for autism services I'm not at all convinced that the resources allocated to these providers both practitioners and agencies have been spent well Speaker, our commitment in this program that I will implement is 23,000 children for the first time in their lives will have hope at the end of the tunnel Order I had to interrupt the minister I had to stand up because I couldn't hear what she was saying because of the ovation start the clock, final supplementary one year ago the premier's now minister of children and community social services stood in this assembly and said when we as legislators make promises to children whether it is to fund autism treatment for children or to appoint an independent child children's advocate those promises must be kept impressionable children rely on us we are their protectors well so much for that speaker so much for her former sentiments about children in this province by her own standards by any standards this minister has failed these children and she has failed their families will the premier do the right thing and remove her from this position and start living up to the promise that these families deserve minister thanks very much speaker it's always an honor to be able to stand here on this side of the house to communicate our government's message in making sure that we empower families I'm proud of this plan that will ensure that 23,000 children who are right now languishing on a waitlist will have opportunity to receive support from their Ontario government after being denied said report from the previous Liberal administration I personally think that I have to stand up for all children not just one in four not 25% of the kids but all of the children within this program and that's why I remain steadfast and committed to implementing this government's plan this government's plan is about sustainability and it is about compassion and sustainability so speaker I'm proud to talk about this plan and I'm proud to support the families who weren't getting support before I'll talk to you a little bit about Alistair who said as a parent of two children who have been waiting for over two years with no service this is a welcome change thank you for the change next question the leader of the official opposition thank you speaker my next question is also to the premier over a month ago the Prime Minister declared a state of emergency due to black mold as a member for Quittanong told the chamber last week children and families in that community are living in conditions that are unsafe and unacceptable in a province like Ontario one woman has died this is an urgent matter and the families seeing rashes on their children's bodies don't want to hear about jurisdictional squabbles will the premier send the requested community health assessment team to Cat Lake First Nations immediately premier minister of indigenous affairs thank you Mr. Speaker there is no jurisdictional squabble here I can assure you the chief and I had a discussion not long ago we shared a profound disappointment for a federal government that has failed these communities time and time and time again I have a little bit of experience in these regards Mr. Speaker during my time as a member of parliament for Canora we built new subdivisions in these communities we built new nursing stations we built the kind of infrastructure that gave an opportunity Mr. Speaker to live in a safe community and a safe immediate environment like their homes we're calling on the federal government now to take action we'll continue to support this community and it's declaration of emergency by coordinating with our stakeholders hopefully finding some solutions Mr. Speaker but ultimately this rests with the federal government and their responsibility new homes for those people and remedy the homes that are there in that community so that people have a safe clean environment thank you Mr. Speaker supplementary Well Mr. Speaker I have to say that I'm fairly disgusted by that response when you see the pictures of those kids that are suffering and a minister who pretends that there's no jurisdictional squabble and that his first answer his first response is that it's a jurisdictional squabble putting it over to the federal government as their responsibility there are treaties that have been signed Ontario is a signature to the treaty that requires us to get involved in health care issues on reserve and that's what needs to happen here the minister needs to step up to the plate and do the right thing to those kids that need it don't continue to talk about the federal government and their responsibility step up to the plate do your job and send a health assessment team to start diagnosing treating and following up on the medical crisis that is unfolding and has been for many many months now in the new one that was called 86 and that was called 96 and the strict suit was called 96 but this is the one that we're going to talk about Mr Speaker this is an ongoing failure of the federal government to live up to their responses as they our safe environment for their folks to live in Mr. Speaker. I've written the appropriate federal minister. I've had a discussion with the chief and council. Opposition come to order. See what other things that the provincial government can do with that leadership as they fully understand and they fully appreciate Mr. Speaker who has jurisdiction of what and who's willing to help. So far that's not even us Mr. Speaker. We take our responsibility. Opposition will come to order. Member for Hamilton West and Caster Dundas come to order. Member for Davenport come to order. Start the clock. Next question the member for Brantford Brandt. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Last week the Premier traveled to Washington D.C. to stand up for Ontario workers and Ontario jobs and promote our open for business message. Travelling with Premier Higgs of New Brunswick and Premier Moe of Saskatchewan, Premier Ford met with his U.S. counterparts to call for an end to unjust tariffs. Steel and aluminum tariffs remain in place months after the federal government signed a new NAFTA deal. Hurting businesses and workers in my riding and across the province. Could the minister please outline for the House how our government is working hard to promote free trade and support the good jobs that depend on it? The Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Thanks to the member from Brantford for the question this morning. Speaker our government remains committed to doing everything we can to get rid of these tariffs. Over 16,000 people in Ontario work in the steel and aluminum industry and more than 200,000 work downstream in the supply chain and in businesses that use that steel and aluminum. That's thousands of families who are uncertain about what 2019 is going to bring because of these tariffs that remain in place. That's why the Premier traveled to Washington to meet with his state level counterparts at the National Governors Association meeting in Washington late last week and throughout the weekend to remind them that workers on both sides of the border are being hurt by these tariffs. Millions of jobs on free trade between our two countries depend on eliminating these tariffs and Canada and the United States have to work together on this. What we have now is a lose-lose situation on both sides of the border speaker. It's time for those tariffs to go so we can have a win-win for families in Ontario and the United States. Supplementary. Thank you Speaker and thank you to the minister for his response. I'm so glad to hear that our government is doing our part to get these tariffs lifted and to protect Ontario jobs. Fighting to remove tariffs is an important part of making sure Ontario is open for business and as the members of this House know Premier Ford, Minister Smith and our entire team have been busy making sure Ontario is open for businesses and for jobs. In fact I held a small business roundtable in my writing a brand for brand to consult local businesses and those businesses made it clear that we need to fight these unfair tariffs in order to create good jobs in Ontario. Could the minister please outline the importance of promoting our open for business message to our trading partners and around the world. Minister. Thanks again to the member from Brantford, the number speak for themselves Minister. Over 41,000 jobs created in Ontario last month. While in Washington, while in Washington Speaker the Premier had the opportunity to meet with American business leaders, governors and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. He brought our message right to them and they heard us loud and clear. Ontario is open for business and Ontario is open for jobs. The Premier shared with them all the measures that we've taken since coming into office. Measures that have made Ontario a better place to invest, create jobs and grow businesses. We've significantly reduced the regulatory burden on businesses. We've cut taxes and we've got rid of liberal job killing legislation and their job killing cap and trade program. We've announced a new auto plan as well, Mr. Speaker, to strengthen that sector here in Ontario. We're five manufacturers currently doing business. After 15 years of liberal government, Mr. Speaker, we're telling the world that Ontario is again open for business. Start the clock. Next question. The member for Hamilton Mountain. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Last week, the minister accused the opposition of providing false hope to families that are anguished over the Conservative Autism Program. But now we've seen it was the ministry that provided false hope by secretly freezing the waitlist so that no more children could get help. Speaker, families are angry. They don't trust the minister and they feel betrayed. Can the minister explain why she provided false hope to all of the families trying to get critical services for their children? Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Thank you, Speaker. A great opportunity to stand up and again speak about our plan to clear the waitlist in the next 18 months of the 23,000 children who are languishing without support from their Ontario government. As stated during the previous round of questioning, my Deputy Minister has repudiated this. At no time did I direct anyone to inflate a list. Anyone that would suggest that is participating in what I would consider a disgraceful false narrative and providing false hope to families. I'm going to ask the minister to withdraw. Sure, Speaker. My pleasure. I withdraw. But I want to reiterate we have met with hundreds of families who have heard, we have heard numerous stories about how their children were languishing on the waitlist. And I want to talk about May for a moment here, if I could. I have been on a waitlist for almost two years in the current OAP. My son will need to wait another 10 years to even have a chance in this fight. Bonds? Lots of families on the waitlist are happy. I appreciate May's support. Position come to order. Member for Waterloo, come to order. I'd like to tell you about Heather's daughter Riley, who has been on the OAP waitlist since 2017. Two months ago, she was informed that Riley's spot was open, and she signed all of the papers. Heather was relieved that her daughter would finally get the support that she needed. But she was never told that there was a secret freeze, and that support would never come. She feels betrayed and misled by this government. And, Speaker, the truth is... I'm going to ask the member to withdraw her unparliamentary remark. I'll withdraw. Speaker, the truth is that this person feels betrayed, and the truth is that this government and this minister has lied to the families of this province. I'm going to ask the member to once again withdraw the unparliamentary remark. I'm sorry, Speaker, but I cannot withdraw. I respect your position. I respect the legislature, but we have the proof. I think the member understands the consequences of refusing to withdraw. I am now warning the member. She must withdraw. I have no choice but to name the member. Ms. Taylor, you have to leave the chamber for the day. Next question. The member for Simcoe North. My question is for the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Mr. Speaker, last week our government for the people introduced the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act. If passed, this act would finally fix the previous Liberal government's Bill 175, which treated police with suspicion while making it increasingly difficult for them to do their jobs. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister please update the members of this legislature on how the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act will provide better support to our police officers and keep the people of Ontario safe? Thank you for joining me and Barry on Friday when we marked Human Trafficking Awareness Day with our colleagues, the member from Barry Innisfil and the member from Berry, Springwater, Oro and Matante. It was an important announcement on Friday because with Joint Forces, Barry Police, the OPP and the Canadian Border Agency Services, those that tri-group was able to successfully save 43 victims of labour human trafficking in Ontario. And on Friday we were able to thank them for their service and it was an incredible announcement. So thank you for joining me. As we see every day police in their government, and their government, our partners in keeping our communities safe and our proposed legislation would strengthen that partnership. Our partners in policing agree. Mr. Speaker, President of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police and the Chief of Berry Police Chief Greenwood has welcomed these proposed changes and I quote, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police has long advocated for significant changes to the Police Services Act in order to assist us in the efficient and effective management of services that enhance public and officer safety. We believe there are items in this legislation that are welcome and we look forward to continuing that work with our government. Thank you very much, Minister and for your continued advocacy when it comes to ensuring the safety of our province. Mr. Speaker, we witness the previous Liberal government fail to respect the profession of policing. It is great to see our government for the people respecting our police officers and acknowledging the incredible work they perform to ensure that Ontario's many communities are safe. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services please explain how the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act will protect law-abiding citizens and families and treat police with fairness and respect? Minister. To police respectfully and we value their perspective on community safety. Their concerns helped us propose a bill that finally puts public safety first. That conversation with policing partners is ongoing. In fact, the President of the Police Association of Ontario, Bruce Chapman, recently has welcomed our new approach and our proposed legislation. I quote, Ontario's frontline police personnel welcome today's announcement by the Ontario Government and are helpful that this new Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act will serve to restore fairness and respect for professional policing, make oversight more effective and improve governance, training and transparency. When it comes to public safety in Ontario, I'm proud to say that we are doing what the Liberals and the NDP have refused. We are respecting the police and protecting communities across Ontario. Thank you. Next question, the member for Oshawa. Thank you, Speaker. And my questions to the Premier. When Oshawa found out about GM's decision to abandon our community, a community that had been loyal and supportive of auto manufacturing for a hundred years, we were devastated. We rose up and we have been rallying ever since. This Premier instead was told by GM to stay seated and that is exactly what he's been doing sitting on the sidelines since the announcement. But, Speaker, Michigan State leaders didn't go quietly and GM has given them a reprieve. Now that Michigan has proven leadership that fights for jobs in their community can make a difference, will the Premier finally get off his seat and stand up for auto workers in Oshawa? Please take their seats. Premier. Through you, Mr. Speaker, I'm glad you really you mentioned that. We had a meeting with the Governor of Michigan and a meeting with governors right across the U.S. and we're the envy of North America. We created 43,000 jobs, we're cutting red tape, we're the largest trading partner to 19 states, second to nine others. If we were a standalone country, Mr. Speaker, we would be the third largest trading partner to the United States. But when I went there and I met with hundreds, hundreds of people, not to mention Fortune 500 companies, they said, thank God you're in power now and not the left in this province. And they have certainty. They have certainty like they've never had before. Order. Opposition come to order. Member for York Center, come to order. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. And again to the Premier. Michigan stood up to GM and stood up for auto workers. GM has responded. Jobs are being saved in Hamtramik in Michigan. This government talks a lot about jobs. They talk all day about jobs. But in Oshawa and across Durham, there are thousands and thousands of good jobs and this Premier won't do anything to keep them. Nothing. Good jobs cannot be one of the Premier's bumper stickers. Good jobs has to be a commitment. It has to involve action. There is hope and good jobs are always worth the fight. So will the Premier recognize that there is always hope and change his mind after seeing what leadership can accomplish and actually help the auto workers in Oshawa and Durham Region? Premier. Through you, Mr. Speaker, I've talked to hundreds and hundreds of Oshawa GM workers and you know what they want? They want certainty now. They want certainty. Order. That they're going to have a job when they when they come out of. Apologize. I have to interrupt the Premier. The opposition has to come to order. Have to be able to hear the Premier. Premier, continue. They want certainty, as I was saying, Mr. Speaker. We're giving them certainty. We're creating jobs. Do you know what the biggest problem we have, Mr. Speaker? We don't have enough people to fill the jobs out there. There's over 150,000 jobs waiting for people. We need more people to fill those jobs. Again, we're the Indian North America. We had accolades from every single governor we met. When we met the Fortune 500 companies around the round table, they're investing back into Ontario. They're creating more jobs because they had certainty. They know they have a government that's a pro job, pro people. We're there for the people. We're creating jobs. We told the world down there we're open for business. Start the clock. Next question, the member for Willardale. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Transportation. This past week, we heard a lot about the TTC upload from activist groups. Now, as a member who has a riding that relies heavily on public transit, I fully support our government's initiative to upload the subway so that we can get the people of Toronto and Ontario moving. We all know this province is trapped with gridlock that the previous government, propped up by the NDP, supported by making minimal investments in public transit and, instead, racking up a deficit of $15 billion. Our government is committed to getting the people of Ontario moving. We are committed to turning projects into priorities, and we will do just that with the upload of the subway. Will the minister please inform the house why the upload matters so very much? Mr. Speaker, as everyone in this legislature will recall, the government for the people made a very exciting announcement a couple weeks ago. We've signed a joint terms of reference with the City of Toronto with the TTC to begin the process of uploading the subway. Our government for the people's position remains unchanged. An upload of subway infrastructure to the province will get transit built faster and fulfill our commitment to the building and maintenance of new and existing subway lines. Mr. Speaker, with an upload, we'll be able to cut through the red tape, to start new projects, and finish construction faster. This is what the people of Ontario asked for during the last election, and we are committed to delivering on our promises The Government of Ontario will upload the TTC. Thank you Mr. Speaker and through you, thank you to the minister for that response. I am really pleased to hear that our government is moving so quickly on our promise of increasing or sorry decreasing gridlock and building and maintaining new and existing subway lines throughout the upload. I can tell you from experience that the gridlock in my neighborhood is real, and it is taking valuable time away from Willowdale's and Ontarian's. Our government was elected with a clear mandate of supporting the TTC upload. Now this may sound foreign to the opposition, but we actually listen to the people. The TTC subway is the third largest transit system in North America, reporting about 530 million riders in 2017 with about 69,000 people taking the subway in conjunction with the York Region transit system every single day. Can the minister update the House on how the upload will reduce gridlock, expand capacity on our system, and finally get the people of Willowdale and Ontario moving? Mr. Speaker, our government for the people is working together with our partners to ensure that more subway lines will get built more quickly. We are improving how transit is built in Ontario to get Ontarians moving. We will build a world-class transit system that everyone in Ontario can be proud of, and we are delivering on that promise. Our current transit infrastructure is not serving Ontarians in the ways that it should be, and the end result is gridlock and delays. It's unfortunate the opposition is opposed to solving gridlock and getting the people of Ontario moving. What the NDP do not realize is that the commuter does not care which level of government owns and operates the subway. They just want a subway that is efficient, reliable, modern, and part of a network that is continually expanding, and is exactly what our government is doing for the people of this province. We are going to build subways, Mr. Speaker. Restart the clock. Next question, the member for Thunder Bay, Attacoken. Thank you, Speaker. The Ontario Ombudsman has announced that the Thunder Bay Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth will be closing. One of my constituents who works in the office wrote to me, quote, everything we do is to elevate the voices of children and youth involved in the systems of government care. On Thursday, I lost my job. We don't know anything more. We are kept in the dark and just wait. It is a very cruel process. It means children and youth in care across northwest, including indigenous communities, will have nowhere to turn. Will the Premier reverse this reckless decision so the people working in this office can keep their jobs providing the support our vulnerable youth desperately need? Minister of Children, Community, and Social Services. The Minister of Children, Community, and Social Services. Thanks very much, Speaker. I appreciate the question from the member opposite, and we're completely committed to ensuring that greater child protection occurs in the province of Ontario, which is why as we transfer powers over to the Ombudsman, we will have greater oversight capabilities for children in custody and care throughout the province. It's also why my ministry will be doing two additional things. The first is creating three roundtables, one which will be indigenous led, one which will be for children in custody, and a third that is children in care. And finally, I will be embedding this year a new advocacy role within my office, and I was pleased to announce that last Thursday while I was speaking to the Ontario Residential Opposition. I remain dedicated to this initiative, and I'm very pleased that I'm working with the Ombudsman directly to ensure that there is greater oversight for those most vulnerable children who are both in custody and in care throughout the province of Ontario. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. The people who are losing their jobs in Thunder Bay are advocates for vulnerable children in northern and indigenous communities now. Ontario will be the only province in Canada that does not provide dedicated advocacy services for children and youth at risk. Children and youth will suffer, and youth suicide is already at crisis levels. They deserve to be kept safe from abuse and have frontline staff to turn to. Premier, why should northern and indigenous children and youth have access to dedicated advocacy services? Please take your seats. She's been referred to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Thank you very much, Speaker. I remain committed to ensuring that those three tables that I've just discussed will be active and with a full indigenous led component, as well as those for children in custody and in care. They will really, I think, provide a solid basis of information for our ministry as we move forward with embedding within my office an advocacy role for children in custody and in care. I appreciate the member office's question, but this government made a decision in the fall economic statement to transfer oversight capabilities to the Ontario ombudsman. We have full faith in the ombudsman, and we believe that he is best suited to ensure that there are investigations that are happening across Ontario, whether that is in our group homes, foster care, or in our detention facilities, in our youth justice system. So, Speaker, again, we remain committed and we're looking forward to working with the ombudsman, Paul Dubey, in order to ensure that there is greater child protection in the province of Ontario. Thank you very much. Next question. Member for Prairie Sound, Ms. Coker. The Minister of National Resources and Forestry. Our government for the people was elected on a promise to finally open up the incredible resources of the north. To make our northern communities open for economic development and open for jobs. That's why I was excited to learn about the next step of our government's review of the Far North Act. Since the previous Liberal government forced this act on the communities of our north, little progress has been made to promote collaboration and job creation with our First Nation communities. It has limited the possibilities for jobs and economic growth in the north. Can the Minister update the House on how our government is encouraging economic growth in the north instead of putting up barriers? Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. I want to thank my colleague for the question and for his unwavering commitment to the north. Speaker, he is right. Our government for the people was elected on a promise to create a path forward that will make our northern communities open to economic prosperity and open to jobs. By reducing restrictions on important economic development projects like the Ring of Fire, all-season roads and electrical transmission projects. In our fall economic statement, we announced that we would be reviewing the Far North Act and as the next step, we are seeking input on a proposal to repeal the act while retaining approved land use plans through changes to the Public Lands Act and continuing forward with plans already on an advanced stage. We believe our proposal will provide benefits to First Nations and other northern communities, ensure a collaborative approach to development and provide a stable environment for business. We are making the Far North open for economic growth and open for business. Mr. Speaker, thank you to the Minister for his answer. For years we have heard from northern communities that the Far North Act limits economic opportunities in the north. Our government's proposal is the type of bold action we need to take if we are going to make the Far North open for business and open for jobs. Many of us remember the pushback this act received when it was passed back in 2010. That includes Far North First Nations who were opposed to the act when the Liberals pushed it through. Can the Minister tell us how we are going to ensure a collaborative approach to development that benefits First Nations? I thank him again and he is absolutely right. When the Far North was implemented, it was opposed by First Nations and the municipalities of the north. Our government is working for all the people of Ontario, including the 24,000 people who live in the Far North. We will listen carefully to what Far North First Nations have to say about our proposal to work together to bring prosperity to the north. Our proposal has been posted to the Environmental Registry for 45 days. I will work together with the Minister of Responsibility for Indigenous Affairs as we have special engagement sessions with Far North First Nations communities and Tribal councils to gather their feedback. We support development that is beneficial to our communities while maintaining our commitment to conservation. Again, we are making our Far North open for business and open for jobs. Thank you. My question is to the Premier. Your government has promised to create thousands of new and long overdue long-term care beds. There is no end to the self-graphification of this legislature. Can you tell the House what steps will you take to ensure the appropriate staffing increases to match these new beds and to ensure long-term care residents receive at least four hours of hands-on care per day, which is precisely the amount of care time that Shirley Sharkey, a member of the Premier's own council on ending Halloween medicines, said that we needed more than 10 years ago? Does the Premier agree with Shirley Sharkey? Send this over to the great Minister of Health. Much for the question, she is correct. We did promise the people of Ontario during the election campaign that we would create 15,000 new long-term care spaces within the five years. We are already well on that way. We have created over 6,000 already, but there is also a need for long-term care staffing. And I would agree that the safety of patients in Ontario has been and always will be my first priority as Minister of Health. But the reality is, and we know, that our health care system is in trouble right now. We need transformational change, and that is in every respect. We need to take a look at everything that we're doing, including making sure that we have a right mix of human resources in all of our health care settings across the province. Thank you, supplementary. Speaker, back to the Premier. My bill, the Time to Care Act, if passed, would ensure that every resident in every long-term care home in Ontario would get an average of four hours of care per day. The last time this bill was debated, the Minister of Finance, the Minister for Seniors, and several other Conservative MPPs voted in support. Can the Premier confirm for the House that this bill will pass at the first opportunity pass? The question has been referred to the Minister of Health in long-term care. We're ensuring that we have the right mix of human resources in all of our health care settings from home care to hospitals and long-term care homes is a matter of great importance. But I would also remind the member that we all know that the Gilles Inquiry has yet to come forward with their report. We expect it will be coming forward in the latter part of the spring this year. We will be looking forward to the recommendations that are made in the report, both specifically and more generally with respect to staffing and long-term homes. We will be listening to those reports. We will be looking at those considerations and we are currently looking at the right mix of human resources in all of our hospitals. So please be assured both the member of the people of Ontario that we take this seriously and we are reviewing it now. Next question, the member for Thorn Hill. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Recently we saw in the news concerning questions in terms of harassment and abuse in sport. Ontario athletes deserve to participate in competitions without harassment, without intimidation. As we've already mentioned, our government for the people support athletes in their quest for excellence. However, we must ensure that they can participate in competitions, in an environment that is safe. Mr. Minister, can you explain what you are doing in order to fight against abuse and harassment in sport in our province? Thank you for the question, for this very important question. It is extremely troubling to learn the levels of harassment that are absolutely unacceptable in amateur sport. The relationship between a coach and their athletes must be based on confidence and on mutual understanding. Every action that compromises this principle is unacceptable and undermines all of our excellent programs in the province. Even if there's already an evaluation process for harassment, end of code of conduct, we recognize that there's much work to be done and that we must accomplish this work during the minister meeting in Red Deer. Ministers throughout the country and myself, we took measures in order to provide a solution to this problem. I'll elaborate further during the supplementary. Once again to the minister, I'm very happy to learn that you had a very productive meeting with the ministers in Red Deer in order to deal with this very important question. It is also very encouraging to notice that you were able to connect with a few young athletes that participated in the Canadian Games. These athletes deserve to participate in an environment that is safe and I'm proud that our government for the people that is taking measures in order to provide a solution to the issues. I'm curious to learn more about this meeting with the ministers. Can the minister inform the house in the way in which harassment and sport abuse has been dealt with or discussed? Mr. Speaker, during our meeting, all ministers signed the declaration in Red Deer that made the commitment to fight against abuse and harassment in sport in Ontario. We know that there are problems in amateur sport and Ontario will ensure will be leaders regardless of who you are. You can play in absolute safety. We've also discussed the advantages of sport and of recreational activities for mental health. I'm very pleased of all the work that we achieved and of our commitment to promote the better well-being of children and youth in our province. Our government recognizes that sport can be a powerful tool to fight against social injustice. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Premier families in my riding are discussed by this government's attack on children with autism. Mothers like Leila Clusters, whose beautiful four-year-old son, Christian, was diagnosed with severe autism when he was two and a half years old. He was on the waiting list for services for 18 months, and his name finally came up last April. Since receiving the support he needs, Christian has been thriving. But Christian's funding will be pulled on March 31, leaving him and his family with very few options. They simply cannot afford the therapy he needs. Premier, why is this government abandoning Christian? Premier. Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Mr. Children, Community and Social Services. Thank you very much, Speaker. Thank you for referring that Premier, so I have an opportunity to talk about what our motivation actually is. Since assuming office, I have traveled along with my parliamentary assistant Amy Fee to dozens of roundtables meeting with hundreds of parents, service providers and stakeholders in this thick space. We inherited a program that was not only broken, but broke. It required $100 million in emergency funding just to support the one in four children who were receiving support in the province of Ontario. So our motivation is to clear the wait list. We're doing that by doubling our investment into the diagnostic hubs, and we're going to go to a direct funding model which will empower parents to choose the services that they want through their childhood budget. Alistair reached out to me the other day, and he said, I don't think people understand how bad the autism wait list currently is. Our son is eight. He's 853 on the waiting list. The wait list is moving at about 80 children a year, meaning he would age out at 18 and never get service. That's unacceptable to me, and that's why as the minister responsible for this program, I'm going to clear the wait list in eight. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, my question is to the Premier. Another mother from my riding, Natalie Vieira, whose son was recently diagnosed with autism. Mason is 18 years old and will soon be too old to receive support through Ontario autism program. He never received the supports he needed as a result of his struggle in school. Natalie is here today to tell the government that children living with autism need early intervention to help them reach their full potential. But this government's cuts to the Ontario autism program will make it harder for children to get the services they need. Why is this premier make life harder for making, why is this premier make life harder for children with autism? The question has been referred to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Members, please take your seats. Minister. Thank you very much, Speaker. I appreciate Natalie joining us in the legislature today, and I want to assure her that the issues that she's experiencing are the primary motivation behind us wanting to clear that wait list in the next 18 months by making more diagnostic hubs support across the province and directly empowering parents to make the choices that they need. Sherri Taylor, whose parent from Windsor wrote in and she said parents need to have services available to them before their child is no longer a child. Families need more support and choice for their children with autism neurodiversities. Our children sit on wait lists for years only to be shuffled through consultable models that do not provide the direct treatment. Opposition come to order. Families are in crisis. Our government is heading in the right direction, recognizing that early intervention is key. I appreciate Sherri Simon. She's one of the hundreds of families that we've been working with throughout the past number of months in order to course correct so that 23,000 children can get on that list. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Mr. Speaker, Ontario's government for the people was elected with a mandate to improve public safety across this province. We have a mandate to restore respect to the brave men and women of our police services and to provide them with the tools and resources they need to perform their duties safely and effectively. Today, police services across Ontario are getting ready to promote crime prevention week. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain to this House how our government for the people is supporting the efforts of all policing partners to keep communities safe? Good question. Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member for Mrs. August Cooksville for this important question and your advocacy in assisting us in crime prevention week. Crime prevention week is an important opportunity to consider public safety as a shared responsibility. Our government was elected with a mandate to fix policing legislation and restore respect for the police as important partners in public safety. Police officers have always stood up for the safety of our communities, and now we have a government that respects and supports them in the work that they carry out. Very difficult and dangerous job each and every day. To deliver on our commitment to the police, we have introduced Bill 68, the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, in the legislature last week, and I am pleased to be debating it later on this afternoon. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for her response. Mr. Speaker, Ontario is home to some of the finest police officers anywhere in the world. It is an honor to be part of a government that recognizes their contributions to our communities and is willing to stand up for frontline police officers. As a member of this government for the people, I am proud to stand here today and know that our government is committed to providing police officers with the support, tools, and resources they need to protect the people of this province. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister tell us how our government is working with communities and policing partners to promote a safer Ontario? On a community level is an important role in reducing crime and making our communities safer when the police, the people, and their government feel empowered to work together toward the shared goal of keeping our communities safer, we are better positioned to succeed. This partnership, built on fairness and transparency, is particularly important when it comes to police oversight. We ask police to put themselves in harm's way each and every day to keep our loved ones safe and our streets safe. In return, we see it as only fair to treat them with the fairness and respect that every day Ontarians deserve. On behalf of the entire government, I congratulate the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police on Crime Prevention Week and thank them for this important initiative. Thank you. Next question, the member for Algoma Manitoulle. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Marshall, a little four-year-old boy from Manitouage, was diagnosed a year ago with severe autism spectrum disorder. His mum, Adriana, is a single mum who is trained to work in a health care sector. Unfortunately, she had to quit her job to take care of her son full-time at home. Adriana can't work or find a rental unit that is affordable enough to allow her to pay for her son's therapy. This is the reality of too many families in Northern Ontario and nothing in this government's changes to the autism program will fix it. Why is the Premier leaving people like Marshall and Adriana with no options left? Premier, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Thank you very much, Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to once again speak about our reforms to the Ontario autism program that will ensure the 23,000 children or three out of four children in Ontario who have autism will get the service from their Ontario government after being denied this service for the past 15 years. Diana, a mother of a child with autism, said more funding for diagnosis is great news. Also giving parents direct funding and flexibility with respect to it can be used is a terrific development in my opinion and we recognize that every child with autism in the province of Ontario deserves to have the support of their Ontario government unlike the previous plan that was developed by the member from Don Valley West. We are committed and proud today to say we're committed to making sure there are greater supports for those in Northern Ontario. Again to the Premier, while Marshall and Adriana patiently waited for Ontario autism program funding but received nothing, when Andrea asked why she was told there is none available for your region. Too often communities like Manitowage are forgotten by the provincial government and end up lacking in services. The two biggest cities around are Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay, 400 kilometers away. There isn't even one private behavioral service provider around. Nothing. But this government announcement will do nothing to change that. Premier, why is this government refusing to increase capacity in Northern Ontario for autism services while cutting the funding available to families like Adriana's? Thank you very much Speaker. I appreciate the member opposite's questions and his concerns. As I indicated in the beginning of my response that we are dedicated to providing more investment into Northern Ontario and I largely credit our Finance Minister as well as our Minister of Northern Affairs and Mining because they are committed to their communities and they have been strong and vocal advocates not just around the caucus table but around the cabinet table and that's why we are dedicated to ensuring that we are going to double the diagnostic hub investments. It means we are going to go to a direct fund model where parents will have the ability to access up to $140,000 for their child for flexible choices and how they best think they can support their child. Whether that's behavioral therapy, whether that's a technological aid, whether that is caregiver training or respite support. Spons. But Speaker, let me be perfectly clear. This government is committed to clearing the wait list in 18 months and I will be the Minister who does that because we believe all children who have autism in the province want to have autism. That concludes our time for question period today. This House stands in recess until 1 p.m. Adjourned by the House.