 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of His Majesty's morning opposition. Good morning, Speaker. Yesterday, the Premier and the House leaders seemed to think that they could just brush off questions related to the green belt grab. But people still have many questions, questions like what exactly happened on a trip to Las Vegas taken by the Premier's former principal secretary, his director of housing policy, the former Minister of Public and Business Services, and a speculator who later stood to benefit from preferential access to green belt land. Speaker, to the Premier, when did he first find out that his minister was living it up in Vegas with people who have business before his government? Mr. Secretary, how is it? Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question. Obviously, the integrity commissioner has weighed in on that and is looking at the additional information that has been provided by the former minister But at the same time, of course, we are not going to do what the opposition will want us to do. This is all about the same thing for them. It's about stopping people from having what all of us wanted and what all of us have at home for themselves. I was speaking to somebody just yesterday who had his wife delivered their first child. He did everything right. Everything right. He bought his first condo when he was just out of school. And now all he wants is a home for his family. 21 offers later. He still doesn't have that home, Mr. Speaker. And all he wants, what he said to us, is this. He said, I want what you had. I want the opportunity to have my first home for my family. That's what he wants, and that's what we will deliver. Supplementary question. Speaker, I want to ask them to follow along here. I can't blame the Premier or the House Leader for having some difficulty with the dates, because they've changed a few times. Since these individuals were first interviewed under oath by the Integrity Commissioner. The former Minister, Mr. Massoudi, and Mr. Trusdell all suspiciously told the Integrity Commissioner that their trip was in 2019, when it actually occurred months later. The Greenbelt speculator, Shakir Rahmatullah, someone this Premier knows very well, was at the same hotel on both sets of dates. The minister said he was only in Vegas once since being elected. He's now admitted it was twice. Three different people giving the wrong date for the same trip. So, Speaker, my question again to the Premier, can the Premier explain how three different people could mistakenly give the wrong date for the same trip? Thank you very much, Mr. Trusdell. Again, that is something that the Integrity Commissioner will take a look at. I can understand the leader bringing that question to the floor, but honestly, she should be providing those questions to the Integrity Commissioner. That is the official who is charged with overseeing those types of investigations with members on all sides of the House, Mr. Speaker. But at the same time, we're going to continue to be focused on what matters to the people of the province of Ontario, and that is delivering a strong economy that is delivering homes for the people of this province, whether it is the senior who wants to downgrade into a bit of a smaller home, thereby making another home available for the young family that I just talked about, Mr. Speaker. I suspect that this is all the opposition is going to do to try to put obstacles in the way of Ontarians having that first home. We will remove those obstacles, Mr. Speaker, and we will deliver for the people of the province of Ontario, because they deserve every advantage, the same advantages that we had, the next generation deserves those exact same advantages, Mr. Speaker. The final supplementary. Speaker, the minister knows this was never about housing, and what we're asking today is about restoring trust and integrity in government. Back to the Premier. The discrepancies in these testimonies didn't stop at the dates of the trip, Speaker. The former minister said he and the Premier's staff only saw the green belt speculator in the lobby of the hotel. Now it's reported that they got spa services at the same hotel at the same time. Of course, we know the member has now left cabinet and caucus in light of these revelations. The Premier has said he can return if he clears his name. Will the Premier be asking the integrity commissioner to get to the bottom of this? Mr. Mr. Harrison. Mr. Speaker, that is the integrity commissioner's job to do, and not the Premier's job to do on behalf of the integrity commissioner. But the leader of the opposition is right. Through the NDP, it is never about housing, right? Because if it was ever about housing, they wouldn't have put obstacles in the way along with the Liberals that saw us in a housing crisis in the province of Ontario, Mr. Speaker. That is the reality today. We are in a housing crisis because they put obstacles in the way of people building homes. They put obstacles in the way that have led us to a housing crisis. It is the same policies that they're supporting federally, right? They have the balance of power federally. What are they supporting? High taxes, high taxes which lead to inflation, which leads to interest rates that put families out of competition for homes, so I say to the leader of the opposition, don't do what your federal counterparts are doing. Don't do what you did when you supported the Liberals. Don't put housing out of the reach of thousands of people. Join us and make sure that the next generation have all the benefits that we enjoy, Mr. Speaker. That's what we'll focus on. Leader of the opposition. Speaker, I'm not raising these questions because I have any particular interest in the jet-sevincing lives of the Premier staff and friends. I'm raising them because of what they reveal about how this government makes decisions and who stands to gain from those decisions. The commissioner says, evidence suggests someone tipped off Mr. Rematula, but he's unable to identify who it was. Does the Premier have reason to believe that any of his ministers or staff may have given advance notice to Mr. Rematula about their plans to remove parcels of land from the Greenbelt? Mr. Mitchell cares in housing. Mr. Speaker, in fact, what the integrity commissioner said, page 135. In fact, I found that the Premier's office staff were not providing such direction. Page 140, I accept the purpose of the decision to remove lands from the Greenbelt was to address the housing crisis. That is what the integrity commissioner said because that is what we have been focused on since we got into office. We inherited a province that was brought to its knees by the policies of the Liberals and the NDP. The same policies right now, which across this country have led to high inflation, which leading to out of control interest rates, which are putting thousands of people out of the market, Mr. Speaker. And when you add on top of that the obstacles that they put in place, making new families, having to decide to eat or eat, that was their legacy. We're gonna bring prosperity back. We've already seen 700,000 people have the dignity of a job. And now the next step, Mr. Speaker, is to give those new families the same advantages that we had, a home that they can call, a house that they can call home for their families and so that we can ensure that the next generation have all the advantages that we have. Supplementary question. Speaker, well my question is back to the Premier. I hope he answers this time. This speculator's influence wasn't limited to the Greenbelt. His company was identified by the Auditor-General as one of the top beneficiaries from this government's MZOs. We need some transparency here. The Premier's former minister paid $4,550 in cash for three flights to Vegas. But no one could provide clear proof just how, when, or if the balance for the trip was repaid in full. Now rooms at the win Las Vegas apparently go for more than $700 a night. What steps is the Premier taking to figure out who paid for this trip and when? Will you reply to the Premier? You know, to the leader of the opposition, you know, it's very clear that the integrity commissioner cleared myself, cleared my office. The Auditor-General cleared myself and cleared my office. Our intent is to build homes, build homes for new Canadians, build home for young families that come here that can't afford it. Because if it was up to the NDP and the Liberals nothing would get done. We'd go back another 15 years and talk about scandals, be it the E-Health scandal or every other scandal that they had, nothing got done. We had the highest hydro rates in North America, Mr. Speaker. The highest taxes, more red tape, more regulations and they wonder why under their rule 300,000 people lost their jobs. As we stand today, there's 700,000 people that have jobs. That will have an opportunity to pay their rent, to have an opportunity to get a mortgage and buy a home. That's our intent. We're going to continue making sure we build the 1.5 million homes. Thank you, Speaker. I think the Premier better go back and read those reports again. Because their Vegas story is not adding up. You've got the former minister paying cash for flights. He says he believes the Premier staff paid him back about $1,000 each in cash. That doesn't even cover the cost of the flight. The Premier's now former Principal Secretary stated he thinks he paid him back in cash on or around November 7th, 2022. That's nearly three years after the trip. And just a few days after the government announced Ramatoula's land would be removed from the green belt. Coincidence? I don't think so. To the Premier, should the people of Ontario accept that government policy was being decided on a massage table in Vegas? Hi, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Again, it's the integrity commissioner that will look into any of these as they do with any issues that come before us from members, Mr. Speaker. But at the same time, the leader of the opposition and the leader of the Liberal Party can make all the jokes that they want. But the reality is this. It is not a joke. Because what has happened in the province of Ontario for 15 years of Liberals and NDPs is that we have a housing crisis. And these are the very same policies that they fought for here for 15 years that we're seeing in Ottawa right now. We're seeing the same thing. We said a carbon tax would cost the people of the province of Ontario and drive up inflation. They said it wouldn't and it did, Mr. Speaker. We said high interest rates would cause our economy to fall. They said it wouldn't. We're saying we're showing that it does, Mr. Speaker. High interest rates are putting thousands of people out of the market for homes. Why? Because liberal policies of high debt, high inflation, red tape supported by the NDP don't work. It brings an economy to its knees. We're going to do everything that they did it, Mr. Speaker. We're going to continue to restore the economy. Thank you very much. Well, thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Speaker, the people of this province have questions about what happened in Vegas between the Premier's former principal secretary, his former director of housing policy, his former minister and Greenbelt developer, Shakira Rimetula. They all stated that the Vegas trip was in 2019. None of them clarified it may have been in 2020 until they were backed into a corner. The minister from Mississauga East Cooksville changed his story about only going to Vegas once since being elected. Now we know that he has been there twice. I don't know how you forget that. I know that I would remember a good luck ritual massage. Does the Premier believe that one of his ministers and or members of his staff lied to the integrity commissioner? Withdraw. And to reply, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The member would know the process of how the integrity commissioner does his work, having been one of the only members found guilty of an infraction by the integrity commissioner. She would certainly know how that process works, Mr. Speaker. The person that she's talking about is no longer a member of this caucus, Mr. Speaker. That person will have to work with the integrity commissioner to ensure that all of the documentation that he requires is made available. At the same time, Mr. Speaker, we're going to continue to move forward to ensure that we build 1.5 million homes for people all across the province of Ontario. And it's not just homes for people, it's homes for students. It's long-term care homes, Mr. Speaker. It's about getting people moving in the province of Ontario. It's why we're building subways. It's why we're building new roads, Mr. Speaker. It's why we're opening up our economy for the first time in years. Ontario is on a prosperous path. You know why? Because we've done everything opposite to what the Liberals and the NDP did for 15 years. People are coming back to the province, and now it's our responsibility to do everything for the next generation and have all the same advantages that we have. Thank you. Let's stop for a message question. Wait a minute. Your mic's not on. Order. Mine may... Thank you. The truth matters to Ontarians, Speaker, and the Vegas story is just not adding up. The member from Mississauga East Cooksville paid over $4,500 cash for flights. He said he also paid for the hotels. The member estimates that the Premier staff paid him back $1,000 each and showed a deposit of $2,000 on December 20th, 2019. But the money the member said was for repayment for the trip doesn't even cover the cost of the flights and can't recall the particulars. Contrary to the former minister's dates, the staff in question say they paid the minister back in 2020 but then in 2022. One of these staffers say that they actually paid the minister back $2,000, the other over $1,000. The dates are wrong. The numbers don't match. Is this how the Ford government does business? Great. Mr. Ms. Wolf-Harrison-Hausen. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, the integrity commissioner will work with the member to ascertain what is important on any investigation going forward, Mr. Speaker. I assume the members would appreciate it that the process follows the way it is meant to. Having said that, Mr. Speaker, what we're going to continue to do and what we have done since day one in this place is start to untangle the mess that was created by the Liberals and the NDP, a mess that has led to a housing crisis in the province of Ontario. So we're going to remove obstacles, Mr. Speaker. The minister of long-term care talked about just yesterday. So under the Liberal Watch, 611 long-term care beds were built across the province of Ontario. 611. Supported by them, supported by the NDP, under this minister's watch, there are shovels in the ground for 18,000 beds. The fact that care beds being built in the member for Ottawa South's riding, then there were for the previous 15 years that he was in that government, Mr. Speaker. We'll continue to get the job done on behalf of all. And question, order. The member for Scarborough, agent. Good morning, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the minister of labour, immigration training and skills development. Our province is currently experiencing a labour shortage in every sector of our economy. Across Ontario, jobs are going on field every day. Costing our economy billions in lost productivity. One of the most critical areas where we are missing talent is in the skilled trades. With so many job vacancies needing to be filled, people need to be provided with the opportunity to launch into these well-paying and lifelong careers. To help be the strong Ontario, our government must do all that we can do to help more people get into the skilled trades. Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is supporting in gaining the skills they need to address our province's overwhelming demand for skilled trades people? Thank you. Mr. Labour, immigration training and skills development. Thank you, Speaker. And I just want to first start by thanking the Premier for this important role and thanking all the many men and women in the skilled trades who have had the pleasure of speaking with over the last 48 hours. Really looking forward to working with you. Speaker, if we're going to be honest with ourselves and we're going to build the hospitals we need, build the schools we need, build the highways, the roads and the bridges that this Premier, this government, have committed to doing to support a stronger Ontario, we need the men and women who are going to build them. We need them. Men and women, like my grandfather, who came off the boats from Middle East and found a very rewarding career in the trade, Speaker. But for too many, that's out of touch. The opportunity for home ownership, everything he did to provide for my family is out of reach. But under this Premier's watch, it's changing. And Speaker, I want to draw attention to the important fact. Since the moves this government's made to support the skilled trades, we've seen an increase in apprenticeship registrations in the last year of over 24%. Bottom line, it's working. Thank you, the supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. It is positive news that the apprenticeship registrations are up and that more people are entering careers in the skilled trades. When speaking about getting more people into the skilled trades and that the labour shortages is hurting Ontario's economic potential, our government must focus on implementing solutions that will have a real impact on the future prosperity of our province. We need to remove barriers, as well as provide opportunities and pathways to employment in the skilled trades for those who don't currently have jobs, but who want to work. Speaker, can the minister please elaborate on how our government is supporting Ontarians in securing rewarding careers in the skilled trades? Minister of Labour. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, as I said, we have a Herculean effort needed to ensure we have the infrastructure we need to support a growing Ontario. But, Speaker, if we're going to be honest with ourselves, we can't ignore half the workforce. That's why we need to take steps to ensure that women are represented in the skilled trades. And I'm proud to say I'd like to acknowledge the work from the Associate Minister of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity. The work that she's been doing as Speaker to ensure that we have greater representation of women in the trades. And again, Speaker, it is working. Under the leadership of this Premier, we have seen an increase in the number of female apprenticeship registrations, up by over 30% from last year. 30%. Speaker, I hope in the spirit of nonpartisanship, that's something that everybody in this House can say is a good thing. Thank you. The Member for Kiwetnaw. Miigwech, through you, Speaker, to the Premier. This government has all the time in the world to collaborate with developers in Las Vegas. But they won't show these chiefs the basic respect and meeting with them. Three times, Speaker, they have traveled here and the Premier has ignored them. Last week, they formally invited the Premier to meet with them face to face. They will be waiting for him out at the front at 12.15 today. The table is set. Will the Premier meet with the land defenders, land defense alliance chiefs today? Yes or no? The Premier. Mr. Speaker, I've heard from the First Nations communities and they have said there's never been a Premier that's been more accessible, returning phone calls, meeting with them, never ever have they had a Premier that reaches out to them, supports them in any way I can. I'm going to continue to support them. But I return every single phone call and take every single meeting, ask regional chief hair. He was the one who said that in front of numerous chiefs and they all agreed. So sorry to dismiss what you were saying. A supplementary question. Those are different set of chiefs, I think what he's talking about. But the Premier has encouraged the mining industry to exploit First Nations lands against their will. He has even promised to drive the bulldozer himself. They are still waiting. He refuses to meet with the five land defense alliance chiefs whose lands and people are at risk. Speaker, the leaders are here now, today. You know what the Premier committed to respecting the rights to their lands, to decide what happens on their land. If there is any other answer, if they are unwilling to meet with them, it just means that he does not care about First Nations. Speaker of Northern Development, the Minister of Indigenous Affairs. Speaker, and it couldn't be farther from the truth. Under this Premier's leadership, Mr. Speaker, we have settled more treaties, more flood claims and more land claims. We've struck an important balance, Mr. Speaker, about creating opportunities, addressing issues, Mr. Speaker, to ensure as the Crown, as the Government of Ontario, Mr. Speaker, that we balance the interests of other communities who've moved ahead on legacy infrastructure projects, legacy resource projects, Mr. Speaker, fundamentally transforming the economic, social, and health landscape of those communities. That opportunity is extended to those leaders. I have a personal relationship with many of them. I've known them a long time. I meet with them in my constituency office. Chief Turtle here today. I spoke with Chief... Sorry. The Chief of Nascanda got a long go about some opportunities in his community, Mr. Speaker. We're prepared to work with those communities as we do with every First Nations communities. Create opportunities for Indigenous youth, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you. The next question, the member for Richmond Hill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Attorney General. The people of Ontario deserve a justice system that is both accessible and efficient. For years, the people of Ontario relied on outdated procedures. They were paper-based, inconvenient and confusing when dealing with our province's courts of justice. Sadly, updates to technology in this sector were clearly not a priority for the previous Liberal government, and they failed to help Ontarians who need timely access in addressing their legal matters. The people of Ontario need solutions that will replace the methods that are well slow, outdated and ineffective. Speaker, can the Attorney General please explain how our government is transforming and modernizing access to our justice service? The Attorney General. Speaker, and I want to thank my friend from Richmond Hill for the question, because I am proud to tell everybody here and tell the world what the bold new step, the new era that we're entering, our government's plan to build an accessible and very responsive justice system, we're building on the great work our government has done in collaboration with the courts to transform how people across Ontario access justice. It's no secret to anybody, after years of being ignored by the previous governments, simply put, we needed to drag this system into the 21st century. And I'm proud to announce that we awarded $166 million contract to deliver the most significant digital justice system project in the country, Mr. Speaker, if not North America. It's called the Court's Digital Transformation. It'll completely change how people resolve legal matters of the Superior Court and Ontario Court. Response. Through the implementation of a faster, modern and more efficient new digital justice system, Mr. Speaker, and I'll explain more in the supplementary. The supplementary question. Thank you to our Attorney General. My constituents in Richmond here will be very happy. Digital access and implementation to other technologies will go a long way to improve how people interact with Ontario's justice system. As a government, we must ensure that our province's justice system is effective and supports streamlined court operations. It is equally important that current technology is available in courtrooms across our province in order to overcome longstanding barriers in the justice system. Modernisation of these vital services through critical investments is essential to speed up access to services. Speaker, can the Attorney General elaborate on how technological advancements will improve Ontario's justice services? Thank you. The Attorney General. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I just want to thank my colleagues in our government because they are committed to modernising and digitising government services so that they're more available to Ontarians in every part of Ontario. And the Premier's commitment to this modernisation is historic, Mr. Speaker. Through this platform from Thomson Reuters, we'll deliver a new platform that will allow you to file documents quickly and easily online, digitise access to court cases, information online. That's good for transparency, Mr. Speaker. Pay fees online, connect virtually to hearings, manage court appearances, receive decisions electronically, Mr. Speaker. We're going to make sure that this antiquated system we put up with for decades, the paper-based system is a thing of the past, Mr. Speaker, but it couldn't be done without our partners in the justice, the courts, the users, and, of course, the legal associations, Mr. Speaker. It's in addition to our justice-accelerated strategy in 2021 and 2022, we've put in tens of millions of dollars to transform the system, Mr. Speaker. We're not just making change, we're changing how change is made. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Nicodale. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier, Ontarians, particularly in the North, I believe that the government is ignoring our needs in favor of the rich friends. The government said that he was going to clean things up, but that's what he kept telling us during the last election. But now he's involved in a scandal that is about violating ethnic rules for members of his staff have quit and there's ministers that have quit as well, and they're all looking for lawyers to protect them. The minister, the Premier said that the buck stops with him. So will the Premier finally tell us the truth and explain his personal involvement in the Greenbelt scandal? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As you know, as I said earlier, the integrity commissioner will be reviewing that, but the integrity commissioner also did say this. He said, in fact, I found that the Premier's office staff were not providing direction. He went on further to say, I accept the purpose of the decisions to remove lands from the Greenbelt was to address the housing crisis. Now, this member in the North should know just how important it is that we address the housing crisis. She, of course, was part of a coalition with the Liberals that said that the North was just a wasteland, right? That nobody should make investments in the North. They stood by the Liberals when they made that claim. This member from the North stood by the Liberals when they made that claim. Now, here's what we're doing. We're restoring the Northlander, right? Because that's what is important to do for the North. We're opening up the economy of the North. You know, when I visited to Canora, I visited Canora to open up to groundbreak on a new long-run care home and a housing project there. I got delayed because, you know what, they were blasting because they were making new roads in Canora. That is what we are doing when it comes to the North. We're getting the job done for all Ontarians, including your constituents. And a supplementary question, the member from Mishigawak, James Bay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are so many questions without answers that this Premier isn't answering concerning the scandal of $2.2 billion. Once again, to the Premier, how have there's speculators were able to convince you to reduce the size of the green belt before that information was even made public? Who provided them with that information before it was made public? Hi, Mr. Speaker. Again, I've addressed this multiple times in the House Speaker. The integrity commissioner has addressed that multiple times within his report. I refer the member to page 135, page 140, page 141 and page 142. Perhaps he can refresh himself. At the same time, he might want to take a look at the budgets that we've introduced that have seen prosperity return to many, many parts of the North. You know, we're talking about bringing long-term care homes to the North, Mr. Speaker. We're talking about building homes in Northern Ontario. We're talking about bringing jobs and prosperity back to Northern Ontario. In fact, when we changed the Mining Act to help benefit the people of Northern Ontario, the member for Sudbury, whose writing is so dependent on mining jobs, voted against it. But we shouldn't be surprised, right? Because they supported the Liberals when they called the North a wasteland. They supported the Liberals who brought in carbon taxes which directly impact the people of the North, Mr. Speaker. To the people of the North, I say very directly, we'll get the job done for you. The NDP and Liberals have always failed you. We will not. Order. The next question, the member for Beaches, East York. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the new Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks. I look forward to working together with you. The Green Belt scandal has left an $8.3 billion stain on this government, resulting in the resignation of ministers and senior staff. And while the decision has been reversed, I seriously worry about the environment under this government's leadership. And so do Ontarians. Notably, the previous Minister of Environment was absent from the discourse of the Green Belt sale, at least publicly, when the destruction of the Green Belt would directly affect Ontario's environment. Mr. Speaker, why wasn't the Ministry an active participant in the Green Belt task force and how will this Minister be involved in the development of upcoming legislation that will return the Green Belt lands to their protected status? The Minister of Missful Affairs and Housing. Again, it is worth noting that this, the Green Belt, the changes that we had anticipated making the Green Belt and that are no longer happening are not costing taxpayers a cent, Mr. Speaker. Unlike the Liberals who cost the taxpayers billions of dollars and what did they accomplish with it? What did the Liberals accomplish with? The billions of dollars that they cost? Nothing. Their big accomplishment was that 300,000 jobs fled the province of Ontario. They called the north of Wasteland. They said that Ontario should transition to a service economy, forget manufacturing. That is the legacy of the Liberal Party. It was a progressive Conservative government that actually brought in the Ministry of Environment. It was a progressive Conservative government that protected the Oak Ridge's terrain, Mr. Speaker. We'll take no lessons from a party that opened up the Green Belt 17 different times. In fact, what are we doing? We're protecting the Green Belt. We're codifying it in legislation. We're adding 9,400 acres to it. The largest increase in lands ever, Mr. Speaker, and we'll... The House will come to order so we can resume question period. Start the clock. I recognize the member for her supplementary question. Should I start again? Wake up. We're in a climate emergency. A unit... The Green Belt scandal should have alerted you to Ontarians values that they value our environment and are extremely concerned of the climate emergency. And as we face this climate crisis, we need strong and proactive environmental leadership. At the end of the Ministry of Environment, Conservation Parks quietly released a report called the Provincial Climate Change Impact Assessment. And the previous minister had no press conferences about it, and this government has yet to say a word. Maybe it's because the findings are so damning. Ontarian is not doing enough of infrastructure or for Ontarians to protect us from the future. Your financial family officer even told you that. Mr. Speaker, does the new minister... Mr. Speaker, does the new minister believe in... Order. ...there's a climate crisis? And how will she utilize the recommendations from the Climate Change Impact Assessment Report to influence... Thank you. Thank you very much. To respond to the Premier. You know, again, anything coming from the Liberals supported by the NDP, you know, I find it really, really rich. And I really like Triple M. We work together. We work together at Queen's Park. You've been sucked in Triple M. I'm sorry for that. But let's talk about the infrastructure. Let's talk about the $184 billion that we're investing into $50 billion in the hospitals, building 50 sites. Let's talk about the billions of dollars we're spending on transportation, building the largest transportation system in North America, building $30 billion of subways. We're doubling the size of the DTC to get people out of their cars into the subways. Let's talk about the billions of dollars that's being invested by Oklahoma and DeFasco that's taking 2 million cars off the road. Let's talk about the 600 schools that you closed and the hundreds of new schools that we're building. That's what we're doing on infrastructure. The House will come to order. The House will come to order. I've got all morning. I am going to remind members to refer to each other by their ministerial title or the writing that their member represents. Start the clock. The next question. The member for Mississauga, Erin May. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Transportation. Traffic congestion and gridlock on highways leads to delays and frustrations. For people who live, work or travel through the western part of the GTA, Highway 413 will make a significant difference and have a huge impact on the quality of their lives. The hardworking people across Peeler Region know that Highway 413 will make travel more convenient and will help to prepare for the massive population growth expected in the next 30 years. It is clear that this project is essential not only for the people living in Peeler Region but also necessary for the overall prosperity of Ontario. Speaker, can the minister explain how our government investing in critical highway infrastructure projects like 413 will benefit the people of Ontario? Minister of Transportation. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The people of this province sent a very clear message. Build Highway 413. Mr. Speaker, just like my colleagues, I hear the same thing every single day. Gridlock in the GTA is taking away from things that matter most, like spending time with your family. That's why the Peeler Region, one of the fastest growing regions and with the expectation over a million more people, it's even more important for us to build these critical highway infrastructures across the province. Unfortunately, the previous liberal government supported by the official opposition refused to support the building of this highway. They expect the status quo. We're going to continue to invest $27 billion in expanding highway infrastructure across this province. The opposition and the liberals are completely out of touch with the challenges that the Ontarians are facing. That's why, Mr. Speaker, we're going to build highway. Thank you. That's a romantic question. Thank you, Speaker. Ontario need infrastructure to help move people and goods. Our Peeler Region will quickly become overwhelmed. Our government must provide transit relief that will make travel more convenient and will increase opportunities for jobs and economic growth. The reality is that we need critical infrastructure, such as Highway 14, to continue attracting investments here in Ontario. The people of Peeler Region are tired of the voices of no and the people who continuously oppose this project. They expect our government to deliver on building Highway 413 in order to keep up with the GTA population growth and business needs. Speaker, can the minister please elaborate on how Highway 413 will contribute to supporting our province economy and growth? Thanks. Minister of Transportation. Mr. Speaker, we know that building Highway 413 is a right thing to do for families, for the economy and for our future. Under the leadership of the Premier, we've attracted over $25 billion and new investments into this province. Gridlock has cost this province over $11 billion per year and it will only get worse if we don't build these critical highways. Mr. Speaker, Highway 413 will keep the economy moving. During the construction of Highway 413, we will support an estimated 3,500 jobs. We'll add approximately $350 million to the GDP each year and once construction is complete, we will reduce gridlock and keep our goods moving. Mr. Speaker, Highway 413 will also have a dedicated transitway to connect people to major employment centers and attract more businesses to the area. Mr. Speaker, it is very critical that we build for Highway 413 and the independent Liberals. Thank you very much. Next question, the Member for University of Rose Hill. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Municipal Affairs and Housing. Minister, your own experts have said very clearly time and time again that we don't need to open up more land to meet our housing targets. Now, while this government has backed down on opening the green belt, this government continues to force municipalities to expand their boundaries and pave over 35,000 hectares of farmland. Even when municipalities from Hamilton to Waterloo are telling you they can build the homes they need with the land they've already got. Minister, can this government reverse course and stop paving over farmland? The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. You saw this yesterday, right? Here it's the next shoe for the opposition, right? It's never about building homes, right? You can never get a question, how can we help you build more homes for the people of the province of Ontario? You'll never get that from them, right? So, no, we're not going to continue to put obstacles in the way of building homes. Let me be very clear. As the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, I'm going to remove obstacles. You know why? Because it is our job to ensure that the next generation have all of the same advantages that we have. We have one job, one job as parliamentarians to leave the province in better shape than we found it in, Mr. Speaker. And under the Liberals and NDP Coalition, what did you do? You brought the province to its knees. So, no, I will not put new obstacles in the way of building homes. And to our partners who have said clearly that you have enough homes to build, a land to build in your areas, we're going to make sure that you come on board and that we build those homes in those areas. You can catch them. You can remind the members to make the comments to the Chair. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. This government has had five years to fix the housing crisis, and it has never been more expensive, more expensive to rent or buy a home. And that is your legacy. And what we're also seeing now is that housing starts in Ontario are starting to go down. They went down by 20,000 in July, and they went down another 13,600 in August. To build the homes we need for Ontarians, we have been calling on this government time and time and time again to do more to increase density, to increase density in towns and cities so we can build homes in neighbourhoods people want to live in. What is your plan to do that? Minister, Mr. Speaker, is there housing? I can rest assured that we are going to ensure that every community across the province of Ontario will be building homes within their urban boundaries. We can rest assured. Now, Mr. Speaker, now we have been talking about removing taxes from building purpose-built rentals, right? Now, we talked about this. And finally, the federal Liberals agree with us that when you put, they recognize it, when you put a tax that it drives the economy down. And they have finally agreed with us that they've agreed to remove the tax from purpose-built rentals. There's something that we put in the budget. Now, that colleague, you remember, we put this in the budget. The Finance Minister put this in the budget. We're seeing purpose-built rental at the highest level in over 15 years. Now, we put it in the budget. The member talks about it. How did she vote? She voted against it. The member talks about transit and building in communities. But when we talked about densifying around the community infrastructure like GO trains and subway stations, how did she and her party vote? They voted against it. Don't worry, we'll get the job done for your community as well. You're welcome. You're welcome. The member for Algoma, Manitoulin. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health. Last week, Manitoulin Health Centre announced that they will have to close one of their emergency departments on days throughout October due to a shortage of available doctors. This will mean that people who live in central and western Manitoulin will have to travel at least an extra 40 kilometers when they are experiencing a medical emergency. Before the summer break, I warned the Minister about the shortage of primary care physicians on Manitoulin, and now we are seeing the consequences of understaffing play out. Speaker, this is unacceptable, and this government cannot continue to allow rural emergency rooms to go short staffed. Can the Minister commit that she will not allow ER closures on Manitoulin and become so that it doesn't become a common occurrence? Deputy Premier and Minister Valle. Thank you very much, and I appreciate the opportunity to talk about some of the things that we've been able to do to, in fact, keep emergency rooms open because we know that temporary closures are very disruptive to local communities, and of course the member opposite would know that there has not been a single closure of an emergency room north of the French River which covers the entire northern part of the province. We've worked incredibly hard to make sure that those temporary coverages where committed physicians are prepared to go into communities that are not their host communities and working those hours to make sure that we have that coverage. As I said, there has not been a single emergency department closure. That is a result of the coverage that we've been able to do with physicians. We'll continue to do that work. I know the member opposite, I'm guessing is specifically referencing Mindemoya and we'll make sure that we work with all of those partners to ensure those coverage. Thank you. Let's have a moment of your question. Thank you, Speaker. Again, to the Minister of Health, emergency room closures due to short staffing are becoming common across Ontario in rural and northern communities. Despite raising the community's concerns with the minister time after time, we are still seeing your closures happen across Algoma, Manitoulin, rural hospitals like Manitoulin Health Centre, Lady Dunn Hospital in Walla, the North Shore Health Network, St. Joseph's in Elliott Lake, hospitals in Manitouage and Hornpain work tirelessly to limit closures. However, this government has not shown any urgency in addressing the physician shortage facing Northern Ontario. We know that ignoring the problem is only making it worse. Overburdened doctors in the north are burning out and being forced to close their practices. While I appreciate the minister extending locum coverage in the Manitoulin area, the fact is that officials are still saying it is not enough to avoid ER closures. Question. What is the minister going to do to ensure that all Northerners have reliable access to physicians in their communities? The Minister of Health. I agree on one point and that is the status quo is not acceptable. We were left with the system that frankly wasn't training enough physicians. We had a Liberal government of the day who actually shuttered and reduced the number of residency physicians available for new physicians to train in the province of Ontario. In fact, it is our government under the Premier who has ensured that if you are a physician in any part of Canada and you want to live in practice in the province of Ontario, come on down. We have made it easier for people to do that. A progressive Conservative government that opened a Northern Medical School and it was our government that actually expanded those positions so that we have more physicians being trained in the province of Ontario. We have more access for individuals who want to practice in the province of Ontario and we will continue to do that work because we see a population that is expanding is in aging and wants healthcare and housing. The Member for Simcoe Gray. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Seniors and Accessibility. My writing of Simcoe Gray recently had the pleasure of hosting the Minister for the first annual Grand Parade Fundraiser hosted by Contact Community Services in Alliston. And I want to commend the work of Contact Community Services for their leadership in organizing this event and for the important work they do supporting seniors in our writing. For over 40 years, Contact has provided support to the residents of Simcoe Gray through seniors' programs and a range of other free services for those in need. And I'm very happy to share that Contact Community Services exceeded its fundraising goal of over $20,000 and that they had the most teams registered of any of the walks across Canada. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how events such as the Grand Parade Fundraiser in Alliston are important to the well-being of our seniors across this province? The Minister of Seniors and Accessibility. Thank you to the excellent MPP. He is doing marvelous job advocating for seniors in this writing. He invited me to kick off the Grand Parade and meet the friendliest people in Alliston, Ontario. Events like this are important because they create ways for seniors and their families to get active, be together, and support each other. I'd like to give a big shout out to Contact Community Services for this marvelous event. I encourage all members to follow their lead and bring seniors in their community together. Thank you. And the supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that response. Our senior population not only provides us with wisdom and experience, they're critical to the continued growth of our communities. Events such as the Grand Parade are important to bring seniors together for social interaction, but we also know that there are needs to be ongoing opportunities for seniors to be engaged in their communities. Our government must continue to work for the many Ontario seniors who built this province, who lent their expertise so that they can remain active, healthy, and live comfortably. Seniors in Ontario deserve our best and our continued support on every level. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how our government is supporting our senior population in this province? The Minister of Seniors and Accessibility. Speaker, social isolation is enemy number one for seniors. Just for me to understand that the best thing we can do is get seniors active and connected. That is why our government invested $6 million this year to support the delivery of over 280 local projects for seniors from educational classes, Zumba, and Picklebow. In fact, Contact Community Services receives $25,000 to help isolate seniors, live with healthy, get engaged, and access research in the community. And that is how we are supporting seniors in single grade across this province, get together, get the support they need, and be in their community. Thank you. The next question. Thank you, Speaker. My question's to the Premier. The property at 502 Winston Road in Grimsby was removed from the Greenbelt. New Horizons Development Group purchased this property after you became Premier. Since then, the co-founders and their families made substantial donations to the PC party. Given public concerns in Niagara, what actions have you taken to investigate potential links between these donations and the Greenbelt decision? Mr. President, how's it going? Thank you, Speaker. In fact, it was the integrity commissioner who took a look at that. And I refer the member to page 142. I cannot find the political donations were the basis for the decision to remove lands from the Greenbelt accordingly. I find that that was an objective basis for decision. The objective basis for the decision was namely a housing crisis. The integrity commissioner, actually on page 140, referenced the fact that all political parties received donations from the exact same people, Mr. Speaker. But the reality is what we are trying to do is build more homes for the people, the province of Ontario, including in that member's own community. Now that member is a member who voted against, of course, long-term care. She voted against new hospitals in her community. Thankfully, there is a good conservative member in that progressive conservative member in that area who's bought more investments in Niagara. I think that all of the other members combined from Niagara, since probably confederations. Thank you to the member. Thank you to Mr. Osterhoff for the great work that he has done in bringing investment and jobs to his community. Last member to report to their colleagues by the writing name of ministerial title. Supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. Don't you find the timeline is concerning? New horizons purchased of 502 Winston Road followed by significant donations from the co-owners family to the PC party. Note, many being their first ever provincial contributions before the 2022, no donations. And afterwards, we see max donations, over $10,000. What have you done to investigate the surge in the financial support and the degree of favoritism in the Greenbelt sale off? Mr. Chairman, I'll be. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, that is something the integrity commissioner will look into, but you talk about favoritism, right? You talk about favoritism. This is a member who voted against the expansion of roads in her community. We were just in Niagara Falls last week. We were in Niagara Falls last week, and I can't tell you how many people came to us and said, finally we have a government that cares about our region. Finally, there are members of parliament, provincial parliament that care about our region. We have new hospitals going in. We have the Skyway being expanded, Mr. Speaker. She, of course, voted against that. We have long-term care. Now, the best part of it is, colleagues, that when we break ground on long-term care, this shows up. Oh, yeah. We have to be. They show up. They want to take credit for it, Mr. Speaker. But then they don't tell their constituents and colleagues, well, we voted against it. We're just here to take credit for it. Come on. You know full well what the job of a member of provincial parliament is. It's to bring investment to your community, and there's only one member in that area who's doing it. It's the member for Niagara West. Yes! Once again, I'll remind members to please make their comments through the chair. Start the clock. The next question, the member for Burlington. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sport. How great, Minister. Today, delegations from the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario are holding meetings with members and with our government to update us on their work to provide new and innovative tourism experiences to locals and visitors alike. It's vital that we value and appreciate their insight as we all work together to understand and address the challenges facing businesses in the tourism sector. Speaker, can the Minister please explain what our government is doing to support Ontario's tourism industry? No, that's a good question. Mr. Tourism, Culture, and Sport. Mr. Speaker, thanks for the question. And I'd also like to thank her for all the work she has done in a very short period of time and the impact she has made not only in her community, but across Ontario. Mr. Speaker, tourism touches us all in many ways. And today it's touched us a lot because we've had the great pleasure of not only having a reception last night with the leadership group and people around and colleagues showing up, but today in meetings. Tourism has, I have found, become very special to me in many ways. When I've had conversations and understand what tourism does on driving economic power into our province, how they do it, and how they went through a very tough time. And the most interesting part, and I've met with a lot of them, Mr. Speaker, and I'm going to meet with more of them because they're inspiring. They're inspiring because when you say and sit down, they don't say, here, I need this help. They say, we have a problem. Here's our solution. Will you work with us to get to that solution? And you bet we will, Speaker. It's not a magic question. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the minister for his response. It's encouraging to hear the minister's confidence in our province's tourism industry. Today's meetings with members of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario are timely since tomorrow is World Tourism Day. That being said, it's also a reminder that while tourism is celebrated and recognized internationally, it's also a highly competitive industry. Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is partnering with the tourism industry to unlock its true economic potential and ensure Ontario remains a world-class tourism destination? Mr. Tourism. Mr. Speaker, another great question. I think the right word there is partnering. It's not so much working. It's partnering with people. It's understanding their dilemma and their situation. And as I said in the earlier answer, it's so refreshing to sit down with people and have them have solutions to their own problems and look for a partner to work with. We are that partner. And when I look across the industry and really, Mr. Speaker, like most things that comes down to people, the types of people you're dealing with and who we've been dealing with in the tourism industry have enlightened, have expanded and have been aggressive to go through a tough time, come out the other side and find ways to be better. And a great example, and I won't necessarily mention, yeah, I will, Blue Mountain, a ski resort, but Blue Mountain has taken a turn and they do things other than just with snow, Mr. Speaker. They take advantage of the landscape, the natural beauty. They do so many things to draw people to their area. And that's just not about Blue Mountain. That's about the whole region. And there are regions across this province that have so much to offer like Blue Mountain and the people that are in this. Thank you very much. We are doing those things. Thank you. This is our question period for this morning. Member for Oxford has a point of order. Very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I'd like to introduce the class from Rayabot School in the great village of Norwich who are here this morning. I would have done it earlier, but they were caught in the traffic and they couldn't get here, but they are here now and we'd like to say welcome to Queens Park. Yeah! The member for Muskegouac James Bay, apparently, is a point of order. Merci, Monsieur le Prudence. Thank you, Speaker. I would like to rectify my record. I mentioned 2.8 billion and it should have been 8.3 billion instead. That's a legitimate point of order. The member for Carlton. Mr. Speaker, it's come to my attention that when the page from Carlton was introduced, apparently his last name was mispronounced. It was pronounced as wordsly and not whirly and I received a call to my office asking if this could be corrected on the record. I apologize for mispronouncing the page's surname. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Are there any more points of order before we adjourn? I'd rather recess, I should say. This House stands in recess until 3 p.m.