 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Thank you so very much, Speaker. My first question this morning is to the Premier. We all know that families are struggling with pretty much the cost of everything, like childcare, for example. Toronto, in fact, has the highest childcare costs in the entire country, after 15 years of the Liberals, of course. But this Premier has also not made childcare a priority in the province of Ontario. B.C. signed a deal on childcare with the federal government back in July. As we all know, Alberta did so just last week. And this Premier is just now being dragged to the negotiating table and, shamefully, warning families to expect even further delays at getting a deal. Why has Premier Ford never made affordable $10 a day childcare a priority here in Ontario? And to apply, the Minister of Education. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the member opposite for the question. On the contrary, the Premier of this province has made childcare a priority from our first budget. It is ironic, though, that the member opposite would oppose the very measures to increase access and decrease costs for working parents in Ontario, as Liberals did three times in this House. Mr. Speaker, we've put in place a billion dollars of investment to build tens of thousands of childcare spaces. I was joined just two days ago with the Minister of Infrastructure where we announced 3,000 additional capital childcare spaces within publicly funded schools in all regions of Ontario. That's going to make a difference. We are at the table with the feds making the case for a better deal, a fair deal for Ontario families that actually gets us to $10 a day, because we know, as the member opposite rightfully mentioned, childcare rose by 400% of the former Liberal government. Unacceptable, indefensible, and the Premier has resolved to bring those costs down and get a sustainable deal that is good for all families in this province. The supplementary question. Well, Speaker, here's what happens when a province actually does make childcare a priority. Saskatchewan, for example, does make it a priority, and families there are actually expecting retroactive rebates for the fees that they've already paid. In some cases likely to be over $2,000. Some Alberta families will have their fees literally cut in half early next year. BC is already implementing $10 a day childcare. In fact, by the end of next year, they'll have 1,200 spaces in place. In Ottawa, childcare workers are actually earning $25 an hour as a starting wage. In Ontario, we have no deal whatsoever because childcare for hardworking families has just never been a priority for the Ford government. Why has this Premier not been able to get a deal like all of those other provinces, and how long are families in Ontario going to have to wait before they can see childcare costs reduce to $10 a day? Minister of Education, thank you very much. The obligation of the Ontario government is to stand up for Ontario families and the national government. If we accepted the first deal, as the New Democrats and Liberals would have done months ago, this province would have been shortchanged. It's not an exercise from an accounting perspective. It's that simply we wouldn't get to $10 a day at any point over the course of the five-year deal. What responsible leader would sign a deal that ensures that Ontario pays more per child than every province east and west? That's just simply something we're not going to accept, which is why we're at the table making the case for an increased investment over a longer period of time with greater flexibility to support all parents. We're at the table designed to get a deal, but it better be a good deal and a fair deal for the people we represent in the province of Ontario. And the final supplementary. Speaker, it's not an exercise at all. It's about getting families the affordable childcare that they've needed for decades here in this province. This Premier has not made affordable childcare a priority and everybody knows it. The evidence is clear. He hasn't even mentioned the word childcare in this legislature for over a year and a half. It's a clear signal to families that he just doesn't have their backs. The cost of everything, Speaker, as we know, is going through the roof. They need hope. Families need hope. And they deserve a break on their childcare cost. They deserve that financial relief. When will this Premier actually make $10 a day childcare a priority? Make sure that Ontario families can access affordable, not-for-profit $10 a day childcare right here in their home province of Ontario. And again, the Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We're very much committed to getting a fair deal for the people of Ontario. But, you know, Mr. Speaker, the irony is not lost on members of this House. When the new Democrats and Liberals had a chance to ensure even incremental affordability for Ontario families through the introduction of the Ontario childcare tax which the Premier put in the first budget, preserved in the second budget, enhanced in the third budget, each and every time Liberals and Democrats stood united against affordability and opposed those measures. That would have made an incremental difference. When the Premier put a billion dollars in a capital plan to build 30,000 childcare spaces, accessible affordable spaces in Ontario schools, the new Democrats and Liberals united again to oppose that effort. We are doing everything we can to make the case of the federal, liberal government. The Prime Minister, Trudeau's government, we deserve a fair deal that truly brings down costs and gets us $10, which we believe Ontario families deserve. The next question, the Leader of the Opposition. My next question is also for the Premier, but everybody knows that tax credits for rich families don't make childcare spaces available to other families, and nor does this government's policies create spaces. In fact, we've lost childcare spaces under this government's watch. But look, it's not just the cost of childcare that's a problem. It's not just a cost of childcare that's stretching families to the limits, but the cost of housing is rising rapidly, and it's becoming completely out of reach for so many Ontarians. House prices have reached significantly increased costs over the last couple of years, but certainly this pandemic has made it much, much worse. The Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada says, and I quote, a key concern here is that financially stretched households have little breathing room. The government has its head in the sand. The Premier is busy polling for political solutions to the housing crisis that he hopes will help him instead of implementing changes to help families afford a home. Why has the Premier been so busy looking out for himself instead of looking out for Ontarians who should be able to afford a home in Ontario? To reply, Minister Finance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member opposite for that question. You know, I don't think this Premier would say to the member opposite that the 760,000 people who got an increase, those on minimum wage, have their head in the sand. In fact, this Premier and this Governor has been there for people across this province, the minimum wage of an increase for 760,000 people at minimum or below minimum wage for many workers in this province. Join us and vote for the bill because it supports those hardworking Ontarians who had our back throughout the pandemic and now we've got their backs. Mr. Speaker, we have the lowest personal income tax for low income people in the country. That's putting more money back in their pockets and that's what this Premier stands for. And the supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, this government is so out of touch. Nobody earning $15 an hour, even if it's two members of the family of the household earning $15 an hour, are ever going to be able to afford a home in this province and that's what we're talking about. Terranet, as a matter of fact, found that 25% of Ontario homes are being bought up by investors, not first time home buyers. Families are struggling, Speaker, to get into the market. It was really bad under the Liberals. There's no doubt about it, but it is even worse now. First time home buyers are literally being crowded out of the market. They're competing with wealthy investors and huge corporations who see real estate as an investment deal. Not a roof over the head of a family. It's driving up prices everywhere in this province, Speaker, even in small towns. Does the Premier think it's fair that first time home buyers trying to get into a home, the home of their dreams, perhaps, that they have to compete with wealthy investors and big corporations? And if not, what's he going to do about it? Minister Kanan. Mr. Speaker, again, to the member opposite, let's stick to some of the facts. Prices are going up right across the country. They're coming up in Ontario. Mr. Speaker, this Premier, this government has done more to put the conditions in place to see housing supply increase. Because under this previous government, supported for three years by the member's opposites party, it didn't increase the supply of housing and affordable housing in this province. In fact, just last year, the conditions were put in place that 70,000 new homes were built in this province, the highest in 10 years. But it gets even better. Over 10,000 purpose-built rental units were built. The highest number since 1992, Mr. Speaker. When you had the opportunity to do something, what were you doing? This government is building. This government is acting. This government is supporting the people of Ontario. Members, to make the comments through the chair. Leader of the Opposition, final supplementary. Building homes for wealthy investors and for corporations and for buddies of the Premier is not going to help everyday working families into an affordable home. That is the fact. It's no wonder. It's no wonder that Ontario has seen the worst out-migration in 30 years. Worse since the 1980s, in fact. 85,000 people have left our province to go to places like BC, Alberta, Quebec, other provinces, basically, because it is absolutely unaffordable to live in the province of Ontario. And this Premier is making it worse with his low-wage policies. It's time to help families that are competing with wealthy investors and corporations. Families need help to get into the market. It's time to increase, frankly, the speculation and vacancy taxes on wealthy investors and corporations. We need to help families get the homes that they can afford. Why won't the Premier implement these policies to give hard-working families a break, get them a shot at owning their own home in Ontario? Mr. Finance? Well, Mr. Speaker, again, let's look at some of the facts of people wanting to come to this great province. This year, you know, COVID was a tough year for people right across the country in order to welcome new people because of restrictions, important restrictions to protect the safety and health of the people of Ontario. But this year, we're expecting almost 180,000 people to come to this great province because of the work that this Premier has done, this Minister of Health, and this whole team in preserving and protecting the health of the welfare of the people of Ontario, Mr. Speaker. It's now safe, very safe to come to Ontario. We're building more homes for every single Ontario so they can live in a condo, they can live in a house, have a front yard, have a backyard because this government supports families. This government is not going to just talk about it like they did for 15 years over there. This government is doing something about it and help us join us in building Ontario. Thank you. Member for Hamilton Mountain will come to order. Next question, the Member for Beaches, East York. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. There are almost 700 COVID cases in schools right now. Here in Toronto, hundreds of kids are at home isolating and three of our schools, including Grenoble Public in the East End, are closed completely. That means 15 schools in total are now closed across the province. Parents are watching these numbers nervously. The last time we saw numbers spiked like this, the province's cancelling of in-person classes wasn't too far behind it. Absolutely nobody wants to go back to that. Speaker, this government's lack of plans for vaccines and their refusal to reduce class sizes or invest in safer schools means that kids and staff continue to be at a higher risk than they should be. What is the Premier doing to stop this spike and keep our kids safe? Mr. Visitation. Speaker, the government has worked in partnership with the Chief Medical Officer of Health to ensure our schools remain open and safe. The member opposite cited 15 school closures of which five are closed due to operational reasons and that transparency should be cited when we speak and try to spark alarmism. The Chief Medical Officer of Health said himself, schools have been safe reflecting our community. We have now over 400 school-based clinics for our youngest learners in our schools that are now eligible for vaccines. We are proud to work in partnership to roll out the vaccine to as many children as possible. In this province, we have one of the highest vaccine rates for high schoolers and one of the lowest case rates in the country. I appreciate that we have to continue to remain vigilant, which is precisely why we've introduced rapid antigen test kits for every child over the holidays. It's why we are the only province who have expanded PCR take-home tests, the only province in the nation to do so. It's why we've increased staffing by 2,000, we've increased vaccinations in teachers and frontline staff to keep our schools safe and we'll continue to do whatever it takes to achieve that objective, Speaker. Supplementary questions? Thank you, Speaker. Those rapid tests should have been in schools and parents' hands in September. This spike in cases and enclosures shows just how important it is for us to get vaccines into as many kids' arms as possible, as soon as humanly possible. But instead of coming up with a plan to make that happen, he's going to have to take his shoulders, cross his fingers, and hope it all works out. That led to a broken vaccine portal that won't let parents register more than one child at a time and an in-school vaccine plan that just doesn't work for a lot of working parents. When is this government going to start taking this seriously or are parents going to have to wait until every school is closed again before the Premier acts? Thank you. Thank you very much. We have a detailed plan for the vaccination of children age 5 to 11. It's rolling out now. I know we've heard from the other side about how other provinces are doing so much better. But I would note that British Columbia isn't even starting to vaccinate children until next Monday. We have been doing that for several days now. We have over 100,000 appointments already made. Parents that wish to have more than one child vaccinated, we recognize many families that have more than one child that falls into this category. They can simply call the vaccine line and they can make those appointments. This is not important with over 100,000 appointments already made. We're well underway to making sure that we get all of the children age 5 to 11 vaccinated that are going to be. Once again, the member for Hamilton Mountain will come to order. The next question, the member for Brampton West. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This week is Bullying Awareness Week. I'm going to warn the member for Hamilton Mountain. I apologize to the member for Brampton West. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This week is Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week in Ontario. We know that far too many students in Ontario schools experience bullying, whether it be in the classroom or online, and one student bullet is too many. In 2019, the Ontario government announced new measures to help prevent and combat all forms of bullying in schools. Part of that commitment was to review the definition of bullying in ministry policies to ensure it reflects the realities of today. Mr. Speaker, while this marked a significant step by this government to address bullying, we know there's more work to do. Can the Minister of Education share with the House what he's doing to address bullying and cyberbullying in Ontario schools? Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member for Brampton West for this very important topic that unites us all, because we have seen an increase of bullying and cyberbullying victimizing young people based on their faith, their heritage, their sexual orientation, their place of birth, their color of skin, and I think we all could agree that that is reprehensible. There are children that have been bullied in our schools, online, and in our playgrounds, and we are resolved as a government to do something about it. The last time the definition of bullying was that we are proud as a government to announce that we are moving forward with a new updated policy requiring every school in Ontario to have anti-bullying protocols in place. And for the first time, this will require a new enhanced definition. It will strengthen parental rules to prevent bullying, and it will require boards to track reported incidents. We are doing this in partnership with our educators, strengthening the training of them to ensure we can prevent bullying in place. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I want to thank the minister for his answer. Parents across Ontario deserve to know that their government is taking a proactive approach to anti-bullying policies in schools across the province. Mr Speaker, we know that students with physical, intellectual, and development disabilities face an elevated risk of bullying. Advocacy groups have called for greater supports in schools to help vulnerable children feel included, respected, and safe. Can the minister of education tell this house how he plans to support these students as we look to combat all forms of bullying in Ontario schools? Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. When we conducted a student survey on bullying, 40% of children reported having been bullied themselves within our schools. We know this is a problem we are committed to fixing, and it's why we're proud today to announce a partnership with the Rick Hansen Foundation and the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario, leveraging their expertise and their leadership in training our educators to better prevent bullying in our schools, to increase access to culturally relevant resources, to ensure it has impact on students, and to ensure that we provide student-centric supports to children right across Ontario. These investments are going to help build safer, more inclusive classrooms. They're going to help give our staff in our schools the ability and the capacity to prevent and intervene early to save lives. Mr Speaker, we've increased investment in special education because as the member from Brampton West rightfully noted, children with intellectual, developmental disabilities face an increased level of victimization. We are committed to protecting them and to supporting all children within our schools. The next question, the member for Waterloo. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Some of the problem, and my question is to the Premier, some of the province biggest business and law firms are warning that Ontario's new online business registry system is so broken that they're now advising their clients not to incorporate or register their businesses here in Ontario anymore. In a scathing 12 page letter to the Minister, they wrote that the Conservatives new plan is so broken it's not only, and I quote, negatively impacting our firms, clients, and service providers, it's having a chilling effect on doing business in Ontario in general. Does the Premier still think his champion of a minister is doing an all-star job here as he drives business out of Ontario? Or will he step up and step in before things get even worse for Ontario businesses? And to reply to the Minister of Government and consumer services. Thank you very much for the opportunity to respond, Mr Speaker. What we have done is modernized a 30-year-old paper-based process. Under the old system, Mr Speaker, think about this for a second, a non-for-profit charity in that member's riding or a small business would literally have to fill out boxes of paperwork and then lug these boxes of paperwork into service counters wait in line only from Monday to Friday 9 to 5. That was it. That was the only option you had, Mr Speaker. Or you hired a lawyer at considerable cost. Think about those charities and those small businesses and all of the expenditures that go along with all of that work. Right? That's the option. Under our new system, Mr Speaker, it is 24-7, 365 days a year. You can do a transaction now in 16 seconds that used to be 16 weeks, Mr Speaker. And you don't have to hire a high-priced lawyer anymore, Mr Speaker. Why would this member not just simply prioritize protecting supplementary questions? Mr Speaker, this minister is modernizing businesses right out of Ontario. That's what we're seeing in it right now. This Premier has been so busy fighting for what's best for his buddies at Law Blahs and Walmart. He might have missed the real concerns of Ontario-based businesses. So I'm going to quote some of them right now. In their letter, the firms wrote, and I quote, the system shutdowns, technical glitches and substantive problems associated with the new OBR are causing significant disruption, delaying transactions and adding significant costs for businesses. To make matters worse, they also said thanks to this Ford government, and they quote, they have no confidence or assurances that year-end registrations and filings, the busiest time of year for our firms, can be completed without putting entire transactions at risk. So aside from the obvious political embarrassment for this government, getting this right really is very important. My question is simple. Does this really sound like a province that's open for business to this Premier? Mr. Government, consumer services. Again, Mr. Speaker, I'll quote from the very same letter that the member opposite quoted from Faskin's law firm. All of our law firms are familiar with complicated legal technology rollouts. They are never perfect or error-free. Let's also just think about this for a second again, Mr. Speaker. Let's look at the proof because the proof is always in the pudding. In the first 30 days 120,000 transactions were processed. 120,000, Mr. Speaker. So I'm not sure what the member opposite has against small business and a charity in her own riding. Being able to do a transaction in 16 seconds as opposed to 16 weeks. Considerable legal fees or free of charge. The comfort of your living room any time you want when and where you want or Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 or boxes of paper that you literally had to lug around and now modern based technology. Again, Mr. Speaker, what does this member opposite have against protecting the little guy? I would not think that the member opposite would be so pro-big business. But at the end of the day, Mr. Speaker, we are about protecting the little guy and ensuring that people get to do the things that they need to do most. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for 12. Good morning, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. The devastating floods in British Columbia and now Atlantic Canada highlight why it is so important to expand the green belt to protect all the river valleys throughout the greater Golden Horseshoe. Places like Crothers Creek, Duffins Creek, the Holland Marsh and of course the Periscope Marine. Your government has talked about expanding the green belt but has taken no action to date. Yesterday I retabled my bill to protect the Periscope Marine. The act would protect drinking water and reduce flood risk in our region of the province. So Speaker, will the government commit today to stop just talking about expanding the green belt and actually expand it, starting with the Periscope Marine and Crothers Creek? To reply, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Thank you very much, Speaker. And I appreciate the question from the member opposite. Speaker, it was under the leadership of this Premier that we embarked on the largest consultation to expand the green belt in Ontario's history. It's under this Premier that we're expanding green spaces, Speaker. And it's under this Premier that we're trying to understand that Ontarians want to get active and get outdoors and we're supporting them in doing that. I'm glad the member opposite talked about Hall and Marsh and I'm glad he talked about water and wastewater. It's a shame, Speaker, he voted against. Measures in the budget to improve water and wastewater. It's a shame he voted against. Measures to improve Lake Simcoe. He stood against the good folks on Lake Simcoe when we're trying to build the York bill we introduced. So I would encourage the member have a change of heart, work with our government, let's improve the same water and wastewater you just talked about, work with us in doing it. Thank you, Speaker. Supplementary question. Me too. Speaker, I would encourage the Government to have a change of heart and to not pave over 400 acres of the green belt and 2,000 acres of prime farmland in the Bay 413. Do not pave over the Hall and Marsh and threaten the very Lake Simcoe the member just talked about by building the Bradford bypass. The government says they've conducted consultations on expanding the green belt yet they have taken no action to expand it. Even though this House passed a resolution calling on the government to expand green belt protections to the community, the Minister of long-term care talked about expanding the green belt to Carothers Creek yet absolutely no action from this government. So Speaker, will the government stop just talking about green belt expansion and actually start doing it today by committing to protecting the Paris galt moraine and Carothers Creek before the end of this year. Thank you, Speaker. I'll repeat what I said earlier this government has embarked on the largest consultation of its kind working with Ontarians across this province to expand the green belt. I will also say I'm glad he spoke about adaptation resiliency it's just a shame you voted against the first ever climate change impact assessment that this government brought under the leadership of this government to fight climate change that member talked about what we're seeing in BC what we're seeing elsewhere yet you voted against and aren't joining us in the climate change impact assessment your municipality spoke to me at AMO about that communities across Ontario want to see it yet you voted against it you haven't supported investments in transit two dollars in transit for every one in highways and for this country to fill one of the jobs we're seeing everywhere that we need to fill in this province who want the dignity of a home you're against them you're against more homes member will take a seat stop the clock okay I shouldn't have to remind the members to make their comments through the chair but I will please start the clock the next question the member for Brantford brand thank you speaker through you to the minister of agriculture food and rural affairs agriculture and food processing are essential and strategic components of Ontario's food supply and economy it is these businesses and their hard working employees who are ensuring that groceries store shelves remain stocked and food remains on our tables however speaker as we have seen in the media through studies and in my own writing growth in this sector is slowing the meat and poultry Ontario survey found that financing was a barrier to growth for 64 percent of meat processing business services to the minister of food agriculture food and rural affairs what is the government doing to spur growth and ensure food continues to end up at my constituents tables to reply the minister of agriculture food and rural affairs thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I'm very pleased to address the question I just received from the member from the brand I know he stands tall with all the food processing in his writing especially for Errol a wonderful chocolate processing plant but in all seriousness I can I'm really glad that he referenced the survey that was conducted by meat and poultry Ontario because it also recognized that for every dollar a government invests in food processing a 7 to 1 return is experienced and that's why I was so very pleased to work with the minister of finance in the fall economic statement to announce a 25 million strategic processing fund that will see growth in this sector we stand with our food processing industry throughout this province because as the member for Mississauga Mall mentioned earlier in the in debate we are the second largest food processing hub we being the GTHA in North America and the supplementary thank you speaker and thank you minister and back to you I am pleased to hear that the investments the government is making will help keep locally produced food on our kitchen tables however speaker we continue to hear that one of the largest issues facing many industries including this one is a labour shortage while this investment is welcome news there are still concerns that the labour challenges in my writing and across the province will exacerbate the ongoing challenges of food processing capacity can the minister of agriculture food and rural affairs explain how this funding will address the labour shortages in Ontario's food processing industry thank you thank you very much and we don't want to keep our food processors down and I can tell you they are absolutely enthused by the focus that our government is putting on their industry and we are standing with them with our investment of 25 million dollars in funding because this fund will be able to see processors and viable business plans that look to expansion and innovation and investment in capital move forward to the tune of a max of three million dollars per eligible business plan and why are we doing this we recognize there is a labour shortage so we need to keep moving forward and embrace innovation embrace technology because we want to continue Ontario as a place to do business for food processing because we've got the best farmers in North America and we'll be able to work with those processors and make the GTHA the number one hub of food processing in all of North America thank you the next question the next question is for the premier the wait list for youth mental health services in Ontario has ballooned under this government there are currently 28,000 children on a wait list for mental health services it is an all-time high for this province and it is simply unacceptable we know that youth mental health has suffered under the COVID-19 pandemic a study coming out of sick kids reported that more than two-third of children and adolescents experienced deterioration in their mental health speaker this can no longer be put on the back burner we need to prioritize our children can the premier tell Ontario families what he plans to do to address the wait times and save our kids the associate minister of mental health and addictions thank you to the member opposite for that question the health and the well-being of all Ontarians will always be our government's top priority we know this pandemic has had an extremely difficult time for all the people in the province including young people and including the unique challenges of our students and that's why invested over 31 million dollars in new annual funding this year to improve access to specialized mental health treatment services reduce the wait lists and wait times and support the mental health and well-being of children and youth and this includes Mr. Speaker investments such as 20 million dollars for an across the board 5% funding increase for our youth mental health agencies and 2.7 million dollars at 4 new youth wellness hubs across Ontario in Guelph Timmins and Windsor now more than ever Mr. Speaker it's critical that we make the necessary investments to support the children in the province of Ontario and our government is doing just that Mr. Speaker as you hear this minister is talking a good game but the average wait time for a child to receive mental health services Hamilton is 710 days completely unacceptable Hamilton is amongst the top 9 cities for the longest wait times for intensive treatment the youth in my community needs swift access to mental health services and they're not getting it and let's not forget it's this government that cut 330 million dollars when they first came into government it's time for the government to step up to tackle this issue and help our kids and it's not just about words any longer we need real action and real investments will the premier commit today to clearing the youth mental health wait list in Ontario the associate minister of mental health and addiction thank you Mr. Speaker and once again thank you from the member opposite for that question Mr. Speaker when this government came into power the first thing we did was look at the importance of maintaining and developing assistance for mental health and addictions in the province of Ontario and that meant creating the road map to wellness and initiating investments that are building a continuum of care for children across the province and as you as I've mentioned before the amount of money is staggering that's being invested with more than 525 million dollars in annualized new funding going into the system Mr. Speaker we have a lot of questions from the member opposite nor from the previous government when they were the ones when they were in charge voted no to more mental health beds in the province and in fact closed 13% of Ontario's mental health beds that's 9,645 hospital beds across the province of Ontario in addition to that they said no to more acute thank you next question the member for Scarborough thank you speaker my question is to the Premier Scarborough is one of the most food insecure places in our province when COVID hit and people had to stay home to save lives organizations like Feed Scarborough and the 5 in 2 kitchens knew that food assistance would rise rapidly these organizations had to adapt to having food programs out of food trucks and making deliveries where people live these organizations and their volunteers stepped up and are another example of our pandemic heroes however as the COVID crisis has become less acute in our ICUs the same cannot be said for our food banks the Daily Bread Food Bank whose hungry report showed that the use of food banks in my riding of Scarborough Guildwood has increased by 43% alone this is not sustainable question what is this government doing to ensure food security and what is the Premier doing this month to make sure people don't go through the winter hungry the Minister of Children Community and Social Services thank you speaker and thank you very much to the member opposite for the question obviously this is a very important issue that our government is committed to addressing and we continue to invest in last year the Ministry of Children and Community and Social Services released our new poverty reduction strategy and I can tell you that we are continuing to work closely across government as we approach this very important issue there is a five year strategy that will help support Ontario's economic recovery by connecting people experiencing poverty with training, health and other supports to set them on a pathway to make people keep more of their hard earned money and clearly the affordability of many things is rising and when we look to the federal government and understand the role that they have to play in this I'm pleased to say that I've been able to speak with my federal counterpart and understand how we can work together and impress upon the federal government the importance of providing a Canada disability benefit to make that issue very well understood. Thank you The supplementary question Speaker hunger cannot wait. Individuals, children and families who are hungry cannot wait. So let's talk about what this government under its responsibility can do to solve the issue. You could for instance issue another one time top up to OW this P so that people have the adequacy that they need right now. The daily bread food banks whose hungry report was right when they stated that poverty is at the root cause of food insecurity it is a community safety issue. But more importantly it is a human dignity issue. As elected members all of us in this house have a responsibility to help and we cannot ignore while we see people standing up in food lines Speaker the daily bread food bank and I agree that the basic income is part of a solution to the poverty question. Will this government restart the basic income pilot so that we can have the answers that we need to ensure that Thank you very much. Thank you Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Thank you Speaker and again I couldn't agree more with the member of the public because I know this is such an important issue for people. We have invested more than a billion dollars in the social services relief fund we have increased other rates to OW and ODSP we did that rather urgently after inheriting a situation that really had been neglected for many many years we have improved the social services relief fund by a billion dollars and that's on top of the 8.3 billion dollars or more than 8.3 billion dollars spent annually to provide these social services supports and our government values the commitment to people that are living in a situation where they need support this is about giving them a hand up and getting them through a very difficult time. So food security is obviously very important as part of Ontario's effort we've put in 8 million dollars we continue to add the student nutrition programs and the basic income that the member opposite mentions would cost and I think this is important for the member opposite to understand 80 billion dollars a year. The next question, the member for Helleburton, Coritha Lakesborough. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. My constituents and many Ontarians have long been asking for the new letters in favour of more modern digital reminders that make it easier, faster and more convenient. Now more than ever Ontarians need our government to provide opportunities and to deliver in demand digital services in a way that meets people's needs where they are and where they are going. Could the Minister please elaborate on how this new initiative is going to benefit Ontarians like my constituents in Helleburton, Coritha Lakesborough. Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you so much to the great member from Helleburton, Coritha Lakes Brock for the question. Speaker, our government has worked so very hard to find new and innovative ways to make services more accessible and easier to use. With the phasing out of paper renewal notices we are taking the next big step forward. Mr. Speaker, this move is going to save hard working hours of our province over the next five years with 29 million dollars. We will reinvest these savings into important services like education and health care. This is not just good news for taxpayers but it is going to save 80 million pieces of paper from ending up in landfills. That is over 362 tons of paper which are the weight of 240 cars and I love this statistic Mr. Speaker, if you were to stack all the paper it would be the height of six and a half CN towers. That is pretty impressive Mr. Speaker so we are going to keep on moving forward to protect the environment, save time and money. Thank you. Supplementary question. Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you very much to the minister for his answer. This is great news for every day Ontarians and our environment. I often hear from members of the government that the government is making paper work. Times are changing Mr. Speaker and the future is within reach. More and more Ontarians want a government that will make it easier to access important information such as licensed renewal notices at home or on the go. But some of them still have questions. So Speaker through you, could the minister please explain to the House if you have any questions. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Well thanks again to the member for the question and thank you Mr. Speaker to ensure that Ontarians do not miss their renewal deadlines. We are encouraging them to sign up for free digital reminders. This is a very fast and convenient way to stay up to date. Just a few clicks online at Ontario.ca front slash reminders and you can choose to have it as a text this move builds on the progress that we have already made to make it easier for Ontarians to access services online. Ontarians can now access 40 services online through their service Ontario 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, right from the comfort of their living room couch. It's going to make it easier to renew your driver's license or your health card much quicker. Mr. Speaker, our government was elected to modernize services and make them more accessible to use. And with this announcement we are going to continue to do that and there's so much more to come Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much to the member again. Thank you very much. Next question to member for September. Thank you very much Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Speaker yesterday the Mayor of Greater Sudbury sent an urgent letter to the Premier. He urged the Premier to finally step in with funding to help with Sudbury's growing homelessness and addictions crisis. The letter reads while we are doing our best to ensure that our services are simply not designed to provide assistance without provincial support. When I spoke with Mayor Bigger last night he told me that when the Premier was in Sudbury a month ago the Premier gave his word that he'd follow up. Speaker has been 28 long days since that conversation the Premier hasn't done any follow up at all. Imagine that Speaker. The North has the highest per capita death rates due to overdoses in the province. No follow up by the Premier. Not a single recovery bed pledged by this Premier. Speaker my question is simple it's the same question I ask every single day. How many more people in Sudbury have to die before the Premier grows a heart and helps Sudbury. To reply the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you once again for that question. No matter where a person lives in the province of Ontario it's been always our mission and the mission of the Premier as well to ensure that every Ontario has access to high quality mental health and addiction supports when and where they need them. From the very beginning our government has taken decisive action to address the mental health and addiction issues everywhere in the province and that includes the North, the rural, the remote communities and since the release of the road map to wellness we've made unprecedented investments over 40 million dollars in new and ongoing investments. These investments include new funding for inpatient mental health beds, mobile crisis services both in home and mobile detox services and opioid addiction services and Timmins. We've made investments in children and youth mental health supports and residential detoxes in Thunder Bay. Mr. Speaker we are continuing to make investments and building the continuum of care to look after all the people. Thank you. The supplementary, the member for Nickel Belt. Thank you. Also to the Premier the Mayor of Greater Sudbury is frustrated and so am I. His letter to the Premier reads and I quote you and I have spoken about the situation previously on several occasions. You have assured me that you understand our needs and the urgency of the situation but no significant assistance has been forthcoming end of quote. The letter from Mayor Bigger describes some strong solutions already cussed out that are ready to be implemented in my city and they would save lives. We need supportive housing. We need a supervised consumption site. We need emergency funding to help with the COVID outbreaks in our homeless situation population. It was minus seven last night minus 15 this weekend and 205 people many with children are living un-sheltered outdoors. They need to be housed. For that to happen we need action from this Premier. Will the Premier answer Sudbury Mayor's call for help and fund these urgent provincial programs for Sudbury? Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you again for that supplement that question. Mr. Speaker, our government this year invested $175 million for mental health and addiction services that builds on our previous annual investments now totaling $525 million in new annualized funding. This means over half a billion dollars in net new funding for the entire province Mr. Speaker and through this funding we announced an historic investment of $32.7 million in new annualized funding that's targeted for addiction services including treatment for opioid addictions. This includes $13 million in additional new annual funding to address urgent gaps across the continuum of care in Northwestern Ontario. Mr. Speaker, we're aware of the issues we are building that continuum of care and we will address the issues relating to addictions and mental health in the province through our investments. The next question, Member for Guelph. Thank you Speaker. The next question is for the premier. Climate pollution is going up not down in Ontario and no matter how much spin this government puts on it it's clear the auditor general said that the government will not meet its weakened GHG reductions targets. We must reverse course immediately and the most practical and fiscally responsible way to do it is to electrify transportation industry and building heat infrastructure. We need to work. We need to maintain a clean grid but the government is planning to ramp up gas plants which would increase pollution by 400 percent reversing one third of the GHG reductions Ontarians achieved by phasing out coal. So Speaker, I ask the premier will you instruct your Minister of Energy to implement lower cost cleaner solutions to apply the Minister of Energy Well thanks very much and I'm really energized to take on this question from the member opposite this morning and I appreciate the fact that I know the member opposite can appreciate the fact as well that our electricity grid that we have in the province today is 94 percent emissions free and I know the member opposite although he is the leader of the Green Party will know that the Green Energy Act has created chaos for the people of Ontario it created an oversupply actually which we currently have in Ontario we have more electricity we have more energy than we actually need but to the member's point we do know that as Pickering comes offline in 2025 and as refurbishments continue at our workhorses in the energy sector at Bruce and at Darlington nuclear facilities we are going to have to balance the grid that's why we're looking at various ways to do that Mr. Speaker one of the ways is to use natural gas fleet that we have but another way is conservation programs which we're really keen on encouraging people to take control of their energy bills of their electricity consumption and I'll have more to say in the supplementary speaker Supplementary question It is true Speaker we have a clean grid in Ontario but with the government's current plans that grid will no longer be clean there are cheaper and cleaner solutions to ramping up gas plants the previous government learned the problems and challenges of gas plants I would suggest this government don't make the same mistakes energy efficiency and conservation far cheaper helping people lower their utility bills and lower climate pollution the government cut most of those programs utility scale renewable energy the price of fossil gas government cut those made in Ontario energy storage solutions such as hydro store which is getting contracts in California and Australia and around the world but not in Ontario so Speaker will the minister say yes to Ontario entrepreneurs and job creators and bring in low cost clean energy solutions they know to ramping up gas plants Minister of Energy In a word Mr. Speaker I'm happy to say yes actually we're looking at all options when it comes to energy and supply mix in Ontario yesterday I had the opportunity to meet with the Ontario young professionals in energy we had a great conversation Sean McCarthy formerly of the Globe and Mail was the moderator for it over a hundred young entrepreneurs innovative minds talking about the future of our energy sector in Ontario and you know they were delighted to know that I had written to the independent electricity system operator asking the ISO to look at ways that we could incorporate battery storage to provide that stability that that doesn't exist under the previous Liberal Government's Green Energy Act the unreliability the unsustainability the price was outrageous we had people paying way over prices for electricity and the biggest complaints that we got in our constituency offices where people complaining about their electricity bills we want to provide that reliability affordability and sustainability for the member opposite next question the member for Toronto St. Paul Speaker this morning Toronto Star revealed that Metrolinx and Crosslinx transit solutions have come to an agreement on a new opening date for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT and my question is to the Premier the deal was made behind closed doors and they're refusing to disclose this new date with the public in fact the only people who seem to be looped in on a transit project that the public is paying for are private corporations like Metrolinx Crosslinx and Moody's credit rating agency Speaker why does the credit rating agency have more information than our local community on when we will see this transit project finally delivered thank you to apply the member for Scarborough Rouge Park Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member opposite for that question our government wants to see the transit built and we are committed to building a smarter and a faster transit I am disappointed and frustrated that this project is late and however we are making a significant strides towards completion in June Metrolinx began vehicle testing in both east and west Metro area and these activities remain going just recently we reached another exciting milestone completing all tracks along the new 19 kilometer line Mr. Speaker I know that Metrolinx is working diligently toward a 2022 completion date which also working closely with businesses who require support during the reminder time of this period Mr. Speaker we will continue to work to ensure by 2022 the completion date will be there and we are again working with the stakeholders and the local businesses so that they get the adequate support they need thank you Mr. Speaker Thank you Mr. Speaker sadly our community doesn't quite believe the communications of the government because it's been delay after delay the LRT has been under construction for over 10 years my question is back to the premier and those years have been especially hard in a little Jamaica where black businesses have been severely hit alongside residents who are afraid of being pushed out quite frankly by new builds which haven't prioritized inclusionary zoning hundreds of black businesses have been forced to close down and our midtown small businesses and residents have also been hit hard residents have dealt with relentless noise due to the construction this is the nature of private transit projects they are expensive delayed and the only people heard in the process are the people the area is supposed to serve this is why last year you might remember I had put forth a little Jamaica's small business economic health and community wellness strategy demanding the government to stand up for little Jamaica to stand up for midtown to stand up for inclusionary zoning our small businesses and our BIAs my question is when will the government finally step in get this project built and provide concrete pun intended dates of the completion for my community thank you Mr. Scarborough-Rouche Park to reply thank you Mr. Speaker the Eglinton cross line project will reduce as we all know a travel times in the corridor by up to 60% compared to with the current bus services and with 25 stations along the dedicated route it will be easier than ever to live in the least side and dine in the upper village or shop the Golden Mile live in Forest Hill Mr. Speaker the Metrolinx priority in all their project is health and safety of workers and the public and Metrolinx goal has always been and reminds to get the cross line project completed and open for the people of Toronto as soon as possible at this point Mr. Speaker I am unable to comment on specific matters due to there are a lot of ongoing settlement going on right now but one thing I can confirm to this house that over the last several months Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario have been in discussion with CTS to reach thank you very much thank you the next question the Member for Ottawa thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Solicitor General Mr. Speaker the government is going forward to build a massive 235 bed prison in downtown Kembroke our society need more rehabilitation services and less punitive means of justice while dangerous criminals need to be incarcerated to preserve public safety many other offenders could be rehabilitated through community programs this prison will be totally inaccessible by public transit that many inmates will not be able to receive visits from family it would also require the municipality to pay the bills for extra policing and infrastructure my question is will the government we consider and listen to residents who are opposed to the prison and cancel the project Government House Leader thank you very much Mr. Speaker I appreciate the question from the Honourable Member again highlights as the questions from the Liberal Party on a daily basis highlights the ineffectiveness of the previous Liberal Government over 15 years we have to invest in jails in new facilities, correctional facilities because they were so underfunded under the previous Liberal Government the facilities that we have do not do the types of things that the member has asked for in the question Mr. Speaker that is why we have to provide new facilities now Mr. Speaker we have always made a priority on this side of the House law and order that goes without saying but we do understand and as the Minister of Mental Health has talked about on a daily basis we do understand that there are more things that have to happen to bring a person back it's not just about incarceration Mr. Speaker it is about ensuring that we have a proper facility, that we have the proper resources and the proper services in place to reintegrate people back into society effectively that is an elementary question Thank you Mr. Speaker well it sounds like the government wants to continue policies of mass incarceration instead of effective just and humane responses to crime and its causes Mr. Speaker dealing with the opioid crisis has become an obvious priority it is impossible to ignore the devastating effect that substance abuse is having on all of our communities criminalization and incarceration of people who use drugs it has resulted instead in increased health harms opioid addiction is a health issue not a criminal one would the Minister share what strategy if any the government has to reduce incarceration and the need for more prison and increase access to evidence based treatment Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you for that question that question goes to the root of what the government is trying to do we are trying to build a continuum of care we are trying to invest in education and prevention we are trying to ensure that people have access where there is a fragmented system where there are gaps where we address those gaps and a lot of those were left undone thanks to your previous government we are trying to build that system and included in that system is how we deal with corrections there were investments that have been made by our government in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to be administered in the corrections facilities and of course when a person comes out of the corrections facilities we have invested in transitional housing to provide them the opportunity to reintegrate back into society and not become a cog in a repetitive wheel so we have done that Mr. Speaker and we will continue making those investments helping every Ontarian in the province thank you that concludes our Question Period for this morning two members have informed me they would like to raise a point of order I will deal with the member for Hamilton Mountain first thank you Speaker standing order 25K prohibits members of this assembly from being abusive or insulting during Question Period Premier Ford made a rude gesture directed at me but more importantly it was directed at people struggling with mental health it is a derogatory and outdated gesture designed to be little and mock people will the Premier apologize to the people of Ontario for his rude gesture and further stigmatization of mental health response I did not see the alleged gesture that was made I can't comment on it as such any member who wishes to apologize at any time can do so but I can't comment on it further point of order Government House Leader thank you very much Mr Speaker just rising on Standing Order 59 just to outline the status of business for next week Speaker I will also advise the House at this time that there will be no night sitting this evening Monday November 29th in the afternoon there will be third reading of Bill 27 working for Workers Act I would like to thank all the members who participated in committee on that one Mr Speaker in the evening we will continue to debate on the reply to the speech from the throne on Tuesday November 30 in the morning there will be third reading of Bill 13 Supporting People and Businesses Act and before question period Mr Speaker we will have a tribute to former Member Harry C. Perot in the afternoon third reading of Bill 13 Supporting People and Businesses Act and in the evening PMB ballot item 16 standing in the name of the member for Spadina Fort York and that bill has yet to be determined on Thursday December 2nd in the morning third reading of Bill 13 Supporting People and Businesses Act in the afternoon we will continue on with third reading of Bill 13 Supporting People and Businesses Act and in the evening PMB ballot item number 17 standing in the name of the member for Spadina Fort York and that bill has yet to be determined on Thursday December 2nd in the morning third reading of Bill 37 providing more care protecting seniors and building more beds act in the afternoon third reading of Bill 37 Mr Speaker and in the evening PMB ballot item number 18 standing in the name of the member for Don Valley North which is Bill 34 Anti-Asian Education Month Act and Mr Speaker just to again remind members on all sides of the House that notice of waving of notice for PMBs will no longer be considered thank you Mr Speaker thank you for being no further business this morning so stands in recess until 1pm