 It is time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of His Majesty's loyal opposition. Thank you Speaker, my question to the Premier. Our children's hospitals are overwhelmed. Parents are worried. They're anxious about their sick children. Yesterday, the Chief Medical Officer of Health strongly advised all adults to wear masks indoors to protect our children. The Premier said he will take the advice of the Medical Officer of Health. Why is the Premier not taking leadership and wearing a mask to protect our children? The member will know full well that this government has been taking leadership right from the beginning of the pandemic, even in instances where the member's opposite refused to work with the government to ensure that Ontario's health and safety was put first. Every single time that we put a measure in place to improve healthcare in the province of Ontario, they have voted against it. Bringing on new nurses, they voted against it. When we brought on significant funding for our small and medium-sized hospitals, they voted against it. The most rapid build-out of long-term care in the history of this province, if not the entire country, they have voted against it. We have brought forward incredible vaccinations in this province. We have led North American in terms of vaccinations. We have led the entire North American in terms of our of our battling of COVID. In every single instance, they have voted against it. We will continue to work hard working with the Chief Medical Officer of Health to ensure the health and safety of all the people of the province of Ontario, regardless of whether the Leader of the Opposition wants to work with us or not. So I go back, Speaker. The Medical Officer of Health recommended to protect our children that all adults wear masks indoors. The Premier can send a very strong signal to adults across Ontario that this is serious and that they need to act. And so I ask, why is the Premier not showing the leadership that's required at this moment and wearing a mask? Minister of Health. You know, since the beginning of this pandemic, there is nothing that the Premier hasn't done to protect our children and our most vulnerable. From the very beginning, when we had no vaccines in the province of Ontario worldwide, we made sure that the initiatives that we did, the programs that we put in place, protected our most vulnerable, protected our most senior, protected our children. And we will continue to do that as a government because we understand when you make investments in people, you make investments in community. And we've done that from the start. As the House Leader mentioned, you know, the investments that we have made in health care in the province of Ontario are truly historic, Speaker. And yet, when we ask members of the opposition to stand with us and work with us, they refused and they voted against our initiatives, will make the investments, will continue to do what the Chief Medical Officer of Health recommends because we know it's the right thing. Thank you. The final supplementary. Leadership is not simply repeating talking points in the House. Leadership is taking the advice the Medical Officer of Health, something the Premier says that he does, and acting on it. We need public education to move people. I'm not seeing those programs. We need vaccination teams because vaccination levels are at incredibly low levels. I'm not seeing that. We need 10 paid sick days so people can do what the Medical Officer of Health says, stay home when you're sick. What is it going to take for the Premier to show leadership and actually act on the recommendations of the Medical Officer of Health? Second in the world, Speaker. Only Japan was able to get a higher vaccination rate and therefore protection rate for their communities. Second in the world, we have nothing when we make sure that vaccines are available. We see results and we have, Speaker, respectfully. We have seen the numbers of people who stepped up and said, I want to protect my elderly. I want to go visit my senior in my long-term care home. I want to be part of the solution. And part of the solution, frankly, is making sure that your vaccines are up to date. We've done that. We've made those investments and results prove that they have made a difference. As I said, we will continue to make those investments to ensure that the people of Ontario have vaccines, have boosters, have flu shots when they need them and will do that work. I'm not going to take any lessons from the member opposite who refuses to support me. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health. Children's hospitals are in crisis, Minister. At sick kids, care departments are running at 127% to 145% above capacity. It's not just sick kids. Across Ontario, pediatric hospitals and care units have reached maximum capacity. What is this government's plan to help children's hospitals meet the increased demand for care? Minister of Health. Thank you, Speaker. We have already put in place so many initiatives that are making a difference in Chio and Ottawa. Imagine the ability for them to literally ramp up a second ICU because they saw the need in their communities. These are clinicians. These are hospital leaders who are doing the right thing, who are stepping up when we give them the investments and support. So our early efforts, of course, we anticipated a surge in pediatric and took early steps to support the challenging fall virus season. We've already done early operational guidance with provided support, fall and winter surge preparedness and pediatric capacity. We saw that in Chio. We see now sick kids, nurses who are doing education to ensure that nurses in other community hospitals know, anticipate and are prepared for a uptake that we have anticipated and we are working towards. But the... Thank you. The supplementary question. Minister, sick kids and hospitals don't just want to imagine. They want the investment so that they can deal with the very serious issues they're facing. Yesterday, sick kids began cancelling surgeries to cope with surging demand in its ICUs and its emergency department. Now, sick kids already has a surgery wait list with more of more than 3,400 children waiting beyond the clinically acceptable timeframe. What is this government's plan to help children get the surgeries they're waiting for? Mr. Panache. Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure and the opportunity to table the fall economic statement here yesterday. Our opposition said, where's all the new money for health care? Well, if they were here in August when I tabled the budget, which was voted on yes by this side and no on that side, they recognized that there were $5.6 billion of new investments for health care. This government recognizes that we're investing in the surgical backlog. We're investing in home care. We're investing in community care, in acute care, more beds. We have a plan to stay open that we came back in the legislature in August, Mr. Speaker, to get the job done for the people of Ontario and we will not rest until the investments that were neglected by the previous government making in their health. Mr. Speaker, we're going to get it done. Thank you, Minister. Sick Kids Emergency Room is also at breaking point. The average wait time in the emergency room at Sick Kids is now 12 hours. That is triple what it was in 2019. No one wants to wait 12 hours in an emergency room with a baby or a child in pain, and that is what is happening today in hospitals in downtown Toronto. What is your government's plan to ensure emergency rooms can quickly help the children who need care? Mr. Health Speaker, I've said it before and I will say it again. We planned for this expected surge. We have worked with our clinicians, with our hospital leaders, to make sure that they have the resources to properly assess where children and adults need to be in our healthcare system when they need that care. That work is ongoing. Those investments in emergency departments, in over 11,900 new health human resources, these are people who are working in our systems today in the province of Ontario that did not have a job in healthcare before the pandemic. We've made sure that those investments translate into ensuring that when we see surges, whether they are for RSV, for flu or other COVID-related pandemic issues, we have the capacity and we will continue to serve those parents and children. Thank you, Speaker. Through you, the Premier. Despite promising the people of this province not to, quote, touch the green belt, this government has put forward a plan to remove 7,400 acres of land from the green belt, claiming they need more land to build housing. Yet the province's own Housing Ability Task Force reported that a lack of land was not the problem. We already have all the land we need for housing. The green belt was created to preserve valuable farmland and connect the forest and wetland ecosystems. Every expert is saying that removing parts of it threatens all of it. Will the Premier tell the people of Ontario the true nature of his motives in putting their farmland, food security and conservation lands in jeopardy when his own experts are saying we have plenty of land available for development? Thank you very much, Speaker, and I thank my honourable colleague for the question, Mr Speaker. Yet and yet again, you will see the NDP find any excuse to object to building houses, Mr Speaker. After the previous government failed the people of this province, we made a commitment to the people of this province. We will not follow their path, Mr Speaker. We will not let down the people of this province. We have shortage of homes here in this province right now. We will have a further shortage if we don't do something about it. After they failed, they held a balance of power, Mr Speaker. For years, was housing a priority? Colleagues for this government? For these people? Never. It took this Premier this party to say, we're no longer going down that path. We will not let down the people of this province, Mr Speaker. We will build homes for the people. We will build, as newcomers come in, we will build the homes that they need. We will not let them down. We'll find ways to make sure that the people of this province have a home to go through every night. The supplementary question. Speaker, there are many places to build new condo towers and subdivisions that aren't in the green belt or on a wetland. Some of the owners of the protected land the government is opening up to development purchased the land just a few months ago. One parcel of land was bought by the rice group back in September and was described as a prime opportunity for, quote, land banking. What interesting timing, Speaker. Developers like the rice group CEO Michael Rice and TAC development CEO Silvio DeGaspis have donated tens of thousands of dollars to the Ontario PC party. Four companies controlled by members of the DeGaspis family own 20 properties on the land this government is opening up for development. Speaker, the green belt is a vital to keeping Ontario's watershed systems and environment healthy and working. Without it, we increase the risk of flooding, droughts and food security. After promising not to touch the green belt, why is the Premier carving it up and serving pieces of it to his hungry friends like one of his homemade cheesecakes? Mr Speaker, maybe the opposition can spend some time actually reading initiatives because if they had seen it, we're expanding the green belt by 2,000 acres, Mr Speaker. While building 50,000 more new homes, Mr Speaker, whether it's in Niagara, whether it's east, west, north, in Toronto, GTA, the people of Ontario will not be let down by this government, Mr Speaker. We will build homes for them at the federal government's recent announcement with 500,000 new Canadians coming in here. Opposition come towards. We will not let down the new Canadians that are coming here to look for homes, Mr Speaker. We will not let down the previous generation. We will expand the green belt. We will build homes in every corner of this province, Mr Speaker, because that's what we promise to the people of this province. Unlike the opposition, it doesn't matter what the previous government did. They supported them along the way. With us, it's a little different. We're actually forehousing in this province. We're going to pause for a few minutes to let Tom prevail. Order. Start the clock. The next question. The member for Barry Innisfil. The opportunity to rise in legislators today to address a really crucial topic. Unfortunately, there have been reports about steady increases in racist incidents within our education system, including a spike in anti-Semitism and racism within our school settings. I know I can speak for everyone in this legislature in stating that any form of hate should be removed from our classrooms. There are new findings that also show by Western University and Liberation 75 that find that when it comes to Holocaust education and awareness, there's a worrisome 42% of students that were surveyed that have unequivocally witnessed an anti-Semitic act or event in their school. Speaker, can the Minister of Education tell us what else we can do to combat anti-Semitism and stomp out this hate decisively? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member from Barry Innisfil for her exceptional leadership in this space of Cameron Cade in all forms. Mr. Speaker, democracies and free people around the world have declared never again. And yet in this country, according to the study cited by the member from Barry Innisfil, one in three students in Canada believe the Holocaust was fabricated or exaggerated. 42% of students have explicitly seen an anti-Semitic incident in their school. Mr. Speaker, these are startling data points for any government. And we are absolutely committed to confronting this hate through education to improve the lives of all citizens and to make sure these kids are in schools where they are respected for their inherent dignity, not because of their difference. And so, Speaker, I am proud for the first time in on-trails elementary schools to be mandating mandatory elementary learning on the Holocaust, to embed in our schools, to ensure students' commitment and to certainly keep every child safe and at home. And the supplementary question, Member Thornhill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the opportunity to speak about this vital issue that deserves further attention. Students and families in my riding have been negatively impacted by anti-Semitic hatred and discrimination whether in our schools or public settings. All students deserve the opportunity to learn free from hate and discrimination, especially the students from my riding. To take meaningful action in combating what's happening today, we must ensure that young people in this province are aware of the past. This includes Jewish history, culture, perspectives, and contributions to Canada. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Education. Why was it only our government that recognized the urgency in taking immediate action by expanding Holocaust education in the curriculum? Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. I want to thank the Member from Thornhill for her commitment to fighting hate in all of its forums. Mr. Speaker, we're taking action to counter anti-Semitism and hate in all of its forums because those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And that's why, Speaker, through education we're mandating for the first time in Ontario's history mandatory learning within our elementary schools on the Holocaust to ensure students understand the horrors of the greatest atrocity in modern history. And it is absolutely necessary that we do this now because 90% of incidents happen. Anti-Semitic incidents take place in grade seven and eight. And so we're introducing it in grade six, following the advice of Sija, of the friends of Simon Wiesenthal, and other leaders across our country. Mr. Speaker, we are ensuring that respect, diversity, and inclusion triumphs within our schools, and we're taking action together to confront hate in all of its forums. Thank you. Next question, the Member from Thornhill. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. My constituent, Lindsay, her youngest son who's three years old, recently had to be admitted to an ICU for respiratory distress requiring high-level BIPAP support. A few days after her son was discharged, Lindsay had to take him back again to the hospital for assistance with his breathing. In both instances, she was told by the overworked healthcare staff that they would like to keep him for observation, but there were no beds. They were sent home and told to come back if it got worse. Mr. Speaker, this is a nightmare for parents. One ER doctor has asked this Minister of Health, and I quote, do you know that we're resuscitating three to four kids at a time now? We are seeing a wave of respiratory illness in young children with limited capacity to properly treat patients, and yet there is no new funding for healthcare in the fall economic statement. How can the government justify this after everything that children and parents have endured during this pandemic? Why will you not acknowledge that six months past their first budget, additional funding is needed to address this crisis because the crisis is real? Thank you, Speaker. You know, the member opposite story reinforces how valued and important it is that we have a healthcare system and healthcare support workers who are there when we need them. We have done that. We have prepared, through a budget that was passed, without your support, I might add, in August, less than three months ago, we were preparing for what we anticipated was a fall surge, a fall and winter COVID potentially, potentially flu, and of course, our SB. We're doing that investment. We're making those investments. We've had hospital CEOs and presidents say, this is not a money problem. This is a health human resource challenge. And we are working through that with investments that we are making with colleges and universities to expand the number of health systems. We continue to build a stronger healthcare system because we know the people of Ontario need and deserve that. All right, members, once again, make your comments through to our team. Supplementary questions. We believe the financial accountability officer on this one because there's a huge gap in where resources should be and where they're going. No amount of government talking points will be able to distract from the fact that more needs to be done to protect families and children. You can't even get the Premier to don a mask in a legislature. We need to invest in our healthcare system in the people who are working right now down the street at sick kids. None of us should have constituents like Lindsay begging the government for a basic standard of healthcare for her family while her child fights to breathe. Adding more pediatric ICU beds means investing in training and retaining. This is the missing part from your fall economic statement and paying healthcare workers a fair wage. When will you repeal Bill 124, which is a wage suppression piece of legislation? It is driving people out of this province at the very least, Mr Speaker. The Minister of Health needs to address the repealing of Bill 124. It should have been in the fall. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Let's look at the fact. Since our government has made these historic investments over $6.2 billion year over year, dollar increase in healthcare spending that is the largest increase in healthcare spending on record for this province, Mr Speaker. And I might add the members opposite voted against each one of those dollars being added to our healthcare system. Over 11,700 new healthcare workers since March of 2020. Every single one of those workers the members opposite voted against. When we put forward $342 million to support retraining, upscaling or registered nurses, nurses, RPNs, the members opposite voted against that. When we put forward a measure to increase pay for PSWs, DSWs, the members opposite voted against. Every measure that we have put forward as a government, Mr Speaker, to support healthcare, invest in healthcare, the members opposite have voted against. We will continue to do what we can to support healthcare in this province. Question, the member for Thunder Bay Atacocan. Thank you, Speaker. In my writing of Thunder Bay Atacocan and across Northern Ontario, I'm hearing from any businesses, notably in the mining and forestry sectors, that unfortunately cannot find workers they need. Businesses in my community want to hire more skilled tradespeople but face a critical shortage of workers to fill all job vacancies. Over 21,000 jobs are currently unfilled in Northern Ontario, many of which are in the skilled trades. Speaker, I want to thank the Minister of Labor, Immigration and Skills Development for his visit to Thunder Bay last week and ask them to share with the House what our government is doing to address the skilled trade shortage in Northern Ontario. Thank the member from Thunder Bay who's doing a great job representing his community here at Queen's Park. Mr. Speaker, just last week I had the pleasure of visiting Thunder Bay with the member to announce that our government is investing $1.5 million in Thunder Bay training projects with the Carpenters Union Local 1669 and Confederation College. Our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, is on a mission to give people in every corner of Ontario a hand up to life-changing careers in the skilled trades. These crucial investments will make it easier for people across Northern Ontario to start rewarding careers that provide meaningful work, good pay with defined pensions and benefits. Speaker, for anyone anywhere in Ontario who wants a hand up, our government is here to help. We're building a stronger Ontario that leaves no one behind. Thank you, Minister. Speaker, we know the demand for tradespeople is continuously growing in Northern Ontario. Unfortunately, many young people do not know about the opportunities in the skilled trades that are widely available. In fact, it was surprising to learn the average age of an apprentice in Ontario is 29 years old. Given that the province is facing an ever-growing shortfall in the skilled trades, with a third of tradespeople nearing retirement, urgent action is needed. Speaker, can the Minister please share how our government is helping more young people learn about the opportunities available to them in the skilled trades, especially in the communities in Northern Ontario? Again, thank you to the member for this very important question. Speaker, last week, while in Thunder Bay with the CEO of our new agency, Skill Trades Ontario, we promoted upcoming Skill Trades career fairs for students across Northern Ontario. Today and tomorrow, thanks to the Ministry of Education and our ministry, fairs are underway in Sudbury and on November 29th, the fair will be in Thunder Bay. For the first time in Ontario's history, students in grades 7 to 12 can learn about the 144 different trades available in Ontario from union leaders, employers and tradespeople all under one roof. One of the best kept secrets, Mr. Speaker, in Ontario, is the fact that many people in the trades are earning more than those with PhDs. And to build a stronger Ontario, we need more hardworking people in the skilled trades. Thank you, Speaker. Good morning. My question is to the Premier. Paramedics across Northwestern Ontario, including the writing of Kuehnuk, have been raising an alarm. They are dealing with high-call volumes, a huge geographical area and understaffing. What is this government doing to improve ambulance coverage for patients in the area, as well as working conditions for these paramedics? Thank you, Speaker. And thank you for the member office's question. It gives me an opportunity to highlight some of the many initiatives that we've been working with our community paramedics and paramedics and other healthcare providers like Orange Air Ambulance, which would of course be of particular interest to the member opposite. We've ensured that we have opportunities other than paramedics having to drive only patients to their emergency departments. And in fact, in some communities, we've seen success and satisfaction rates of over 85%. It means that someone who doesn't need to go to an emergency department and can get services within their community with the patient's consent can go to that long-term care home, can go to that palliative care home, can go to access other opportunities. I think it is really an example of the innovation that we're embracing in our healthcare system. A supplementary question. Speaker, paramedics in the Canora region have the challenge of ensuring ambulance coverage in the region that has 10 ambulance bases spread across 400,000 square kilometers. The current setup isn't working for the patients or staff. Residents deserve better attention from the levels of government that fund the Northwest EMS. When we don't fund these services properly, the lives and the health of the people of Northern Ontario suffer. What is this government doing to improve this crisis of care across the region? As I said, Speaker, we are working with our partners. We're making sure that programs like the nurse offload program to ensure that we have funded a exclusive individual to assist in making sure that as paramedics bring their patients into the emergency department, there is a paid position funded by our government to make sure that they can stabilize that patient while they're waiting for care internally. That one initiative ensures that those paramedics can go back out into community. We talk about all of the different ways that our healthcare providers work together to improve the system. These are the initiatives. These are the proposals and changes that our government is funding to make sure that we have the appropriate care and we have the appropriate health human resources doing that work. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Children's hospitals across Ontario are facing unprecedented challenges. In Ottawa, CHEO is operating at 113% capacity while its intensive care unit is at over 180%, Mr. Speaker. CHEO is cancelling surgeries and converting more space for that intensive care need. There are shortages in the lack of children's pain medications, which is forcing more and more parents to go to the emergency room to see care for their kids. Under the watch of this government, Mr. Speaker, CHEO has had to cancel appointments and surgeries because of this influx of patients and the lack of sufficient resources to deal with the surge. They don't have sufficient resources, Mr. Speaker, because of Bill 124. They don't have sufficient resources, Mr. Speaker, because this government is fixated on election gimmicks instead of investing in our healthcare. The hospitals don't have sufficient resources, Mr. Speaker, because this government doesn't have their back. So, Mr. Speaker, what is this government going to do today to fix the healthcare crisis in our hospitals, in particular, our children's hospitals? So, I'm going to start with the pediatric pain medication. I wonder if the member opposite has spoken to the federal government and talked about what they are doing to actually ensure that the pain medication that our parents and our children need and deserve is available in the province of Ontario. I know that I have been speaking to Minister Jouquot on an almost daily basis to get updates, and I have insurances that that is happening. But I wonder if the member opposite has done the same. I wonder if the member opposite has actually congratulated CHEO on doing something that has added capacity in a very expedited manner. These are the leadership qualities that we need to encourage and make sure that we're acknowledging, we're funding, and we're supporting. We're doing that as our government is. I wonder if the member opposite has done the same. My supplemental is also for the remer, Mr. Speaker, almost every aspect of the healthcare system is in crisis. Under this government's watch, we've seen the time for ER visits, admitted patients increased to over 45.2 hours. We've seen ambulance offload delays go from 83 minutes to 90 minutes. In September, Mr. Speaker, that extra seven minutes is almost the entire provincially legislated time for response for an emergency. This has led to a dramatic increase in level zero events right across the province. That means an ambulance isn't there to respond to your 911 call. Despite the level zero crisis we're facing, neither the word paramedic nor the word ambulance is mentioned one time, not once in the fall economic statement, Mr. Speaker. The City of Ottawa is asking for $5 million to strategically position paramedics at hospitals across the city to help with offload delays. Will the government provide the city this funding to reduce level zero events and ensure an ambulance is there to respond to 911 calls? So in August, we passed a budget that had an increase in the healthcare budget of over $5 billion. The member opposite voted against that initiative. Order. The House will come to order. Mr. Health, please continue. You can and demand that we make more investments in healthcare without actually doing the work. We've done that. We've made that commitment in our most recent budget. The member opposite can stand up and say more needs to be done. But frankly, maybe the first thing that needs to happen is you actually support the initiatives that our government has been bringing for. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Mines. Ongoing global economic uncertainty driven by inflation and geopolitical instability is causing disruptions in worldwide supply chains, leading to negative consequences here in Ontario. The mining sector in our province represents an opportunity for Ontario to assume the role of a global leader. For example, as the world moves toward more electric vehicle production, the critical minerals required in constructing these vehicles can be extracted right here in our province. Speaker, could the Minister please tell this House about what our government is doing to make Ontario a leader in mineral production? Thank you for the question for the member from Bradford. The opportunities for the Ontario mining industry have never been greater than they are now, and that's why we introduced the critical mineral strategy in the spring of this year. It's the perfect marriage of the opportunity of minerals in northern Ontario with the manufacturing might in southern Ontario. In the words of OMA President Chris Hutchin, as the world emerges from COVID-19 pandemic faces increasing geopolitical uncertainty, and as the race to halt climate change accelerates, Ontario is primed to continue contributing meaningful solutions while capitalizing on rising global demand for green and critical minerals. I couldn't agree more, Mr. Speaker. Ontario produced the critical minerals and metals that are fundamental to the modern life and keep components in the key energy transition. Just last month we celebrated the grand opening of Valley Copper South expansion that we followed up by the Creighton Mine. That will be $1.8 billion that will secure a local supply of the critical minerals that we need for the EVs. Speaker, thank you and thank you Minister for that response. Ontario's mining company set the standard for responsible and safe operations worldwide. Ontario's mineral exploration and mining industry represent a great comeback story as our government is willing to step up and provide leadership after the years of neglect they faced under the previous liberal government. Opening new mines and expanding existing ones will mean producing jobs, good jobs, that good people here in this province can rely on. It will increase our economy's revenue, which means we can help pay for the critical services that benefit all of Ontarians. Speaker, can the Minister elaborate further on this industry's critical role in our province and what supports we can provide? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, thank you again for your question. Mr. Speaker, as a former miner myself, I am passionate about this great industry. I used to be a part of the Ontario Mining Association, which for the past 44 years has advocated for the sector, built positive relationships and celebrated this dynamic, innovative industry. Mr. Speaker, today we are celebrating the Ontario Mining Association's Meet the Miners Day at Queens Park. I encourage everyone to join me at the Meet the Miners reception at 5 p.m. and the terrace room at the Gardner Museum. It is an opportunity to speak with miners, learn more about the importance of the sector, and engage in policy discussion that can move this sector forward. Thank you, Speaker. Yesterday, the Financial Accountability Office reported the government is on track for a $6 billion shortfall in education spending over the next few years, including $400 million this year alone. But yesterday's economic statement didn't do anything to address this gap. The Premier has now used pandemic disruptions to schooling, largely caused by this government, as an excuse to trample on the rights of low-paid workers and to spend public money on private tutoring companies. If the Premier is so committed to our kids' success, why doesn't he do the obvious thing and adequately fund public education? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, through you to the Member Opposite. I'm sure the Member Opposite has read the budget, which included a $3.6 billion increase for education funding this fiscal year, Mr. Speaker. $3.6 billion now. Obviously, we tabled that budget in April of 2022, took it to the electorate, and that budget was roundly endorsed by the people of Ontario. So when we recall the legislature back in August to pass that budget, did the Member Opposite vote for that $3.6 billion increase? No. But you know what's in that increase? That's funding, a large funding envelope for childcare, Mr. Speaker, so we can move more childcare funding to build more schools. The previous government closed 600 schools. You don't need childcare spaces when you close schools. We're putting them in new schools, in existing schools, mental health supports, tutorial supports, HEPA filters. Mr. Speaker, we're investing in our children. The Minister should mention childcare, Speaker, because it's not just school-age kids this government is letting down. The FAO also revealed that the government's childcare expansion plan is shockingly inadequate. Even if the government builds all their plans, 71,000 net new spaces by 2026, and that's a big if, it won't be enough to keep up with increasing demand. Over 200,000 children will be unable to access $10 a day childcare in Ontario. The government could ensure access for all with a serious expansion plan, and by addressing the workforce crisis with better wages and working conditions for childcare workers. So my question is, why isn't the Premier doing that? Mr. Speaker, let me remind the members opposite that the advice the government six to 12 months ago was to accept a deal that would have precluded a third of children in the province of Ontario. They would have exacerbated the very problem they cite today, the irony of the member opposite posing that question. But I am proud to report that because of the reforms our government undertook 92% of operators in this province have opted into our program to ensure accessible, affordable childcare. An incredible achievement that's going to help so many families receive 25% on average savings this fall, roughly $6,000, rising to $12,000, roughly 50% on average of savings by January 1st of 2023. This is a monumental achievement. And Mr. Speaker, while we have created the conditions of 46,000 childcare spaces since we came to office, in the deal we signed, 86,000 more will be built to increase access. And the federal government has a billion dollars on the table for capital. We urge them to release the dollars so we can improve access for families across this province. The next question, the member for Don Valley West. Thank you Mr. Speaker. A month ago I visited Holland Bloorview Children's Rehab Hospital in my riding of Don Valley West. This world class organization develops treatments, supports and provides specialized care for children with disabilities due to illness or trauma. I asked what they needed from the Ontario government. They said they have a surgical backlog and that they need more support to clear it. Now with children's hospitals overflowing across the province, surgeries being canceled, bigger backlogs are building. The economic outlook says the government is holding on to contingency funds in case of unforeseen risks. While this risk of increased hospitalizations was indeed foreseen and called out by many outside this government, will the Minister of Finance acknowledge that they did not foresee this risk and that now is indeed the time to allocate funds from the contingency to help get sick kids the procedures that they need? Thank you, Speaker. As I've mentioned in my previous answers, we were preparing for this fall respiratory challenge in the upcoming previous budget that we passed in August. We prepared by anticipating that surge in pediatrics and making sure that hospitals, both serving pediatric patients and adults, were able to build their capacity. We've done that work. I have to give a shout out to the clinicians and the hospital leadership who've worked together to make sure that when they experience a surge in their individual hospital, they work with their neighbouring community hospitals to ensure that patients who can be transferred back to their home community are able to do so. We're doing that work. We're making those investments. We've invested in additional surgery backlogs to ensure that people don't have to wait an exorbitantly long time for their surgeries. There are going to be challenges as we deal with the surge in flu or in some cases RSV, but we're working with our hospital leadership to make sure that we give them the support they need. Thank you. A supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We here in this house and the people of Ontario have heard this song before from this government, but it's now an old song and Ontarians deserve to get the care they need, not excuses. In the economic and fiscal outlook, the minister states that his government, and I quote, has always been open and transparent. I just came from the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, which it appears will now not be reviewing the estimates of the ministry. When presented with an opportunity to reschedule, his colleagues refused to find the time to ensure that the residents of Ontario and even their own constituents would get answers about government expenditures. Does the minister of finance agree with his colleagues' decision to block the review of his ministry's estimates? And if not, when would he be willing to meet with the Standing Committee of Finance and Economic Affairs to be open and transparent with members of provincial parliament? Thank you. Mr. Finance. Oh, Mr. Speaker, I don't know where to begin on this question. I'm hearing from the member opposite whose party there when faced with the Auditor General looking at the books didn't get a clean audit. You know, Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General of Ontario had a qualified opinion for their books, Mr. Speaker. Not our government. Five years of clean opinion from the Auditor General. And, Mr. Speaker, let's look at the election, the pre-election budget review. The interim leader knows this full well. The auditor looked at the books and says these numbers had up their reasonable. Mr. Speaker, when they went to the electorate in 2018, she found that they were not reasonable. They didn't paint a fair picture. Mr. Government. I'm out every 90 days and the minister, he knows that. He knows that. Every 90 days, his government didn't go out every 90 days. The next question, the member for Halliburton Gawrth, Lake Straw. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. With one in 10 jobs in our province connected to the agri-food sector, that represents one in 10 paychecks in my writing. My constituents depend on agri-food employers like Mariposa Dairy in Lindsay. Their two facilities, measuring over 80,000 square feet, represent North America's largest private-label goat and cheap cheese producers. Growth in Ontario's agriculture and food manufacturing sector means more good-paying jobs for families across our province. But to grow our agri-food businesses, we need access to new markets for companies like Mariposa to expand. Speaker, can the minister please tell the House what our government is doing to promote Ontario's agriculture and food manufacturers worldwide in order to provide them with greater economic opportunities? Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the member from Halliburton Gawrth, Lake Straw for her question, because it allows me the opportunity to share with everyone in the House something that you already know. Ontario consumers have trust in Ontario's agri-food sector because it's reliable and it's stable. But Speaker, over and above that, our agri-food sector does $51 billion worth of two-way trade. And given the leadership of Premier Ford and our government, we've increased our global exports by 13.4% since 2020. You know, our government is promoting trust and confidence in Made in Ontario food at every opportunity. This week, there are nearly 20 businesses in our Ontario pavilion at the Private Labels Manufacturing Association trade show in Chicago. They're opening up new doors. And earlier this fall, Ontario hosted our country's largest grocery meeting, where 44 Ontario companies, much like Mariposa Dairy, held over 160 meetings to discuss nearly $14 million in potential sales. We're strong in terms of our agri-food sector in the province of Ontario, and we're a neck and neck. Well, Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for the great work that she is doing for our agri-producers. When an Ontario food business expands, new jobs are created, and more money is put back into our economy. The work by our government to promote food and beverages produced in Ontario is greatly appreciated by the 750,000 workers who are employed in the agri-food sector. The U.S. is our number one trading partner and is a critical market for our agri-food sector. Because of this reality, we must assist our farmers as they pursue economic opportunities worldwide. Speaker, can the minister explain what our government is doing to help businesses in the agri-food sector expand into overseas markets? I'm really pleased to share that we continue to look for new avenues to grow our agri-food sector in Ontario with markets like in Southeast Asia. There are perfect opportunities that abound. Just in meeting recently with representatives from around the world, I can tell you there's consistent interest in our commodities, in our food, as well as our genetics. I'd be remissed if I didn't reflect on Ontario pork since they're here today at Queen's Park. Ontario pork exports $700 million in products every year to 41 different countries. 9% of that goes directly to Japan, which is a growing market for Ontario agri-food. Unlike the previous Liberal government who turned a blind eye to the agri-food industry, our government is building up the value of our sector in terms of agriculture and food export potential. We know it's an important driver in our overall provincial economy. Because of that, we're proud to be supporting our farmers, our processors, and we're putting agri-tech innovation at the forefront. Thank you very much. Thank you. My question is for the Minister of Health. Every single week, my office receives multiple phone calls regarding the failures of our home care system. Elizabeth is a senior in my writing, who ends up sleeping in her chair at least once a week because Bayshore doesn't notify her that her worker won't be coming to help her transfer into bed. Home care reliability is so bad that patients who want to, who could, who should be at home, are stuck in hospital, leading your government to pass law that overwrites their rights to consent and push them in long-term care home far away from home. Can the Minister please tell me if she thinks that our home care system is meeting the needs of Ontarians? Does the member opposite believe that home care is an integral and important part of our health care system? I certainly do. Our government has shown that through its investments. We want to make sure that people who can and want to be able to recover and live in their own home with minimal support, in many cases, have that opportunity, which is why in the 2022-23 budget our government is investing an additional $1 billion over the next three years to improve the quality of care. $1 billion will make a huge difference in our community home care system because it means that it will equate to 739,000 nursing visits, 157,000 nurse shift hours, 117,000 therapy visits including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech language Spots? 2,118,000 hours of personal support workers and 236,000 other types of home care visits. Do I believe these investments are a critical part of how we can ensure that the people of Ontario get the home care they deserve and need? Absolutely. Thank you, Speaker. Our home care system is broken. It fails thousands of people every single day since the government was elected four and a half years ago. Nothing has changed. There is a health human resources crisis in home care, Speaker, because our government does not fund home care adequately. Solving the home care human resource crisis means that you provide permanent, full-time, well-paid jobs with benefits, 10 days paid sick days, and a pension plan. And many PSW who works in our community will go back to home care. When will this government admit that home care is an integral part of our health care system and that it needs to provide directive and financial support to fix our broken home care system? Thank you, Speaker. When we pass a budget that includes a billion dollars in home care support, in community care support, and the member opposite votes against it, and then stands up today and says we need more, which is it? Are you going to support the investments that we are making the province of Ontario, or are you going to continue to say we're not doing enough? A billion dollars is a historic investment. It will truly be a game changer for people who want and have the ability to live and recover at home, in their own home. We're making those investments. We're ensuring that people get that support when they need it, where they need it, and we will continue to do that work, regardless of what the member opposite spins and her tails. I'm going to ask the minister to withdraw the information. I shouldn't the member for Ms. Saga Erin Mills. Mr. Speaker, in my writing of Ms. Saga Erin Mills, there is a growing need for more supportive housing. While our government is committed to supporting vulnerable and at-risk populations, the need in my writing is urgent. Many of our most vulnerable not only need a place to live, but they also require additional care and support. Stated plainly, there is not enough housing supply. There is currently a lack of affordable housing availability that meets their specific needs. A situation which creates additional stress and pressures on those who are already facing challenges and difficulties. Speaker, can the Associate Minister of Housing please share what our government is doing to meet the supportive housing demands in my writing? Thank you very much, Speaker, and I thank my Honourable colleague for the question. Speaker, this government has always been and will always be focused on making the lives of Ontarians better, particularly, Mr. Speaker, when it comes to finding a home. Speaker, we've committed every resource available to ensuring family and individuals have a place to call home and a roof over their heads, and that includes, Speaker, making sure every person has access to the assistance and support they need. Speaker, I was just in Mississauga alongside my colleague from Mississauga Streetville for an announcement for 40 supportive housing units with an investment of $4.5 million. Speaker, we've invested $2.25 million in Brantford to create 26 bachelor units for vulnerable people experiencing homelessness, $3 million in Guelph to create 16 units, $2.5 million in Barrie to create 14 units, $1.8 million in Windsor to create 26 units, $1.1 million in Central for 18 units. Speaker, these are just a few of the examples of how we are building 3100 housing units. We're making the capital investments through the Social Services Relief Fund, Mr. Speaker, so that thank you. Thank you very much. The supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, thank you for the Associate Minister of Housing for the answer. It is clear that the lack of housing supply is one of the main barriers preventing Ontarians from finding a home. We have here directly from experts that high fees are the main obstacle to building more supportive housing units in Ontario. Speaker, again to the Associate Minister, what is our government doing to provide relief for the high fees imposed on builders to ensure more supportive housing units are available for those who need it most? Thank you very much, Speaker. Again to the Honourable Member for the follow-up question. Speaker, not only are we investing the funding to make it possible to build supportive housing, we're cutting red tape that's blocking developers, nonprofits and community partners from getting shovels in the ground. With our latest bill, we address concerns related to development charges, Speaker. But I must emphasise that all the supporting housing units that we've built this far, Mr. Speaker, whether it's investments in Thomasville where we built 20 units or the 22.9 million in Thunder Bay for 98 units, 5.5 million in London to build 30 accessible modular home units, Mr. Speaker, and there's much more to come. Speaker, this is a government that doesn't leave anyone behind in this province. We will always make sure that every Ontario is not only housed, Mr. Speaker, but has a home that they're safe and they're supported when they are, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for your question, Mr. Speaker. In March of last year, the Conservative Government unanimously voted down my bill to create a wage floor for all personal support workers. Instead, they chose to extend the temporary pandemic wage enhancement that only applied to some PSWs, Speaker. And then they promised they'd make the $2 top up permanent, except according to another First Global News article, hospital PSWs are still waiting on the permanent wage increase. My question, Speaker, is if the Conservative Government wants Ontario to believe that they care about workers, why are hospital PSWs waiting more than eight months for a $2 raise? Thank you, Speaker. The member opposite raises an important point. As you know, the funds were flown to our hospital partners and our long-term care partners in September to ensure that the second tranche of the PSW and nurse retention bonus pays were given. Those should be distributed. They will be retroactive. So as the individual hospitals, perhaps the member opposite could share with me examples so that we could follow up, but the funding has flown from our government. We understand the value and importance of PSWs in our healthcare system and we want to make sure, which is frankly why we made a temporary wage enhancement permanent. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the Premier. I don't know if waiting eight months for a $2 raise shows that you care about PSWs. Let's go to home care PSWs because employment standards, looking into this, according to the Ministry of Labor Immigration, Training and Skills Development Guide for Employment Standards Act on Home Care Workers, home care PSWs are only entitled to pay for no more than 12 hours per day. And I learned this because a home care provider asked me, told me they don't have to pay more than this. They're also not entitled to daily or weekly limits on hours of work, daily rest periods. They're home care PSWs are not entitled to the time off between shifts. They're not entitled to weekly or bi-weekly rest periods. And home care PSWs are not entitled to eating periods or overtime pay. That's very serious if you're talking about how important PSWs are to serve government speaker. So my question is, will the Premier Direct Minister of Labor Immigration Training and Skills to update the Employment Standards Act so that all home care PSWs are entitled to at least some of the standards of every other worker in Ontario, including overtime pay? So again, Speaker, I will remind the member opposite that at the very beginning in October 1st of 2020, we made a commitment, we made an investment to ensure that our personal support workers got the support they needed because we saw how critically important they were in our home care sector, in our long-term care sector, and in our hospital sector. That temporary wage enhancement, of course, has now been made permanent. And I will reinforce again that the organisations that have that permanent wage enhancement have the money from the province of Ontario. That money has been distributed and it will be retroactive. So while I am frustrated that some people are still waiting for those wage enhancements, the money has flown and it is retroactive. They will get their money. Point of order. Member for Brampton North. Thank you, Speaker. I'd like to welcome my good friend, Harout Matossian. He's the former chair of the Armenian National Committee of Toronto, current board member of the Armenian Community Center Advisory Board. Harout, welcome to Queen's Park. Here's our question for you to this morning. I beg to inform the House that pursuant to standing order 9G. The clerk has received written notice from the Government House Leader indicating that a temporary change in the weekly meeting schedule of the House is required and therefore the afternoon routine on Wednesday, November 16th, 2022 shall commence at 1pm. There being no further business this morning, this House stands in recess until 1pm.