 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the member for Hamilton West and Caster Dundas. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the Premier. Good morning, Premier. A wonderful man in my riding, John Sutter, had both legs amputated and waited months in St. Joe's in Hamilton for an appropriate long-term care bed. While he waited, he was billed $1,034 a day for his hospital bed. He received a bill for $241,956. His family contacted me desperate and worried. Who can afford a quarter-million-dollar hospital bill? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Look, the changes that we are making in the long-term in more beds, more choice, are very clear to us, Speaker. We are trying to ensure that people can get into long-term care homes where the quality of care is better for them. Full stop. I don't think anybody disagrees that when somebody is in a hospital and they've been discharged from the hospital, that the better quality of care for them, where we can give them better services, where they can be closer to their family, is in a long-term care home. Now the member opposite references something, a tool that has been in the toolbox for hospitals since 1979, Mr. Speaker, but ultimately what we are trying to do, the changes that we are suggesting and hopefully that this legislature will pass, will help us deal with the challenges of acute care, will help residents like the one she is talking about get a better quality of care in homes and communities close to their preferred, while leaving them on the waiting list for their preferred choice, Mr. Speaker. Doctors agree with this, hospital administrators agree with this, and I hope the opposition does. The supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Again to the Premier. The government is giving itself the power to sign people up to long-term care homes that they don't want to go to. If they refuse, they could be slapped with a huge tab, like John Sutter and his family, to prevent seniors from being coerced into long-term care homes against their will. Will this government ban billing for hospital beds? That's in the member's question. He highlights the fact that this is something that has been in the toolbox for hospitals since 1979. I'm glad he acknowledges that it is not a change in this bill, finally, Mr. Speaker. But what are we actually trying to do? What we're trying to do is give people who are in acute care in hospitals, who are waiting for long-term care beds more options, Mr. Speaker, because we know experts agree, doctors agree, hospital administrators agree that the best place for somebody who's waiting for a long-term care bed is in a long-term care home. It is about providing better services, better quality of services for a person waiting for long-term care. That is why we are providing additional resources so that somebody doesn't have to be transported back and forth, whether they need kidney dialysis, behavioral supports on terrors getting more resources, Mr. Speaker. I hope the opposition will join with us. Help us. Ontario's long-term care system can be part of the solution of the acute care problem in this province that has existed for decades. Join with us because it's better for the patients and it's better for us. Thank you very much. The opposition. Mr. Speaker, we don't support coercion. Period. Dr. Vivian Stamatopoulos says she's already hearing from families being threatened with high fees for their hospital stay. Jane Meadis, a lawyer for the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, says they get hundreds of these calls from families. The government's new legislation lets them send your information to a care home without your consent. They can sign you up for that care home without your consent. If you refuse to go, they have the power to use massive bed bills to force grandma to get in that cab. So ask again, will this government ban billing for hospital beds? That question is completely contrary to the question he just asked before, Mr. Speaker. So what he is admitting and what his party is admitting is that there's been a tool in the toolbox for decades in this province, Mr. Speaker, but what he doesn't want to talk about is the fact that because of the investments that we have made in long-term care, the investments that this premier, this government, this cabinet and this caucus have made in every part of this province, we are able to be part of a solution to the critical care bed shortage or the acute care bed shortage that has existed in this province for decades. We are talking about making 2,500 additional beds available. We're talking about better quality of care for people, Mr. Speaker, who are actually waiting for long-term care. They're waiting for long-term care. The governments agree, doctors agree, hospital administrators agree that the best place for you to get the care that you need if you're waiting for a long-term care bed is in a long-term care home. That's why we're providing millions of dollars in support to make the system even better. They voted against all of that, but we will not stop improving the system. Thank you. Next question. Member for Scarborough, South West. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, my question is to the premier. The Gwell Wellington Paramedic Service experienced another Code Red on Saturday. They're 25th this year. That means there are no ambulance services available to respond to emergency calls. In July alone, Speaker, Code Red was called 11 times. My question is simple. Will this government increase cost-sharing with municipalities to access emergency services? Yes or no? The Premier and Minister of Health. Thank you, Speaker. You know, as part of the delegations at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario meetings last week, I actually met with the Gwell Wellington organization to talk very specifically about their paramedics service. There is no doubt that our paramedics are doing exceptional work in community, which is why we have announced, as part of our investments, to expand the community paramedics program, because we see it as an opportunity for, first and foremost, making sure that people get the care they need in their own homes when it is appropriate. And frankly, it also allows us to ensure that when those paramedics need those emergency calls and the ambulances, they are available to ensure that they get to the emergency departments quickly and get that service. Thank you, Speaker. The supplementary question, a member for London North Summit. Back to the premier. Speaker, this issue is not unique to Guelph. In London, Opsuth 147 reports 30% of paramedics are looking to leave the field as soon as possible. They face dangerous understaffing, ever-increasing hospital offload delays, and they run out of ambulances every day. Communities across Ontario are worried, terrified about not having access to emergency medical services. ERs are flooded with patients, so why is this government taking resources away from our public hospitals? So respectfully, Speaker, the numbers that the member opposite is quoting are simply not happening on the street. I had and have had many opportunities to speak to paramedics, paramedics chiefs. And what they are telling me is they love that 911 model of care. They love the opportunity to provide service in community, in homes. They are embracing these new innovations because they know it is better service for the patient. It's better service for the community. Thank you, Speaker. Member for Ottawa West-Napien. Thank you, Speaker. It's not just Guelph in London. Ottawa ambulances are spending hours tied up at hospitals instead of being on the road responding to calls. As a result, in the first seven months of this year alone, there have been 1,041 instances of level zero where no ambulance is being available in the entire city of Ottawa. Speaker, we are a city of one million people. One million people, zero ambulance is available. This is a catastrophe waiting to happen. Will the Premier address the crisis in our emergency room so that when someone in Ottawa calls 911, there's an ambulance available to respond? Minister of Health. Thank you. You know these questions give me an opportunity to talk about some of the innovation that is happening in our communities right now and to give the statistics to prove that they are working. So they are hugely successful, 911 models of care. Patients are being diverted from emergency departments through these models, receive the care they need 17 times faster. And the satisfaction rate is in the 90s. 94% of the individuals who are served through these models of care are not in fact going to emergency. These innovations are working. These opportunities to work with all partners, again, whether they're in hospital, long term care in community through our paramedics, is what is making our system smoother and better. Thank you. The next question, the member for Mishkegawak James Bay. Thank you Mr. Speaker. The question for the Premier. Thank you Mr. Speaker. The question for the Premier. We are struggling in finding doctors to keep their emergency department open and half of its population has no family doctors. In Hearst Hospital administrators have solutions that would save up to $185,000 per year with funding for nurse practitioner. This would address the lack of doctors in their emergency department and locum clinics. Premier, will your government help the Hearst Hospital and give them separate funding so that they can hire their nurse practitioner to alleviate the lack of doctors and help keep their emergency department and locum clinics open? Mr. Health. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are open to any and all innovations that hospitals and communities give us. We have, of course, as a government already added 400 additional physicians that are working in remote and northern communities and ensuring that they have the coverage they need. We have launched a new provincial emergency department program. It's peer-to-peer program that provides additional on-demand real-time support and coaching from experienced emergency physicians to aid in the management of patients presenting to rural emergency departments. If the member opposite has an innovation or an idea that he would like to bring forward, I am happy to look at that and review those. Those expansions are exactly what we are looking for and we are funding through historic announcements that we have been making at AMO and across Ontario. Thank you, Speaker. I do appreciate your answer and, again, to the Premier. We have in our hospital only one anesthesiologist and he has too much work. They need support. The hospital administrator have submitted a program and a plan in order to recruit more anesthesiologists. And after many emails and correspondence, we still have no answer. The solution of this plan is actually something that is still very far away and the health of our community is at risk. So are you going to answer to this plan? Are you going to help in order to have more anesthesiologists in our riding? Yes or no? A couple of examples that I would like to share with the member opposite. I have met with the College of Nurses. I have met with the physicians and surgeons of Ontario and saying we want to expedite those health human resources that are available in the province of Ontario. If someone has applied to practice medicine, to be a health human resource individual in the province of Ontario, then we want to expedite those licences. We want to ensure that due process is there, but we also want to make sure the people who want to work in the health care system have that opportunity right here in the province of Ontario. I was working as recently as yesterday with the FTP, the federal provincial territorial ministers, to make sure that what we do across Canada is helping everyone, and we're going to work with our federal government to make sure that we expedite the process for foreign trained, professionally educated individuals to practice in the province of Ontario. Thank you. The next question, the member for Brampton West. To the Minister of Transportation, Speaker, parts of my riding of Brampton West have been crippled by gridlock for far too long. People are sick and tired of sitting in traffic, Mr Speaker, and this was one of the top issues I heard during the election campaign. But this issue didn't arise overnight, Mr Speaker. Successive Liberal governments in the province failed to build, and as a result, Mr Speaker, the left ingredients with a massive infrastructure deficit. Mr Speaker, we need to get shovels ready on the projects like Highway 413 because we simply cannot afford delay. Mr Speaker, can the Minister of Transportation inform the House on the progress of this vital project? Thank you, Speaker, and I want to thank a member from Brampton West for his question for tireless advocacy to improve transportation options for the residents of his riding. Speaker, Highway 413 is a key pillar of our government's plan to build Ontario. As part of that plan, we are fighting gridlock and we're supporting jobs. Speaker, Highway 401 is already the most congested corridor in North America. And when you factor in the fact that 200,000 people will be coming to Ontario each year, the need for Highway 413 is even more clear. It will save drivers up to 30 minutes per trip, leaving drivers with five hours back in their week for the things that matter most. Highway 413 will also keep our supply chains strong and help get goods to market faster. Speaker, our government is filling the infrastructure deficit that we inherited from the previous Liberal government. For 15 years, the Liberals said no to fighting gridlock and to addressing growth. Our government is saying yes, and we are going to build Highway 413. A supplementary question. Thank you, Mr Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for the response. Speaker, there have been resounding support for Highway 413 in my riding of Brampton West, and I'm proud to see our government pushing it forward. But despite the support, Mr Speaker, there are still critics out there who believe that we should be focused solely on limited transit solutions. The naysayers believe that transit is a one-and-done solution. Speaker, can the Minister tell us how Highway 413 fits within the government's broader plan to get Ontario moving? Mr. Transportation. Again to the member from Brampton West for the question. Speaker, too many governments have been short-sighted when it comes to transportation planning. We are the only government with a balanced transportation plan that is both practical and reasonable. Our plan includes building roads and highways, but also public transit, because there is not one main solution to addressing gridlock. Speaker, in the Greater Golden Horseshoe alone, we are building towards two-way all-day ghost service. We are building subways, and we are moving full steam ahead on the Bradford Bypass and on Highway 413. For every dollar our government spends on building highways, we are spending three more to build transit. Expanding our highway and transit networks in parallel will create the integrated transportation network that Ontario needs. There is no way out of gridlock without building Highway 413, and we won't apologize for being the only government to get it done for Ontarians. Speaker, member for Ottawa Centre. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Charles DeLint is a famous writer back in Ottawa. Marianne Charles' partner was his first reader, his editor, his business manager. She's always been there offering Charles crucial support. But Marianne has been in hospital since September 6, 2021, Speaker. She contracted a rare disease and is now intubated, living on a ventilator and has very limited movement. In order to make a full recovery, Marianne will need more therapy and more time in hospital. More than our system at the moment can provide. So her family and friends have launched a GoFundMe in hopes of raising money for her long-term medical care. Can the Premier's Speaker guarantee Marianne and her family will GoFundMe campaigns become the norm for rare disease patients in Ontario? The Minister of Health. Thank you, Speaker. While I obviously can't speak to an individual case that is in hospital right now, I want to reassure the people of Ontario and the members of this House that when people are in treatment, when they are in hospital, when they are receiving treatment, they will continue to receive that treatment and they will receive it through their old hip cart. We have to make sure that we have the capacity when we need it, as the example opposite was given, that we have the capacity within our hospital system, within our long-term care system, within our community care system to make sure that those people who need services right now are getting it. Thank you. Supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the Premier, because that response, sadly, is not going to help Marianne, Charles and so many other rare disease patients in this province. It's also not going to help the talented hospital and healthcare staff who are right now run off their feet, whose salaries have been arbitrarily capped by the government and who are unable to provide the care that is necessary to Marianne and so many others. Charles and Marianne Speaker are incredible artists. Both of them have given this province gift after gift after gift, but they can't afford the private treatments that Marianne right now needs. And frankly, in Canada, you shouldn't have to. Their friends have launched a GoFundMe campaign. But is that what Ontario has become for patients with rare diseases? Has our Ministry of Health Speaker become a ministry of health? So, again, Speaker, I will say that while I cannot speak directly to an individual case, there are a number of programs that I hope the member opposite has assisted their constituents with. Of course, the exceptional access program is one such program that we make sure that individuals who need an additional assistance because their income has been implicated or because the costs of the drugs have become cost prohibitive. We have those access programs available. I hope and I trust that the member opposite has made sure that Marianne and her family are aware of those programs and has been working through them to make sure they have applied. Thank you, Speaker. The next question, the member for Brampton North. Thank you, Speaker. This is for the Minister of Colleges and Universities. Speaker, Brampton is a growing city that has been neglected for far too long. The people of my right and contribute every day to Ontario's social and economic prosperity. Our government is taking leadership to support the growing population here, but there is certainly more to be done, particularly on health care. Throughout the pandemic, Brampton and the region appeals health care were particularly hard hit with high case numbers of COVID-19. As a part of our plan to stay open, Brampton needs to have a strong local health care network, but a strong health care system starts with a strong post-secondary education system. Speaker, can the Minister of Colleges and Universities tell the House what our government is doing to support health care-related post-secondary education in Brampton? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member from Brampton North for that question. Our government is getting it done for the people of Ontario by providing additional supports to health care post-secondary education. After 15 years of liberal mismanagement, this government is taking action to increase health human resources in Brampton. We understand that a growing population means a growing need for health care professionals. Through our historic medical education expansion, we are delivering on the first new medical school, not only in Brampton, but the first new medical school in the GTA in over 100 years. That's right. The last medical school built in the GTA was the University of Toronto in 1843. We are the government that is building the new Toronto Metropolitan University Medical School in Brampton. We are also creating the new University of Toronto Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health in Scarborough in the Queen's Lake Ridge Health Campus. Our government knows that training more doctors will ensure Ontarians can access the health care they need when they need it, wherever they may live. Thank you. Supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the minister for that answer and for her work on behalf of my residents in my community in Brampton North. Speaker, for far too long, the Liberals neglected health human resources here in Ontario. And our government needs to make it a priority. In order to stay open in Brampton and across the GTA, we need a strong, robust health care system across the province. That means we need a reliable source of health care workers with the necessary medical training in every part of Ontario so that no matter where you live, you can get the health care services you need when you need it. Speaker, will the minister please tell this house what she is doing to ensure all of Ontario can stay open by having high quality health care post-secondary education across the province? Minister of Colleges and Universities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you again for the question. I'm happy to say that our government has taken action on this issue. As a member mentioned, it is important to have high quality training across Ontario. And not only are we increasing choices for students in the GTA to access post-secondary health education, but across Ontario as well. Earlier this year, we established the Northern Ontario School of Medicine as the first standalone medical school in Northern Ontario. This will give students the flexibility to study closer to home and serve remote and underserved communities across Ontario. I also want to note that our government is adding 160 undergraduate seats and 295 postgraduate positions to six medical schools over the next five years. This is the largest expansion of undergraduate seats in over a decade. We need to ensure that we have a high quality and resilient health care system, and that starts with high quality post-secondary education across the province. At colleges and universities, our government has created hundreds of new opportunities for students to join Ontario's health care professions. Thank you. The next question, remember for St. Catherine. Thank you, Speaker. My questions to the Premier. Michelle and Tyler Saunders are wonderful parents to Everett, a six-year-old boy from my riding of St. Catherine's, with disabilities such as quadriplegia, cerebral palsy, and autism. Everett needs to be carried up to his bedroom every night for story time, and carried down again every morning to get ready for his busy day. To support Everett's independence as he gets older, Michelle and Tyler are hoping to install a stair lift in their home. After spending months securing funding and looking into government programs, the family is still short. So they have resorted to setting up a GoFundMe page with the goals of $20,000. Premier, why does the quality of life of special needs children and Ontarians living with disabilities have to depend on how much their parents can afford and rely on GoFundMe pages? Mr. Children, Community and Social Services. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you to the member for that question. This is an area that our government takes very seriously and that's the importance of early intervention supports for children with special needs and their families. And that's why we're investing an additional $240 million over four years to support children and youth with special needs so they can live happier and healthier lives. And we've increased funding for special services at home by $132 million over five years. These investments do make a world of difference for children with special needs. And the funding will ensure that more children and families can have better access to the clinical assessment, the rehabilitation services, and other critical early intervention services when they need them. Speaker, we're removing barriers. We're supporting families and children who need it most. And with our children's treatment centers. And I will point out that the opposition voted against those supports over and over and over again. Our government is supporting these children. We will continue to do this important work for the benefit of all Ontarians. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker, again to the Premier. Supporting to committing to children with disabilities has not been seen by Everett's parents. Our community, far and wide, banded together to support the Saunders family. Not this government. It's the generosity of total strangers that will make their stair lift a reality for Everett, a six-year-old child. Premier, Ontario should not have to resort to go fund me pages for financial assistance with basic necessities. Will you commit to ensuring that every family can get the device that people living with disabilities need to live a safe and independent life? Mr. Children, Community and Social Services. Thank you, Speaker. And again, I appreciate the question from the member opposite. We are, indeed, supporting children and their families, and those children with special needs are getting early intervention. We're helping caregivers cope with their day-to-day challenges and we're coordinating services such that they can have easy access to those services. Order. Such as the CHEO in Ottawa, the One Door for Care Integrated Treatment Centre. In Chatham-Cant, the Children's Treatment Centre. In Whitby, the Abilities Centre, $4.5 million in the North, the Health Sciences North Children's Treatment Centre in Sudbury. Our government is ensuring that the investments are being made. These are investments never before made in the integration of these services and unfortunately voted against by the opposition. So we will continue to do the important work to support these children and get them the services that they need. Thank you. The next question, the member for Kingston and the Islands. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My constituent, Laurie Bark is on ODSP. Her doctor doesn't like it, but Laurie works as much as she can, about half time, to afford medication related to her cancer. Cancer that forced her to stop working at her trade, which earned a comfortable middle-class wage. Now she works just to help to pay for the medicine, to help manage the pain and nausea she lives with. Mr. Speaker, as you know, extra money that Laurie earns above $200 a month gets cut in half, a 50% tax called the clawback. Laurie should not be paying the same marginal rate of income tax as the Premier of Ontario. Would the Premier admit that decreasing the clawback is an easy way to immediately address affordability for many people on ODSP? Would the Premier please increase the threshold where the clawback kicks in and decrease the clawback tax rate for our neighbours on ODSP? Who can work? Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Thank you, Speaker. Again, and thanks to the member opposite. I appreciate the concerns that he has in this area and that's exactly why our government has made historic investment in the ODSP program. This is the largest investment since the beginning of this program and it's aligned with inflation because we know how hard it is for people when there's times of high inflation. We know the challenges associated with that. We also are looking at other mechanisms to support people whether it's the discretionary benefit, the lift tax credit, the care tax credit, the dental programs for low income seniors and we know that this is an area that requires our attention and that's exactly why we've made the reforms that we have. We know that the ODSP needs to be there when people need it and also looking at how we get more people into the workforce. Across Ontario, we see as shortage of workers. There are people that want to work. There are people that can work and we're working with the Ministry of Labor, Immigration, Training and Skills Development to try to make that happen, getting them the skills that they need and into the workforce. Thank you. Thank you. That's not the metric question. Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, there has been a slight 5% increasing in the ODSP. It's only $50. This is a proposition for the government. It is only a measure that will try to find a solution for inflation. It's not much easier, I think you'll find. So my constituent, Lori Bark, must continue to work as much as she is physically able to, which is half time at minimum wage. About $9,000 a year of what she earns is subject to the 50% clawback tax. As someone on ODSP, she can accept $10,000 a year in gifts, tax-free for any purpose. Gifts, no tax, hard work done while being sick with cancer, 50% tax. Mr. President, that explains how. Mr. Speaker, how can we explain this? Minister of Children's Community and Social Services. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. And again, I appreciate the concerns from the member opposite. And that's exactly why we're creating programs across government, across government to support people, those who cannot work and those who want to get into the workforce to create the job training programs, the job readiness programs, and also looking at the other ministries other than Ministry of Labor, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, the micro-credential strategy as well through the ministry that I just mentioned, improving the mental health and addiction situation for many, many people through the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addiction, looking at through the road map to wellness program, which is historic investments in mental health and also the Ontario Child Benefit, working with the Ministry of Education to understand how we improve the childcare. All of these measures are ways to help people be able to be productive in the workforce and have the dignity and purpose that they so deserve and to help those who could not work before to get the training they need and to support those who can't work. This is something that our government takes very seriously and will continue this important work. Thank you. Next question, the member for Essex. Mr. Speaker, in my writing of Essex, many constituents are having a tough time right now just making ends meet. They see job postings every day for meaningful and well-paying careers in the trades, especially in the automotive sector, but they don't know where to start. Many of them ask if the government will help them upgrade their skills. They want to upgrade their skills so they can get good jobs like electricians and pipe fitters and welders. Speaker, what is the Minister of Labor doing to help develop the next generation of auto workers right here in Ontario and in my writing of Essex? Very great. Through labor, immigration training and skills development. Very well, thank you very much and I want to thank the member for this question and for coming to Queens Park and finally having a voice here on behalf of the people of Essex. You're doing a great job. Mr. Speaker, our government is taking bold and decisive action to prioritize the skilled trades and give people a hand up to better jobs and bigger paychecks. Recently, a Premier Ford in the MPP for Perth Wellington and I announced $5 million for the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association to train 500 people to unlock the economic potential of Ontario's automotive sector. Mr. Speaker, Ontario's auto workers are heroes in its time they were recognized. With this investment, we're helping local manufacturers train the skilled workers they need to grow our economy and we're connecting job seekers with meaningful careers where they can proudly earn more for themselves and their families. Mr. Speaker, under the leadership of Premier Ford, we'll continue working for our workers. The supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, we know that every job that sits unfilled hurts Ontario's economy. These are paychecks waiting to be collected. There are thousands and thousands of jobs waiting to be filled in Ontario but many of those jobs require special skills. Speaker, my question again to the Minister, what are we doing to close the gap in the labour shortage and what is being done to give incentives for training and skills development in these critical sectors? Good labour. Mr. Speaker, in Ontario there are nearly 100,000 people working in automotive manufacturing and we do more of them. Working with the team at APMA, we're giving workers a chance to start rewarding careers in machine operation, assembly, quality control and logistics. Training is tailored to the needs of each participant. When they graduate the program, workers are prepared for lifelong careers earning an average of more than $30 an hour often with a defined pension and benefits. Mr. Speaker, these actions are one part of our ambitious plan to make Ontario the best place to live, work and raise a family. Question to the member for Thunder Bay Superior North. Thank you. My question is to the Premier. During the Mike Harris Conservative government, a major transfer of public assets into private hands took place with the privatisation of many long-term care homes, a transfer of public funds that continues to benefit associates of the Conservative Party. During COVID, members of the military reported horrendous conditions that directly contributed to the high number of deaths in these same for-profit homes. Sadly, I'm hearing exactly the same concerns today. I was recently contacted by a PSW, I will name Susan, who told me she is often the only staff member looking after residents. No nurses, no other PSWs, no cleaners, no one on the front desk screening visitors and not even paper towels at the hand-washing stations. Can the Premier tell me why after learning of the dreadful conditions in for-profit homes during COVID, it has not shut down homes that do not meet even the most basic standard of care? Mr. Long-Term Care. I guess this really highlights exactly what the NDP are, right? They want me to shut down hundreds of homes across the province of Ontario, Mr. Speaker, putting hundreds of people who rely on those homes who are making a life for themselves in a home. They want me to put them out on the street because that is what the NDP is all about, right? They voted against the staffing increases of 27,000 additional health care workers. They voted against it. They voted against 58,000 new and upgraded beds across the province of Ontario. And you know what? I don't care if it's for-profit, private, or municipal, as long as they're meeting the standards that this government has set, then I don't care who does the service, Mr. Speaker. They should join with us in celebrating the hard work of all of those people- Start the clock. Supplementary. To the Premier. The standards are not being met. Susan, the PSW, made a formal complaint to an inspector who called her back, saying there were no problems at the home. Clearly, the inspector did not attend the home in person. The personal support workers subsequently experienced reprisals from the home's manager for calling an inspector. This is an example of a for-profit home clearly placing profits over care. Can the minister tell me why they sold more bed licenses to the same long-term care homes already identified as not providing good care and why inspectors are not shutting down non-compliant homes? Mr. Long-Term Care. Mr. Speaker, when we came to office in 2018, we inherited a system that was broken. A system that was broken. And for many of those years, that party that this member now belongs to supported the Liberals who made no investments. Now, this party over here who now complains about it, Mr. Speaker, as I said in one of my speeches, they like to tear things down after you've started to build it up. When we put more pay, more money in the pockets of our hard-working PSWs, they voted against it, Mr. Speaker. When we added 27,000 additional healthcare workers, they voted against it. Four hours of care for each resident in long-term care, they voted against it, Mr. Speaker. I don't care who provides the service as long as it meets the standards that this government has put in place, Mr. Speaker. Obviously, the status quo in the province of Ontario isn't going to work anymore, and that's why we are making changes to make our hospitals better. We are making changes that have made long-term care better. Long-term care can be part of the solution, and that's what upsets them, Mr. Speaker. Next question, the member for Ottawa, Van Yates. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Mr. Speaker, the recent actions of this government clearly unveil their plan to privatize our healthcare system. The Ontario Nursing College has proposed much more effective reforms to address the shortage of nurses. Temporarily registered internationally trained nurses, while they go through the process of full registration to allow almost 6,000 international applicants currently living in Ontario to come in help. We cut red tape to allow Ontario's 5,300 non-practicing nurses to return to the workforce. Because the government has not pursued this common sense reforms, hospitals across Ontario have had to temporarily close, including Oppitale Montfau, in my writing of Ottawa, Van Yates, which is essential to providing Ottawa Francophone Community with services. My question is, will the government commit to accepting the reforms proposed by the Ontario Nursing College and make sure that Francophone rights and needs are taken into consideration? Mr. Bell. Speaker, through you, can I say thank you for finally joining the conversation? You know, Doris Greenspun said the RNAO commends the government's intention to accelerate the integration of internationally educated nurses as one of the urgent actions required to address their nursing crisis. It is exactly why over three weeks ago I met with the College of Nurses. I said, we must expedite. How can we help you to make sure you expedite? Now, if the member opposite would also assist with actually getting the federal government to the table and increasing the current transfers from 22% to 50%, I'd be happy to join those conversations. The supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, the importance of keeping the hospital Montfau open cannot be understated. This is Ottawa's only Francophone Hospital and it was closed for a full 24 hours, meaning Francophones in Ottawa were denied their constitutional rights to receive essential life-saving services in their language. This closure brought back painful memories of past conservatives attempts to close Montfort down for good. Something has to be done about the staffing crisis that Montfau and other hospitals are facing. Will the government at least commit to making sure healthcare workers' wages keep up with inflation by repealing Bill 124? The President of the Treasury Board. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. This government under the leadership of Premier Ford has made historic investments into healthcare, especially on the health human resources, Mr. Speaker. Let's compare the record of this government. Since March of 2020, we have hired over 10,900 new healthcare workers into Ontario. The previous government actually fired nurses. 1,600 nurses across the province they fired. We have put forward a plan in the fall economic statement, $342 million to support the upskilling of over 5,000 registered nurses, including 8,000 new personal support workers, and the members opposite voted against that. When we put forward a plan, Mr. Speaker, to streamline and increase the speed at which foreign trade nurses and doctors could get into our healthcare workforce, the members opposite opposed that. When we have put forward plans to build new hospitals and cities like Windsor, including Ottawa as well, one of the largest healthcare investments in that city, the members opposite have voted against that. Mr. Speaker, we will continue to ensure that we make these historic investment stories. Thank you. Next question, the member for Burlington. Speaker, as we transition out of the COVID-19 pandemic, experts warn of another on the horizon, one that will see increased public need for mental health and addiction services known as the ECHO pandemic. I worry that our system is less prepared due to inaction by the previous Liberal government. In 2010, the Liberals oversaw the release of a report by an all-party select committee on mental health and addictions. Of the 23 recommendations made, virtually none were adopted by their government. The NDP has voted against every initiative we put forth to better fund mental health services. Speaker, will the Associate Minister of Health, of Mental Health and Addictions tell this House what our government is doing to prepare for the increase of demand for mental health and addiction services? Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addiction. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the member from Burlington for that very important question. As it gives me an opportunity to speak a little bit about the many significant investments that we've made to improve the access and quality of mental health services in Ontario. In February, I was proud to unveil the Addictions Recovery Fund, a three-year $90 million investment in addictions treatment services and bed-based care across the province of Ontario. These funds are specifically targeted to help individuals with the highest needs and provide more than half of these beds, Mr. Speaker. We're provided in the North in rural areas and to the indigenous communities. Mr. Speaker, overall, these funds will provide 400 new treatment beds, helping to stabilize and care for up to 7,000 individuals in the province. Dozens of communities are going to benefit from an influx of beds from Windsor to Davenport, Algonba, Manitoulin, Thunder Bay, Sioux Lookout. Mr. Speaker, as the first minister for mental health and addictions in the province of Ontario, I'm proud of our government and the work we're doing to help the people. Thank you very much. See supplementary questions. Speaker, no one can deny the value of bed-based programs and one-on-one counseling for those who need it most. But we must address the gaps in care left by previous governments. Remote communities don't always have large psychiatric hospitals and well-established non-profits to go to. People without easy access to internet can't rely on virtual care supports. Our northern, rural and indigenous neighbours' standard of care should not be determined by where they live. Speaker, what is the minister doing to provide care for every Ontarian at all levels of need, no matter where they live? The associate minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you again for that question. You know, the Addictions Recovery Fund supports innovative new means to deliver proactive and reactive care where it's most needed. It's going to create new mobile mental health clinics, lowering barriers of access for patients in remote areas, building upon a successful pilot program led by our partners at the Canadian Mental Health, Canadian Addictions and Mental Health. It's going to open three new mobile crisis response teams to assist police with those suffering from mental health crisis and guide them towards more appropriate kinds of care. Eight new youth wellness hubs offering primary care services, mental health supports, social services navigation and in-community treatment referrals for those aged 12 to 25. Mr. Speaker, culturally-centered care will be made available for Indigenous Ontarians as well with an investment of $7 million towards that. Mr. Speaker, I want to conclude by thanking the mental health care workers in the province of Ontario for the incredible work that they've done and continue to do to keep the province healthy because without mental health. Thank you. Thank you very much. The next question, the number four, Nickel Belt. Thank you. My question is for the Premier. The level of violence in our health care system is through the roof. It is a huge contributor to health care workers walking away from their job. One in two, health care worker faces violence or harassment at work. Two thirds of nurses facing violence at work are thinking of quitting their job. What is the government doing to make sure nurses are free from violence and harassment at work? Mr. Labour. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to begin by just thanking all of those health care workers who are working every single day to serve our families and serve our communities right across the province. Mr. Speaker, the law in Ontario is crystal clear. Racism, violence, and harassment in the workplace is illegal. But, Mr. Speaker, we're continuing to work for all workers in this province. That's why we hired more than 100 new health and safety inspectors to bring that total to the highest number in Ontario history. Mr. Speaker, since the start of the pandemic, we've done more than 100,000 workplace investigations and inspections, including thousands and thousands in health care facilities across the province. But, Mr. Speaker, if any worker is afraid for his or her safety in a workplace, please call the Ministry of Labour at 877-202-008 and we'll investigate. Member for Nicobelt. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, I introduced the bill speaking out about workplace violence and harassment. The bill would protect nurses, health care workers, and other workers from employers reprisal if they speak out about violence and harassment in their workplace. It would require hospital and long-term care home to publicly report on workplace violence and harassment on a monthly basis. Speaker, is the government ready to start protecting health care workers and support the solutions presented in my bill? Mr. Labour? Well, Mr. Speaker, we have zero tolerance to any form of harassment, racism, or violence in the workplace. The law in Ontario is crystal clear, but furthermore, Mr. Speaker, apart from hiring more than 100 new health and safety inspectors and doing more than 13,000 field visits to health care facilities across the province just since the start of the pandemic. In our second working for workers legislation, Mr. Speaker, we increase the fines to any employers who are breaking the law in this province. They can be fined up to $1.5 million. That's the highest anywhere in the country. And Mr. Speaker, the so-called party of workers, the NDP, voted against the working for workers legislation that increased the fines to employers that break the law. They voted against putting naloxone kits in workplaces to save lives because of the opioid pandemic. Mr. Speaker, they voted against giving gig workers the minimum wage. This is not the party of workers, Mr. Speaker. It's Premier Ford in the Progressive Conservative Government. Thank you. Member for Newmarket, Aurora. Speaker, under the previous Liberal government, my constituents felt abandoned. With manufacturing being a major industry in my writing, we were negatively impacted by the 300,000 manufacturing jobs lost under their watch. My constituents are hardworking citizens who sacrifice each and every single day to make this great province a better place to live and grow. They deserve a government that will support them. Speaker, what is the Minister of Economic Development job creation and trade doing to ensure that the people of Newmarket, Aurora have good, secure, well-paying jobs for their children and themselves today and for years to come? Mr. Secretary of Economic Development, job creation and trade. Speaker, the member and her constituents can be assured that unlike the Liberals and the NDPs, this government will never leave them behind. We're positioning Newmarket, Aurora to play a key role in Ontario's advanced manufacturing sector. One of the programs getting it done is the Ontario Automotive Modernization Program. We call it OAMP and it's boosting Ontario's auto supply chain. Competitiveness, it's positioning the province as North American's hub for building the cars of the future. Now, since 2019, OAMP has leveraged $36 million in company investments across 150 projects, creating over 820 jobs. There are projects in Newmarket and Aurora, including companies you know, Axiom Plastics, Intex Tooling, Magnexterias, MechSmart Systems, and Eurospect Tooling. And you can be sure that the EVs of the future will be made from parts made in Newmarket, Aurora. To the supplementary question. Speaker, this is inspiring. And it's great to hear that the government is focusing on investments protecting Newmarket, Aurora's manufacturing sector. These are positive investments that I am sure will deliver tangible results for my community. This being said, while these investments will create jobs and resiliency in our auto sector, entrepreneurship opportunities are also a key factor. Small businesses and startups bring dreams to reality. Since my election, I've met with several small businesses who are innovative and creative. But as we all know, starting a business is hard work. And it is filled with risk. It's even harder in a small community like Newmarket, Aurora to scale up and commercialize. Speaker, can the minister explain what the government is doing to help entrepreneurs in my writing start and grow their businesses? Economic development. Here, we will never forget our small businesses and our entrepreneurs. The Liberals made starting a business in Ontario costly and confusing. The NDP, they just played along and supported the Liberals. Mountains of red tape, unaffordable hydro, high taxes. All of that was a recipe for disaster. We told them time and time again, yet they pressed on sending businesses running out of the province of Ontario. Our government has consistently cut red tape, reduced taxes, and fixed the hydro mess. We've lowered the cost of doing business in Ontario by $7 billion every year. We're funding almost $500,000 to the Small Business Enterprise Centre in Newmarket to offer entrepreneurs all the tools they need to start and grow their businesses. And another $100,000 annually for summer company and starter company plus to help those students you mentioned. And the young entrepreneurs, it helps them start their businesses. That's what we're doing to help young entrepreneurs in Newmarket, Aurora. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Speaker, this government's plan to address the health care crisis makes absolutely no mention of paid sick days. With the inevitable fall surge looming, workers who test positive and have already used their meager three COVID related paid sick days during earlier waves will have to decide, should I self-isolate without pay at home and risk not being able to pay the rent? Or should I go to work sick and risk spreading COVID in the workplace? Speaker, what does this Premier think that these workers should do? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We were the first province in the country to bring in job protected leave when COVID-19 hit Ontario. We were also the first province in the country, Mr. Speaker, to bring in paid sick days to ensure that when workers are sick, they can stay home. We'll continue to have the backs of our workers every single day throughout this pandemic and beyond. That's why we extended the paid sick day program and we'll continue to ensure that we work for our workers. Speaker, this government did not extend the program to cover workers who already used those three COVID related paid sick days. But, Speaker, if this government was serious about preventing the spread of COVID-19 and protecting the health of Ontarians, they would pass my private member's bill, the Stay Home If You Are Sick Act, which would give workers 10 permanent paid sick days, plus 14, which is what they need in a pandemic. Workers need to be able to stay home without any loss of pay if they have COVID or any other illness, if they have a sick child, or if they need to participate in preventative medical screening tests so they can avoid going to crowded ERs. Speaker, will this government commit to passing my bill so it is in place before the fall surge? Mr. Speaker, as I said, we'll continue standing with Ontarians workers every single day throughout this pandemic and beyond. That's why we were the first in Canada to bring in job protected leave. If any worker is sick or staying home with someone in their family that's sick, they can't be fired for that. We introduced paid sick days for workers, Mr. Speaker. We recently extended that to the end of March next year and we'll continue ensuring that paid sick days are in place for workers. Mr. Speaker, but our program, unlike the NDP, doesn't bankrupt small businesses across the province, Mr. Speaker. We have stepped up to ensure that we're reimbursing and paying for these paid sick days to those businesses so workers get the benefit immediately and then they get reimbursed through the WSIB. Mr. Speaker, we'll continue ensuring that we protect all of our workers every single day. Question, a member for Branson Moore. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the, thank you, thank you. My question is for the Solicitor General Speaker. My constituents are concerned about an increase in auto theft and carjackings in our local community. My office has received calls from constituents concerned about a carjacking in the area of Kennedy and Sandlewood in the heart of Heart Lake in my riding. My constituents know our government is fighting crime and supporting our frontline police officers. Mr. Speaker, could the Solicitor General please explain to this house how our government is taking action on carjackings and auto theft. Mr. Solicitor General. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I really want to say to the member from Brampton that I appreciate the great work he's doing in his own community. Mr. Speaker, everyone has a right to feel safe in their own homes, in their own communities, and in their own vehicles. My heart goes out to the victims of these crimes. And having your vehicle stolen at gunpoint is a traumatic event, and we don't want to minimize this. And to be clear, many of these thefts are in fact related to gun and gang crimes. That's why the Gun and Gang Support Unit is supporting police services across Ontario by undertaking major gun and gang violence investigations and prosecutions. And to date, along with our federal partners, our government has invested over $203 million to fund the fight against gun and gang violence. We're getting the smuggled guns off our streets and protecting families across our province. When we work together, we keep Ontario safe. I will always work hard every day to guarantee the safe, guarantee safety in this province. And here's our question period for this morning. This House stands in recess until 3 p.m.