 Next, we have Oral Questions. I recognize the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Thanks very much, Speaker. My first question this morning is for the Premier. Yesterday, the Premier blamed 10,000 cancelled appointments in Scarborough on a late Moderna shipment or a cancellation of the Moderna shipment. Now we hear from Scarborough Health that in fact that's not the reason for those 10,000 appointments to be cancelled. So can the Premier actually tell us why it was that 10,000 people in Scarborough had their appointments cancelled and are now waiting for another appointment to get a vaccination? Apply for you, Mr. Speaker, to the leader of the opposition. The leader of the opposition has to understand the process, what we're going through. 300,000 Modernas arrived yesterday. 500,000 Pfizer, sorry, 400,000 Pfizer arrived Monday. The shipment that we expected from Moderna, an additional shipment this week, has been delayed again, I got noticed, May the 3rd. So how can you deliver the vaccinations, the areas, when we don't have the supply? It's very simple, Mr. Speaker. If we had the supply, we give it to the public health units, they distribute it, and if they don't have it, they can't distribute it. It's not Scarborough's fault, it's not Toronto's fault. We need the supply of vaccines. Simple as that. That's not what Scarborough Health says. Scarborough Health says it had nothing to do with the Moderna shipment delay. However, last week the Premier promised that there was going to be a program in hotspots for vaccinating people over the age of 18. We find out, of course, that public health had no idea that this was coming. There were no extra vaccines provided, there were no extra resources provided to public health units, and then Scarborough had 10,000 appointments pulled right out from under them. Here's what one source tells the Toronto Star, and I quote, they made an announcement without a plan or a supply to implement it. A, there was no supply. B, people couldn't register for appointments. C, there was no plan. What the heck is going on with the government? Why can't they get their act together and protect the people of this province from COVID-19? Because that's their job. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Leader of the Opposition can get up and show up and down and scream and do cartwheels. That's fine. The bottom line is, the Leader of the Opposition doesn't understand the process. It doesn't have a clue about the process, how it's been working. Again, God bless the people of Scarborough. We're going to get them vaccines. There's 3 million, 3 million appointments been booked. We don't have the vaccines for 3 million people. It is as simple as that. As soon as we get the vaccines, we'll be able to distribute it. We'll be able to get it out to the pharmacies with the AstraZeneca and the primary care. We'll be able to get the Moderna and the Pfizer out to the public health units. That will distribute it to the hospitals. It's not their fault because they have 10,000 additional appointments, didn't have the vaccines. There's only one government that's responsible for the supply of the vaccines. It's not the province, it's not the municipality, it's the federal government. We need the supply of the vaccines. Simple as that. Well, I have news for the Premier. There's a distribution issue here in the province of Ontario, and that's his responsibility. But look, the Premier was warned back in February. It is really clear. The warnings came from the experts back in February that we were going to end up exactly where we are now. We have over 650 patients now in the ICU speaker, and these aren't just numbers. These are people that are literally fighting for their lives. Fighting to breathe. Fighting this virus in ICUs. And of course, places like Scarborough are ground zero, where they're literally airlifting people to Ottawa to try to give them the care that they need. People were failed by this Premier. He failed the people of Scarborough. So my question is, when is this government, when is this Premier going to stop making excuses, stop blaming everybody else and start protecting those frontline essential workers, those frontline workers in Scarborough? For you, Mr. Speaker, when the Leader of the Opposition is talking this way, she does a disservice to the public. She does a disservice to our health partners, to the public health units that have been working their back off day in and day out. As the Leader of the Opposition sits there and throws barbs at everyone, when she hasn't even been involved from day one, has done zero, nothing, nothing at all to support the system, nothing to help out. As people up in Hamilton are struggling, what has the Leader of the Opposition done? Nothing. We're going to continue to focus on making sure that we get the vaccines. Part one of our plan is to limit mobility to get the ICUs down with the people of this province. Part two is we are going into high priority neighborhoods. We are going to high priority companies within those neighborhoods. As we speak, right now it's happening. We saw it happen over the last four or five days. We're getting the job done. The next question, the Leader of the Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is also to the Premier. Well, I can tell you for sure that I would have been listening to the scientists. I would have been following the instructions of the folks who were the experts who were giving this Premier advice, but instead he didn't. He actually ignored the advice of experts and walked us right into this third wave, which is now completely out of control with his eyes wide open. There are a number of things that he could have and should have been doing, and I assure him I would have been doing them. Now, apparently, the Cabinet is meeting today. And so I'm asking the Premier, yet again, as the experts have, as his own Chief Medical Officer of Health has, to start providing paid sick days to essential frontline workers, to all workers in Ontario, start providing paid time off for vaccinations for all Ontario workers so that they can have the tools to do the right thing. I don't want to hear the malarkey about the federal program. It is not a paid sick day. It's a benefit that you might or might not get. The opposition is doing it a service every time she stands up and speaks, every single time. She's telling the people that there's no paid sick days. Imagine the people at home listening to this that won't even apply to the federal government sick day program that we fought hard for, that we fought for $1.1 billion, Mr. Speaker. Order. There's $700 million. But guess what, Mr. Speaker? We're fortunate that 300,000 people in this province are smarter than the leader of the opposition because they did apply and they did get funding for sick pay. So I encourage every single Ontarian not to be double dipping. It doesn't matter if it says the Government of Canada or the Government of Ontario. There's one taxpayer, one taxpayer. There's $700 million sitting there for the people of Ontario to apply. Supplementary. The disservice comes from a Premier who doesn't want to do his job and acknowledge that people need paid sick days. Not a program that you have to qualify for, that you have to jump through hoops for, that you may or may not get access to. Paid sick days occur in the moment. You don't have to wait for them. You don't have to worry that your pay is going to be docked and then wait for even a week and a half. You get them right away. And that's why every single expert, not just me, not just the leader of the opposition, every single expert has been telling this Premier that those frontline heroes, those essential workers, the people he pretends to care about, the little guy, the little guy needs paid sick days. When will this Premier do his job and protect those essential frontline workers who need paid sick days and paid time off for vaccinations? Premier, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Talk about doing a job. Our team, the frontline healthcare workers, the docs, the nurses, paramedics, everyone have been working around the clock for well over a year, literally 24-7 every single day trying to support the people of Ontario. And the negative talk that comes out of the leader of the opposition, again, does a disservice to all of the frontline healthcare heroes, all the people of Ontario. And it's ironic he's coming from a person that has done Italy squat, nothing, zero, sat in their seat. And since there are criticizes, the hard work of the healthcare workers and the doctors that give me advice, no matter if it's Dr. Williams or Dr. Brown and 100 doctors underneath them or if it's Dr. De Villa or Dr. Lowe that all are giving advice. All working their back off. Why does the leader of the opposition do something? Do something positive once in a year and a half because it's not even in her mindset. Thank you. It's going to be the final supplement. Speaker, the people of Ontario deserve so much better than this. Folks are losing their lives. People are getting sick at unprecedented numbers. 650 people, 659 actually in the ICU today, struggling to breathe. The virus continues to grow. Over 4,700 people in Ontario now have the virus. We've given this premier all kinds of advice. We've asked him, we've begged him to listen to the experts, to follow their lead, to do what they're telling him to do. And instead, he walked us right into this third wave, into this rampant spread of variants of concern. And now, you know, he seems to think that it's not his responsibility, that it had nothing to do with what he did or didn't do, the actions that he refused to take, take the actions necessary. Take the actions that the experts are telling you to take, bring in paid sick days, bring in paid fax time, and stop the spread of this virus. Will the premier do that? Premier? Mr. Speaker, it is so frustrating sitting here, listening to the Leader of the Opposition, disrespect Dr. Williams, disrespect Dr. Brown, Dr. Hire. I could keep rattling all the doctors, all the CEOs that I talk to, at least half a dozen every single day, giving advice. And the Leader of the Opposition wants to disrespect them. We have followed medical advice from day one. We have followed science from day one. And that is the reason we're doing more vaccinations than it... I'm going to ask the Leader of the Opposition to withdraw. That is the reason we're leading the country in vaccinations. Bardonade, no one even comes close to the amount of vaccinations. We're getting an excess of 100,000 vaccines out a day. And guess what, Mr. Speaker? We have 3,200 pharmacies. We're only at 1,400 pharmacies. We need more supply. We can ramp up well in excess of 300,000. I want to ask the Opposition Leader a question. What would happen if we would have... Thank you. Thank you. Then you will take a seat. Bardonade, the next question, the member for Brampton East. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health. There's no other way to say this right now. We are in the middle of a full-blown crisis. We're in the midst of the third wave. And vulnerable people are going to be paying the price for the concert of government in action. More than just in action. The concert of government actually ignored critical information, advice, and pleas to act that could have avoided this third wave. They ignored calls to bring in greater support to COVID-19 hotspots. They ignored our hospitals who are warning about this third wave and overcrowding in our hospitals. They ignored experts who are calling for paid sick days. They ignored our teachers who are demanding for safer schools. They even ignored our doctors who are warning about this third wave for weeks and months now. Why? Did the concert of government, despite all these warnings, still decide to not act? To bring in the measures and urgency with the urgency that we needed to fight the third wave and stop this third wave? Thank you very much. Thank you, Speaker. We have taken steps every step along the way since this pandemic began, realizing that we would need to enhance our hospitals' capacity. Since this pandemic began, we have brought forward 3,100 new beds, enhanced our ICU capacity by 14%, made significant investments in our hospital, over $15 billion so far, including $1.8 billion in the most recent budget to deal with the extra beds that have been brought on, to deal with the surgeries that, again, we unfortunately have had to delay because of this pandemic. We anticipated, as we saw the numbers rising and listened to the experts, listened to the doctors, Dr. Williams, Dr. Brown, and the science advisory table, the public health measures table. We brought in the emergency break shutdown, and then realized we needed to have the stay-at-home order. I'll speak more to the preparations that we've taken. It was my supplementary speaker. Thank you, Speaker. Again, to the minister, in communities like Brampton and Peel that were the hardest hit by COVID-19, we're in desperate need for help. But the Conservative government is still leaving Brampton behind despite the fact we are a COVID-19 hotspot and we are full of essential workers. Now, Brampton was left behind earlier in this pandemic, and we had to fight tooth and nail to get the testing capacity that our city needed. Now we're being left behind once again by this Conservative government as we fight to get the vaccine to those who are most vulnerable in our community. Now, we knew this third wave was coming for weeks. Every single health expert in Canada was warning that Ontario is facing a third wave. Yet, despite these alarms being raised, the Conservative government decided to not act. And in the end, Brampton is suffering. So my question is this. When will the Conservative government finally decide to stop leaving Brampton behind and give Brampton access to the life-saving vaccine so we can fight and beat the COVID-19 pandemic? Thank you. And you, government, I see that. We know that Brampton is going to get a brand new hospital thanks to the hard work of this Premier and this Minister of Health. But I have some advice to the member opposite. If he is really concerned that the federal sick day program that his brother, the leader of the NDP, helped to negotiate along with this Premier, then he should pick up the phone, call his brother, and suggest to him that when the federal Liberal government delivers a budget, if it doesn't include enhancements that he is talking about, then he does not need to vote for that budget. If he thinks that the distribution of vaccines is not sufficient enough that we haven't got a big enough supply, then I suggest the member opposite. Call his brother, the leader of the NDP in Ottawa, and suggest that he not just give him a blank check on a budget. Don't settle for a stretch goal again. Your brother has the opportunity in Ottawa to ensure that Ontario gets the vaccines that he needs. If there needs to be an enhancement of sick pay, he has the ability to do it. Pick up the phone and help him, Terry. Next question, the member for Northumberland, Peter Burrow-Seth. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as our government works to protect the health and well-being of Ontarians during this third wave, it remains my top priority to ensure that my constituents remain up-to-date on the latest news and advice and guidance on how to navigate this pandemic. Mr. Speaker, locally I've compiled a website, vaccineupdate.ca, and held many Teletown halls, bringing together our health units, local municipal leaders to provide current information on vaccine availability, health guidelines to my local constituents. Imagine how frustrated I was, Mr. Speaker, when I received an email from a constituent in Grafton, and I quote, she writes, David, I'm writing to you today to inform you that I wasn't able to join your Teletown hall, nor go online to see its recording because our internet in Grafton is so bad that I was not able to participate effectively. We have had so many technicians, new modems, ISPs, and we are on our third dish. Mr. Speaker, my community needs better broadband. They deserve better broadband. Mr. Speaker, would the minister please rise and inform the House what steps are going on? Thank you very much. I recognize the minister of infrastructure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to the member from Northumberland, Peterborough South for his tireless advocacy on this issue for his constituents in his writing. And right now it is so imperative that we work quickly to get more households connected to high-speed internet. How can anyone refute the fact that the lack of broadband is detrimental to the daily lives and livelihoods of too many Ontarians when stories like the members shared clearly indicate that people are being left behind? There's no question that the lack of internet is detrimental to daily lives and livelihoods of Ontarians, especially during this stay-at-home order. And having unreliable internet or even no service at all is simply unacceptable, Mr. Speaker. That's exactly why I introduced the Supporting Broadband and Infrastructure Expansion Act 2021 that will reduce barriers faced by the telecommunications sector when it comes to building broadband faster. We're taking an innovative approach so that everyone in Ontario can get reliable internet no matter where they live. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, Mr. Speaker, to meaningfully address broadband, it's more than just money. It's about measures that that minister just alluded to to reduce barriers in areas of rural Ontario like mine. Mr. Speaker, also it helps when you invest money, and I'm proud of this government's historic $4 billion investment to broadband, the largest in Canadian history. Mr. Speaker, I recently joined PHO and the Port Hope Chamber and other chambers in my writing to discuss what was being done about poor broadband in our area, and its impact on small business. We were pleased to share the $2.8 billion commitment in this budget and steps the minister alluded to to reduce barriers. Mr. Speaker, I think it was put best, perhaps, by the CEO of the Port Hope Chamber of Commerce. She said vital infrastructure such as broadband will help bridge gaps that are happening in these challenging times and improve life for our small businesses. Mr. Speaker, this is welcome news by the Port Hope Chamber of Commerce and Chambers throughout my writing. Mr. Speaker, would the minister please share with the House what more we can expect from this historic investment? Thank you. Well, thank you Mr. Speaker and to the member for the question. Without healthy people, we can't have a healthy economy and that's why we're focused on protecting every life and every job we possibly can during COVID. I too share the member's excitement because for almost 20 years I've advocated for the expansion of broadband across Ontario especially in rural and northern communities like ones we represent. With our legislation and commitment of an additional $2.8 billion for a near total investment of almost $4 billion we can help accelerate broadband expansion across all regions of this province. Mr. Speaker, I'm thrilled to say that finally this groundbreaking legislation has received royal assent and now shovels can get moving, people can get connected and Ontario can recover from COVID-19. Thank you. The next question, the member for Parkdale High Park. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Cases of COVID-19 in childcare centres are rising fast and parents are worried that their children are no longer safe. There have been more than 1,000 cases reported in the last two weeks including 134 cases yesterday alone. 25% of all childcare centre closures due to COVID-19 in the last 10 months have occurred in just the last two weeks. Experts like Dr. Jeanine McCready and infectious disease specialist at McElgaran Hospital are advising parents to pull their kids from childcare. What is the Premier doing to address this growing crisis? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, we've put a plan in place with $234 million of investment for childcare recognising how critical it is to keep kids safe, the staff themselves and our communities at large, $234 million more dollars to help strengthen the infection prevention measures in place. That includes the cohorting of children in groups of 10 or less every day. The establishment of COVID-19 response plans, the screening of all staff and all students active screening before they enter these centres, daily attendance records, enhanced cleaning of the centres, mandatory PPE for the staff and a no visitor policy beyond essential visitors. We have followed all the advice of the Medical Office which is why in this province over 91% of centres have no confirmed cases of COVID at all. And we're going to continue to follow the best medical advice working closely with the Chief Medical Officer because like the Member Officer, we appreciate how critical childcare is right now as we work through this pandemic. Is that the next question? Speaker, childcare workers are working through the shutdown. They perform close care work with unmasked children who are too young to understand social distancing. Children who need help going to the bathroom or changing their diaper. While education workers in hotspots are rightly receiving their vaccines, childcare workers are being left behind. Without childcare workers, essential workers can't go to work. We rely on childcare workers to keep our kids safe. Why won't the Premier immediately prioritise childcare workers for vaccinations? We made a commitment to make sure that our childcare staff can get a vaccine in phase two, which we are in, as the Premier has rightly noted. I think as every objective mind has acknowledged, the first step in defeating the pandemic is this province getting vaccine in the first place. And that responsibility rests to procure it with the federal government. When we get it in Ontario, I assure the Member opposite, in every childcare worker in this province that they will get access to the vaccine. But yes, individuals 55 years of plus are eligible. Those 60 years plus are eligible as well for Pfizer and Moderna. In addition, speaker, anyone who lives in Ontario is eligible for the vaccine, particularly childcare workers. And any child ECE that works within our schools, especially those that work with special education teachers and students can get access to the vaccine. We are making steps in the right direction. We realise there's more to do. And as vaccine comes this province, we will get it out to the people of Ontario. Thank you. The next question, the Member for Ottawa. A question for the Premier. Good morning, Premier. There are 653 people in intensive care units today. 4,736 new COVID cases. And over a million doses of vaccines in freezers. And if we were administering the 150,000 doses daily, which were not, that's about a week's supply. We're more around 100,000 doses a day. And that's about 10 days of supply. Speaker, I don't know about you, but that's a pretty large buffer to hold back in a crisis. So the government says they're spoken for, but there is no transparency as to where the government delivers vaccines here in Ontario. So none of this, none of this makes any sense to Ontarians. So Speaker, for you, can the Premier explain why the government is keeping an almost 10 day stockpile of vaccines in freezers? To reply, Minister of Health. Well, I can assure the member opposite that no amount is being held in freezers. It's not already allocated to people. We have already booked over 2.5 million appointments for people. That's using our booking tool. That doesn't even include the appointments that have been booked in pharmacies, in personal care offices, in primary care offices, in hospital units as well. So those allocations are already spoken for. Most that is in the freezer now has been booked already for an appointment for a person. We are deploying them as quickly as possible. Yesterday we vaccinated 105,500 people and we're able to do more. We can triple quadruple the number of vaccinations we can do every day if we have the vaccine supply. But as has been already indicated, the Moderna supply has been put off yet again. We're receiving the Pfizer vaccines, but we don't know when we're receiving AstraZeneca and we're also delayed. So as soon as we get them, we are putting them into people's arms as quickly as possible. The supplementary question. A million doses in freezers and we're cancelling appointments. That's all I'm going to say. And the problem here is, for the Premier, it's been too much business as usual during this pandemic. He's been too focused on other things like Highway 413, paving over wetlands, or a couple of weeks ago, campaigning in Brampton. Ontarians need a Premier that's focused on keeping them safe from COVID-19. Last Friday, the Premier gave the impression that mobile units were out as he spoke vaccinating people in hotspot communities. And he said, if you're over 18 in those communities, you can get it. He did both of these things before public health units and the vaccine task force was ready. And then he has the temerity to say, it's not complicated. Well, he's making it complicated. Question. People are angry and frustrated and they have every right to be. So, Speaker, through you, can the Premier explain why he's announcing things before the mechanisms to get it done are even close to being ready? And the Minister of Health. Thank you, Speaker, and I would say to the member through you, Mr. Speaker, that what you're suggesting is simply not the case. There is a plan that was developed by working with Dr. Williams with the public health measures table and by the members of the vaccine distribution task force as well as with the chiefs of all the hospitals in Ontario and the local medical officers of health in all 34 public health unit regions. The plan was developed with them. They have known about it since the beginning. The distribution for each amount of vaccine that is distributed to the public health units is then given to the units they're going to be providing them. That is what happens. That is what was planned for. That is what we are doing now. And the fact that we've already distributed 3.5 million vaccines indicates the plan is actually working. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Premier joined his counterparts from New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Alberta to welcome Alberta as a signatory to the small modular reactors memorandum of understanding. Mr. Speaker, I gather that this news generated, pun intended a lot of excitement in the nuclear energy sector and beyond. Mr. Speaker, this matters to the many hardworking men and women in the writing of Northumberland Peterborough South who get up every day to power our province, this nation. Mr. Speaker, will the Associate Minister of Energy please tell the House what yesterday's announcement means for the province, the people of Ontario who are working, men and women of Northumberland Peterborough South? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, to the member from Northumberland Peterborough South for that great question and it did generate some great excitement here in Ontario. Small modular reactors or SMRs are a real game changer that has the potential to power Ontario's future job creation and export opportunities. We're thrilled to welcome our friends from Alberta to the table to be part of the next generation of nuclear technology. The study was also released confirming that SMRs represent an important solution for our unique energy challenges such as power in remote and rural communities that currently rely on expensive diesel power. I thank a Terro power generation, Bruce Power, New Brunswick Power and Saskatchewan Power for their work in preparing the study which will help us plan for development employment of SMR technology in coming years. Mr. Speaker, Ontario is leading the way when it comes to SMR development just like we did with the development of SMR technology but how SMRs can contribute to a clean and reliable energy and environmental future for our province and our country. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we welcome that news constituents of Northumberland Peterborough South. I know a number of which were very scared three years ago when they heard members opposite talk about shutting down this sector so this is welcome news. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to reference a note of mine, Mike, in Newcastle who said, Dave, this groundbreaking technology has so much potential and I applaud this government for its leadership in this area. Mr. Speaker, it's for hardworking men and women, people like Mike that we get up every day to make this province a better place to invest in groundbreaking technology like this. So, Mr. Speaker, my question back to the Associate Minister, can you please tell us more about ways that SMR can be utilized to benefit this economy in Ontario and the hardworking men and women of Northumberland Peterborough South. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you again, Speaker, and thank you to Mike and the member for Northumberland Peterborough for another great question. SMR Development represents an immense opportunity for Ontario to become a leading exporter of technology and expertise that can address global issues such as climate change and energy reliability and further strengthen Ontario's position as the global leader in the supply of life-saving medical isotopes. SMR could offer energy-intensive industries such as mining and manufacturing a safe, lower-cost source of clean, safe energy and enhance their competitiveness. SMR has also had the potential for innovations beyond electricity generation, such as supplying heat or steam for industrial processes or producing hydrogen, which is another clean resource that our government is very interested in developing. Mr. Speaker, the possibilities are truly endless. For a sustainable, made-in-interior supply chain and jobs, and I share the member's enthusiasm for the interior's future as a world leader in nuclear energy. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. The next question, the member for Brampton North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. This stay-at-home order and the school shutdown could have been avoided if this government invested in the safety of Ontarians. There were over 8,000 cases this weekend and over 65% of the cases were between the ages of 20 and 59. This age group represents a majority of Brampton's workforce and they mostly work in frontline occupations such as transportation and manufacturing. They are being heavily impacted by this government's inaction. They need paid sick days. I'll say this once again. They need paid sick days and it is critical to stopping workplace outbreaks to keep our frontline workers safe and stop the spread of COVID-19. My question to the Premier, when will this government help them by mandating paid sick days? Mr. Labour training of skills development. Well, thank you very much and I'm pleased to respond to the member's question. Mr. Speaker, there is now four weeks of paid sick days for every worker in Ontario. I would remind every worker in Ontario to go to canada.ca forward slash COVID-19 and they can apply for those paid sick days. Mr. Speaker, furthermore the members opposite should let their constituents know that there's 20 days or four weeks of paid sick days available to each and every one of their workers and their constituents. In fact, Mr. Speaker, more than 300,000 people in Ontario have either received the benefit or are receiving the benefit as we speak and will continue to advocate to the federal government to always be there for Ontario workers. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, let me tell you how it really works. We just heard the member opposite. I'm going to educate him as to the way it really works. Workers cannot rely on the CRB as a replacement for paid sick days. They cannot apply for the CRB if they take a day off to go get tested. There's a reason why health officials such as Dr. Lawrence Lowe have been advocating for paid sick days because they know the CRB is not enough to stop the spread of COVID-19. And the Premier earlier said he was listening to health experts, but obviously he's not listening to Dr. Lowe. Our frontline workers that are being impacted heavily by the virus and all the new variants need relief and they need paid sick days. The Premier says, Mr. Speaker, he doesn't make any decisions by himself and that he listens to health officials. So instead of accusing the NDP of playing politics, why won't he listen to health officials like Dr. Lowe when they're asking for paid sick days? Mr. Speaker, the very first piece of action that our government took when COVID-19 hit Ontario was to bring in job-protected leave. I'm proud to say that we led North America. In fact, Mr. Speaker, if any worker out there is in self-isolation, if they're in quarantine after our mom or dad, for example, that has to stay home and look after a son or a daughter because of the disruptions to the school system. You can't be fired for that. Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, we were the very first jurisdiction to bring forward job-protected leave for those getting vaccinations. And I have to say it was just last week when Columbia reached out to my office, we helped them. They're drafting legislation now to bring in job-protected leave for vaccinations, but we were the first ones to do that, supported by all members in this House. But, Mr. Speaker, every member is doing a disservice to their constituents when they don't tell workers in their own local communities that there's 20 paid sick days available to each and every one of them. The next question, the member for Cambridge. Nearly after the Premier issued yet another stay-at-home order, my constituency office started to receive an increase in calls asking for clarity and reasoning behind these new rules. In one instance, a gentleman was denied the opportunity to purchase batteries for his smoke alarm from a store because the clerk said it was non-essential. Another individual said that the local Dalarama would not sell them school and office supplies as it was deemed non-essential. A constituent was even barred from purchasing sandwich bags at Sobe's, because they were deemed non-essential. My question to the Premier is, after saying from months on end that restricting stores from selling quote non-essential items would be detrimental and impractical, what science did he follow that persuaded him to flip-flop on this messaging? And how did he determine what makes an item essential or non-essential? Mr. General. Well, thank you, Speaker. If the member opposite is not willing to educate and inform her constituents, I'm happy to do that. The reality is, from the beginning, businesses across Ontario have been allowed to provide curbside service. It's safer, it protects the customers, it protects their employees, and it also allows individuals who need to purchase things for their family to get that safely. Thank you. And supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Aside from her childish jab, what this government has done is pushed to do just that. Once again, favouring the big-box doors over our local small businesses. Not everyone can afford a lobbyist, especially ones who used to work or volunteer with any of those who serve on the government benches. What we are seeing is a lack of science behind decisions that are having detrimental effects on the small business owners and their families in this province. This new state-of-the-art home order is wrong and the restrictions that come with it are confusing, heavy-handed and ineffective. It is insulting to Ontarians to know that pot and booze are essential, but car seats for children are not. So I ask, again, why did the Premier and this government change their stance on placing restrictions on businesses from selling certain goods? So, Mr. General. Speaker, the short answer is because lives were at stake. We have instituted a stay-at-home order to protect the most number of Ontario citizens. It truly is the difference between ensuring that we can protect the vast majority of people. If people understand that allowing the movement of individuals is actually leading to more transmission rates, then we need to send a clear message that says stay at home, order online, pick up by curbside, do your delivery models because at the end of the day it will protect your family, your neighbours, you will protect your community and ensure that we have the necessary medical resources to make sure that if someone unfortunately catches a cold, then we can protect them in our hospitals. Thank you, Speaker. Next question, the member for Northumberland, Peter Brilson. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Attorney General. Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to serve in a government that is committed to standing up for victims of crime and supporting the growth of safer communities in every corner of the province of Ontario. Mr. Speaker, recently the Attorney General announced new sexual violence support services for historically under-serviced regions of the province of Ontario and the province-wide expansion of free legal advice for survivors of sexual assault no matter where they live. Mr. Speaker, this matters for rural and small-town Ontario. Yesterday, the Attorney General recognized the exceptional achievements in the service of victims of crime through the Victim Services Awards of Distinction. Could the Attorney General please share the importance of celebrating these heroes and their vital work for communities? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member from Northumberland, Peter Brilson and my colleague and friend for the chance to honor with him the remarkable contributions of 50 individuals and organizations from across the province who have been recognized through the Victim Services Awards of Distinction. In the face of unprecedented challenges, these dedicated professionals, generous volunteers and outstanding organizations have demonstrated an impressive drive to raise awareness of victims' issues, increase access to crisis intervention services, and provide compassionate support in times of need. This recognition highlights the dedication and creativity of professionals and volunteers who serve victims in the courageous efforts of individuals who have been personally impacted by crime and are now working to raise the profile of victims' issues in Ontario, including in rural, northern and Indigenous communities. I want to congratulate and celebrate each and every remarkable recipient on the important impacts their service to victims of crime are having in their communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Attorney General for recognizing these heroes who go above and beyond to support victims of crime and survivors across the province of Ontario. In my region, we are proud of the work that is done on a daily basis by dedicated professionals, volunteers, organizations and partners. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to particularly highlight the great work being done by Peterborough Police Services. Mr. Speaker, I know there's been groundbreaking work done there with the Peterborough Police Victim Services Unit. We are proud of the work of Alice, Zytram and Facility Dog Pixie. They've been accomplishing remarkable work at the unit. And I applaud the Attorney General for shining the light on these important efforts. Mr. Speaker, can the Attorney General tell us about this remarkable pair of recipients? Thank you. Thank you again for the question and the chance to speak about this deserving team of recipients. Alice Zytram is a social worker and civilian coordinator with the Peterborough Police Victim Services Unit who developed its first facility dog program. She is the primary handler of Pixie, five-year-old accredited facility dog. And you can follow Pixie on Instagram if you wish. Pixie helps provide people experiencing trauma with positive physical and neurological impacts. Since the program began just over a year ago, Pixie has provided critical support to victims of crime at court, police scenes, interviews, meetings, stress debriefings, and community presentations. Alice's creativity champions the use of canine assisted intervention. Speaker, the story of Alice and Pixie is one of 15 recognized by the Victim Services Awards of Distinction. And I encourage all the members of the House to share stories from their regions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Question, the member for London North Centre. My question is to the Premier. AgriFoods is an important pillar in London's economy and in business is only as strong as the people who work there. Front-line workers are responsible for the high-quality food on our table. This week, the member from London Fanshawe, London West, and I learned that over 80 essential workers at Cargill, were physically distancing in the workplace contracted COVID-19. Right now, we're thinking of all the workers and their families. Without provincial paid sick days, our food supply chain is under attack. Thankfully, Cargill stepped up in support of workers with paid sick leave while this government stepped aside. Denying frontline essential workers paid sick days means that many people can't take the time off when they're feeling unwell, which puts us all at risk. Some of this government listened to experts, listened to doctors, listened to nurses, listened to the legion of people calling on them to step up, show some responsibility, and provide provincial paid sick days. Mr. Labour. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I do want to begin by thanking all of those farmers, all of those farm workers, all of those AgriFood workers who have ensured that every single day in the province of material all of us have had food on our plates at the dinner table. Mr. Speaker, I think about all those cargo workers and I do want to say thank you Cargill for stepping up for paying those workers who are not going to be on the job for the next number of days, but Mr. Speaker, in the province of Ontario 2.3 million workers actually have paid sick days through their employers. For everyone else, I plead with the NDP, with the Provincial Liberals, with all elected officials please tell these workers to go to Canada.ca forward slash COVID-19 Mr. Speaker, 300,000 workers in the province are receiving this benefit. Its responsibility for all of us to let them know that these supports are in place. The opposition will come to orbit. Supplementary question. Back to the Premier. This is a serious hit to London's economy and our food supply chain, but first and foremost, the government didn't listen to scientific advice to vaccinate frontline workers who want to get their shot. It's even more disturbing that this government is now shirking its responsibility by having employers in hotspots set up their own vaccination clinics for workers in the community and then sticking them with the bill. The Premier's mouth tells workers and businesses he stands shoulder to shoulder with them, but his actions say something completely different. Paid sick days protect our economy. Paid sick days protect our food chain. Paid sick days save lives. Does this government truly want to protect Ontario workers? Or would they rather save a buck? Mr. Speaker, I am proud that more than 3.4 million people in the province of Ontario have received a vaccination as of yesterday, Mr. Speaker. With millions more ready to be vaccinated, they booked those appointments, but Mr. Speaker the member opposite has to and his party they need to work with us to call on the federal government to get us more vaccines. The supply issue is a real challenge in London in every other community across this province, but Mr. Speaker as a ministry we are sparing no expense to protect the health and safety of workers. I'm proud to say that as of today Mr. Speaker we've done about 47,000 workplace inspections. We've hired 100 more ministry of labour training and skills development inspectors something that that member opposite voted against. We will stand with workers every single day to get through COVID-19. The next question is for Ottawa Vanier. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the minister of colleges and universities. Mr. Speaker Monday was a devastating day for people in Sudbury. More than 150 members of their community were told that they were without a job in the middle of the pandemic because the university had to cut nearly 70 programs. I know the government has been saying that it can't get involved while the CCAA process is ongoing but the government knew these program cuts and job losses were coming months ago before the process began. So I'd like to ask the minister why didn't the government act before February 1st to collaborate on a made in Sudbury solution and protect all those affected by Monday's cuts. The parliamentary assistant and member for Northumberland Peterborough South. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker let me be clear that I understand the very difficult and personal situation affecting students, families and workers, Laurentian University. The courses of 90% of students Mr. Speaker have not been affected and for the 10% of those who have are working directly with the institution who are working in turn with each student to ensure a pathway for graduation. Mr. Speaker the member asserts information prior to knowing the CCAA protection proceedings. Mr. Speaker what I can tell you is that the gravity of Laurentian's financial situation only was very recently brought to the government's attention. Mr. Speaker it's been widely reported that Laurentian University has over 300 million in disabilities. Mr. Speaker we've appointed Dr. Alan Harrison to have a look at this and to provide independent and thoughtful analysis to ensure that we make meaningful decisions going forward. Thank you Mr. Speaker. And again to the minister for colleges and University of Laurentian is a northern institution that serves indigenous and francophone communities that are largely underserved by provincial services. 35% of French language programming is being cut and the indigenous studies program has been cut entirely. The institution does not only support these communities but it also supports the vitality of Sudbury as a whole. Once students leave the region to complete their studies most of them will come back. For the francophone community the impact is on the survival of our culture in the north. The government has taken symbolic steps to ensure that the francophone community and the francophone community play in our society. So my question is what does the government intend to do concretely to support the right to study in French for our francophone community in northern Ontario? Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker I'd like to address that. The member opposite said symbolic. Well I can assure the member opposite there's nothing symbolic about 17.6 opportunities for francophone students. Nothing symbolic of the 74 million to support over 30,000 Ontarian students who enroll in French language programming across Ontario. That member is from the national capital region. I would encourage her to work with us, work with the federal government who contribute one fifth of what this government contributes to French language programming in the province of Ontario. One fifth we know the Official Languages and the importance of bilingualism in this country and the important role that francophones play in the province of Ontario. So I would encourage that member opposite to work with us, work with us to grow on the first ever Franco University governed by and for francophones. And in addition Mr. Speaker to work with us. Thank you. The next question. Thank you very much Speaker. My question is for the Premier Speaker. The Minister of Colleges and Universities allowed the CCA process to fire over 100 people and slash nearly 70 programs at Laurentian University. One of those programs was midwifery. I want to remind you Speaker Laurentian has the only French called the profession de sache femme outside of Quebec. It is the only bilingual midwifery program in the entire country. I spoke with Lisa Morgan the director of the program. She said other midwifery schools are only six of them in Canada. Lisa was told the program was cut due to low enrollment which is confusing because Laurentian's program is the largest school of midwifery in Canada. Speaker this program is managed by the Ministry of Health which caps the enrollment at 30 students a year even though they turn away hundreds of students every year. My question Speaker is for you. Will the government finally realize how ridiculous the CCA process has been being? I do acknowledge and understand the rare and necessary programming of midwifery. That is why this government provided an additional million dollars to Laurentian University dedicated specifically for the midwifery program. The real question here and the member alluded to it, is it the position of the NDP for government to now get involved in specific programming at every university across the province of Canada? Is it the position of the NDP to interfere in court proceedings? If so, be honest with Ontarians and just tell them that. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, the CCA process is not meant for public institutions. It's a brutal process that's made to satisfied bankers. As long as they get paid they don't care what cuts are being made and there's a community and we care about all the cuts that are being made, especially when they don't make sense. 100% of midwifery graduates have been hired. Laurentian Woodwifes make up one-third of all midwifes in Ontario and in Canada. Alison Crows is a midwifery student at Laurentian. She said, I've exposed myself to COVID for the last year in order to serve the Ontario population. I've moved more than ten times her placements. I've completed unpaid placements. I've acquired significant student debt. I've extended separation from my support systems. And I now have no clear path to graduation or registration to the profession. This cut is unconscionable. He can pivot and dance and sidestep and hide, but I want the premier to answer, will the premier do the right thing for Northern students like Alison and final Laurentian to save programs like midwifery? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again we understand the important role midwives play in this country and in the province of Ontario. That's why this government provided a million additional dollars to Laurentian University to support that programming. But again, the underlying issue here that that member refuses to address is that he believes that politicians know better than our autonomous institutions on what programming to offer, Mr. Speaker, that politicians know better than independent court cases. We know that when it comes to the independent processes, when it comes to politicians making all these decisions, Mr. Speaker, we understand the important role that the government does play. That's why we're working with the institution to ensure pathway to graduation for the 10% of students affected at Laurentian University, individualized pathways for each. We're going to continue doing just that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. The next question, the member for Scarborough-Gildwood. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the premier. So it's a question of the way across the province, while many parts of the province have low case numbers and live in circumstances that help facilitate successful safety measures such as staying home and maintaining distance from others. My riding of Scarborough-Gildwood does not have the same options. Scarborough-Gildwood has been a COVID hotspot since the beginning of the pandemic. A disproportionate number of residents cannot work from home. They are essential and community transmission is also a continuing problem, with a 24% positivity rate more than twice the provincial average. This reflects the numbers of cases in Scarborough. The vaccine rollout has been unnecessarily complicated and confusing for Ontarians, especially newcomers and seniors. They've faced many barriers booking their vaccine. What is the provincial government doing to make vaccines more accessible instead of chaotic by closing hospital run vaccination clinics in hotspots like Scarborough? Thank you and the Minister of Health to respond. And we have been clear that phase two of our vaccine rollout will focus on age and risk while also focusing on hotspots across the province. There have been 114 hotspots identified through postal codes where we understand that there are barriers to people receiving vaccines. There's vaccine hesitancy. There may be language problems. There may be other issues involved with it. We are doing vaccine people through the vaccine clinics. We also are doing mobile clinics and pop-up testing, going to apartment buildings, going to other locations, using faith-based organizations as well, because these are trusted organizations that people depend upon and rely upon. And we're finding that that's really dealing with the vaccine hesitancy. But with respect to the issue about the shortage in the vaccination clinics, it's important, very important to remind the member that local public health units are responsible for the managing and overseeing the distribution and administration of the vaccines across their entire region. Similarly, clinics are expected to administer the vaccine. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker, back to the minister. You know, 10,000 people in my riding and across Scarborough are now out of luck. They are having to rebook their vaccinations. I was there yesterday at Centennial College. I met Lesita. She is 74 years old. She has had an appointment booked for weeks. She came an hour early for her appointment. Had to be turned away. 69-year-old Ramjeet, he rode his bike to get his vaccine only to be turned away. So I understand that we are all in this together. We need to roll this vaccination program out across the province. However, we cannot keep passing the buck on others. It's not the local public health's responsibility to coordinate the distribution. Well, the distribution is decided by the province. If you're telling me that that's not the responsibility, then we've got more to do. But, Mr. Speaker, I'm asking this minister, will they send Scarborough an equitable share of vaccines so that they can vaccinate the thousands of people who lost their appointment? Yes. Thank you. Minister Kal. And through you, Speaker, I can assure the member that Scarborough is receiving an equitable distribution of vaccines, as is every other part of Ontario. It's based on age and based on risk. And taking into account the numerous hotspots that we understand Scarborough has within its geography. But we have been working hand in glove with local public health units to ensure that there are clear expectations about what allocations public health units and vaccine sites will be receiving. And to be clear, Toronto Public Health has their own Toronto vaccine table that determines their allocation is distributed within the city. So we know that delayed vaccines are extremely disruptive, but we are working with those local public health units so that they know what allocation they will be receiving and then they distribute that allocation to all of the vaccine sites. So that is something that we are going to continue to work on with them. But be sure that Scarborough is receiving their equitable share. Next question, the member for St. Catherine's. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions to the Premier. St. Catherine's City Council just passed a motion about commercial insurance gouging. They want action. In October, you acted surprised at commercial insurance gouging that you described as astronomical. And wait for the next budget. It was more of the same tough talk that stops after you leave the podium. What's the cost of no action? In St. Catherine's, the Mistopolis family owns three hotels. And in December, their insurance rate increased by 300%. Almost $200,000 over the pandemic. That's more than all federal and provincial pandemic supports combined. Question. Will this government step in to do something meaningful to protect our small businesses affected by insurance profiteering? And finally, will this government finally take action on commercial insurance? To apply the government. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I know that the Minister of Finance has been working very closely with the industry and more importantly has been working with small, medium and large health creators to ensure that the economy continues to grow post-pandemic as it really did before the pandemic, Mr. Speaker. As I said a couple of days ago in this House, back in 2018, the people of the province of Ontario voted for a government that could focus on their priorities. And their priorities, of course, were job creation. The number one priority was job creation. We saw thousands of jobs coming back to the province of Ontario following the disastrous 15-year government of the liberal regime, Mr. Speaker. I'll let the member rest assured that this government will continue to focus on small, medium and large job creators, continue to focus on the tourism industry like she just mentioned in her question. I know she's now hollering and doesn't apparently want to hear the answer, Mr. Speaker, but I guess that's typical of the NDP. Lots of holler, lots of bluster, no action. And so question period comes to an end. Next we have a deferred vote on a motion for closure, on the motion for third reading of Bill 254, an act to amend various acts with respect to elections and members of the Assembly. On April 13, 2021, Mr. Downey moved third reading of Bill 254. On April 14, 2021, Mr. Nichols moved that the question be now put. Bells will now ring for 30 minutes, during which time members may cast their votes on Mr. Nichols' motion that the question be now put. I will ask the clerks to prepare the lobbies. Thank you.