 It is now time for all questions and I recognize the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Thank you so much, Speaker. Speaker, before I ask my first question to the Premier, I just want to acknowledge that it's RNAL's Lobby Day today at Queen's Park and I'm sure we're all looking forward to hearing the advice of the RNAL in terms of how we fix our healthcare system and our nurse shortage. But my first question is on a different topic, Speaker, and it's to the Premier. We all know that we've heard of the devastating layoffs that are happening in Thunder Bay this week and so it's now more important than ever to commit to investing in manufacturing jobs and trades in our province. Ontario has had a long-standing 25% Canadian content policy for transit vehicles, which has created thousands of good jobs and protected thousands of good jobs in our province, Speaker, over the years. So my question to the Premier is, will he commit to maintaining Ontario's 25% Canadian content policy for transit vehicles and will he rigorously enforce that commitment? Thank you. Applaud. The Premier. Well, through you, Mr. Speaker, our government has always championed the Ontario made in Ontario solutions. No government has ordered more Canadian made vehicles ever than our government, Mr. Speaker, and we're going to play a little game fiction and fact. Now I'm going to tell you the facts. Over 75% of Ontario line will be Canadian content with almost 90% occurring right here in Ontario, Mr. Speaker. This project alone will generate more than $11 billion in local benefits. During the construction, it will support over 4,700 jobs per year with more employment afterwards for the operations and maintenance of the line. And do you know what's a shame, Mr. Speaker? With all the investments we put into Thunder Bay and Alstom, the leader of the opposition voted it down. The leader of the Liberals voted it down, and the leader of the Green Party voted it down. They had no interest in supporting it. Thank you. Thank you. Applaud. Well, thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Unfortunately, the Premier's actions don't match his words. The fact is that it used to be 25% requirement for Canadian content in transit vehicles here in this province, but I'm going to read from a recent RFP for one of the largest transit projects in the history of this province that the Premier was just talking about. And I quote, from the Ontario line subway rolling stock systems operational and maintenance project RFP, Canadian content means a minimum of 10% of the final value of a car supplied by Project Co under the project agreement, which must be contracted for by Project Co in Canada as calculated in accordance with this Schedule 38. I asked the page to send this over to the Premier. The question is, why has the Premier put at risk so many good-paying jobs and dropped Ontario's long-standing 25% commitment to Canadian content in transit vehicles? For 15 years, Northern Ontario was ignored and was put at risk through the previous Liberal government propped up by the NDP government. They were totally ignored, Mr. Speaker. The facts are, if it wasn't for this government, the Alston plant wouldn't exist as of today. We invested over $171 million for refurbished 94 Go Rail coaches. In May, we made $180 million investment for new streetcars for the TTC. Those investments are supporting over 300 good manufacturing jobs at the facility alone. Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, the shame is the Leader of the Opposition voted against us, voted against the people in Thunder Bay, voted against the people at Alston, the hardworking people have never showed up to their plant in a few years. While we're there, we're listening to the people, we're always going to have their backs, Mr. Speaker, and we're going to continue to invest in the people of Thunder Bay and Alston. Well, Premier, the Premier cannot just ignore the facts, Speaker, in fact ask a page to send another copy, maybe he can read what's highlighted in yellow on this document. It's very, very clear, Speaker. This RFP is for the Ontario line and it clearly states, I will say again, Canadian content means a minimum of 10% of the final value of a car supplied, et cetera, et cetera. Speaker, this Premier has abandoned the 25% content requirement. Why on earth, why on earth would this Premier do that without telling anyone, without consulting anyone, Speaker? Why would he put thousands of good-paying Ontario jobs on the line and get rid of a long-standing 25% content policy for transit vehicles in our province? Shame on him. To reply, the Associate Minister of Transportation, GTA. Thank you very much, Speaker. And I agree there is some clarity necessary here and so I will clarify, for the official leader of the opposition, exact order is already outlined in a letter from Minister Mulruder on this matter just last week to be clear. There have been no changes to the existing Canadian content policy and in case the leader did not receive that letter, I'd like to send through a page a letter from the Minister of Outlining exactly those details. Speaker, what we are talking about here is $11 billion from the construction of the Ontario line that will go right back into the economy and support those great jobs in Thunder Bay, Speaker. At the end of the day, 75% of the project will be manufactured in Canada, 90% of that in Ontario. Speaker, it's called the Ontario line for a reason. We are investing in transit and transportation across this entire province and that includes the great people of Thunder Bay. Restart the clock. The next question. Leader of the opposition. This question is also for the Premier, but I have to say, with all due respect, it means squat what's in the Minister of Transportation's letters. What matter is what is in the RFP. That's what matters and this government has abandoned the 25% content requirement. Can you send this over to the Premier, please? I don't care about the Minister's letter. The letter has to have legs by being included in the contract and it is not. He secretly changed the contract, Speaker. After he promised to unify workers very recently, the exact opposite. In fact, last August, this Premier said in Thunder Bay and I quote, we will make sure anything bought in Ontario should be produced in Ontario. So what manufacturing organization, Speaker? What municipality, what union asked the Premier to put thousands of good-paying jobs at risk and risk millions of dollars in investments by changing the content requirement for transit vehicles, reversing this policy? Thank you, Speaker. I guess it's worth repeating to the Leader of the Opposition that there have been no changes to the Canadian content requirement for manufacturing here. In the province, Speaker, I will repeat, 75% of the Ontario line will be Canadian content with almost 90% occurring right here in Ontario, Speaker. This is in addition to the fact that there is $180 million we committed to in May to support the purchase of 16 new TTC vehicles. In addition, $171 million to refurbish 94 go transit rail coaches, 60 new electric streetcars, Speaker. And the layoffs in Alstom, we know those are temporary. Because our government, our Premier, has reached out to the leadership team there who have assured us that their intention is to bring back their workers in June of this year. They have to, Speaker, because this is unprecedented growth on the way for this province and for Thunder Bay. Thank you. Any supplementary questions? Speaker, what is unprecedented is that for almost 15 years we've had a Canadian content policy, they're required 25%. And it's unprecedented that this for government would stand up and pretend that they didn't reduce that content to 10% in the RFP for the Ontario line. I will send this over to the Associate Minister if he doesn't know the facts of what's in their own RFP. He told Uniform Workers in Thunder Bay this Premier did and I quote, please don't be looking for other jobs because we'll make sure we have contracts to keep you going. But he secretly changed the long-standing policy that created great jobs for years. There won't be contracts without a 25% requirement and it's not just Thunder Bay, Speaker. It's the entire supply chain that will impact the entire province. So will this Premier, right now then, today, if he is committed to that 25% policy, stand up right now and commit that not only will we continue to have a 25% content policy, but he will make sure that that is included in all RFPs going forward and he will check. Thank you. Thank you. To reply, again, the Associate Minister of Transportation, order. Well, Speaker, we will clarify for a third time that there have been no changes to the existing Canadian content policy, Speaker. No changes. Our government will continue to say yes to deals that make sense for taxpayers and transit riders, especially when it creates good-paying private sector jobs. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Ontario line, a massive undertaking that will support over 4,700 jobs per year during the years of construction while generating more than $11 billion in local economic growth. Speaker, I know the opposition is used to propping up the Liberals when they were in power. 300,000 manufacturing jobs left from 2004 to 2014. We will not take lectures from the members opposite on this issue. It is our government that is building back the manufacturing sector and transforming Ontario Transit Network after the Liberals doing years of nothing. Speaker, there is no doubt that that policy had been in place for 15 years and that it created great jobs. It was supported by manufacturers. It was supported by workers and unions. It was supported by municipalities. The Premier, I think, gave some false hope to the uniform workers up in Thunder Bay because he has now betrayed them and abandoned that policy. It is in black and white. I've run out of copies. I guess the government side doesn't know how to read or doesn't pay attention to the policies that they embed in their RFPs. And so letters from ministers mean nothing. And the dribble coming from the associate minister means nothing. What means something is embedding the policy in the RFPs and this Premier decided not to do that. So why would he secretly ditch that policy? He has to stop making excuses, Speaker. He has to stand up for workers, some claim that he makes all the time, which is absolutely not the case. And we see it right now. Buck up, do the right thing, pull that RFP and fix it to make sure there's 25% embedded in that policy. Order. Members, please take your seats. And to reply, the Premier. Mr. Speaker, I find it ironic and hypocritical that the Leader of the Opposition... Stop the call. The Premier will take his seat. Yep. Okay. The House will come to order. The Premier must withdraw his unparliamentary comment. The response if he chooses to do so. Mr. Speaker, I find it ironic that the Leader of the Opposition has the goal to say what she's saying. When they have voted against it, they voted against the funding for Alstom. They voted against the people of Thunder Bay for 15 years, Northern Ontario was ignored by the Del Ducco when Horvath governments, they were propped up. They didn't worry about the people in the North. They were worried about their down-down Toronto elites. That's what they were worried about. That's what their concern is about. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, this project alone will generate over $11 billion. There's no government in the history of this province that has invested more into transit than what we have. The Leader of the Opposition must come to order. The next question, the member for Thunder Bay, Attacoken. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. The workers at the Alstom plant in Thunder Bay deserve better from this government. I want to talk specifically about the workers because they do great work. They produce excellent results, excellent vehicles. We are proud that Thunder Bay produces transit vehicles that are used by people all over Ontario, actually all over North America. Every time I come to Queens Park, I walk past many Thunder Bay vehicles and it makes me proud of my city and of those workers. When this government began their time in office, we have 1,200 staff at the then Bombardier plant, and soon there will be only 75 unionized employees. And it could have been avoided. We knew the problems. We knew it. I was talking about it in this House in 2018. Premier, why didn't this government take action soon to stop the layoffs at the Alstom plant? The Associate Minister of Transportation, TTA. Thank you very much, Speaker. I too like the member from Thunder Bay, Attacoken, have immense pride when I see our fine TTC fleet vehicles being manufactured right here in Ontario, in the Thunder Bay area, Speaker. And our government is part of that also, and that's why we're investing in those good homegrown jobs in Ontario. And when it comes to the layoffs in Thunder Bay, I want to be clear. These layoffs are temporary, and Alstom's leadership team has spoken with our government and said exactly that, that their intention is to bring these workers back in June of this year. But they have to because there's a lot of construction happening when it comes to transit in our province. And there are contracts that have been signed with our government in May of last year, $180 million, Speaker, for new streetcars, 60 of them. And this investment is part of a contract with the Thunder Bay plant to supply streetcars with vehicle delivery starting as early as 2023. Response? Another $171 million for 94 GO Transit Rail coaches at the Alstom facility in Thunder Bay, Speaker. There is a lot of work on the way to Thunder Bay and to Alstom, and we are confident that they will be up and running again in June, very soon. And the supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Last year, this government announced an order for 63 cars and refurbishing 91 by-level cars, but the contracts were signed so late, and now the work won't be able to begin to this fall. If this government had planned ahead, we wouldn't be facing layoffs. This government needs to realize that you can't turn on and off manufacturing capacity with a light switch. Uncertainty means we might lose workers to other regions and other industries because this government chose to take its time. We need to make an in-Ontario transit vehicle procurement policy. Premier, when will you commit, and through the Speaker, Premier, when will you commit a made-in-Ontario policy for transit vehicles? I want to answer that question very directly, the Premier committed to creating those jobs a long time ago, Speaker, and that's why at the Alstom plant in Thunder Bay, 60 new streetcars are on the way, 94 GO Transit refurbishments are on the way, 60 new electric streetcars are on the way, and here's the greatest part of all of this, is that this means jobs in Thunder Bay. Now, of course, the plant has to be retooled to create all that capacity. That's why it's temporarily shut down, Speaker, but the fact of the matter is those vehicles are on the way, and that's despite the best efforts of the opposite members as well as the Liberals who voted against every single one of them. They voted against the 60 new streetcars, against the 94 refurbishments, against the 60 new electric streetcars. Despite the best efforts of the opposition, Speaker, we are going to support jobs in this province and in Thunder Bay. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Infrastructure. For far too long, Ontario's small rural and northern communities have struggled to keep their public infrastructure up-to-date due to chronic underfunding and neglect from previous governments. This neglect has led to the infrastructure backlogs in communities across our great province. For 15 years, the Liberal government failed to address infrastructure needs, continued to cut investments in crucial infrastructure, and ignored calls for further funding. The people of Ontario, no matter where they are in this province, deserve to reap the benefits of new, modernized and updated public infrastructure that will help the town they call home be safer and more accessible. Mr. Speaker, through you to the Minister of Infrastructure, what is the government going to provide on Ontario's municipalities with the funding they need to upgrade and renew their critical infrastructure? The parliamentary system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I want to thank the member from Bruce Graven Sound for this great question. And I also want to thank him for years of service to the people of Ontario. Mr. Speaker, our government is stepping up and investing in infrastructure and saying yes to building Ontario and providing municipalities with the funding they need to provide residents with the safe and reliable public infrastructure they need and deserve. Earlier this month, our government released the 2021 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review Build Ontario. In it, we reaffirmed our commitment to supporting small, rural and northern communities by increasing the amount of annual funding they're getting through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund, also known as OSIF. Over the next five years, Mr. Speaker, we are investing an additional one billion in OSIF to help 424 communities to repair and modernize roads, bridges, drinking water, strong water and wastewater projects. That works out an additional 200 million every year until 2026. And we are not stopping here to continue supporting the growth of our province and our communities. We have also gone so far. Thank you. Thank you very much. And the supplementary question. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Parliamentary Assistant who's looking very GQ today for his response and dedication to supporting critical infrastructure projects in my great riding of Bruce Graydon Sound and across the province. I'm proud to be part of a government that's taking appropriate measures to ensure our small, rural and northern communities are getting the attention and the funding they deserve. Mr. Speaker, municipalities in my riding are repeatedly expressing their concerns over infrastructure backlogs and stress the need to address critical projects, such as replacing water mains, upgrading water treatment plants, resurfacing roads and so much more. I'm sure municipalities continue to face financial restraints when preparing their budgets and are concerned they will be forced to cut back on their infrastructure capital projects and reduce services to stay within their budgets. These municipalities are calling for further financial support to work through their project backlog so they can provide their residents with infrastructure that is safe, reliable and more resilient. Mr. Speaker, we've done a lot as a government and will continue to do, but I ask the Parliamentary Assistant through you. What does this investment mean for the people of Ontario? Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, and thanks again to the member for another great question. Unlike the repeated nose and flip-flopping on policies we have seen from previous government and Mr. Speaker, our government has created a detailed and comprehensive plan that supports infrastructure projects throughout the province. To provide additional support for our municipalities to address financial restraints during the pandemic, our government stepped up and created the COVID-19 resilience infrastructure team of the Investing in Canada infrastructure program. From Canora to Chatham-Kent and Essex to Glengary, our government is ensuring the people of Ontario have access to safe and reliable infrastructure they need and deserve. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to Ontario's infrastructure, we're not leaving any stone unturned. We're investing $148 billion over the period of next 10 years. We're building new schools. We're building new hospitals. And most importantly, we're connecting Ontario, providing them with a high-speed internet connection and make sure that every household in the province of Ontario will have access to high-speed internet by 2025. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. The Minister of Long-Term Care recently came to Hamilton and announced provincial funding for several for-profit long-term care homes. The Minister left out Macassel Lodge, which is in my writing from his announcement, a municipally run not-for-profit home with a request to upgrade 44 existing beds. Speaker, only one non-for-profit home was included in the Minister's announcement. This is unacceptable and quite obvious of where this government's priorities lie. Seniors in my writing need access to upgraded quality long-term care home beds now. Will the Premier commit to funding, providing the funding to Macassel Lodge so they can make the necessary upgrades to the existing 44 beds? To apply to the Government House, Seniors. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Member is right. Ontario seniors have needed access to quality long-term care for a very long time in this province, in fact, for decades. That is why we are endeavouring to ensure that over 30,000 new long-term care beds are built across the province of Ontario, upgrading an additional 28,000. And what is the largest upgrade and building of new long-term care beds in the history of the country, Mr. Speaker? In the history of the country, she is quite correct. We were in Hamilton making an announcement for a number of new and upgraded beds in Hamilton. In fact, we have built and are committed to building and in the pipeline, Mr. Speaker, more beds in Hamilton alone than were built by the previous two Liberal administrations and for a number of those years supported, of course, by the NDP, Mr. Speaker. So, there is good news for Hamilton, good news for Ontarians, and it's long overdue. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, not your question. Thank you, Speaker. Ontarians need access to quality, not for profit, long-term care, which you have heard the government minister not deny. These beds are safe and they're of quality, and they are good enough for our parents and our grandparents, and that is the only quality that we should be looking at and that should not be lost on profit. It is shameful that this government continues to refuse to recognize this. Although we shouldn't be surprised since considering last year, this government announced that over half of the new long-term care homes being built in Ontario would be for profit. They have a crusade against public health care, and this needs to end. Can the Premier promise that his government will only fund not-for-profit long-term care homes in Ontario from here on out? Mr. Long-term Care. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Of course, we will work with providers to ensure that our seniors have access to the best quality healthcare, long-term care, possible, Mr. Speaker. I do note, of course, that in the members' writing, the Castle Lodge actually has been approved for additional beds. I may not have known that because she missed the announcement. Mr. Speaker, Grace Villa, 192 upgraded beds. Shalom Manor, not-for-profit, 128 beds. Member for Hamilton Mountain, come forward. The member for Hamilton Center is writing, 128 new and 128 upgraded beds at Baywoods Place, 34 new and 126 upgraded beds at Parkview Nursing Center, 160 redeveloped beds at Dundern Place, Mr. Speaker. In addition, over two... Member for Hamilton Mountain must come forward. Listen to this, Mr. Speaker. I know they're going to try and shout it down, but listen to this, Mr. Speaker. Over $2.4 million in new funding for new staff... What? ...in the Ministry of the Leader of Oppositions writing, and $15 million more in annual funding on top of the $2.3 million in the members' writing. The House, when the Speaker calls you to order, you must come to order. And if you don't, I'll call you out by name, and if you still don't, you'll be warned. And if you still don't, you might be able to go home early. The next question, the member for Cambridge. Good morning. My question is for the Premier. On Tuesday, the minute I left this chamber and without notice to me, the PC government tabled a motion to condemn the member for Lanark Frontenac Kingston for inflammatory social media posts encouraging people to engage in conduct that this government... that this government has repeatedly claimed they disapprove of, but what the government won't say is that the actions of the member in question have been funded by this government for months through changes in election laws which provide this member for the first time ever in Ontario's history, a writing association with an annual taxpayer subsidy of $66,000, and the governing party granted itself $5.9 million per year in the same deal. If the government opposes the member's actions, why don't they stop sponsoring the political operations for him and all MPPs by canceling the provoked subsidy for all members in this legislature that has cost taxpayers more than $100 million in 10 years? Would you reply to the government? Oh, sorry. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm sure you can appreciate, Mr. Speaker, that it is not my job as government house leader to monitor the attendance of the members of the House. This chamber sits most days from 9 o'clock to about 6.40 and it is the expectations that if members are interested in the proceedings of this House that they will attend to this House, Mr. Speaker. So I will endeavour to tell the Honourable Member that in future, if the member is concerned about motions that may be coming forward or the work of this House, Mr. Speaker, that the best place to hear about that is in this chamber itself. A supplementary question. In justifying the government's most recent emergency measures and the Premier's seal of approval for Justin Trudeau's, the Premier called the Ottawa protest an illegal occupation, but those in Ottawa who were trying to lead a safe withdrawal of the protest and to safely negotiate with the city were hijacked by the government's own agent provocateur, the member from Lanark. It was reported by one of the leading protesters that the member from Lanark encouraged the convoy to talk to the Mayor of Ottawa. But once the talk became public, the member said they were abandoning the protesters, thus making the possibility of a peaceful withdrawal impossible. In fact, the Premier's own first Chief of Staff was reportedly in the back talking to all leaders involved. Can this government tell us how many other sponsored actors it has infiltrating peaceful protest movements with the job of sabotaging the efforts so the government can use the actions of its own agents as justification for imposing authoritarian measures on all Ontarians? I'm going to caution the member under use of language and allow the government House Leader to respond. Mr. Speaker, you know, we just talked yesterday about the importance of elevating the level of debate around this place of people understanding on both sides, the opposition and the government, frankly, better understanding what happened in Ottawa, what happened at some of these protests. We were all very clear. We spoke unanimously in the fact that the aims of the protest leaders to overthrow a democratically elected government were not something that any of us could ever support. In fact, we're idiotic, Speaker, and we all stood up against that, Speaker. But within that protest movement, there were other people who had other concerns, the cost of living, Mr. Speaker, the cost of fuel, the carbon tax, other issues, other issues that impact some of the things that we are doing, the mandates, Speaker. And we all talked and we all said that we had to find a better way of communicating so that all people feel part of the decision-making process, Mr. Speaker. So I would ask the honorable member to reflect on the question that she just asked and ask how that can help elevate the level of debate in this place. This House spoke unanimously yesterday when it came to the member for Lanark, and I'm proud of how this House reacted to that member and the nonsense that he has been speaking. The next question, the member for Mississauga Centre. Thank you, Speaker. And before I ask my question this morning, I would like to add my voice in categorically condemning Putin's unprovoked aggression and invasion of the sovereign nation of Ukraine. In speaking with my family in Poland this morning, I learned that the situation is extremely tense as Poland prepares humanitarian aid, shelters and resources to accept Ukrainian refugees. I believe I speak for members of this House in expressing our solidarity with the people of Ukraine and in calling on Putin to get out of Ukraine. Speaker, my question is to the Associate Minister of Digital Government. As you know, February 11 was the international day of women and girls in science. A day to recognize the crucial role of women and girls in advancing science and technology. In acknowledgement of this important day and being an advocate for women in the tech sector, I understand Mr Rashid hosted a helping women in tech to succeed round table. Speaker, through you to the Associate Minister of Digital Government, what topics were discussed and what next steps will be taken to support women and girls in tech? The Associate Minister? Nope, the Government House Leader. I just wanted to reflect on the first part of the member's question, Mr Speaker. Again, as the Leader of the Green Party and each of the leaders in this place have highlighted the actions that have been taken by Russia are completely unacceptable, and we will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine and understanding how important it is to the Ukrainian diaspora here in Ontario and across this country that we continue to do that. At the same time, I do reflect on the fact that the Minister of Labour and Immigration just this morning also reiterated Ontario's openness to working with and helping the Federal Government looking at ways that we can better settle immigrants from Ukraine to Ontario as quickly as possible, Mr Speaker. So I thank the member for that question, Mr Speaker. And again, thank all members of the House for their statements are there. Supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the House Leader for acknowledging the gravity of the situation. Back to the Minister of Digital Government. Recruiting and keeping talented people, especially women and girls in Ontario's tech sector is a priority for our government. As you know, Mr Speaker, Ontario is committed to being a leader in the tech sector and I am interested in hearing the feedback participants provided. Mr Speaker, to the Associate Minister of Digital Government, what information was gathered and how will the input received assist the government going forward? This roundtable was very informative and highlights just how important it is to continue building an inclusive and diverse workforce. Thank you. Associate Minister for Digital Government. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, and thank you to the member of the Mississauga Centre for the question. Mr Speaker, the member is correct. As a father of three daughters, I am a strong advocate for not only women in tech but also about seeing women advance in the workplace. I recently invited my colleagues, Minister Dunlop and Minister McKenna, as well as the Ontario's Digital Services Chief, Digital and Data Officer, Hillary Hartley, to host a helping women in tech to succeed roundtable. Eight leaders in Ontario's tech sector joined our virtual event. It was important to discuss how our government can partner with the tech sector to encourage even more women to get involved in the STEM field and build their careers right here in Ontario. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Next question, the member for St. Catherine. Thank you, Speaker. Ontario's one and only local manufacturer of injectable oncology drugs is at risk in St. Catherine's. This is because unfortunately hospitals in this province mostly buy their drugs through a large group purchasing organizations. Huge entities that deal with billions of dollars of taxpayers' money with no oversight. Last month, HealthPro, the biggest of these groups told BioLease it could not bid to sell their products in Canada because of a contract dispute. Effectively putting their 25 years of producing medicine in Canada and 25 years of creating good jobs and paying jobs in St. Catherine's at risk. This is not building medicine manufacturing capacity in Ontario. This is going backwards. Through you, Speaker, is the Premier going to at least respond to this company with many unanswered letters because this situation has gone from a contract disagreement to a destructive force that could ruin a really good Ontario local company? We have some trouble with the clock but I've got my watch so no problem. Don't worry. I'll be watching. Click carefully. Minister of Economic Development, job creation and trade. Thank you, Speaker. I'll keep it short and sweet then so you don't have to check your watch. While we don't get involved in corporate contract disputes, we continue to encourage the company to deal with Health Canada to make certain that they have met all of the regulations. Thank you to your comment about manufacturing in Ontario. When we first saw the pandemic we realized very little of our pandemic requirements are made in Ontario. We invested $100 million. We ended up with 45 projects. $187 million by companies was invested and we have continued to reduce our dependence on foreign-made PPE including detectables and we will continue, Speaker, with the $100 million Ontario together fund that we have in existence. Thank you. Mr. Permanente, a pleasure. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the Premier. The diluted chemo drug report made it clear that a lot of public money goes to kick back to group purchase agencies. The idea of having public money being kicked back to a private organization does not sit very well with me. We talk about supply chain issues with medicine and Biolice has been a company with 25 years of experience producing medicine for Canadian market. They have come to the rescue when other chemo drug manufacturers let us down. They saved the day for cancer patients. Speaker, I hear the Premier talk about made in Ontario today, vaccines and medicines. However, allowing a drug procurement system with no oversight that can put a nearly three decade company at risk of closing puts the question of this government's priorities. The purchasing groups are more interested in making money and their kickbacks than making sure the supply chain for cancer medication are strong. Will the Premier bring oversight and accountability to group purchasing agencies? Thank you. Thank you very much, Speaker. Again, I would encourage the company to continue to deal with Health Canada who monitors our pharmaceutical sector but I can tell you back to when the pandemic first began and we saw very little PPE being made here in Ontario. We are very proud to be able to say as of today, 74% of all PPE purchased by the province of Ontario that's almost from zero to now 74% is made domestically and almost all of it is made right here in Ontario and I would encourage the member across the aisle through the bill that the Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape presented just this week that has a section called Bobby Building Ontario Business Initiative that she continued to support that initiative that supports Made in Ontario companies. Thank you. The next question, the member for Ottawa Vanity. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Until we hear about the details of the government's plan to help the people of Ottawa that have suffered from 24 days of occupation, I will continue to stand up to the people of Ottawa Vanity and to rise in this house to ask the same question. So I want this government to fully understand the enormous economic cost of this illegal occupation that was allowed to go on for way too long in Ottawa. In my writing alone that means a thousand businesses that were impacted by the occupation. 200 millions in lost business revenue and cost to the municipality. These costs and these losses could have been mitigated if the Premier had taken action instead of waiting and letting down the people of Ottawa. So my question is to the Premier will the Premier admit that he needs to pay his share for the cost of the occupation in Ottawa. And for Applied Department for Assistant member for Brantford Brandt. No, thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you for that question. I very much appreciate it and you know I can completely understand the difficulty that businesses and individuals have had through Ottawa and I've heard some of those stories and I very much feel for the people there as does the Minister of Finance and that's why I think we've demonstrated that since the beginning of the pandemic we have been there for individuals and businesses but we also recognize that the situation in Ottawa is extremely, extremely unique and that's why we are working on this issue and I hope to be able to bring more forward soon. Thank you. Nice supplementary question. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Ontario Liberals representing the Ottawa area are calling for the government to provide substantive support to our city. Now there was nothing of that in the first part of the answer. If the government doesn't know where to start, we have provided specific recommendations match the federal support for businesses, forgive IDRA charges that have been, that business have incurred while they were forced to close, cover policing fees that have been forced on the city, call for an inquiry into how this situation was allowed to deteriorate into flagrant lawlessness and most importantly this government should be financially supporting workers who lost wages during the whole occupation period. So will the government follow our advice and provide urgently needed support to Ottawa? No again, thank you for reiterating the importance of the support that the businesses and individuals in Ottawa need. I was very encouraged to see the support program announced by the federal government and what I did not see in that while it was a quick announcement was exactly how it would be rolling out and I think it's very important as we have in the past as we've supported businesses and individuals through COVID that we also have a very clear sense of what will happen, how will happen, who should be eligible because we don't want to see that any assistance going the wrong way and that's why we are working on this and we hope to be able to announce something soon. Again, thank you for the question and I look forward to being able to say more. Question number four, Aurora Oak Ridges, Richmond Hill. Thank you very much Speaker and my question is to the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. When meeting with members of my community Speaker, I often hear how costly life has become for individuals, families and especially those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The last thing Speaker Ontarian need right now is to worry about spending more money and extra time away from their jobs, loved ones just to renew their license plate stickers. So Speaker, through you to the Minister could he please explain to this House how the recent decision to eliminate license plate renewal fees and the requirement to have the license plate stickers will benefit all Ontarians. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and through you to the great member for Aurora Oak Ridges, Richmond Hill for their question. By eliminating license plate stickers Mr. Speaker and those renewal fees we're saving people money. $120 back in your pocket for every motor vehicle that you have registered on the road in Southern Ontario $60 per vehicle in Northern Ontario. This is 8 million vehicle owners across all of the province Mr. Speaker. Very very stark contrast to the former Liberal Party with then Minister of Transportation now leader Stephen Del Duca increased driver's fees Mr. Speaker Mr. Del Duca actually put his hand deeper into your pocket. We're actually taking our hands out we're putting money back in people's pockets Mr. Speaker and giving money back to the people of this province putting it back in their pockets because we're about saying yes Mr. Speaker and we're not about saying no like the party of no and obviously they're friends led by Mr. Del Duca Supplementary Thank you very much Speaker and I really appreciate the answer provided by the Minister. This announcement presents a great opportunity for millions of people across the province to create additional savings after two challenging years My constituents and many Ontarians want to know more Speaker through you can the Minister explain how Ontarians can expect to get a refund for their license plate sticker payments and where they can access additional information on this program Minister of Government and Consumer Services Well thank you again for the question to the member opposite I mean to our member from Oak Ridge's Aurora and I think it's a very good question very important that we make sure we want to be able to get a refund and the refund is going to be for any registrations that you've paid right back to March 1st of 2020 so two years worth so if you've paid for let's say two vehicles $120 a vehicle for two years $480 back but we need to make sure we have your proper address so please visit Ontario.ca front slash address change again Ontario.ca front slash address change so we can verify your address so you can get your check in the mail or you can call 1-888-333-0049 please call by March 7th, 2022 so we can process those checks but Mr. Speaker if I may say just as a last piece to the member opposite this isn't just double putting more money in your pocket but it's the convenience I for one am extremely happy that I won't have to change a sticker on my license plate anymore thank you very much for the opportunity next question the member for Toronto St. Paul's thank you speaker my question is to the minister of education minister residents of my community in Toronto St. Paul's, Jewish Ontarians and allies across the province are deeply disturbed by the escalating incidents of anti-semitism in our schools students including the Nazi salute anti-semitic graffiti like what Beth Jolone's synagogue in our community experienced last year and a teacher comparing COVID-19 vaccine mandates to the yellow star of David the Jewish people were forced to wear during the Holocaust all are part of a traumatic patterned speaker of anti-semitism harming Jewish students families and our educators friends of Simon Wiesenthal and other Jewish community letters leaders have called for an emergency board level investigation into anti-semitism in our TDSB schools what is the minister of education doing to support this request for an emergency investigation thank you speaker minister of education thank you speaker and I want to thank the member opposite for the question I absolutely agree that the rise of anti-semitism is disturbing it as the fastest growing hate crime reported in Canada year over year and the first principle is that we as legislatures must acknowledge what is transpiring that there is hatred against Jews transpiring in schools and communities and in workplaces in Canada we have to acknowledge that as the first principle and be decisive in denouncing it and combating it which is exactly why we partnered with the friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies and the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs for the second year in a row and I want to thank Simon on tarot history to strengthen Holocaust educations that students are ambassadors and allies when it comes to combating this age old hate and so that they learn from history never to repeat it thank you speaker and the supplementary thank you speaker of course we must move away from awareness alone and there has to also be mandatory changes my question is back to the minister of education last month Liberation I released a study showing that approximately one out of three students were unsure unsure about the Holocaust thought the Holocaust was exaggerated or frankly didn't think it happened at all speaker the study also found that 40% of students were learning about the Holocaust through social media the Holocaust was the mass genocide of over 6 million Jewish folks 6 million and other marginalized people Liberation 75 Jewish community organizations and educators have long called for Holocaust education to be a mandatory part of our curriculum that moves beyond just awareness and not at the teacher's discretion only the provincial government can make that change we must address the escalating antisemitism will the minister recognize this long standing call for action and make Holocaust education a mandatory part of the school curriculum today thank you thank you very much we accept that antisemitism must come to an end the rise of hate affecting Jewish students and educators and families is honestly deeply disturbing for all of us and I think by leading by example the reason why two years ago we started an investment working with Jewish community leaders to help empower and educate all Canadians all citizens in this province when it comes to Holocaust education we strongly support further strengthening and mandating Holocaust education Liberation 75 you mentioned the lead of it is Marilyn Sinclair happens to be a constituent someone I met with consistently over the past years I have assured her we will work with her in advance of the 75th anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz which is the basis of that organization to embed education learning on the Holocaust and to ensure that students are aware of what transpired the human history the devastation and the response that has happened the last century so that we seek to avoid it in the coming years thank you speaker next question the member for thank you speaker my question through you is to the minister of health often the minister claims that vaccines are safe and effective or respectfully speaker people are telling me that that line is getting a little old that was two years ago and here we are basically four lock downs later thousands of small businesses have closed or on the verge of closing and students some of whom you never expect are suffering from mental health issues including contemplating suicide when the vaccines were introduced everyone thought that once they got the jabs everything would be okay but it wasn't many ended up with either short mid or in some cases long term adverse effects then the new variants were identified Delta and Omicron more panic, more jabs recently Dr. Moore stated boosters don't cure Omicron so why take the boosters so minister will you follow the new science and Dr. Moore's advice convince the premier that it's time to end all mandates open everything up the premier forward says that he's done with it the people are done with it thank you Minister of Health as the member will know we already have a plan for reopening Ontario two steps have already been taken and March 1st if the Omicron numbers continue to go down we will be able to take that step to again cautiously and gradually open up Ontario but to suggest that the mandates are of no use is not correct Dr. Moore has always indicated as has the premier that please get vaccinated it's important for your health and for the health of people that you care about unvaccinated people are six times more likely to have to enter hospital if they contract COVID and 12 times more likely to end up in intensive care with the result that sometimes happen people do lose their lives so the vaccination has been proven to be effective it continues to be effective it saves people and I encourage anyone who is not vaccinated yet first, second or booster please do so now supplementary question back to the minister recently the UK government admitted that vaccines have damaged the natural immune system of double vaccinated stating that they will again be able to acquire full immunity to COVID variants or possibly any other virus vaccines do not prevent infection or transmission of the virus the British have found that the vaccine interferes with the body's ability to make antibodies after infection not only after the spike protein but also against other parts of the virus in the long term the vaccinated are far more susceptible to any mutations in the spike protein even if they are already been infected and cured once or more now that far more research and clinical testing has been done minister will you reconsider your previous statements based on new information put a stop to further boosters after all the life you save could even be your own minister health the short answer is no no we are not going to change our policies with respect to vaccinations the view that you just indicated is contrary to the view of the vast majority of scientists and specialists epidemiologists around the world that is contrary to the views of Nassi, Health Canada and Dr. Moore, the science advisory table and all of the medical experts that are advising us in Ontario vaccinations have saved thousands of lives in Ontario and there is no change to the vaccination policy that we're contemplating Speaker my question is to the premier long wait list and placing arbitrary surgery caps was a callous cost-cutting measure by the previous Liberal government which forced countless seniors to live their life in agony constant pain changes a person it changes their personality orthopedic surgeons had their hands tied they were willing and able to complete the surgeries but the Liberal government didn't want to pay for it now as a result of the COVID pandemic people will wait almost three years for new replacements two years for cataract surgeries and a year and a half for hip replacements it's unacceptable will this government invest today and stop forcing people to live in agony yes thank you well the short answer is of course yes we have made those investments there is good news here despite the nature of the question we've recently been able to lift directive 2 which required the postponement of many surgeries and procedures for many people who as you've indicated have been waiting for orthopedic procedures surgeries cardiac surgeries and so on but we have put the money into assistance we are allowing those surgeries to proceed many hospitals now are able to proceed with up to 90% of their 2019 surgeries if they have the space and if they are still able to take patients from other hospitals where they need that relief we have put 5.1 billion dollars into creating another 3100 hospital spaces first to cover COVID patients but now to continue to remain open in order to be able to serve the patients who have been waiting for a long period of time to have those orthopedic procedures done as well as cancer surgeries and cardiac surgeries we are putting the money into those investments because we know this supplementary question back to the premier speaker allowing these procedures to proceed is different than making a solid investment to make sure to catch up with the backlog and it's unfortunate that we always hear these procedures called elective when we are talking about people living in excruciating pain cancer screening and treatment has also been seeing much longer wait times oncologists like Dr. Joseph Chin at London Health Sciences Centre has called for more operating time stating that patients who should be treated within 12 weeks of diagnosis might wait several months and some patients might miss the window in which surgery is a viable treatment furthermore nurses play a vital role in reducing surgical wait times this government needs to support them and rip up bill 124 will this government listen to the calls from patients doctors the RNAO the Ontario Medical Association and the Ontario Nurses Association to distribute more funding hire more nurses and strengthen home care so that people get the treatment they urgently need again the minister thank you very much well with the lifting of directive 2 we are now investing in all of those procedures that some of which had to be postponed during the covid pandemic when the numbers were very high but we've also already reinstituted the cancer screenings pediatric surgeries and others and we've also made the investments to allow that to happen faster we invested 300 million dollars last year in order to allow surgeries to happen more frequently on weekends and in the evenings we've put another 200 million dollars into that 500 million dollars to allow people to get those services to get those surgeries that they need as for people who had life-saving conditions or life-threatening conditions such as perhaps a cardiac surgery or cancer surgery we did that triage to make sure that we needed it immediately we're able to get it and now we are bumping up we've put the money into hospitals we've put the money into operating times we have a comprehensive health human resource strategy so that the people of Ontario can get them thank you next question the member for thank you mr. Speaker my question is to the premier but first yesterday Vladimir Putin began a full scale invasion an unprovoked war on Ukraine on democracy and the national rule-based order that protects us all I join with all members of this house and stand with the Ukrainian Canadian community and the people of Ukraine mr. Speaker my question to the government today February 24th 2022 almost a year since it was first offered by the feds 72 days before the election is called when will this government stop denying the people of Ontario $10 a day child care thank you Mr. Thank you mr. Speaker after for 15 years the Liberal Party denied Ontario families affordable child care increased it by 400% 40% above the national average who in this legislature believes the Dalduca liberals have any credibility and affordability you had an opportunity they had an opportunity to vote for $1.8 billion a thousand dollars on average in direct financial payment each transfer into the accounts of families during this pandemic you had the opportunity to support affordability you had the opportunity to build child care space you did none of it but our premiers fighting and standing up for this problem for the best deal for the people of Ontario that concludes our question period for this morning I'm advised that the government house leader has a point of order that he wishes to raise yes thank you Speaker just to rise on standing order 59 just to outline the order business for next week for colleagues on Monday afternoon number one which is on surgical backlogs on Tuesday March 1st a motion on standing order changes and before question period speaker there will be a tribute to former member Dr. Stuart Smith and of course thank you to all colleagues it is certainly nice to be able to honor our former colleagues again in the afternoon we will move to bill 84 fewer fees better government act and in the evening it will be PMB ballot item 25 standing in the name of the member for St. Catherine's which is private member's notice of motion number 13 on Wednesday March 2nd in the morning we will continue on with the standing order changes the motion on the standing order changes in the afternoon it will be bill 84 again fewer fees better government act in the evening it will be PMB ballot item 26 center which is bill 67 racial equity in the education system act and on Thursday March 3rd in the morning and afternoon sessions a bill which will be introduced early next week will be debated and in the evening we will move forward to PMB ballot item number 27 thank you speaker we now have a deferred vote on the motion for second reading of bill 59 to amend the public transportation and highway improvement act to make northern Ontario highways safer the bells will now ring for 30 minutes during which time members may cast their votes I will ask the clerks to please prepare the law