 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the member for London West Seek unanimous consent for the official opposition to stand down our leads Okay, remember for London West is seeking unanimous consent of the house to stand down the lead questions for the official opposition agreed. I heard a note Once again, it is now time for oral questions, and I recognize the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition First question this morning is to the Premier in Vaughan a COVID-19 outbreak at the ravine mushroom farm has grown from one worker Infected on June 27th to 24 this past Friday and now 30 workers are infected Let that sink in for a minute on June 27th York Region Public Health was first alerted to one case 10 days later. That's now grown to 30 cases Many of the workers are living at the facility meaning they're living with and working alongside They're infected co-workers is the Premier satisfied that the employer has taken all precautions necessary To control this outbreak at yet another agribusiness in our province Premier and Minister of Health Well, I think the leader of the official opposition for the question But I can certainly assure you that we are aware of this situation and that public health has reacted immediately That they have gone in that they are doing the necessary work with the workers on the the mushroom farm doing the necessary Contact tracing and doing the testing that needs to be tested We can expect that as time goes on there will be periodic outbreaks of COVID-19 in different areas But our system has been developed to be resilient to be nimble to be agile and to move when it needs to do so And that's what's happened in this particular situation, which is now under control supplementary question well Thanks, Speaker many of the employees at ravine mushroom farm are migrant workers in the past They've formed organizations to stand up for their workplace rights And now they're infected colleagues are supposed to be self-isolating and public health officials say there is Limited chance for the infections to spread What we don't know is if the workers are being properly housed separate from the other employees at the mushroom farm Can the premier confirm whether or not the employees infected with COVID-19 are being properly housed? And what steps is government has taken to control the further spread of this outbreak on the farm? Well the safety of all workers in our in agriculture in Ontario is important whether they are from Other countries whether they're migrant workers or otherwise everyone is important Everyone deserves to be protected and to work in a safe work environment That is why public health has moved in has taken the necessary precautions and is making sure that if there are patients that People that have been diagnosed as positive that they are going to receive the care that they need the testing is going to be done And if there are groups that are together that are positive that they will be Quarantined away from the other workers at the farm until such time as they are no longer symptomatic They have been examined by a qualified health practitioner with an interpreter there if necessary And that there is a plan in place by the employer in order for them to be kept safely in a separate area away from the other workers Until they are well The final supplementary well speaker over a year ago women who had been working at ravine mushrooms Pleaded with this government to regulate the temporary agencies that sent them to work 12-hour days For as little as $5 once the agencies had collected their fees Health officials warned that agencies that move workers from farm to farm could be contributing to COVID-19 Outbreaks in Windsor Essex sounds pretty familiar speaker kind of like what happened in long-term care Will the government commit today to regulate these agencies and ensure that workers currently employed at this facility have access to sick sick pay and safe housing Speaker the health and safety of every single worker in the province is our government's top priority We especially value those in the agricultural sector who continue to work every single day to put food on our table Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to say that since I launched a blitz in April of farms and agricultural businesses across the province as of this morning, we've done 371 Inspections we've issued 121 orders to improve the health and safety of these workers on farms But mr. Speaker I have to remind the leader of the opposition that the temporary foreign workers program and The living quarters or bunk houses of these were response is a responsibility of the federal government But I'm proud to say that two weeks ago The federal government did step up to join with us in local public health to begin inspections of living quarters for these migrant workers The next question once again the leader of the opposition Thank you speaker my next question is also for the premier But I would remind the minister that the regulation of temporary agencies is your responsibility Speaker the premier expects parents and educators to juggle Pretty much impossible schedule coming September moms and dads are anxious about how to go back to work while the kids are at Home multiple days a week or multiple weeks every month and apparently the government expects our teachers and Educators to juggle teaching kids in the classroom While teaching kids at home online at the very same time instead of keeping class cohorts small by keeping half the kids at home Will this government commit to hiring more teachers educational assistance and educational workers like cleaners for example So that we can have more smaller classrooms to protect our children from COVID-19 Thank you very much mr. Speaker what this government is going to do is ensure that we are ready for all Scenarios for September and the focus of the government is to ensure safety remains our paramount priority Speaker what we've asked school boards to do is to be ready for three scenarios That is prudent given what we have learned from COVID-19 We must be ready for the challenges on the horizon it is possible There could be challenges that manifest this problem if they do we are going to ensure the continuity of learning in Ontario but speaker our priorities to get kids back into class in a conventional model day to day that is the Aspiration but it has to be safe I like to believe that would be a concurrent position from the members opposite Safety must guide our position and the chief medical officer of health no less sick kids in a variety of some of the best pediatric doctors in the Country have informed us on this plan It is why we've added more funding for yes staffing 200 million dollars through the support for students fund of which half of it A hundred million dollars on this provision for more staff more money for cleaning more clear protocols the aim speakers to get this Right and to keep kids safe The supplementary question Well speaker parents all over the province are worried about the impact of reduced school days and lack of a clear plan or timeline for return What that's going to do to their families frankly They're very very concerned and some are even considering quitting their jobs Because they can't get access to the child care that they're going to need this fall and by what the minister is saying There's no plan. There's no plan for school. There's no plan for child care So how the heck our parents gonna plan speaker last year the premier announced a plan to fire 10,000 speaker teachers Will he commit today to putting teachers and education workers back in the classroom as part of a plan to ensure that our schools can Reopen safely safely for children, but we open so that they can get the education they deserve Well, thank you speaker indeed schools are reopening in September that is the plan that was announced by the government But we did suggest and we did recommend and give guidance to school boards to be ready for all circumstances That just so obviously is the prudent lesson learned from what we just went through in the province of Ontario to have a credible online learning program That drives quality of education the problems should we need it? But the preference is every day in class learning that is clearly what we want I like to believe every member but safety must be the prerequisite and it's not the member opposite It's not the politicians in this legislature that's gonna guide the decision to get kids in class It is doctors in public health. That is what our government believes It's what we're gonna continue to pursue with more training of our staff with more funding of cleaning with more hiring of Custodial staff in the province a hundred million miles to hide upwards of nearly 2,000 Custodial staff should school boards needed every board has more funding every board will have the support to succeed in September And the final supplementary Speaker suggestions and recommendations are not plans and what the public wants from their government is a plan And so we look forward to when that plan actually arrives Families need to plan for the return to school and to find the child care that works If they're gonna be able to return to work themselves and school boards are gonna need support to deal with an increased need For everything from cleaning to a doubling of classrooms and a hundred bucks of school is not going to cut the cut the mustard speaker Our schools and our child care providers are facing an Unprecedented challenge and the four governments funding to boards no matter how the minister spends it and I I can just predict He's gonna be doing that again in a minute in is less in real terms than it was when they came to office Why is the premier shrugging off his responsibility to parents to students and to educators? Mr. Speaker it is this government that stood firmly in the defense of Live synchronous learning over the past months when students cannot be in class It was the members opposite who opposed that who thought it would not be an interest of quality education to have an educator in front of The tea front of our students at its circumstance where they needed community and they needed support if we're going to suggest About standing up for quality education then stand up to all those involved in the education system to ensure quality is a Universalized experience not just in some schools in every school in the province of Ontario and speaker Why we are ensuring that we have prepared for the three scenarios in September is out of abundance of caution because we just don't know The variability and the difficulty of not knowing what no government in this country including You know democratic colleagues in British Columbia mean the reality is we have to be prepared for this circumstance It's why Ontario like virtually every province is following a plan to be ready But the what the priority of the government remains to get kids in class with funding in place in every school board in the province in Hamilton in Toronto funding is up in fact it is up in every one of our ridings by design to ensure it is safe to ensure It is successful in the province of Ontario this September Thank you Next question My next question is for the Premier, but I would remind the minister that millions of families of across Ontario have not seen a Universal experience when it comes to education in the last number of months And they're certainly hoping for something of that nature in the future This to the speaker I rather to the Premier again speaker this morning I was joined by a woman named Susan McCarty another Ontario Person whose family was hit hard when COVID-19 tore through her long-term care Home that the long-term care home rather that her mother was in that tore across our system Both her parents were residents of extended Cares West Park long rest park West Park long-term care center in Etobicole Both contracted the virus and tragically her mother passed away Susan has many questions about the failures of the for-profit company that did not protect her parents But her top priority now is to ensure that she can see her father who has survived and she wants to see him regularly And safely will the premier ensure more safe Consistent access for families who are want to check on their loved ones in long-term care Through you mr. Speaker To the leader of the opposition. Yes, that's our goal to make sure that people go in there and visit their loved ones It's been very difficult for for everyone especially the people that can't visit their loved ones on the first floor if you're on the second floor and We're doing everything we can to make sure that happens. I understand with my mother-in-law. That's happening this week You're allowed to pick one person within the family supervised outdoor visit So I think that's the safest way to go We just want to make sure that we protect the most vulnerable which which we have been We've been doing that right from day one during everything we can to make sure as we say we put a iron ring around the long-term care So hopefully people will be able to see their loved ones. Hopefully this week. I understand it may be started Well speaker with no consistency and no rules Hopefully is not good enough for all of those people who are in anguish over having an opportunity To connect with their loved ones in long-term care once Susan's father was hospitalized He was barred from returning to his West Park a room even though they continue to charge him $3,000 a month for his space. He spent a total of 14 weeks in hospital during which tragically his wife passed away of COVID-19 So Susan was actually forced to choose between trying to keep him in the hospital where she could see him multiple times a week Or moving him back to his long-term care home where she would be restricted from comforting him in person For more than a few minutes a week When will the government offer clear and consistent rules and ensure that all for-profit homes apply them fairly and Consistently so that the loved ones of people in long-term care can actually get some time with the people they love You know mr. Speaker I Agree we need to have time to see our loved ones, but I'm not too sure what leader of the opposition saying I'm not too sure if she's saying just to open up wide open and just let everyone go in there We'll end up with the same problem as we we had before so they they should be outdoors they should have a supervision there and That's how these these most elderly people and the most vulnerable people ended up getting this in the first place They didn't get it by themselves. It came from outside don't fall to many ones be it visitors or anyone else And that's what we're trying to avoid We want to make sure that we protect them and I think this is the right process And I know each and every single long-term care all 626 of them are putting Guidelines in and I think it's a smart thing to do. Let's start off slow I understand the pain that people are going through, but it's it's to protect the most vulnerable and that's the reason we're doing it The next question a member for storm on tundas so clean Gary Thank You speaker Transportation our government was elected with a strong mandate to get Ontario back to work and that meant putting people back to work And that that means getting things built around the province once again because there's no better way to get people to work To stimulate the economy to drive investment and to create jobs and getting things built Getting infrastructure built means roads bridges highways transit and subways These infrastructure projects serve our communities and building them will put tens of thousands of people back to work Our government is committed to restarting jobs and development for the people in my righty and throughout the province Speaker can the minister share with the legislature our government's commitment to get transit infrastructure built in this province once again I Like to thank the member for storm at storm on Dundas South Glen Gary for the question He is correct. Our government is focused on getting the province moving It's how we're going to create Opportunities for people and it starts with getting shovels in the ground on major infrastructure projects And that's why our government is investing 2.6 billion dollars in highway construction projects this year alone mr. Speaker We're widening highway three between Essex and Leamington from two to four lanes We're widening the 401 between London and Tilbury from four to six lanes and We're twinning the Garden City Skyway on the QEWW into St. Catherine's These are just some of the projects that we're investing in we're making to upgrade Ontario's highway system and For one million dollars spent on highway projects. We generate $660,000 in GDP That's $660,000 in economic activity through direct and indirect construction jobs Mr. Speaker these are the kinds of investments that Ontarians need and these are the kinds of investments our government is committed to doing Thank you speaker back to the minister Minister those are vital projects and the economic output you mentioned but every entire make every Ontarian feel hopeful about our future once again Now more than ever these investments are critical to get our economy back on track That's why our government is committed to ensuring that we help build their highways faster Because people are tired of potholes and people are tired of getting stuck in traffic So we're going to repair resurface and widen these roles our government is committed to helping put affordable home ownership within reach of more families We know people are looking for affordable places to live and we know people want to live close to transit Good schools and good jobs and this dream shouldn't be out of reach for so many people Speaker can the minister elaborate on our government's future actions on strengthening transit transit infrastructure projects for our problems Well the member is correct We are focused on getting things built because we're focused on getting Ontarians back to work We believe that it is key to our economic recovery our plan for delivering for developing transit oriented communities Will allow us to develop complete communities that are focused on connecting people to jobs and to housing that is safe and Affordable and much like our plans to deliver our for priority transit projects faster We're developing the tools that we need to help us accelerate major highway projects as well For example by shortening the time frames related to land assembly Mr. Speaker we will always treat people fairly and we will appropriately compensate landowners Tenants and others who are impacted by these projects this will never change But if we want to get shovels in the ground quickly We need fast access to construction sites so that we can get our get shovels in the ground And we will continue we will do that mr. Speaker while balancing the rights of property owners Mr. Speaker our transit oriented communities program and our building transit faster plan will create tens of thousands of new Well-paying jobs, and we'll make our roads safer reduce gridlock and give Ontarians more access to home ownership Thank You speaker my questions to the premier After being isolated for the last few months family members and staff have noted a marked decline in The physical and mental health of residents in long-term care Family visitation was supposed to be the shining hope But the fan, but many are finding these guidelines vague arbitrary and inefficient Staff and family alike are asking why family caregivers need to get bi-weekly testing just to sit outside Six feet apart with masks on while not even being allowed to touch their loved ones It has been distressing for families to see their loved ones become inconsolable that their family is so close but still so far Family caregivers are not just visitors Will this government revise the guidelines to reflect that family caregivers are essential to the care of residents and their loved ones? Thank You speaker and thank you for the question our government has been absolutely clear about its commitment To all residents of long-term care home staff and families about the priority being Safety health and well-being that has been absolutely clear We have had a thoughtful process to understand how we can allow Residents to have their visitors as they so rightly deserve and their families want this we understand this And that's why we have in a gradual phased approach are allowing visitors back To see their residents to see their loved ones and eventually into the homes and I remind everyone We are still in a state of emergency. This is not in normal time We must be vigilant and we must be adaptable These are critical issues for families. The testing is critical to make sure that our residents are safe Safety is the priority and I appreciate your concern and I want everyone in Ontario to know We're working very hard to make sure we can get families together safely I My questions back to the premier not only are folks required to spend the time and effort to get bi-weekly testing Seniors are also having to spend money out of their own pockets for those same sorts of tests a 92 year old man in my riding was excited to see his wife of 65 years when he was told that he needed to get Tested first hoping to avoid the crowded assessment center He asked his retirement home if they could perform the test on him They said they could but for a $20 service fee per COVID test That's $40 a month just to see his wife that lives in a long-term care home across the street Why are seniors having to pay out of pockets to see their spouses speaker? Thank you, I appreciate the question and thank you speaker just to make sure that It is clear that retirement homes do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Long-Term Care But I'm pleased to answer that question Our government believes that the safety of residents whether it's in retirement homes or in long-term care homes is a priority In long-term care homes if there is information about someone being charged $30 for a test I would appreciate hearing about that and certainly we have action line with inspectors and that feedback is greatly appreciated And I would encourage anyone to let us know if that's happening. First of all a home must not be an outbreak That is the first criteria Then we have to follow the protocol set by the chief medical officer of health and our health experts That's an imperative as well and the infection and prevention control standards must be met. These are not negotiable So there are processes by which our residents and families will be tested including the staff And I've asked to make sure that anyone going to a testing center If they need a seat to sit on a chair to sit on some shade that these be accommodated that the stair be that the chair be cleaned These are important measures. We must maintain the safety of our long-term care homes Evidence and scientific knowledge And we must learn with all the processes that we have in place to understand the measures that are needed. Thank you The next question member for Ottawa or Leanne. I thank you very much, Mr Speaker my questions for the premier premier cities and towns across Ontario are struggling under increased public health expenses due to COVID-19 Lower user fees property tax referrals and lower transit transit ridership and due to provincial inaction Their options are bleak Municipal leaders will soon be forced to make what some royal bank economists have described as draconian cuts to important city services like Youth job training public transit and public health or they can introduce massive Unaffordable property tax increases that will cripple families and stifle the economic recovery Either of these options will only hurt those who have been hurt most during this pandemic Women young people and low-income Ontarians. So my question is very simple Mr. Speaker when will the government take action to support Ontario residents by supporting the towns and cities they call home the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing thanks I was proud to stand with the premier last week as we we increased again our commitment to municipalities under our social service relief fund We added an additional $150,000,000 to be already $200,000,000 The total contribution to our municipal partners But but speaker I will take this opportunity to thank the premier for his incredible Leadership that he's done with other Premiers from other provinces and territories with his discussions With the Prime Minister there has been no one and I and I want to stress the speaker No one with a stronger voice than premier for that is standing up for our musical partners He has been very clear We need the federal government to come to the table I want to thank the premier for his commitment for our Supplementary question Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker I think the Argos are back in town given how much the government's punting the ball to the feds My supplemental is for the premier Every day millions of Ontarians take public transit to work many of them are essential workers and as the economy comes back More and more people will be riding public transit now is absolutely the worst time For service cuts in public transit Ontario's large urban mayors have projected a transit revenue shortfall of over 400 million dollars from april to june We're now in july and nary a word from the government on supporting cities with their public transit needs Cities are going to be forced to either raise Fairs or cut or cut routes my question the government is simple Will they support cities in public transit to avoid service cuts and increase in bus fares? Minister of municipal fares Well, thanks speaker and again through you to the honorable member Our government has been very clear right from the start that we support our municipal partners the premier and i And other ministers have stated publicly that we support the federation of canadian municipalities And they're asked to the federal government We have stated very clearly that we support the association of municipalities of Ontario the amo ask that they've done In conjunction with cupi and we support the large urban mayors ask Of the federal government we will be at the table speaker with our share But we need because of the magnitude of this problem in not just ontario municipalities But every municipality in every province and every territory in the country We need the federal government to join premier forward in asking for that desperate financial support The next question the member for mississauga center Merci monsieur le président Thank you, mr. President my question is for the minister of french affairs The french the francophone community plays an important role By its language and by its diversity I would like to thank the minister for her contribution in public conversations with organization in mississauga About The help offered to franco phones in ontario Our help is needed more than ever. It's important for all ontarians to have Access to all type of information in their language. Can you tell all the members? Here what our government did to help those communities in those unprecedented time To receive the communication Thank you All the french ontarians deserve to receive information in their language We have taken important measures We made sure that we have information bilingual information About public health. We have simultaneous interpretation for the for the daily press conferences Of the prime minister of the premier It was said that in the name of all the franco phones represented we thank you for your work Because you allowed us to have simultaneous interpretation It's the first in in the history of the province. You have contributed strongly In the creation of those services for our community. I can tell you that we're trying to We're trying to make sure that we've learned from our mistakes in the past And we want to make sure that all the french communications are being Ensured I have heard the french comments in my city of mississauga. I would like to talk about economic health Knowing that francophones are working on the economic development of the province. I would like to ask the minister How we are economically supporting the francophone community, especially francophone organizations The minister Our government knows how francophone organizations are facing a lot of challenges and that is the reason why I was glad to act on this By sending By helping By going ahead with a different program for franco ontarians. We know that francophones Need a lot of support. So in addition to That francophone program we have invested 17 million dollars To help all ontarians including franco ontarians To go through this very challenging time We are working with the community to make sure that we go ahead in the best way possible advisory committee on the post-covid-19 Economic Relief has given recommendations to Help us go ahead with the francophone community so that they can flourish Next we have the member for park tail high park. Thank you speaker. My questions for the premier Speaker the conservatives say that they've got a handle on testing But I keep hearing from people in my community who are being failed by this government's new testing regime Josh a constituent of mine reached out to say that despite having all the symptoms of covet 19 He's been waiting for over a week for test results Nobody's returning his phone calls and his doctors don't have answers for when he'll get the results He needs to get back to his job Speaker despite the government's super agency ontario health taking over testing It's clear. They're still not getting it right The premier promised that they'd be laser focused on fixing the antiquated help lab systems left behind by the liberals Why is his testing plan still failing those who need it most? The minister of health Well, I thank the member very much for the question But in fact our testing strategy has been extremely successful So much so that we are now averaging about 25 000 tests per day with the results coming in within 24 hours We're going to increase that up to 50 000 because we know that as we go into the fall season with flu season approaching and perhaps a second wave Of covet 19 that we're going to need to do even more testing to determine whether people have covet or whether they have the Usual flu which can be deadly in and of itself But our testing strategy is focused on several main areas One is expanding testing to the general public People do not need to wait for appointments. They can go and be tested straight away We're opening assessment centers. We have over 100 of them now for people who want to be tested We have asymptomatic surveillance testing in long-term care homes and other congregate living centers And an outbreak response management and we've seen by what's happened with the the agricultural community Including the mushroom farm in vaughan that was recently discussed today that the system is working If you have someone who's not receiving their test results in a timely manner I'd be happy to obtain that person's information with their consent and follow-up on it Speaker people who have been tested are waiting for days or weeks to get their results back Five six seven days of not knowing whether you have the virus or not is just unacceptable Especially as we move to stage three and more and more people get back to work and to their daily lives again Without timely test results. It makes it harder to reopen the economy And it makes it harder for public health to contact trace Speaker if every day Ontarians don't have faith in our testing system How does the government expect to have faith in this government's recovery plan? Thank you speaker if I could say through you to the member opposite I don't understand how that can be in your particular writing that you have So many people that aren't receiving testing within a timely manner because we have over 96% returns Across the province within one day maximum Over 100 assessment centers we have connected labs. We have over 30 labs that are doing the testing There is no reason why there should be complete delay in your particular area So I'd be happy to follow up on the specific issues that you have Because we are increasing our testing capacity every day and our returns are within a maximum of two days So I'd be happy to follow up with you Thank you the next question the member for lanark frontenac kinkston. Thank you speaker speaker. My question is to the premier Like the covet command table our local health units are now embracing secrecy and behind closed-door discussions with unknown people to make mass mandatory The letter I received last week shocked me The letter confirming mandatory face mask states and I quote A poll was conducted in ottawa recently And 91 of the public who responded Agreed with mandatory mascus in indoor public spaces Speaker to the premier Why is the premier allowing pollsters to run our public health system and create policies for us Deputy premier and minister of health truth I thank the member very much first question But I want to assure you that any of the decisions that are being made by public health and by politicians are being made on the basis of Evidence on scientific fact not on polling Polling is not the basis for the policy that is being made here We are making policies for the health and safety of all ontarians We rely on the evidence and the information provided to us by not just dr. Williams our chief medical officer of health But by a whole group of public health Doctors who are specifically knowledgeable in this area and are among the best in the world So that is what forms the basis of our policy Evidence and scientific decision-making Back to the premier I'll send over the letter from dr. Paula steward the chief medical officer of health for lannoch leads in gremville The premier has hidden behind the covet command table for far too long Behind these closed doors unknown people are deciding the future of our province and our democracy There's the letter Confirming the new law it makes face mask mandatory and it's based on a poll No science no evidence no data just poll results We may as well hire a huckster or a pollster to make our covet policies Speaker my question to the premier again is how much longer will he allow our democracy To be subverted by hucksters and pollsters Premier Well through you mr. Speaker I don't have a heck. I don't have a clue what he's talking about I'm sorry my friend, but he's he's out to lunch in my opinion And uh, we don't rely on pollsters. We rely on health and science And what what that does what what he's saying right now Is he's insulting every single doctor around the health table every professional? Public health ontario health. It just doesn't happen I just can't even imagine some guy looking at a poll and saying we're going to make a decision The doctors don't play that way matter of fact the doctors are non political absolutely zero politics involved They're looking out for the best For the best health and safety of our our province and our people so I I don't know even I don't have a clue what he's talking about to be honest with you. I don't Thank you the next question member from mississauga erin mills Thank you, mr. Speaker. My question is for the minister of finance In my great riding mississauga erin mills members of our community are eager to see ontario economy Stride again as soon as possible Throughout this crisis. I have been inspired by the resilience and the spirit of ontarians And as our economy continued to safely open The strengths the determination Of the people of this province continue to shine I know that the minister has seen firsthand the resilience of ontario business community Can the minister please share with the house what he has seen in the business community across the province. Thank you minister finance So mr. Speaker through you. Thank you to the member from mississauga erin mills I was here for the member statements and just pleased to congratulate the member as well on on the being the first egyptian canadian mpp and introducing legislation around As our economy continues to reopen myself and my colleagues I know are seeing the the benefits of that reopening I had the opportunity With the member from mississauga center To travel to see the work that was being done at square one Back in june before their june 24th reopening and mr. Speaker I know we were quite impressed mr. Speaker with the move to stage two across the province of ontario Almost 160,000 small medium and large businesses across ontario are able to reopen mr. Speaker This is just the beginning of getting our province back on track in a safe way and we look forward to that work continuing Thank you minister for the great job and great energy The health and safety measures taken by the team at mississauga's square one are indeed impressive In my writing many small local businesses have safely reopened by continuing to follow all the Advice from our public health officials Like physical distancing regular and through hand washing And working from home whenever possible Our government has long recognized the vital nature of small businesses to the success of our provincial economy We know that now more than ever the success of ontario economy depend on the strengths of the small businesses Could the minister please inform the house about the positive developments. He is seen in small businesses across the province. Thank you And the minister of finance So mr. Speaker the the member is correct myself and my colleagues have been seeing that resilience that ontario spirit that the premier talks about so often Small businesses in my own writing of age acts barry inisfil von peterville marcom These are some of the places that i've had the opportunity with my colleagues to speak to small businesses The member from barry inisfil introduced me to stephanie goreley the owner of discount granite plus and she had some Great things to say about how using the appropriate Protections for her customers her business had been able to reopen just last week the member from peterville coertha introduced me to black's distillery And a craft distillery who had answered the call by producing over 7 000 hand sanitizer kits But now now their owner was churning robert black back to being a distillery So mr. Speaker now more than ever we as members of this legislature need to get out to see what our small businesses are doing Understand how they're adapting to the conditions as we prepare for stage three so that the ontario economy can come back stronger than The next question the member for london west Thank you. Speaker. My question is to the minister of education Speaker danielle deans is a teacher from london west her daughter was in child care and her son will be starting jk The shortage of child care and the uncertainty about the school year is creating Significant stress for danielle who wonders how she can go back into the classroom if she can't find care for her own family Sue pullum also from london west has five school age grandchildren whose parents are returning to work Sue's husband has a health condition and like many grandparents They can't be expected to provide child care if school is part time Speaker if neither educators nor parents can find child care How does this minister expect students to be able to return to school? Thank you very much speaker and thank you to the member officer for the question Indeed speaker the government has permitted child care operators to reopen the province of ontario We're seeing reopening happening in all regions of ontario including in london And across that part of the province and mr. Speaker They're reopening because the province has provided sufficient funding and operating supports Of course in conjunction in collaboration with the federal government to ensure they remain sustainable But we're also doing beyond ensuring the sustainability of our operators Is we are providing an insurance to parents that that funding is contingent on a commitment by operators not to Not to increase fees on working parents and more so not to remove their space in the child care center Mr. Speaker, we're going to continue to support parents through a Investments that we're making to operators to ensure that they remain viable and sustainable Speaker child care operators are opening using a cohorted model of 10 students or eight students with two up to two ecs We're doing that speaker on the advice of the chief medical officer of health I would hope the member officer would support the medical advice support our plan to keep kids safe order the supplementary question Speaker another london west constituent told me that his wife is an ece and has been recalled to work Their daughter had been attending the same child care center his wife works at but spots were raffled And they did not get a space their other two school age children will also need care if school is part time My constituent has been working throughout the pandemic, but is considering taking a leave from work to stay home with the kids He was told by his employer that there are too many employees already on covid leave and he may have to quit instead Speaker does this minister think that forcing people to quit their jobs because they can't find child care Will do anything to help ontario's economic recovery Speaker the the government is ensuring that we're able to recover from the challenges of covid 19 with a With a plan of growth in the economy to create jobs and sustain the workforce But mr. Speaker we also recognize that in order to do that We need to have a sustainable and a viable child care You know system the province of ontario It's why speaker when we implemented the phase two plan We also enabled child care operators to reopen We did that with a commitment to fund additional supports for operating costs in our in our child care centers We did that speaker with additional support for pp and for cleaning We also did it with guidance on health and safety protocols a clear plan to cohort children up to eight To allow them to play together and be as normal as possible together under this new Covid reality speaker our plan is to ensure parents are protected Superprotection placed by ensuring fees cannot increase and likewise the child space cannot be given to another person That is what parents have asked for is what we're delivering in our plan speaker Order the next question the member from mississauga streetsville. Thank you speaker My question is for the honorable minister of labour training and skills development Now more than ever people in my riding of mississauga streetsville and across ontario Recognize the importance of workplace health and safety But such importance is not anew to those on this side of the house Since forming government in 2018 we have taken many steps to improve the health and well-being of all people in our province We have been clear that health and safety is our government's top priority. Mr. Speaker Every worker deserves to go home safe after a hard day's work Can the minister please tell this house about what our government is doing to increase workplace health and safety in ontario Mr labour training and skills development Well, thank you, mr. Speaker and thank you to the member from mississauga streetsville for that important question And for her leadership when it comes to improving health and safety across the province Uh, mr. Speaker our government remains committed to encouraging a health and safety culture that protects workers and builds a prosperous province One example of this is a program that I announced well before the start of covid 19 The supporting ontario safe employers program is the first of its kind in the country It rewards the businesses who go above and beyond what's required I'm pleased to share that this program is now open as businesses prepare to carefully reopen We're rewarding them with 140 million dollars for excellence in workplace safety This program formally recognizes those who've successfully champion putting safety first in their workplace But mr. Speaker most importantly this will help reduce workplace injuries and protect workers And the supplementary question Well, thank you minister for that reassuring answer I'm pleased to hear that we now have an industry-led program that promotes stronger workplace health and safety cultures During this global pandemic. There's been a heightened focus on keeping everyone in our province healthy Mr. Speaker as a member of this house I've been proud to support our government as we implement Countless measures to enhance safety for our employees and our customers It's evident that our government is sparing no expense when it comes to keeping people safe on the job Could the minister please share with the house more on what the government is doing to ensure people are safe at work Well, thank you again to the member for that excellent question Mr. Speaker, we are doing everything in our power to keep workers safe in ontario We have now posted 139 sector specific guidance documents available online at ontario.ca forward slash covid safety This page has had approximately half a million page views since going live in april But that's not all mr. Speaker. We have also added 58 new workplace health and safety inspectors to boost our workplace inspections capacity In addition We have doubled the phone lines at our health and safety contact center to help business navigate these very unprecedented times Mr. Speaker the member is right to say that this government will spare no expense To ensure ontario's health and safety laws are properly followed and workers remain safe on the job The next question the member for beaches east york Thank you speaker My question is for the premier encampments of people experiencing homelessness have become a big issue in toronto and other cities across the province My concern is what exactly the government sees as the problem The premier recently admonished people living in tents in public parks or under the gardener expressway telling them You can't do that But in the middle of a pandemic when shelters are especially unsafe for people with underlying health conditions Where exactly does he want them to go? Mr. Minister affairs and housing Thanks speaker through to the to the member We are working collaboratively with the city of toronto On long term innovative solutions to the homeless list problem in the city Last week i at the city's request did a ministerial zoning order that would allow A development a modular home development that would allow for 56 bachelor units We're fast tracking that so that it can be put in place By september and we are working with the city on other long-term innovative solutions Using the social service relief fund as the member will know We provided the city with a significant amount of dollars in the first round of the social service relief fund some 39 million dollars they were able to increase shelter capacity Help with adding two million dollars to their rent bank We will continue to work with them On long-term innovative initiatives to help people that are experiencing homelessness And the supplementary question Thank you speaker that was a drop in the bucket compared to what is needed Back to the premier people are intense because shelters are overcrowded and unsafe especially during a pandemic Because there have been decades of cuts to mental health supports Because there isn't nearly enough affordable housing after decades of neglect by liberal and conservative governments Because systemic anti-black and anti-indigenous racism Literally drives people into homelessness People experiencing homelessness need to be safe or in spaces where they can safely isolate The government needs to stop downloading the problem onto cities, especially toronto that can't manage it alone Instead of admonishing people or advocating for encampment Demolition will the premier support my call to declare homelessness a public health crisis And then act with urgency to get every person experiencing homelessness into hotels and housing during the pandemic and beyond Speaker the 39 million dollars we gave to the city in the round One of the social service relief fund did help With some of the components that the member is talking about Almost 22 million dollars Was used by the city to expand shelters and to use hotel and motel rooms To do exactly what the member opposite has suggested We are encouraging the city To apply under the second phase of the social service relief fund to continue The good work that the city did in round one they used that very flexible Dollars that we gave them to help with social distancing to help with amendments and changes to the shelter system And that's in addition to the 118 million dollars We gave to the city in 2019 2020 as part of our community home response prevention initiative We will continue to work collaboratively with the city We will continue to advocate on their behalf to the federal government and again to the member opposite If you have further suggestions on how we can collaborate with the city By all means probable. Thank you Thank you The next question the member for mrs. Agamal Thank you, mr. Speaker. My question is will minister of heritage sport tourism and cultural industries Miss speaker ontarians are adjusting to the new normal as the province continues to reopen In fact many great things that ontarians enjoy doing with friends and family are open with caution As health and safety measures are a top priority drive in movies Enjoying a great meal on the local perios which I did with my family provincial parks and campgrounds are just a few examples Miss speaker. We love sports research shows it improves our emotional social and physical health And for my personal experience when I say that canadiens and ontarians are also incredible Excited for the return of professional sport. It's not only me who is excited about this There has been a lot of buzz lately about when professional sports like hockey baseball football will be able to safely resume Play as well as discussion on what their health and safety measures will look like Mr. Speaker through you to the minister when can ontarians dust off their favorite jerseys and expect Sports to return. Thank you Mr. Heritage Thank you very much speaker. I know the member he is a fantastic member here in this assembly But he wasn't asking for anyone else other than his son tree Who is really excited about professional hockey coming back to the province of ontario and of course the country And we're absolutely delighted that this ministry has been able to engage with the toronto maple leafs organization As well as this member who introduced me early on during the pandemic to paul rivet Who's the new owner of a co-owner of the toronto star who's very interested in this as well Look sports in ontario represents 12.6 billion dollars in economic activity as of the 12th of march Sports in ontario was effectively shuttered and we're very excited that not only with respect to our professional sports But also our local community sports and minor sports is also going to be up and running Hopefully later this summer I've established 14 ministerial advisory committees and in terms of professional sports It's led by the former ceo and president of the otawa senator's zero leader It's uh co-chaired by the canadian football league's uh commissioner brand And we have representatives from the hamilton tiger caps make maple leaf sports and entertainment as well as the otawa sports and entertainment group And I met earlier today with the otawa red blacks And this is a dramatic question Thank you, mr. Speaker and thank you minister residents in my writing of mississauga malton Who would normally tune into hockey night in canada are going to be thrilled with the prospect of n hl Moving forward with trono as one of the two hub cities for the return of professional hockey Times and times again. We heard the concern from the stakeholders during committee work round tables and panel discussions Minister, thank you for your leadership You have been working hard to ensure that this return to play is allowed because of a government and its health officials Have continuously made this Made the health and safety of all ontarians the top priority during these tough times through you Mr. Speaker The minister has proudly stated that 2021 will be a murky air for ontario more than ever ontario needs your leadership Can the minister please share with us some of the great events that ontarians can look forward to enjoying in the coming months Thank you, mr. Speaker I've often challenged ontarians to look forward to what does the next 18 months look like my Ontario in 18 months has sports. It has professional sports. It has amateur sports It also has high performance athletes who will compete for canada in the 2021 Olympics and so we are proud supporters of the canadian sport institute of ontario We were the first jurisdiction in our country to allow our high performance athletes back to training We also worked with our toronto raptor so that they would be a first among the north in north america to start Training in basketball, but 2021 is going to be a great year for sport ontario We will be hosting the gray cup in hamilton. We will be hosting the ontario summer games in london We will be hosting the 2020 canada games in niagra and the 2022 mississauga Games in his community. He was there with me and mr. Speaker. We have so much more to offer We represent a spectacular double bottom line in this province. We obviously $75 billion in economic activity, but we also represent gold medalists here and around the world The next question number to trial again for Thank you speaker speaker my question to the minister of labor On june 10th two nooses were found hanging on construction equipment operated by black construction workers as the michael garon hospital construction site in east york Toronto police services is carrying out a criminal investigation of the matter Understanding that they are dealing with a hate crime Last week the member for beaches your east york and i held a virtual public meeting in the east end To mobilize the community against this hate crime and to provide people with information Speaker through you to the minister of labor The ministry of labor was asked to attend that meeting And speak to the issue and they declined Minister your office was contacted directly and i got no response Why are hate crimes on job sites not a priority for you or your ministry? Mr labor Speaker i can tell you that i will not tolerate any racism or any discrimination on any job site or in any workplace in the province of interior Mr. Speaker i was actually proud to stand with premier ford Last week in fact to say for the first time in the history of interior We are providing online health and safety training free of charge to 100 000 workers in this province Mr. Speaker i'm also proud to report that When it comes to that health and safety training workplace harassment and violence Training is provided we'll continue to use the full force of the law to protect every worker in this province from discrimination and from racism I'm pleased that the minister has declared an interest in this issue I note subsequently nuces have been found at three other construction sites The message of anti-black hate is clear Your ministry is responsible for workplace safety and the enforcement of anti-harassment measures It's clear from talking to construction workers that this kind of harassment is a real and ongoing issue Because of that very fact Their workplaces are unsafe Speaker again to the minister What will you do immediately? To take action and make these workplaces safe and free from harassment Mr. Labor Mr. Speaker as I said, I will not tolerate any racism any discrimination on any job site or in any workplace Right here in the province of interior That concludes our question period for this morning