 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of his Majesty's loyal opposition Good morning speaker Dozens of business owners from Minden are here at Queen's Park today to continue to push this government to keep their emergency room open Under this government's leadership. It's set to close the day after tomorrow It's closing at a time when the seasonal population in the area soars with kids summer camps Cottagers and of course tourists it means Thousands of Ontarians will have to travel farther and farther a way just to access emergency services and This creates a domino effect on the er's in those communities putting even more strain on an already strained system Speaker will the premier tell the business owners to here today that he will keep their emergency room open Thank you speaker, you know I can only imagine how challenging this decision was for the how Burton Highlands Health Services leadership and board but I want to reassure the people of Minden and That community that I am sure I am confident that this decision was not taken lightly Having said that you know, I want to highlight through my Supplementaries the many different programs that are available to community hospitals across Ontario as we work with them as partners to make sure that we have programs incentives Availability to many different access in programs including of course directing the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario the College of Nurses of Ontario to quickly expedite those international Graduates who want to train and work in the province of Ontario, and I will share further examples in my supplementary Just to be very clear the closure of the ER Department in Minden is the closure of the hospital there. That's it, right? And it's about Responsibility this government has been an office for five long years and they continue to skip out on their responsibilities to the people of this province Today the Conservatives are turning their backs on Minden families on Cottagers on kids in summer camps. They're turning their backs on local business owners Some of whom closed up shop today just to be here The Conservatives are choosing to help private health care companies Some of which are run by this conservative party's orders instead of local job creators who are here today Speaker will the Premier take some responsibility and start putting the needs of Ontarians ahead of his profiteering insiders Minister of Health you know again I will remind you that hospitals are Independent corporations governed by their own board of directors who are duly elected from their communities that they serve But I want to talk about the programs that are available to the 140 hospital corps that have been using them and listen if if Haliburton Highlands decides to look and explore some of these programs We are obviously going to work with them as we have with every other hospital But you know last year through our efforts and the efforts of Ontario health We were able to avert nearly 1500 emergency room shift closures That were prevented because of the work that we have been working with Ontario health with our health care partners And in the ministry so when we talk about the 9-1-1 models of care where Paramedics can take individuals to Facilities other than an emergency department could be a long-term care facility could be a palliative care facility dedicated all Thank you the final supplementary Speaker this is the Minister of Health the buck stops cities like Kingston Kitchener Owen sound Windsor Cornwall it isn't just rural areas who are suffering either They're all facing alarming shortages of family physicians and this isn't normal speaker And it shouldn't be normal and shamefully this government's misguided actions are only going to make it worse as Doctors leave the public system to work at private for-profit clinics speaker to the Premier Will he invest in the public system and get Ontarians the care they deserve instead of selling off their health to the highest bidder Minister of Health not only will we invest we are investing and these programs Dedicated offload nursing programs that allow nurses Respiratory technicians paramedics to be hired so that those paramedics who are bringing individuals into an emergency department Can get back out into the road very quickly there are many programs like that the Emergency department peer-to-peer the emergency department locum program the extern program We have these programs available and many hospitals have taken advantage of them You know the Premier often says that we will have the backs of our stakeholders of our partners We are doing that in the Ministry of Health and we will continue to do that And as I said if Haliburton Highlands decides or wishes to explore any of these programs We are happy to be a willing partner as we have with so many hospitals The next question once again the leader of the opposition Thank You speaker this question is for the minister of transportation Speaker the minister has been repeatedly warned about problems with the Eglinton crosstown public private partnership She was warned by the auditor general. She was warned by the experience with the Ottawa LRT She was warned by transit experts these warnings go back years She had a chance to do something about them Yesterday when I asked the minister why she ignored all those warnings. She blamed everybody else How can the public expect things to get better when the minister refuses to take responsibility for the Eglinton crosstown? Well, I've made it very clear that our government is focused on making sure that the Eglinton crosstown LRT opens so that it is ready for commuters as soon as possible, but our number one priority is That when it opens that it is safe for commuters and it is safe for transit operators Mr. Speaker that is the number one lesson that we learned from the public inquiry into the Ottawa LRT order I have made my expectations clear to Metrolinx that I expect them to get a credible schedule from CTS as soon as possible But mr. Speaker safety is our number one priority, and we will not We waiver from that mr. Speaker it is essential that the service is safe for everyone to use But mr. Speaker we are focused on getting it done, and we will Let me tell you speaker you don't have to go all the way to Paris to find out how transit Public transit is built Ontario used to build big things we used to build them well Canada's first subway the young line took just five years to build the Bloor line took six You didn't need complicated P3s overseeing by self-serving private consultants and private financiers It was public infrastructure built by the public sector to serve the public good Order and the cost per kilometer of subway Adjusted for inflation was barely one tenth of what it now costs under this government Why is the minister still defending these costly and risky private contracts instead of restoring public delivery of transit infrastructure Thank You speaker Well, why does the leader of opposition stand in this house as a defender of public transit when our government puts forward five new Subway lines and LRT lines The largest transit expansion anywhere in North America and when the leader of the opposition and her party had the chance to support it They voted against it mr. Speaker Our plan was endorsed by city council by York region and by the federal government who is Recognizes our plan as so nationally significant that they agreed to fund 40 percent Of our GTA and Hamilton transit plan mr. Speaker the members opposite Stand up in this house and claim to be defenders of transit But when it actually comes to voting in favor of it whether it's for operational support during the pandemic Which they couldn't bring themselves to support or if it's new lines that are Thank you. Thank you The final supplement To be clear speaker, we will continue to vote against their terrible legislation and their terrible Because it is It is bad for Ontario It is ironic It is ironic that the liberal obsession with transit Order has been embraced and in fact expanded by the conservative government Metrolinx is now Overrun with private consultants. They're embedded as vice presidents. They're managing the Eglinton cross-tank There are even private consultants managing other private consultants The problem without sourcing everything to private consultants is that over time? The government loses the ability to do things like build transit this minister can't even manage her own consultants While the minister jets off to Paris people here in Ontario are stuck waiting for transit that will not arrive Why hasn't the minister been able to deliver the transit that people need? The minister of transportation mr. Speaker I cannot believe that the leader the opposition just stood there with pride Saying that she will vote again and again after transit expansion is presented to this house mr. Speaker Toronto City Council By a vote of 22 to 3 they knew that our plan was the right one for the city of Toronto mr Speaker York Regional Council voted for our plan overwhelmingly because they knew it was the right one for the orc region But mr. Speaker the leader the opposition she knows better So she will make sure that she and her caucus Consistently vote against the plan for it and in terms of progress We are more than halfway through tunneling on the Eglinton Crosstown West extension halfway through The ground on the Ontario line and we've announced the RFQ for the young north subway extension Mr.. Speaker our government under the leadership of our premier has made more progress on transit building and transit expansion in this province than ever before Restart the clock the next question the member for Niagara Centre Thank You Speaker through you to the minister of municipal fairs and housing There are thousands of workers including over 2000 QP members working for peel region in jobs like long-term care Public health public works and paramedics workers this premier called heroes during the pandemic These workers have crucial knowledge of municipal operations and have earned a seat at the table in any discussions guiding a migration of services To constituent municipalities Yesterday we learned that the government is skipping the committee process entirely for bill 112 So these workers will not have the chance to have their concerns about this bill addressed Before its past and the government won't get the benefit of their expertise to improve the bill Will the minister commit to putting a QP worker representative on the transition board as requested by the Canadian Union of public employees? Yes, or no Opposite again what we're seeing from the NDP is they want to contract out their work of course to QP And we're not going to do that. Mr. Speaker is interesting We had the opportunity to debate this bill last night colleagues Now I know that my order caucus was here debating that bill mr.. Speaker, but ironically as soon as the legislative dining room closed last night The NDP they called it a night close the place down put no more speakers up fast-track it We're voting on it today, mr. Speaker. You know why because it's the right thing We're going to start to remove those obstacles that are getting in the way of building homes And just like the leader of the opposition said they don't want to build they don't want it's no no no Try voting. Yes. Yes. Yes and get shovels in the ground for you Order we start the clock the supplementary Speaker this project of dissolving a region is a massive undertaking and people have a lot of valid and important questions And now without a committee process the public won't get the chance to have those questions addressed in particular Peel regional workers and residents of Mississauga Brampton and Caledon are concerned about jobs and public services Now the minister has promised there will be no service disruptions during the transition But will the minister commit that there will be no disruption to public services and assure citizens and workers that there will be No privatization or contracting out of public services. Yes or no The associate minister housing. Well, thank you, Speaker I do want to thank the member opposite for the question look the region of Peel includes some of the largest and fastest growing Communities in Canada and they're posed for massive and significant growth over this next decade The region of Peel is a second layer of government The municipalities have having and everyone that wants to build housing has had to have that red tape that Bureaucracy when it comes to getting housing built as we know we need desperately to get a million and a half homes built by 2031 and by the disillusion of the region of Peel This is one great way for us to be able to do that now if this legislation passes as you know We are intending to appoint a transition board for the region of Peel and their advice to the province It's going to be on a range of restructuring that is including service delivery Allocation of assets and liabilities labor relations long-term financial Among many others I ask all members of this house to go Next question the member for Brantford branch Thank you speaker my question is for the minister of colleges and universities Research at Ontario's post-secondary institutions is critical in strengthening strengthening the innovation sector and supporting our economy However, when it comes to innovation Ontario legs behind other jurisdictions Unfortunately, this puts our province at a disadvantage in maintaining a competitive edge Investments in Ontario's post-secondary institutions are urgently needed in order to elevate our status as a global leader in Research and innovation speaker can the minister please explain how our government is supporting research and innovation So that Ontario can compete and thrive in a global economy. Thank you Mr. Colleges and universities Thank you, mr. Speaker, and thank you to my colleague for that great question Yesterday alongside the minister of energy and our PAs I was pleased to announce our government's critical investment to support the expansion of the McMaster nuclear reactor The largest research reactor in Canada speaker through an investment of six point eight million dollars We are helping McMaster University scale up their nuclear reactors operations to 24 hours a day five days a week To increase the quantity and diversity of isotopes the reactor produces So what does that mean for Ontario? Speaker it means more opportunities for expanded research and development in strategic areas like advanced materials medical isotopes clean energy and small modular reactors and It means countless quality jobs that will support the economy in southern Ontario All while positioning our province as a leader in the global nuclear medicine market and our researchers reputations across the globe Speaker unlike the Liberals who oversaw the fruits of millions of dollars of taxpayers funded research sold off to the highest foreign bidder Our government will continue to foster Ontario based research and development Supplementary question Thank You speaker It's such excellent news to hear about the expanded research and production capabilities that the McMaster nuclear reactor I remember when I had the tour just the incredible work that they do right there And it's remarkable and encouraging news that this funding will also lead to an increase in production of medical isotopes that are used to treat cancer According to the Canadian Cancer Society over 230,000 Canadians were diagnosed with cancer just last year For this reason it is all the more critical that our government continues to make investments that will support and improve Ontario's health care system Speaker can the Minister please elaborate on how this investment by our government will impact the health and wellness of people across the province of Ontario, thank you Minister colleges and universities Thank You mr. Speaker and thank you again to the member for that question this investment into the McMaster nuclear reactor is not Only beneficial to the economy and research, but it's also critical to life-saving medical technology By producing medical isotopes and assess the central part of modern health care Canadian clinicians rely on access to nearly two dozen different medical isotopes to treat many different types of medical conditions Including heart disease and cancer That's why this work will have such a wide-ranging impact It's hard not to have been touched in some way by these conditions The medical benefits we hope to see will be unparalleled the reactor will increase medical isotope production by three times What it is now ensuring that Ontarians will have earlier access to advanced cancer therapies more importantly speaker It will save lives and it will take us one step closer to improving health comes Outcomes of those impacted by a cancer diagnosis It is a strong research that Ontario's post-secondary institutions are conducting that's helping advance. Thank you Member for Parkdale High Park. Thank you speaker my questions to the premier Yesterday the many Torontonians who walk run cycle and enjoy into Ontario plays every day were stopped in their tracks between West Island and Trillium Park a fence blocking public access has been erected Suddenly and with no notice This isn't the first time something like this has happened in February Marina tenants were forced out with no notice Speaker because conservative government keeps acting like Ontario places a done deal But the redevelopment plans haven't been approved that government doesn't even have a permit yet Why is this conservative government blocking people's access to the waterfront a public space? Infrastructure Speaker only the NDP would be offended by a measure that's intended to keep people safe now that Very clear that we have awarded a contract for the state's servicing work It is anticipated to start in the next few very short while And so it is our obligation to protect the pedestrians that do go to Ontario place But mr. Speaker we are bringing it back to life Ontario place will become a place where it's not just 50 people that enjoy the site before it is 6 million people on an annual basis Thank You mr. Speaker again to the premier This government is close has closed the West Island of Ontario place to the public even before a building permit has been issued like everything else about the government's plans to give 650 million taxpayer dollars and To a private for profit luxury spa. That's on public parkland the timeline of this entire project is suspect in September 2018 thermal hired conservative lobbyists two months later the government announced their plan to redevelop Ontario place in May 2019 the government requested proposals to redevelop Ontario place Simultaneously they changed regulations to exempt projects like thermos from an environmental assessment as The timeline suggests that thermal have an inside track before the government even considered privatizing Ontario place Much mr. Speaker what they failed to recognize mr. Speaker is that if we don't do the site servicing work and the shoreline Enhancements there won't be an island to enjoy years from now mr. Speaker there are erosion and flooding issues But that being said mr. Speaker we have a wonderful tenants that are investing hundreds of millions of dollars To bring the site back life so that four to six million people come there to enjoy with their families Two thousand coordination with exhibition place in the city of Toronto This will be a hot spot for people to go mr. Speaker. I cannot believe that the members opposite are literally raising this issue today Stop the clock Nothing difficulty hearing members on both sides of the house who have the floor because of the level of noise on both sides of the house I Will start calling out members by name if this continues by writing if this continues. Thank you Start the clock the member for Peterborough court. Thank you, mr. Speaker Yesterday I had a question for minister Smith today. I have a question for another minister Smith speaker There's almost as many Smiths as there are liberals here My question is for the minister of natural resources and forestry the forestry sector is a critical is critical to Ontario's economic Strength and to the communities it supports throughout the province. This sector alone provides more than 149,000 jobs and helps to generate billions in revenue for our province Unfortunately, the previous liberal government all but ignored the valuable contribution of the forest sector much to the detriment of Rural remote and northern Ontario communities. That's right That's why our government must order to create the conditions where forest businesses in the north can operate efficiently and be competitive in the Global market speaker. Can the minister please explain what actions our government is taking to strengthen the forest sector? That's a good question Minister of natural resources and forestry Thank you speaker and thanks to the member for Peterborough, Coortha aka gods country aka go Pete's for the question Mr. Speaker as you know our government's committed to taking meaningful action to support our commitments to support the forest sector It's workers the communities that depend on it You know no government in the history of this province has done more to attract Investment drive innovation and create good jobs. It doesn't stop mr. Speaker That's why the Ontario government is creating the new forest biomass program This program will provide an investment of 19.6 million dollars in funding to projects that will expand wood harvest from crown Shaving sawdust as well as trees and above ground parts that aren't suited to the production of other forest products and one of the regions That will benefit in northwest Ontario is the beautiful region of atta coke and I was pleased to make that enough Thank you. Thank you and supplement your question Thank You mr. Speaker a previous liberal member actually referred to the north as no man's land But we know that Ontario's world-class forest industry plays a key role in our government's vision to build Ontario Creating good paying jobs boosting and caught economic growth and supporting communities across all of our province With an abundant supply of forest biomass products in Ontario That's why it's so vital that we support this emerging industry and its innovators With so many possibilities It's essential that our government explore all options to create opportunities to address the untapped economic growth in northern communities Speaker can the minister please expand on how the forest biomass program will drive innovation in the forest industry That's a good question Thanks speaker with five products from one industry segment feeding the demand from another We can build and expand new industries an industry generating less waste where no Opportunity goes unrealized and this program will support projects to harvest more wood from crown forests increase forest sector job creation increase regional economic growth and find new uses for wood and collaboration with business industry and indigenous communities In short Ontario will be a leader in innovative uses of forest biomass early this summer The program will be open to applications for businesses municipalities indigenous communities and not-for-profit Organizations located in Ontario that have a project to expand the use of forest biomass and enhance the forest biomass supply chain Speaker Ontario's forestry sector is primed for growth good jobs and Innovation we're building a forestry sector unlike anything this province has ever seen Thank you speaker Yesterday at the York Catholic Dixie school board they voted six to four to not fly the rainbow flag This was based on a recommendation that came directly from their committee the gender sexuality and Catholic Education Committee That committee recommended that they do fly the flag saying that it would be consistent with a pastoral mission of the Catholic Church Now we know that suicide is the leading cause of death for young people and that Numbers multiplied many times for the 2SL GPT community. We've seen the anti 2SL GPT hate statistics rise in Ontario by 64 percent and yet this government remains silent We need to know when will the minister say something make a statement And what will you intend to do to keep students safe? Minister of Education Mrs. Speaker we Have been clear and consistent since this issue first arose our message to children in our schools particularly the LGBTQ Plus is that we see them we value them and we are proud as a government to stand with them now more than ever Mr. Speaker We have been consistent on this issue making clear our position that pride is something that we can rally behind as a Parliament that every child in a publicly funded school should be supported should feel affirmed and should feel safe I do agree and that's been our position in the province since the issue arose and we'll continue to make that case Mr. Speaker we're going to continue as a government to actively participate in pride what it represents universal love for every child in this province Thank you Thank you speaker the minister is more than happy to dictate rules and practices to school boards when it involves Funding that he's not providing like on mental health and reading and math That's what bill 98 is all about but suddenly here's something that the minister could do that would actually protect kids That doesn't require any resources and suddenly he's powerless to act Why doesn't the minister just simply direct all schools in Ontario to fly the pride flag? Mr. Speaker we've been clear and consistent in our expectations and our hope We believe the pride flag is something we can rally behind it represents a welcome Inclusive message for every child we know that those kids face Disproportionate impacts and challenges in schools Which is why the government the premier and our entire party will continue to be at pride visibly Actively celebrating with the LGBTQ community order will continue to stand with those kids We'll continue to encourage school board to do their part to make sure every child in Ontario feel safe affirmed and respected Thank you speaker last week I visited Minden and joined the rally with residents who are fighting to save their ER Here's what I heard people are losing faith in this province's health care system and they're worried They're scared for their community and angry that they're being left behind in less than 48 hours Residents will be at least 20 minutes further from emergency care Closing any are is more than just inconvenience. It can be the difference between life and death The people of Minden, Halliburton and co-ortho lakes are about to experience the very real Consequences of this government's bill 124 and other irresponsible decisions regarding our health care system My question to the premier Minden Hospital is publicly funded Instead of simply letting Halliburton health services take the heat for this decision Will this conservative government take accountability and admit what Minden and the rest of us know that the Minden ER is Closing under their watch The Deputy Premier and Minister of Health well again I will remind the member opposite that while this decision I'm sure was very challenging for Halliburton Highlands leadership It was a local decision based on consolidating those two emergency departments to make sure that the services were ordered And you know I have to talk about the investments that we are doing in the province of Ontario in health care From the beginning we've talked about short term long term medium term goals That get us to a place where we have sufficient health human resources and frankly speaker This is not just a health issue. We have a minister of College in the universities We have a minister of Labor who have worked very very hard to ensure that we have Sufficient capacity within our system whether it is is training young people in our schools with trades whether it is New residency funds that are available now in the province of Ontario that frankly under the liberal and the NDP Governments previously were cutting residencies Order this supplementary question Thank you speaker the people in Minden some of whom are here today Halliburton and Coortha lakes are being left behind by their MPP and This government did the Minister of Health even ask HHS why they're doing this there has been no community consultation They have not talked with doctors nor hospital staff and the government has offered no justification for putting the people of this large geographical area at risk The HHS plan for the Halliburton hospital, which will have to serve the 13,000 people who use Mendon's ER is not ready Doctors and nurses shifts for the busy summer season just a few short weeks away have not been filled the Minden hospital Has their shifts filled all the way to September and did not close once last summer Yesterday in response to a question from Mandon Valley East colleague the Minister of Health Offered up bill 60 my question to the Minister of Health Why is she not demanding answers from HHS and intervening in their decision to close the Minden ER? Mr. Bell No, while the Liberal member opposite will assign blame to the local hospital leadership We are providing assistance and we are doing that through expansions of residency fees, which I will again remind the NDP government the Liberal government both Cut residency positions in the province of Ontario It is our government for Ottawa South come north It is our government that directed the College of Physicians and Surgeons and the College of Nurses of Ontario to quickly expedite assess and ultimately approve and license and internationally educated North come to the province of Ontario bill 60 has an as of right first in Canada That allows clinicians who have a license in other Canadian jurisdictions to come immediately to Ontario and practice We're doing the work you're assigning blame The member for Brampton North come to order the member for Ottawa South come to order Start the clock the next question the member for Cambridge Thank you speaker. My question is for the Associate Minister of Housing Throughout Ontario individuals and families are encountering challenges relating to housing Availability and affordability Recently the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing announced additional funding by our government that will help to support community housing providers across the province This funding has a potential to make meaningful Impact by providing much needed housing for vulnerable individuals and families in my local community of Cambridge in the region of Waterloo Speaker can the Associate Minister please provide further details on How our government is helping to increase the availability affordable housing options for those the most in need Great question Do you want to thank the great member for asking that very very important question Speaker our government recognizes the urgent need for affordable housing right across our province And that's why last week together with the federal government We announced a joint investment of over 46 million dollars to support the creation of 267 new affordable housing units across Ontario Ontario Community Housing Initiative Funding will be used for new construction repairs and maintenance to sustain and expand Community housing options for example speaker in well st. Peter supportive housing project in Kitchener will receive 5.5 million dollars to develop 41 affordable and supportive apartments for those on the region's housing Response this investment demonstrates our government's commitment to tackling the housing supply crisis and improving the lives of vulnerable Ontarians. Thank you Every person in Ontario deserves a safe and affordable place to call home Our government's continued investments in affordable housing projects truly demonstrates our firm commitment to addressing the housing supply and affordability crisis This recent announcement is just one example of how our government is developing partnerships and innovation solutions When it comes to important issues related to housing affordability however We know that more action is needed now and then housing availability and affordability must remain a priority for our government Speaker can the associate minister please expand on how this additional funding will help support Housing providers and addressing the needs of vulnerable individuals and families Thank you speaker once again Thank you to the great member from Cambridge for the question and as the member knows increasing our housing supply requires Partnerships and innovative solutions our government is collaborating closely with the federal government Through initiatives like the Canada Ontario Community Housing Initiative to repair regenerate and expand community housing So tenants can live in a home that is affordable The 46 million dollars announced can also be used to support community housing providers Whose original program arrangements are expiring and help them to become more sustainable We also consulted with local housing providers and municipalities to understand where support is most urgently needed and Strategically targeted groups like those in dwell will serve through tailored supports and unit design Speaker, I'm confident funds 267 units will make a very big difference for those who need an affordable place to live close to home Because when community thrives Ontario thrive Next question remember for Toronto Dan Thank you speaker speaker my question of the minister of energy City of Toronto has passed a resolution calling for its growing electricity needs to be made or met through efficiency and conservation It has formally rejected the ramping up of gas-fired power in this city Credible studies show that we can deliver Ontario's energy needs through efficiency and conservation at a much lower price than gas-fired power That's what Toronto wants The minister has the power to reject the proposal to ramp up gas burning at the Portland's energy centre Which will increase air pollution and accelerate the climate crisis as well as drive up the cost of electricity Will the minister protect the public from higher electricity prices for more air pollution and from the climate crisis by Rejecting this gas-fired proposal for ramping up burning in the city Paper we see more excellent news about the jobs that are coming to Ontario the manufacturing that is coming to Ontario This province was a ghost town when it comes to jobs when it comes to manufacturing and it's alive again It's alive largely because of our work on the energy file We directed the OEB to procure 4,000 megawatts of new generation including 1,500 megawatts of natural gas Member opposite talks about driving up electricity prices for consumers When asked about phasing out natural gas by 2030 the estimation was to add approximately $100 to the average consumers electricity bill Making cost of living unbearable for Ontarians and also driving business out of this province and frankly that is not something That is ever going to be acceptable to this government Restart the clock supplementary question member for Toronto then speaker again to the minister of energy This is a really simple question, right like energy efficiency and conservation are cheaper than burning gas, right? Put people to work they reduce the cost of electricity less air pollution less pressure on the climate It's really cost-effective to do this the ISO says it's cost-effective to do it The ISO says it's reliable to invest in efficiency and conservation The city has rejected the gas burning approach your ministry has said we will respect municipalities You have the power to reject this to take a course of action. That's less expensive and better for the environment Will you do so? Number four Kitchener south has been thank you speaker again I do of course find it ironic to hear the words about expensive coming from the opposition when we have a Member in the party that so actively supports to increase carbon tax I think the issue is here is the the opposition Continuing to fail to understand the complex interplay when it comes to a greener planet and cleaner energy We are producing green green steel here in Ontario To keep our manufacturing our industry on board These products come from Ontario made to the highest and venture with my mental standards possible Understanding a greener economy is looking at the whole picture not just one ideological unfounded perspective Thank You speaker my question is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing My office has been overrun with emails from farmers from across Ontario Who are very concerned with bill 97 in the provincial planning statement? Speaker members opposite must be getting the same message because yesterday in this house the Premier seemed to be backing down I guess the question remains How do we go from zero severances to three severances per farm this government's preoccupation with building houses is Clouding judgment as this proposed policy puts over 510,000 acres of Ontario farmland in jeopardy and in Oxford County They've concluded in a recent report the 10% of its prime agricultural land could be lost forever Farmers don't want to hear how important it is to build these houses They see the value in one succession planning lot, but three Speaker through you to the Minister what was the significance of the three lots to begin with and how will this government proceed on this policy? Your agriculture food and rural affairs Thank You much mr. Speaker I'm pleased to rise in this house today to share that the purpose of moving Ontario forward is that we're Excelling on all cylinders and that includes our agri-food sector and it means making sure that we have Employees and family members that want to work on the farm close to home So they have access to that farm But the most important part in all of this conversation today is to recognize that our government put forward a Consultation on the provincial policy statement the whole concept behind a consultation is that you position you you put out ideas So that you can hear people's perspectives and bring them back and understand where priorities lie order and in that spirit I am so pleased to share with you as the premier for Hamilton Mountain come toward that the response of the organizations the livestock commodity Organizations and other organizations as well came forward exercise their respectful voice Thank you very much the supplementary question Thank You speaker While I appreciate the answer Consultation after the fact is really a moot point this inch this winter I introduced my first private members bill a bill designed to protect Ontario's most productive lands a bill supported by Ontario's top farm groups and everyone in this house except those purporting to be pro farmer Before I introduced my bill I met with farmers I met with farm organizations and I solicited their opinion ahead of time the fact past few days We hear this government backing down on the original proposal But where will we land a government in touch with rural Ontario would have known? This was not a good idea to float in the first place So with all due respect farmers and the people of Ontario don't need more time They don't need until August 6th to tell this government how they feel about this policy Speaker through you to the minister will this government announced today that their trial balloon has been popped And will they back down on this policy To reply the premier well, thank you mr. Speaker, and I want to thank the member for the question You know we came out all in good intentions talking to farmers as I mentioned yesterday The number one the number one concern is the kids are leaving the farm They have no place to leave I live and there's many jurisdictions that won't even allow The farming families to build a home for their kids and then the other big concern that I mentioned it yesterday in the house I talked to a farmer yesterday, and he has a hundred temporary foreign workers that they have no place to live So we're listening to the farmers and as I mentioned yesterday Again, we sat down with the farmers all the associations, and they thanked us They thanked us for always having their back. They said that there's never been a government Never been a government that supported the farmers more than they thought we're gonna listen to the farmers mr. Speaker The member for Scarborough Center Thank You mr. Speaker my question is the Ministry of infrastructure All seniors in Ontario deserve to be treated with dignity and to receive the quality of care that they need and deserve under the previous liberal government Many issues in long-term care infrastructure were not properly addressed After the people of Ontario elected Ontario government in 2018 They have been a renewed focus on addressing our health care infrastructure While we have seen many improvement There's still a need to increase the capacity in our long-term care homes Our government must continue to expand on the critical investment made Because of premier's leadership mr. Speaker can the minister please provide An update on our government plans to build a long-term care infrastructure in our province Thank you very much to the member and mr. Speaker the government is currently making an Unprecedented amount of investment in long-term care facilities across the province last Thursday I was going to the minister of long-term care to open the doors of a new long-term care home in Toronto Humber Meadows will bring 320 new beds to the residents of Toronto and Has opened next to Humber River Hospital mr. Speaker the location of the home itself is so critically important Because mr. Speaker this long-term care home now will be integrated into the broader health care system in the province of Ontario and it will allow the long-term care home to have Additional services within the home such as that dialysis to make sure that the seniors are taken care of and have the best service possible Supplementary question It's extremely important that Ontario continues to build up our critical infrastructure to address or Provide our provinces need the previous liberal government failed to plan ahead For the needs of seniors in our province Former premier Kathleen win Even admit that her liberal government did not do enough When it came to improving long-term care order in our province That is why it is so critical for our government to make critical investment now To ensure we are meeting the infrastructure need for our province future Mr. Speaker Can the minister please explain how our government is building more long-term care? infrastructure faster for people of our province Stop the clock the government house later and the member for Ottawa South want to have a conversation It would be appreciated if they take it out of the hallway Order start the clock The response the minister of infrastructure. Thank you very much This long-term care home was part of Ontario's accelerated build pilot program Which was part of our government's six point four billion dollar commitment to build 30,000 new beds and of course upgrade 28,000 Long-term care breads in the province of Ontario now the whole concept of the accelerated build program was to leverage hospital owned land Which is always a challenge in urban settings to use provincial tools and resources in order to make sure that we can get the Approvals necessary and use accelerated construction techniques. Mr. Speaker We built a long-term care home in 13 months in Ajax. We built a long-term care home in Toronto Humber meadows within 28 months. We have two more long-term care homes Which are will open very very soon, but the most important point of this is mr. Speaker We can't take eight years to build a long-term care home in the province of Ontario. We need to do better Thank you speaker my question is to the premier Maria her husband and her and their four-year-old daughter have been living at the Christie refugee Center a shelter Since February the family found a rental home applied for funding to help cover the cost of rent and We're getting ready to move in when they were told that funding to this rent supplement program had been cut by the Conservative government and the program is no longer available to them Premier what is your plan to help families like Maria's move out of the shelter system into rental homes? So they could build their lives here in Canada Government host leader thank you very much mr. Speaker part of our plan has been right from the beginning right part of the plan Is we understood how important it was to build houses across the province of Ontario? But not just single family detached homes that we wanted to ensure that we had more purpose-built rentals because we were hearing stories like this On and on and on and on again now what one of the things that the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing has raised is how Important it was that the federal government continued to contribute to the province of Ontario But that they actually equalized that support as you know mr. Speaker They have reduced our funding by I think it's about 500 million dollars when it comes to the housing support program in the province of Ontario So I would ask the member opposite she could actually the opposition could do us a favour The NDP of course hold the balance of power in Ottawa like they did here If the NDP in Ottawa could do us a favour if they could ask Jagmeet Singh to inquire with the federal government if he will equalize and send a check for $500 million that is so important to the people of the province of Ontario so that we continue to provide this valuable support The University of Rosdale supplement I'm asking what this government is going to be doing to helping people in Ontario the Canada Ontario housing benefit Helps people in shelters find permanent homes by helping cover the cost of rent and this year The Conservatives cut funding to this program by 23 percent at a time when the demand for shelter services has never been higher because the shelter system is our capacity The city is asking for 20 million dollars in funding from the Ontario Conservative government to help shelter residents move into permanent rental homes so they can rebuild their lives Can this government say yes to the City of Toronto's request? Thank you, Speaker I do want to thank the member for the question our community housing renewal strategy is providing over $4.4 billion in funding Dedicated to sustaining repairing and growing community housing and addressing homelessness and as part of this $1.2 billion through the social services relief fund is to improve housing and homeless shelter solutions as well as Supporting invulnerable people and in January of 2022 We launched the streamline development approval fund that makes more than 45 million dollars available to Ontario's 39 largest municipalities including Toronto to help them implement these initiatives This is a government that's been providing will continue to provide more than 936 million dollars in much needed funds to municipal service managers and indigenous program administrators And 2024 25 through many of these initiatives. It's this government that's getting it done We Thank you the next question Thank you speaker My question is it will solicit our general our frontline police fire and EMS professionals across Ontario are Regularly exposed to traumatic events while responding to ever-increasingly complex and dangerous situations This workplace stress and trauma takes an immeasurable tool on the physical and mental health of our dedicated frontline members in the past Many attended to cope with this trauma on their own and without professional help Our first responders deserve to have access to the care and supports that they need when they need it Speaker can this listen general please explain what actions our government's taking to support the health and wellness of all frontline first responders Well, thank you, mr. Speaker, and I want to thank my great friend from Chatham Kent Leamington for his question And I'd again like to welcome the fire chiefs from Ontario who are with us here today Our heroes on the frontline deserve nothing less than our respect and support and our government will always do everything We can to support and to protect all those who need our help We care about their safety and their security and that's why our government is investing over 45 million dollars Over the next three years in programs that will focus on early intervention and provide access to specialized mental and health services Mr. Le Président, je suis fière Speaker I'm pride to Support our firefighters and our police officers and everybody who's secure is very security every day in Ontario It's so encouraging that our government is making real investments into mental health supports for our first responders The situations encountered by our frontline officers are always some predictable and often threatening The need for specialized services and resources is urgent and needed now more than ever Family members are also affected by the demands and occupational risks Experienced by their loved ones to work as first responders the mental health of families can also be impacted Particularly with the life of a first responder and suddenly and tragically Speaker can our solicitor general please explain how our government plans to expand support for first responders and their families Well, thank you, mr. Speaker, and I want to thank my friend for the question I really appreciate it and I agree with the member It's important that our government continues to support our frontline officers our first responders our firefighters and their families every day I'm pleased that we've announced an additional 9.6 million dollar investment to support run a meet health care and under the leadership of Premier Ford We are moving forward with the construction of the run a meet first responders post traumatic stress injury Rehabilitation Center in Caledon and we're proud of it because this is a first of its kind world-class facility a place of respite This will be a place of healing that is long overdue Our government is committed to seeing this dream be a reality in the coming years And we are determined to make this happen. Mr. Speaker a safe Ontario is a strong Ontario Thank you speaker here. I agree with you, but that includes first nations Who can forget the tragic fire incident that took the life of a ten-year-old girl in peonik as well as others in Quintinum These communities have been waiting years for appropriate fire suppression equipment to combat fires What did we learn from this? I received a call last week from Fort Albany because they don't have a functional fire truck They are currently can't suppress fires Only evacuate people and let the fire die out We must equip communities up north Premier what will your government do to get a new fire truck? In Fort Albany and ensure all first nations have proper proper fire fighting equipment to avoid another tragedy Well, mr. Speaker we stand with all all communities across Ontario We had we had terrible tragedies in pecancha come as a member knows earlier this year And I'd spoken to chief Shirley keeper many times This is of particular importance to us and we're going to continue to work Cooperatively with the federal government as the member knows we have to at the community level to ensure that there is no red tape in Responding to fires mr. Speaker. This is a multi-jurisdictional Issue Ontario will not stand by and just as we were working with dispatch to help the communities of pecancha come We will always be be there for everyone in Ontario Thank You speaker I appreciate the response However, this doesn't provide a relief we need action our communities need actions and We needed now Do we need another tragedy to react I? In request now to do your job and to give the first nations What they need? Then the rest of Canadians and that's acceptable. I don't think so the situation is urgent Is an urgent one we simply cannot wait for another life to be lost You demand the government? I ask the government to do what you need to do Or dying because we don't have the proper equipment for fire suppression So premier will this the government act now and ensure Communities are equipped with proper fire fighting equipment in first nation community up north under James Bay coast With any help you need the equipment and government needs to act now Well, thank you, mr. Speaker, you know Kamjula deja-dee and I said this before as I've said it before Doing nothing we're treating the safety of all Ontarians with great importance After the terrible incident pecancha come the Ontario fire marshal was immediately dispatched there He brought smoke detectors. He brought fire extinguishers. He brought other important Equipment that is was required then this is something that we take seriously and the member knows and the member knows This is a multi-jurisdictional issue. I will do whatever we can our government will do Whatever we can order to intercede with the federal government, and we will do the right thing We will always represent everyone in Ontario to keep Ontario safe Who's our question period for this morning two members have informed me they have points of order to raise I recognize first the member for Ottawa South. Thank you very much speaker And I just want to say it's so good to see so many red ties in this legislature again And I want to let my colleagues across the way know Ontario liberal dot ca. It's free to join and you know where to find Thank you Thank you Point of order the member for Peterborough core though. Thank you, mr. Speaker as you know many are wearing maroon ties today In support of Ontario's representative at the Memorial Cup I invite everyone to come down to the main Staircase after question period to have our picture taken and I do have extra ties if any of the Independence to my left because they are a party that cannot be named would like to join us Thank you very much We now have a deferred vote on the motion for second reading