 and it is now time for oral questions. I recognize the member for Mr. Ming Cocker. My questions to the Premier. Over the weekend, 12 more families learned that their loved ones had died in Ontario long-term care homes. The Premier promised that he would leave no stone unturned in the search for answers in the problems fixing Ontario's long-term care system. If that's the case, why, as reported in QP Briefing, is he currently impeding the efforts of his own commission on long-term care to get information? Minister of Long-term Care to respond. Thank you, Speaker. First of all, my heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by this and looking at the recent numbers. There are ongoing issues in some of the homes and we are taking every measure and every tool to address those. We have a much better responsive system that has evolved over the current process of this pandemic. And I want to emphasize that Ontario is not alone in its challenges with COVID. We are taking every measure, every tool, as I said, including the rapid tests, including making sure that we're doing more frequent testing in our homes. This is an invisible intruder that we will continue to put every resource into. And looking at other provinces who are being affected in this wave too. This is a invisible intruder and our measures are ongoing. We will continue and continue to learn about what further we can do and continue to address the concerns in these homes and get them the support that they need. Thank you. A supplementary question. Thanks, Speaker. I guess I'll try the question again, the same question in another tact. In the summer, the premier blocked a full public judicial inquiry. But he insisted that the truth, the truth would come out in, quote, I want to get down to the bottom of this. I need answers. I want answers, end of quote. A government that truly understands the sense of urgency in long-term care shouldn't work this hard to hide the facts. Will the premier, or the minister of long-term care, release all documents to the commission today and start publicly reporting on what documents have been requested by the commission and which ones have actually been provided? Please take your seats. Order. Minister of long-term care to respond. Thank you, Speaker. I reject the characterization in your question to the member opposite. We have an absolutely transparent, this is an independent commission. It was designed to be transparent. And we have providing all the information that a variety of groups are asking for. This has required thousands of hours of staff time. And we are getting this information to the commission. And their early guidance has been very well received. And we appreciate everything that they are doing on this. We want to be transparent. We are being transparent. We are getting them their information along with other groups who are asking for it. So I want to thank the commissioners. They are highly respected and eminent in their fields. And our government is doing everything it can to get them the information that they are requesting in a timely way while dealing with many other requests as well. We are being transparent. And I reject the characterization of your question. The final supplementary. Speaker it might be costing the government thousands of hours of staff time, but it's also costing thousands of lives. For families worried about loved ones in long-term care, the lack of urgency and pattern of secrecy from the premier and the minister of long-term care, it's frightening. Families, after the first wave, were promised this would never happen again. They were promised protection. They were promised answers. Will the premier and the minister of long-term care stop blocking the efforts to actually get those answers? Thank you, Speaker. Once again, I absolutely reject the characterization of that question. There is no question about the transparency of this government's efforts to provide the information in a timely way. We are dealing with many stresses, as you can imagine, making sure that our homes are the focus of our energy, making sure that they are getting the support that they need in integrated effort with Ontario Health, Public Health Ontario, our hospitals, which I am so thankful for their integration and their assistance, and taking the medical and scientific advice as it evolves. We are being transparent. We will continue to be transparent, and we will provide the commission with the information that they are requesting in a timely way as we deal with the pandemic effects in our long-term care homes, on our staff and on the residents there. I reject the premise of your question. Thank you. Thank you. The next question, a member for Brampton Centre. Thank you. Good morning, Speaker. Speaker, this weekend, families saw COVID-19 case counts continue to climb despite this government's claim that the curve was flattening. That's especially frightening for people who have been deemed essential workers, and they don't have the option of working from home. On Friday, Ontario's big city mayors joined the call for paid sick days so that working people don't have to choose between a day's pay and staying safe. After so many months, why is this government still resisting this common sense public health measure? Is it at the advice of the Chief Medical Officer? Mr. Labour. Well, thank you very much, and I thank the member opposite for this question, Mr. Speaker. We'll continue to stand behind the workers in this province every single step of the way during COVID-19. In fact, Mr. Speaker, as a member opposite knows, the very first measure we brought in was the passing of Bill 186, which told any worker across the province if they are impacted by COVID-19, they can't be fired for that. If they're staying home to look after a son or daughter, for example, if they're in isolation or in quarantine, they won't be fired for that, and sick notes are no longer required. Mr. Speaker, I also want to give credit to the Premier for leading the charge across the country to bring in over a billion dollars of paid sick leave for people in Ontario. Thank you. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. COVID-19 has hit Brampton and Scarborough especially hard. These are communities full of essential workers who do not have the privilege of staying and working from home. They are going to work and keeping our supply chain moving so that other people can stay safe. But these workers need to know that if they do fall ill, that they can stay home and isolate without fear of lost wages or work. On Friday, the Chief Medical Officer said, what new Democrats have been saying for months, this government should be ensuring that all workers have paid sick days. Will the government follow that advice and table legislation to provide all workers with paid sick days today? Mr. Speaker, nobody should have to choose between their job and their health. And that's why, Mr. Speaker, we pass the most progressive legislation in North America to protect jobs during COVID-19. It was literally on day one, we're all here in the legislature to pass Bill 186. I told every single worker in this province, if they're in isolation, if they're in quarantine, they have to stay home and look after a son or a daughter because of the disruptions in the education system in those early days. Mr. Speaker, they can't be fired for that. Furthermore, sick notes are no longer required while COVID-19 is here in the province of Ontario. But, Mr. Speaker, on July the 16th, the Premier of Ontario led the charge to sign an agreement with the federal government to bring in over $1 billion of paid sick days for people, for workers in this province. Mr. Speaker, that's 10 sick days. I'm proud of our Premier for leading the charge and standing behind every single worker in this province. The final supplementary. Speaker, just to be clear, that's a federal program that most workers aren't able to access. And Brampton is now a hotspot for COVID-19 with cases spiking across our city. We know everyone in the community is doing all that they can, but they need help from this government. The Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Williams, confirmed on Friday with health experts, workers' advocates, and new Democrats have been saying for months, paid sick days will help stop the spread of COVID-19 in cities like Brampton or Scarborough. Why is the government ignoring this advice? Mr. Labour. Well, Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by saying to all of those workers that have worked every single day, those millions of workers across the province, those frontline healthcare heroes, those truck drivers, those grocery store clerks, Mr. Speaker, the more than half a million people that have been working every single day in the construction industry to build those hospitals, those testing assessment centres for COVID, Mr. Speaker, we're standing behind those workers every single day. As I said, Mr. Speaker, we passed Bill 186 that ensured that no worker can be fired because of COVID-19. The Premier signing agreement on July the 16th led the charge, brought all the territorial and provincial leaders together to sign a historic agreement between the federal government and all the provinces and territories to provide in Ontario alone $1.1 billion. Those applications open on September 27th. I commend the federal government and we're going to continue working as a government with every level of government. Thank you. Next question, the member for Davenport. Thank you. Good morning, Mr. Speaker. This question is for the Premier. In August, the member from Nickel Belt and I wrote to the Chief Medical Officer of Health to ask about a province-wide school surveillance plan for testing, early detection and contact tracing. It never happened. Now, four months later, nearly halfway through the school year and well into a devastating second wave, the government has finally announced a voluntary testing program for some schools in some regions. Over the weekend, that testing uncovered at least 19 more cases among students at Thorncliffe Public School with more positive cases expected. Mr. Speaker, 670 schools have reported cases in this province, but we simply don't really have the data to know what the real number is. Why did the government wait so long to start testing in our schools? Mr. Speaker, the commitment of this government and Premier is to ensure that we keep kids and staff safe in Ontario. It is why we have ensured every layer of prevention is in place according to the public health advice, including the Chief Medical Officer of Health, who has endorsed our plan. The member opposite spoke about the number of cases in schools. There are 86% of schools in these problems that have no active case at all. In the context of asymptomatic testing, yes, indeed, we did expand working with the Ministry of Health into the highest risk regions with high rates of community transmission to ensure, as was done in the case of Thorncliffe, that cases are ultimately identified and isolated from the school to prevent, to mitigate further spread. We're grateful for the work of public health and the collaboration on the ground will continue as the Premier has made clear to do whatever it takes to overcome the challenge of COVID-19. The supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, we know from the auditor's report that the testing system failed because this government puts saving money ahead of protecting people in misproducts. When it comes to our schools and the safety of our students, we cannot let them do this again. We need a robust, a fully staffed in-school testing program. We need supports for families that test positive, including, yes, paid sick days, space to isolate. Community spread is growing in Brampton, in Mississauga, Kitchener Waterloo, Etobicoke, Humber River, Weston, Black Creek, Scarborough, Windsor. Thursday's last-minute plan with those remaining federal dollars simply isn't gonna get the job done. It is a matter of equity. Why, after all these months, is the government still reacting to this virus instead of listening to the experts planning ahead and investing resources necessary to keep our schools open and our students safe? APPLAUSE Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, we absolutely agree that keeping students and staff safe is a priority. And I think when you look at the fact that 99.94% of students in this province do not have active cases. Order. 99.9% of staff do not have active cases. I think underscores that the plan put in place fully endorsed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, fully funded by this Premier, is helping to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Order. Mr. Speaker, the member opposite spoke about certain regions of rising numbers of COVID transmission in Waterloo, in Durham. In Halton and Hamilton last week, the Premier and I announced additional surge funding for those very communities to do more hiring to ensure that they can combat COVID-19 within schools. And of course, weeks prior, we announced it in Ottawa, in Toronto, in York and in Peel, to further ensure that students in Ontario... Member for Davenport will come to order. Minister of Education, please wind up your response. We put these monies in place, part of a 1.3 billion dollar allocation speaker, to ensure that we keep students safe, to ensure that we fundamentally work hard with public health to ensure every student, every staff is safe in the province and we will continue to do that over the course of the coming weeks as we look forward to 2021. The next question, the member for Flambeau, Flambeau. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. We know that responding to the COVID-19 health crisis and the economic challenges it poses has necessitated collaboration from all levels of government as we work together to respond to this crisis. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Finance please share with the House what concrete actions the governments of Ontario and Canada have been able to deliver together for the people of Ontario? Minister of Finance. Thank you to the member from Flambeau, a great representative and does a great job of representing her constituents. The member is absolutely right. COVID-19 has required all governments and indeed all parties to work together to protect Canadians and Ontarians. At the beginning of this pandemic, Premier Ford made a non-negotiable promise to do what it took to get Ontarians through this pandemic and that's exactly what this government has done, Mr. Speaker. Since the onset of this pandemic, we have had historic collaboration with the federal government. The $7 billion secured for Ontario for the safe restart agreement, a very important and historic agreement, part of $19 billion secured by all the provinces. That included $1.5 billion, Mr. Speaker, of pandemic pay for our frontline heroes. Again, a joint expenditure to support 378,000 frontline workers, $900 million of urgent relief for our rent relief program. Mr. Speaker, we look forward to the federal minister of finance's financial statement today and further opportunities to partner with the federal government. The supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a government that understands the challenges that families face in Ontario and have been inspired to see our government take the necessary steps in collaboration with the federal government to ensure that they are provided the support that they need and the support that they deserve. Mr. Speaker, will the minister please share with the House what the people of Ontario would like to see in this update? Mr. Finance. I thank the member for the question. Mr. Speaker, the theme of Ontario's budget protect, support and recover would also be a good theme for our federal partners. And so I might suggest to minister Freeland some of the areas for her to collaborate would include listening to our provincial premiers who have unanimously called for an increase of transfers to the Canada Health Transfer of 35%. That conversation needs to begin to happen. Mr. Speaker, the premiers have also unanimously called for $10 billion a year for the next 10 years for vital infrastructure. Again, unanimously, the provinces across the country have said this is important. And Mr. Speaker, our government recently now has raised its commitment to rural broadband to $1 billion. Mr. Speaker, this is the infrastructure of the 21st century. We would also like to see our federal partners lean in to support Ontarians and Canadians. We look forward to this afternoon's federal financial statement. Thank you. The next question, the member for Waterloo. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. On Friday, despite the lockdown restrictions in place, we saw hundreds of people deep, lying up outside of big box stores and mega malls across the GTA. But for small family owned shops on Main Street, their doors remained barred and they're just barely hanging on. Last week, the Premier told everyone that they need to get out and shop at their local shops and businesses. The problem for those businesses, though, is that the Premier shut all those businesses down with little financial support. Speaker, if you can buy shoes and books and flowers at the Walmart, then you're creating an unlevel playing field for Main Street businesses. So my question through you to the Premier, if you won't level the playing field, because clearly you've resisted that, will you at the very least provide small businesses with the direct financial support that they deserve to stay open? The member for Flamboyant Landmarks and Parliamentary Assistance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes that small and Main Street businesses are the backbone of Ontario's economy. And Mr. Speaker, that is why our Main Street recovery plan was designed based on over 100 virtual meetings, roundtables and discussions with owners, workers and economists. But most importantly, Mr. Speaker, it was also based on the largest ever stakeholder consultation in the history of this province. Our plan, Mr. Speaker, draws from across government and builds on more than $10 billion in urgent economic relief provided through our COVID-19 action plan. Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the importance and the role that small business plays in Ontario. And that is why we have put in place a plan that will help them rebuild, invest and grow through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. The supplementary question. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, businesses don't need more consultation if you don't listen to what they're actually saying. The Premier wants to pretend he's on the side of small business. But since day one of this crisis, he's done everything in his power to make things actually harder for them. He ignored their calls for rent relief instead of waiting for the feds to bail us out instead. He dragged his feet on the evictions ban as hundreds of small businesses closed their doors forever. And now during the busiest shopping time of the year, he's handing out lumps of coal to small businesses across the province. Speaker, we know that these conservatives are not tired of their own mixed messages and vague directives and half measures, but businesses in the province of Ontario are exhausted. And we need this Premier to level the playing field. So when is he going to step up and ensure that small businesses get the same support this government gives to the big box stores, the big corporations, and the Premier's friends? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And Mr. Speaker, I would like to say again that our Main Street Recovery Plan was designed based on hundreds and actually more than that, thousands of consultations across Ontario with small and medium-sized businesses. And the plan draws from across government and builds, and I have to say this again, on more than $10 billion, that's with a B, $10 billion in urgent economic relief provided through the COVID-19 Action Plan. Mr. Speaker, our plan includes the Main Street Recovery Act. It's a plan that will modernize the rules to help small businesses. It includes programs like the $1,000 Main Street Recovery Grant to Fund PPE. It is a plan that includes the recovery network and our small business recovery webpage. Mr. Speaker, as I've said, and as we've heard so many times in this House, our government recognizes the value of small business, and that is why we are working so closely with them to help them rebuild, invest, and grow beyond the pandemic. Thank you very much. The next question, member for Glen Gary, Prescott Russell. Merci, Mr. President. My question goes to the Premier. I'm going to ask you to please, from small business owners, over six months to place a cap on the commission fees charged by food delivery services. I first asked for this in May, both in this chamber and in a letter written to the Associate Minister. And after numerous times asking over the past six months, I was given the standard fluff response that has basically got it, but no. I've received countless calls, emails, voicemails, and social media messages from restaurant owners begging for this. I find it impossible to believe that I've been here from these job creators and self and was unaware of the difficulties they were facing. There are so many restaurants in our province who had to close their doors because of this delayed reaction. Mr. Speaker, how can the minister justify why this simple legislation that the community asked for from the onset of the pandemic took so long to be introduced when other jurisdictions did so months ago? Why is this government always late to the party causing even more unnecessary damage to already vulnerable sectors? Thank you, the member for Flamberl-Landbrook again. Mr. Speaker, I want to remind you that our government has, from day one, listened to the voices and the concerns of small business owners right across Ontario. Our government is committed to making Ontario open for business, open for jobs, and open for opportunity. It's something that you heard at the beginning when we were first elected, and it's a message that we carry through COVID-19. Everywhere we have gone across Ontario, our job creators told us the same thing. Our regulatory burdens were weighing them down, and that is why, Mr. Speaker, we have worked diligently to get rid of these burdensome regulations. They have had a negative impact on everyday Ontarians making their interactions with government and access to services unnecessarily difficult, and that applies to small businesses and restaurant owners right across Ontario. Mr. Speaker, I will say again and again and again. That is why our government has put in place a plan that will help businesses, restaurant owners, and all small businesses right across our province, rebuild, invest, and grow through this pandemic and beyond. A supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Overdue is a welcome beginning of actual support for restaurant owners. But again, it falls short in supporting restaurant owners who are able to open, but with such reduced capacity that they rely almost entirely on takeout orders and, therefore, delivery companies. Those small business owners are still facing incredible difficulties, and they're not receiving any protection from high commission fees or any support from this government. So, Mr. Speaker, now that we will be debating this legislation and proposing amendments, will the minister, even the playing field, by placing a cap on commission fees for all restaurants in Ontario for the duration of COVID-19 pandemic and keep this measure in place for at least six months after indoor dining resumes to ensure that restaurants can get back on their feet? Very good. Member for Flamborough, Glamour. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And once again, Mr. Speaker, I want to share all of the things that our government has done to help small business across Ontario, restaurant owners, and all small businesses, regardless of where they operate in our fine province. As I said earlier, our government is committed to making Ontario open for business. And we have put in place legislation. We have made changes that help businesses right across Ontario. Everywhere we have gone, Ontario is telling us, please get rid of burdensome regulations. And that is what we are doing through the numerous pieces of legislation we brought forward in this session and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work with small businesses right across our province to ensure they can keep their doors open through the pandemic and that they can grow in higher-more Ontarians once we pass this pandemic. Thank you. Thank you very much. The next question. The next question. The member for... Toronto Centre. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Since the Landlord and Tenant Board resumed eviction hearings in August, the Board has focused all of its energy on scheduling as many hearings as possible without any regard for human rights or access to justice. Disabled tenants have been denied accessible hearings that would accommodate their disabilities. Tenants without access to phones or internet have called into their hearings from pay phones in the rain, from convenience stores when their pay-as-you-go cell phones run out of minutes, from their cars in parking lots, from their work. Tenants who don't speak English or French are being denied access to translators. And the way the Board is currently scheduling hearings means there are more hearings happening at the same time than legal aid can attend to. Disadvantaged tenants have no access to anyone to help them navigate a complex legal system or to advocate for them when they need it most. Evictions are being rubber-stamped in as little as 60 seconds while tenants don't even know what's going on in these online hearings. Why the Premier fast-tracking evictions of thousands of tenants in the middle of a pandemic? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the chance to speak on such an important topic for our government. Throughout COVID-19, you've seen the emergency recovery. Our government has been focused on keeping Ontarians safe and addressing the impacts of COVID-19 on tenants and landlords. And as the threat of the pandemic began to spread, we took action. We're working with our partners. We're working with the legal representatives, the clinics to make sure that we have right-sizing for the hearings. To make sure that we have the right-sizing for the hearings, to make sure that people do have access to those phone hearings and to Zoom hearings where possible. Mr. Speaker, we know that it's important that people have the ability to feel safe and to be safe. And we're taking actions to make sure that the system is running as smoothly as possible. Mr. Speaker, we'll continue to monitor that situation and work with tribunals as an independent group and we'll make sure that people get their hearings, that they get the ability to be heard. Response? And the protections that the Landlord Tenant Board offers to the tenants as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. The Premier, the Attorney General, and the Minister responsible for municipal affairs and housing have all known about the problems at the Landlord and Tenant Board for months. But instead of fixing those problems, they are proceeding with an eviction blitz. And why? Why would a government undertake mass evictions in the middle of a pandemic? The upcoming release of the Ombudsman Investigation into the massive backlog at the Board might have something to do with it. Speaker, this government sat on its hands for months and refused to appoint adjudicators to the Board and are now trying to course correct the backlog that you created by compromising human rights and evicting tenants as fast as you can in the middle of a pandemic. Speaker, lives are at stakes here. In the United States, researchers found that lifting of state moratoriums on evictions caused over 10,000 deaths from COVID-19. Will the Premier immediately reinstate the moratorium on evictions to protect the health and safety of vulnerable and low-income tenants in Ontario? The Attorney General. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And again, I'm pleased to rise on behalf of the government and address this very serious issue of people needing the ability to have their hearings. If we don't have hearings, the NDP are upset that we're not having hearings and the backlog is being created. If we don't have enough adjudicators, they say that we're not doing our job, we currently have the greatest number of adjudicators it has ever had in permanent and full-time so that the landlord-tenant board can function appropriately. So they complain when we don't have enough adjudicators and now they're complaining we have adjudicators and now they're complaining that we're making adjudicators work, Mr. Speaker. And I just don't know what direction they want to go, Mr. Speaker, but I can tell you this. And they might want to look in the mirror and ask themselves whether it's appropriate that they show up in landlord-tenant board hearings and give everything they need. And they might want to look in the mirror and ask themselves whether it's appropriate that they show up in the landlord-tenant board hearings and give evidence as NPPs, Mr. Speaker. Member for Toronto's Centre will come door. The next question, the Member for... Or they haven't. Excuse me. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Speaker, in the government's 2020 budget, it read and I'm going to quote, the province doubled funding in the Ontario autism program to $600 million annually beginning in 2019-2020. The Prime Minister of Children, Community and Social Services told the House seven times that $600 million would be spent on autism services. Mr. Speaker, the current minister has told the House no less than 14 times that autism services would be funded to the tune of $600 million. Mr. Speaker, can the Premier explain to the House why the official public accounts directly contradict his ministers and his own budget and show that the government has only spent $134 million in 2019-2020? The Associate Minister for Children and Women's Issues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member for the question. The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services recently, in his recent statement on September 3rd, announced that our government will be spending a combined $1.2 billion to support children and youth on the autism spectrum over the 2019-2020 and 2021 fiscal years. Last December, our government committed to providing interim one-time funding for families who were on the waitlist. Those who were on the waitlist by March 31st, 2020 have submitted their applications for one-time funding, have received their payment. We continue to issue payments as families register for the programs and complete their application forms. Many of these payments will not be reported in public accounts until next year as the payments to families are being reported in the year in which they were made. The past six months dealing with COVID-19 have been difficult for many families, but even more challenging for those families who have been home with no access to their normal supports. And that's why the Ministry has ensured that families still have 90 days from their date of imitation letter to accept the funding. Thank you. And the supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, families with children with autism will be traded once again. I'm not sure why we would believe that they're going to spend more next year than they would spend last year, Mr. Speaker. The lack of support for these families has compounded, has compounded the already precarious situation that they find themselves in as a result of COVID-19. Parents in my writing have told me that they find themselves stuck in limbo, Mr. Speaker, because failure to access the supports that they need, because the government isn't providing the funding for those supports, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, to the Premier. Order. Why should parents trust anything this government about supporting autism? And when will the government stop short-changing these families and give them the desperate supports that they need? The Associate Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the member for your supplementary. Mr. Speaker, the member's opposite plan for the Ontario Autism Program failed to respond to the growing needs for autism services in this province. While the former government was in power and that member sat around the cabinet table, along with Stephen Del Duca, some services skyrocketed in this province. According to the Financial Accountability Officer, between 2012 and 2018, the autism weightless grew by a staggering 47.8% per year. Our government undertook the President's step of doubling the Ontario Autism Program's funding, and we will be spending a combined $1.2 billion over the 1920 and 2021 fiscal years as more than twice as many children are receiving supports as we transition to the new needs-based program designed by the autism community. Thank you. The next question is for Flamborough Glenbrook. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The previous Liberal government had over a decade to help Ontario prepare for the impacts of climate change. Instead, Mr. Speaker, it created a carbon pricing scheme that would have sent almost $500 million, Ontario dollars, to California and Quebec by 2020. The Liberal Zone Environment Minister said that their 2017 carbon pricing scheme was not a real solution to addressing the country's emissions. The people of Ontario deserve a government that will ensure these important environmental issues are addressed in a way that considers Ontario's priorities, regional-based challenges, and opportunity for rural and northern communities. Mr. Speaker, I know the ministry recently celebrated the two-year anniversary of its Made in Ontario environment plan. Can the Minister of Environment, Conservation, Parks share with the House how the government, unlike the last Liberal government, is actually protecting air, land, and water? The member for Scarborough-Gildwood will come to order. The member for Orleanne will come to order. The Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks will answer the question. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thank the member from Flamborough Glenbook for that question. I know it's really hard for the members of the independent party to understand the truth of what really occurred, Mr. Speaker, but our government is committed to protecting and conserving our environment. We want to share to ensure that Ontario's natural beauty can be enjoyed for generations to come, and thanks to our blueprint, the environment plan, and the strength of our relationships with many of our partners, we've made considerable progress over the past two years. Our accomplishments are finalizing Ontario's missions, performance standards for large industrial emitters to ensure polluters are accountable, transitioning Ontario's blue box to a producer responsibility model, and Mr. Speaker, becoming the first province to require fuel suppliers to increase the amount of renewable content in the regular grade gasoline to 15%. Mr. Speaker, unlike the previous government, we recognize there's important symbiotic relationship between supporting a healthy environment and a healthy economy. Both can be done, and our progress is proof of that. Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When it comes to the environment, there are no quick fixes. The environment is simply not a static thing. It doesn't make sense for anyone to advocate for a plan that doesn't adapt to emerging issues and trends or one that does not address the real-time needs of this province. Under the previous Liberal government and backed by the NDP, the people of Ontario watched their hard-earned dollars and had ineffective policies that did not deliver results. Ontarians expected the previous government would have brought forward environmental policies that were effective. Unfortunately, that's simply not what happened. Mr. Speaker, now, more than ever, the pressures of COVID-19, it's important that we have clean air to breathe, safe water to drink, and well-protected lands to enjoy. So will the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks commit today that this government will implement effective and affordable solutions so that the environment is protected now and into the future? Minister of the Environment, you respond. Thank you for that question, Mr. Speaker. Our government recognizes the importance of adapting our plan to new challenges as well as new innovations and data and research that emerged so it addresses the priorities of the province. We know there's still a lot of work to be done, and that is why we've already started to move forward on some of our next steps under our plan, including moving the phase out, the way sent to landfill by 2030, supporting wetland restoration and creation of priority areas in Ontario in partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada, continuing innovative initiatives such as the Ontario Living Legacy that was cancelled by the previous government, and providing young Ontarians with more opportunities to share their insights by establishing a youth climate advisory group. Mr. Speaker, we're proud of our accomplishments on this side of the House, especially during these unprecedented and challenging times, with a healthy economy and a healthy environment. Thank you very much. The next question is for London West. Thank you very much. My question is to the Premier. My community is experiencing the biggest COVID outbreak of the pandemic at London Health Sciences Centre. 13 new outbreak-linked cases were reported among LHSC staff and patients over the weekend bringing the total cases to 65. Two patients who acquired COVID in the hospital have died. Their families shocked and grieving. On Friday, the Middlesex London Health Unit issued a letter to the hospital with 25 instructions on strict measures that must be taken to get the outbreak under control. Speaker, will the Premier commit to providing whatever supports and resources are needed by the hospital to ensure compliance with these critical public health directives? Minister of Health. Well, I thank the member very much for the question. This is a serious concern and one that we're keeping daily contact with the Dr. Mackie, the local medical officer of health for the London area. Dr. Williams does that. We have been supplying them with whatever assistance they need because we want to make sure that the patients, of course, are kept safe. The staff are kept safe and it's confined to as much as possible we don't want it to continue to spread so whatever assistance the hospital requires of course we will be there to help support them to protect lives and to make sure that we contain the spread as much as we can within the hospital but part of it's coming in from the community, as you know, that's why some of the restrictions have been placed on the London area but we are continuing to monitor it very closely on a daily basis. The supplementary question. Speaker, Dr. Mackie has said that for the past nine days 50% of the cases in our region have been linked to the LHSC outbreak with transmission occurring within the hospital. Six hospital wards are now confirmed to have cases including organ transplants, cardiovascular surgery, palliative and orthopedics. This has once again forced the cancellation of non-urgent surgeries and procedures. Speaker, London was already at the bottom of the list for the longest surgical wait times in Ontario, particularly for joint replacements. This cancellation is devastating to those whose surgeries were postponed during wave 1 and those who are still waiting for their procedures to be booked. What is this government's plan to ensure that access to surgeries is restored for Londoners and to prevent any future surgical cancellations at LHSC once this outbreak is under control? Well, clearly in order to be able to proceed with these surgeries and other procedures that had to be postponed during wave 1 it's going to be very important to get this COVID outbreak under control. That's why we have been in touch with Dr. Mackie. We will continue to be. We will supply the hospital with whatever other resources they need. If it's more personal protective equipment they know that it's available on a daily basis. That can be ordered by human resources if they need more staff we'll help supply more staff there but clearly we need to get that done in order to be able to proceed with those surgeries. We know that there's a backlog we know that we need to proceed with them because if you lose a loved one to COVID that's tragic but it's equally tragic. If you lose a loved one because they haven't received their cancer or cardiac surgery on time so that is a key part of our fall preparedness plan is to keep those surgeries going with the COVID outbreak first and then we will move as quickly as we can to get back on track in dealing with those backlogs. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Guelph. Good morning Speaker, thank you. My question is for the Premier. Day after day the Premier stands in front of the cameras and says he feels for small business owners and while they likely welcome his sympathy I'm sure they would prefer action from this Premier to help them. At a minimum Speaker, small businesses want a level playing field. A chance not to be rolled over by big box stores who can remain open. Unlike Ontario Manitoba requires big box stores to cordon off aisles of non-essential goods. So Speaker can the Premier explain to small business owners while big box stores can sell books, flowers, electronics, clothes and other non-essential goods when those in lockdown areas cannot? Mr. Finance Mr. Speaker and I appreciate the member from Guelph's question and I'm taking from that that he supports the government's public health measures and understands the importance of them and understands therefore the need to work within those and that's why this government Mr. Speaker has provided unprecedented support for our small businesses. $600 million Mr. Speaker that's double the original number and that's because these measures have been required again because of the necessary public health that we have to observe for us to expand that support. Mr. Speaker my colleague has already talked about our main street support program. I'll also talk about the $57 million for our digital main street program and Mr. Speaker I'd also like to perhaps ask the member back about his support for the vital vital changes that we're making in terms of property taxes. Mr. Speaker I know that his mayor in Guelph supports the idea of creation of a small business property tax class. I know he supports our cuts to the education property tax and our electricity cuts. Mr. Speaker I'd be interested in the member from Guelph if he supports those further supports today and for the future for small business. Supplementary question. Mr. Speaker of course I support supports for small businesses but I will not take my marching orders from the CEO of Walmart Canada. I will take my marching orders from small business owners across this province. See if I be CEO Dan Kelly said and I quote premier he didn't say premier but I'll say premier has unfortunately signed the death warrant of thousands and thousands of businesses in quote of course small businesses understand that we have to take public health measures to save lives but they are asking this government to throw them a lifeline. Quebec is offering small businesses in lockdown areas with grants of up to $15,000 a month to help keep them alive during this pandemic. So Speaker I ask the minister will the Ontario government step up with direct financial supports similar to Quebec to help keep small businesses alive in Ontario. Mr. Finance. Mr. Speaker as I mentioned this government is providing those direct government supports direct supports well beyond those referenced in terms of dollars by the member but and I am disappointed I noted the quote from his mayor Cam Guthrie that he disagrees with Mike Schreiner that the government he supports the idea of property tax relief unlike the member from Guelph who apparently does not Mr. Speaker I'm just quoting your mayor and I should comment Mr. Guthrie has just completed his term as the head of the big city mayors and I know that we on this side appreciate the hard work that he did in that regard but Mr. Speaker this government has been for small business since it was elected and Mr. Speaker will continue to be for small business providing the ongoing supports and again I asked the member to reconsider his lack of support for property tax reductions for electricity reductions for payroll tax reductions that will support small businesses today and in the future. Thank you very much. The next question the member for Nickel Belt. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Last week the Ontario Nurses Association wrote to our chief medical officer their letter is concerning it states that Ontario has not updated public health directive to recognize the aerosol risk that COVID presents although it's been two months since the Centre for Disease Control did it in one month since Public Health Canada updated their directive. Speaker from the beginning Ontario has refused to use the precautionary principle the number one lesson we learned from SARS and 9,554 healthcare workers got infected 8 long-term care workers have died from COVID. Now the science is here the coronavirus transmits through aerosol that means that all frontline healthcare workers need access to N95 respirators or better when caring for suspected or infected people. When is this government going to listen to science listen to public health expert to take their directive on COVID-19 transmission? The Minister of Health Thank you very much and thank you to the member for the question if a frontline healthcare worker is performing an aerosol generating procedure they of course do have access to N95 masks that's important for their protection going forward but the idea of further generation just through air transmission is another matter and that's something that is controversial not all of the experts agree on that most of the experts right now believe that it is generated through water droplets and aerosol generating procedures however not everyone believes that the science is still being developed in that area and we are still awaiting some of the results so not everyone has come forward even with the Canadian evidence and some of the evidence from the Centers for Disease Control we're continuing to follow very closely because we are making decisions based on clinical evidence and based on science Supplementary question member for Sudbury Thank you Speaker and back to the Premier. Ignoring science costs life Speaker COVID-19 is a clear aerosol risk and Ontario still has an update of public health directives recognizing this my writing of Sudbury the first way of COVID-19 caused a loss of a life at St. Joseph's continuing care the Minister of Long-term Care continues to update that long-term care homes have the PPE they require however Joanne Talkovitz the CEO of St. Joseph complex continuing care hospital and the CEO of two long-term care homes has been trying to replenish their stock of N95 masks since June come along with me June, July, August, September, October, November it will be December tomorrow morning Speaker the Premier needs to listen to science we need to update the directives and get the badly needed N95s long-term care in retirement homes after several months of delay will the Premier commit to finally getting the N95 masks to St. Joseph's continuing care in Sudbury Mr. Long-term Care Thank you Speaker and thank you to the member opposite for the question let me reiterate that our government's top priority is the safety and well-being of residents in long-term care and all Ontarians this is something that our government not only with its policy and most recently in October the $540 million over half a billion dollars to go towards efforts to improve IPAC and that included $2.8 million to make sure that our long-term care homes have the personal protective equipment that they require and homes in outbreak do have access to the N95s and homes can contact the regional tables and make sure that they get the shipments that they need this is something that we are absolutely committed to and I'm working with our other ministry to make sure that the availability of PPE is there and that's the $2.8 million for 8 weeks of supply to all of our homes across Ontario including N95s for those in outbreak Next question Thank you Speaker Next question is to the Premier Speaker we've known for a long time since the SARS outbreak that long-term care homes are vulnerable settings for respiratory disease viruses are not a mysterious invisible intruder they can be managed with proactive and effective IPAC the government's own commission investigating heard that the long-term care homes were forgotten in the initial provincial plans to control the spread of COVID-19 until residents started dying and please that this not be repeated when this crisis is over we're now in the throes of the second wave tragically this month alone over 250 residents in long-term care have sadly died from COVID-19 yet the commission that this government created to report on how COVID-19 spread in long-term care settings has reported that the government is withholding documents it needs to do its work Speaker through you why is this government impeding the work of the commission by withholding requested documents is it because they are afraid of what they might find the environment conservation parks will come to order the response the minister of long-term care Thank you Speaker and thank you to the member opposite for the question it's absolutely important for the commission to be transparent and that's why we created the process by which the independent commissioners will report this is absolutely essential that we get to the bottom of what happened and we've been consistently transparent we provided almost 48,000 records to the commission and we have conducted over a dozen briefings 17 to be exact to the commissioners we can provide communication to the public where people can submit their stories and their concerns they have issued interim recommendations and I will repeat we are in a battle of our lifetime against COVID-19 all around this world and if the member opposite does not understand that a virus is invisible then I would hope that you would educate yourself please please inform yourself that you understand the science and the nature of COVID-19 and how it spreads Thank you the supplementary question Speaker this minister one of the things that I've been listening to you because I was the one that asked March 11th about long-term care no word from this government on what you're going to do to protect those residents to over 2300 people in long-term care are now dead as a result of your government's refusal to act now in your own appointed commission this commission was appointed by you to give answers to people who have lost their loved ones like in my riding in extended care Gildwood and in Seven Oaks they deserve to know what went wrong no one needs your lecture that's not what we're here to do what we're here to do is to answer the questions that the people of Ontario are asking you why are you withholding these documents it is the commission that says thank you and again I'll remind members to make their comments through the chair minister of long-term care reply Thank you speaker again I will reiterate that we created an independent commission to provide guidance and get to the bottom of this and the commissioners I appreciate their expertise I have great deal of respect for their credentials and they are eminently respected we are making sure that this process can be done with COVID-19 across Canada they are struggling with COVID-19 COVID-19 is an invisible intruder that gets into our homes one case can be devastating we are making sure that this process is transparent we are allowing the commissioners to gather this information to hear from residents in a very public way and staff and their families this matters a great deal I have been a family doctor for 30 years I've been understanding the science of this since the earliest days and I will continue to take every measure and every tool possible for Niagara Falls thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Premier it's been two weeks since I told the Premier that Niagara's Chief Medical Officer of Health instituted an additional regulation to try to stop the spread of COVID-19 which has put restaurants and bars, the tourist sector operators and the wineries in a very tough spot financially now we see the Premier is offering money to restaurants and bars elsewhere in Ontario but not Niagara to punish our local businesses because the Chief Medical Officer proactively in a way he believed he had to the regional chair of Niagara has asked the Premier for support the Lord Mayor of Niagara on the lake has also asked for financial support Speaker will the Premier tell the businesses of Niagara today that help is on the way and they'll be giving them the financial support that should have given them two weeks ago Minister of Finance Mr. Speaker I appreciate the opportunity to clarify the many programs that are available for businesses and I think it's important opportunity for this legislature to as well be clear to our constituents there is an exceptional support that this government is providing in partnership with the federal government but specifically this government is providing $600 million for businesses in red control zones and in the grey lockdown zones that support will be for all the businesses in areas by the public health measures for the broader areas where there are also needs for support we provided programs like my colleagues spoke about earlier $60 million for $1,000 of personal protective equipment $57 million to help businesses get online Mr. Speaker that program has already helped 23,000 businesses and Mr. Speaker through this budget that I know the member is considering right now direct support which will support the businesses in his riding property tax reductions significant electricity reductions significant and payroll reductions significant I hope that the member will consider that as he looks at the budget that will come before the supplementary question back to the premier I don't need an education from the finance minister tell me what programs are available to Niagara I've talked to you guys for the last two weeks Niagara should be entitled to the $600 million that is out there because the chief medical doctor put us in a section 22 and it's killing our businesses so I understand the program I'm saying to you we should qualify for that program the regulations passed to Niagara means you can only dime with three other people and they must be from your household our chief medical officer of health implemented this additional regulation because he felt he needed it in order to help to spread a COVID-19 in Niagara you can't tell people they must listen to public health experts and follow the regulations and then let their businesses fail when they don't follow the rules Niagara restaurants the bars the wineries the tourist operas and other small business that need the premier to help today or they'll lose everything will the premier listen to the appeals from me from the community mayors from the Niagara region and immediately approve emergency financial funding for our small businesses thank you I appreciate that I believe what the member saying is it's important for businesses to support the public health requirements that are being put in place and we absolutely respect Mr. Speaker the role of local public health officials in terms of providing that support but Mr. Speaker when it comes to the six hundred million dollar program that the member speaks to Mr. Speaker that program is specifically targeted at the red control zones as I said before and as at the great lockdown zones these are areas where businesses restricted in a significant fashion and Mr. Speaker as well the member will know that the federal government supports available through this government I already mentioned the sixty million dollars for the PPE the fifty seven for the online support Mr. Speaker I'm sure the member is also aware of the federal rental supports and the wage supports where we've worked in partnership Mr. Speaker with the federal government to provide coverage for the fixed cost of businesses so we can see small businesses through the pandemic thank you very much the next question member for Flamborough Glambrough I'm actually well aware there have been notable concerns in my constituency around police interactions with individuals who may be in crisis or living with a mental health and addiction challenge I know this is not only an issue affecting my writing but can be seen in communities right across Ontario Minister across Canada and even around the world both advocates and researchers alike have been calling for innovative ways to ensure police have the necessary tools and resources to safely handle calls for service involving someone experiencing a mental health crisis Minister can you explain how our government is helping our brave frontline officers in handling mental health cases respond the associate minister for mental health and addictions thank you Mr. Speaker and I'd like to thank the member from Flamborough Glambrough for the question the member is absolutely correct Mr. Speaker from the GTA to remote rural and northern communities we know there's been a significant demand for innovative services to assist our police in handling mental health cases and that's why Mr. Speaker just a couple of weeks ago I stood with Premier Ford our deputy premier and our solicitor general to announce that our government is providing over $37 million to expand mental health services across Ontario's justice system $6.5 million Mr. Speaker of this funding will see the expansion and launch of mobile crisis services in 33 communities across the province including a brand new service in Ottawa, a new indigenous service in six nations of the Grand River and additional teams in small communities in the northwest such as Red Lake, Sue Lookout, Dryden, Atacocon, Fort William first nation in the surrounding area of the marathon Mr. Speaker we listened and we will continue to listen to the first responders and provide support they need to be able to do their work for the people of the province thank you very much that concludes our question period for this morning pursuant to standing order 36A the member for nickel belt has given notice of her dissatisfaction with the answer to her question given by the Minister of Health concerning N95 precautionary principle this matter will be debated tomorrow following private members public business there being no further business this morning this house stands in recess until 1pm