 It is now time for oral questions and I recognize the leader for Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Thank you Speaker. Yesterday the government confirmed they would be saying no to the frontline workers and families who say Bill 7 will be devastating for them. Forcing seniors to pay steep fees and move hundreds of kilometers away from loved ones is not a solution to our health care crisis. Will the government do the right thing pull Bill 7 and start listening to the frontline workers and families who can give us the real solutions to the health care crisis? Mr. Long-Term Care. Mr. Speaker, the only one saying no really is the opposition. We are saying yes to improving the health care system. We've been doing that since day one Mr. Speaker. It's about building an integrated system Mr. Speaker. That's why we started with Ontario Health Teams. We've grown the system. We've added new nurses. We've added 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds, 27,000 additional health care workers in long-term care alone Mr. Speaker. We're adding of course new medical schools in Toronto. We're expanding in Brampton and of course in Durham Speaker but ultimately what Bill 7 is about and what the opposition refused to acknowledge is that when somebody is being discharged from a hospital, somebody who is already on the long-term care wait list Mr. Speaker, these are people who want to be in a long-term care home. Experts, doctors, medical professors all will agree that the best place for somebody to get that care is in a long-term care home and I'm going to continue as all of us will on this side and conservatives on that side of the house continue to fight for those seniors who want to be in a long-term care who want better care Mr. Speaker. Supplemental question. Again to the Premier. Later today the Premier will be meeting with the Prime Minister. At a time when our health care crisis desperately needs an Ontario Premier to fight for health care, this Premier has been leading the charge for more privatization. That's not a solution. Will the Premier continue pushing his private health care agenda in his meeting with the Prime Minister? Mr. Long-term Care. Speaker, I think since day one, since day one, since we were elected in 2018, we have put a focus on rebuilding the health care system that was so badly neglected by 15 years of Liberal and for many of those years by the NDP. So we put incredible resources. We are building out the health care system like no government has before. New hospital in Brampton, new hospitals in Niagara. Long-term care homes in every part of the province Mr. Speaker. Every part of the province because we know that long-term care can be a part of the solution to the acute care problems that we have Mr. Speaker. We are hiring additional health care workers. We're building new medical schools in the province of Ontario. I think the Minister of Colleges and University talked about the first new medical school in over a hundred years Mr. Speaker. The largest investment of health care in the history of Mississauga. The only consistent that there has been is that the NDP have voted against every single initiative Mr. Speaker. We'll keep rebuilding the health care system because it's important to the people of Ontario. The final supplement. Thank you Mr. Speaker and again to the Premier. Ontario needs to defend a national vision for health care. Instead the Premier's vision is more private profit and less care. The Ford government fought a national pharmacare plan and has provided no leadership for a national long-term care plan. Instead the Premier is pushing privatization and threatening seniors and their families to help private long-term care chains. Will the Premier show some leadership today? Scrap Bill 7. Scrap his privatization agenda and work on a national plan to expand public health care and address the crisis in our hospitals. Government House Leader. Mr. Speaker what we won't do is allow the status quo to continue on in the province of Ontario. We've been very very clear about that Mr. Speaker. It is completely unacceptable that in a province like Ontario there should be people waiting for hours in an emergency room because the beds aren't available Mr. Speaker. Especially when we have a system that has created and is building 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds in every part of the province Mr. Speaker in writings of the opposition. These are the same members who came to me day after day after day. Please approve a long-term care home in my writing it is so important and we did that Mr. Speaker and despite the fact that we did that they then voted against that funding. They voted against the 27,000 additional health care workers for long-term care. They voted against the four hours of care. We will work closely with patients in hospitals who want to become residents of long-term care because we know that is better for them Mr. Speaker and it's not me saying that it's health care professionals who are saying that it's even people who are in those homes Mr. Speaker. Nurses and health care staff have been underpaid and undervalued by the conservative government. Tara is a local community nurse in Sudbury with three decades of experience. You simply can't replicate the experience and knowledge of life-long nurses like Tara. She brings this invaluable experience to her workplace, to her patients and to her colleague Speaker but Tara is quitting and so are many other senior nurses that she knows. I asked Tara why she said our out-of-pocket expenses always increase but our mileage and wages don't keep pace. Right now in Sudbury there's more than 150 job postings for nurses. With that many vacancies clearly the Premier's plan to retain nurses is not working. So to the Premier when will the Premier admit that life-long nurses like Tara are leaving their profession because they have not been sufficiently supported and valued by this government. Deputy Premier, Minister of Health. Thank you to the nurses like Tara. Thank you. Thank you for your commitment. Thank you for being there when the people of Ontario needed you through the pandemic. It's so important that we acknowledge the excellent work that nurses have done, which is frankly one of the reasons why we brought forward the $5,000 nurse retention. The second tranche of course is coming forward in the weeks ahead, first couple of weeks in September. But we're also expanding the supply and opportunities for people who wish to train as nurses in the province of Ontario because we understand that there are so many opportunities with additional long-term care beds being built with 50 new hospital expansions or builds in the works. We need more health human resources and it is why we've invested 35 million to increase enrollment in nursing education response in colleges and universities. The new spaces will introduce approximately over 1,100 nursing practical nurse and 870 registered nurses into Ontario's health care system. Thank you. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker and back to the Premier. I just want to remind the Minister that thanks don't pay bills. Nursing health care staff have been underpaid and undervalued by the conservative government. Jan works in a local long-term care home and is concerned about the recent increase of staffing agency contract nurses. Jan told me that contract nurses can make up to $150 an hour more than she does. As a result, nursing home budgets are being obliterated by these costs and this ends up forcing even more cuts to frontline staff. What's more, Speaker, most of these tape agencies require their nurses to sign a contract that prevent them from being hired as full-time workers in the agencies where they provide these services. So to the Premier, with little to no oversight, staffing agencies are slowly draining the nursing pool and money intended for patient care. What is the Premier doing to stop these agencies from taking advantage and profiteering from the COVID pandemic and our health care crisis? Thank you, Speaker. We have invested so much in our health human resources in the province of Ontario and one of those investments, of course, is $100 million to add an additional 2,000 nurses by 24-25 by supporting the training of thousands of personal support workers and nurses who want to advance their careers in long-term care. We're investing $342 million to add over 5,000 new and upscaled nurses over the next five years. We will continue to work with the Ontario College of Nurses. We will continue to work to make sure that internationally educated health care workers who want to practice in the province of Ontario get their license quickly through those colleges and that work will be ongoing because I think you and I can both agree that we want more people working in our health care system in Ontario. Final supplementary, the member for Mesquigua James Bay. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. First Nation, a population of 1,900 published a news release about a severe shortage of primary care nurses in their nursing station. This is a critical situation as only three nurses are available now down to two. When usually they are staffed at nine. The health director, Johnston Solomon, is even worried about the well-being of the nursing staff as well. This has been a case for the past four weeks, leaving a skeleton crew, giving emergency only services. The health and well-being of the community is at risk. Primary care of this resident is not being met and they have no other medical facilities. This nursing station is the lifeline. Will the government work with First Nation Unit Health Branch in Digest Service Canada to put together a better recruitment plan for nurses so that the community of Kisheshwan never has to address another health care crisis for lack of nurses? Thank you, Speaker. I am very well aware of the issue in Kisheshwan. Of course, I appreciate the member opposite discussing it with me last week and yesterday. No, it is precisely why we have made investments like the learn and stay program. We are up to 2,500 eligible post-secondary students who enroll in priority programs such as nursing and work in under service communities in the region where they studied after graduation. We will be able to continue to serve those communities. We will do this work to make sure that communities like Kisheshwan and others in remote and rural communities across Ontario, we have already got 400 new practicing doctors in rural and remote communities. We will do more and we will work with the federal government because as the office that knows, of course, that nursing station is a federal nursing station. Thank you. Members of Thunder Bay, Superior, North. Thank you, Speaker, to the Premier. At the recent Association of Municipalities Ontario meeting, I heard the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association delegation raise concerns about the proposal to cut Ontario's health units from 35 to 10 and paramedic services from 55 to 10. The plan is to merge the Canora, Rainy River and Thunder Bay districts under one health unit covering at least 220 square kilometres and over 500,000 square kilometres if Kuwait is included. In the Ontario Northwest, we already face enormous geographical challenges to access health care. The proposed mega health unit would serve an absurdly large geographical area with distinctly different communities and distinctly different needs that no single health or paramedic unit could possibly manage without putting people's lives at risk. Why is this government looking to make our health care challenges in the North greater by reducing available services? Thank you, Speaker. You know, at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, I was very pleased to be able to announce an expansion, in fact, of the paramedic programs that have been incredibly successful in some of our communities. Not all Ontario communities have access to that and we're making sure that that continues. You know, when a paramedic today has the only option of taking their patient to an emergency department, it is a strain on the system. When we have, with the patient's consent, the ability to take that patient to a mental health facility, to a long-term care facility, to a palliative home, there are opportunities that together working with the patient make for stronger and better outcomes. That's what we're doing. That's what we're talking about when we say the status quo is not an option in the province of Ontario. Thank you, Speaker. Supplementary question. Cam, a resident of Thunder Bay Superior North, contacted our office, alarmed when he read of the proposed changes reported in the Chronicle Journal. Changes such as reducing health care units from 35 to 10, cutting paramedic services from 55 to 10, and what has already taken place, eliminating the mobile health units that were visiting communities on a monthly basis, something up until recently, seniors in outlying communities could depend on. Now, if I'm hearing the Minister correctly, perhaps the intention is not to make these cuts and reduce these units. So my question is, will this government listen to community members, health professionals and local mayors stop the amalgamation of health units, return the monthly mobile health units and strengthen, rather than weaken, access to health care in Northern Ontario? Thank you, Speaker. Can I reassure the member opposite that there has been no underlying no decrease in health funding in the province of Ontario? The investments that we have made, both in terms of hospitals, allowing hospitals to have more surgeries so that that backlog that occurred as we knew it would during the pandemic was being able to dealt with faster, having access so that more people could have vaccinations in a multitude of ways, whether that was through their public health unit, their primary care physician, their pharmacy, traveling, GOVAC buses, we did everything that we could to protect the people of Ontario, and we should be proud of those investments because they paid off by having Ontario and Canada second only second in the world in protecting our citizens during a pandemic impacted everyone across the world. Thank you. The next question, the member from Niagara West. Dear Speaker, the people of the Niagara region deserve better when it comes to transit services in our peninsula. For years and years, the previous Liberal government would make promise, after promise, about the delivery of the long-awaited GO Service to Niagara, but they always failed to deliver. When they were asked about the status of their commitment, we would hear Liberal members claim that it's a very, very big priority, or that they could see it coming in the next year. But my constituents have waited long enough. Delivering GO Rail Service to Niagara is an essential piece of ensuring that we are building up Ontario's economy and strengthening Niagara's tourism sector. Speaker, could the Minister of Transportation please update the Legislature on the important expansion of GO Service to Niagara, our government announced last week. Thank you, Speaker, and I want to thank the member from Niagara West for the question and for being such a dedicated and effective advocate for his constituents every day. Speaker, delivering more rail service to Niagara is a priority for our government. Last week, I was pleased to join the Premier, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and the member from Niagara West, to announce that we are reinstating GO Train service to Niagara 365 days a year, with year-round weekend service from Toronto's Union Station to Niagara Falls. Speaker, with two round trips each day on weekends, our government is giving a major boost to the region and unlocking access to the world-class tourist destination that is Niagara Falls. The Niagara region is an economic driver for our province. This increase in service will not only build our economy, but will also strengthen the region's $1.8 billion tourism industry. But the job doesn't stop there, Speaker. We will continue to work with our rail partners at CN to deliver even more service to Niagara region. Supplementary question. Expanding the GO Train service is vital for my region's economic future. We know that expanding transit infrastructure can help ease housing and affordability issues in major cities and help to grow businesses and economic opportunities for constituents in Niagara. More GO trains means fewer cars on the QEW, which is less traffic and less gridlock on a major highway. The people of Niagara deserve to spend more time at home with their families and less time waiting in traffic congestion. It's vital that transit expansion becomes a reality across the GTHA, including in Niagara. Speaker, could the minister of transportation explain what our government is doing to expand GO services in Niagara and to get the job done for the people of Niagara West? Congratulations. Speaker, thank you and thank you to the member for the question. The population of Ontario could increase by as much as 6 million over the next two decades. Without strong decisive action right now, the Greater Golden Horseshoe Transportation Network will not keep pace with the needs of Ontarians. It's no secret that the previous Liberal government ignored the need to build critical infrastructure, leaving Ontario ill-prepared for the future. But, Speaker, rest assured, our government is filling the massive infrastructure and transit gap that was left behind by the Liberals. I'm so proud that our PC government, led by our Premier, is stepping up to the plate and getting the job done for Ontarians. GO expansion is a key part of our government's plan to fight gridlock and to better connect residents and commuters to the reliable transit services that they need. Bringing year-round weekend GO rail service between Toronto's Union Station and Niagara Falls is a major step forward as our government delivers on the largest transit mandate in Ontario's history. Speaker, we are working quickly to bring more frequent GO service to the entire network, including Niagara, while moving full. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Speaker, earlier this month, Ken and Lorena Dillon from Chiaklo were biking at Shoals Provincial Park when they suffered an accident. They tried to call 911, but the call wouldn't go through because there was no cell coverage. No one in Ontario should have to wait for hours on the side of a highway in an emergency because there is no cell service. Is the Premier going to ensure that everyone in Ontario can call 911 when they are in an emergency? Thank you, Speaker. The member opposite is absolutely right, which is why working with cross government in a number of different ministries, we are, of course, investing and moving forward on our next generation 911. It will mean such a difference for the communities and the people who are in those very small parts of the province that don't currently have 911. We want to make sure that that access is available because we understand the vast majority of people understand when they need help, when they're in an emergency. 911 is the call that they need to make. Visitors to Ontario, visitors to different parts of the communities don't always know that, which is why we as a government have invested and will continue to invest in next generation 911. Thank you. Supplementary. Again, to the Premier. Ken and Lorena were able to find help after Ken rode back into town and flagged down an ambulance. Speaker, for some in Northern Ontario the situation is even worse. They have to find a 10-digit number to call during an emergency. The services are there, but 911 is not. The patchwork system of cell coverage and emergency numbers in the north is putting lives on the line. Will the Premier commit to ensuring that 911 can be contacted in every part of the province where there is an emergency? Yes. The Ministry of Solicitor General, the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry of Health, all of us understand the value and importance of the next generation 911, which is why we are making those investments. We are working with the dispatch to make sure that everyone in cross-on terror has access to 911 when and where they need it. I completely agree with the member opposite. We are doing that work. It is in process. Thank you. The next question, the member for Peterborough, Coortha. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, people in my riding are concerned about an increase in crime in our community. Peterborough has always been a peaceful town, and now we are seeing an increase in gun crime that would have been unheard of not that long ago. We have had five shootings in the last five months, with the most recent one being just this past Saturday. People in Peterborough are concerned about an increase in violence that appears to be fueled by the drug trade. The media often focus on stories of crimes in larger cities, but I want to know, what's the Solicitor General doing for communities like Peterborough that are concerned about public safety? Speaker, how is the Solicitor General going to tackle crime in communities like mine? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank the member from Peterborough, Coortha, for the question. Everyone has a right to feel safe in their own home and in their own communities. Our government has established the Guns and Gangs Joint Force Operation that is being led by the Ontario Provincial Police. This is a province-wide tool to help ongoing battles against gun gangs and violence throughout our province, and the Gun and Gangs Joint Force Operations is made possible through a $75 million investment by our government, and will increase both the intelligence sharing and enforcement action. We will be working with all law enforcement agencies across the province, such as Peterborough, to keep Ontario safe. Thank you, Speaker, and I want to thank the Minister for that answer. I'd also like to congratulate the Coortha Lakes OPP and the Dufferin OPP in their successful operations just south of my riding in Nestleton. Coortha Lakes OPP and Dufferin OPP have concluded their investigation with the seizure of approximately $340,000 worth of property, including stolen cars, drugs, and guns. And although it's in Nestleton, it's close enough it affects my community as well. It takes those guns off the streets of Peterborough. It's great to hear how joint operations can be so effective. Peterborough is a small police service, and the resources are spread thin. Our community looks to the province for support in achieving our provincial goals. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister share more about the investments our government is specifically providing to the people of Peterborough Coortha? So, Mr. General. And thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I want to thank our member from Peterborough Coortha for his follow-up question. Community safety is a top priority, not just for those who work in and support the justice system, but for all Ontario families. And as I said before, everyone has a right to feel safe in their own homes and their own communities. And with this in mind, I would like to point out that since the member from Peterborough Coortha has been elected, our government has provided more than $11 million in direct grants for policing. For example, in starting this year, the province will be investing locally $3 million through the Community Safety and Policing Grant program. I want to say, Mr. Speaker, that keeping our community safe is our highest priority. Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, security is our absolute priority. The next question is from the member for Ottawa West-Napien. Thank you, Speaker. Nursing shortages continue to plague Ottawa hospitals. The Queensway Carlton Hospital in my riding of Ottawa West-Napien has had to close ICU beds due to lack of nurses. Nurses without specialized experience are being assigned to work serious cases in the ICU or trauma cases in the ER. And in at least one case, a nurse with only a few months experience was put in charge of an entire unit overnight by herself. Speaker, this is unsustainable and risky. Why is the Premier refusing to repeal Bill 124 and address nursing shortages? To reply, Minister of Colleges and Universities. Speaker, and thank you, Member, for the question. And as we work to create a strong healthcare system, we were relying on strong health human resources as well. And that's why we are taking strong measures specifically in my ministry to ensure that we are training more doctors and nurses. For example, the Learn and Stay program. This is a program that will pay for all educational components of a nurse's education in order to qualify and to commit to two years in an underserved area. This will be starting in 2023. And this will allow up to 3,000 nurses as part of this program. So a great opportunity for young people to serve in some of those underserved rural northern areas. As well, we've now allowed colleges across Ontario to offer stand-alone programs in nursing. 14 colleges now offer this program in areas like my own in George and College, Lampton College, Loyalist. Great opportunities for young people to be entering into this rewarding careers where we know we need more nurses. Thank you very much. Patient programs in the world won't do any good if nurses are leaving as soon as they start due to lack of support. Recently, I met with the nurses of ONA Local 84 who work at the Queensway Carleton Hospital. They are burnt out and frequently left in tears over assignments that they do not feel qualified to take on. There are nurses who are quitting and working minimum wage jobs in retail because at least it doesn't have the stress of nursing. Will the Premier finally listen to nurses address working conditions and repeal Bill 124? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank you again to the member for that question. As I mentioned, we have so many opportunities for young people to join the nursing profession, but we are offering opportunities for students as well as opportunities for bridging and some of the work that I've been doing with the Minister of Long-Term Care where we've invested over 100 million dollars to support students who are moving from being a PSW to a registered practical nurse to a registered nurse all while working in these careers while we need them in the workforce. We're offering opportunities for young people in their own communities. As I mentioned, the opportunity for students to learn in a college and to complete their four-year degree there close to home. These are opportunities I know in my own area where students were at one time leaving to go to a university to finish the two-year degree usually in a city and not coming back to our rural communities. So great opportunities for colleges across Ontario to accept students to be able to offer the nursing degree programs. Next question. The member for Don Valley East. Mr. Speaker, Bill 7 is flawed at its core because it violates patient rights. True patient consent must pass three tests. Number one, the patient must be capable. Number two, they must be fully informed and number three, they must give their consent voluntarily and freely. When it comes to transmitting confidential health information and authorizing admission to a long-term care home, Bill 7 doesn't even pretend to ask for a patient consent. It's not required. And after all that, if a patient is given space in a far away, culturally inappropriate long-term care home, although patients don't have to say yes, there's a steep cost to saying no. To quote the Minister of Long-Term Care on August 24th, are there instances where the hospital will be charging? Absolutely, if someone refuses to move into a home. Will the Minister of Long-Term Care explain why he is choosing to entirely circumvent informed patient consent and instead violate patient autonomy? I'm surprised to hear that the member for Don Valley East is not aware of the fact that since 1979 hospitals have actually been able to charge for alternative level of care patients. Mr. Speaker, I guess that's perhaps part of the problem. At the same time, Mr. Speaker, what we are doing is we are using when a patient in a hospital acute care setting who has been seen by a doctor and that doctor has said that their time in an acute care facility should come to an end because there would be better serviced in the community or in a long-term care home. We are facilitating that for them, Mr. Speaker. That is what we're doing. We're listening to medical professionals across the province of Ontario who all agree and I think the member opposite in some of his statements agrees as well that when you are ready to be discharged from a hospital, when you are on the long-term care waiting list that the best place for you is in a long-term care home and we are going to make that happen. Mr. Speaker, the legislation that the minister refers to only allowed the charge you have copaid, not full hospital rates up to $15 or $1800. Additionally, while I agree that patients need and deserve to be in long-term care homes, it should be under their own terms and under their own circumstances, not by violating their rights in the process. Mr. Speaker, this bill is actually so bad, so unethical and so immoral that it actually apologizes for itself. It says, despite section 3 sub 2, this section shall not be interpreted or considered as being inconsistent with the resident's bill of rights, even though it does. It fails to pass the three tests of patient consent. It fails to protect patients' confidential health information and it fails to respect patients' expressed wishes. And so I ask again, will the minister withdraw this bill and instead focus on the root causes of our ALC crisis, such as the mass exodus of healthcare workers created by Bill 124 in the last four years? Order, Mr. Long-term Care. The first and foremost, let me just say this, that the problem in acute care in the province of Ontario has been a problem for many, many, many years. A problem that was not addressed by the previous Liberal government. And that was, of course, before Bill 124, Mr. Speaker. But having said that, we have made significant investments into long-term care, significant investments into long-term care. And I will let this medical professional explain to the people who have been discharged from a hospital, who are on the waiting list, who are on the waiting list for a long-term care home, why all of a sudden now that he has a seat in this legislature, why all of a sudden now their needs are better met in an acute care setting as opposed to a long-term care setting? Because he will be alone on that, Mr. Speaker. Because professionals, medical professionals that we have talked to who have been advising us, even patients themselves have said they want to be in a long-term care response, Mr. Speaker, after they've been discharged from hospital, we are going to make that happen. And we can make that happen because of the investments we've made in long-term care and in nursing and in healthcare across the country. Question, the member for Ajax. Under the previous Liberal government, people and jobs in my region were abandoned. The East was neglected. Like many areas of this province, manufacturing is a major industry. We are no strangers to the negative impacts of 300,000 manufacturing jobs lost under their watch because of reckless policies. Speaker, what is the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade doing to ensure that the residents in my writing and others in Ontario will have good, secure, well-playing jobs for themselves and for children for years to come? Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Yes, the Liberals and the NDP did in fact lose 300,000 manufacturing jobs in Ontario because of their outdated policies, the red tape and the high taxes. In 2018, we promised families that our government would do things differently and we did. We listened to the businesses like those in Ajax and developed plans to support their unique challenges. We introduced a $40 million advanced manufacturing and innovation competitiveness program. This amic program supports manufacturing businesses to invest, to grow and remain competitive on a global scale and will continue to support Ajax's manufacturing supply chain through the attraction of billions of dollars in investments just like we've done in the last four years. Speaker, 500,000 jobs have returned to Ontario and we will continue to bring back even more jobs, those jobs that the Liberals sent running from this province. Supplementary question. Speaker, it's great to hear that the government is focusing on investments in my writing and supporting the manufacturing sector and prominent job creators. While these large businesses employ thousands of people in my region, what about small companies? What about the startups? Entrepreneurs and those with small business ambitions need support too. Small businesses and startups bring dreams to reality. I know many residents in my writing provide food for their families through their small businesses. Speaker, what is the Minister doing to help entrepreneurs in my writing start and grow their businesses? For 15 years, the Liberals and the NDP left are entrepreneurs behind. They put up obstacles to get businesses up and running. To our government, small businesses and entrepreneurs are critical to Ontario's prosperity and that's why, Speaker, we continue to support them. We saw the problems that the Liberals and the NDP created and we changed all that by lowering taxes, cutting red tape and fixing their hydro mess. Ajax entrepreneurs now have all the tools they need to grow their businesses. Speaker, we're providing $732,000 to the Durham Oshawa Small Business Enterprise Centre and another $187,000 to support Durham's Summer Company and Starter Company Plus. Those help students and young entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground. All of that, Speaker, is proof positive that Ontario is open for business. Speaker, the Centre for Social Justice, this is to the Premier, the Centre for Social Justice decimates that almost half of the 16,000 Ontarians experiencing homelessness have a disability or mental illness. When this government was elected in 2018, 94 people experiencing homelessness died on the streets of Toronto. Last year in 2021, the number was 216 Ontarians who died on the streets of Toronto experiencing homelessness. People cannot afford housing and the government's promise to raise the ODSP housing allowance to $522 a month does not provide rent for a room anywhere in this province. So my question is, will this government double ODSP rates so that Ontarians with disabilities have a place to live or will the number of people dying on the streets of Toronto and across this province experiencing homelessness, will that continue to rise under this government's watch? Thank you, Speaker, and thank you for the question. Our government is continuously working across ministries to make sure that vulnerable people can get the supports that they need, and our government has invested more in social assistance than any provincial government in history, and I refuse to accept the no-no's across the way. Our government has made a historic investment in ODSP. We are aligning that with inflation, and that's not the only thing. We're working with the federal government to create the Canadian disability benefit. We are urging them to do that on an urgent basis, and it's also across ministries. Like I said, it's the micro-credentialing strategy, it's the roadmap to wellness, it's the lift tax credit, it's the care tax credit, it's the childcare spaces for education. These are multi-billion dollar investments, and we're going to continue to do this important work despite what the members opposite will continue to say no. To the Premier, your government continues to boast about raising ODSP rates by 5% to the highest level on history, but during your term of office, inflation has been 12%, and you increased rates by 1.5% before, so at 6.5%, you're implementing an inflationary cut of 5.5% on ODSP rates. Today we're joined by some Ontarians with disabilities. Let's see, one of them, Leslie, it requires a special diet, and she says the broccoli that used to cost 99 cents is now 5.99, and she says it's obvious that this government doesn't care. She says, you know, I might as well eat garbage and die because no one seems to care. So my question is to the government, you know, stop the spin, stop the rhetoric. People with disabilities in Ontario are dying under your watch. Will you double the ODSP rates so people can live a decent life on Ontarians with disabilities? Thank you, Speaker. I don't know how the member opposite missed all the mentions of all the programs. This is across ministries, it's across government. We are working with the federal government on the Canadian disability benefit. The previous government had 15 years to create the programs and the supports that were needed. This didn't happen overnight, and just lo and behold, right before the election that they were planning to lose in 2018 is when they finally bumped up the rates. I will not take any lessons from the opposition or from the previous government. We are working on behalf of the most vulnerable people in our society. We will continue to do that because we know how important it is for people that we serve unlike the previous government and the opposition that supported them. The next question is for the Premier. The housing, mental health and addictions crisis is putting huge pressure on our health care system. On June 17th the Ontario big city mayors called for an emergency meeting with the Premier to discuss solutions for homelessness, mental health, safety and addictions. The Canadian mental health association, Ontario business improvement association, chiefs of police, AMO and many others have called for urgent action. Yet we have seen little response from this government. One quick way to help solve this urgent problem would be to immediately increase funding for new and current permanent supportive housing projects. So, Speaker, will the Premier commit today to new ongoing operational funding for mental health workers and other supports in supportive housing projects to improve people's lives and reduce stress on our health care system? The Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. Mr. Speaker, and thank you for the question. As you know and as I've said on numerous occasions, our government respects mental health and we have done and made incredible investments. The meeting with respect to the mayors of the large cities in the province, we have met with many of the mayors one-on-one. We've had many discussions and Mr. Speaker, our investments in the province have been unprecedented when it comes to investments. We understand the need to build a system and the fact that for building a system you also need to make investments. And those investments are being made to the tune of $525 million annually. In addition to that, we also understand that as a result of COVID, money needed to be invested additional funds into a into addictions recovery. And so we built a fund of $90 million that's invested across the province of Ontario to ensure that people that need help are able to get it when and where they need it. And that's the what we need to do is ensure. Thank you. Thank you very much. Supplementary question. Speaker, I believe the Associate Minister understands the seriousness of this crisis. But I do not believe the government understands the urgency needed, the scale and scope of the crisis, the funding that is necessary. Ontario big city mayors called for a meeting, an emergency meeting this summer because they're saying that cities and communities across this province are being overwhelmed with a crisis of homelessness, mental health, safety and addictions. Every $10 invested in permanent supportive housing saves government $21.72 in other costs. You know, the government's pulled out all the stops to push seniors out of hospitals. Why won't they pull out all the stops to make the investments in our communities the Ontario big city mayors are calling for? So, Speaker, I ask the Premier, will the Premier at least meet with the mayors to discuss how to respond to this emergency? The Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. Mr. Speaker, and once again I want to reiterate there isn't a mayor anywhere in the province of Ontario that has requested a meeting and not gotten one with myself. I make it a point of meeting with the different mayors and understanding the issues because in a recovery oriented model we need to build the resources in each of the different communities and our fund under the leadership of the Premier has done exactly that and is doing that and will continue to do that. The investments that are being made are being made in the area of harm reduction, in withdrawal management, in treatment and of course in housing because we understand that one of the social determinants of health to ensure that a person doesn't continue to cycle through the system is to provide the resources necessary to give that individual the best chance of succeeding. This is what our government is doing Mr. Speaker, this is what we're going to continue to do because you cannot have health without mental health and those investments are will continue to be made. Thank you Mr. Speaker. This question is to the Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, families in Thornhill and across this province are anxious yet excited for the return to class. We know as parents that nothing else matters more. Many kids are gearing up families buying school supplies and new routines are being created. This is happening in my own household right now Mr. Speaker. When our kids go back many will be behind. We see it as parents, teachers see it and I know this minister gets it. So Mr. Speaker, in short, what is the minister doing to help these kids to ensure they get back on track as they return this September right till June? The Minister of Education. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. I do want to thank the members from Thornhill for this question. I think many parents in this province have perhaps never been more excited for these kids to get back to class and as are the children of this province. It's been two difficult years and I think the number one thing we can do as a parliament is to ensure the kids get to school in September and they stay in school without disruption right till June. That requires all of us to work together to ensure the kids have a plan in place to catch up, get back to basics and the fundamentals of learning, reading, writing and math and that's why Speaker we've unveiled a plan that puts a greater emphasis that restores the full learning experience, the clubs and sports, the extracurriculars, the music and art, the elements that create well-rounded leaders in this province. Speaker we've also unveiled a leading nation leading tutoring expansion plan, $175 million, the largest in this country designed to help kids have the support and a mental health investment. Building on the minister of addiction to mental health his response we have a 420% net increase. All this design speaker to ensure kids get back to normal and stable more enjoyable. Thank you very much. Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the minister for his positive response. Students and families in my riding of Thornhill will benefit from these supports this school year. In addition to catching up in class many families have safety and health in school top of mind. Speaker the benefits of in-person learning are so clear to all of us and yet with the backdrop of union escalation it raises concern with so many parents. The premier and the minister of education have strongly advocated for disruption free return to school with the full school experience. One that includes extracurricular activities. Will the minister outline his vision for September right till June? Tell us more about these protocols and supports in place for Ontario students and their families. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I think families this province will be related to here. The kids will be returning to a more normal a much more enjoyable and a stable September right to June. That is what children deserve and it requires all of us to have the political fortitude to stand up for stability against the backdrop of a pandemic or never ending union negotiations. We deserve that our parents and our children deserve that speaker and it's why when we look at September we're really restoring the same experience that they had in June. We'll continue to provide rapid tests. We'll continue to have a hundred thousand HEPA filters in schools. The largest ventilation improvement in the nation. Mr. Speaker we're also ensuring the screening takes place enhanced cleaning of our schools and our buses and likewise speaker we have another 300 million dollars provided by the premier specifically to hire literally over 2000 additional custodians, NEAs and educators that make a difference in our schools. Mr. Speaker we're excited for September and we're going to stay focused on keeping kids in school right till June. Thank you. The next question my question is for the premier. Good morning premier. Marilyn Matheson the executive director of the Caldwell Family Center speaker runs a community kitchen and food bank in the west end of our community. The center has benefited from COVID-19 disaster funding relief and it's used that to feed people in need. It's a success story for our province. It feeds up to 600 meals a day right now for people who are suffering from the prices of high rent and high food but last week Marilyn said they may have to shut their doors if that funding doesn't continue which will end early September and that will disadvantage as she was saying at the time to the media 340 families and almost 1000 individuals that she was serving in that particular week. Speaker this is a success story to deal with poverty. I'm wondering if the premier today can commit to us that these sorts of community food agencies will have consistent stable funding going forward. Mr. Children Community and Social Services. Thank you speaker and again thank you for mentioning the social services relief fund a billion dollars that was helping groups and organizations throughout COVID-19 but it's much more than that. The food stability the food security issue is related to a whole poverty reduction strategy and that involves the microcredential strategy, the mental health strategy, the road map to wellness, the new childcare spaces, the Ontario child benefit, the dental care for eligible seniors, the lift, tax credit, the care tax credit, the feed Ontario programs, the student nutrition programs, the Ontario Trillium fund, resilient communities fund, the Ontario jobs training tax credit, the Ontario energy and property tax credit, the minimum wage enhancement. This is a vision that we have working with municipalities because we understand how important it is to help give people the support that they need when they need it and to help those who can can work get back into the to the labour market and working with the minister. Thank you speaker I appreciate that answer for the minister on behalf of the premier I want to point out that this social services relief fund has been doing incredible work in our community and I think it's something we should be celebrating. However if the funding is about to run out it's not going to continue that legacy of success I want to talk about Erica Bronovan that who runs the Ottawa community food partnership speaker it's a local initiative that brings together 20 food businesses and 30 social service agencies that has been helping people by producing 4,000 meals a week speaker. This is another one of the organizations that will have their funding run out soon but this is a situation where businesses are getting jobs and newcomers to our country in many cases and people in need who are hungry who will starve without these programs get instant relief. So again speaker my question to the government once more this social services relief funding which is about to run out will you let Ottawa will you let the rest of Ontario continue this success story by making this funding permanent yes or no please. Thank you speaker through you to the honourable member the minister was correct in the first answer the social services relief fund has helped Ontarians during the pandemic in a very meaningful way and we made a decision when we first announced the program that we wanted to make it flexible so many service managers targeted the issues that minister Fullerton spoke about food insecurity ensuring that those who were less fortunate had that opportunity some of the tranches of this funding I think we're now up to five times we've distributed these dollars some of it was not cautioned by the federal government and you know again speaker we have a situation where based on our core housing need based on our need in in the province of material that is far far greater than any other province or territory in Canada the federal government short changes is some 490 million dollars we need that member and his party to support our call to the federal government for our fair share. The next question the member from Brantford branch. Thank you speaker many of the people in Brantford branch have raised concerns to me about the status of the ring of fire development and their doubt is not without merit as the previous liberal government failed to develop a strong direction on the project our government has made significant advancements on this file but concerns remain over delays and negotiations due to COVID-19 and that we are still waiting for federal funding we know that obtaining money from the federal government is essential for building infrastructure and roads in the region speaker can the minister of mines address these concerns and update the chamber on this development. Mr. mine. Thank you for the question Mr. Speaker from the member for Brantford branch. Mr. Speaker immediately after his appointed minister of mines I joined our great minister of energy at the Canadian energy and mine ministers conference in St. John's at the conference I was excited that minister Wilkinson shared my sense of urgency for developing critical minerals that we know are necessary for a low carbon economy we can't go grain without mining and we know the critical minerals in the ring of fire represent and nationally if not globally significant opportunity our government committed almost one billion dollars for infrastructure and community supports but we need the federal government to come to the table with the funding based on my early discussions with the federal government and Mr. Wilkinson I believe they are willing partner and will come to the table as a full partner thank you speaker and thank you for that answer minister we know the ring of fire development will impact First Nations in the far north proper consultation with First Nations communities is essential in advancing this critical project while respecting indigenous treaty rights in the past the provincial governments approach this file fueled disagreements and deadlock that resulted in further delays speaker can the minister of mines explain to the legislator that legislature what our government is doing differently how are we avoiding the mistakes made by the previous liberal government and moving this project forward in partnership with First Nations community thank you again Mr. Speaker for the question Mr. Speaker it's no secret that the liberal government's approach to the ring of fire achieved nothing the only people benefited from the liberal government's regional framework were insiders lawyers and consultants our government entered the regional framework in favor of bilateral agreements with First Nations to understand the unique priorities and perspectives our government signed historic agreements with web okay and martin falls First Nations who are proponents for their community projects on the northern road link speaker the results have been fantastic First Nations led environmental assessments are now underway for two road projects in the ring of fire by working in partnerships partnerships with the First Nations we are building momentum on this project and charting a plan forward to economic economic reconciliation to the premier bill seven is a gift consent or go broke government bill it is poised to strip ALC patients and their families of their dignity by allowing seniors and patients with disabilities among others to be forced into long-term care homes some hundreds of kilometers away without consent through bill seven patients could be forced into for-profit long-term care homes which we know are more likely to be understaffed and underfunded during the pandemic alone for-profit private homes have accounted for thousands of patients deaths far outnumbering those of publicly funded and operated homes my question is to the premier does this government think their plan to strong arm seniors patients away from family and community based services is best for their physical and mental health is this what the doctor ordered thank you in fact it's only the opposition are suggesting that that our seniors should be strong arm in fact we're doing just the opposite mr. speaker we're providing different opportunities and solutions for those people who have are being discharged from hospital and who are on the waiting list for long-term care now we're going even a step further mr. speaker in addition to the four hours of care that we're already moving towards mr. speaker through this legislation we are providing additional resources for dementia care over 60 million dollars in resources for behavioral services on an ongoing basis we're providing kidney dialysis for example in homes only the opposition order suggests that we should bring somebody from a hospital to a home a hospital to home and back and forth we think our long-term homes care homes can do better that's why we're providing those additional resources to do that mr. speaker it is about response with order patients in hospital who want to be residents of a home working side-by-side with their family because we know how important family is to the well-being of their loved ones in long-term care and that's thank you back to the premier saint paul's residents including board members such as rabbi shalom shock to shock there among others from the toronto area interfaith council have shared their concerns about bill seven with me since this government refused to consult with anyone not patients frontline health care workers families or stakeholders on bill seven to quote taic unfortunately while this bill will increase the number of hospital beds for persons needing acute care it will not result in better care for the persons who will be pressured to move from those beds and warehouse into long-term care homes not of their choice my question speaker through you is back to the premier why does this bill not make any reference to home care the number one choice of seniors and advocates like taic sprint seniors care seniors for social action ontario ovco seniors working group rena foundation community living toronto i could go on and on folks who want seniors to receive care while aging in place in their homes and communities for as long as possible why does the bill saying that it's going to do better care not include home care wise home care apps for the question i don't even know where to begin there's so many items there but let's start off with consulting we consulted with numerous ceo's across the province and there isn't one ceo mr speaker of the hospital that doesn't say there's a massive problem with six thousand people taking up hospital order number two mr speaker who in this chamber including my member across the hallway would they stick their loved ones in a hospital bed instead of giving them a home a horror that they're going to be able to leave the room and maybe some entertainment or are they going to be stuck in a hospital bed listing the bells go off and risking their health by being in there when they're discharged from a doctor and we're clogging up the system because there's six thousand people that shouldn't be in there they should be getting proper care and in home care as for the rena foundation i've been in support of rena foundation for years they're big advocates of this government because we've supported them to use a little bit of a homework before you start accusing people have a complete vote on the motion for second reading a bill to enact to implement budget measures and to enact and amend various statutes call in the members this is a five minute bell