 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of His Majesty's loyal opposition. Good morning, Speaker. Yesterday, the Premier said there was no rhyme or reason to how lands were selected to be protected as part of the Green Belt, Speaker. He said the Green Belt was formed by, and I'm going to quote him here, a bunch of staffers in a room with crayons and highlighters and randomly just went on a map. Speaker, if the Premier thinks the Green Belt wasn't formed using a proper process, well, can he finally share his process for removing lands from the Green Belt? Reply to the Premier. Yesterday, because that's the truth, I talked to people that were in the room, they sat there with a big map and they literally got highlighters, Mr. Speaker, a bunch of staffers and joking around going up and down the roads. And we know that's true. Do you know why, Mr. Speaker? The Liberals changed it 17 times. They decreased the Green Belt. We increased it by over 2,000 acres. And some land, Mr. Speaker, shouldn't be in the Green Belt and some should be in the Green Belt and we're expanding the areas that we feel should be in the Green Belt. I tell you, you know, it really makes you wonder, though, Speaker, if this government's process was a bunch of conservative party donors in a back room with crayons and highlighters and a map of the land they could buy up in order to turn a profit. Because the reality is that after the conservatives were elected, six developers paid a combined $278 million for land that could not be developed within the Green Belt. Then suddenly it was all removed. And, Speaker, five of these developers have lobbying records revealing their connections back to the conservative party. No one would spend that kind of money if they didn't think it would be open for development and they could cash in. So again, to the Premier, how did this government decide which parcels of land would be removed from the Green Belt? Decision is very easy. We're in a housing crisis right now. Costs are going through the roof. It's very simple, supply and demand. When we looked at the map, it's bought up against existing communities. Matter of fact, one piece of a field, I call it, about 10 acres, had housing all around all four corners in an empty field with weeds in it. They call that the Green Belt? That's not the Green Belt. That's just a field with a bunch of weeds and people around that neighborhood all want it to be developed. Wow. Very technical analysis there by the Premier. The Conservatives, Green Belt grab? Order. The Conservatives, Green Belt grab, is not about housing. If this government cared about investing in Ontario's housing stock, we'd see investment in public housing and in building homes that everyday Ontarians could actually afford to live in, not luxury mansions on sprawl. Ontarians are following the money. They know it's not about housing. It's about insiders with connections to the Conservatives buying up land, super cheap, and then selling it off, developing it for incredible profit. Once again, to the Premier, one more chance. Who was holding the crayons when the government decided to sell off the Green Belt? And to reply, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Another feeble by the New Democratic Party is being told in the legislature this morning. She talks about, Speaker, through you, she talks about public commitment for housing. Well, Minister Beth and Falvia, under the leadership of Premier Ford, tabled a wonderful budget. Can I ask the Minister to withdraw his unparliamentary comment and conclude his answer? We added $202 million to our homelessness prevention program, and I want to thank members from both sides of the House for doing some great announcements last week. In fact, one of the ones was the member for Niagara West, who made a fantastic announcement that the member for Niagara Falls was pleased to attend. So some of her own members are celebrating the public commitment this government's made to ending homelessness by adding that additional $202 million. I don't know about the leader of the opposition, but some of her members have got with the program. The next question to the leader of the opposition. Thank you, Speaker. Yesterday, my colleague, the member for Sudbury, stood in this house and told us that a hospice in his riding is having to rely on a food bank and fundraisers in order to feed its residents. And this government responded by bragging about generous individual donations. Speaker, it's almost as though this government wants Ontarians to think that this is normal, that it's perfectly normal for a hospice where people go for end of life care to have to rely on a food bank so its residents don't go hungry in their final days. Speaker, my question is to the Premier and it's a simple one. Does this government think that that is acceptable? Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. Thank you, Speaker. You know, I also should have highlighted yesterday and the member from Sudbury would know this that earlier this year, we actually gave that particular hospice over $2 million. Why? Because we saw the need, we saw the excellent work that they were doing, we saw the pressures that they were under as a result of ongoing commitments that they have within their community to ensure that that hospice can continue to provide the excellent service. But you know, Speaker, in our health document, we actually talk about expansions to hospice and palliative care because we have a government, as a government have made that commitment and will continue to make that commitment because we understand and appreciate how important palliative and hospice are in our province and continue to do that. Speaker, it is shocking enough for a hospice to rely on a food bank but usage is up across the board too. I mean, traveling around this province listening to ordinary Ontarians and what I've been seeing is shocking. People working full-time jobs and who can't get by. People visiting food banks for the first time. One in 14 families in the Waterloo region. In Vaughan Woodbridge, 36% of food bank visitors were children. In Cawortha Lakes, it's 50%. In Mississauga, food bank use is up 400% over the last eight years. Speaker, food banks have asked this government to tackle the root causes of food insecurity yet the most recent budget provides almost nothing. Will this government bring in measures like real rent control to make life more affordable for ordinary Ontarians? By the parliamentary assistant and member for Oakville. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And if I was the opposition, this is probably not a path I would walk down. And the reason is because you have voted against every single measure we have taken to help the people of Ontario. Let's take a look at what the government of Ontario has done to help the people of Ontario. We have reduced energy costs so families can afford reliable energy. We have kept transit affordable by removing doubling fares and extending fare integration. We are supporting parents with 46,000 new childcare spaces since we took office, saving parents on average $8,500. We are also helping post-secondary students with a 10% tuition freeze which the opposition has opposed. And importantly, we've also brought in the most important tax credit in the history of Ontario with the lift tax credit, lowering taxes for lower-income individuals. Where was the opposition when we brought these proposals forward? Supplementary. Wake up. Wake up. We don't support your plan because it's not working. Less time in the back rooms and more time talking to real people in this province who are really struggling right now. I was recently in Northumberland County, Speaker, where a single person on Ontario works has to spend as much as 50% of their very limited income on food at a time when housing costs there and across this province are going through the roof. Speaker, food banks were created as a temporary measure. They're supposed to be a Band-Aid solution and now we have way too many people relying on them just to be able to survive. To the Premier, will this government immediately double OWL and ODSP rates to get people the relief they need so people do not go hungry in the province of Ontario? And I'll remind the members to make their comments through the chair. The response, member for Oakville. Thank you, Speaker. And again, we understand that there are issues with inflation in this country to which I would hope the opposition would understand with grocery inflation, with the Ukraine war and other issues. However, we have made initiatives to help the people of Ontario. We put through a gas tax cut just last year and extended it through this year for 5.7 cents a liter. Again, if I recall, the opposition voted against that. That is helping every single order, family in this province, every single business lower costs, bring inflation down and help people to be able to feed their families and help those businesses. We've also, in this most recent budget, helped low-income seniors by expanding the GAINS program. We've also increased ODSP payments and increased it by 5% as well as expanding the number of people that are eligible for this program. So again, we will continue supporting the people of Ontario. We're seeing record employment growth, record business investment, and the people of Ontario on a good trajectory right now. Okay? Niagara Falls. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question's to the Premier. Children in Niagara are going hungry at school under this government's watch. Niagara Nutrition Partners, which provides breakfast, snacks, and lunches to students, have been forced to close nutrition programs at 16 schools with nearly 50 more being affected. They face a significant funding gap from the province at food prices swore. Students can't learn and thrive when hungry, where they have gone from feeding 17,000 kids to 24,000 kids a day. It's shameful that this government will allow such a reality for children in the province. Speaker, will the Premier fall the lead of other provinces across the country and provide the necessary emergency funding so children in Niagara don't go hungry? Thank you. Mr. Children, Community and Social Services. Speaker, I thank the honourable member for the important question, Mr. Speaker. The student nutrition program that the member is referring to is receiving an annual funding of $27.9 million, Mr. Speaker. We've said from the beginning, we will make sure that student and youth deserve who deserve all the supports get it in every way, shape or form. Mr. Speaker, if you look at the support that we provided to the municipalities, the $1.2 billion, that helped them with food, Mr. Speaker, with housing, with shelter, the program that feed on $8 million towards Feed Ontario, Mr. Speaker, and an $83 million towards the Ontario Trillion Foundation to provide grants to help with food banks across the province. Mr. Speaker, once again, we will be there for the children, for youth and families across this province, and we will not let them down. Every day, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the minister. Let's be crystal clear. Here are the numbers from the border to Beamsville. 16 schools have closed their nutrition program. 30 more are projected to close. 49 have been affected. We are facing a $400,000 shortfall. We all know food prices are going up. Affordability is down, but this is not an excuse to let children go hungry. I need a response from the minister that puts these children first. I need to hear these words. This is not okay. I am going to look into it. Speaker to the minister. Will you commit to assessing this program and will you commit to emergency funding so children in Niagara do not go hungry? Great question. Let's again remind members to make a promise to the chair to reply to the minister of children, community and social services. Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member that not a single children or youth will ever be forgotten under this government, Mr. Speaker. That's why. And I'll be very clear. I'll be very clear, Mr. Speaker. Under the previous government, the student nutrition program, Mr. Speaker, was just receiving support and investment of over $8 million. Today, that amount is $27.9 million, Mr. Speaker. Now, Mr. Speaker, the member is asking for action. I asked my Honourable colleague. I told her from day one that I will work night and day to make sure that every single program that's been offered to people of this province is at its best and every day will make sure that it's improved. I asked the Honourable member to join us. The cost of living is rising. Why are they supporting the carbon tax that adds a cost to every single thing in this province, Mr. Speaker? There's a great deal of enthusiasm in the House this morning. On both sides, we have 45 minutes to go. We start the clock. Next question, the member for Oakville North Burlington. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education. Over the past decade, Ontario's population has grown rapidly. This means that more families now call Ontario home and more children have enrolled into our publicly funded education system. The previous Liberal government failed to plan for the future and shamefully closed 600 schools at a time when they should have addressed the growth in our province. I'm hearing concerns from parents about the importance of their children being able to attend a school near them. Families are counting on our government to take action when it comes to providing top quality schools for their children. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how our government is ensuring that new and existing schools will address future growth needs? Thank you. Minister of Education. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member from Oakville North Burlington. She's a school-building machine, five schools in four years. I'm a strong advocate for the people of Oakville and North Burlington. Mr. Speaker, while in Halton region, we have wonderful municipal partners to work with us to get schools built anywhere between one to three years. In many of our communities, it takes upwards of a decade to build a school. That's going to come to an end. The Premier is committed to getting on with streamlining and overhauling our capital approval process. So we build where the growth is. We have 300,000 people according to federal immigration targets coming next year and every year we have to work harder and smarter to build better for our kids. And this plan in the legislation allows us to streamline approvals, enables joint-use projects with community, allows school boards to work together and collaborate to share their assets for educational purposes. It enables us to build through a 14 billion to our capital plan to renew schools and build new schools for the future, Speaker. Thank you. A supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the minister for that great response and for those five new schools in my community. Strong public education and a sustainable school infrastructure system are fundamental in meeting the needs of growing communities like mine in Oakville, North Burlington and across Ontario. Across our province, many communities continue to welcome and embrace Ukrainian refugees who are fleeing persecution and war in their home country. In our local schools, Ukrainian children have been welcomed into classrooms where they are receiving a top-quality education in communities that they now call home. Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is supporting our schools to provide a safe and welcoming environment for Ukrainian children and their families? Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I mean, Canada has been through our history a safe haven for individuals fleeing persecution and war. And that is a great heritage we could be proud of as Canadians. And of course, Ukrainians are fleeing a war zone due to Vladimir Putin's genocidal war, an illegal war that has created so much impact on so many people around the world. And of course, Canada has opened our arms. Ontario has opened our arms. And in our education system, through the most recent funding announcement, we have reaffirmed again to school boards we will fund every Ukrainian child that comes to our country to have free, publicly funded education. We are extending subsidies and daycare for their mothers and their parents and guardians. We are ensuring mental health supports in their language through a partnership with the Canadian-Ukrainian Congress. We are working together to make sure that those children who have faced so much trauma and affliction have the supports and the funds that they can succeed in this country, Speaker. The next question. Remember for Ottawa, West European. Thank you, Speaker. With food inflation at 10%, this government has given Meals on Wheels in Ottawa just a 2% increase and taken away their emergency subsidies. As a result, on April 1, Meals on Wheels had to increase prices. For their lowest income clients, prices increased over 300%. Seniors, people with disabilities and patients just released from the hospital depend on these meals for nutritious food. But since the price increased, some of Ottawa's most vulnerable residents have had to cancel their meals. Why is this government making vulnerable people go without food instead of providing community organizations like Meals on Wheels with decent support? Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. Thank you, Speaker. I'm not sure where the member was when we had our budget, but there was actually a very substantial increase in community care and community support like the organizations like Meals on Wheels because we know because of the injection and use of volunteers, community commitment, as well as pay staff. The Meals on Wheels organizations in all of our ridings have done exceptional work during the pandemic while we needed to keep those connections. And we have committed, and in fact, I met last week with the organizations to talk about how the investments we announced in the budget can be used to most effectively continue to treat our seniors and our most vulnerable in community. Just as we've highlighted in our Your Health document. And the supplementary question, the members of Ottawa Center. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the Premier. I regret to inform the minister. She really should have consulted some of her senior officials because Meals on Wheels Ottawa, Meals on Wheels elsewhere, right, colleagues? They aren't reporting any increases in their budget, are they? Nope. So there seems to be a disconnect, Speaker, between what this government wants to believe and what organizations that are working hard to help seniors and people with disabilities and people in poverty. You have to ask the question, why is this government defunding Meals on Wheels? Why is this government wanting to push people into the arms of the grocery store chains that are ripping people off with price gouging on bread, milk, and other essentials? Could it be, Speaker? Because this Premier is personal friends with the Western family. Could it be, Speaker? Because this Premier once said, God bless the Western family. Is that why? Stop the clock. Stop the clock. I'm going to caution the member on his use of language, first of all, because of the reaction it caused in the House, and remind members that it is in the standing oars that we should not impute unevolved motives. Is there still time? I'll allow the member to conclude his question. Speaker, I just want to ask the Premier, why is he favoring profits for law-blahs over funding for Meals on Wheels? I'm going to tomorrow make sure that the member opposite has a copy of the endorsement of the investments that we've made from community organizations like Meals on Wheels, who understand that the investments that we announced in the budget are going to make a quantitative difference to the lives of the people that they serve in community. And that means organizations like Meals on Wheels, because we know, appreciate, and understand what they are doing, we have made an additional investment in the budget, and I'll be sure to make sure you get a copy of the press release. Next question. Member for Etobicoke, Lakeshore. Thank you very much. My question is for the Minister of Infrastructure. You know, under the previous Liberal government, he infrastructure tourism and recreational facilities like Ontario Place were unfortunately neglected. Instead of making investments and partnering with businesses to enhance the iconic waterfront location, they chose to close many of the features and attractions. Ontario Place still holds great potential and opportunities for year-round enjoyment and as a place for everyone, no matter if it's Ontario families or you're coming from somewhere around the world. And that is why our government must act now to follow through on our promise to bring Ontario Place back to life. We cannot allow this once in a generation to be an opportunity to pass us by. Speaker, can the Minister please explain what our government's plan is to revive the amazing Ontario Place? Please respond. Minister of Infrastructure. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The member is absolutely right. We are bringing Ontario Place back to life. We will be making it a place that everyone can enjoy. Yesterday, I joined Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport and the Premier to announce that we are bringing Moving the Science Centre to Ontario Place. We also announced that Live Nation will be renewing their lease with the province of Ontario but also building a brand-new stage that will be active in operation. Wonderful tenants like the Science Centre, Live Nation and Thurmay, there will be lots for families to do and we are so excited that families will be able to spend all day there from morning to night every single day of the year. Amazing. What's up? That's your question. Well, thank you, Speaker. And I want to thank the Minister for that response. You know, under the leadership of this government, Ontario clearly has a vision and a plan for Ontario Place. You know, that's going to make it once again the world-class destination that once was. And I remember as a young girl coming here in the late 70s with my dad to visit Ontario Place but it's changed so much. You know, now we go see concerts and you see places that are closed and it's derelict and it needs paint and it needs upgrades. There's so much more we can do to make that place so much better. So I just, despite this years of neglect and deterioration, you know, it's really sad that previous governments did not see this jewel in our community and fix it up and take that time. So I once again want to thank the Minister for your leadership and can you please expand on some of the new features and plans that will rebuild and revitalize Ontario Place for generations to come. And back to life and fact work will start in May in terms of the site servicing so that we can have electricity and running water and improve the quality of water on the site. But Mr. Speaker, what I'm most excited about was releasing the final renderings of the whole vision of Ontario Place which include 43 acres of public realm and park space. Regional space will now have boardwalks, piers, public beaches, waterfront access, a brand new marina, children's play areas as well as food and beverage. Mr. Speaker, we're excited that the final renderings are out in the public. We are completing the environmental assessment and we will bring Ontario Place back to life. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Parkdale High Park. Thank you, Speaker. My question's to the Premier. Over 550 tenants of Livmore High Park signed and delivered a letter asking their corporate landlord GWL reality to stop rent increases of up to 14% this year. GWLR responded saying that the building being new is not subject to guideline rent increases and pointed out that rent for a one bedroom in High Park has gone up 46% compared to last year. Does the Premier believe that a 46% increase in rent is manageable by tenants? Mr. Minister of Affairs and Housing. The member opposite has a fundamental difference with the government on creating affordable housing. We're in the middle of a housing supply crisis and we're going to do everything we can in our power to build more purpose-built rent. We made a conscious decision. We delivered on our promise to existing tenants to protect rent control and in 2018, we made the exemption in the fall economic statement for one reason, Speaker, and one reason only and that was to incent the construction of purpose-built rent. What happened last year, Speaker? I've said it many times in the house. We had a record of 15,000 purpose-built rental starts in Ontario because of that. Already this year, we're seeing bright signs. In this city, we're seeing permits for purpose-built rental five times higher than they were at the same time three years ago. Lots of great interest. The supplementary question. Speaker, what tenants in Ontario have experienced under this government is skyrocketing rents. This is over 550 tenants and their families impacted in just one neighbourhood in my riding. Imagine how many tenants are impacted across this province. There has to be some predictability of how much one can expect to pay in rent year after year. No one can manage unpredictable cost of living increases. Minister, will you ensure that all tenants, regardless of when their building was built, can have stability in their rents? I'm not going to go back to the failed policies of the 90s when they were in power and no purpose-built rental was built in Ontario. We're not going to go back. We invoked the CAP Speaker this year because of the inflationary rate to ensure that the maximum under rent control was 2.5%. We delivered in the middle of the pandemic the Attorney General walked evictions in the middle of the pandemic to protect the most vulnerable. We capped rent increases in the middle of the pandemic. We have stood up year after year after year to protect tenants and strengthen the stock of community housing and purpose-built rental housing. And we are going to continue. The question, though, Speaker, before the House with all of our renter protections in the bill before the House Bill 97, the question is, will that member and her party, the new Democrats, support those rental protection measures in Bill 97? I doubt it. I doubt it. Thank you. The next question, the member for Guelph. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. The housing affordability crisis is getting worse, not better, over 185,000 families on a wait list for social housing. Until the mid-90s, Canada was building 20,000 non-profit and co-op houses each and every year. In Ontario alone, 14,000 co-op homes were built between 1989 and 1995. In fact, 93% of our current below market rental supply was built before 1996. But instead of building more homes that people can actually afford in the communities they want to live in, this government is imposing an expensive sprawl agenda that municipalities and families simply cannot afford. So, Speaker, I want to give the Premier an opportunity today to commit to making the financial investment to build 122,000 non-profit and co-op homes deeply affordable over the next decade. To reply, the Minister of Municipal Affairs in House. Thanks for the question. I always say this about the Liberal Green Alliance. They always talk a good game in their questions, but they never deliver on it when the votes come. Exactly what this member talks about, allowing a young family to have the opportunity to build a home that meets their needs in their budget close to where they grew up. That's exactly what the policies that we're consulting on right now will provide. The member talks about supporting farms and farm families. It's going to be very interesting, Speaker, to see if he supports our initiatives to allow sons and daughters of farmers to be able to have a property on the family farm or, more importantly, to talk about workers and the opportunity to have a lot on a farm, to upgrade the opportunity for farm workers to have employment and not just employment, but a home there. We've put all those policies down and some progressive bills in this House. This member has voted down every single time. Supplementary question. Speaker, I don't vote for legislation that doesn't work. Like, that's just kind of how I roll over here. So I actually want some legislation that's going to build affordable homes and communities people want to live. So maybe the minister is saying that he will support my bills 44 and bill 45 that allows four plexes and four-story walk-up apartments will allow six to 11-story mid-rise apartments as a right in this province. Let's get rid of that red tape and allow people to build homes and communities they want to live in instead of paving over the farmland that feeds us. It attributes $50 billion to the province's economy. Speaker, is it? Stop the clock. The minister of municipal affairs will get a chance to respond if he chooses to do so. In the meantime, I encourage him to, oh, okay, well, in any event, I apologize to the member for 12 and start the clock. You can conclude your question. His answer. I know it's good the premier is excited because I'm excited for the answer. Will the government support bill 44 and bill 45 to build homes instead of paving over the farmland that feeds us? The premier. Look, thank you for the question from the member. I just want to give some stats. Stats Canada came out in February's numbers, 25% increase in condo permits, the highest increase in the entire country, which is great. But do you know what, Mr. Speaker, do you know what really irks me? I really like the leader of the Green Party, but let me tell you something. It's a little rich when he gets up and he says, housing, housing, as the minister of municipal affairs says, it's all talk, no action. In Guelph, there's 444 municipalities in this entire province. Guess who has the lowest housing starts? It's his riding from Guelph. But this even gets better. This even gets better, Mr. Speaker. The member didn't stand up and we have a housing crisis for students at University Guelph. On the University Guelph's property, guess what, they voted it down. They won't even give the kids. And he was in favor of it. That is terrible. He talks a good deal. Thank you. Next question. The government side will come to order. Start the clock. The next question, the member for Richmond Hill. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Solicitor General. My constituents in Richmond Hill are deeply concerned about the safety of our neighborhoods. They are concerned about increased levels of crime. This is a serious issue, impacting many of our communities, especially in the GTA. People should not be afraid to use public transit, commute to work or going shopping. Public safety needs to be a priority because it affects all of us in our daily lives and is important for ensuring strong and prosperous neighborhoods. People are looking to our government for the leadership and solutions to get crime under control. Speaker, can the Solicitor General please explain what actions our government is taking to address crime in our province? The Solicitor General. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank my colleague and wish her a very happy birthday. But the member, Mr. Speaker, the member is absolutely correct. Public safety must be the center point of our attention as urgent change is needed. And two weeks ago, as members will remember, this House came together in voting for a motion to call on the federal government to implement meaningful bail reform. And I can assure this House that our government is looking forward to working with our federal counterparts, including Minister Mendocino, and we are ready to assist in any way we can to see critical change and reform as soon as possible. This matter cannot wait, and this House sent a strong message that's signaled with our unanimous vote. Mr. Speaker, maintaining law and order is impossible without our police services. The men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line need our support, and we will always have their backs. Supplementary question. And thank you to the Solicitor General for that response. On behalf of my community in Richmond Hill, it is great to hear that the government is continuing to support our police services. This goes a long way in keeping Ontario safe. However, for the people of our province, there are other issues that relate to public safety and crime prevention. The first concern is about how our police are tackling large-scale criminal activity, and the second is about the importance of bail reform policies. One of my birthday wishes is to have that bail reform under control. Thank you, Solicitor. So, can the Speaker and the Solicitor- Speaker, can the Solicitor- Sit down, General, please explain how the important issues of bail reform will benefit Ontario. Thank you. The Solicitor-General. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And just last month, York Regional Police, the Toronto Police, the OPP, and the Durham Police working collaboratively with our federal government and the U.S. government held a successful operation they called MoneyPenny. Approximately, and this is incredible, 1.5 kilos of fentanyl and car fentanyl were seized. In addition, 86 illegal guns were seized. Mr. Speaker, we know that the majority of those firearms were smuggled into Canada from the U.S. and sold illegally, and this is not new. And that's why we're calling for greater border protection. As a result of Operation MoneyPenny, some offenders were charged with failure to comply in the courts, and that's why we need bail reform, as the member said. Our message to the people of Ontario is simple. The safety of Ontarians is always our highest priority. Thank you. Thank you. The next question, the member for Scarborough, the South West. Thank you very much, Speaker, and I'm glad to see my students from Scarborough Southwest are here today as well. So my question is to the Minister of Education, Speaker. Schools in Scarborough Southwest are falling apart, literally falling apart, and it is unacceptable that despite the urgent facility needs identified by schools and school boards, our children are forced to learn in poorly equipped classrooms. Speaker, this government claims to be making historic investment while simultaneously committing less than inflation and underspending their education budget by hundreds of millions of dollars. So my question is, Speaker, how will this government address the backlog of repairs that we have across the province and ensure that our children are in safe and well equipped classrooms? Good question. The Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I do appreciate the question from the member opposite. I'm working with the Minister of Infrastructure to accelerate building schools in this province. We brought forth legislation designed to help fix the problem cited, which is there are too many schools that need repair and it takes too long to get it done. In this bill, we're going to accelerate the approval process. We're going to allow joint use projects with communities, partners to build better recreational facilities for our kids. In the budget, $14 billion is committed over the next decade to build new schools, $550 million this year alone. And the Auditor General has requested and recommended to government to invest 2.5% of our budget on maintenance and renewal in the GSN. We have done that. We are providing that stability and those funding guarantees to school boards. We know there's much more to do. If the members opposite want to improve the state of schools, they will vote for the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act to ensure we deliver schools quicker and get things done for the children of response. That's a question. Mr. Speaker, I invite the Minister to come to my writing and see some of the conditions. Some of the schools repair is the same amount as actually building an entire school itself. Mr. Speaker, not only are our schools crumbling, but the government's continued underfunding of our education system is leading to cuts in teachers and education workers. And these cuts have resulted in oversized classrooms, inadequate specialized learning programs and a lack of mental health support. Speaker, this has a direct and detrimental impact on our children's education. So my question is again, will this government provide our children with the support that they need instead of putting pressure on our already underfunded education system? Thank you very much. Minister of Education. Speaker, I'm very proud because of the strong leadership of members from Scarborough from our government, we are building new schools in that community after years of repair backlog. Mr. Speaker, in addition to that, we're building subways in Scarborough and we're doing long-term care in hospitals. We're investing across the board to give hope to families in Scarborough. When it comes to education, just this morning, the Ontario Human Rights Commission issued a statement on the legislation posted. And they said, the OHRC is pleased to read that the Government of Ontario is committed to overhauling the language curriculum and screening all young children as recommended in its right to read report. We have strong support from Dyslexia Canada, from special education families, from the parent associations of Ontario, demanding that we lift standards and we do better for kids. We just announced a $690 million increase. The entire Ministry of Education budget, when you compare the peak of spending under Premier Wynn is 27% higher. We are investing more. We are expecting more for children in this province and we're going to continue to stand up for families in Ontario. The next question, the member for Brampton East. Ontario's food processing industry is a core pillar of our province's economic success and sustainability. And in my writing at Brampton East, there are some of the largest employers with companies like Sierra Processing, Sofina Foods, Maple Leaf Foods and bringing high-quality food to our plates every single day. The success of Ontario is tied to the success of these companies and their employees. Ensuring that we enable success that is an important priority. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Could the minister please explain how the government is supporting food processing businesses in my writing? Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Thank you very much. I'm very pleased to share with the House today that Ontario is Canada's food hub when it comes to processing. And the members absolutely right from Brampton East, we have amazing food processors right in his home riding. And I appreciate the question very much. Just recently we hosted a food summit with over 200 participants. And at that summit, we celebrated good work that our government has initiated. For instance, the Food Security and Stable Supply Chain Fund, as well as the Strategic Agri-Food Processing Fund. We're building more capacity because the world is looking to Ontario. But I want to share with you as well that at this summit, I was very proud to launch the Agri-Food Energy Efficiency Cost Saving Initiative because it's processors like in the members riding that are looking to modernize and looking for ways to reduce cost to production. So through that $10 million fund, we're helping food processors identify and increase efficiencies throughout the processing plants. Thank you, Member for Brampton East, supplement. Thank you to the minister for her response and doing a wonderful job hosting the Ontario Food Summit. As was reinforced to me during the summit, this sector is crucial to the continued growth of our economy and building a stronger Ontario. It's important that our agri-food industry in Ontario is competitive and as possible so. So can the minister explain how the Energy Efficiency Program will contribute to reducing costs for our food processors here in Ontario? Thank you, Speaker. Mr. Mayor, calls for Food and Rural Affairs. Very much. And again, I want to thank the member opposite for participating in the Food Summit because food production affects everyone in this province. And the students that are in the galleries today, I want to assure you that there are amazing careers, careers for life in Ontario's agri-food sector. And I encourage you to research those opportunities because our government stands with Ontario farmers and processors. And through the Agri-Food Energy Cost Savings Initiative, we are looking to cost share up to 20% of all energy saving initiatives that processors in this province undertake, up to a maximum of $300,000. And why are we doing this? Because we want our story to be sustainable. We want to be ensuring that processors are modernizing and embracing every opportunity to reduce costs of production that ultimately translates into affordable, good quality food on store shelves throughout this province. Thank you. Thunder Bay Superior North. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. This morning in the media studio, Maria Sardellas and Sherri VanVen spoke about the terrible suffering caused by the illegal use of the Trespass Act by care homes. Far too often, when caregivers make complaints about poor standards of care, facility operators retaliate by using the Ontario Trespass Act illegally to permanently ban entrants to family members. Will this government ensure that care home operators cannot hide from accountability by using the Trespass Act to punish patients and their loved ones? Good question. Mr. Long-Term Care. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question from the member. I appreciate that the member wasn't here in the last parliament. So she was probably unaware of the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, which of course enshrined a residence bill of rights within the law, Mr. Speaker. We learned during COVID how important it was that family and friends are able to visit their loved ones in long-term care homes across the province of Ontario, and that's why we enshrined that within the residence bill of rights, the member, it might please them. Well, I guess it would displease the member to know that of course the NDP voted against that piece of legislation in the last parliament. But despite that, Mr. Speaker, we made the commitment to ensure that it is within the Fixing Long-Term Care Act. We've actually gone a step further, Mr. Speaker. We've ensured that every single home across the province of Ontario posts the residence bill of rights right within every single long-term care home across the province. And on top of that, Mr. Speaker, we are still building out 60,000 new and upgraded long-term care homes. Well, we had 27,000 additional staff. Again, they voted against that, but I think we're on the right track. Thank you, Speaker. We know in fact that these trespass orders are being used every single day illegally to ban people from visiting their family members. In March of 2021, this House unanimously passed a motion presented by my colleague from Ottawa Centre, stating that the Government of Ontario would, and I quote, provide clear direction to operators of retirement, long-term care, and group homes that they cannot use as a trespass act, trespass to property act to ban family members who speak out about their loved ones' living conditions. I ask, will this Government fulfill this commitment from 2021 by posting clear direction in publicly accessible spaces in every care facility in Ontario and ensure also that police forces no longer misapply the trespass act by blocking families from visiting their loved ones? Mr. Long-term Care. I would agree with the Member. I found it odd that the NDP in the last Parliament actually voted against a fixing Long-term Care Act, because here's what it says, as you enter the doorway of a Long-term Care Home, despite the heckling of the Member for Waterloo, who voted against this and of course voted against the millions of dollars in extra staffing for her order riding. But here's what it says, Mr. Speaker. It says, on the resident's bill of right, in the doorway of every Long-term Care Home, every resident has the right to receive visitors of their choice without interference. So job done, as you've asked in your question. It says, every resident has the right to ongoing safe support from their caregivers to support the physical, mental, social and emotional well-being, Mr. Speaker. Now, this is the wording that appears in every single Long-term Care Home across the province in line with the resident's bill of rights, Mr. Speaker. They voted against the resident's bill of rights. They voted against the Fixing Long-term Care Act. They voted against the opposition from North. They voted against 27,000 additional health care workers. They voted against... Thank you very much. The next question, the Member for Eglinton Lawrence. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Colleges and Universities. All Ontarians deserve to have access to health care that they need when they need it. And due to the neglect of the previous Liberal government, Ontario needs more doctors to alleviate the strain on our health care system. But unfortunately, too many Ontario students are going abroad for medical school because they haven't been able to find residency spots here in their home province. Our government must take decisive steps to educate and retain doctors locally in order to connect people to care closer to home. Speaker, can the Minister please explain what our government is doing to expand Ontario's medical school system? Mr. Colleges and Universities, first one. Thank you to the Member from Eglinton Lawrence for this important question. Our government recognizes that in order to build up our health care system, we need to ensure that students pursuing medical studies have access to world-class post-secondary education. As part of that effort, we need to ensure that we have the capacity to train doctors locally. And Speaker, this government is delivering. In 2022 alone, we added 160 undergraduate spaces and 295 postgraduate medical seats to be implemented over the next five years. The largest expansion of Ontario's medical school system in over a decade. And as outlined in Budget 2023, we are building on that expansion by investing $33 million over three years to add another 100 undergraduate seats and 154 postgraduate seats, beginning in 2024, prioritizing Ontario students. Speaker, this means that by 2028, Ontario will have the capacity to train 1,212 undergraduate medical students and 1,637 postgraduate students annually. I can assure you that the future of medical education in Ontario is bright. Here you go. Thank you. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that response. This is welcome news for my constituents. I've heard from many that their children can't get medical training here and would like to come and live here again. So that's great news, and I'm sure in other communities it's welcome as well. Expanding post-secondary education opportunities will make it easier for our homegrown doctors of tomorrow to receive training and provide world-class healthcare right here in their own communities. And this is one of many important initiatives our government is taking to help build up our healthcare workforce. However, I know there are some regions of our province where the need for doctors and other healthcare professionals is more extreme. It's up to our government to implement solutions that respond to these local healthcare needs. So, Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government will prioritize medical training programs to support communities that have the most need? Mr. Pauls, it's an university. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you once again to the member for their interest and their work in building a healthcare system that delivers for all Ontarians. Statistics show that doctors generally stay in practice in the area where they complete their medical education. Recognizing this, our government has taken a pragmatic approach to ensure that we're increasing medical school seats in regions across the province, focusing on areas that need it most. Because no matter where you live, everyone deserves access to a world-class healthcare system. That's why we also announced the Scarborough Academy of Medicine under the University of Toronto and the Northern Ontario Medical School, as well as the first ever medical school in Brampton, which will help solidify local healthcare needs in the region for generations. Something the Liberals and NDP promised but never delivered. Speaker, this is how we are building Ontario's healthcare system to be stronger, more resilient, and better than ever. And that begins with a solid foundation in education. Thank you. The next question is from the Toronto Centre. Thank you, Speaker, to the Premier. My constituent Janice complains that the surgical wait times are simply too long in Ontario. She shared with me a BC government website which publicly lists the specialist as well as the surgical wait times. Very convenient tool. Since the Premier won't keep his promise to eliminate surgical backlogs five years after he was elected to do so, will he at least do the very minimum, which is to create a surgical wait time portal for Ontario patients, just like the one that the BC government has created for their residents? Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. Thank you. I'm very excited to use this opportunity to talk about some of the innovations that we are doing under the Your Health Plan. And it, of course, includes expansion of surgical capacity, both within hospital and within community. You know, when we expand our surgical capacity in community with community-integrated surgical centres, we actually have more space available in our hospitals to do those more complex surgeries that are so critical. And of course, the emergencies that happen every single day in the province of Ontario. But because of the investments that we're making in the Your Health commitment, we are ensuring that capacity is expanding in the province of Ontario, and very specifically in terms of posting and making people aware. Of course, our Your Health partners at Ontario Health are monitoring and publicly posting regularly where our surgical wait times need to be improved. Thank you. Thank you, supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. And back to the Premier. You know, I'm hearing a lot about the innovation that's coming from this province and this particular government, but we're not seeing the results on the ground. And unfortunately, surgical wait times are now longer than ever before. So let me just rephrase this. The BCNDB government has created a central system for faster referrals. Their constituents, their residents can go right online and see exactly what they need to see and get that information in a timely fashion. This Conservative government has scrapped the local health integration networks on the eve of a global health pandemic. And under this government, there's now more private for-profit companies charging for similar services. Speaker, this is a disaster for Ontarians. Why does this government insist on making healthcare worse and more expensive for Ontario residents? Great. Thank you. Minister of Health. The facts are, Speaker, that Ontario leads Canada in our surgical wait times. We actually have the best, the shortest wait times in all of Canada. That doesn't mean we can't be better and we will get better as we expand our integrated community surgical centres. But the reality is that we should be very proud of the fact that we are now back to pre-pandemic levels because of almost a billion dollar investment over three years in the ability for both hospitals and surgical centres to be able to expand their services. We've been able to do that during the pandemic and as we see that pandemic wane. It is very, very important that we continue to do that valuable work with hospitals, with integrated community surgical centres. We will do it. We've laid it out with Bill 60 and the Your Health Plan and we are getting it done. Thank you. Granton North. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. It's okay if you guys clap when I get up. That's all right. This past Sunday, my community at Brampton had the pleasure of hosting over 5,000 hockey fans at the CAA Centre for the International Ice Hockey Federation's Women's World Championships. The gold medal game was certainly an exciting hockey match. Our team Canada played so hard right until the end and we're all very proud of their efforts. Metals and awards went to numerous athletes but each and every one of these women is a true champion and an all-star. They are positive role models, providing encouragement for other women to stay active in sport. However, according to a national study, unfortunately, 50% of girls will drop out of sports by adolescence. More must be done to raise the profile of women in sports and create opportunities for greater participation. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how our government is promoting active involvement in sport for women? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the member from Brampton North for a number of things, your enthusiasm and your approach and what you're doing in your community. And I think there were five... Yeah, absolutely. And I thought you had cloned yourself to 5,000 based on that gold medal game because the fans in Brampton were unbelievable with their support for Team Canada, outstanding. This government invested $500,000 in the IHF World Women's Championship in Brampton and it was a massive success. Success on a number of fronts, Mr. Speaker. What it does for maturism and the culture and sport perspective in the community, how it drives visitorship. But I stepped back at one point because I got there early as I often do at a sporting event, especially when you're involved with it emotionally to try to get rid of some attention. And what I saw when the doors opened were as many children as I saw adults. Young girls that played hockey throughout Ontario wearing their jerseys, showing up with their parents and getting engaged. If they're engaged, that means they're looking at these women on the ice, especially Team Canada and using them as a source of motivation and inspiration. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the minister for that response. We certainly saw an experience, excitement and fun in Brampton last week. And sports events like this one in my community not only inspire future generations of athletes and increased physical activity, but they also contribute to the social fabric of our communities. It's also encouraging to see the positive effects that a major event had like this, like this one had for the businesses in Brampton and across Ontario. Many Brampton hotels, restaurants and shops welcome the boost in occupancy and sales as people enjoy themselves and in and around our city. It was a true winning experience for everyone. Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is supporting amateur sporting events and boosting tourism opportunities in local communities like mine? Mr. Tourism Culture and Sport. Mr. Speaker, again, thank you for the question. I could talk for hours on what sport does and what it delivers to young people and how it helps them affect and possibly affect their lives. But I won't bore you, at least at this point. The Ontario Sport Hosting Program is designed to help communities host national and international events. Again, it goes back to that tourism culture and sport piece that work awfully well together to drive business. To the economy, to that point, and the last, well, since 2018, we've supported 155 sporting events that equate to about $81 million of impact in the communities that we're hosting these events. That's a big deal. I was just in Ottawa and we are investing $300,000 in the World Rugby Pack 4 International Tournament to be held this year in July. The best of the best will compete in Ottawa. One of those four is Canada, which means we're one of the best of the best, including New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. Once again, a great example for all people in sport, but especially young women who can be motivated and inspired by watching their heroes on the ice or on the field. Thank you very much. That concludes our question period for this morning.