 It is now time for question period, and I recognize the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Thanks, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to start this morning then to a question for the Minister of Education. Last week, the Ministry of Education quietly issued instructions for school boards ordering them to plan for a reopening that would leave kids out of the classroom as much as three days a week. Yesterday, one critic of the government slammed that plan saying, I want kids in school five days a week. We don't need to shut schools down on a Wednesday to clean. That critic, Mr. Speaker, was the Premier himself. So to the Minister of Education, if even the Premier doesn't understand your plan, how do you expect parents and teachers to? Mr. Speaker, we understand the incredible challenges that COVID-19 has imposed on working parents, on educators and, of course, the mental health of our kids. It's why, Speaker, we have brought forth a plan to request school boards to be prepared for all three circumstances that are manifesting globally around us in the context of the reopening of schools. It's why we put in place a training regime that will ensure all staff, including educators, are better prepared to respond to these very unique and real challenges that will take place. And more importantly, it's why we put in place additional funding. But, Speaker, beyond that, it is a commitment we're making to the people of this province to do whatever it takes to keep kids safe. And we want to ensure we maintain the integrity of learning each and every day, but it has to be safe. And that's why we're working so closely with the Chief Medical Officer to achieve that objective, Speaker. And a supplementary question. Last, Speaker, the Minister of Education and the Premier are just on different pages. They're on different planets. Yesterday, the Premier said he wants staff cleaning schools overnight instead of shutting down for a day. But, unfortunately, for parents, the Minister fired hundreds of custodial workers and school support staff just last year. The Premier can't keep telling parents they're getting help while doing nothing to help them. When will the Premier or when will they actually get a concrete plan together that not only gets kids back to school full-time in the fall, but gives school boards, staff, and all concerned, the financial support that they need to keep everyone safe? Thank you, Speaker. Thank you, Speaker. Indeed, it is the priority of the government to keep kids safe because we recognize that for so many people in the province, particularly parents, this has been uniquely challenging for them. And that's why we want to ensure that their kids are in class each and every day. But before we can make that commitment, before any legislator could submit to themselves that that is the plan for it, it has to be safe. It has to be based on public health data. It has to be based on some metric that gives people public confidence to do that. And I just believe it is irresponsible to not want to adhere to the advice of the Chief Medical Officer in order to build out that scenario. So what we've asked of boards is for three circumstances, three plans to respond to potential scenarios that may arise over the next 30, 60 days in the context of the Ontario's response and incredible response rather to COVID-19. Our commitment is to ensure funding and training remains in place. We'll work closely with our school board to ensure we get this right because when it comes to our kids, we'll do whatever it takes to keep them safe. And the final supplementary? Well, Speaker, parents need a plan to hire teachers and education workers, make desperately needed repairs, and install touch re-syncs and soap dispensers so kids will be safe from infection. Instead, they have a premier who talks about opening schools three days a week while quietly, or five days a week rather, while quietly ordering school boards to do the exact opposite. The Ford government needs to put their money where their... I'm sorry to interrupt the Leader of the Opposition. The Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries cannot yell back to a colleague two rows back during question periods. We're going to add some time to the clock. Okay, the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries will come to order. Again, I'll recognize the Leader of the Opposition and I'll give you some additional time. I'm sorry, I didn't stop the clock. Thank you. Kindly, Speaker. Instead, what they have is a premier who talks about opening schools five days a week while quietly ordering them to do the opposite. The Ford government needs to put their money where the premier's mouth is, Speaker. The Toronto District School Board came forward today with a plan to hire additional teachers to ensure that kids can safely return to school five days a week. Will the premier support that? Mr. Secretary, she will apply. Thank you, Speaker. Mrs. Speaker, our commitment is to keep kids safe. That is why, Speaker, we've asked school boards to the province to be prepared for three circumstances so that we can respond to the reality on the ground in 30, 60, 90 days as it arises in the province. We have an obligation, and the premier has been very clear when it comes to my mandate, to build out plans to keep kids safe, to ensure the continuity of learning is not impeded as a result of a challenge that could arise. In jurisdictions that have reopened schools, Speaker, we have seen difficulty. And the commitment we are making to the Leader of the Opposition, all parliamentarians, is to work with the Chief Medical Officer of Health with our school boards, with our Federation partners to ensure everyone is safe, with the resources and training in place, because as we have said, we will do whatever it takes to keep our youngest learners safe in the province of Ontario. Thank you. The next question. I want to scan the Leader of the Opposition. Thanks very much, Speaker. My next question is to the premier. Yesterday, Ontario Hospital called on the government to produce a contingency plan to ensure that healthcare, this healthcare system is equipped for potential second surge of COVID-19 outbreaks. In response, the premier insisted that the province was completely prepared. The government used that exact same word months ago when they insisted that cuts to public health wouldn't impact COVID response, and when they insisted that there was an iron ring around long-term care homes, and they were completely prepared to contain the spread of COVID, which instead claimed thousands of lives in our province. Will the government make details of their plans public today? Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. Well, thank you through you, Mr. Speaker. I want to assure the Leader of the Official Opposition that there is a detailed contingency plan in place for a second wave, and we also know that we have flu season approaching as well. We're dealing with many issues. One is the fact that there are many people who are now alternate level of care that are back in hospital because some of the long-term care homes that had four bedrooms now are reducing those to two people per room for isolation and protection against COVID-19. So we're dealing with that, and we're watching the capacity in the hospitals as we're also trying to deal with catching up on the delayed procedures and surgeries that had to be delayed in order to create the capacity in the hospitals in the first place. In the case, we were faced with major outbreaks of COVID-19. Fortunately, that did not happen in the first wave. We weren't having to deal with situations such as happened in Italy, in Spain, and even in New York. Response? We are prepared for a second wave. I'm very pleased to discuss that in a supplemental. Supplementary? Well, Speaker, the assurances that this government gave last time did not save lives and did not stop the spread of COVID-19, particularly in long-term care. Hospitals have particularly flagged human resource challenges in the next wave, and we're hearing directly from frontline healthcare heroes that they're exhausted, that they run off their feet, and they're seriously concerned about the Premier's plan to indefinitely suspend their rights on the job with Bill 195. Months ago, the government wrongly insisted that they had a plan for the human resource challenges of COVID-19, and instead they left PSW, Speaker, working at multiple sites for months, leading to the spread of COVID-19, and in several cases, in many cases, their deaths. Will the government make their plans for dealing with the human resource challenges of the second wave public today? Health Minister? Well, we are certainly concerned with the health human resources, particularly since there have been a number of people who have not been able to come back to work or did not come back to work in long-term care homes with making sure that they have adequate resources, but we also have made sure that they have had the resources in the shorter term by allowing people from hospitals to go in and help in long-term care homes. In fact, right now we are currently running 11 long-term care homes through hospital personnel. We're also in another 11 long-term care homes providing assistance. We know that staff, when they come back to hospital, are going to need some respite because they've been taken from their original circumstances. They're working under difficult circumstances in long-term care. We know they need a respite. We know they can't keep going five, six months without a break because they're dealing with people dying. They're dealing with very ill people. They're dealing with stressful circumstances. That is something we are certainly taking into consideration as we are ramping up for a busier flu season, a potential second wave, and catching up on those surgeries and procedures. But the frontline workers who are the heroes in all of this are very much on our minds and we want to make sure that they are not completely depleted, both physically and mentally. We want to make sure that they can stay on the job and stay strong. And the final supplementary. Back to the Premier Speaker. The government's claim that Ontario is prepared for every contingency of the second wave would sound more believable if it wasn't exactly what the government had been insisting at the start of the first wave. But whether it's residents in long-term care homes left without staff to care for them or parents left without a plan for childcare or schools, the Premier's boastful claims have failed to match reality far too many times. When will the government be releasing details so that the public knows what's going to happen, details of their plans to handle the second wave across our entire health care system? Thanks for the help. Well, I thank you for the question, but we have been releasing information publicly, virtually every single day. The Premier's been releasing this information. I've been releasing information from the Ministry of Health. And our plan is working, and I just want to just give you a few statistics for anyone that has any doubt about that. Ontario, with 14,711,000 people, has had 36,950 cases. The number of cases per 100,251. Versus, let's say, Quebec, population of 8.5 million, 56,730 cases, 664 cases per 1,000, and take another, let's take a state, let's look at Florida. 21 million people, 291,000 cases of COVID-19, 1,347 cases per 100,000. The statistics speak for themselves. Our plan is working for the first wave, and should we encounter a second wave, we will be prepared for that as well. Question, the Leader of the Opposition. Thanks very much, Speaker. My next question is for the Premier, but I have to remind the Minister that we've seen over 1,830 seniors die in long-term care, and the OHA is sounding the alarm bells about our preparedness. So I would take that into consideration if I were her. Yesterday, the Mayor of Toronto repeated warnings that the city is going to face massive tax increases or devastating cuts to services that provincial and federal governments don't come through with operational, emergency operational funding. He said, quote, Toronto doesn't have the luxury of time and the longer the city waits for funding, the deeper the cuts will be. The Premier claimed to agree with the Mayor yesterday, but then passed the buck to Ottawa and said it was up to the federal government to come up with a solution. Does the Premier of Ontario, of this province, have a plan for municipalities in Ontario beyond passing the buck to Ottawa? Premier to apply. I want to thank the Leader of the Opposition for the comments. We've been on the phone every single day getting a great plan, not only for Ontario, but every single province and territories across this great country, Mr. Speaker, and we're very, very close, but I'm just not going to walk away and leave billions of dollars on the table. I've been constantly communicating every single day with Mayor Tory along with other mayors, and I agree with what Mayor Tory said the other day, Mr. Speaker. We need a national strategic plan for municipalities, and that's what we're fighting for. We're fighting for the 444 municipalities every single day, and yes, we do need support from the federal government. Supplementary question. Well, Speaker, yesterday I met with the Mayor of Mississauga and later today the Finance Committee will be hearing from representatives from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario about the impacts of COVID-19. The message has been consistent, Speaker, and the message has been clear. Municipalities cannot bear these costs alone. They need operational funding from the provincial and federal governments, or else municipal services will be put at long-term risk. And I just want to repeat, it's not just the federal government's responsibility, it is the provincial government's responsibility as well to open the coffers and help municipalities out. So my question is, regardless of what the federal government chooses to do, will the Premier right now promise Ontarians that municipalities will not be forced to bear the costs and risk of COVID-19 and that this Premier will step up to the plate and help our municipalities as he should? Order. Premier to reply. Through you, Mr. Speaker, I don't know if the Leader of the Opposition isn't paying attention, but we've already funded over $400 million to the municipalities and there's actually more coming. But again, I would rather have no deal than a bad deal and right now we're very close, we're in full communication with the federal government and I personally think they're doing a really good job, they're doing their best to help us out and we're having great conversations and hopefully very soon we'll have a deal. But again, Mr. Speaker, we're going to have a deal that represents all 444 municipalities, not just one or two municipalities, but all 444 of them. Thank you. The next question, the Member for Kitchener, Conestoga. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier, but before I get started, I just wanted to thank him for coming down to Waterloo Region yesterday and spending some time down there with all of our local businesses. Premier, our priority as a government has always been clear. We will do everything to ensure the health and safety of people of this province while doing all we can to restart our economy as quickly as it is safe to do so. For our initial response to COVID-19 declaring a state of emergency to our Ontario Action Plan for supporting businesses and the health sector to our stage framework for reopening, our province continues to make great strides. We're in this position because all Ontarians made the choice to continue to work together and treat each other with respect. Whether it's wearing a mask when we can't physically distance, working from home when possible or adjusting our business to adhere to public health advice. Can the Premier please share with this legislature about the next phase of reopening for various regions of our province? Premier? I want to thank the Member from Kitchener, Conestoga, along with the other members from Waterloo Region. We had an incredible visit there yesterday and went into Challenger. These are the folks who are responsible for bringing goods from point A to point B. Went to an incredible company, Mr. Speaker, called Eclipse. And they're making a million N95 masks every single week. This is a company that focuses on automation. And then we went to Shaver. Shaver switched over their manufacturing to make face shields. And I'm just so proud of all those companies out there. Went out there to thank them and get the province moving forward. In June, Ontario created 378,000 jobs, Mr. Speaker, including 66,000 new jobs in the manufacturing sector. And that's what I was seeing yesterday when I was travelling the province up to the Waterloo Region. We're bringing manufacturing back to Ontario once and for all. Thank you. A supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. Premier, that is very exciting news for my constituents and the people of Waterloo Region. With many parts of the province moving into Stage 3, this will include expanding the limits on public gatherings. With new limits allowing up to 100 people to gather outdoors and up to 50 people indoors. It is through our collective efforts that Ontario is in a strong position amidst the global pandemic that is continuing to take a human toll in our province and unfortunately to a much greater degree in some other places beyond our borders. As the Premier has said on numerous occasions, no business should reopen until they feel it is safe to do so. Speaker, can the Premier inform the legislature about what operations will be allowed to resume as part of Stage 3 and what health and safety measures should be put in place? Premier? Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member from Kitchener Conestoga. Stage 3 reopening will give our province another economic boost. Nearly all businesses and public spaces will be allowed to open their doors safely. That is why we're glad to announce the following businesses and places will be allowed to open in Stage 3. One, dine-in restaurants and certain bar operations, gyms and fitness centers. Most personal care services, live shows performing arts and movie theaters, recreational facilities and activities and tour guide services. Mr. Speaker, I had a phone call yesterday and I don't know how they get my cell number but the gentleman called me that has 2,000 employees. I know, I'm one of the few that actually talked to the real people out there and that's why I'm traveling around. I've got a call from the Kitchener that has 17 member for Timmons will come door. Premier, conclude your answer please. I have an opportunity, the gentleman called me yesterday. He has 17 gyms around the province. He has 2,000 employees, a payroll of $46.6 million and he has told me the story that his 2,000 employees can't get back to work now because when we've done they can get back to work making sure they can put food on the table pay their mortgages. That's what we're doing right across the province. Thank you. The next question the member for Davenport. Thank you Mr. Speaker and this question is for the Premier. Mr. Speaker, all of us I'm sure in this room have been inundated with emails from desperate parents all over Ontario worry that the government isn't doing their job to prepare for the safe reopening of schools. Jennifer, a parent of three in the Ottawa region said she is concerned about the effects that part-time school combined with online learning will have on our children's mental health. Jill, a mom of two, wants to know what parents are supposed to do on the days their children are not in school send them to a pub. Stuart from MyRiding wrote, with this hybrid model, working parents but working mothers in many frontline and essential workers in particular are being asked to do the impossible choose between their children and their parents. Many of these letters are copied to the Premier. Why isn't he listening? Minister of Education Thank you Speaker. I appreciate that many moms and dads in the province of Ontario have faced great challenges, economic as well as the mental health and safety of their own children and of course themselves and it is the obligation of the government working closely with the Chief Medical Officer of Health to build out a protocol that keeps every child reaffirmed is to get kids into class on a daily conventional model day to day with heightened safety protocols but speaker our commitment first and foremost before today committing to that apps and that data is to make sure that we are prepared for every circumstance that may arise in September because in the absence of knowing with absolute clarity the risk associated in 30 and 60 90 days we're going to be prepared that is the prudent way forward it's why most provinces in this Federation are committed to making sure that the commitment remains to keep kids safe that's exactly what we're going to do Speaker. The supplementary question. Mr. Speaker you know Ontarians did the right thing they stayed home and their actions have bought us precious time but the Premier and this government are wasting that time now they are leaving parents in the dark about their children's education while they're watching daily announcements about their children's education we have just 6 weeks to go 6 weeks to go the clock is ticking and there is a way forward I'd ask the members opposite please from the side come to order I have tabled a motion I have tabled a motion that calls on the government to hire the member for Mississaug East Cooksville will come to order member for Northumberland Peterborough South will come to order next time I will it's a state of emergency in the province of Ontario that's why we're here in July restart the clock I was going to say and I hope they're listening now that I have tabled a motion that calls on the government to hire more teachers for smaller classes more custodians to do the cleaning and maintenance that are essential for infection control and investments in upgrades to make buildings safer will the Premier finally get the message from parents across this province pass our motion today and do what's needed to ensure a safe return to school for all our students this September Mr. Speaker we believe progressive conservatives believe that it's not an either or proposition we can have a growing economy while concurrently having quality education the province of Ontario I respectfully reject the premise by the member opposite of the House I don't think it's a good idea to put people back to work in still a sense of confidence in the market but speaker order about ensuring that students remain learning under any scenario that may manifest the leader of the opposition just asked a question earlier about the inevitability of a second wave we must be prepared of course speaker it is no one in this side of the house we need to ensure that kids remain learning irrespective of the challenge that arises we're going to work very closely with the chief medical officer put the resource the training of place to keep every child safe in Ontario speaker thank you the next question the member for Ottawa so thank you very much Mr. Speaker and speaker while the premier is playing his version of where's Waldo this summer parents and kids across Ontario they're going to be searching they're going to be searching they're searching for a plan for full-time school resuming in the fall and speaker you know what they're not going to find one there's no plan for more educators no plan for more spaces to learn no plan for more supports for vulnerable students there is it's not there and not only families need a plan but our economy needs a plan so that people can fully participate in the workforce speaker when is the premier going to put forward a plan so we can have our kids return to school full-time this fall in classes that are smaller and safer thank you to reply minister of education thank you speaker the only thing the member opposite is searching for is a purpose of this legislature after a decade of an action of higher taxes of school closures I mean speaker the people of this province gave us a mandate to ensure that we only prepare for all circumstance that we have a plan to improve quality education to ensure that every single student gets an experience that is defensible in every region of the province irrespective if you live in an urban or rural setting north south east and west our plan speakers have put more funding in place more training in place and a clear commitment and consultation with the chief medical officer of health to keep kids and staff safe and we will do that over the coming weeks building out these plans working with our boards to get this right and keep everyone safe in this province and the supplementary question thank you speaker and it was a real debate between where's Waldo and Dora the explorer so in my hometown of Ottawa the chief medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches has said I am recommending we prioritize and plan to have students in class five days a week and we work from there to make sure we make that as safe as possible Ottawa school boards agree with Dr. Etches here's the kicker here's the thing speaker they're not going to be able to do that unless the premier gives them the resorts the resources and the investments that they need to keep class sizes smaller and safer so far Mr. Speaker the premier has not stepped up with a plan to do that so speaker through you is the premier prepared to do what's right for our kids for our families for our economy and invest in a plan to get children back into school full time this fall and the minister of education thank you speaker I just want to affirm to the member opposite that the government is working closely with the chief medical officer of health to ensure kids remain safe and we have announced to date through the grand for students and the school boards and the net investment in every school board in every region every town in this province funding is up in this respect but we recognize speaker that there's more to do and that's why we're working closely with school boards, federation partners and of course the chief medical officer of health to ensure that we have the resources in place the staffing in place to keep these kids safe but when it comes to our priority is to build up three scenarios to respond to three very real circumstances that may arise and that may be the most effective challenges on the horizon speaker the next question the member for topical lake shore thank you Mr. Speaker and today my question is for the associate minister of transportation and before I ask my question I just want to thank the minister for her advocacy to get Toronto moving for transit and for the people of the topical and I just want to say thank you for your hard work on that but highways also play we rely on our highways to get food medicine and other critical supplies to the people all around our province however COVID-19 has had an effect on every part of our economy including the construction industry speaker can the minister tell us what this government has been doing to ensure that the current highway projects that were under construction prior to the pandemic are being built as quickly as possible thank you the associate minister for transportation and I want to thank the member from Etobicoke Lakeshore for working so diligently and so hard during COVID-19 it's certainly a wonderful neighbour to have I wholeheartedly agree with the member on the importance that our provincial highway network has played in getting crucial goods into the hands of Ontarians during the pandemic with COVID-19 impacting traffic levels we took an opportunity to see where we could accelerate work on 51 different highway and bridge projects including parts of highway 401 and to make sure we can avoid delays as much as possible Mr. Speaker the pandemic has reminded all of us in the house how important our highway network is in the province of Ontario and how we have to continue to invest in it a supplementary question Mr. Speaker to the minister thank you very much for that response and I'm very glad to see that our government is taking steps to make sure that the ripple effects of COVID-19 do not lead needless delays to the critical infrastructure projects and I agree that is so important that we keep these crucial projects on track Mr. Speaker last week the government announced a plan to build highways faster by removing red tape and regulations while investing $2.6 billion to expand and repair Ontario's highways and bridges can the minister please tell the house more about this multi-billion dollar plan to expand Ontario's highways network while doing it more efficiently thank you Mr. Speaker it's certainly good to be expediting work on projects that are already underway we need to get shovels on the ground faster for new projects that's why bill 197 if passed would also streamline highway projects so that we can get to work faster on important projects such as widening highway 3 highway 17 and highway 69 the existing process can add months of red tape and construction delays 12 months for highway projects we believe that landowners have a right to be heard that will never change and that is why we are developing a responsible and timely alternative process Mr. Speaker we're making transportation a priority and working to get critical infrastructure built in the province of Ontario the next question the member for Essex thank you very much speaker my question is to the premier speaker for the past two days this government has refused to answer our questions or those of the media about contracting out COVID-19 testing to a private start up healthcare company that has no footprint or experience providing these services in Ontario up until about a month ago the government already had the power to move public health staff including nurses and aids to where they were needed most speaker that was the whole point of their emergency orders now the government is saying that this contract was granted a competitive process will the government make the contract and tendering process public today so that people can see for themselves Mr. Speaker thank you very much speaker and we have dealt with this question twice already but speaker I want to be perfectly clear Ontario Health an independent organization was responsible for acquiring the contract with switch health with the increased need for onsite testing on farms and Windsor Essex it was clear that swift action needed to be taken and it was Ontario Health sought requests for proposals for mobile testing from 15 different vendors through this competitive process and in following usual procurement processes and timelines Ontario Health evaluated and assessed these proposals using standard criteria switch health proved to have the means to get the job done and diligently and effectively which is why they were granted the contract and again speaker I want to be very clear that this contract was awarded through normal channels and was led by Ontario Health the supplementary question then make the contract public let us see speaker the minister would know that the chief coroner's office ordered early on to mobilize mobile testing units down to our region that was never taken up nor was it commanded by the minister of health or Ontario Health why not we could have used those resources sooner but speaker let's be clear about what the premier and the health minister think of their own public service and what they cannot do especially when a friendly lobbyist shows up ready to get a contract Ontario Health has refused to provide any details on how this contract was awarded the company itself is sending all questions back to Ontario Health the only thing we know is that this company hired the creator of the premier's vanity youtube channel within weeks they had a contract to provide testing and so far only a fraction of workers on farm have been testing will the premier do the right thing today and release the contracts and details of the tendering process thank you very much speaker and I want to assure the people of Ontario through you Mr. Speaker that the onsite testing has been done from day one that it has been done in conjunction with the local public health units with Ontario Public Health with Dr. Hire who has been helping out with these contracts with these making sure that the right people are sent there we've employed mobile testing units we have assessment centers there we did have one in Leamington we're trying to member for Essex will come to order they are coming now we have turned things around people are submitting for testing but there was a need for more testing to be done and that's why Ontario Health sought proposals from 15 different vendors and evaluated each and every proposal according to the normal the member for Essex will come to order you had a chance to ask your questions you had two questions give her a chance to reply without interruption I apologize Minister of Health the normal procurement processes were used here the contracts were evaluated using the standard criteria and switch health was found to be the one by Ontario Health to be able to quickly and effectively move in to continue with the testing the next question the member for Guelph my question is for the Premier everybody in this house knows the parents are stressed about their children's mental health and their learning success of schools don't open full time in the fall but the Premier also needs to know that businesses are stressed too I talked to business owner after business owner who say we cannot reopen the economy if our children don't have a place to go in the fall they're worried about a mass exodus of women from the workplace the elephant in the room is money is the government going to invest the money for our children to be able to go back to school safely to hire more staff to have more space to invest in safe cleaning protocols these are investments in our children's future the Premier said he would spare no expense in dealing with this pandemic and no expense to invest in our children's future so they can go back to school the Minister of Education thank you Speaker thank you the member for his letter to me yesterday on this matter the Premier has been clear we will do whatever it takes to keep students in this province safe it's why we've already put in place additional funding for all school boards it's why we've asked for and announced professional development training that are unique and the obligation of the government to do whatever it takes to achieve that objective we will work closely with the Chief Medical Officer with school boards, with our Federation partners with everyone involved with mums and dads across the province to achieve one aim it's the contrary of learning that is safe for every child in Ontario supplementary question I appreciate the Minister's response but the bottom line is in every parent, student it's sufficient to be able to safely reopen schools so I'm going to try to put this in a way the Premier can understand businesses go in debt to make investments for their long term business success because they know there's a huge return in on investment investing in our children is exactly the same thing now is the time not to avoid debt but to actually invest in our children's future because the return on investment is priceless and so I'm asking through you Speaker to the Minister of Education will the Premier spare no expense in our children's future so they can go back to school full time in the fall safely Minister of Education as the Premier has noted numerous times and members of this team we will do whatever it takes to ensure kids remain safe in schools that is our priority and is what we will achieve and with respect to the context of funding we have announced so far $730 million additional investment and certainly net new investment in school boards every born Ontario has that investment but beyond the funding and beyond the training speaker we recognize these determinations must be made based on public health advice to ensure that we could respond to the challenges province-wide in 30, 60, 90 days to do that we have three plans in place and the focus over the coming days will be to work closely with our health experts with the command table and Dr. Williams to create a protocol that keeps all students safe supported by enhanced investments and enhanced training so that every student and every staff in Ontario is safe in September Speaker Thank you The next question the member for Mr. Saga East Cooksville Thank you very much Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries Over the last four weeks we saw over 240 Ontario businesses testify at the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs Included in these testimonies were representatives from the performing arts and entertainment industries who outlined the important social and economic value these industries provide Ontario from leaders from the Shaw Festival Tiff and Pride Toronto and many other leaders from the industry Mr. Speaker their message was clear the economic and cultural significance of life theater and entertainment is critical for tourism and economic necessity for Ontario at large Minister Given certain parts of the province entering phase 3 what will the new normal look like for the performing arts and entertainment industries Thank you Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Thank you very much to the member from Mrs. Saga East Cooksville for his dedication with the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs who found out that the $75 billion economic generator which is the Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries took about a $20 billion hit in the last number of weeks. Yesterday I had the opportunity with the Minister of Education to visit the McMichael Gallery which is the most exquisite collection of Canadian art in the entire country we invested $3.3 million they will be reopening on July 31 today I'm going to be travelling to Hamilton to go to the Art Gallery of Hamilton to support them with an additional investment speaker these sectors have been crushed and that's why it's disappointing to hear slurs being like Dora the Explorer or Where's Waldo the reality is every member of this assembly including the leader of the opposition of the Liberal Party in the House should be doing what the Premier and members of this Cabinet and this Government are doing which is travelling the province safely as we are allowed to do thanks to the great advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the great work across the court these sectors it is dire Thank you very much Mr. Speaker the Minister perfectly detail the importance of the performing arts and entertainment industries while also underlining the importance of consumer confidence when entering phase 3 Minister our performing arts and entertainment industries generate a lot of money for the people of Ontario the scale of these industries success demonstrates Ontario's pride of place in fact in Ontario the culture industry alone generates over $25 billion and supports over 285,000 jobs the Toronto International Film Festival generates more than 200 million in annual economic activity to Ontario's tourism and hospitality sector alone reaches over 851.7 million people globally and has attracted more than 1.2 million visitors in the last three years it is no great leap to understand how many important these industries are for Ontario Mr. Speaker as such what kind of supports are we providing to these industries to overcome COVID-19 Mr. Speaker very much Mr. Speaker a great question because I think it's important as we dealt with the public health crisis and the economic crisis we are dealing with the social crisis trying to get people to go back into our communities to reconnect with Ontarians and to love what makes us love our province most which is the cultural fabric of sports of culture of entertainment the things that we're most proud of the fact that the Ontario attack just as the healthcare system has been over the past four months and it will take a long time to recover which is why our ministry has invested over 300 million dollars in direct support for our cultural attractions and entities across the province over 200 million dollars for example to the Ontario Arts Council Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund and the Ontario Trillium Foundation who I met with earlier today that because of that we're investing a lot into the entertainment world in the City of Toronto by selling out two hotels that might not be a big economic activity we had when we became the NBA World Champions but Speaker we are slowly getting there and that's why this legislature needs to show confidence in my sectors Thank you the next question Thank you Speaker my question is to the Premier CTV reported that it estimated that about 124 Royal Canadian Legion branches are likely to close permanently and another 357 are facing financial hardship two months ago legions in Ontario sent the Premier a letter explaining that the pandemic has created financial risk and that some of our legions will be shut down permanently last week you responded and yet it appears that you did not understand what veterans and legions were requesting legions are requesting support for operational cost you ignored that instead you pointed them to the senior community grant Mr. Speaker they didn't ask for a program support and further to that memberships to legions is not limited just to seniors what about modern day veterans like my son peacekeeper sport operations Korean war operations and others does this government think that there are two classes of veterans in Canada will this grant government commit to doing something to help all veterans and all legions today in Ontario with their request to operational support Minister of Heritage to reply what a great question I want to thank the member opposite for her sacrifice and her son's sacrifice we've had that conversation before he's a true Canadian hero and I respected and I believe the member of this assembly wants to say thank you to him legions are very important to me I'm a member of the Barhaven Legion it's one of the youngest legions in the country but it is one of the fastest growing and again I guess if 45 makes me a senior then that's a bit of a problem but maybe my time here at Queens Park is a huge me a bit but I want to tell you this is a very important issue that I've raised already with my federal counterparts Steven Gabot who is the Minister of Heritage we are going to be working on the affairs Canada to see how we can best come up with a solution I have to say as somebody who has spent a great deal of my time supporting our veterans my husband being one of them and has went non-combat to Afghanistan it's very important to me that we recognize their contributions the contributions of their family I often refer to this place where we were allowed to debate simply because of the sacrifices generations ago made I will work with the member opposite I will take her concerns and I will happily advocate so that we are not just alone in that fight Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Premier legions in Scarborough Southwest and across the province offer so much to our veterans and our seniors they deliver key services to our community provide affordable space to rent and a safe space to gather and organize remembrance activities and services from birthday parties to weddings shops, bazaars also take place in our legions as with other organizations our legions halls are struggling because of COVID-19 unfortunately legions in my riding and across the province are being left without help from governments the Dominion President wrote to the Prime Minister highlighting and I quote legion branches which are literally helping to save lives and improve communities are struggling with the fear of closure and the need for government help in sight Mr. Speaker we have a responsibility our legion halls have been a local hub and an essential part of our communities will this government commit today to helping all veterans and legions with their request for operational support Thank you Mr. Speaker Thank you Speaker and again what a great question and I think a very timely and important one this ministry and this government is absolutely committed to our veterans as well to those who currently serve in any capacity on the front lines particularly in our military that is why our government has maintained a commitment to build the Afghanistan War Memorial on the front lawn of this esteemed assembly and that is why we were proud as our government to support a 100 hotline for veterans I personally as a member of the opposition stood here in support of the McGinty government when they designated a portion of the 401 of heroes speaker we have a long tradition in this province of supporting our military and we will continue to have a strong relationship with our local legion branches across the province of Ontario which is why we're committed to working with members opposite but most importantly with our federal counterparts to see how we can best sustain our local legion speaker in many cases the local legion particularly having grown up in rural Nova Scotia that local legion is actually the community center for a number of people it is a gathering place that needs to be protected and we will look within the ministry for all streams that may be able to support the members request the next question the member for wiki thank you speaker my question is to the associate minister of energy this week our government announced that many regions of the province will be moving into stage three of the recovery plan speaker well many interians remain optimistic about recovery efforts the pandemic has caused some interians to fall behind on their bills could the associate minister please tell us how our government is supporting interians struggling to catch up on their energy bills as we recover from COVID-19 thank you the associate minister for energy thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I thank the honourable member for Whitby for the question and for the great job he does for those people in Whitby Mr. Speaker our government continues to provide support for residential farm and small business electricity consumers during the COVID-19 outbreak on Monday applications open for the COVID-19 energy assistance program or CIP for residential consumers through the CIP program our government is providing $9 million to help struggling families with a one-time payment to help clear potentially overdue electricity bill debt incurred over the COVID-19 outbreak period interians can contact their local utility to apply similarly more information will be coming later this summer regarding the CIP for small business program through this program our government will be providing $8 million to support small businesses struggling with bill payments as a result of COVID-19 this is in addition to the extension of the internal energy board's winter disconnection ban until July 31st 2020 which has ensured that no one is disconnected from their natural gas or electricity service in certain times Mr. Speaker our government is supporting all insurance as we continue to recover from COVID-19 a metric question thank you Speaker and thank you to the associate minister for that response Speaker for the past four months and Terrians have been making sacrifices and working hard to fight the outbreak of COVID-19 we know that those sacrifices including spending more time at home can result in increased use of electricity can the associate minister please update this house on the measures that our government has taken to support interians when it comes to their electricity bills throughout this pandemic the associate minister of energy thank you Speaker and again to the honourable member for Whitby thank you for a great question our government thanks the people of Ontario for following the best advice of health professionals and practicing social distancing we recognize that staying home means using more electricity during the day that's why we invested $175 million to hold time of use electricity rates at the lowest price known as off peak rate 24 hours a day for the first 69 days of the COVID-19 state of emergency on June 1st we suspended the time of use rates and introduced a new fixed COVID-19 recovery rate to be in effect 24 hours a day 7 days a week until October 31st 2020 and on November 1st our government will be giving us an energy program that works best for their lifestyle either time of use or tiered rates Mr. Speaker, we know that COVID-19 has changed many aspects of life every day for interians including how and when they use electricity we have taken important measures to help interians through this pandemic and provide choice and flexibility and will continue to make them our priority thanks Mr. Speaker the next question the member for Timmings thank you my questions to the premier about three weeks ago you were asked to comment on the huge price differential northerners are having to pay for gas compared to what we pay in southern Ontario your response was it's totally unfair agreed our gas companies just trying to gouge people I think so after further questioning by the media you went on to say that the province is well aware of the situation and let me quote what you said our minister of energy is all over this we're all going to get to an explanation from the gas companies for this because it's absolutely unacceptable people are having to pay 20 to 30 percent more for gas in northern Ontario my question is simply this premier has your government asked for that explanation from the gas companies yet and if so will you table it here in the house before I invite a response I'm going to remind the members to make their comments through the chair government house leader thank you Mr. Speaker I thank the member for the question because as he knows we take this very seriously we've seen across Canada the impact that COVID-19 has had on our workers in the oil sector but more importantly on northern Ontario I know the minister of energy did ask the competition bureau for some clarification on this he's been very clear in stating how upset he has been at the price differential Mr. Speaker and just because we've had a pandemic just because we've seen that prices have come down across the province that this government has let go of that but at the same token Mr. Speaker I'm sure the honourable member will join us in reaching out and thanking those very important people who work in the energy sector and have done so much to help keep this economy growing not only in the province of Ontario but across Canada Supplementary question Sir you as a supplementary the premier didn't say that the minister was going to go to the federal government to get an answer he said he's going to contact the gas companies to find out why the price of gas has gone up since then the price has gone up another 30 cents in northern Ontario clearly things aren't going in the right direction so I'm going to ask you the question specifically again has your government asked the gas companies for an explanation as to why gas prices are increasing in northern Ontario as compared to the south and if so will you table that answer Government House Leader Thank you very much Mr. Speaker I'll help the member understand a little bit better of course we reach out to our partners across various sectors including the oil companies but a very important step in that would be to reach out to the competition bureau of Canada having served federally I understand that when these requests do come from our provincial partners or from other partners across the country that it's taken very seriously of course the member can appreciate other parts of the country which face the exact same challenges I am sure and I'm hopeful that the competition bureau will work with us to ensure that not only the people in northern Ontario but in other jurisdictions that are rural in nature have an answer but at the same token Mr. Speaker I think it's also very important to recognize the extraordinary good work that our oil sector does in the jobs that it creates not only in the province of Ontario but in Canada and how important that sector has been to creating jobs and economic growth for many decades Mr. Speaker Thank you Next question the member for Brantford Brand Thank you Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of the Environment Conservation and Parks for decades under the previous government projects were shoved into the backyards of communities across Ontario that did not want them and unfortunately there was very little municipalities could do to stop them they were often not consulted on major projects like new landfill sites being proposed in their area and there was often little that they could do to affect the outcome that hardly seems fair for the municipalities that are working hard to represent the voices of their residents I was pleased to see however that as part of Bill 197 the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act a proposal to give more say to municipalities in landfill communities so can the Minister of the Environment Conservation and Parks share with the House more information about what this proposal will mean for municipalities across Ontario Thank you Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker and thanks to the member from Brantford Brand for that question and being such a reliable strong working hard working member in this legislature and it's great to see him again after the long due pandemic that we've undergone this opportunity to thank the member from Oxford Mr. Speaker who has championed this proposal for many many years and has shown great leadership on this issue and that's why we believe it's important that municipalities and communities affected by landfills are able to have appropriate say in the siting of landfills we're committed to making this happen Mr. Speaker and that's why we're putting forward amendments to the Environmental Assessment Act that will require landfills of applicants to obtain support from their host municipalities as part of the approval process and the balance approach that gives municipalities greater say in the locations of landfills while providing certainty for landfill applicants for ensuring that there is local support before they submit a new application for a new landfill Thank you very much Thank you Mr. Speaker and I want to thank the minister for listening to all of those communities across the province it is clear that Ontarians have a government that is committed to putting them at the heart of all of our decision making Mr. Speaker, it's important for municipalities to be part of local decision making and that they have a say in landfills approvals processes it's also a key step in reducing local conflicts when operating landfills the previous government did not seem to encourage consultation with municipalities but I'm pleased to see that this municipal say in landfill proposal our government's commitment to work alongside our municipal partners to boost their participation in the planning and management of landfills can the minister share more on how this proposal will give municipalities more say in landfill approvals processes while providing certainty for landfill applicants Thank you Thanks again for the follow up question Mr. Speaker and over the past year we have heard from over 140 municipalities who have asked to have a greater say in the sighting of landfills and approvals in their communities our government recognizes the importance of landfills in landfills and local decision making and we believe landfills should be located in communities that are willing host under a proposed amendment applicants would be required to obtain support from the host municipality as well as the applicable neighboring municipalities within 3.5 kilometers proposed landfill property this proposal would also capture projects that are currently in the approvals process more specifically projects that have the environmental assessment decision Mr. Speaker, we remain committed on this side of the house to working with landfill proponents, municipalities, first nations and the public to make sure that people of Ontario have the proper time to be necessarily consulted and that decisions are made not only in ensuring that landfills have the say but that we are protecting the environment at the highest levels Thank you very much The next question Thank you Speaker The next question is to the Premier Last year, Davenhill Senior Living a not-for-profit care home in my writing was sold to developers and the new owners started the process of forcing residents out of their homes These families were given no compensation for relocating and most were left on their own to try and figure out a new plan for their loved ones Recently I heard from Anne whose mother Doreen used to live in Davenhill but was evicted Doreen has dementia and Alzheimer's and when she left her home she suffered continued cognitive and physical decline Families shouldn't have to go through something like this on their own What is this government going to do to ensure seniors who have been evicted from seniors homes like this can receive adequate compensation for relocating Minister of long-term care Thank you Speaker and thank you for the question Our government has been working hard to bring new projects to our sector understanding that the capacity has not kept up with an aging population and my heart goes out to everyone who has been waiting on the waitlist who is affected by that lack of capacity and that's why we've engaged with the sector over the past year to understand how to bring new projects on board how to redevelop how to ramp up that capacity and whether that's in a physical structure to help people manage longer at home and to support families through home care These are all the measures that we need to take and the reality is that 15 years have gone by and the proper measures were not put in place Our government is taking this seriously in the way it needs to be taking and we are ramping up capacity you will see that as we move forward you will see that in our announcements you will see our commitment to long-term care and the seniors of Ontario Thank you That concludes our question period for today