 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Thank you so much, Speaker. Speaker, my first question is to the Premier. We know, Speaker, that Alberta is actually taking appointments right now, today, as of today, online and through a 1-800 number to get people vaccinated. We know that Quebec has announced their 1-800 number and launched their portal and appointments begin tomorrow. Last week, General Hillier told Ontarians that within the next week or a half or so, we would have both of these things in Ontario as well. And here we are today. And General Hillier has said that, in fact, we are not going to have anything until perhaps the 15th of March. So what is going on with the Government of Ontario that they can't get their act together and provide seniors with the vaccines they need to protect themselves from COVID-19 in a timely manner? Recognize the Premier to reply. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And what I'll tell you what Ontario is doing, and yes, we're coming out with a 1-800 number. We're going to be reaching out to seniors through their family physicians, through mail, through the media. We'll have a strong campaign. But I'll tell you what we are doing. We're leading the country with rabbit tests. We're leading the country with PCR tests. We have the lowest active cases anywhere in North America, jurisdiction our size to the exception of the Atlantic provinces. We called on the feds to expand sick day pays from two weeks to four weeks. We advocated to the federal government to increase transfers up to $4 billion on the restart agreement. So we're leading the country, in a lot of cases, North America in every single category. Vaccinations, too. We're leading the country with vaccinations. So you know, Mr. Speaker, when 444 minutes spell these work together, when the federal government works together with the province, that's what happens. We lead the country on every single aspect of this pandemic. Thank you. Can you supplement your question? Well, Speaker, this government's on a campaign all right, and maybe that's the problem. They're campaigning instead of protecting people from COVID-19. Doctors were not even brought into the loop when it comes to the government's COVID-19 vaccination plan. And yet here we are. Our province seems to be going backwards while other provinces are moving ahead. People deserve to know seniors with anxiety and worry who are wondering about when they're going to be protected deserve to have basic information. They need to know when and where, and they need to know that now. It is shameful that we're in this situation. Why has this government notwithstanding the fact that they've had months and months and months on end to plan, not in a position to give seniors the peace of mind that they deserve, and the urgency, the swiftness to get the vaccines that they need? To apply the premium. Again, Mr. Speaker, we've been in full communications with all the hospitals, with all the PHU units. We take advice from the science table. There must be 200 doctors altogether that we are listening to that help put this plan together. And it's a great plan. As you know, Ontario is a massive, massive jurisdiction. We have one standard plan, but we're going to make sure that it suits every single area because we know people up in Canora. It's not the same as vaccinating close to 3 million people here in Toronto or the GTA and other 3 million people. But we have a solid plan. We're rolling it out. Mr. Speaker, I'm standing here to tell you, we will lead the country once again as we get the vaccines. Go to root cause. We need more vaccines. That's the bottom line. We had the vaccines. We'd get them into people's arms. The final supplementary. Well, Speaker, as of yesterday, there were 100,000 vaccines waiting to go into people's arms. The problem is the government doesn't have a vaccination plan at this late date and people are going to suffer as a result. And yet the government is reopening the province when their vaccine plan has been delayed. We were expecting it for March 1st. Now it's March 15th. We were expecting something, you know, swift. And in fact, this is very, very slow. And that's troubling because without the investments needed for public health measures to be boosted, without having the money being spent to ensure these things occur, without having a vaccine rolling out, this government is guaranteeing we're heading into a third wave that could be devastating. Why did the people of Ontario have to accept this government's slow response, lack of urgency and inability to protect us from this virus? Can you hear? Well, Mr. Speaker, to the contrary, I'll repeat what I said in every category. No matter if it's a rapid test that we're doing, we're relieving the country, not by a little bit, Mr. Speaker, by huge, huge margins. No one even comes close to us on rapid tests, on PCR tests, on the lowest active cases anywhere in North America. We move like lightning and we're going to continue to move like lightning. We have an incredible plan put together by the doctors, by health professionals, by experts within their field. And we're going to listen to them. And as we listen to them, we're going to continue moving forward with the support of the hospitals and the PHUs. And by the way, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all the frontline healthcare workers, the hospitals and PHUs for working together. That's how we're going to get through this. Not being the party of no, can't be done. The world's coming to an end. We're the party of yes, it can be done. We're the party of the people. We're there for the working class people. Response? And that's what people seem, Ontario. Thank you. The next question, once again, the leader of the opposition. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, this next question is also for the Premier. Thunder Bay is literally in a COVID-19 crisis. And yet here's how the Minister of Health said yesterday that this government is dealing with it. And I quote, information will come in this evening with respect to the actual data that will be something that Dr. Williams and his team will then be reviewing. And will then be making preliminary recommendations to us in cabinet that will then be reviewed following the next block of data that comes in on Thursday. And then a determination is made as to whether or not there should be a change. Speaker, two cabinet meetings, three studies, three days of delay. Is this what an emergency break looks like to this government? Is this what the people of Thunder Bay deserve when they're in crisis? The government house leader to reply. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The member will know obviously that, as the Premier has said and the Minister of Health has said, and as we've done throughout the entire pandemic, we do listen to the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. That advice is informed by the local medical officers of health and the public health units across the province. I'm surprised and frankly shocked to learn that the leader of the opposition now is suggesting that we not listen to these people. It's the same advice that the critic for education has been giving the people of Ontario, suggesting that we not listen to our educators. And by not listening to the NDP, we've been able to come up with a safe restart program for our schools, Mr. Speaker. So we will continue to work very closely with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, with public health officials across the province, including Thunder Bay, to ensure that all the people of this province remain safe. As the Premier said, we are a leading jurisdiction in North America and we intend to keep it that way. Supplementary question. The government has to keep telling themselves that, Speaker, because nobody believes it. But look, this is serious stuff. In Thunder Bay, there are 273 active cases of COVID-19, 216 of which have occurred in the last seven days alone. More than through the first wave of this virus, the most that they've ever had, in fact. So the question that I have is why is this government ignoring the pleas of Thunder Bay? They're asking for help with more isolation units. They're asking for help with contact tracing and testing. They're asking that the government is doing nothing. They're telling them that they have to wait for more endless studies. They're having to wait for long drawn-out processes before the people at Thunder Bay get a sense of whether or not their government is going to step up and protect them from COVID-19 and stop the spread in their community. Again, Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition should surprise nobody is wrong. We have, of course, been working very closely with Chief Medical Officer of Health of the province and the Medical Officers of Health across the province, including those in Thunder Bay. That is why we have a safe restart and a move back into the framework. Local Medical Officers of Health help inform the decisions that we make as a cabinet with respect to where a region falls in that framework. We have an emergency break. Local Medical Officers of Health have additional powers and tools at their disposal to act even quicker. On every measure, this government has given the tools to the Chief Medical Officer of Health. We have the tools and we have been doing what needs to be done. The results speak for themselves. We lead the nation in terms of active cases. We've done an extraordinary job, as the Premier has said, on testing. We've done a great job on rapid testing. We have isolation. We've expanded the availability of isolation units across the province. When there is more to do, we act very quickly, and that includes in all areas of the province. But it will always be informed by working with the local Medical Officers of Health and the Chief Medical Officer of Health. The final supplementary. This government should be moving heaven and earth to help the people of Thunder Bay, but they are getting crickets from this government. But look, we are headed for disaster. Everybody has said, all of the experts have said, that if you open too fast and you don't provide the extra measures, and you don't have a vaccine plan that's actually going to roll out in the appropriate time frames, and you have an emergency break that takes two cabinet ministers, three sets of studies, and then who knows what else, then the bottom line is you're driving us into a disaster. So my question for the government is, when are they going to admit that their lack of action, their lack of urgency, their lack of ability to get ahead of this virus, and the decisions they're making this very day are heading us into a devastating third wave. The Leader of the Opposition has been incorrect on every single aspect of this pandemic. This is the same Leader of the Opposition who wanted to fire the Chief Medical Officer of Health of the province of Ontario. We have decided to take a different approach, working with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, looking at the data, being informed and leveraging the public health units across this province to ensure that we can react and have reacted quickly. That is why, as the Premier said, we are leading in terms of testing. That is why we are leading in terms of rapid testing. That is why our schools have returned safely. That is why we have more vaccines in the arms of the people in Ontario than across anywhere else in this country. We are doing the job and we're getting it done. So I would suggest to the Leader of the Opposition that she continued, or try at least, to work with us. She has been wrong on every single thing. It's the same type of hysteria that we heard when it came to the flu shots. They said it couldn't be done. Six million Ontarians got a flu shot, a record, Mr Speaker. And we will continue to lead this nation by working hard, but not by working against it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The next question. The Member for Davenport. Thank you, Mr Speaker. This question is for the Premier. Speaker, families, students are very anxious right now watching the daily case counts in schools tick up once again. They're wondering if this government is applying any, any of the lessons learned over the past year. We know students need to be able to safely distance, but we're still seeing class sizes balloon. We know improved ventilation systems are key, yet the only tool many schools have right now is an open window. We know that comprehensive in-school testing is vital to identifying asymptomatic spread, but we're being given a patchwork approach of weekend testing that tells parents and staff to travel far from school and home. Can the Premier tell us why he is risking more school closures instead of implementing the common-sense proposals that experts and we in the opposition have put forward? The Minister of Education, Board Member. Well, thank you very much, Mr Speaker. The commitment of the government and the Premier is to keep kids safe. We have demonstrated to the population that by following public expert advice, we have done so in the fall. When we conducted asymptomatic testing in the hotspot regions, where thousands of tests were conducted, we saw low rates of COVID transmission, which demonstrates quite obviously the collaboration of parents to reduce congregation of their children after school and on weekends, and quite obviously the effectiveness of the infection prevention measures put in place to ensure schools are safe. There are 3400 more temporary teachers working in our schools. There's 1400 more custodians working in our schools. There is an improvement to air ventilation for 95% of schools as reported by the school boards themselves. The Premier and the government is totally committed to ensuring kids remain safe, and most especially that our schools remain open, which I know is a position contrary held by the members opposite. Supplementary. Thank you, Mr Speaker, back to the Premier. But can I just say, we are hurtling toward a third lockdown, and this Minister chooses to blame families and students? It's outrageous. In Thunder Bay, nearly 600 students are in isolation today following outbreaks. 112 new cases. Last night, Lakehead Public Schools passed a motion calling on the district health unit to move all students back to remote learning. Province-wide, we have over 8% of schools with at least one case, 16 schools closed entirely. If this seems like deja vu to the Minister, it's because it feels like nothing has changed since last fall, except we now have variants. Speaker, we all want to see kids where they learn best in school, but right now that return to school is at risk again because this government is still relying on a wing and a prayer. Will the Premier pass our motion today and take action to keep our schools safely open? The Minister of Education. Well, the government has followed the best advice by the Chief Medical Officer of Health because we are the party that is standing up to ensure schools can remain open. It's not lost on us, Speaker, that the members opposite do not want us to reopen schools, but we listen to public health advice. We insured community grades came down by strengthening our infection prevention measures. We can confidently do so, recognizing the challenges globally within our education and congregate settings in every jurisdiction on earth. There are challenges with the variants of concern, but that's precisely why, Speaker. We have stepped up our testing capacity in the Ministry of Education alone. In fact, in York Region, there are 18 schools being identified for this week for targeted asymptomatic testing. There are 75 in the members City of Toronto, 7 in Hamilton, and more well across the province. We recognize the challenge, the unprecedented difficulty we face in 2021, and we are absolutely determined to continue to increase investment, strengthen our protocol to keep schools open and safe in Ontario. Thank you very much. The next member's question, the member for Burlington. Thank you so much, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Premier, Ontario has always been a leader when it comes to the life sciences sector, but to see what has been accomplished is truly remarkable. Ontario is one of the largest life science sectors anywhere in the world, which includes Mars, North America's largest urban innovation hub. The Mars Centre housed with the University Health Network is doing incredible work. For example, the second COVID-19 vaccination site for staff working in Toronto's long-term care facilities and staff for acute care hospitals. The locations include 18 vaccine stations in the Mars Centre's auditorium. The location is intended to vaccinate staff working in Toronto's long-term care facilities, as well as staff working in acute care hospitals that are run by UHN and within walking distance of the site. Speaker, can the Premier please share with the Legislature more about the great work being done at Mars, UHN, and in the life sciences? The Premier to reply. That's great. I want to thank the incredible member from Burlington for the question. And yes, it was great to go down to Mars yesterday with the members from Flamborough, Glenbrook, and Mississauga Streetsville. Two leaders in economic development within our team. I also want to thank Young Lu for inviting us. Talk about a true entrepreneur. What an incredible leader. To see the incredible work being done in our fight against COVID-19, Ontario is a world leader in life science sectors, Mr. Speaker. And Mars is one of North America's largest urban innovation labs, I should say. We have some of the sharpest scientific minds right here in Ontario. There's nothing that we can't do right here in Ontario, but our battle against COVID-19 requires all hands on deck. And they have stepped into a join the fight. And I want to thank them for joining the fight. These world-class scientists are now using their incredible talents to help us meet this deadly pandemic. Thank you so much, Speaker. Premier, the life science sector is a major driver in Ontario, as you know. About 51% of Canadian life science research and development spending occurs in Ontario. 51% of Canada's total research and development personnel in life sciences are located in Ontario, Speaker. The world's top ten pharmaceutical companies, BiRevenue and others, conduct clinical trials in Ontario. Part of the success story of Mars includes the great work being accomplished at the Ontario Institute of Cancer Research and the work they are doing in the fight against COVID. Everyone from our top scientists to our heroic frontline workers are all working together to help protect us during this dark period. Speaker, can the Premier please share with the Legislature more about the great work being done at Mars with the Ontario Institute of Cancer Research? The Premier. I want to thank the member from Burlington. We have some of the sharpest scientific minds right here in Ontario. The member is right about the incredible innovation that I saw and our other members saw when we went by there the other day. Ontario's 24 academic research hospitals have invested as much as $1.4 billion into research and development and employ 18,000 researchers and research staff across the province. Those are incredible numbers. And we see that in the work of the Ontario Institute of Cancer Research, we're so fortunate, literally, stones throw away from here, not to mention the partnership with UHN, largest research hospital in all of Canada, under the leadership of Dr. Radvani. The Institute is a world leader on the absolute cutting edge of research and development. Ontario's Institute of Cancer Research has stepped in to the fight against COVID-19. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Next question, member for Brampton East. Thank you, Speaker. There are two indisputable facts that we know that when people are sick and they can stay at home, they're able to reduce the amount of COVID-19 spread across the province and that workplaces are one of the leading areas of spread for COVID-19. Now, despite these indisputable facts backed by healthcare experts, the Premier not only refuses to bring in paid sick days, but also has called them a waste of taxpayer money. A waste of taxpayer money? Let's be clear, working people not having to choose between going to work sick or paying the bills is not a waste of taxpayer money. It is the bare minimum that workers in Ontario deserve. My question is to the Premier. Will he apologize for these reckless comments and will he commit to bringing in paid sick days for workers across Ontario? To apply to the Premier. Well, Mr. Speaker, the difference between ourselves and the NDP, after companies are struggling holding on by their fingernails, their solution was to start charging employers to pay for the two weeks' sick days. We advocated. I advocated hard for an additional $4 billion. I advocated hard to make sure we changed it from two weeks to four weeks. And I want to thank the federal government for stepping up and making it four weeks. But the people out there understand, number one, you can't talk out of both sides of your mouth, Mr. Speaker, when we... Can I ask the member to withdraw? Sorry about that, withdraw. You can't say one thing and then mean something different. And one second they're complaining about small business, then they want to tax the small business and put more of a burden. We went down that avenue before we got elected and we lost 90,000 jobs, Mr. Speaker, putting the burden on small businesses that they can't afford. So we're going to be there to support the small business. We're going to support the frontline hardworking people that, because of us being strong advocates, now the people of Ontario are getting... Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the Premier. Brampton is a city full of essential workers, frontline workers who literally cannot work from home. Because they go to work, others can work from home because they move our economy. And yet there'll be hundreds of workers in Brampton and across Ontario who woke up this morning having to make that terrible, impossible decision between going to work sick or having to worry about paying their bills. Why is this Conservative government okay with putting essential workers at risk? Does the Premier still think that it is a waste of taxpayer dollars to protect essential workers in Brampton and across Ontario and their families? And will he commit to implementing paid sick days for all workers? I'd first like to say, Speaker, the NDP's words don't match their actions. When I introduced my bill in November, Bill 152, the Occupational Safe and Healthy Day Act, the NDP voted against a bill that recognized the importance of supporting a health and safety culture in every workplace. That's number one. Number two, Premier Ford has demonstrated that he is leading a collaborative approach to supporting workers in Ontario by partnering on initiative with the Liberal government. I'd invite the NDP to drop their partisan language and begin working with us for the betterment of the woodworking Ontarians. Next question, the member for Ottawa, so. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Yesterday, Quebec announced they have launched an online booking portal for those 85 years and older to start making their vaccines appointments tomorrow morning. Alberta is already booking appointments for 75-year-olds. In Ontario, our portal is not going to be ready till March 15th. The Ides of March. Speaker, doctors who are supposed to be calling the over 80-year-olds are still waiting for the government's call. So the Premier said last December when vaccines got here, we'd be ready. It's almost March and clearly we are not ready. So, Speaker, through you, can the Premier tell us why Ontario is always behind the other provinces when it comes to a COVID-19 response? Government House Leader to reply. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Look, Mr. Speaker, I'll say this. The member knows full well that there is a plan. We've leveraged the 34 public health units across this province to feed into that plan, Mr. Speaker. We are leading the nation in terms of vaccinations. We are leading the nation in terms of testing. We are leading the nation in terms of rapid testing. We are leading the nation with the exception of the Atlantic bubble, as the Premier has already mentioned, in terms of infections per 100,000, Mr. Speaker. We are doing an incredible job. All of the people of the province of Ontario will continue to do that. The one thing that we're missing, Mr. Speaker, right now, the one thing that we're missing. Is the vaccines. And as soon as we get those vaccines from the federal government, we will be able to implement the second phase of our plan, Mr. Speaker. With respect to vaccinating the people of the province of Ontario and continuing to lead all provinces in getting that done. The supplementary question. Well, I would like to remind the member, thank you for his answer, but it took almost half a million vaccines and 60 days to get to the 70,000 residents of long-term care, who we all said we had to get to first. So supply wasn't the problem. It was the plan. That's what the problem was. So today in response to the question about why March 15th and why that was okay, the head of the task force said, well, we don't need it. That is absolutely shocking. We don't need it. And then in another breath said, I wish we had it earlier. Can't have it both ways. So Quebec is booking online appointments tomorrow morning for 85 years old and older. Alberta is already doing 75-year-olds. The city of Ottawa is ready to do 80-year-olds except they don't have your online booking tool. It's like, how long have we had to prepare for this? So Speaker, back to the Premier again. Can he explain why Ontario is weeks behind other provinces in being ready for phase two of the vaccine rollout? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The member is absolutely completely wrong. And what we're hearing today by both opposition parties is absolutely wrong. The member will absolutely know that shipments of both vaccines were severely reduced to the province of Ontario. And that is why we made the prudent decision to make sure that everybody who got a first dose could get the second dose. Because it is important that everybody who gets the first dose actually gets the second dose so that they are protected. What the opposition and what this member is suggesting is that we forget about those protocols and roll the dice with seniors with hundreds of thousands of people. We chose not to do that, Mr. Speaker. And the results are clear. We lead the nation in terms of vaccinations. We have a plan that has leveraged 34 public health units across this province, Mr. Speaker. And we will continue to lead the nation in terms of protecting our people. And the member opposite can do anything. He can help us to make sure that his federal, liberal cousins live up to the obligations and to the things that they told the people of province of Ontario and get those vaccinations here for the people of Ontario. House will come to order. The Leader of the Opposition will come to order. The Member for Ottawa South will come to order. The Government House Leader will come to order. I think we can start the clock. Member for Burlington. Thank you, Speaker. Today is Pink Shirt Day, a day we stand together against bullying in all of its forms. Ontario is unfortunately not immune to the plight of bullying. It is more important than ever to make sure our kids can receive the skills, confidence and mental health support that they need to succeed and can feel safe at school, Speaker. Minister of Education, please share how we are combating bullying and supporting our most vulnerable students in the classroom and beyond. Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Speaker. And thank you to the Member from Burlington for the question. As CAMH has reported over one in five children in this province have faced one form of bullying. We believe it is unacceptable that there is no tolerance in this province and country for any form of bullying that targets students with disability, racialized students, LGBTQ students, students from faith communities and so many others who have been afflicted by this type of impact. And so that is why the Government decided in the health and physical education curriculum to ensure that there is mandatory learning, mandatory compulsory education that deals with bullying from grades one to eight. Specifically, both cyber bullying given the prevalence of young people online as well as traditional forms of bullying. We've doubled the investment in mental health, more than doubled it, Speaker, to support victims to ensure they have access to care. And of course provided training to educators both from de-escalation and other tactics and tools to help reduce these pervasive forms of impact on young people. We'll continue to stand with them, a whole of government approach to support young people to... Response. ...prove respect in our schools and in the culture that we seek for all young people to be included in Ontario. Supplementary question. Thank you again, Speaker. Speaker, we know that bullying happens in many forms. It can be physical, it can be verbal, it can be in person, it can be online. But no matter what form, bullying is very intentional. There is a deliberate effort to hurt someone when bullying occurs. But just because someone deliberately bullies another doesn't mean we have to let them. We can be just as intentional in our actions to stand up to bullying to stand against those who are purposely hurting others, Speaker. We can, and we must stand against bullying and continue to fight bullying, discrimination and hatred in all forms. Because, Speaker, if we don't stop bullying at a young age, it turns into abuse at an older age. Can the Minister of Children and Women's Issues please inform the House why it is so important to stop bullying early and why we also need to call it out when we see it in its adults as well? Thank you. The Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member from Burlington for that question. And she is absolutely correct. Bullying happens in many forms and can happen to anyone. If left unchecked, bullying can turn into more serious abuses as we get older. Things like intimate partner violence, abuse online and assaults are intentional efforts to harm others and cannot be tolerated. Speaker, this past Monday was Human Trafficking Awareness Day, which is another form of bullying and abuse that happens. If we do not speak out against these things, if we do not call them out, if we do not stop them, they cause incredible harm and trauma and in extreme cases death. Putting a stop to bullying, whether in our schools, over the internet or in our communities, takes all Ontarians. Being deliberate and doing something. We need to speak with one voice and act with one purpose. On Pink Shirt Day, I encourage everyone in this legislature to be extra vigilant with our words and our actions and to call out bullying when we see it. And thank you for everyone for wearing pink today to support this. Thank you very much. The next question, a member for Windsor to come see. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Good morning, everyone. Speaker, the Premier has said numerous times he respects and listens to the medical experts, including those who run our public health units. Well, my health unit in Windsor and Essex County has joined 16 others already on record in support of paid sick leave during this COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, a letter to the Premier this week calls on the Premier to support Bill 239, the Stay at Home If You're Sick Act. And that Bill, Speaker, as you know, was introduced by my colleague from London West. Speaker, will the Premier listen to the medical experts accept their modeling projections that Ontario will not be able to control the virus without the safety of paid sick days? Parliamentary Assistant Member for Burlington. Thank you so much, Speaker. And I thank the member for his question. My daughter is also a nurse in Windsor as well. But here's what I'm so proud of. I can tell you this. Our government, led by our Premier, has worked relentless in the last year to make sure that everybody, every worker, every employer and every employee has paid sick days. On February 19th, the Government of Canada announced a proposal to double the number of paid sick days for two weeks to four weeks. This will provide workers up to 20 paid sick days. I am very proud of that. And I also want to say this again. Premier Ford has demonstrated that is leading a collaborative approach to supporting workers in Ontario by partnering on initiative with the federal liberal government. I'd invite the NDP again to drop their partisan language and begin working with us for the betterment of the workers of Ontario. Order. Supplementary question. Well, Speaker, we all know the federal program is flawed. It's cumbersome. Earlier in an answer, the government said that they listened to the experts in Thunder Bay, the public health experts. And the Premier said, we can't say one thing and mean something different. So, Speaker, in the letter to the Premier, the Health Unit says more than half of Canadian workers do not have access to paid sick leave through their employers. 70% of those earning less than $25,000 don't have paid time off when they're real. And those earning less than $30,000 are twice as likely to contact COVID and nearly three times more likely to end up in the hospital with it. We all want an end to this pandemic. Bill 239 helps us to do that. Speaker, why can't the Premier see the need to augment any federal contribution with a made in Ontario solution for paid sick leave during this global pandemic? Thank you so much, Speaker. I first want to say that the NDP continues to provide inaccurate information to Ontario's Terrians by purposely failing to mention the federal paid sick days. And the reason I say that is we've said it over and over again. To withdraw. To withdraw. I'm going to say again, what I've said is that working, my Minister, Minister of Labour, training skills and development has done a phenomenal job working with this federal counterpart. People were complaining it was taking far too long to be able to get the monies that they needed to receive for sick paid days. They're now getting it within three days into their account. And the people are very excited and very, you know, thoughtful that that was able to happen. I also want to say again, it's our responsibility in this House to make sure that the people out there know of the monies that they're able to get. I will reiterate what I said last time. There's been 110,000 Ontarians that have applied to date. Only 271 million has been accessed nationwide, meaning that there's still 800 million waiting to be spent. Why would we double duplicate something when the program has 73 percent? Thank you very much. The next question, the Member for Guelph. Good morning, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. The federal government asked the provinces to have a vaccine rollout plan ready in December. It's now the end of February and the government announced a plan this morning. But essential workers in vulnerable workplaces where most of the outbreaks are currently happening still don't know when and how they will get vaccinated. This morning, General Hillier said that that would be figured out in May. Speaker, earlier today in question period, the Premier said, I'm standing up for workers. So if that is the case, can he please tell essential workers in vulnerable workplaces when and how they will be vaccinated? The government house leader to respond. Thank you, Mr Speaker. As a member knows, in fact, the initial thrust phase one of the plan which was introduced weeks ago was to ensure that congregate care settings, long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospital workers and those working in high-risk areas were vaccinated. As you know, as well, Speaker, that program was a success. There was some setbacks when the federal government was unable to provide the vaccines that it had guaranteed not only the province of Ontario but other provinces as well. As you know, for weeks, shipments were either delayed or stopped entirely. But having said that, the Member is incorrect in one sense. We have focused on those settings and the results have been encouraging. That has been phase one, phase two. As we mentioned, we'll start to move to those eight years and older. Mr Speaker, there is a plan in place leveraged by 34 public health units and we are just missing the vaccines right now. But I'm optimistic that the federal government will live up to those obligations in the future. Thank you. Thank you. And the supplementary question. Yes, Speaker, it's not just essential workers. It's all Ontarians still a bit confused about the plan. And it is true that the federal government has been delayed in making vaccines available to all provinces. But with all due respect, Speaker, the bottom line is that right now Ontario is behind other provinces in launching the online booking portal. We are behind other provinces in vaccinating elderly residents in community. And we are also behind other provinces in the percentage of overall population that is currently vaccinated. So I'm just asking, with all due respect, can the government explain to us why Ontario is behind other provinces and vaccinations and what our plan is for catching up? Again, Government House Leader to respond. First and foremost, the first part of the plan is to receive vaccines. Once a significant and consistent delivery of vaccines is made available to the province of Ontario and to other jurisdictions, those parts of the plan will be implemented. As you know, Mr. Speaker, the plan was many months ago, the plan was brought forward. It leveraged the 34 public health units across the province of Ontario. I'm confident that the member opposite would expect that. I know that the member opposite can appreciate how different every part of the province is. We focused the initial thrust on congregate care settings in high-risk areas, be it retirement homes, long-term care homes, our medical professionals, those working in those environments. We made sure that everybody who received a first dose could get a second dose, which was very important, Mr. Speaker, given the fact that we did see a massive delay in deliveries through the federal government's inability to give it. Thank you. The next question, the member for Burlington. Thank you so much, Speaker. And first, before I start my question, I want to thank the Minister of Education for his kindness and compassion to my constituents in Burlington before I start. Speaker, we know that the vast majority of educators do incredible work each and every day. This has proven to be true time and time again with the pandemic amplifying their importance. What is also true is that this government's number one priority is the safety and well-being of our students. That includes protecting students from sexual abuse and mistreatment from our schools to their homes. Can the Minister outline the reforms he drove this fall to protect Ontario students as well as how we will provide support for students who have heartbreakingly been victims of sexual abuse? Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Speaker. And I want to thank the member for the question and the commitment, as I think we all have, as we know all educators have in this province to keep students safe. And their safety is the paramount priority of this government. And we did take action to ensure that no educator can work within our schools with the history of sexual misconduct or racist behaviors by keeping those individuals out of our school. Those individuals will not be able to work in schools in this province under this government through the changes, the sweeping reforms he made to the Ontario College of Teachers Act and the Ontario College of Early Childhood Educators Act. Importantly, the move we made is retroactive. It will ensure individuals who were found of past misconduct are removed from our school system permanently. All disciplinary decisions will now, again under this government, be publicly posted because we believe parents have a right to know. We're mandating a sexual abuse prevention program for both the Ontario College of Teachers and the College of Early Childhood Educators to reinforce the importance of child protection. And of course, extending supports, therapy and counseling to the victims themselves. As premier, this government is fully committed to protecting our kids every step of the way. And this is a financial question. Thank you again, Speaker, and thank you for that response of work, Minister. Speaker, it's hard to understand why information like this would not have been made public before, but as a parent, I'm glad that it's now being made public. If this was occurring when my children were in school, I would definitely want to know. Speaker, we know that children and youth are impressionable, and with the close relationships teachers have with their students, can encourage a child to succeed or cause trauma. Speaker, this conversation is all the more important as we talk about issues like human trafficking, gender-based violence, and even bullying. These conversations are hard, but are necessary to have. Children and youth need to know that this behavior is not okay. And that there are supports if this is happening to them, Speaker. Speaker, can the Minister of Children and Women's Issues please share with us why it is so important for us to take these steps, especially for children and youth? Minister of Children and Women's Issues. Karen, thank you to the member for that question. Speaker, I couldn't agree more with the member. I would be mortified if any of these teachers taught any of my daughters in school. I am proud to be part of a government and have a premier that takes a strong, meaningful action against sexual misconduct and racism. Speaker, we all know it, but it needs to be said. Abuse of any kind, especially sexual abuse of children, is completely abhorrent and will not be tolerated. The reality is that exploitation, especially among children and youth, occurs most often by someone they know like a teacher. Again, I want to state that our teachers do absolutely incredible work, and the vast majority are upstanding in their care of our students. But we all need to take these actions against those who are harming children and ensure that they are not able to teach ever again in the province of Ontario. We must do everything we can to protect our children and youth, and these changes are a step in the right direction. Thank you very much. Next question, member for London Fanshawe. Thank you, Speaker, and my question is to the Premier. The Middlesex London Health Unit estimates their budget will grow $7 million more this year than 2020 as a result of the pandemic. The budget increase is due to the payroll nearly doubling since last year to more than $1 million bi-weekly and added expenses for vaccine rollout and more. The Middlesex London Health Unit is not alone. Cities and public health units have stepped up to bear the brunt of controlling this pandemic. The Association of Local Public Health Agencies is calling for the province to step up its funding to all public health units. Will this government commit to financially supporting our hard-working public health units in protecting our communities? Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. An important question, and I appreciate the member for raising that. It's important for a number of reasons. We have since the start of the pandemic been very clear that we will ensure that our healthcare and those supporting COVID-19 have all the funds that they need in order to battle that. That is a commitment that the Premier made. There has been significant funds made available throughout healthcare in partnership with our municipal governments, whether it's for transit, transportation, Mr. Speaker. But really, it goes to the heart of what we've been talking about and what the opposition does not seem to get. One of the reasons why we are working so closely with the federal government is that the commitment was made early on that the provincial government would be able to put massive amounts of resources like we have into healthcare so that the federal government could handle those payments to people, whether it was the SERB or other payments, sick pay, Mr. Speaker. And that's what working together does, Mr. Speaker. It is because of that we have been able to, whether it was expand resources to our healthcare system, pay for PSWs, a safe restart in schools. We've been able to get that done. So the member is absolutely correct. Work has to be done and we will make sure. Thank you. Details released a couple of weeks ago showed that Middlesex London Health Unit used credit to cover the costs. The unit took out a short-term loan of just over a million dollars to cover overtime costs and more. They were able to repay it only after receiving the province's one-time funding for COVID-19 with aid expenses. But the fighting COVID-19 is not a one-time expense. It's not a one-time thing. Our public health units deserve to know that they will have all the resources they'll need to keep our communities safe. Will this government commit to timely, consistent and full financial support for our local public health units so they are not forced to take out loans to do the public work that they're meant to do to keep our communities safe? Again, Mr. Speaker, I think we've been very clear on that. The Premier was crystal clear that we would spare no resources to fight COVID-19 and actions have followed, Mr. Speaker. We have provided significant transfers to our health care partners to ensure that they have the ability, whether it's our hospital sector, whether it's a long-term care sector, we have put that funding in place, Mr. Speaker. But again, it speaks to the heart of the importance of being able to work with our partners at all levels. That is why the federal government has taken up certain challenges, transfers to people and individuals. And that's why we have put billions of dollars into health care to fight the pandemic, Mr. Speaker. So despite the fact that the opposition is opposed to that, that has given us the resources to pay and to help our public health units to build lab capacity, to expand health care, to look at the surgeries and make sure that we get caught up, Mr. Speaker. So we will continue to do that, Mr. Speaker. And I'm very confident that by working together, we'll get the job done for many generators. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Orlean. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week, after being criticized for his absence on the affordable housing file, the member for Peterborough-Cawarthor wrote the mayor and council in what appears to be a threat to withdraw provincial funding from his community. To many, this is seen as an attempt to silence criticism with funding cuts. Yesterday, the government House Leader didn't know anything about it, so I hope he's had a chance to look into it. Mr. Speaker, my question. Is it the government's policy that only communities whose elected officials praise the government will receive provincial funding? Government House Leader. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At least on this side of the House, it is our commitment that we will work every single day and advocate for the things that are important to our community. And time to time, there will be disagreements, Mr. Speaker. I'm shocked to hear now that the members opposite are suggesting that they, in fact, don't fight for their community, that they take their orders or marching orders from different levels of government, and whatever they say, they just do, Mr. Speaker. It really stands to reason. What's the point of sitting in this legislature if you take your marching orders from somebody else? The member for Peterborough has fought day and night for that community, Mr. Speaker. Day and night, he has brought significant resources into that community. More than we have seen in generations, in fact, Mr. Speaker. He will continue to fight hard, but I expect him to continue to do what he does, fight for the people and the things that he believes in, even when that means disagreeing with an official at a different level of government. He read the letter. The supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So if I heard the government House Leader correctly, he expects the member for Peterborough to continue to threaten the mayor and council with additional funding cuts if they don't get praise to the government. Some might consider the letter from the member from Peterborough as an attempt at bullying and intimidation, Mr. Speaker. On Pink Shirt Day, will the government stand up to the bullying tactics of their own backbench and commit that provincial funding isn't contingent on praising the government or its members? Government House Leader. Mr. Speaker, this is coming from a member who went in charge of the light rail system in the city of Ottawa, built the light rail system that was over budget, late and didn't work, Mr. Speaker. So look, I will expect the member for Peterborough to continue to doing what he does. He is an excellent member of provincial parliament. He has brought significant resources into Peterborough, and he fights very hard for that community. I'll let the opposition take their marching orders from the mayors of their communities. I work very closely with the mayors of my community, but it shouldn't surprise you, Mr. Speaker, that on occasion we disagree and we advocate for our own positions, Mr. Speaker. I'm elected to do the work on behalf of the people of the province of Ontario, and I fight for them. So does the member for Peterborough every single day, and the results have been stunning for the people of Peterborough. And it's not just the member for Peterborough. The member for Northern Ontario and all of the members that surround and advocate for that city, Mr. Speaker. I think they appreciate everything that that community has because of the members of provincial parliament from this side of the country. The next question, Porter. Member for Sudbury. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Speaker, Laurentian University is a cornerstone of Northern Ontario and my community of Sudbury. When Sudbury was shocked by Laurentian's administration's decision to seek CCAA creditor protection, the province and the ministry clearly knew everything about Laurentian's financial difficulties more than six months ago, and they chose to do nothing. Maybe it's because they knew the $700 million that they cut from colleges and universities across Ontario only had made things worse for Laurentian. So, Speaker, my question through you to the Premier. The Minister of Colleges and Universities said he knew six months ago about the financial problems of Laurentian. Why do you stand by and do nothing? The Member for Northumberland, Debrose and Parliamentary Assistant. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first and foremost, it's important that all members of this legislature work together to ensure and to communicate to students that their academic journey will not be affected by this decision. It's deeply disturbing to learn that Laurentian has found themselves in this situation. We share in the concerns of students and their families. That's why, Mr. Speaker, immediately, the Minister appointed a special adviser, Alan Harrison, to provide advice and recommendations to our government to support in working with Laurentian University. The government will be exploring all options, Mr. Speaker. And as this matter is currently before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment any further. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And the supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. The member opposites of the Ministers stepped in immediately, but six months ago was not three weeks ago. Speaker, back to the Premier. Since the province is choosing to do nothing to support Laurentian, my community is now at risk of losing hundreds of jobs in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The economic impact will be devastating to Sudbury and all of Northern Ontario, and this is on top of the potential loss of critical infrastructure and programs that serve all those in Northern Ontario. Experts are concerned that this CCA process will recommend Laurentian cut one-third of all programs, one-third of faculty and staff. Speaker, again to the Premier. If this happens, our university will be gutted, our city will be devastated. Are you okay with this scenario? And why won't you fund Laurentian properly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And we'll work collaboratively with anyone. And I would suggest to that member opposite, if he knew something six months ago, from him indicating as such, we continue to consult with all universities. And I'm glad he brought that up. Let's talk about funding to Laurentian University. Laurentian University consistently has received operating grants of over $80 million a year. That accounts for more than 40% of Laurentian's total revenue. Proportionately, we provide more money to that university than many others in this province. And while I'm at it, let's talk about the Northern Ontario Special Purposes grant, $6 million that went annually. The Teacher Education Stabilized Program grant of over $2 million. The Graduate Expansion Program for over $7.9 million. They're trying to heckle me because they don't want to hear this. The Northern Tuition Sustainability Fund of over $4.3 million. And I'm glad he talked about the tuition cut, because after decades of propping up the Liberal government that this member's party did, we put students first in delivering a historic tuition reduction instead of on the backs of students who received over 100% tuition increase over the legacy of the previous government. We put students first, and we're not going to apologize for that. Member Ford-Gwell. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Opposition to paving over parts of the Greenbelt and Prime farmland by wasting $10 billion on a highway to save commuters 30 seconds is growing. Orangeville and Halton Hills have passed resolutions against Highway 413. The Halton Federation of Agriculture is opposed to it. And now the President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture is calling on the government for an agricultural impact assessment to determine how Highway 413 will affect farmers in the agriculture sector. Speaker, given how important farming is to our economy and our food security, will the Premier listen to the OFA conduct an agricultural impact assessment by wasting any money on Highway 413? Government House Leader to reply. Mr Speaker, as I said yesterday, there's still a tremendous amount of work that needs to be done on environmental assessment and still some consultations with our partners in the area. Obviously agriculture remains one of the most important activities, economic drivers not only in that region but across the province of Ontario. We're going to do everything that we can that remains the case including in that area. Thank you. Member for Claw. Speaker, given that it's clear the government still has a lot of homework to do on this highway, I'm now confused why they're fast tracking it. Just four years ago an expert panel determined that the costs of the highway far far exceed the benefits and the pandemic has even raised more questions about the need for this highway. So Speaker, why is the government prepared to spend $10 billion on a highway to save people 30 seconds when we desperately need more money to hire staff and pay them properly in long-term care? When municipalities are desperate for money to support their public transit systems? When the wait time for mental health services are 18 months and longer, when small businesses need direct financial support to survive, will the government just do the right thing and shell this highway? Mr. Speaker, look, obviously we made a commitment before we were elected that we were going to do our best to ensure that the people of the province of Ontario could get around. We saw decades worth, over a decade and a half worth of stagnation by the previous Liberal government and we said we were going to invest in transit and transportation, roads and infrastructure. So the government and the plan itself always envisioned that there would be important infrastructure made available to be built in the green belt. We have tremendous growth happening in that area of the province, Mr. Speaker. So it is important that we take a look at ways of getting people around. It is ironic to hear the member of the Green Party, I said this yesterday when I was a federal member of Parliament we were talking about the Rouge National Urban Park, Class 1 Farmland, you know what the Green Party position was in Class 1 Farmland wasn't important. The only party in this place to take away land from farmers was the Liberal Party who took away hundreds of acres of a generational farmer in my writing to build the Bob Hunter Memorial Park at the when everybody was saying stand up for farmers. Thank you very much. The next question to members from Niagara Falls. Thank you, Speaker. Through you to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing throughout the pandemic this government has been calling on farmers issuing more over the past year than in the previous 10 years. This week the Minister told this house that quote all MZOs done on non-provincial land came from the request of the local council. Previously the Premier told this house that all MZOs were requested by local councils but he was called out by several mayors who were forced to take to Twitter to correct the record. So I'm going to give the Minister a chance to set the record straight. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Member Opposite for the question Mr. Speaker. Our government has been crystal clear that every single MZO issued on non-provincially owned land has been to the request of the local municipality full stop Mr. Speaker. MZOs are a tool that our government uses to get critical local projects that people can use to make sure that they are able to make sure that they are able to get critical local projects that people rely on located outside of the green belt moving faster. Mr. Speaker, let me list of some of the projects the Member Opposite has opposed Mr. Speaker. The creation of 3,700 long-term care beds, nearly 1,000 affordable homes and hundreds of supportive housing units 26,000 new jobs Mr. Speaker. The expansion of Sunnybrook hospital made in Ontario PPE facilities Mr. Speaker, I can go on and on with this list Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, there being no further business this morning. The question period is concluded. This house stands in recess until 3pm.