 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the member for Tomiskaming Cochran. Speaker, my first question is to the Premier. Auto workers deserve better leadership than what this government is giving them. Auto workers of Unifor, Local, 444, it's the Lantus herd, the company will be eliminating 1800 jobs and the entire second shift at their plant. This devastating news for Windsor comes just a year and a half after the community already lost the third shift and the 1500 jobs to go with it. And so far the Premier has done little. What is the Premier doing today to fight to get those jobs back to Windsor? Mr. economic development, job creation and trade. Thank you very much Premier and thank you to the member for the question. When this news came and of course we were disappointed to learn of Stalantus' decision, but when this news came the Premier immediately was in Windsor. We met with Unifor, we met with Stalantus, I met with Jerry Diaz on the phone twice and our message is the same. We want Stalantus to accelerate the $1.5 billion commitment that they made into the EV sector. You know Speaker, that commitment was reaffirmed by Stalantus. The Ford commitment is there, the General Motors commitment is there. We've seen $6 billion in the last 12 months of new vehicle production announced for the province of Ontario. That's because we put the driving prosperity program, our auto plan into play more than two years ago and it is unfolding exactly as the plan should be. And the supplementary question. Back to the Premier. What we know the government has done so far on the EV sector is they've ripped out charging stations, they've cancelled electric vehicle rebates and actually at one point they even changed the wiring code for new houses so you didn't have to have the option of putting a charging station in. So he did nothing, the Premier did nothing when 59-hour jobs were lost and he said nothing this week to reassure auto workers and their families he's got their backs. What is the Premier going to be there for auto workers in Windsor and fight to keep their good jobs in this problem? Minister of Economic Development. I said the Premier was in Windsor this week meeting with the union, we did meet with Stalantus but I can tell you what we have done over the last year and over the last two years is we've developed our driving prosperity plan. This plan was put in place that reduced the cost of doing business in Ontario by seven billion dollars. Now, yes, we understand that NDP voted against every single component in the driving prosperity plan, our plan for the auto sector. They voted no when we put all of the dollars into the budget. We have an investment that we announced in Ford, it'll be the largest electric vehicle facility. We have seen General Motors make their announcement of Oshawa and their electric vehicle announcement for Ingersoll. We have seen Stalantus make their $1.5 billion announcement for Windsor, which they have now reaffirmed. All of that is because we have lowered the cost of doing business in Ontario by seven billion dollars, something that party said no to and voted against every one of those initiatives. My final supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Our province needs a government who will fight for the auto jobs we have and fight for new jobs and zero emissions vehicles of the future. And we don't have that right now. We need a premier who will fight for a new auto strategy, build quality zero emissions vehicles, and expand parts manufacturing. And not sit idly by while 1,800 jobs are lost. We need a real auto sector strategy that builds these vehicles here in Ontario, not overseas. When will this government put together a plan to fight for Windsor instead of walking away from thousands of good-paying jobs that families need? Thanks for the economic development. Actually, Speaker, the member should have, instead of voting against our initiative, should have actually read driving prosperity. It's the plan that brought Stalantus is expansion. It's the plan that brought the General Motors expansion. It's the plan that brought the Ford expansion. $6 billion in investors. That's the largest investment in the auto sector in the history of Ontario. And it happened almost within 30-day period. Now, they also, Speaker, voted against, maybe they don't even remember, OVEN, the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network. That puts $56 million into the parts makers in Ontario, all along the 401 Corridor and up the highway. They voted against OM. That's a $10 million Ontario Automotive Modernization Program. I don't even think they even know any of those names, Speaker. They'd understand we have driving prosperity. We have a plan. We have a plan from critical minerals through the battery production, through the three automakers that have made their announcements. Read the plan. It's been out there for two years. The next question, the member for Scarborough Southwest. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. Personal support workers have been on the front lines caring for our most vulnerable seniors throughout this pandemic. They are the healthcare heroes that all of us in this house have rightfully applauded for over a year and a half. They witnessed and worked through the horrors of the long-term care system firsthand without the support that they needed. They often did not have the right PPE. Yet, they have not received a permanent pay increase, Speaker. In fact, the temporary pandemic pay bump is set to expire on October 31 with no further plans. So my question is, Speaker, will the Premier commit to providing a permanent raise for PSWs today? I have a member for Aurora Oak Ridge, Mr. Hill. Thank you very much, Speaker. And I thank my colleague Cross for the question, Speaker. Our government is incredibly grateful for the contributions of Ontario's healthcare workers and the critical role, Mr. Speaker, that they've played throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, providing patients and Ontarians with timely, safely and equitable access to high-quality care. Mr. Speaker, what she's referring to, the bill that my colleague is referring to, is designated to protect those public sector jobs, Mr. Speaker, and those vital front-line services, which are essential in our fight against COVID-19. Mr. Speaker, this is a fair, consistent and time-limited approach that will enable us to be able to protect those front-line workers and the jobs that Ontarians rely on, Mr. Speaker. And it's important to note, Mr. Speaker, that Ontario's public sector employees will still be able to receive salary increases, Mr. Speaker, for seniorities, performance and increased qualifications, Mr. Speaker. Protecting those front-line services, Mr. Speaker, the front-line sector jobs, but... Thank you. Thank you very much. And Mr. Premier, please. Speaker, I'm not sure if the member understood my question. Time is of the essence. Every few months, PSWs in this province have to wait and see if their pay will change. If the temporary pay increase will continue, Ontario front-line heroes do not deserve to live with such uncertainty about their livelihood. If the government intends to give PSWs a permanent pay increase, they should announce it now. Will the government finally say yes to a permanent pay increase to Ontario's PSWs? Again, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for the questions. Our government has great consideration for the important work that's carried out by front-line workers and all public sector workers, Mr. Speaker. We value everything that they do on behalf of all Ontarians, Mr. Speaker. And that's why Ontario is proud of the temporary pandemic pay that we provided, a generous support that was provided during the global pandemic, Mr. Speaker. Eligible employees receive payments for work performed on behalf of Ontarians, Mr. Speaker. Ontario supported the critical work of nearly 430,000 eligible front-line employees working for approximately 4,000 employees, Mr. Speaker. As I said from the beginning, we value the work that these front-line workers are providing for us. We've stood by them every step of the way and we'll continue to stand by them. Mr. Speaker, and those thousands of workers are calling on the government for some certainty right now. It is time for bold action. After more than a year and a half of this pandemic, we continue to face a huge shortage of PSW recruitment. Part of that shortage is because the work is hard, the hours are long and the pay is insufficient and the jobs are not full-time. Speaker, as we enter this phase of Ontario's recovery, especially in the healthcare sector, it is time for the Premier to take bold action, something we have yet to see from this Premier and this government to get PSWs full-time and better-paying jobs. So again, Mr. Speaker, will the Premier finally say yes to PSWs and announce today a permanent wage increase? Thank you, Speaker. And again, to apply Parliamentary system. Thank you very much, Speaker. And again, I thank the member for the question. Mr. Speaker, we are eternally grateful to all front-line workers for the work that they have done for Ontarians, Mr. Speaker. The role that they have played throughout the pandemic is something that we value greatly, Mr. Speaker, to provide those equitable access to high-quality cares that Ontarians rely on, Mr. Speaker. And as I said, which is why we provided the support for our front-line workers, Mr. Speaker, to it was something that Ontario is very proud of the pandemic pay program that we provided. It was a generous support that was provided during the global pandemic, Mr. Speaker, to show our appreciation for the work that they're doing on the front lines every single day. And as I said previously, and will continue to say so, Mr. Speaker, we value, appreciate, and will stand with them every step of the way today and long after this pandemic, Mr. Speaker. And next question, the member from Waterloo. Thank you very much. My question is to the Premier. Ontario's front-line workers are struggling under a wage freeze. These are the people who cared for our loved ones and kept us safe during the worst days of this pandemic. They feel disrespected and they are right. Every day they watch this government devalue their hard work. But on Monday, we learned that one person will be taking home a lot more money during this pandemic, Speaker. And that is the newly created Minister of Legislative Affairs. Ministerial roles come with a 42.3% pay bump. Now, the Premier's office says it's about leading our legislative agenda, but isn't that part of the House Leader's job right now? These front-line workers deserve to hear from the Premier why their government House Leader deserves a massive raise and front-line healthcare workers only get 1%. And if you're offended, just imagine how nurses feel in this province. Orders to reply to the government House Leader. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question from the member as was highlighted by the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance and Treasury Board. Of course, we have a tremendous amount of respect for those individuals who fought so hard to give Ontario really a North American leading response to the COVID crisis, Mr. Speaker. We're very proud of them. With respect to the new role I fulfill, she might want to ask the person sitting right next to her because he was informed that it would include the rehabilitation of the legislative precinct, Mr. Speaker. It's an important opportunity for us to restore this place. As the Speaker will know, there is a tremendous amount of work that needs to be done and the coordination of those efforts across different bureaucracies was proving to be a bit of an impediment to doing that. Ultimately, what the Premier has asked me to do is to ensure that parliamentarians themselves, through the Speaker and through the clerks, are the people who will be responsible for the upgrade of this place. Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to have it. Member for Hamilton Mountain will come forward. Thank you. I would respectfully suggest that this government needs to get their priorities straight. You just described the role that the Speaker has. That is his job to oversee this precinct. And you know who needs help in this province? Not parliamentarians. The people of this province need an affordable housing strategy. PSWs needed a permanent raise. Nurses should not be held at 1% on their salary. This government stubbornly refused to make the necessary investments in healthcare and education and long-term care, which is why Ontario has seen the longest and harshest lockdown in Canada. Now a 42.3%, just over $49,300 raise, goes to the House Leader to do what he already had responsibility for. Ontarians are owed an explanation as to why the current House Leader needs this pay increase and what he will be delivering for the average family, for frontline workers, for PSWs. People in Ontario want to know what tangible change will this pay increase to the House Leader give them? The people that we serve. APPLAUSE Would you get a reply to the government? Again, Mr. Speaker, look, it's as I just mentioned, the ultimate responsibility the Premier has asked me to do is make sure that parliamentarians are the focus of the rehabilitation of the precinct. Speaker, you will appreciate that you and your role are not able to access funds in order to ensure that the precinct can be renovated in a proper way. That has to be done through government. You will also appreciate that the Office of the Speaker is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act, nor is the Office of the Government House Leader. This new position will ensure that that happens. But ultimately, Mr. Speaker, what the Premier has asked me to do is ensure that we have a process that can begin the decant, the rehabilitation of the precinct, and make sure that members themselves have the ability to decide how this place is renovated and brought back to the centre of democracy in the province of Ontario. I'm very proud to have the opportunity to do that, Mr. Speaker. We will continue on doing all of the other important things that we've done across this province and, quite frankly, that the member has voted against every single time. The next question is from the member for Stormont-Gundas, South Glen Gary. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction. Speaker, regulations are often put in place as a protective measure, keeping people safe. This is so very important in many sectors, but many regulations don't get updated to reflect change. Sometimes due to a lack of modernization, all regulations stay in the books that cause a lot of burden for people trying to access basic services of the province. We saw this when our government provided restaurants the ability to allow dogs on their patios. This is also a further proof point of why cutting red tape is so important. Can the Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction explain to this House and my constituents some of the changes that will have a positive impact for the people of Ontario? The Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member from Stormont-Gundas, South Glen Gary, for that very important question. Speaker, the member is correct that regulations are often brought in for very good reasons and weren't originally created, but regulations can become outdated, especially as society progresses, including technology. And this is why it is so important for government to make changes to laws and regulations that no longer serve its purpose. For example, through the incredible work of our Deputy Premier, we are proposing changes to update the Healing Arts Radiation Protection Act that would modernize this critical piece of legislation and allow for more updated radiation technology in our hospitals, bringing them further into the 21st century. Speaker, there are numerous other examples that I'm happy to expand on when we get the opportunity to debate our red tape registration. I strongly believe cutting red tape is so important for Ontario's businesses and for the everyday citizens of Ontario. Thank you. And the supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you, Minister, for that response. Speaker, I agree with the Minister that updating laws and regulations to match improved technology is vital in all sectors. It is also important for government to make adjustments based on the needs of society. And right now, Ontario has a skilled shortage on top of the needs to build capital infrastructure such as homes. There are also countless approvals and assessments that are repetitive, slowing down the building of much needed infrastructure in this province. We need to make it simpler to get the approvals needed while maintaining protections for the people of Ontario and our environment. Through you, Speaker, will the Minister promise to work with other ministries to find ways to speed up the building of infrastructure in our province? Good question, Minister. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you again for the question. Speaker, I confidently can tell the member, yes, I will continue to work with my colleagues like the Minister of Labour, the Minister of Environment and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to build the very important infrastructure right across our province. In our red tape package, we are making important changes that will support our government's efforts to get individuals into the skilled trades through our second career program. We're proposing changes that will speed up the planning process at City Council. We're proposing changes that will allow limited licensed engineers to provide reports, advice and certification required under Occupational Health and Safety Act. Speaker, our government knows that there has been an incredible shortage of building the necessary infrastructure. The Dell, Duca Liberals fail to build. They absolutely fail to build, but our government will make the necessary changes that will make a positive impact for the people of Ontario. Thank you. The next question, the member for Kiwetnong. Miigwe, Speaker, my question is to the Premier. And Kiwetnong and First Nations served by Seoul called First Nations Health Authority, there were 562 deaths by suicide in the past 35 years. That is, since 1986, in a population of 30,000 people. Speaker, in 2019, the rate of suicide in Canada was eight per 100,000 people. The rate, the suicide rate among First Nations people is 24 per 100,000 people. That is three times higher. And then Kiwetnong, that is much higher. This year, we've had multiple youth died by suicide in Yabmatong, Webequai, Wanaman Lake, popular Health First Nations. The mental health crisis that exists across the far northern Ontario is not letting up, Mr. Speaker. What is Ontario doing to ensure our youth how the mental health supports that they need? Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. Thank you very much, Speaker. And thank you to the member for this important question. We know that we are losing far too many young people in particular from suicide as a result of their mental health concerns and some addiction concerns. And that this is particularly critical in many First Nations communities. That's why we have pledged and are investing over $3.8 billion in additional funding for mental health and addiction services over the next 10 years. This is the federal funds that have been matched by the provincial funds. And that we are particularly concentrating on First Nations communities. This is something that the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions has been working on steadily for, since he began this job, because he understands that it is important to work on with the communities to develop systems and ways of helping these young people in ways that are culturally appropriate and significant. So that work is going to continue. And these supplementary questions. Back to you, Deputy Premier. Speaker, mental health should have a no wrong-door approach to access those services. And it is not right to use the excuse that Ontario has no jurisdiction for improving First Nations mental health services. Jordan's principle ensures all First Nations children, no matter where they live, can access the services and the supports they need when they need them. Speaker, the current resourcing for mental health supports is completely inadequate. What is the Premier doing to help when First Nations in Ontario declare emergencies in response to these suicide epidemics? Speaker, and let me assure the member, through you, Mr. Speaker, that the province of Ontario certainly accepts responsibility to assist young people in particular, anyone with a mental health and addiction challenge. There is no reliance in the federal government. We have taken action on our own with our roadmap to wellness, our guide to mental health and addiction supports for people across Ontario. And we recently announced an additional $147 million to immediately expand access to the provincial mental health and addiction system for individuals and families in order to address some of the issues that people have faced specifically through the pandemic. But in addition to that, the our government has also invested money to increase the funding to all provincial children's mental health facilities by 5% so that they can hire more people in order to support more young people. And that certainly includes all First Nations service providers as well. So we take this very seriously and we look forward to working with our First Nations partners and colleagues in this to make sure that everyone in Ontario who needs access to mental health and addiction services will receive them. So thank you. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Guelph. Morning, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. COVID has highlighted how essential local supply chains are, especially when it comes to PPE, vaccines and food security. I hope the Premier can agree with me that local food supply is vital for Ontario. Yet according to the OFA, Ontario is losing 175 acres of farmland every day. Speaker, that's five family farms a week. Losing farmland threatens our ability to feed ourselves. It threatens the 870,000 people working in the sector and the sector's $50 billion contribution to our economy. Speaker, we simply cannot afford to continue to pave over our precious farmland. Will the Premier commit today to permanently protecting Ontario's prime farmland? And to reply, the government host figure. Thank you very much. Speaker, as we have done right from the beginning, Mr. Speaker, it's always actually been a conservative government in the province of Ontario that has protected the interests of our farmers. We know how important agriculture is to the economy of the province of Ontario. Speaker, when you talk about the things that the members talked about, be it the Oak Ridge's Moraine, it was a progressive conservative government that brought in the Oak Ridge's Moraine. It was a conservative government in Ottawa that brought in the protections for the Rouge National Park, Mr. Speaker, which despite the objections of the Green Party, protected farmland, class one farmland across a massive stretch of York region and Durham. The position of the Green Party was to reforest that class one farmland. A conservative government said, no, we're going to protect farmers and we're going to make sure that they can have that farmland productive for generations to come, Mr. Speaker. We understand how important agriculture is to the province of Ontario in all sectors, in all parts of the province. Thank you. You're supplementary. Speaker, what the government doesn't understand and what the Premier especially doesn't understand is that supercharging sprawl and building highways to pave over paradise, to build a linear parking lot and pave over thousands and thousands of acres of prime farmland threatens our jobs, our economy, our food security, and our efforts to reduce climate pollution. Highway 413 alone will unleash 17.4 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions between now and 2050. That's more pollution than the city of Toronto produced in 2018. It will cause up to $1.4 billion in cumulative damages from air pollution alone. All this damage for what, Speaker? To save people 30 seconds. To save people 30 seconds. So Speaker, will the Premier say yes to jobs, yes to fiscal responsibility, yes to reducing pollution, yes to local food and farmers and say no to the damage caused by Highway 413? The Associate Minister of Transportation. Thank you very much, Speaker. And I appreciate the passion and the member opposite. He mentioned a number of factors here, the economy, local supply chains, the environment, all issues we take very seriously here. Speaker, when it comes to the environment, we have to remember that it was the Liberals who paved over the green belt. 330 hectares in fact. And it was 100 hectares of farmland and green spaces and wetlands that we lost under that government. This government believes in doing something differently. That's why I'm appreciative that Minister Clark expanded the green belt here, Speaker. When it comes to our local supply chain, we need to get those farmers' food to the tables, to the merchants that actually sell them. And that's why we need to expand for the future. Speaker, to the member opposite. Today, Ontario has a population of nearly 15 million. In 30 years, the greater Golden Horseshoe alone will have a population of 15 million. We need to look forward to make sure we invest in highways, get people off the roads, because the member will know that a third of greenhouse gas emissions actually come from cars, Speaker. So let's make sure we get these people moving. Let's make sure we build the infrastructure that we need. That's what we need. That's what we need. Order. The next question, the member for Carlton. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, as you know, it is Small Business Week here in Ontario, where we recognize and acknowledge the significant contributions that Ontario's small businesses make to our communities and our economy. I want to thank Ontario's small business sector, especially the one in my riding of Carlton, for their commitment to working through these extraordinary circumstances. Could the Associate Minister of Digital Government please explain how our government is supporting Ontario businesses, navigate the rollout of the enhanced vaccine certificate with the official QR code and the Verify Ontario app. Thank you. Thank you. To apply, the Associate Minister, Digital Government. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I would like to thank the member of Carlton for the question and the great work she is doing in her community. Thank you. And acknowledge all of the hardworking small businesses that make Ontario great speaker. Businesses have faced significant challenges over the past 18 months. It's why we are doing everything we can to provide them the stability they need and deserve. Our government has provided a free verification app called Verify Ontario that supports businesses with an easy and efficient verification process. It is helping to protect our hard-fought progress, help avoid future lockdowns, and will do that while protecting people's privacy. In fact, Mr. Speaker, since last Friday, almost 4 million people have downloaded the Ministry of Health's official QR code and the Verify Ontario app for businesses has more than 930,000 downloads, and so far, over 1.1... Thank you very much. Thank you. And the supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the Minister for his response and for his work to develop a free tool, the Verify Ontario app for businesses and organizations to meet their needs. Ontario businesses continue to show leadership in our fight against COVID-19. Mr. Speaker, to the Associate Minister of Digital Government, how has the government made the Verify Ontario app serve the needs of businesses? Thank you. Thank you very much, Speaker, and thank you to the member for the question. The Verify Ontario app has been made available in advance of the October 22nd deadline to ensure businesses have sufficient time to download the app to become familiar with it. To design this app, Speaker, we consulted with small, medium, and large businesses, restaurants, sports and cultural institutions and venues of all sizes across all sectors and regions of Ontario. I'm happy to report that the Verify Ontario remains the top free app on both the Apple app and Google Play stores days after launch. It has beat, Mr. Speaker, it has beat out other provincial scanning apps and even TikTok. Finally, releasing our code as an open source has been a huge success. I've had people reach out to me from across the country praising our approach and the online response has been tremendous. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next, the member for Beaches East York. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Food banks across Ontario have seen their use skyrocket. Seniors, families, students, people who have never before had to access food banks are having to use them regularly. And one of the main reasons they're having to use them is because their rent has gone through the roof. Many of them are people with jobs and many are paying 80% and upwards of their income in rent. Speaker, people are suffering and charity is not the answer. I want to know what concrete steps, concrete steps is the government taking to ensure that people can afford to eat and make rent in this province. Mr. Speaker, I'm actually not sure where the member has been for the last three years. We set out immediately to bring down the costs for the people of the province of Ontario. We knew how expensive life was for people. It is one of the reasons why we moved immediately to bring down the cost of hydro for people. It's one of the reasons why we moved immediately to reduce taxes for the lowest income earners across the province. It's one of the reasons why we've worked so hard to bring down WSIB premiums for our small job creators. Mr. Speaker, it is also one of the reasons why we moved so quickly with transit oriented communities so that we could build homes closer to where people were working or getting on transit to get to jobs. It is one of the reasons why the Minister of Labor has been working so hard to modify and make it easier for people to get into high paying skilled jobs, Mr. Speaker, which was a complete and colossal failure of the liberal government on so many other issues, Mr. Speaker. I'm not sure where the member has been for the last three years, but I would be happy to combine it all together. Thank you. And the supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. Well, given the way that poverty and homelessness are in absolute crisis as never before in this province, whatever they've been doing is clearly not nearly enough. I am begging this government to pay attention to all the work that has been done on how the pandemic has affected racialized and immigrant communities in particular. Habon Ali is an OLIP intern in the legislature right here right now, whose master's thesis demonstrates the devastating effect that the pandemic has had on Somali young people and their families. I'd urge the Premier and his government to read it. I'm sure she would be happy to autograph a copy for them. Seniors across the province are going hungry. People with disabilities, listen to this, people with disabilities on the verge of homelessness are taking their own lives rather than try to live on the streets with a disability because you can't do it. Small towns are watching families lose their homes and having to resort to shelters. Once again, what concrete steps is the government taking to ensure everyone in this province can eat, stay housed and pay their bills. And the Parado will have to do it. Thank you so much, Speaker. And I appreciate the question from the member opposite. Our government throughout this pandemic has been committed to supporting some of our most vulnerable through these incredibly challenging times. Speaker, we have invested more than $1 billion in our social services relief funding throughout COVID-19. This fund provides direct funding for individuals in financial crisis as well as funding for municipalities and social services providers, like food banks to ensure that critical services continue for their clients. Furthermore, as part of Ontario's effort to support children, youth and families through this challenging time, we also provided $8 million in funding for Feed Ontario. We're going to continue to be there for vulnerable Ontarians throughout this pandemic, Speaker. And afterwards, we are going to continue our important work to get our economy going, create more high-paying jobs here in the province of Ontario and Ontarians know who they can trust to get that job done. Thank you. Thank you. The next question, member for Scarborough-Gilder. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. This is local government week. Last year, the government revoked the right for municipalities to hold their elections under a ranked ballot system. With a ranked ballot election, if your first choice does not win, your second choice still counts. Ranked ballot elections pull in more diverse candidates and gives racialized and female candidates a better chance for electoral success. The City of London successfully held a ranked ballot election and elected their first black woman city councillor. The City of Toronto, Kingston and Cambridge were all underway to institute ranked ballots in their 2022 elections. Speaker, does the Premier believe that Ontarians should have elected representatives that resemble the diverse population they represent? It needs to be local choice for local elections, not the Premier's choice for local elections. And to respond, the government has to. Mr. Speaker, does the Premier believe that the people that are elected to the chamber should reflect the community? Well, I'm looking right now at the Minister of Digital Government. I'm sitting next to an Italian-Canadian Minister of Education, Government House Leader, an Italian-Canadian member who, an immigrant member, a member from the member for Willowdale, the son of an immigrant who worked so hard to get here, Mr. Speaker, an Iranian immigrant, a South Korean immigrant over there, Mr. Speaker. The President of the Treasury Board, who's a sick immigrant, Mr. Speaker, the member for Aurora Oak Ridge is Markham from an immigrant family, Mr. Speaker. I could go on, but I suspect the member might want to reflect on a question like that again, Mr. Speaker. This is the most diverse caucus that has ever been elected to this place, and we're very proud of that. Member for York Centre, come to order. Start the clock. Supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. I think the member just demonstrated why a rank ballot system is sorely needed, because we need to progress beyond where we think we are. Come to order. Rank ballot elections forces candidates to respect each other, to respect their opponents, and not to have that partisan bickering that has become... Come on. Start the clock. I apologize to the member for Scarborough Guildwood for not... Thank you, Speaker. It really does force individuals to respect each other and to find common ground instead of attacking their opponents. You know, I remember that the Premier stated when he revoked the local municipal choice for rank ballot that, you know, it was good enough in 1867, and it's good enough for us now. But in 1867, it wasn't good enough. It wasn't good enough for women. It wasn't good enough for indigenous. It wasn't good enough for black people, all of whom earned the franchise to vote only in the last 100 years. And so it is well past time for us to progress beyond an 1867 system. So my question back to this minister, Speaker, is why is it that a rank choice ballot is good enough to even elect your own leader who has become the Premier? And why is it not good enough for the municipalities to have that choice to select their leader as well? Judge Vaughn, the government host. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Look, I know this is one of the old chestnuts that the Liberals bring out every election, Mr. Speaker. We heard it when I was a staffer here in 2003, the Liberals were going to change how we elected members of parliament. And that, of course, never happened, in part because the people of Province of Ontario thoroughly rejected the proposals that were brought forward by the Liberals. We then heard it federally, Mr. Speaker, in a promise. 2015 was the last time, under a liberal government, the last time that first pass the post would be used, Mr. Speaker, well, how did that work out, colleagues? It didn't. The member talks about partisan bickering. I'm elected here as a progressive conservative, Mr. Speaker. I'm passionate about the things I believe in. I'm passionate about lowering taxes. I'm passionate about education. I'm passionate about making health care and long-term care, but I'm passionate and frustrated at the fact that inflation has gone up and I want to make it easier for people to live in the Province of Ontario and more affordable for the people of Province of Ontario. I'm not elected here to sit as a bump on a log and shake hands across the floor constantly. I'm here to fight for what I believe in and what the people of the Province of Ontario believe in. And if that means bickering every once in a while, so be it because that's why the people of Province have sent us here to do, to fight hard on their behalf. The next question, the member for Perth Wellington. My question is for the Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction. As has been mentioned in the House Speaker this week, it has been an honor to celebrate Small Business Week in the Province. In my own writing of Perth Wellington, I have heard I have had the opportunity to visit many small businesses and hear firsthand of their experience. In fact, in the town of Meadow alone, I was to five ribbon-cutting ceremonies of new businesses just in the past couple months. But one thing I've heard in particular is the need to make government more accessible and easier to interact with. There seems to be a lot of duplication in reporting, forms and more that take entrepreneurs away from doing the work they need to expand their businesses. And the Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction let business owners across the province know how she is working to help them focus on their businesses and not time-consuming paperwork. The Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member from Perth Wellington for that important question. Speaker, currently far too many regulatory requirements in Ontario are inefficient, inflexible, out-of-date or duplicated at the federal or municipal levels. It's hard to start a business, expand your current one or simply get through the day when you must first complete outdated pay reforms or prove that the same requirements have been fulfilled multiple times. This slows down innovation, slows down business owners and slows down the people of Ontario who may need to access government services. Since we formed government, we have made it a priority to get rid of these costly and unhelpful regulations and burdens that are slowing down businesses and people across the province. We will continue to do the necessary work as with our current red tape package as we continue to make life simpler for the province of Ontario. Thank you, Speaker. A supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the minister for that response. Speaker, I'm happy to hear that the minister is making burden reduction and cutting red tape a priority. And I know businesses are thrilled, too, but for the average person, it's sometimes hard to understand exactly what cutting red tape means or what making changes actually do. We talk about modernizing government and making common-sense changes in different sectors, but what does that really mean? Can the minister give examples of initiatives being done to help small businesses and constituents in my writing and explain why cutting red tape is so important? The associate minister. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you again to the member from Perth Wellington for that question. But I also want to commend the member for his advocacy for businesses in his writing, especially during Small Business Week. Speaker, cutting red tape means government is removing needless regulatory requirements that are impeding our social and economic progress. Many of these changes are common-sense changes that have positive impacts for both the people of Ontario and the businesses across the province. Common-sense changes like allowing 24-7 truck deliveries to retailers, restaurants, and distribution centres. Changes like introducing online sticker renewals for heavy commercial vehicles, for buses, school buses, and farm vehicles. Speaker, there is much we have done and much more that we are doing, but we're always looking for more ways to make life easier for the people and businesses of Ontario. It's what we are committed to doing and what we will continue to do. Thank you, Speaker. The next question, the member for Sincac. Thank you, Speaker. This question's to the Premier. It was a positive step to see a temporary drive test centre open in Niagara. But on Monday, day one, that bookings opened, the appointments filled up in Niagara in 15 minutes. That's right, 15 minutes. Margaret Murphy, a resident in St. Catherine's, has been trying to get her two daughters drive tests for years. It's clear that the backlog is so serious that she found the Niagara's temporary drive test centre booked up in minutes. What's worse, Madison, her daughter, an emergency room nurse, is trying to get her G license, but Niagara won't be offering the G test. That's right, not now. This Niagara nurse is out of luck now, which is not good enough. Premier, it is clear there is a staffing problem and we haven't done enough. Will you commit to greenlighting more staff so the Niagara temporary drive centre can add more appointments, including tests for G licenses, and properly staff these centres? The Associate Minister of Transportation. Thank you, Speaker. And it is important to highlight the backlog when it comes to drive tests. This pandemic has been hard on everybody and that of course includes those who are trying to get their drive tests done, Speaker. And that's why in June, our ministry introduced an aggressive plan to commit with an investment of $16 million to tackle the very backlog that this member is referencing for these in-vehicle passenger road tests, Speaker. And as part of this plan, we opened temporary test facilities and we hired an additional 251 examiners to offer those road tests with extended hours on weekdays and weekends and on holidays. And Speaker, just recently, we opened three additional temporary road facilities. The member references one in Niagara Falls and this additional allocation of resources is specifically meant to tackle that very backlog and we will get through that backlog and return to the normal times of volume in very soon. Thank you. And we'll just have another question. Thank you, Speaker. Well, if 250 new hires has not made a dent in this problem, then your government obviously has not done enough to fix the problem. Back to the Premier. We all want this backlog to be cleared shortly so that things will return to normal for drivers. But very simple problems remind me of the experience our seniors had when booking their vaccines. Deja Vu, unclear directions, long lineups that led you to a booking system that never had appointments in the first place. Margaret is desperate for her children to continue to drive so they can get to work. Logging on to the site can result to 45 minute wait times. What was the result? There was no appointments in the first place. We need to properly staff these centers but if the government refuses to increase staffing then at least fix the booking system so that Margaret won't waste her time. Premier, will you direct the private company that runs drive test centers in Ontario to fix their booking system gaps and direct the ministry to hire more staff today clearing this backlog? The Associate Minister. Thank you, Speaker. And I understand Margaret's frustration here but I need to remind all members of this House that this 19 months has been difficult on everybody and it has impacted every aspect of life and of course that includes our drive test centers and the backlog that has come along with this very difficult time period, Speaker and that's exactly why I mentioned the $16 million allocated to fixing that backlog and I encourage the members opposite to work with our government to get through these types of challenges together. It wasn't that long ago that the member opposite who mentions vaccination rates were criticizing how this government was rolling it out and now thanks to our health minister we're at 87% on first dose, 83% on second dose of vaccination leading the world, Speaker. We will get through this backlog and we will return to the road to prosperity very soon. The next question, the member for York City. Morning, Speaker, to the Minister of Health. The United Healthcare Workers of Ontario is a group of over 3,000 healthcare workers, mostly nurses. Yesterday they wrote a letter to the Premier outlining grave concerns with the unintended consequences of vaccine mandates. The letter cited already existing shortages within the system. In London, the ICU recently closed an entire bay due to shortage of staff. Ottawa's regional trauma centre is periodically unable to admit patients. Guelph's labour and delivery unit is often closed due to shortage of nurses. The letter cites the Premier's conference of last Friday in which he acknowledged that 15% of Ontario's healthcare workers remain unvaccinated putting the magnitude of potential staff losses in the tens of thousands. My question to the Minister of Health. Will she respond to the letter from the United Healthcare Workers? And will she block the termination of tens of thousands of Ontario healthcare workers or is she ready and willing to oversee the collapse of Ontario's healthcare system? To reply, the Minister of Health. Yes, Speaker. Well, what I can say to the member is that we encourage everyone in Ontario who is able to receive the vaccine medically to do so. That is the best way that we can protect ourselves, our families, our communities, our healthcare system, keeping our schools open, opening up our economy. And the reality is that the vast majority of healthcare workers, as you're discussing, have received the vaccine. There are still some people who are a vaccine hesitant for a number of reasons and there are other people who are anti-vaxxed in any event. But you're right. When we consider the results of a mass vaccination policy, we have to consider how many people will not receive the vaccines and what the job losses will be associated with that. That is why the Premier has written to hospitals to healthcare providers to obtain their views on whether they feel that with their staff, they will have numbers leaving in such quantities that they won't be able to carry on their operations. So we... Thank you. Thank you very much. And a supplementary question. Speaker, we all agree that vaccination is a choice and choice shouldn't result in the collapse of Ontario's healthcare system. This is not an ideological argument or a hypothetical scenario. Ontario lives are at risk. Not because someone didn't get the vaccine, but because we'll have to shut down beds, wards, and cancel surgeries. The letter says that in Toronto, elective surgeries are being canceled because there's not enough staff to sterilize the equipment fast enough. In central Ontario, a Cardio-critical care unit is operating with just over half of the required nursing staff. Instead of fear-mongering, instead of the disgusting proposition that someone who's unvaccinated is putting lives at risk, it is this government, it is these mandates that are putting lives at risk. So back to the minister. Will she defend the Ontario healthcare system by preventing the firing of thousands of Ontario healthcare workers? Question. Yes or no? Order. Minister of Health. Thank you. Well, in actual fact, people who are unvaccinated are putting others at risk. We understand that even with people who are vaccinated, they can still have COVID transmitted to them by somebody who's unvaccinated. Somebody who's unvaccinated is at least eight times more likely to be hospitalized, somebody unvaccinated, somebody who's 65 and older is at least 25 times more likely to end up in hospital, to end up in ICU. So we are encouraging everyone to receive this vaccine that is able to do so. That is important for the health and safety of all Ontarians. Health care workers understand that. We are currently collating the responses that we've received from the hospitals and health care organizations to understand what the job losses might be for people who choose to be unvaccinated if we have a mandatory vaccination policy. That's a very important consideration is something that we have to weigh in the balance because there's some parts of rural and northern Ontario where there may be some concerns, but it is an issue and we are dealing with it. Let's trust him. There's no points of order during question period. Sit down. Member for London North Centre. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. Families of children with autism are more worried than ever after the government admitted they won't have a fully functioning Ontario autism program until 2022. Meanwhile, the wait list has grown by 83%. And all families here from this government are broken promises after four long years of delay. My constituent Gillian loves her son Elias with her whole heart. His profound diagnosis means he needs help with most aspects of daily life and is nonverbal. Without government support, Gillian tells me she can't afford for her son to miss early intervention over a political decision. This government has not learned from the liberal failures like age caps and cutting families off from service. This government has made the liberal disaster much, much worse. Speaker, it's time for the government to stop playing politics with autism services. When will this government invest in a comprehensive needs-based program so that children like Elias can get the services he needs now? Member for Ottawa-West Napaean and Parliament. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the member opposite for asking this important question and for sharing Elias' story. It is because of children like Elias that our government has doubled the Ontario autism budget from $300 million to $600 million. We are also, Speaker, in the process of implementing our new Ontario autism program, a program designed by the community for the community. There are going to be multiple pillars to this new strategy and many of them are already underway, Speaker. We already have in place foundational family services that are offered to provide parent coaching and immediate support to parents upon learning of a diagnosis of one of their children. We have early years intervention coming online as we speak at providers across the province. We have a new stream coming online, shortly, Speaker, on urgent response and we already have children coming into our new core services program. Lots of work yet to be done. We're continuing to implement it. Thank you. And that's a commentary question. My question is back to the Premier. The member across the floor talks about funding. Let's talk about the four long years that people are waiting. Let's talk about the fact that funding is still based on age. That is not needs based by its very definition. The lack of government support means that parents like Gillian are risking their own financial stability so that the kids can get the care that they need. Although Gillian received a one-time payment, she is now paying for therapy out of pocket. This is so expensive, she was forced to refinance her own home to pay for Eliza's services. Gillian tells me, after the equity from our home is gone, we won't be able to make ends meet and keep our son in essential services. We spend each day between a rock and are risking our financial future to ensure our son gets the services he needs now. No family should have to make the choice between their home and their kids. Speaker, when is this government going to stop ignoring the needs of children with autism and stop putting the future of families like Gillian and Elias at risk? Thank you so much, Speaker. And I agree, of course, we want to make sure that our children who are on the wait list are receiving support. That's why we took action to make sure that those families who had been receiving nothing for years received interim funding. There are over 39,000 families in Ontario that are now receiving some level of support. That's more than four times the number of families that have received support at any other time in Ontario history. With regards to the funding allocations, I would like to refer the member opposite to page 19 of the Ontario Autism Panel's report, which recommended these types of funding allocations to ensure as many children and youth as possible could receive support under the new needs-based program funded at $600 million. Speaker, we are committed to implementing this report. We are committed to following the recommendations. We're going to have a world-class autism program here in Ontario. The work is underway. We're going to get this done. Thank you, Speaker. The next question is for Ottawa. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mandatory universal vaccinations for frontline workers in health care and education are nothing new. We've been doing them for more than half a century here in Ontario because it protects people. That's why we do it. So the Minister of Long-term Care understands this, saying that while mandatory vaccinations may impact staffing, the priority has to be the safety of residents and the safety of other staff. He also said, well, they might lose some staff who are unwilling to be vaccinated. Home operators are much more concerned with the staffing implication of an outbreak. Well, Speaker, the same principle applies in our hospitals, in our schools, in home care, and in child care centres. It's about protecting people. So, Speaker, through you, will the minister do the right thing today, the government do the right thing today, and vote in support of Bill 12 and mandatory vaccinations for frontline health care and education workers in Ontario? Minister of Health. Thank you. Well, Speaker, the health and wellbeing of all Ontarians has always been our government's primary concern and will continue to be so. So, the issue is I understand what the member's concern is for mandatory vaccination, but I understand that all members of his caucus don't feel the same way that the member for Thunder Bay Superior, Noh, actually indicated that he wanted an exemption for a personal support worker who did not want to be vaccinated. That is not complete support for mandatory vaccination from that side of the house as I understand it. However, we are taking the approach that should be taken. We have consulted the Premier has sent a letter out to all hospitals, to all health care centres, to understand what their concerns are, because it's not just a simple question of snapping your fingers and having mandatory vaccination. There is also the concern that we need to have the capacity in our hospitals to care for all of the people who are at our hospitals. So, that is what we have received that information from those hospitals. We're collating it now to understand what their concerns are. A supplementary question. I don't understand why this government continues to drag their feet and didder. So, think about all the organisations who've called for this. It's just about the middle of summer. RNA-owned Ontario's nurses, Ontario Public School Board Association, Home Care Ontario, OMA and Ontario's doctors, OHA and Ontario's hospitals, families, province-wide. It kind of feels a bit like paid sick days, doesn't it? So, the COVID-19 science table has said vaccine mandates can enhance safety and reduce the risk of staffing disruptions due to COVID-19. Why does this government continue to deny the science? Is the Premier more concerned about his friends in the People's Party than he is about the health and safety of Ontarians? So, Speaker, through you, can the Premier justify putting in a vaccine mandate in long-term care to protect people and not do it in other settings like hospitals, schools, home care and childcare? And the Minister of Health, first time. Thank you. What our government has done since the beginning of this pandemic has been listening to the science, listening to the evidence, listening to the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the people who have been advising him, listening to the people at Public Health on Ontario and Ontario Health. That is the way we have always acted and we will continue to act because that is in the best interests of Ontarians. We have continued to do that work. The difference between long-term care and hospitals in long-term care is that people in long-term care homes have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. There were still outbreaks occurring. That was necessary in order to bring in max mandatory vaccination there. However, we have larger hospitals with larger groups of people working there. We have to consider whether there are going to be many more job losses if too many people refuse vaccination versus if people are unvaccinated coming into the hospitals and infecting other health care workers and patients. We are taking a science-based approach to reviewing this. We are reviewing the information that we have received. We are taking this a step-by-step way that we should be doing in order to make sure that we can protect the health and safety of all Ontarians. Thank you. Thank you. That concludes our question period for this morning. Thank you.