 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the member for Davenport. Thank you, Speaker. And my question is to the Premier. Good morning, Premier. It's good to see you here yesterday. The Minister of Education said he was tabling Bill 28 because it was in the best interest of students. Let me say, Mr. Speaker, that's pretty rich, coming from a government that has shown time and time again how little they actually care for our kids and our students. They've underfunded our schools. They've increased class sizes. They've forced kids into online classes. And they kept kids out of classrooms longer than any other jurisdiction, Speaker. That is not the behaviour of a government that cares about kids and neither is Bill 28. Will the Premier stop this, roll up his sleeves and work with education workers to invest in our students? Will you apply the Premier? Well, Mr. Speaker, we're making sure that the students stay in class. I'm going to repeat that. We're going to stay in class. We want parents to know that we're doing everything we can to make sure students don't miss one single day in class. We've been at the table and we put a very fair offer, and the Union continues to charge ahead with a strike action that would affect this province this Friday. That means there'd be two million students sitting at home. Probably a million parents would be taking work off, Mr. Speaker. I want to be clear. We will never ever waver from our position that students remained in the class, catching up with their learning, surrounded by friends with a full school experience, including extracurricular activities. It's good to hear the Premier finally get allowed to speak by his government there. I got to tell you, Friday, kids are going to be out of school in many parts of this province because your government is going to disrupt that. Ontarians want to know why this is not standing up for the custodians and the maintenance workers who are cleaning our schools clean and safe, or the educational assistance supporting our students with special needs, or the ECEs that are teaching our littlest kids. Speaker, this government, they have all the power and the privilege. All these workers have is their union and their right to bargain collectively. It is not too late. Fix the mess you're making today for the Premier speak up and stop this bill. Let's make the comments to the Chair, the Premier. Mr. Speaker, there's only one party in this chamber that is standing up for students and parents, and that's the PC party. Mr. Speaker, the Liberals and NDP, they want to make sure they stand up for the heads of the union. Mr. Speaker, our party differentiates between labour and labour leadership. We support the frontline labour folks. Mr. Speaker, we support the fact that the frontline folks get 131 days. We're okay with that, of sick days. But what we don't support is the unreasonable requests from QP leadership that they demand a nearly 50% increase. Mr. Speaker, the union refuses to withdraw their strike notice even after we put forward a very generous offer. We've already... Thank you. Thank you. Government, and back to the Premier. This government is violating the rights of 55,000 Ontario workers, and those workers are parents too. Newsflash. Bill 28 is going to hurt them and it's going to hurt their families. There is no notwithstanding clause for workers who can't afford to pay their bills. The Premier is forcing these workers to accept a shameful deal while they starve our classrooms and they're sitting on billions of education dollars at the same time. And you know the irony, Mr. Speaker, the irony is that this bill, this government, is going to force the education workers out. That's what's going to do it. This bill is going to close our schools. This bill right here. Will the Premier stop coming after workers, tear up this terrible bill, and return to the bargaining table today? Mr. Speaker, I ask the opposition, stop attacking going after our students. Stop going after our parents. Stop going after the two million students that want to be in the classroom, Mr. Speaker. They talk about 54,000 workers. We're talking over a million parents that would take work off because you want to feather the nest of the heads of the union. That's unacceptable. We want to take care of the front line, hardworking, educational workers, and we'll always have the box. But you know something, we are going to feather the nest of the head of the QP. Again, we differentiate between labour and labour leadership. I think the labour needs to find new labour leadership. I realize members care passionately and deeply about this issue. But I need to be able to hear the member who has the floor. And I'll ask the House to come door. Start the clock. The next question. Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, His Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, my question is a Premier. But before I ask, I'll just assure the Premier that the members of those unions who are providing our children with support today, they want what has been put forward. And any suggestion that their wishes aren't being represented is simply not accurate. Speaker education workers are critical to our schools. They're the librarians who help our kids develop a love of reading. They're the educational assistants who go above and beyond to help those children who are dealing with disabilities. They're the secretaries who keep our schools running. But instead of valuing these workers and paying them a fair wage, listening to what they want and actually meeting them at a fair point, the government is determined to drive them right out of our schools. Why does the government have such a hard time recognizing the important role education workers play in our schools? Minister of Education. Thank you, Speaker. While the NDP and the Liberals sit on the sidelines, this government will stand up for students and keep them in class. That is what a responsible government would do. Mr. Speaker, we believe in a simple principle as communicated by the Premier that children should be in the classroom. It has been very difficult past few years. It started with strikes followed by a border pandemic. We have a moral obligation to ensure they are in school in front of their teachers with their friends learning skills, not at home on a Friday or any day this school year. It has been very clear in our intention to stand up for students, for parents and ensure they're in school every day, Speaker. A supplementary question. The Leader gives that to the oil opposition. Again to the Premier and Speaker, let's be clear. If this government cared about the children in our schools, they wouldn't beat up on the people who are looking after them. Yesterday was a dark day for Ontario workers. Bill 28 not only disrespects education workers, but it also tramples their collective bargaining rights by imposing a contract, denying them the right to strike and levying fines against those who dare defy the Premier's orders. This government's use of the notwithstanding clause is massive overreach. A clear message to workers that their concerns just don't matter. New Democrats call on this government to reverse course, withdraw Bill 28 and return to the bargaining table to bargain in actual good faith. Will the government commit to doing that today? Mr Speaker, the members opposite can have it both ways. Either you support this strike or you stand with this government and will vote for this bill and keep kids in the classroom. Pick a lane. The NDP wants to have it both ways and they simply can. They need to declare a clear position to the constituents in their writings. Will they vote for this bill to provide stability for children? Or will they stand with this union on a strike that no one will tolerate in the province of Ontario? Final supplementary, the member for Nicobel. Bill 28 is intimidation. It's bullying for education workers. Those workers have already very bad salaries. They go use food banks and our children are the ones who will pay. The Premier will craze humanitarian crisis in our schools as they did before with people who have low salaries. Will the Premier pull back and support the education workers and come back to the negotiation table? Thank you to the member opposite for the question. We are very committed to keeping kids in school. We've heard from the voices of parents who have told us the difficulty and the hardship they have faced with respect to the pandemic and the strikes that preceded it just a few short years ago. Mr Speaker, while we remain committed to getting a deal with any ruling partner in education to provide stability, we will not tolerate impacts on kids. We will not accept a child being out of school for even one day. We're taking action to stand up for children while we continue in good faith with our labour partners to get a deal so that we can all bring forth a program that is fair for workers whom we respect. It's why we're hiring 1,800 more of them in this program. It's why this progressive Conservative government has hired 7,000, nearly 7,000 more education workers to date in our schools. Mr Speaker, we'll continue while we're listening to parents, stand up for students, and keep these kids in school. I realize this is out of order, but I want to welcome the school children who are here in East and West public hours. We're glad to have you here to observe question period. Mr Speaker, join me in wanting to impress those school children today. Start the clock. The next question, member for Ottawa West and the PN. Education workers help our students every day. They keep schools going even when they're closed. They love their work. They want to continue supporting students, but they want to pay the bills at the same time. The government's bill attacks such important workers that cannot pay their bills. Why does the Premier force to recourse at a bill rather than negotiate with these workers in a reasonable way? Mr Speaker, it was just Sunday where we brought the union in a room to discuss an option to a vertical strike, which QP alone called Effective Friday. They put this problem with five days notice of a problems-wide strike impacting two million children. Member for Davenport, come to order. Member for Niagara Falls, come to order. It is our position, Speaker, that is unacceptable and inconsistent with the lives of parents who want their kids in the classroom. We understand the hardship this pandemic has imposed on kids and working parents, and we believe they should be in school, they should be with their educators, they should be with their friends. That should be a position supported by every member in this legislature. And the Premier's right, we stand alone on this issue and we will fight every day to ensure these kids remain in school. A supplementary question. Kids by sending their grown-ups to a food bank. Crystal, who lives in Ottawa, West Nippian, is a library tech supporting over 600 kids at two different schools. She works long exhausting days, then comes home to a diet of canned beans and rice because that's all she can afford. She does yard duty and shoes with holes in them because she can't afford to replace them. She still loves her job and she can't fathom doing anything else. But this government is driving workers like Crystal away. Instead of trampling on the rights of workers like Crystal, the Premier actually stepped up to support Crystal and the 620 kids she supports by scrapping this shameful bill and coming to the table to negotiate a fair deal. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We remain entirely committed to keeping children in school. We believe these kids have paid a great price of the pandemic and I think it is absolutely responsible for this government to stand up and ensure they remain in class right to June without disruption. That is the obligation we have to families. We've received a mandate for the people of this province to speak for these kids. Give them a voice. We committed in the summer to a normal and stable return to class and we are fulfilling that through this legislation, which we hope will pass design to provide stability for the kids of this province. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. On Tara's housing supply is in a crisis. Housing was the leading issue of concern during the provincial and the municipal election. We share these concerns with our members opposite. We have often claimed to advocate for missing middle housing and to increase the supply of alternative and affordable housing in the province of Ontario. The issue of addressing the housing situation in our province transcends party lines and requires immediate action as the status quo is not working. Speaker, can the Minister please elaborate on the bold and precise actions of our government is taking to address the concerns related to housing supply? Thank you very much. I want to thank the member for Ms. Saga Lakeshore for that question. He is absolutely right. We know that the status quo is not working. The members opposite have even acknowledged that fact. But if we continue, Speaker, down the path that this province has been on, there is going to be a generation that will never realize the dream of home ownership. The proposed legislation takes several very important steps to make sure that Ontario has the additional housing supply it needs by permitting more gentle intensification through allowing three units as of right. Our proposed changes will lay the foundation for more missing middle housing. Additionally, we're reducing building costs to incentivize the construction of affordable housing, not for profit housing, inclusionary zoning units right across this province. What we're asking is that the opposition put partnership over partisanship and stop... Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker, and Minister for that response. I'm sure that all members of this House have received questions and concerns from the people of their riding regarding what our government is doing to help individuals and families achieve the dream of home ownership. I know our government is committed to delivering on our mandate of building 1.5 million homes over the next decade. We all agree that the government must take bold and decisive actions to help those who feel left behind in the housing market. Speaker, can the minister please explain how this legislation will help Ontarians and newcomers and young first-time buyers realize their dream of home ownership? Minister Mitchell, cares and housing. Thanks again. Again, I want to thank the member for Miss Sugg lecture. He's a true home believer and a true champion for housing in his riding. You know, our government speaker is making sure that first-time home buyers have access to the homes that they can afford. It's imperative that we use every tool that's available to us, including the creation of our new attainable housing program. It's going to reduce costs on affordable housing. It's going to parcel surplus provincial lands, take advantage of innovative technologies and also alternate housing ownership models. Speaker, Ontarians need and they deserve the peace of mind when it comes to making the biggest purchase in their life. That's why I was proud last week to stand with Minister Rashid, the Minister of Public Business and Service Delivery, as we introduced the strictest consumer protection in Canada. Speaker, the opposition was right when they said, we need an all-hands-on-deck. We just need them to change their approach. They have to start saying yes to creating new housing supply. The next question. Remember for Sudbury. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is the Premier. Good morning, Premier. I want to tell you about Daniel Rancourt, Speaker. He's an education support worker. His dedication to our children is absolutely immense. For 29 years, Daniel's kept our schools clean and safe for students and for staff, Speaker. Unfortunately, his child is type 1 diabetes and that requires medication and medical supplies. And the cost of those necessary medical supplies is a huge struggle for Daniel. Speaker, workers who are working 12 hours a day, five days a week, should be able to afford necessary medical expenses for their child. But Daniel said, and I quote, put yourself on our shoes. With the rising cost of living, would you be able to live off of our salary? This, Mr. Ford and Mr. Lecce, I'm quoting, means that as a father and a husband, I don't get to spend a lot of time at home. My question, Speaker, will the Premier scrap this harmful bill, finally acknowledge the lives and struggle of the education support workers that are hurting and direct his ministers to sit down and finally negotiate a fair deal? Mr. Speaker, we are committed to keeping kids in the classroom. That is our priority. That is what is driving this legislation, is why we are here today, because a QP has decided on Sunday to announce a five-day strike. QP alone put themselves on this footing. After all, Speaker, it was QP who decided to proceed with a strike mandate and table our first offer in the summer. This was their intention all along and it is regrettable we are here. We shouldn't be here. We should have had a voluntary deal signed on Sunday that preserved stability and offer a reasonable offer to the workers 10% over four years, maintaining the benefits, the pensions, the sick leave, which we believe is competitive. 11 days paid at 100% and 120 days at 90%. The only program of its kind in the country, Speaker. Our commitment is to preserve those benefits, to incent more of them to work and to ensure they show up on Friday because our kids are depending on them to be there every day in this province. That's a great question. Mr. Speaker, it would be lovely to hear from the Premier. The Premier was talking about supporting frontline folks. I want to remind you that 96.5% of those workers voted with you and agreed with the negotiations. Let me tell you about Charity. I keep telling the Premier Speaker about Charity. She's a full-time education sport worker and so little from the Conservative Government that she goes to food banks. Yesterday I asked her a question about her. I got ignored by the Premier. I hope we get an answer today. So Charity doesn't understand why the Conservative Government continues to attack workers like her. She called me yesterday and she said, I am so scared right now, I'm honestly terrified. My kids are wearing the same Halloween costumes from last year because we couldn't afford new ones. I just want to go grocery shopping. We deserve better than the food bank. Speaker, will the Premier finally answer and tell Charity why he doesn't care about children or workers like her? Let's get an answer. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you to members opposite. I think the Premier and every member of this progressive Conservative Party is committed to ensuring Charity's children could be in school. That is the first obligation of this province. It is our responsibility to ensure these kids have stability because children in Ontario and families in this province have seen the story before. The never-ending strikes imposed under different parties and parents have had enough. That's why, Speaker, we brought forth the bill with regret knowing that there was an option for the union. Withdraw the strike and proceed with negotiations with the government. But they opted to proceed with the strike that no one wants, that will impose hardship on children and the government has been clear on our obligation. We will ensure kids are in school. We will work every day to ensure they catch up and that, Speaker, starts with them being in class in the first place. Speaker, we are prepared to meet with the negotiating team at any point so long as strikes are off the table in this province, Speaker. I recognize the member or apologize, New Market Aurora. Experts are projecting that Ontario's population is expected to increase by 2 to 6 million over the next 20 years. As many newcomers arrive in Ontario in communities like mine, New Market Aurora York Region is viewed as a favourable jurisdiction to settle down raise a family and own a home. Many of my constituents have settled in this area and to meet the future needs of my community's growing population, our government must ensure environmentally sustainable growth for the great people of York Region. Under the previous Liberal government, we saw how they chose to dither, delay and neglect when it came to proper environmental planning and housing development for my region. Speaker, can the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks please explain what our government is doing for housing development in York Region? Great. The Student Environment, Conservation and Parks. I would like to thank the member opposite for her leadership and advocacy to support a critical need housing. We heard it through the last election and we know that our municipal counterparts heard it through theirs. For years, Ontarians have struggled to find attainable home ownership. Parents and grandparents looking in the eyes of their children wondering if they'll ever have a place to call home. If we're going to be honest with our self-speaker that means we need to build the critical infrastructure to support that housing growth. Simply put, Ontarians deserve reliability and strong environmental oversight for simple actions like turning the faucet on or flushing the toilet. It's not sexy, Speaker, I know, but for years the previous Liberal government ignored this critical infrastructure needed to give people the dignity of a roof over their home and a place to call home and for years these regions struggled to meet their population growth because of neglect by the previous Liberal government. Well, I'm proud to say that under the leadership of this Premier and this Minister of Housing, we're solving this problem. We're getting shovels in ground on the roads, the bridges, the houses and yes, the critical water and wastewater infrastructure needed so that people can have a place to call home in the province of ... Speaker, it's great to hear from the Minister about our government's actions on this file which is of vital importance for the people of my riding. York Region has awaited on an answer to its Upper York Sewage Solutions proposal since 2014 and I know that our government has been steadfast in working on this file since we came to government. Speaker, our government assigned the York Region wastewater independent advisory panel to consider options regarding addressing wastewater solutions for the future. The panel has now published a report backing the Duffin Creek Treatment Facility for Wastewater Management. Speaker, can the Minister please elaborate on how this decision was made and why this is the right choice for all of Ontario and my community of Newmarket Aurora in the great region of York. Minister of the Environment. Thank you Speaker and again, thank you to the member for that important question. I would like to thank the incredible work of the panel. Speaker, they've worked hard over the last year to provide a sage advice to this government that advice is now public for all Ontarians to see and I'd like to thank them for that work. Speaker, they've put forward advice that is best for the environment 50% reduction thanks to the advice and work that this panel has done. Secondly, Speaker, it's better for cost. They've saved over $800 million for the rate pairs of York region providing certainty for both York and Durham region so that folks can have a place to call home, not just today but for years to come. And finally Speaker, they've done the important work of looking at optimizing existing infrastructure and Speaker they've done excellent work and that's why our ministry is here providing certainty for both regions to support the growth working with indigenous partners to meet important duty to consult requirements and Speaker working. Thank you. Next question, the member from Toronto thanks all. Thank you, this question is to the Premier. The Conservative government introduced back to work legislation that disregards the value of 55,000 education workers in our schools. Many of them the lowest paid workers in education who are disproportionately women and BIPOC people. This government legislation blocks workers bargaining rights charter and human rights. These are workers who make an average of $39,000 a year as custodians, bus drivers, librarians education assistants supporting students with disabilities and behaviourals, lunch rooms supervisors, home monitors and so on. My question is to the Premier. The Premier's salary is over $208,000 a year. The Minister of Ed is over $165,000 a year. Their salaries keep going up despite inflation. Why does the Premier and the Minister think their work is four times more valuable than education work caring for Ontario's children in our schools? Why are PCs paying education to workers below inflation? Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. We are committed to keeping kids in the classroom where they belong. We think that is the priority of all parents in this province who have seen the hardship, the disruption and the aggression and learning in mental and physical health and social emotional wellbeing. We have to send up for these kids and give them a voice in this debate. They have been on the sidelines for too long. And I think it is absolutely appropriate for the government to use every tool at our disposal to ensure stability and to protect the in-class learning experience these kids deserve in Ontario. That's your question. Keeping students in class act will not keep students in class. It is bad legislation that disregards parents like Candice in my community who might have to struggle to find unaffordable childcare if education workers are forced to strike. This preemptive strike legislation similar to conservative bill 124 that produced a mass exodus of nurses from healthcare will push education workers out the door never to return. Speaker you cannot keep students in class without the caring adults, the education workers who are the backbone of our education system helping them every step of the way. My question is back to the premier. Nice to see you today. Will you stop this attack on education workers? Get back to the bargaining table for our students, our future leaders and education workers with a fair deal. 39K is not enough. Thank you. Remind members to please make their comments through the chair, not across the board. That was directly replied the minister of education. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. We believe very strongly that children should be in school. I think this discussion this debate is often about salaries benefits, sick leave and entitlements why don't we start talking about the impact of kids in this province? The impact of children's mental and physical health, the reporting loss that they feel at home when they're not in front of the educated, we believe strongly that kids should be in school, we've increased investments in public education, the highest levels recorded in the history of Ontario, $680 million more, but in addition to the investments and the 7000 more education staff we've hired since we came to power, we believe as the first principle of our plan to catch up kids in school and that's what we're fighting for. It's why we brought forth this bill in response to a union, QP who's put themselves on a path to strike this Friday. We will do what is right to keep these kids in school. The next question, the member for Gwell. My question is for the premier and I want to be clear, I want students back in school in clean safe. Do I need to remind the house that I have to hear the member who has the floor? I think he's got more to say. Start the clock, the member for Gwell. Back in clean safe classrooms in a stable, supportive learning environment. But speaker, let's be clear, that will not happen if the government continues to attack the charter rights of the lowest paid education workers in this province. People trying to survive on $39,000 a year. It's challenging for workers to give students all they can when they're having to work second jobs and go to the food bank to even put food on the table. So speaker we are experiencing the negative consequences of bill 124 underpaying and disrespecting frontline healthcare workers in our healthcare system. So why would the government repeat the same mistakes in our education system? Thank you very much we are absolutely committed to setting up to ensure kids remain in school. I will note to the member opposite that education workers in this country here in Ontario paid the highest $27 an hour. They have benefits, they have the best pension, they have 131 paid sick days, part of their sick leave and as you know speaker we continue to provide more investment in schools, more staffing part of this contract as proposed to ensure our kids are better supported. What we will not accept is the idea of children being out of class for even one more day. They have paid the price of this pandemic and we have a responsibility to ensure they stay in school in front of their educators learning the skills they need to succeed in this economy. Supplementary question. Bill 28 doesn't work for workers doesn't work for students if the government was serious about standing up for students they would stand up for the people who care for those students they would stand up for the people who go in each and every day at very low pay to ensure that our schools are safe they are clean, that our students have extra education support so I want to say to the parents of this province if you want your students to be safe, stable classrooms with good learning environments then the government needs to negotiate fair wages with the lowest paid workers so my question speaker to the minister is why is the government refusing to negotiate in a reasonable fair way with low paid education workers asking for a few extra dollars an hour to be able to pay the bills Minister of Education neither reasonable or fair to announce a strike on Friday when children have already been out of class they've already been dealing with the pandemic and the strikes before that that is unfair to children and we believe in our judgement that kids should be in school they should be in a stable safe environment supported by their staff and with their friends that's why speak we've increased investment in public education it's why we've offered a better deal with the government we're doing this because we want to get to a deal it requires the union to withdraw the strike it requires the union to bring forth a reasonable offer not a nearly 33% increase in salary, 50% increase in compensation when you add it all up that is not reasonable to any observer we're going to continue to work hard and stand up for kids and keep them in school speaker next question member for Hastings, Lennox and Addington thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Infrastructure speaker communities across eastern Ontario have been ignored for far too long under the previous Liberal government when it came to providing access to reliable high speed internet as a former IT guy and a former member of the eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus I am very aware of both the need and the efforts of the local people have put into accessing broadband residents of businesses rely on reliable internet systems for their day to day work for children to learn and for residents to communicate with people across the world among many other things for those in remote and rural communities the continued lack of reliable internet services prevents many from achieving their full economic potential our government recently made an announcement highlighting the investments made in high speed internet infrastructure can the Minister of Infrastructure on how our government is closing the digital divide for all Ontarians no matter where they live Minister of Infrastructure Member from Hastings, Lennox and Addington for the question Mr. Speaker we are allocating 4 billion to connect every Ontarian to high speed internet by the end of 2025 last week my parliamentary assistant member from Brampton West joined the federal government to announce an investment of 56 million towards high speed internet connectivity in eastern Ontario powered by Bell and Kojiko these three projects will bring access to Birds Creek Buckhorn and Bob Cajun Bell's projects are set to be completed by December 2025 and Kojiko's project is set to be completed by March 2024 Mr. Speaker this investment in high speed internet means that 16,000 homes will now have access How about your question Mr. Speaker this is great news for families and businesses across eastern Ontario access to reliable internet should be a necessity not a luxury Unfortunately this is still not the case for many Ontario families including many of my constituents Speaker as the minister previously noted our government has a plan to bring high speed broadband access to every Ontarian by 2025 Speaker can the Minister of Infrastructure please explain how the government plans to close this gap and achieve the goal of 100% connectivity for all Ontarians especially those in rural Ontario Minister of Infrastructure The question the member is correct our government has made a commitment to bring high speed internet access to every Ontarian by the end of 2025 we have already invested over 950 million towards nearly 190 high speed internet projects that have connected 175,000 homes and businesses which also include premises in eastern Ontario this summer we announced the eight successful internet service providers from the reverse auction process these eight ISPs are bringing access to up to 266,000 underserved and unserved homes and businesses within 339 municipalities we are now focusing on our last strategy to close the digital divide we have 40 to 60,000 premises to go we are almost there but our government will get the job done that's a lot next question the member for Hamilton Mountain thank you speaker my question is for the Premier yesterday this Premier and his government decided to take away bargaining rights of education workers who are among some of the lowest paid unionized workers in Ontario my office spoke with an education worker who called his action undemocratic and unfair why is the Premier and his government refusing to respect workers rights and bargain a fair collective agreement Minister of Education we respect our workers which is why we are increasing their pay every year over the course of this contract 10% over four years maintaining benefits sick leave and of course pensions the gold standard in Canada $27 an hour on average we are increasing their pay we will continue to do so because we know they play a critical role in our schools part of our program is to hire 1800 more education workers and roughly 800 to 900 teachers that's what we are doing because we know education quality is paramount we know learning loss is real we have expanded tutoring $175 million we have hired more staff we have expanded training but none of this really matters unless these kids are in class that's why we brought forth this legislation really is a last resort to ensure kids have the stability they deserve supplementary the last resort would have been bargaining until midnight on Thursday when this agreement was up on Friday case workers in this province deserve better from this government investing in our educational workers means investing in our children's futures because without them our children are set up for failure the education workers who are being disrespected by the government by this government are the same workers who keep our schools clean and functioning properly they need an environment that is safe and without them that can't happen why does this premier think that it's not important to invest in our children's futures we think it's important to stand up for students' futures which is why we brought forth the bill today to keep them in school because there's another threat of a strike that only one party made in this province and that's the QP on Sunday when they announced the strike on Friday now the member opposite suggests there's another way yes of course government could have as the new democrats have officially tabled their position not introduced legislation hoped for the best on Thursday did acquiesce to a nearly 50% increase in compensation there would have been a strike on Friday how is that good for kids, for parents and for the communities that depend on our publicly funded schools we have done this as a last resort because regrettably the union wouldn't withdraw the strike on Friday and we don't believe kids should be out of school we believe these children have been through enough and enough is enough speaker parents know this to be true we're standing up to provide the stability every child in this province deserves next question the member for Halden and Norfolk thank you speaker my question is for the minister of health as we know Ontario's health care system is in crisis and to be fair health care has been in disaster mode for a long time but you are the government of the day and it's up to you to fix it speaker this government must restore respect by scrapping bill 124 a bill that continues to gut our system of nurses it's time to clean up surgical backlogs by setting up stand alone centres and I've spoken to many retired nurses who believe returning to a two year college nursing programme would get more people on the front lines faster that's part of a plan and yet all I hear and see from this government on this file is tinkering health care workers have lost faith in their profession and they've left they continue to leave and others have been sidelined I haven't seen any action with respect to enticing health care workers back to the front line speaker as we watch Ontario's hospitals bleed out does the minister what does the minister have to say to those who've lost faith or who have been forced to watch from the sidelines minister of health and deputy premier to talk about our plan to stay open it is frankly a very important tenant of how we are making sure that our hospitals that our long term care that our community care are working at full capacity so that they can look after the individuals who need help where they need it you know we have worked very well with the college of nurses of Ontario in fact we have over one thousand new internationally educated our ends who are licensed and practicing in the province of Ontario because of the changes that our government has made the member opposite is right on one point the member opposite is right on one point and that is that this file was ignored for far too long we have auditor general reports saying that we had shortage of family physicians in northern Ontario did the government of the day do anything no it took premier forward it took this government to act and make the changes needed to make sure that our health care system is protected thank you the supplementary question that response is a bit disappointing because the member opposite should have said she will do everything possible to get every worker back on the front lines we need them all and we need them today Sunday night one of my local hospitals north folk general issued a statement that effective immediately services in the emergency department would be temporarily reduced speaker this is a staffing issue and we are just at the beginning of cold and flu season the release issued by the hospital said and I quote this temporary reduction in hours is necessary and is beyond the control of the hospital and the physicians in our community and my constituents have been reaching out to me they are worried they are going to see more of these reductions in the coming weeks and months will the minister stand up today and tell every qualified health care worker she will do everything possible to get them all back north folk and in all hospitals across Ontario to avoid further reductions and shutdowns Minister Valk thank you speaker this question gives me an opportunity to highlight some of the things that have already occurred as we talk about short medium and long term goals now we have with our plan to stay open added over 6000 more healthcare workers including nurses and personal support workers health resource workforce we will free up 2500 hospital beds so that care is there for those who need it and we will expand models of care that provide better more appropriate care to avoid unnecessary visits to emergency departments there is no doubt that our government is seized with this issue it is happening internationally across other countries across Canadian jurisdictions to make sure that we have the sufficient health human resources but we are doing the work here in Ontario to make sure that people who want to practice and work in the healthcare system next the member for Chatham Kent Leamington thank you speaker my question is for the minister of long term care speaker for years the Liberal government propped up by the NDP neglected our seniors living in long term care the Liberals received countless reports including the Sharkey report which called for increased direct care hours for residents despite this between 2009 and 18 the only increased care by an average of 6 per year leaving our seniors well below the recommended 4 hours of daily care speaker what is our government doing to improve care for seniors thank you speaker and thank you to the member from Chatham Kent Leamington for the question this government has listened to the advice of healthcare experts we are increasing year after year and ensuring long term care residents receive an average of 4 hours of care per day by March 2025 this is up from 2.5 hours in 2018 to meet this target we are providing 4.9 billion dollars in funding over 4 years which will help homes hire 27,000 new nurses and personal support workers 27,000 improving staffing this is one of our 3 key pillars for fixing long term care and we are making historic investments to ensure our long term care residents receive the care they deserve supplementary thank you speaker and thank you to the member for responding our government recently announced a hiring more nurse practitioners for long term care program the announcement noted that our government would commit 57 million years to recruit and retain up to 225 additional nurse practitioners for the long term care sector speaker could the minister explain the role of nurse practitioners and how this will impact the operation of long term care homes across the province and further speaker could the minister elaborate further what support will provide to remote and rural communities with less access to health care workers thank you speaker thank you to the member again for the question because I'm a big fan of nurse practitioners and I believe they're a big answer to relieving some of the strains on our health care system and their scope includes diagnosing conditions ordering tests and prescribing medications developing comprehensive care plans and making referrals when required that's just some of the things within their scope through this program homes and requests eligible employment expenses including salaries, benefits and overhead costs for newly hired nurse practitioners and this is an important step toward enhancing the quality of care in long term care homes nurse practitioners are part of a health care team that develops supports, implements and evaluates residents care plans they also provide mentorship to other staff enhancing their knowledge and abilities we also recognize that rural communities may have trouble accessing much needed health care professionals which is why this funding also provides up to $5,000 to help nurse practitioners relocate thank you speaker my question is to the premier education workers are early childhood educators and educational assistants custodians and administrators schools literally wouldn't function without them tens of thousands of women and men who do these jobs every day are the lowest paid workers in our education system they show up every day and work hard so our children can have the best education possible the premier always talks about being there for the little guy he talks about how he's always working for workers my question is how about putting all of that talk into action Mr. Speaker we are acting to keep kids in school it's why we brought forth a bill today that in response to CUPI's decision to strike on Friday which we think is really regrettable and frankly unfair to these kids who have been through so much difficulty we do agree with the member that we value these workers it's why in this contract we're suggesting and proposing up to 10% over four years an increase of their pay and benefits and maintain their pension program and 131 days of sick leave we've done this deliberately playing our schools we're going to be hiring 1,800 more education workers and up to 800 more teachers in our schools to support our kids Mr. Speaker while we increase funding and increase staffing in our schools the first principle of helping these kids catch up really is that they've got to be in school Friday and every day that's why we've brought this bill in reaction to CUPI's decision to strike and we hope they will withdraw this needless and unfair strike on children in a better way that respects all players but keeps these kids in the classroom Supplementary question Back to the Premier the previous Liberal government tried imposing contracts on workers before with Bill 115 the courts ruled that violated the charter rights of teachers and the government was required to pay over 200 million dollars in penalties we know what will happen after this government imposes contracts on education workers they will be taken to court which they will fight with tax dollars and then they will lose and have to pay huge penalties that's not fiscally responsible why is the Premier wasting tax dollars in the courts instead of paying education workers what they're worth Mr. Speaker we're increasing investments in public education by 680 million dollars we've announced Ontario's plan to catch up which has over 175 million dollars of tutoring we've increased staffing in the province of Ontario it's in person in fact under 5 on average and we extended it next year because we think that is so critical because learning loss is a root cause created by disruption by kids being out of school impacted by pandemics or strikes or other difficulty we want to see none of that transpire we want these kids to stay in school to stay calm and focused on learning and not be impacted by needless disruption when one puts their own interests ahead of the collective interests of kids we're going to fight hard to keep kids in school and we hope the members opposite will join us in supporting stability for all children in the province of Ontario the Member for Cambridge Speaker I'm pleased to welcome the egg farmers of Ontario who have joined us here today because of the sacrifice and hard work at nearly 500 egg farm families in Ontario they provide up to half the eggs sold in Canada at amazing feet our egg food sector is a vital industry for our province and for the country's economic future unfortunately many of these farmers require more support due to the need for greater access to egg technology for Ontario farmers to grow and become more efficient they need a provincial government that understands the value of investing in egg tech innovation Speaker can the Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs please tell the House about the targeted investments for our government is making to get the latest egg tech technology into the hands of our farmers please Speaker for Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs Speaker Thank you very much to the member opposite from Cambridge for that question because I want to share with you Speaker that through the leadership of Premier Ford and the commitment of our government some of the most advanced agriculture food research around the world is happening right here in Ontario we're investing in research stations positioned strategically throughout the province like an Emo in northwestern Ontario they're seeing if the crop of hops can grow we have research stations that farmers and government are like are partnering on like we have in Allora and we also are investing $7 million in over 50 Ontario led research projects facilitated through institutions like the University of Guelph focused on environmental stewardship animal and plant health as well as rural economic development we have greenhouse growers developing initiatives that are going to see net zero energy greenhouses we're putting digital soil mapping into the hands of farmers and Speaker we are also bringing egg tech forward with the adoption of new innovations, automation and robotics. Thank you very much Speaker Unfortunately many farmers were not supported by the previous liberal government when responding to the needs of our agricultural sector and this is why our government must take immediate action and correct this roughly one in ten jobs in the province are connected to the farming and egg food sector there is no denying this has been challenging year for farmers global supply chains have been disrupted and continue to impact the inputs they rely on Speaker can the Minister of the House our government supports innovation and solutions to strengthening egg food supply chains through this new technology Speaker there is no denying Speaker that the supply chain challenges over the last couple of years have ultimately put farmers in a precarious situation but again under the vision of Premier Ford new doors for innovative made in Ontario solutions have been opened and I'm pleased to share with you an example that really has hit home because we're wanting to inspire and invite and incentivize companies to invest in Ontario for Ontario led solutions like the fertilizer challenge that we opened up and we're inviting people to bring forward ideas to introduce new opportunities for fertilizer that has been made right here in Ontario you know with alternatives like fertilizer solutions right here in this province of Ontario our farmers will be the early adopters and what does that generate it generates confidence consumer confidence in their food source nutritious delicious growing right here close at home so Speaker in closing I just want to share with you that it is our government that's standing shoulder to shoulder with our farmers with our food processors and with their innovators to make sure we're leading edge and everyone thank you very much thank you speaker my question is to the premier good morning premier a good society make sure that kids have every advantage rather than enhancing young Ontario's education through investment this government is admitting failure and is changing the rules because they can't negotiate a fair deal this government is teaching children that being fair is optional what is this government thinking about their impact teaching children about ethics and values this government wants to distract people from realizing they pay educational support workers around minimum wage minimum wages for those who look after our children when will this government enhance education listen to workers and finally pay them what they're worth minister of education Mr. Speaker yet again another question without any concern for kids strikes on Friday which is really regrettable and frankly unacceptable to parents and to children across the province who want to see stability for their children we believe kids should be in school we've offered the union a off ramp to avert a strike by meeting Sunday to withdraw the strike notice that will impact 2 million kids this Friday but they rejected that they continue on their path to strike and that is really unfair to so many kids who've been through so much and so speaking we've brought forth legislation that is before the House we encourage the member opposite to vote for it on the basis that children in London and in every region of this province deserve to be in class supplementary question you know it's no surprise speaker when my question is back to the premier that the minister of education really could not talk to the moral and ethical accountability of the government and not abiding with fairness in negotiation you know they talk about their good business acumen yet they can't negotiate they can't close a deal they have to bring a hammer when they don't actually need one children know when someone is being manipulative and unfair they also know what it's like when someone is being bullied listen to the front lines the people who care for our children as ECE Janet wrote to me multiple class evacuations disrupt our days and our learning and our ideas running around with their heads chopped off through the whole school the system is breaking staff can't afford to stay and will leave if because of leche and ford decision to mandate legislation is this government going to keep strangling the education system through cuts underfunding neglect or will they show the children are important by paying education support workers what they deserve and truly invest in public education going to remind members that even when they are quoting from a document it would be preferable if they would refer to ministers by their ministerial title or members by their writing response thank you very much Mr. Speaker we believe that kids in this province should be in school we know it is in their best interest that they are there on Friday and every day throughout the school year without interruption and we believe as progressive conservatives and the families we represent that their kids should be in school without disruption they should not have to be the casualty of a debate nor should they have to stay home because of a in this case QP's desire to increase compensation by such an astronomical amount and not withdraw their decision to strike on Friday that will affect millions of people their working parents in our communities and the most vulnerable among us we have an obligation to them to keep them in school it is why we have offered the union a higher increase in compensation 10% over four years it is why we are going to hire more staff support their benefits and their pensions but the most important principle of our strategy speaker is keeping the minister for colleges and universities Mr. Speaker I invite everyone this evening to McMaster University's heavy reception so everyone is welcome and staff included thank you I would like to take a moment to introduce two special guests to the house today one of our page captain Julie Harrop's parents are here Sabrina Aziz and Chris Harrop's are here please welcome them to the house I really just truly want to thank everybody in the house who has reached out to myself and my family your kind words, your cards your showing of support truly has meant a lot and we appreciate it so I just wanted to say thank you there being no further business this morning this house stands in recess until 1pm