 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the member for Brampton Centre. Thank you and good morning speaker. My question is to the Premier. Yesterday nearly 300 more students and staff contracted COVID-19. We now know that that could just be the tip of the iceberg. Ontario's auditor revealed last week that the Ford government paid a consultant $4.8 million to in part develop some sort of a back-to-school plan. Will the Premier make that report public today? To reply, the Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, we unveiled a plan after following the advice and the Council of the Chief Medical Officer of Health every step of the way to ensure students remain safe. The principle we listen to in the development of our plan is the Chief Medical Officer of Health which is why Dr. Williams, Dr. Yaffe, Dr. Dirks and so many others have worked with us in good faith to build the plan and it's why the Chief Medical Officer has endorsed our plan. $1.3 billion of investment. Today, 84.6% of schools have no active cases of COVID at all. Of schools with cases, 60% have a single case within them. And Speaker, I should note of students in this province where we are firmly committed to ensure they remain safe, 99.92% of students are COVID free, no active cases at all. And likewise for staff, 99.87% of staff have no active cases. Our commitment is to keep students safe. The response is to decide the medical leadership to ensure we continue to do that into 2021. Any supplementary question? Speaker, instead of spending money to keep families safe, this government chose to stuff the pockets of consultants and insiders instead. Today's Globe and Mail report shows that in some schools, in Brampton schools, have become complete and I'll quote ghost towns. As anxious parents pull their children out of school and struggle with online learning. So Speaker, through you to the to the minister, does he think that spending millions of dollars on a report that apparently didn't even suggest capping class sizes or investing in our students was really a good investment? And will you release that report today? Mr. Ritchie. Speaker, this is coming from the New Democratic Party who opposed twice now the support for learners concept of giving money directly to the pockets of parents. The same political party, Speaker, who voted in this House against the childcare tax credit, providing 75 percent of eligible expenses for working moms and dads. How is that consistent with the interest of affordability in the midst of a recession, the midst of a pandemic? This government will, yes, do both invest in public education and the safety of our kids and make life affordable for the people of this province. And we will not apologize for doing that, Speaker. The final supplementary. Speaker, the Ford government has completely failed families here in Ontario. And only the only people that seem to think otherwise are on that side of the House or people working for big American consulting firms, teachers, students, families, all Ontarians deserve to know what other advice is in this report. Speaker, so will the Premier release this report, unredacted report? And will he do that today? And if not, explain to the people of Ontario why you aren't. And the Minister of Education wants to end the report. Mr. Speaker, the advice we followed was informed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health. Why? Because we believe have confidence in that person, in that gentleman who's provided counsel to government and cabinet about how to get through this pandemic. And we will continue to follow his lead. It's why this province stands lone in this country with launching asymptomatic testing in the highest risk region, including in the member opposites region and likewise in my own in York and Peel and Toronto and Ottawa. And we will stand ready, Speaker, working with public health and Ministry of Health to do more, to do more to ensure we keep schools open, a societal imperative that we are absolutely resolved to ensure. Working with the Minister of Health, the Deputy Premier, to deliver on that imperative. We are working in close collaboration with our nurses on the ground. We've doubled public health nurses for our schools. We're going to continue to do everything possible, including allocating an additional three hundred eighty million dollars of federal monies to protect our schools and protect the progress we've made in this province. The next question, the member for to Miss Kamin Cochran. Thank you, Speaker. My questions to the Minister of Long-Term Care. Yesterday, another five families lost loved ones due to COVID in long-term care homes in Ontario. And once again, the government declined to tell us why they weren't giving information to their own long-term care commission. And why they are continuing to ignore the commission's advice. In the report in July, the commission called on the government to address the fact that many long-term care homes still have residents living three and four to a room, contrary to public health advice. Can the government tell us how many long-term care homes in outbreak have residents unprotected in those wardrooms? Mr. Long-Term Care. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you for the question. The ward rooms, unfortunately, are a real problem as wave one indicated, really indicating the neglect of the previous government for 15 years to address the capacity issues in long-term care in any fulsome way. Homes built in the 1970s were not redeveloped. And between 2011 and 2018, only 611 beds were built. The capacity was sorely neglected. And here we are now working with Public Health, working with our Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Assistant Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ontario Health to address the long-standing issues, not only in the capacity problems, but also in the staffing. And so my heart goes out to everyone who's been affected by this horrible virus. And Ontario is doing everything it can to address this issue. And you can see across the Canada, whether it's Manitoba, Alberta, BC, unfortunately, the Atlantic provinces have been relatively spared so far. But this virus spares nobody. That's why everyone has to keep up the effort to make sure that they have a role and responsibility in limiting community spread. Thank you. And the supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. Wardrooms are a problem. We agree with the minister and COVID has often been described as a war. And it is. And in the second wave, we have better understanding of the enemy, as does the government. So it's not enough to say that it's been a long-standing problem. And you know what, these are just going to be casualties of the war. You've had months to take emergency measures to understand the wardrooms that are a problem. Why have you not come up with a plan for emergency measures for and treat this like an emergency, treat seniors like the like that they what the people they are and not casualties of the COVID war. Please take your seats and remind members to make their comments through the chair. The response, the minister of long-term care. Thank you, Speaker. Those comments by the member opposite are. Are very, very disrespectful to the people that are working around the clock to make sure that every measure and every tool. So we're looking, we're looking at the capacity issues, integrating the response to our long-term care homes, making sure that we have the staff and the response that is needed for these homes in outbreak. We are doing, we've been doing this for almost a year now, and we have never stopped and we've been absolutely diligent in this process. So for anyone to insinuate that all the good people who are working so hard to address this issue with a virus that's never been seen in this world, I will not allow those people to be insulted. I will not allow our PSWs to be. Order. I will not allow it. The final supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. My mother died in a long-term care home in March, and I have and our party has ultimate respect for the people who work in long-term care, for the people who work in the system, for the people who have been overworked constantly and now who are even more overworked because this government didn't take the steps to hire more people. Covid is a war. You field, field hospitals or, or rent hotel rooms or do something when you know that people in wards are at greater risk. Comparing to other provinces, we don't need comparisons to other provinces. We need a minister of long-term care who's going to work for people in Ontario, in long-term care homes in Ontario. Come up with a plan, act now before more people die in wards. Mr. Long-term care. Thank you, Speaker. I can assure the minister opposite that our government has done nothing but attempt to support and commit to making sure our long-term care residents and staff and families are supported through this horrible, horrible time of Covid-19. And there are so many measures we are taking. I won't list them now, but I would like to tell you a little bit about the situation in Quebec. And Ontario has really been under siege. You know, and I wouldn't equate this to a war of the millions of people who have died in World War Two, in World War One, in Afghanistan, in Korea, across the globe in wars. Everyone can do their part. And you heard General Hillier the other day say, this is something that we can do to suppress community spread, to reduce your social contacts, stay home, reduce the community spread, and you will help our homes. But ultimately, you know, the truth is that there are no simple solutions to this. And the wardrooms were long standing thanks to the previous government and supported by the NDP when there was a minority government. We must continue. Thank you. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for London Fanshawe. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. This morning, Hamilton families learned that public health has had to intervene to impose public health orders on two more long-term care facilities. This is the fifth public health that has had to issue orders to protect seniors in Hamilton long-term care. Hamilton's medical officer of health says that, unfortunately, long-term care operators, quote, are still thinking influenza is the flu. And, quote, how is it after everything we have learned in the first wave? The government is still treating COVID like it's the flu. Mr. Long-term care. Thank you, Speaker. That simply just isn't the case. We know that COVID-19 can can ravage homes. It's ravaging countries. It's ravaging provinces. There's no question that COVID-19 is a very different beast. The transmission is different. The potential for aerosol spread. This is not the same whatsoever. But I want to remind the member opposite that the reason those public health units are able to do what they do is because they have the power to address the issues in their public health units and their regions. And this is very important that they do that, to be able to respond quickly, to be able to get into our homes, provide immediate response as soon as there's a first case, whether it's a resident or a staff. And I want to remind everyone that 92% of our long-term care homes right now have no resident cases. And the ones that have resident cases are getting the support that they need through public health, through Ontario Health, making sure that the hospital and acute care sector is integrated with the medical expertise, the infection prevention and control expertise, the staffing supports. These are all ongoing. And this government is committed with a priority of long-term care. Residents, staff, families, being at the centre of everything we do, to do everything we can to ensure that they are protected and supported. And so, you know, what you raise really is evidence that our system of response is working. And we have been proactive as well to understand that COVID-19 is not influenza. It is not. And I think that's very clear in the science. So the fact that our public health units are going in and assisting our homes immediately and doing what is required of public health, that's wonderful. I'm very much appreciated. Thank you. The supplementary question. Speaker, only a few weeks ago, the minister said that there's 99.9 something long-term care homes didn't have an outbreak. Now we're at 92% that don't have outbreaks. It's getting worse, not better. And this is the fifth public health order that's been issued in Hamilton. As of yesterday, these five homes have had 257 residents infected with COVID. That's 257 families left wondering if parents and grandparents will survive. The Premier has promised an iron ring of protection. Long-term care homes treated COVID like the flu. Why has nothing changed? It's been five orders, five times a public health official has intervened. Please, why has nothing changed? Mr. Long-term care. Well, thank you, Speaker. It's clear that there has been ongoing efforts, and I'm not sure exactly where that commentary is coming from and to correct the record there. I have said that 92% of our long-term care homes have no resident cases. That is what I've said, so please don't misrepresent what I've said. So we have a situation in our long-term care homes where the primary driver of an outbreak is... I have to ask the Minister to withdraw her unparliamentary comment. Withdraw. I do believe that it's important to make sure that my statements are not put back to me in some other way than what I said. So the public health unit region is the primary driver of an outbreak. It is the primary driver, and that means if the community spread is high, there will be increased outbreaks. The biggest driver of an outbreak severity is the number of wardrooms as we are addressing. And that's why we're following the public health advice and the advice of the chief medical officers of health to make sure that we follow their directives and take their measures to secure as much as possible residents and staff in long-term care. We'll continue to do that. Thank you. The next question, the member for Carlton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are thousands of kids in the extended care of children's aid societies eligible for adoption. These are children and youth who need loving families and a secure place to call home. Speaker, in my riding of Carlton and working with the children's aid societies in my area, it is clear that more needs to be done to simplify the adoption system. One of my constituents told me that it takes years and is such a cumbersome process to adopt a child. It is a very complex and outdated system. Speaker, in the current system, because there is no centralization, a child living one block north of Steele's Avenue may not know or be able to be paired with a family one block south of Steele's in Toronto, simply because they are two different children's aid societies that is absolutely ridiculous and limiting the ability of these kids who just need and deserve the support of a loving family. Speaker, can the minister of children and women's issues tell this house and my constituents who want to adopt why these issues still exists and will she commit to fixing the system? The associate minister of children and women's issues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member for Carlton for that question. Speaker, the member is unfortunately correct. Ontario's adoption system is severely lacking. It is slow, disjointed and very hard to navigate for families. But that's why our government has been working with our partners in this sector to make tangible positive changes so that more kids and families can be connected. Speaker, last year the parliamentary assistant and member for Ottawa, West Nippian held roundtables as well as other members in this house with parents, prospective adoptive parents, adoptive children, adoption agencies and others to hear about the challenges facing the adoption system. Our government has also been working closely with the sector to listen and identify gaps in the system. Speaker, this is just one step that we're taking. I announced last month $900,000 to be annually to centralize the adoption process. Response? Location is not a barrier for children and youth in search of their forever home. We are bringing the adoption system in Ontario out of the age of the postal code and into the age of the IP address. And a supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the minister for the response. Mr. Speaker, not only is the system clunky and hard to navigate, for the parents that do make it through an adoptive child, they are often left without proper help and supports on how to be the wonderful parents that they want to be. These individuals, like many in my writing, just want to protect, just want to provide the best care to their child and help them succeed at every opportunity. But they are sometimes left on their own without guidance or after having receiving initial help left to fend for themselves. It's concerning that those who open their homes and hearts to these kids aren't being helped as much as they could be. Speaker, I know the previous Liberal government left the child welfare system and the adoption system by extension outdated and poorly managed. And I know that the opposition have never asked a single question on this in the House since I have been elected in 2018. My question is simple. Will the minister commit to providing more support to children, youth, and families? Thank you. Associate Minister, to reply. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you again to the member for that question. Speaker, I want to thank the thousands of families across Ontario who have opened their hearts and homes to children and youth in need of a family. These mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, grandparents, and grandfathers, grandparents are providing what many of us take for granted, a loving family that is there for us through life's many challenges and celebrations. And though, through this speaker, I can confidently say to the member, yes, we will commit to providing additional help and ongoing supports for the moms and dads who need help. In fact, Speaker, last month, I announced nearly $600,000 more annually to enhance post-adoption training and provide individualized supports to families. This includes funding for classes designed to adoptive caregivers who are parenting children who have experienced trauma and loss as part of their history. It also means funding buddy mentor programs and pairing caregivers with a local parent to help them find the appropriate services in their community. Thank you. The next question, the member for Windsor to come see. Thank you. My question is to the deputy premier. Good morning, minister. Speaker, yesterday, the Windsor essence County Health Unit reported that our local public health capacity will soon be, and I quote, on the verge of collapsing. Public health officials said they just don't have enough staff to do the contract tracing and case management in the community. Speaker, they also said that adding to this pressure is the outbreaks in schools. There are now 25 schools in Windsor, Essex where cohorts have been dismissed and yet class sizes have not been reduced. Local health staff are working 12 to 15 hour days, seven days a week. They're doing the best they can with the limited resources they have. We need help and we need it now. Speaker, will the minister give the Windsor essence County Health Unit the resources they need immediately and prevent this looming collapse. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the member opposite very much for the question. We are aware that there is a considerable concern regarding public health resources in Windsor, Essex. We have been following it very closely. There is a more significant community transmission there, which is why we've been putting further restrictions in the area to make sure that we can start bending that curve and helping out. Still, we understand that there are concerns with respect to health resources. We have increased the funding to Ontario's health unit by over 14%. Since 2018, there have been considerably more resources put in there. I can advise that 96.8% of cases and 89.7% of contacts are being reached in 24 hours. That said, we have also been in contact with Windsor, Essex and are providing over 24 provincial contact tracers to aid with the work that they're already doing to try and do that contact management to help get those numbers more under control. Thank you very much. And the supplement question, the member for Windsor West. We go back to the premier. I just want to remind the Minister of Health that just last year, they actually cut $1.5 million from our health unit, which was already one of the lowest funded. So when they talk about an increase in 14%, we already started from behind and you put us even further behind. Speaker, healthcare workers are burnt out. Small businesses are barely hanging on and can't afford another lockdown. The people of Windsor continue to make sacrifices while this conservative government fails to step up. They just stand by and monitor the situation. Our health unit has been underfunded for years before COVID. We were one of the lowest funded public health systems in the entire province. This conservative government didn't prioritize public health and prevention measures before the pandemic and they failed to step up with the support that we need now. They're sitting on $9 billion in unused COVID relief funding while exhausted frontline workers are scrambling to keep the virus at bay. People are getting sick and people are dying. Will the Premier immediately give our health unit the resources they need to stay on top of screening, testing and tracing, along with the other public health services that they provide in our community to keep us all safe? And the Minister of Health again. Thank you very much. Well, significant resources have already been given to the Windsor Essex Health Unit and the member may remember that while there were some changes that were being proposed, pursuant to the auditor general's report to modernize our system of public health, we were undergoing that at the time that COVID struck and we mitigated some of the charges that would have been responsible for. So there was no great loss as the member has suggested. Serious, we have also provided additional resources for tracing and contact management. If more resources are needed for that, we will certainly provide them. But we've also provided an additional 30 beds to the hospitals and alternate health facilities because we know Windsor Essex is going through a very difficult time. So we will provide the resources as they are needed in order to be able to flatten the curve and protect the people and the health and wellbeing of the people of Windsor Essex, which has been our goal since this pandemic began. Thank you. The next question, the member for Orléans. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Jean-Marc Lang is 26 years old. He has autism and severe behavioral issues. Since August of 2019, he's been on a list for emergency priority placement in a specialized residential care. And an agency has confirmed they have a spot for Jean-Marc ready and waiting. But Jean-Marc is still waiting. What's worse, Mr. Speaker, is that Jean-Marc has been in the secure ward of the Civic Campus of the Ottawa Hospital since February. Jean-Marc has not been allowed outside to see the sun or breathe fresh air for more than nine months, Mr. Speaker. His mom, Helen, describes it as being worse than in jail. And Jean-Marc's only crime was that he was born with autism and behavioral issues. I've written to the minister about this. We've spoken on the phone. We've exchanged text messages and there's still no movement. He tells me there's no money. Mr. Speaker, the finance minister is built a budget with contingencies, with reserves, billions of dollars, unspent allocations, and yet there's still no money. My question, will the government commit to providing Jean-Marc's family relief today and get him into the residential care facility he needs to be in? The associate minister of children and women's issues. Thank you to the member for the question. I am aware of the member's correspondence on this topic with the minister of children, community and social services. But as the member knows, I cannot comment on this individual case here in the house. What I can share more generally is that in complex, complex cases, a network of developmental and community service partners works with families to identify interim and long-term solutions in order to support the individual. The ministry also has a consistent province-wide process to help people who require urgent supports. And that process recognizes that every individual has different needs, which is why in each case it's reviewed on an individual basis. Those determined to be most at risk are prioritized for available resources. Beyond residential services, adults with a developmental disability are likely also eligible for funding through the passport program and the Ontario disability support program. Thank you. He supplementary question. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Jean-Marc has been prioritized since August of last year. Joshua McPhail Monty is a 23-year-old man from Orleans with a dual diagnosis of autism and behavioral issues. His parents, Vicky and Jean-François have described that Josh's behavior is so bad that at times it's tough getting through the day. He's constantly in crisis, screaming, and often sedated. Josh has been admitted to the general campus of the Ottawa Hospital since July of 2019. That's approaching 18 months, Mr. Speaker. Like Jean-Marc Lang, Josh and his parents are waiting for placement in specialized care and to diagnose and treat the recent behavioral changes that he's been experiencing. And like Jean-Marc, for a year and a half, Josh has not been allowed to go outside, breathe fresh air, or see the sun. Mr. Speaker, when will the government recognize that languishing in a hospital for 18 months is not right? That Josh and his parents deserve better and that the province needs to provide the support this family so desperately needs right now? The associate minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you again to the member for the supplementary. Our government recognized a growing demand for developmental services. This year, we are providing approximately $2.9 billion in annual funding for developmental services, including about $2 billion dedicated to residential services. As part of the budget 2020, we are providing increased funding of $361 million for the developmental services sector to support clients currently in service and support more residential placements for new high-risk clients. Speaker, I can tell you we are already hearing positive feedback on new investments. Rod Saunders, a CEO for Community Living Ontario, says, today's budget announcement represents a significant step forward toward a modern, future-oriented developmental services sector. Thousands of individuals and families will benefit from new funding and service opportunities and the agencies that support them will be able to do their work in a more stable and secure footing. I hope this member supports budget 2020. Thank you. The next question, the member for Carlton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, small businesses in my riding of Carlton have been struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. And while we thank Ontarians for doing the right thing and staying at home impossible, we know that small businesses have been hit the hardest. I know it's even more difficult for businesses that have not been able to easily pivot online but are still paying their full-fixed costs like electricity. Can the Associate Minister of Energy tell this House what the government is doing to support small businesses like the ones in my riding with their electricity costs? Welcome. Associate Minister of Energy. Thank you to the member for that important question and for her incredible work on behalf of the people of Carlton. Through you, Mr. Speaker, while we make progress to contain this deadly virus, we know people will need to stay home when possible and businesses will need ongoing support. That's why we announced $8 million to support small business electricity consumers struggling to pay their energy bills as a result of COVID-19 through the COVID Energy Assistance Program for small business. Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business thanked the government for their contribution saying, and I quote, they are pleased to see the government is providing $8 million in immediate energy cost relief to those small businesses hardest hit by COVID-19. Competitive electricity rates will be a key component to small business success as we begin down the long road to economic recovery. Mr. Speaker, providing additional rate relief, flexibility and customer choice on electricity bills will help ensure everyone can recover from this extraordinary crisis and lead our economic recovery and we'll continue to do everything we can to support our small business and the people of Ontario. The supplementary question. Thank you to the Associate Minister for his answer. Mr. Speaker, I know this is excellent news for businesses in my writing of Carlton and business associations like the Osgoode Ward Business Association, Sinsville Business Association, the Manitouk BIA and more will love this great news and I'm sure that they will share it with all of their members. And Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to hear that small businesses across Ontario have access to this funding to help cover their electricity bills during this difficult time. Mr. Speaker, as COVID-19 numbers continue to rise rapidly in certain regions, I know that we've had to make the tough but necessary decisions to protect our hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes by moving some regions into lockdown. For these businesses who have no choice but to close to protect Ontarians, can the Minister tell the House what supports are available to them? Thank you. Associate Minister of Energy. Thank you again to the member from Carlton and her great work. And Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to share that we are now providing $600 million in relief to support eligible businesses required to close or significantly restrict services due to enhanced public health measures by doubling our initial commitment of $300 million made in the 2020 budget. Ontario's action plan, protect, support, recover. Businesses can apply online for temporary property tax and energy cost rebate grants to be an easy-to-use one-window portal. Mr. Speaker, the rebates will cover the length of time that a business is required to temporarily close or significantly restrict services as a result of being located in an area categorized as red control or lockdown. Mr. Speaker, we are proud to stand up for small businesses and a detailed list of eligible businesses as well as instructions for applying can be found at entero.ca forward slash COVID support. Mr. Speaker, we're here for business. We're here for the people of Ontario and we'll continue to do that until we're through the recovery. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Waterloo. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Hospitals across the province are struggling under the surging second wave and Ontarians are worried about these pressures are going to mean for their own health care. Hospitals are already trying to catch up from a backlog of surgeries and other procedures created during the first wave. But now, in my region, in the Grand River Hospital has had to pause surgeries this week because their ICU is over capacity, which means even more people are going to be waiting for potentially life-altering health care because of this government's failure to invest in preventing the second wave. They've denied the paid sick days, Mr. Speaker. They've done insufficient contact tracing. They've had a sloppy testing rollout across this province. And so right now we are at a crisis, another health care crisis for hospitals in Ontario. What does the Premier have to say to the families in KW who are now stressed and suffering because of his bad choices? Mr. Hill. Thank you, Speaker. Well, I have to start by saying that I fundamentally disagree with the assertions made by the member opposite. In fact, we have planned since the beginning of this pandemic to enhance our capacity to make sure that we have the capacity tracers that we need to make sure that we can bring forward a response that merits a substantive increase in the cases that we've seen between wave one and wave two. Clearly, we've seen that wave two is having a more significant impact on our health care system, but we planned for that. And in fact, we have created over 3,100 beds in the province of Ontario since the beginning of March. We've invested $351 million to create more than 2,350 new beds at 57 hospitals and alternate health facilities across the province. We've also invested over a billion dollars in testing, tracing, and contact management to make sure that hospitals can continue to do their work to take care of the COVID-19 patients, as well as being able to take care of the alternate, the surgeries and procedures that were postponed during wave one. A supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There's a serious disconnect between that answer and the reality that is facing Ontario's hospitals and communities across this province. The net deficit for the Ontario Hospital Association is predicted to be at $500 million. That's including a revenue loss of $320 million. But, Speaker, it's not just the Grand River Hospital that's facing a capacity crisis right now. St. Mary's and Cambridge Memorial Hospital in the region are also close to hitting capacity. And ICU numbers and hospitalizations continue to grow each and every day in every region across this province. Speaker, Ontario is at a breaking point. And thanks to this government's choices and failure to invest means that things are only going to get worse unless there's an initial, an immediate, and an urgent investment. What is the Premier going to do to ensure that our hospitals have the support they need to get through this crisis? Do it now. We're at the tipping point. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Hal. In fact, Ontario is not at a crisis right now. You want to speak about who is in crisis? Have you taken a look at Alberta where they're doubling up patients in intensive care units? We're not doing that in Ontario. We've made substantive investments. We've made significant increases to hospitals. The biggest increase in a decade last year, we've increased the number of beds by over 3100 beds. We've invested $1 billion for testing, tracing, and contact management. We are flattening this curve. It's Ontario, I guess. I know it's nothing to brag about, but we're standing at 100 cases per 100,000. Manitoba is 662 per 100,000. Alberta is at 680 per 100,000. Ontario was still the lowest in Canada. Stop the clock. Stop the clock. Member for Waterloo will come to order. Member for London North Centre will come to order. The Member for Northumberland, Peterborough South will come to order. The Minister of Education will come to order. Please start the clock. The next question, the Member for Ottawa South. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Long-Term Care. Speaker, yesterday I asked the Minister about 120 vacant single bedrooms at the Pearly and Reno Veterans Health Centre. Thankfully, it's my understanding today that they've restarted admissions two to three people a day. Speaker, given that the Pearly for months now has had almost no resident cases, few staff cases, and has done an excellent job of managing COVID-19 and is in fact advising other long-term care homes. 120 vacant beds in any reality doesn't make sense. People like Mr. Morose, Mrs. Tuk, who I mentioned yesterday, and their families are suffering. They're not the only ones. So, Speaker, through you, will the Minister take action to ensure that the circumstances that led to this situation do not occur again? Minister of Long-Term Care. Thank you, Speaker. And I just want to emphasize the importance that this is not a simple solution. There are many pieces to this, whether it's the staffing, whether it's infection prevention and control. There are many aspects to this. It's not a simple process. But there's a clear contrast to be made, Speaker. The fact is the previous Liberal government built only 611 beds since 2011, and then opened applications for new beds weeks before an election. The previous government chose not to make investments in long-term care. And the member opposite said, quote, we all know that we have to build more long-term care spaces here in this province. This was when he was with the previous government in power. You've got beds that were built in the 1970s, he said. They're called bees and seas that need to be redeveloped. So people are no longer in rooms where there are four people. Well, it takes a bit of time to build beds, and the time that you had was squandered. Your government chose not to build beds. First, to make the comments through the chair, the supplementary question. Speaker, I'll be happy to debate that in the late show. I am not sure if the minister will come. I am not sure that the cooks or the moroses are going to like that answer. There are 120 vacant beds. We found a way to bring essential caregivers back in. We found that way. This is an analogous circumstance. I'm just asking you to use that lens. That's all. So right now, the rules exist. If there's one more staff case at the pearly, 1,000 staff, 450 beds, admissions will stop. The minister knows that. These beds are in single rooms. They're at a premium for infection control. Thousands of beds, thousands of people are waiting for beds in the community. We can debate what the minister obviously wants to debate, and I'll be happy to see her next week. But right now, she needs to take action. She needs to find a solution to this. There is a solution. She knows that. Question? I am shocked that the minister responded that way. It's hard to control my anger, because you're not really addressing the situation. You have 120 vacant beds. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Once again, the member of Northumberland, Peterborough South, will come to order. The minister of long-term care to respond. Thank you, Speaker. The reality is that COVID-19 is very, very transmissible. Our homes must have the necessary isolation space for cases should they arrive. We've learned from the first wave. This has been a continuous learning process to understand how we contain it once it's into the home, how we prevent it from getting into the home in the first place. That's rapid testing, asymptomatic testing, making sure that our staff are trained in an ongoing basis and reinforced by the hospital expertise in terms of addressing infection control issues in the homes. This is ongoing. In terms of the capacity issue, we're looking at every measure possible. We're getting community paramedicine into homes to support people so that they don't need to come to long-term care. We're investing $540 million to make sure that we have the staffing that is required for our homes. All of this must be taken together. You cannot simply isolate one aspect of it. It is a complex issue that we are continuing to work at. And I would hope that the member opposite would take the time to understand the complexity of this issue. It is not a simple. Thank you. The next question, member for Carlton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Mr. Speaker, it's no secret that the softwood lumber trade between the United States and Canada has been a contentious issue for decades. Softwood lumber is a big provider of jobs to communities in Ontario and across Canada. It is also a significant contributor to our economy. Recent tariffs imposed by the United States, our largest trading partner, have unnecessarily hurt our softwood lumber producers and the hardworking men and women of this industry. However, last week, the U.S. Department of Commerce reduced some of those tariffs on softwood lumber. Can the minister please tell the House what our government's position is on these most recent changes to American softwood lumber tariffs? Thank you. Thank you. The member for Kitchener-Conestoga and Parliamentary Assistant, the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the member from Carlton for the opportunity to rise today and talk a little bit about the recent adjustments to softwood lumber tariffs. And I know as an international trade lawyer, this is something I'm sure she ran across fairly often through the Ottawa Valley. This government is fighting every day to take action to contain COVID-19 and prepare for economic recovery once we get through this pandemic. And it is more important than ever to make sure that we vigorously defend our forestry industry, which plays an important role in the economies of not only Canada but also here in the province of Ontario. And this industry provides good-paying jobs to communities across the province. While we are happy to see the U.S. Department of Commerce has reduced duties that are being paid for many players in the Canadian softwood lumber industry, we firmly believe that any tariffs, any tariffs or rates of this sort are unfair and unjustified. Mr. Speaker, we are going to do everything we can to fight for the people of Ontario, to fight for good jobs and ensure a level playing field for the softwood industry here in our province. Thank you. And this supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the parliamentary assistant for that answer. I'm glad to see that this government is taking a firm stand and fighting for Ontario's lumber industry. And yes, as a former international trade lawyer, Mr. Speaker, I did not have an opportunity to work on softwood lumber, but it is one of the most prominent cases and all of us trade lawyers know about it. And in fact, there are four of them right now, softwood lumber, one, two, three and four. Mr. Speaker, this industry is too important to the livelihoods of so many Ontario families, and it's such a significant contributor to our economy. We can't just roll over, do nothing, and accept these unfair and unjust tariffs that have been imposed. As I mentioned in my previous question, the U.S. is our largest trading partner. What's good for Canada is also good for the U.S., as our economies are very much intertwined. When Canada succeeds, America succeeds. And that's why we need to drop these tariffs. Can the minister please explain what Ontario is planning to do in order to fight these unfair and unnecessary tariffs? Thank you. Thank you again, Mr. Speaker, and thank you again to the member once again for the supplemental question. These rates that have been imposed put the softwood lumber industry and all the workers, their families, and communities, especially in Northern Ontario, that rely on this crucial trade at an unfair disadvantage during this already difficult time. Fair and open trade is the most beneficial for consumers on both sides of the border, not just here in Canada, but also in the U.S. We will stand by our decision to defend the Canadian forest industry every step of the way. The rate for all companies here in Ontario should be zero, Mr. Speaker. That is the meaning of free trade. We will continue to work closely with the industry, the provinces, the federal government, using all available avenues and every tool at our disposal to fight the unfair rates on Canadian softwood lumber. Mr. Speaker, we are going to fight tooth and nail for the people who rely on this industry here in the province. Thank you, Speaker. The next question, member for Kingston and the Islands. Thank you, Speaker, and through you to the acting Premier. In July, the government issued a minister's zoning order to enable a glass factory on the lands annex to the city of Stratford. It seems this MZO was the culmination of nearly two years of backroom discussions between this government and Shenzhen, the Chinese firm seeking to build the factory. Over two years ago, the Premier told this house that he met with Shenzhen representatives to discuss the location for this factory. And in a recent article in the Stratford Beacon Herald, a consultant working for Shenzhen described extensive discussions with the provincial government concerning the MZO. Why has there never been a single entry for Shenzhen in the lobbyist registry, Speaker? The parliamentary assistant, member for Milton. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member opposite for that question. Mr. Speaker, every single minister's zoning order we've issued on non-provincially-owned lands has been at the request of a local municipality. The MZO was requested by the Mayor of Stratford with support from the County of Perth and Township of Perth South who represents the needs of their constituents. Over the years, these municipalities have demonstrated that this project will bring much-needed economic opportunity to their communities with a $400 million investment and creating 350 local jobs. The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the need to drive forward economic growth in our communities even more. This project is located next to an existing industrial area that already has heavy manufacturing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Great. Supplementary question, the member for Niagara Center. Back to the Premier, Speaker. That doesn't sound right. There's no evidence of any request for this MZO from Stratford Council. In fact, the Shinye consultant said it was the province that offered an MZO to Shinye even before the Stratford site was selected. This government initiated the MZO on Shinye's behalf and then wrote it so that only a glass factory could be built on these lands. This effectively forced the city to agree to the Shinye development on Shinye's terms, including a cost-sharing agreement that will force Stratford taxpayers to pay $6 million for Shinye's infrastructure. Speaker, why is this Premier sticking the people of Stratford with a $6 million bill for his backroom deal with Shinye? Good try, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a letter from the Mayor of Stratford dated November 20, 2018, and a follow-up letter from March 11, 2020 clearly shows that the municipality specifically requested an MZO for the glass production plant, and we adhere to that request. Mr. Speaker, as I pointed out earlier in my response, this would create 350 local jobs. Mr. Speaker, we work with our municipal partners, and the reason why I mentioned also the fact that we would not issue an MZO on a property that is not provincially owned unless it was requested by the local municipality, and that's exactly what happened in this case, Mr. Speaker, and we are obviously working with our municipal partners to help economic growth, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. The next question, the member for Glen Gary Prescott Russell. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question goes to the government. The Auditor General said that what we've been saying for months, they don't listen to medical experts. The report says that they tried to tackle the pandemic, but in a confused way. We've spent months saying to Ontarians that they take this issue seriously, and they said that they started preparing in January. They said many times that they had an emergency plan. However, the Auditor General report said that the government didn't have an emergency plan. Therefore, the solutions were delayed and many lives were lost. The more we learn about what is going on behind the scenes, the less we trust the government. Can the government tell us that they had an emergency plan in the first place when it was actually false? Can I ask the member to withdraw? Withdraw. The Minister of Health to reply. Yes, of course we had an emergency plan. We had an emergency plan from the beginning of this pandemic to make sure that we could deal with it, to make sure that we would have the public health resources, that we would have the health capacity resources, and to have the personnel to be able to deal with it. Since the abatement between the first wave and the second wave, we developed our fall preparedness plan, which was dealing with how to deal with increases, having a substantive flu plan, making sure we would have the capacity to deal with increased cases, making sure that we would be able to continue with the surgeries and procedures that were delayed because of the first plan. Not only did we have the plan, we've put the resources into it. We've invested over $350 million in increasing hospital capacity, $450 million in increasing home and community care, increasing the public health resources, a billion dollars in testing, tracing, and contact management. So in addition to having a plan, we have the financial resources put into it as well. A supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the Auditor General report, we learned that the commentable who fight against COVID-19 were not qualified. There are no other words to say it. It's difficult. Take places meant for actual doctors. Why did the government think that experts with no qualification could be part of the commentable? How can the government justify this ridiculous and unacceptable measure to the Ontarians? The response? Minister of Health. Because that was not the case. It was not the case at all. We received the report of the Auditor General and while we indicated that there were some systemic issues that she raised that we do have merit and that we intend to follow up on, we also found that there were some areas factually where we disagreed. We tried to resolve these issues with the Auditor General before the release of her report. However, she was not prepared to postpone it or to make any changes. One of the significant changes was one of the issues that you raised in your question, which was the position of the command table and the central control table. The central table was developed with the assistance of an outside advisor to help bring together all parts of government so that we could take an all-of-government approach. It was never meant to be a health table. It was an organization table. The central command table for health was completed and filled with public health experts, including people from Public Health Ontario, the public health measures table, Dr. Williams and many other doctors who backed them up. It was based on science. It was based on clinical evidence. It did. Thank you very much. The next question, members of Moschigalock James Bay. Mr. Prisa. My question is for the Premier. On November 9th, the Ford government made an announcement about hospital beds in Northern Ontario. The government informed that these beds would improve patient care capacity in hospital beds where they are needed the most. And this would increase hospital capacity and reduce week times for patient and families across Northern Ontario. But the announcement is utterly silent about whether this is a one-time fund and whether these beds will remain in our communities after COVID-19 pandemic. Speaker, will the Premier tell Northern Ontarians whether these hospital beds are permanent for the years to come after the pandemic? If not, why? Mr. Pell. Well, in fact, we have increased capacity in hospitals across the province, North, South, East and West, over 3,100 beds since the beginning of the pandemic. The beds will be there as long as the pandemic is here, which we all hope won't be for very long, especially with a vaccine coming forward. But we've also made an announcement with respect to the redevelopment of the Winnebago Hospital in Moosney and Moose Factory to make sure that the permanent changes are made there, too, to make sure that your constituents, the constituents of Northern Ontario, receive the excellent quality healthcare that they deserve in premises that are suitable for them. The supplementary question. Monsieur, encore pour le premier ministre. I feel like the government doesn't understand what it means. Northern communities need permanent changes. We need permanent beds so that we can reduce the waiting lists. Beds will help to serve seniors and people who have specific needs otherwise. They will have to look for care somewhere else. But it's hard for the government to understand. Will the Premier come to Northern Ontario to tell people in the centres that they will have to leave the beds after a certain time? Thank you. Well, we certainly understand that there are certain areas in Ontario where there is a scarcity of beds, Northern Ontario being one of the primary areas. There are others as well. But we've been making significant capital commitments to build new hospitals, to make improvements to existing hospitals. Since the beginning of our term here, we have the $175 million health fund that comes forward every year where repairs and significant changes can be made in hospitals, as well as committing capital. This is all happening despite the significant increases that we've made in our health system capacity due to COVID-19, the $351 million that we've already invested to increase hospital capacity, the $450 million to increase home and community care, which is also relevant in Northern Ontario, and the work that is being done to doing testing, tracing and contact management, another billion dollars. Response? So it is significant, Mr. Speaker. I would say that despite all of these significant increases, we have also been making significant increases in capital investments for new facilities. Thank you. The next question is from Scarborough Gilgill. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health. Ontario is seeing a troubling rise in patients' hospitalization due to COVID-19, as we are in the throes of the second wave. Scarborough General is at 90% capacity and the COVID patients make up 75% of the ICU patients. Scarborough is consistently seeing positivity rates in their assessment centres at 17% and in the high teens. I want to thank the hardworking Scarborough Health Network and Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities frontline healthcare workers for the assessment that they're doing. Minister, Scarborough's existing health system cannot handle this level of community spread. Scarborough needs its facilities to be in good repair and a new hospital so that it can continue to provide excellent care at this critical moment and in the future. Speaker, through you to the Minister, will you commit to expediting the master plan for a new Scarborough hospital today? What do you have to reply? Very much, Speaker. Well, certainly we are aware of the concerns and issues that Scarborough General is having. They are in the middle of one of the hot spots and that's one of the reasons why Toronto was put in lockdown to stop this community spread and to make sure that we can bend this curve and get the numbers more under control. That being said, we are working very hard with the great people at Scarborough General to do the work that they need to do and as the member will know, there is a process for hospitals to be rebuilt that we have been working very hard to move this forward as quickly as possible. This is an issue to many members of this legislature but the process moves forward as it does. We are trying to expedite it as quickly as possible. A supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Minister for her response and of course, as you know, Scarborough Health Network is in that process and what I am asking of you today is to perhaps look in on that and move that process forward. They have submitted their master plan and are really just waiting on the Ministry for that. As you know, public health experts have sounded the alarm that Scarborough is amongst many other reasons seeing a higher rate of hospitalization and ICU patients with COVID-19 because of the vulnerabilities in the population. As you said, you acknowledge that we need to protect our most vulnerable populations, those with pre-existing conditions and seniors. There are many situations in our Scarborough community that make it more vulnerable. Will you work with the public health units on their outreach plan and plan to isolate families who test positive and giving them that option? Thank you. And the response? I can certainly advise the member that I can make inquiries as to the status of the application for the Scarborough hospital but you will also know that I am not able to interfere in it. There is a process that has to be followed to make sure it is fair and equitable for all parts of the province. That is the way it should be and I don't think anyone would have any disagreement about that. But we also want to make sure that we can help within the community to help the public health unit to make sure that they can do the testing, tracing, isolating. If they need more contact managers to help there, we have already provided several hundred additional contact managers to Toronto Public Health. I know that there are some situations where quarantine management has been asked for which is provided by the federal government. I have had several conversations with Minister Haidu about that. I know that some have been opened in the western part of the city. But if they are required in Scarborough, I would be more than happy to speak with Minister Haidu about that as well. The next question. My question is for the Premier. Feed Ontario surveyed 200 food bank visitors this past September. As part of it, they released Hunger Report 2020. Staggeringly, half of them reported that they are worried about facing eviction or defaulting on their mortgages in the coming months. This is terrifying. The cost of keeping a roof over their family's head is the biggest single reason that people go hungry in Ontario. Back in March, the Premier said that people who can't afford to eat and pay rent should choose to eat. And as the pandemic drags on, Feed Ontario is asking the Government to reinstate a residential eviction moratorium and rent relief so that people don't face eviction or massive arrears because of COVID-19 and so that they can afford to eat. When will the Premier take action to ensure that Ontarians can both eat and keep housed? Thank you. The Associate Minister responsible for children and women's issues. Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member for that question. It has been difficult on many families across the province. As part of Ontario's efforts to support children, youth and families through this challenging time, our government has provided $8 million in funding for Feed Ontario. This funding assisted Feed Ontario in producing and distributing pre-packaged hampers to support the great work that food banks across this province have been doing throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. And I'd like to give a shout out to my own local food bank and the volunteers that are there in doing the hard work in our food bank. We also invested an additional $1 million in the student nutrition program so it can continue to run throughout the summer. And during this time the program has been adapted to include new local approaches to meal delivery including distributing grocery gift cards or farm vouchers delivering food boxes, meals or frozen meals and supporting food banks. Our government knows that proper nutrition is a foundation for success and we are taking every step to ensure that we are able to continue to continue to do so. Thank you. Thank you very much. That concludes our question period for this morning. Pursuant to standing order 36A, the member for Ottawa South has given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to his question given by the Minister of Long-Term Care concerning pearly-redo long-term care beds and this matter will be debated today following private members' public business. The motion act with respect to the positions of Chief Medical Officer of Health and Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health in related matters. The bells will now ring for 30 minutes during which time members may cast their votes. I will ask the clerks to prepare the lobbies.