 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. This question is for the Premier. Speaker, I think I speak for all of us here when I say that our thoughts, again, are with the people and communities that are directly impacted by the forest fires that are blazing across this province, and with also, of course, the courageous firefighters, pilots and local teams working to get them under control. And while that work is underway, millions of people across Ontario are experiencing the impacts to air quality. Speaker, we are in for probably the most severe fire season our province has ever experienced, and people are quite rightly worried for their immediate future and whether this is the new reality. Does the Premier acknowledge that the climate emergency is making this fire season significantly worse? Well, I want to thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. Mr. Speaker, I want to start off by thanking all the firefighters and crews working around the clock to keep our communities safe. And Mr. Speaker, they're literally the best in the world, and again, I want them to know that I'm sure all of us, of all political stripes, have their backs 100%. I know that many towns and cities across our province are being impacted by smoke, and not just Ontario, but other smoke coming from other provinces where we're seeing this right across the country, unfortunately. This is having a major impact on many residents in these areas, particularly in Ottawa area and Northern Ontario. And it's hurting those who are already at risk, like our young people and our seniors. While it's taking place right now, I want them to know that our own fire ranger crews, helicopters, water bombers are responding in full force to manage the files. Thank you. A supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. I appreciate that. I will point out that my question was whether the Premier would acknowledge that the climate emergency is making the fire season worse. And I, Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry refused to acknowledge a connection between the climate crisis and these forest fires. All while this government is doubling down on costly and carbon-intensive gas-fired power, they're doubling down on sprawl, they've failed to deliver badly needed transit. Order. And the Conservatives also, let's not forget, weakened their own climate targets, Speaker. I want to ask the Premier, will the Premier show some leadership today and act on the climate emergency? Premier? Well, Mr. Speaker, I'm actually in shock that the Leader of Opposition is politicizing wildfires. It's staggering, really. But nothing surprised me with the opposition. We're taking steps to make sure we're prepared since 2017, with increased spending on emergency fire preparedness by more than 37%, Mr. Speaker. We have 142 fire ranger crews, which are the best in the world, ready to go right across our province, and we have a fleet of 28 aircraft to fight these fires, including nine heavy water bombers. My number one goal is to make sure the communities and the people are safe here in Ontario. We will spare no expense to make sure that we support our firefighters and our communities. And our supplementary? It's science, right? This is no ordinary fire season. People are worried that this is our new normal, and they are scared. In the GTHJ last night, the Air Quality Index was among the worst worldwide. And in the Ottawa region, the index was above a level 10, which is about as high as it gets, while people closest to the fires are being evacuated, schoolchildren in our largest cities are being kept inside. And people with medical conditions are being told not to go out. This is not normal, Speaker. With the very real impacts of climate change being felt by millions of Ontarians today, will the Premier reverse course on his plans to pave over the province's largest carbon sink? The Green Belt. The question. Will the Premier take their seat? Members, will the Premier take order? Order. Premier, can reply? Yes. You want to politicize it, but let me tell you the report that I've heard, Mr. Speaker, the report that I have heard, approximately 50% of the fires are started by lightning strikes. The other 50% are people starting campfires, not putting out the campfires properly. So I'm asking every Ontarian, please do not light any campfires. We're out there, all the firefighters, I should say, fighting against these wild fires. And yes, Mr. Speaker, they happen every single year. Similar to the floods, the wildfires start every single year. We will throw every resource we can to make sure we put these fires out. Thank you. For the Opposition. For a little leadership here and maybe take a little responsibility. Order. Government side will come to order so that I can hear the member asking the question. We start the clock. Leader of the Opposition. As we all know now, insiders with connections to private health care companies have donated over $35,000 to the Conservatives since the 2018 election. Donations from private clinic owners, developers looking to build private hospitals, all while the Conservatives are funneling public money out of our public system and into private health facilities. Here to the Premier, will the government prioritise sick Ontarians over their insider friends looking to make a buck? Hi, the Deputy Premier, Minister of Health. What we will do is we will continue to prioritise in making sure that we eliminate and decrease the wait times. People do not want to answer the passage of Bill 60. That means individuals, a physician who practices in British Columbia can come to Ontario, cut through the red tape and begin serving their communities here in Ontario. How do we do that? We do that through state programs that as of yesterday had 4,000 nurses part of that program to ensure that as they get their tuition and education costs covered, they are prepared to serve in underserved communities. We're doing the work, we're making those commitments and absolutely Bill 60 will expand the surgical and diagnostic centres across Ontario. Why? Because people are sick and tired of the status quo and sick and tired of waiting for their service. No, that's a no then. Is it? Speaker, there are new reports about a growing number of registered private healthcare lobbyists with ties to the Conservative Party. More insiders, lobbying their friends and their former colleagues, case in point, a former staffer for the Premier is now lobbying for a, quote, publicly funded, privately delivered care. Only he registered as a lobbyist before this government announced they were starting to issue private surgical contracts. How convenient, Speaker, to the Premier. Were these insiders given a heads up about the expansion of private surgery delivery in Ontario? Minister of Health. The member opposite does know that there are over 600 independent surgical and diagnostic centres operating today in the province of Ontario, right? This is an expansion of a program that has for decades served the people of Ontario well because they don't want to have to go to a community an hour, two hours away to get their CT scan, to get their MRI, to get their cataract surgery. They want to have that opportunity in community. We are expanding a program that has served us well, but we need to make sure that we have capacity as Ontario grows, as our population increases, and frankly, the need for these services increases. Thank you, Speaker. The final supplementary. I don't buy it, I don't buy it for a second, Speaker, and neither do Ontarians. Because they know this government's track record of helping their friends at the expense of everybody else. Speaker, the Office of the Integrity Commissioner reports there are nearly 1,200 lobbyists registered to influence this government on health policy. That's more than on nearly every other issue combined. Many are lobbyists for profit, private healthcare companies who offer nearly identical services to those covered by OHIP. Only they let the richest pay out of pocket to cut the line and access services faster. They're swirling like vultures, vultures over what's left of our healthcare system, and they're looking to cash in Ontarians' health. I'm going to ask again, when will this government prioritise sick Ontarians over their insider friends looking to make a buck? And the Minister of Health. Speaker, I would ask the leader of the NDP to turn around and ask her caucus how many of those caucus members are lobbying me every week on I have constituents who are waiting for surgery. I have constituents who are waiting for cataracts. Will you do something as the government? And I can assure our members that we are and we do. In January, it was a great honour to be able to expand surgical diagnostic centres specifically for cataracts in Windsor, Kitchener, Waterloo and Ottawa. Cataract surgery in the province of Ontario have their wait time shortened. What does that mean? It means they get back to their families, they get back to their community, they get back to work. It is exactly what your members' lobby means for on a weekly basis and what the people of Ontario deserve. Thank you. Stop the clock, please. I stop the clock as our honoured guests have to prepare for a reception and some official photographs and they may have had an off already and they found me to leave the proceedings at this time. Congratulations and thank you again to Monsieur de Rosier and Miss Deller for your service to December. And the people of Ontario. We will restart the clock. The next question, the member for Nickelbelt. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Question for the Premier. Last week, Health Coalition from all over the province brought 400,000 Ontario voices opposed to private health care to this legislature. Today, Brock University students are here to show the opposition to build 60, the government health privatisation agenda. People representing Minden, Monforest, Palmerston, Listerwell, Wingham, Seaford, Clinton, Gray-Bruce, Chelsea, the list goes on, are here asking the Premier to either reopen their ER or keep them open. We live in a democracy speaker. All those people are coming to Queen's Park because they are scared. They're anxious. They're worried. They want to be heard. I want the Premier to listen to that. Minister of Health. As the member opposite knows, Bill 60 had fulsome public hearings where individuals could come forward and share their concerns, questions and frankly, platitudes for Bill 60. I'm going to highlight a couple of things that came out of those committee hearings. I'm here to say that Bill 60 is a good start in eliminating Ontario's surgical backlog. We are pleased to see this government introduce significant changes to our system that will better serve Ontarians within a publicly funded system. Overall, this bill sets up a good framework to create a system of surgical care that is patient-centred and promotes patient choice. That comes from the President and CEO of CE Health. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the Premier. In my discussions with Brock University Student Union executives, they voiced serious apprehensions about your government's health care, privatisation direction, especially concerning accessibility. Reduced health care impacts are evident in Niagara. Your two urgent care centres confront diminishing access. When asked, 85% of Brock University students are concerned over Bill 60, a sentiment shared by 400,000 referendum Ontario voters. Health care in Niagara is bearing the staff crisis magnifying by Bill 124 and your privatisation agenda. Premier, when your government stops shrugging responsibility and commitment to enhancing health care and flexibility in Niagara through public investment. Minister of Health. I hope when you were speaking to those Brock students that you talked about the investments that we are making, increasing the number of student seats for both post-secondary and residency positions, this means that there are more opportunities for young people who wish to practice medicine in the province of Ontario have that opportunity as a result of our government's investment. And I hope you also highlighted the fact that in the region of Niagara we are investing and building with that hospital corporation a brand new hospital in the amount of $4.1 billion in our community. Thank you, Speaker. Order. Next question, the member for Brampton East. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. With our government's policies, Ontario's reputation as a hub for cutting edge innovation continues to grow. With its robust manufacturing sector, it's crucial that our government attract investments to take advantage of this fact as it drives towards creating an end to end economy and ending our reliance on other jurisdictions for critical goods. Speaker, can the minister please highlight a recent investment that showcases the province's commitment to fostering innovation and simultaneously supporting our manufacturing industry? The Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Speaker, Ontario is now the innovation and manufacturing gateway to North America and that is the result of reducing the cost of doing business by $8 billion every year. Hydrogen optimized recently announced a $4.6 million investment in Owen Sound. They specialize in the production of green hydrogen through an exciting new manufacturing technology. This will replace fossil fuels in energy intensive industries like cement and fertilizer production. They're doing this cutting edge work while creating new jobs and acquiring state of the art equipment for Ontario. With a $500,000 investment from our government, Speaker, this is how we're supporting our innovation and manufacturing sectors. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the minister for his answer and the great work that he does bringing new jobs to our great province of Ontario. It's evident that investments like these happen when government creates the right conditions for businesses to thrive and now more than ever, Speaker, it's important that the innovation and economy works hand in hand with the manufacturing sector. Thank you, Speaker. With this recent announcement from Hydrogen Optimized, can the minister elaborate on why companies like them are increasingly looking to invest in Ontario and grow in Ontario? Thank you, Speaker. Yesterday, my ministry was called into estimates. Now I have to confess the last time I was in that committee room was for the liberal gas plant scandal where senior liberal officials actually went to prison. The being in that room reminded me of the state of Ontario under the previous government supported by the NDP. 300,000 manufacturing jobs were lost. Companies were fleeing Ontario. We all remember those very horrible years. While that all changed under Premier Ford. Ontario is now the world's leaders in EVs with an unprecedented $25 billion in new business. $3 billion in new life sciences, $100 billion in tech, over 660,000 new jobs created. Speaker, that's the difference when you put in a government that gets it done. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Members of my community are anxiously awaiting the completion and opening of the Finch West LRT line. The construction phase hasn't been easy. With massive traffic disruptions, vehicular and pedestrian accidents, property damage complaints, a collapsed underground garage of a high-rise condo, I daycare flooded with sewage displacing over 100 children for months and more. My community has been patient, but understandably frustrated. In light of all of the issues on the Eglinton LRT, what assurances can you provide? My community that the Finch West LRT will be completed on budget and on time at this year's end. Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I thank the member for his question. It's an important question because the Finch West LRT will give people in the northwest part of the City of Toronto what they've been waiting for for a long time, which is a transit system that will offer more choices to travel on their own schedule. Mr Speaker, the Finch West LRT will connect the new Finch West subway station on the Toronto-York Spadina subway extension to Humber College. We're talking about 11 kilometres of new dedicated LRT with 16 new surface stops, Mr Speaker, a below grade stop at Humber College North Campus and an underground interchange station at the TTC's Finch West subway station. Mr Speaker, this also includes a brand new maintenance and storage facility for light rail transit vehicles. Mr Speaker, this system will transform the community. Shovels went into the ground in 2018, Mr Speaker. The constructors are working diligently to deliver the system, and we look forward to having good news. Thank you. And a supplementary question from the member for Scarborough, Southwest. Thank you very much, Speaker. Back to the Premier. Residents in my community have contacted my office to express their frustration, their distress over the incessant overnight construction carried out by Metrolinx. The disruptive noise has become so unbearable that constituents are complaining that disruptive noise just imagines someone drilling in your backyard all night long for a whole year. The disruptive noise has become so unbearable that constituents are complaining that children and pets are abruptly awakened from their sleep all throughout the night. However, Metrolinx has informed that residents that they possess a permit allowing them to continue this overnight operations till the end of the year because it's related to the transit system. Whether it's the Eglinton LRT, the Scarborough RT, or the Lakeshore East Line, Scarborough residents are the ones always to suffer. Question. Speaker, while critical transit work is being done, what will this government do to protect local residents and mitigate the ongoing disruptions to their lives and their well-being? Thank you, Speaker. To respond, the members will please take their seats. Premier? I want to thank you for your question. Does the Scarborough residents know you voted against that subway line? Do the Scarborough residents know that you had no interest in delivering the first subway in the history of Scarborough? When I was at City Hall, we were fighting for the residents of Scarborough where you never even existed. You weren't up there cheering for Scarborough. You didn't vote against your party. You should have voted against your party. You know something I'll tell you? The reason why the majority of the seats in Scarborough is because they know we're getting things done. We're building a subway for the first time in the history of Scarborough. We're making sure they're getting a new hospital. We're getting a university. Premier, please take a seat. So a few reminders. A few reminders. A few reminders. We make our comments through the chair, not directly across the floor of the house. Secondly, once the speaker stands, you sit. Your microphone goes off. When I can't hear whoever's got the floor because of a loud ovation, we stop the clock because there's no point in carrying on. So we'll start the clock. Next question, the member for Scarborough Centre. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Associate Minister of Transportation. When it comes to community around the greater Golden Horseshoe, investment is critical. Transportation infrastructure needs to happen now. I'm fortunate to have the GO train station in my riding, but more GO rail service are needed across the region. Unfortunately, the previous Liberal government did not plan ahead to address the 40 transit need for people in Ontario. Our government must continue to take action and to do more to provide GO train expansion. Speaker, can the Associate Minister please explain how our government is expanding GO rail services? The Associate Minister. Speaker, I am very happy to keep talking about Scarborough and let's get to it because there's a lot happening in that member's riding. Let's talk about crews widening the Shepherd Avenue West Bridge between Bakersfield Street and Chesswood Drive for the increased future service that GO expansion is bringing to the very line. In fact, construction is well underway and is slated to continue until September this year with bridge installations set to begin shortly thereafter. This is another vital infrastructure upgrade for our government that we are delivering. Game changing transit, that includes GO expansion that will see riders benefit from more than 6,500 weekly trips on the GO network. When you break it down, Speaker, what this really means is that we're ensuring that more people can connect to local transit work, health care education and other critical services across the entire region. Speaker, the Premier said it best. The member's opposite did nothing to build transit in this province that includes the fine people of Scarborough. We're doing things differently. We're getting it done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Associate Minister for the update on this important project. This is encouraging news for many people across the GTA. Transit infrastructure expansion is vital to help growth in Ontario's economy so that goods can get to market and so that hardworking Ontarians can get to their jobs. Our government must continue to invest in expansion of the transit services. Mr. Speaker, can the Associate Minister please explain how our government is delivering on transit services for the people of Ontario? The Associate Minister of Transportation. I sure can expand, Mr. Speaker. That's exactly what I'm going to do because we've been making some terrific progress on building transit. We were re-elected a year ago. GO expansion milestones. They include a completion of major construction on the Davenport Diamond and terrific new upgrades at Bramley, Maple, Millikin, King City and Aurora GO stations. Our historic GTA transit project, Speaker, we've awarded multiple contracts for the game-changing Ontario line and we've tunneled well over half the Eglinton West extension more than a month ahead of schedule. Speaker, we're also modernizing transit fare systems by introducing credit and debit payment features on GO transit and agencies in the 905 with over one and a half million taps and counting. And, Speaker, let's not forget, after the Liberals canceled the Northlander, our government brought back with a $140 million purchase to buy three terrific new trains because we're bringing the Northlander back. Speaker, the opposition left a giant transit deficit in this province. We're filling that gap and we're building record transit in Greatville. A member for Waterloo. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. A core mandate of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is to generate revenue for the province. By this metric, the government's ongoing plan to privatize operation of Ontario's casinos is a failure. Even before all of the contracts have been awarded, folding one third of the contracts were renegotiated, resulting in an estimated loss of $3.3 billion to the province. These renegotiations were done voluntarily. There is no legal obligation for the province to do this, and they amount to a subsidy. These subsidies have been used in the construction of these private casinos. We are subsidizing the construction of casinos in the province of Ontario. Why is this government continuing down this path and losing billions of dollars that are needed for healthcare, education, housing, and yes, the environment? Please tell the people of this province why the finance minister is overseeing and condoning this conduct. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and through you to the member opposite. Mr. Speaker, many in this room are students of history. And let's go back to when the modernization plan was put together in 2012. Does anyone remember who was in power at that time? It was the Liberals. Oh yeah, it was the Liberals. Does anyone remember who supported the Liberals? That's right, that's right, 2012. So they put this framework in place, Mr. Speaker. So think about this, Mr. Speaker. We have to clean up the, thank you, of the previous government. I have, Mr. Speaker, full confidence in the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. We have regular contact with them, Mr. Speaker. And they are good people there managing the taxpayers' money. And since, to date, modernization has resulted in about $2 billion in capital investment from the private sector. You know what that means, Mr. Speaker? Good jobs, bigger paychecks for the workers of Ontario. Supplementary question. Thank you. Does anybody remember when we had a government that put the people we're elected to serve ahead of private interests? The OLG, with the permission of the Finance Ministry, was not required to renegotiate these contracts. Then they didn't need our help either. In one case, a private casino operator with over $3 billion in assets and a net revenue of nearly $300 million annually was given a sweetheart deal to reduce their revenue sharing with the province by 25%. Apparently, this government is more concerned about the financial viability of casino corporations than the needed revenue for education, health, housing, and, yes, fighting forest fires. Was this renegotiation really intended as a gift to friends or is the government truly so out of touch with the needs of Ontarians that they prioritize casinos over housing? This is unethical behavior. I'm asking the Finance Minister simply to do his job. Mr. Fene. I'm going to take the high road, Mr. Speaker. And, you know, Mr. Speaker, she talks about a pattern. She talks about remembering. Does anyone remember the events of June 2nd, 2022, where the people spoke and delivered a bigger majority to this side of the house and the great middle over there? Mr. Speaker, you know, we have an obligation to the workers, to the people of this great province, then the jobs that they create and the private sector to put. We don't create the jobs. The private sector creates the jobs. And let me talk about my own writing, pickering. And you know what we have in pickering now? A new casino, the Pickering Casino, which has created literally hundreds and hundreds of new good paying jobs right next door to Ajax, right next door to Whitmore, and, yes, right next door to Scarborough. This is what this government is about. It's about creating the conditions so jobs and people can work in this province and support their families. Question, the member for Don Valley East. Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister of Infrastructure. In 1969, the Premier of Ontario at the time, the Honourable John Robarts, spoke at the opening of the Ontario Science Centre and shared the following statement. I am confident that during the next 100 years it will have an impact on far more people than any other single centennial project. 100 years, and that's from a progressive Conservative Premier. How emblematic of this government's general approach to doing things that they are choosing to demolish it in less than half that time. First, they take apart health care. Then the green belt, then the science centre. There's clearly a theme here. Yesterday I was joined by Opsuin community members to reject the government's decision to demolish and relocate the science centre, a decision I want to remind everyone, made without any public consultation. My question, Mr. Speaker, is when will this government commit to genuine consultation with the public on the science centre before making community destroying decisions like this one? Minister of Infrastructure. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you very much to the member for the question. Mr. Speaker, we made a commitment. We've been fully transparent with the public that we will be building a brand new science centre with additional more former science centre lands are an opportunity for the province to continue discussions with the City of Toronto. There are opportunities for community amenities for housing and we will have those discussions with the City of Toronto. But Mr. Speaker, we are bringing Ontario Place back to life with a brand new science centre with more exhibition space. Very supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll address the folly of that argument in just a moment because this government claims it consults with stakeholders, purports to listen to the public, and if it did so, it would hear the following things. This afternoon, I will deliver petitions from well over 30,000 people all calling for a halt to the demolition of the science centre. Nearly 900 pages of people offering their opinion if this government would just pause and listen to them. Instead, as we just heard what we're hearing are a series of nonsensical justifications for this decision. For example, while this government argues that the new location will attract more visitors, the new centre will be 50% smaller in size, many Ontarians won't be able to afford visiting the new centre and are only able to visit the one we have now because it is centrally located. Not to mention, the current site is situated at the intersection of the Eglinton Crosshand in Ontario line, which will open up the science centre to even more of the public. And so to the Minister of Infrastructure again, given this public outcry and these arguments, will they reevaluate the decision to demolish the science centre? Minister of Infrastructure. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. The new location at Ontario Place will also be connected by the Ontario line, which is a brand new subway line that our government is building to provide greater public access to Ontario Place and make sure that it's accessible to the public. Mr Speaker, we are building a brand new science centre, an innovative place with new exhibition and additional exhibition space. We are bringing Ontario Place back to life. We anticipate 4 to 6 million visitors a year, and we are all excited for the site servicing work to start, and we will continue working in a collaborative way with the City of Toronto. Thank you. The next question, the member for Brampton East. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the great Minister of Labor, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. Our government believes that anyone who wants to work should have the opportunity to work. However, individuals with developmental disabilities often face barriers in securing stable and fulfilling employment. Speaker, the statistics are clear. There are approximately 2.6 million people in Ontario who live with disabilities. Sadly, only 55% of these people are employed. Individuals with disabilities deserve opportunities to master in-demand skills, gain valuable experiences and build the confidence they need to thrive in their communities. That's why our government must continue to make investments that would build up Ontario's workforce. Speaker, can the Minister explain how our government is supporting employment opportunities for all Ontarians? Mr. Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. I just want to thank the member from Brampton East for this really important question. Speaker, giving people with disabilities a hand up to a better life isn't just the right thing to do. It's also good for the bottom line. We owe it to all of them to build an Ontario that truly leaves no one behind. That's why I was pleased to join everyone's favourite minister, the Minister for Seniors and Accessibility at Community Living Toronto. We were at Community Living Toronto to announce our government is investing six and a half million dollars to support five innovative training projects to help nearly 4,000 people with disabilities find meaningful employment. Under the leadership of our Premier, our government believes everyone deserves a fair shot at a purpose-driven life. Through these projects, participants will get tailored supports to learn new skills, set goals and be matched with mentors who can help them succeed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I look forward to talking about these projects more. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you to the Minister for that great answer. And Ontario continues to face a historic labour shortage with nearly 300,000 jobs going unfulfilled every day, costing our economy billions in productivity. While our government's investing in training programs and providing support, there must also be accessible and inclusive employment opportunities. And as the Minister states, we need all hands on deck in order to build a stronger Ontario for the next generation. That means we must ensure all Ontarians have access to the skills they need to find rewarding jobs. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how investments by our government will open pathways for more inclusive workplaces? Thank you, Speaker. Once again, the Minister of Labour. Thank you and thank you again for that question. Speaker, creating an accessible world requires a commitment from everyone. Since day one, our government has been working with workers, unions, industry associations and all of our other partners to help people get better jobs and bigger paychecks. We have been on a mission to help individuals with disabilities secure meaningful and rewarding careers with employers in their own communities. Through the projects we announced during National Accessibility Week, we're helping those who need us the most get started with paid job placements in in-demand sectors like healthcare, information technology and hospitality. By working with all of our partners and continued investment to help people with disabilities find careers, we are continuing our mission to make Ontario the best place to live, work and raise a family. Thank you. Next question, the member for Niagara Falls. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. In Niagara, I met with unionized frontline workers from long-term care homes who are concerned about the use of agency employees and the effects on the quality of care for residents. Permanent employees in long-term care are not paid fair wages for their work, which often leads to them leaving the jobs they love, worsening the staffing crisis. Meanwhile, temporary employment agencies are charging $150 an hour or more in Ontario's footing the bill with a premier, Iranian temporary staffing agencies and ensure permanent employees are paid fairly to address the staffing crisis. That's good. That's good. Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. Well, the member opposite is going to disparage individuals who are regulated under the same regulated health profession as nurses working in hospitals, in long-term care homes. We are going to embark on and continue to expand upon the largest health human resource expansion in the Ontario's history. Now, last summer, when we directed the College of Nurses to quickly expedite review and ultimately license appropriate nurses that have been trained in other jurisdictions, they had a historic high in 2022 over 12,000 nurses, over 6,000 of which were educated outside of Ontario and Canada have now been given the opportunity to register and practice in the province of Ontario. Those types of initiatives are going to expand our health human resources so that everyone, whether they are in community, long-term care, hospital, in our surgical and diagnostic centres have appropriate care. Supplementary? Let's be back to my premier, but I will say to the health minister, 5,600 have died in long-term care facilities, so this is a really concern. Many of the temporary agency workers have no training or experience in long-term care. This is leading to reduced quality of care for residents and the potential concern around the safety and wellbeing of the people in our long-term care facilities. These are our mothers, our fathers, our grandparents, our aunts and our uncles. It's all about respect and dignity for long-term care residents and for the permanent employees in these homes. When is the premier going to share fair standards are in place at every long-term care home across the province of Ontario for workers and their patients? The House Leader, Minister of Long-Term Care. Mr. Speaker, the member knows that we did bring in North American leading standards with the Fixing Long-Term Care Act. The member also knows that he voted against that. The member should remember that we did increase wages for our PSWs. He will recall that he also voted against that. The member probably recalls that we also decided that we would hit a North American leading standard of four hours of care per day. He voted against that. Moreover, he voted against, I think, an additional $25 million for the long-term care homes in his own riding to increase the level of care in his own community. He's voted against the additional homes that we're building in his riding and across Niagara. Mr. Speaker, he's talked against the long-term care expansion that we are doing. He's talked against and voted against the inspections, the increase in inspections that we're doing in long-term care. By every single measure on care has the largest investment in long-term care in North American history. Not just in Canada, but in North America. And on every single time he had to support that, he and his party voted against. The next question. The member for Chatham Kent Leaning Chair. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister of colleges and universities. Under the leadership of our premier, this government has made record-setting investments in healthcare infrastructure, more support for healthcare workers, and unprecedented support to accessing care. Our government believes that everyone deserves to have access, equal access to healthcare, close to home. We know there's more that needs to be done when it comes to connecting Ontarioans to care in their local communities. This means that more staff are required to better serve our communities and the greatest need for healthcare is in professionals. However, filling these critical roles requires educated and skilled healthcare professionals. The minister had previously spoken about the Ontario Learn and Stay program, which incentivizes students to pursue careers in the healthcare sector. Speaker, can the minister please provide an update on the success of the Ontario Learn and Stay program? Good question. Mr. Colleges and Universities. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the great member for that question. And yes, I would love to provide an update on the Learn and Stay program, which I've had the opportunity to speak about this exciting grant on several occasions in the House and how it will directly address the healthcare challenges Ontario is facing. On May 16th at Georgian College in Owen Sound, alongside Minister Jones and MPP Byers, we announced the launch of applications for the new Ontario Learn and Stay grant. Incentivizing students to study and work in the sector will not only alleviate the healthcare strain and bring stability to underserved communities, but it will also steer students in the direction of meaningful careers. Speaker, I'm pleased to report that to date as of 9 a.m. this morning, we have had 4,135 students start or complete the application to the Learn and Stay program. Very good. That's great. This is how students are eager to begin lifelong careers in the healthcare sector. Unlike previous governments, this government is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to supporting students in every way possible to support our workers. Thank you. Thank you very much. This supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. It's so encouraging to hear the Ontario Learn and Stay grant program has been so well received by students looking to pursue meaningful careers in healthcare. We know that some regions in our province face urgent staffing shortages. This uptake in applications will greatly assist in filling these local healthcare staffing needs. While the Learn and Stay grant program is a positive step in addressing staffing shortages across Ontario, our government must continue to be proactive by implementing programs to produce results. People in communities like Chatham-Kent-Lemington and across the province are looking for assurance that when they need access to healthcare, the professionals will be there to care for them. Speaker, can the minister please provide an update on how local communities will benefit from students enrolled in programs through the Learn and Stay grant program? Minister of Colleges and Universities. Thank you again to the member for that question. And yes, I'd love to provide more specific details on this grant. In Northern Ontario for the member for Thunder Bay-Atacocan, 237 students have applied to programs at Lakehead University and Confederation College. These are students who will go on to work at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Center and St. Joseph's Care Group and more within the region. In the east, the member from Renfrew-Nipissing Pembroke, 106 students are eager to attend programs offered at Algonquin College that will support healthcare needs for Pembroke Regional Hospital and Deep River District Hospital. In the southwest, the member for Windsor-Tacompses, 387 students healthcare needs across the entire region, including at the Windsor Regional Hospital. And Speaker, that is obviously only a handful of the writings represented and the number of applicants increases every day. When our premier promises to get it done for the people of Ontario, we get it done. The next question, the member for Parkdale High Park. Thank you, Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Education. The foreign conservative government is refusing to reimburse $61 million the TDSB was forced to spend from their reserves during the pandemic. The government knows that school boards cannot run deficits, which means TDSB is being forced to make cuts. Now across Toronto, schools are learning that staff positions will be cut. Teachers, education assistants, councillors, vice-principals, 522 staff positions cut. This government is starving the public education system. Speaker, we know conservatives don't like public healthcare. Are they now after a public education system too? Mr. Speaker, we have increased funding for school boards by 14% when compared to the former liberals. We have increased funding by $78 million for Toronto District School Board, even though it's the member opposite for whom we could disagree often on opinions, but not on facts. There's literally 8,000 fewer students and yet they have $70 million more than they did when we started. And as the member opposite will know, as a parent and a parliamentarian, the funding, the per-people funding, when student enrollment rises, funding rises. When enrollment declines, as does the funding. It's commensurate with the amount of kids in the system. Yet even with fewer kids, funding is up. And that's such an important point for people in Toronto to know. We are stepping up with investments in Toronto. We're building modern schools in Toronto. We're expediting the delivery of schools in the city of Toronto. We're building in all of your communities because we appreciate there's more to do. The best way we could help Toronto is vote for our budget, vote for our plan, vote for a responsible course of action that lifts standards, elevates the expectations of the system and stands up for tax. Thank you, Speaker. The only record here is how often the minister can repeat the same talking points while per-student funding is down $1,200. Our kids deserve the caring adults they need in classrooms and they also deserve safe, healthy learning environments. We know that clean air improves health, reduces absences, and results in better learning outcomes and test scores. Yet this government isn't bothering to monitor, report on, and improve indoor air quality in schools. For a government that talks a lot about accountability, they sure have problems showing it. Ontario Schools Safety is here today calling for action. Will the minister meet with them and will the government fund an expert air quality committee to oversee air quality in schools? Thank you. Members, please take their seats. Mr.ification. Mr. Speaker, we invested $665 million over the pandemic to raise ventilation standards in Ontario. Mr. Speaker, there are more HEPA filters. There are more HEPA filters in this province than in every province combined. 100,000. The member opposite has the gall to speak about transparency. We are the only jurisdiction in the nation that required every school, 4,800 schools, to publicly report on the state of ventilation at the school level, the rate of ventilation, the use of filtration. We require every school to have a MRF 13 for the schools that have mechanical ventilation. We have a standard that no province has. If a school does not have mechanical ventilation, we require a HEPA filter in every single learning space, the classes, the gyms, the libraries, the learning commons. That is the gold standard when it comes to elevating expectations of ventilation. And Mr. Speaker, if the member opposite was so concerned about this, then you should explain to the parents here why you voted against the measures that improved the air quality in Ontario's public health. Remind the members to make their comments through the chair, not directly across the house at each other. Start the clock. The next question, the member for Brantford Brands. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Associate Minister of Housing. For too many Ontarians, including young people, newcomers and seniors, finding the right home is still too challenging. The housing shortage is affecting all Ontarians, including rural, urban and suburban communities across our province, and it has unfortunately reached crisis levels. Our government has been working on behalf of the people of Ontario to address the shortage of housing in our province and has passed several pieces of legislation to significantly increase the supply of housing. However, our government must do more to find solutions to address the housing crisis and to speed up the pace of housing construction. Speaker, can the Associate Minister please explain how our government is removing barriers to getting more homes built in Ontario? Thank you. Associate Minister of Housing. Thank you, Speaker. And I really do want to thank the member from Brantford Brands for this great question. Speaker, we are undertaking thoughtful, impactful actions to address housing affordability and supply for all Ontarians. Our latest action plan allows our government to boost construction while supporting current and future homeowners and renters. It is this government that is protecting tenants from unfair practices. We're reducing red tape and we're assisting first-time buyers, something the NDP once again voted against. Speaker, we've laid the foundation to increase the supply of market housing so that affordability is within reach for every single community across this province. And Speaker, I've been to Ottawa, Perth County, Wellington and London, right across many communities and we've heard the same about the need and the appreciation for the bold measures our government is taking to combat the housing supply right across this province. Thank you. And a supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you, Minister. Everyone in Ontario should be able to find housing that meets their family's needs. And while it is encouraging to hear about the progress our government is making to remove barriers to construction, I will say it again. There is much more that needs to be done to increase the housing supply all across Ontario. It is positive to see that several municipalities have committed to achieving our province's housing targets and their support is vital to accomplish this goal. The commitment by municipalities to work collaboratively with our government in developing strategies that will provide real and long-term housing solutions is important and essential. Speaker, can the Associate Minister please explain how our government is supporting municipalities across our province so they can deliver on their housing commitments? Thank you. And again, the Associate Minister has. Thank you, Speaker. And once again, thank you to the great member for the question, Speaker. Municipalities across Ontario getting on board, helping to deliver on their housing pledges and to increase supply. But, Speaker, once again, the opposition continues to vote against the best interests of the people across this province. Speaker, they acknowledged we were in a housing supply crisis, although they can't seem to agree if it's real or not. Order. But then voted against our latest housing supply action plan to get more housing supply built. They take to the streets with sign saying they support tenants' rights, Speaker. But then they voted no to the single largest renter protection legislation we've introduced so far, Speaker. It's our government that's reducing red tape. We're freezing costs. We're giving municipalities the tools needed to build the communities off tomorrow because we know the NDP that, once again, no development party are against getting anything done. Thank you. Next question, the member for London North Centre. Thank you, Speaker. Good morning. My question is to the Premier. Tenants in 1276 and 1280 Webster Street, many of whom who are elderly and on a fixed income need provincial intervention immediately. Members of the London City Council wrote a letter to urging Minister Clark to take immediate action to prevent the owners from renovicting vulnerable tenants and pushing them into precarious situations and homelessness. Talking points about ineffective, reactive, conservative legislation about fines won't keep these good people housed. It's simple. You have proactive legislation and rent control and tenant protection legislation on the table that we could pass today. Will this government stand up for seniors and others on Webster Street and pass NDP legislation to reinstate rent control immediately? The Associate Minister of Housing. Thank you, Speaker. I do want to thank the member for the questions. Mr Speaker, our government's top priority is supporting Ontario families. This includes not only helping first-time home buyers get into the market, but also protecting the rights of tenants. We have introduced the largest set of tenant protection reforms in Ontario's history as part of our helping home buyers protecting tenants plan. We doubled the maximum fines for breaking the law and strengthened protections against frivolous evictions like renovictions. When we're going to continue to work closely with municipalities to address their unique challenges, but we're going to maintain our laser focus on supporting families, job creators across this province, and I'll have more to say in the supplementary. Thank you. Thank you very much. Supplementary. Speaker, the Conservatives' answer to the housing affordability crisis is to get rid of rent control and sit back while tenants lose their homes. Waiting until they're evicted or living in their car is not a solution. Speaker, the landlord, Michael Klein, and family properties have a troubling history in their treatment of tenants. That's why Lennon City Council is asking you to act now. They're telling residents they can't have air conditioners, deliberately thumbing their nose at the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal and this government. If that weren't bad enough, they now want to charge tenants $200 per month for previously free parking. Elderly, vulnerable people on fixed income are being gouged. They need your action today. Will this government pass legislation to re-establish rent control and plug the hole of vacancy decontrol? Yes or no? The Associate Minister of Housing. Thank you, Speaker. Let me be clear. This government is standing with tenants and has taken the strongest action in Ontario's history to protect tenants from unfair rent increases. And that's why we kept the rent increase guideline at 2.5% this year, well below inflation. For tenants who do face improper increases above the guideline, they can recover those funds through the landlord tenant bottom. We just doubled the adjudicators on there. Our helping tenants package are going to double penalties for unlawfully hiking rents. We're strengthening those protections against rent evictions and we're giving tenants more rights, including the ability to have air conditioners in their units. But, however, if it was up to the NDP, we would have no housing supply, no rental property. It's this government that's getting housing built with the highest yet purpose rental build this year. And we're going to continue to do that for the people of Ontario so that we can all benefit. Thank you, Speaker. Next question, once again, the member for Brandt for Brandt. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery. Ontario is welcoming a record number of newcomers from around the world, including to my riding of Brandt for Brandt. It is important that these individuals and families have access to the services they need as they settle into communities across our province. I hear about concerns from individuals who are arriving, particularly those from Ukraine, as they have difficulty navigating the registration process for critical government programs. The challenges that they are experiencing are due to the limited services that certain local centres can provide. Everyone deserves to have convenient and seamless access to government services. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how our government is ensuring access to government services for all Ontarians? Mr. Public and Business Service Delivery. Thank you very much, Speaker. And I thank the member from Brandt for Brandt for his question. And I'm pleased to share with him that on June 14th, we are launching the new health car transaction harmonization pilot project to enhance the Ontario experience by better aligning public and private service centres. Speaker, Service Ontario is focusing on delivering essential government services for not only refugees and newcomers from Ukraine, but also residents returning to the province and the homeless population who currently cannot be registered at our local private service provider locations. Speaker, this Service Ontario pilot project launching in our great members' riding of Brandt for Brandt will provide through appointments, outreach services that meet the demand of new OHIP registrants and ensure that residents are able to access services they need conveniently and accessibly. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the minister and for his staff. I really appreciate his response, especially I've raised this issue with him just recently and we're finding a solution today. Across our province, the demand for different types of services varies according to each community's needs and population, whether it's long wait times or having the necessary requirements to obtain a service. We know that this can lead to frustration and delays. Ontarians should be able to resolve their issues and concerns at their first point of interaction with the government. The people of Ontario expect that our government will find solutions to fix the problems and challenges that they encounter. Speaker, can the minister please elaborate on the specific actions that our government is taking to improve the delivery of government services for the people of Ontario. Thank you. Mr. Public and Business Service Delivery. Thank you very much, Speaker. Under Premier's leadership, we made a promise to make life easier for Ontarians by improving access to our government services across the province. This new initiative is another new way we are delivering on that promise of better and more reliable services. Speaker, in addition to the harmonisation of services at existing service centres, my ministry is establishing Service Ontario Express locations to provide accessible core services and build a more sustainable in-person presence with streamlined process and minimise wait time. Speaker, the health car transaction harmonisation project is already supporting approximately 26,000 people through seven private service centres for health car services for international agri-food workers. Speaker, with the help of great members like the one from Brentford Brent that advocates for their communities, we are not stopping the work to make a trip to service Ontario easy, accessible, and of course, quick. Thank you. That concludes our question period for this morning.