 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of His Majesty's Loyal Office. Well, welcome back, Speaker and colleagues. This summer, people across the province of Ontario were feeling the strain of the rising affordability crisis, a cost of living crisis, a housing affordability crisis. And meanwhile, they've watched their government lurch from scandal to scandal crisis to crisis. Now we've seen the resignation of three cabinet ministers and two senior staffers so far. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. How can people trust this Premier to work for them when he has spent the last five years putting his friends and insiders first? Thank you. Good luck. The Premier. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And again, I just want to welcome our friends from Arizona. Welcome. I look forward to speaking to you. And my friends from Arizona, you think politics are tough in the United States. Watch us for the next session. Anyways, I want to thank the leader of the opposition for the question. And I'll answer the reason why people should trust us. When we came to office, Mr. Speaker, it was like walking into a bankrupt company. There was 300,000 jobs lost down to our friends down to the US. And now there's 700,000 more people working today five years ago. We're building $184 billion of infrastructure. We're focusing on $70 billion of building roads and bridges and highways. We're focusing on making sure we're the largest transit system in North America. We're building 50 new sites and hospitals or additions to hospitals, spending over $50 billion. I'll do it. Thank you. Thank you for supplementary questions. You want to talk about the past? Not even at the height of the Liberals gas plant scandal has a government been in such disarray. The government said they were going to clean things up. That's what this Premier ran on. And now he's embroiled in a scandal that has seen ethics laws broken. Three cabinet ministers have resigned in disgrace or run for the exits. Staff in the Conservatives in their circles are leaving under a cloud of suspicion and they're lawyering up, Speaker. The Premier has said the buck stops with him, so let's hear from him, Speaker. Will the Premier finally come clean and explain his personal involvement in the Green Belt scandal? Premier? Well, thank you to the opposition again. You know, I was very clear on my message on Thursday to the people of Ontario. That's what you call leadership, admitting if there was a mistake, moving forward and making sure we go on with our agenda. But that is not going to deter us from building 1.5 million homes. And my friends from Arizona probably don't realize that Ontario is leading North America in economic development and trade and growth. We're the fastest growing region right now in North America. We have over 800,000 people coming to Ontario every single year. And they're coming to Ontario because that's where the prosperity is. That's where the jobs are. That's where economic development is. That's where the quality of life is. You want a great life, you come to Ontario. But I can show the people out there, the new Canadians that are coming here, the young people that need to afford a home. We're going to build homes. You're going to build affordable, attainable. Speaker, things are worse today for people in this province than they were five years ago. Absolutely. And this Premier won't share his phone records. Emails have been deleted in the midst of this scandal. People out there thought something was wrong. And now we have two independent officers of the legislature who have confirmed it. The Conservatives rigged the system to benefit their friends. I mean, it's so bad, Speaker. It's so bad that it's being turned over to the RCMP. So, Speaker, my question to the Premier is, has he spoken to the RCMP about the circumstances of the Greenbelt Carbuck? Please take your seat. Premier? Well, Mr. Speaker, is it better now than it was five years ago? It's not a little better. It's not 10% better. It's 1,000 times better on all fronts. It's 1,000 times better for the 30,000 homes who are building a long-term care when the opposition built 615 years. So, 30,600. Again, Mr. Speaker, we're building the transit. We're building 413, the Bradford Bypass. We're building Highway 7 and Highway 3 to get goods from Point A to Point B and people home a lot quicker. Mr. Speaker, as you see, us report, some of the health reports that I'm gonna see, actually the backlog surgeries are going down. We're pouring money into the new nurses that are coming here. There's 30,000 nurses in our colleges and universities. We saw 15,000 nurses come on board already. 67,000 since we've been in office. 8,000 new doctors. Mr. Speaker, I could spend another half an hour telling you why the province is 1,000 times better now than it was five years ago. Please take your seats. We start the clock. The next question, once again, the leader of the opposition. The Premier, maybe if the Premier had spent more time listening to people this summer. People who've seen their emergency rooms closed. Kids who can't get treatment with the autism program. People who were fighting forest fires all across this province. Maybe he'd have learned something and he wouldn't have spent his summer divvying up the spoils to his friends. This afternoon I'm gonna be tabling the Green Belt Restoration Act. The official opposition NDP's bill to restore and protect all of the lands this government removed from the Green Belt. A solution that the Premier finally agrees is the right thing to do. We must restore integrity to government Premier. We're gonna be calling for unanimous consent of this House. So to the Premier, Ontarians will be watching. Will he pass our legislation to restore and protect lands in the Green Belt? Mr. Ms. Paul, fairs and housing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Very clear, Mr. Speaker. No, we will not be supporting the member's legislation. Obviously we have not seen the legislation, so we will never provide unanimous consent to something that we have not seen. But to be very clear, we will be voting against that legislation today, Mr. Speaker. I will be bringing forward legislation very soon, which will not only return the lands, but ensure that an additional 7,000 acres of land are put into the Green Belt. And we will go one step further, Mr. Speaker. We will codify in legislation the boundaries of the Green Belt, Mr. Speaker, so that it is protected through legislation and not through regulations. So no, we will not be supporting the member's legislative piece today because we're gonna go further and we're gonna do what has never been done in this province before. Response. We will protect the Green Belt once and for all. Here you go. Fantastic question. Speaker, why would anyone trust this government to fix a disaster of their own making? There are still so many questions, so many questions, Speaker, that this Premier and this government refused to answer in this $8.3 billion scandal. So back to the Premier. How did these speculators know to give your office the details about the parcels of land to remove from the Green Belt before it was announced to the public? Who tipped them off? Mr. Ms. Volker is in housing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the reality is that both the Auditor General and the Information Commissioner, the Integrity Commissioner have reported on that, Mr. Speaker, but what the reality is is that the NDP and the Liberals continue to double down on policies that have put Ontario into a housing crisis. We have been working for five years to untangle the mess that was the opposition policies on housing. In fact, Mr. Speaker, in the member's own writing, in the member's own writing where average income is about $55,000 a year, the average house price is about $1.1 million, it would take somebody $80,000 in mortgage payments just to afford that home. And what does the member opposite do? She continues to support policies that would take all of the people in her writing out of the ability to own a home, Mr. Speaker. We are going to double down on policies that have filled houses for people across the province of Ontario. Make no mistake, we'll get the job done. Stop the clock. Restart the clock. The final supplementary. Speaker, not only did it take two scathing reports and unprecedented resignations to force this Premier to do the right thing, not only did he allow the housing crisis to get worse, yes, worse while this scandal expanded, but he's put our province in a position where we could be on the hook for billions. Speaker, back to the Premier. How much is this government's green belt disaster going to cost Ontario's taxpayers? Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Nothing, nothing, Mr. Speaker. We will be presenting a bill later on this week which will ensure that the people of the province of Ontario are focused on what matters to them, building houses for the people of the province of Ontario. She talks about us adding on to the housing crisis. It's unbelievable to me, Mr. Speaker. We have seen, because of the policies of this government, housing starts at the highest level in over 30 years, right? And it's not just single family. It's not just single family homes, Mr. Speaker. It is purpose-built rental that under their policies came to a halt for over 30 years, Mr. Speaker. This is a party with the Liberals that doubled down on increasing taxes for the people of the province of Ontario. Year after year after year, they think that increasing taxes somehow encourages an economy to grow. We have shown that by reducing taxes, cutting red tape and investing in priorities of people, 700,000 jobs come back and the economy booms. And now we're going to get it done in housing as well. Next question. The member for Niagara Centre. Speaker, through you to the Premier. The same favourite insiders who received preferential treatment in the Green Belt decision are also benefiting from shady backroom deals for MZOs, urban boundary expansions, and Highway 413. Will this government stop paving over protected farmland to enrich its friends? Mr. Mr. President, now. Well, let's unpack that if we can. So MZOs were requested by municipal partners for the most part, right? Our municipal partners asked us. Now where we didn't get requests from municipal partners is when I was the Minister of Long-Term Care, we now have a great Minister of Long-Term Care. When I was the Minister of Long-Term Care, we actually had municipalities, Port Hope, for instance, that actually refused to give us long-term care homes. So I went to the minister and I said, give me an MZO because I want to close down 30, 40, 50-year-old long-term care homes that aren't sprinkled and build brand new ones. I won't apologize for doing that. I'll continue to do it, Mr. Speaker, whether it's for long-term care homes, whether it's for the Minister of Colleges and University who wants to build dormitories for students, I'm going to double down and I'm going to make sure that we build that housing not only for seniors, not only for young families, but for students in his area and in all parts of this province. And that's your question. Member for Hamilton West and Pastor Dundas. Mr. Speaker, I can assure the minister that the City of Hamilton did not request that you meddle with our urban plan. I have been ringing the alarm about this government's backroom deals for urban sprawl in Hamilton for months now. The Integra Commission's report revealed that the same developers who successfully influenced the Ford government to remove their land from the green belt also benefited from a provincial order to expand the city's urban boundary. My question, Mr. Speaker, did this government give preferential treatment to developers with shady MZO's and undemocratic changes to our official plan? Mr. Mr. Harris. And there you have it, Mr. Speaker, don't you? Right, it's not about the green belt, colleagues. It's never been about the green belt for them, right? It's about stopping people from having the same benefits that generations of Ontarians have always had. They don't want to build on the green belt. They don't even want to build in their own area. In fact, after the decision was made to restore the lands to the green belts, some of those members called me to say that they had already done their job in their area and that they didn't want to see intensification. They didn't want to see towers. Well, let me tell you this. We are going to build all across the province because you know what? Young Ontarians deserve to have that first home. The seniors who want to downsize deserve to have a place that they can downsize to, Mr. Speaker. They deserve to have long-term care homes. Our students deserve to have dormitories, Mr. Speaker. That is what is important to all of those people who are in their parents' basement right now and want to have a home. We have your back. They continue to do the same thing and we won't allow it to happen. We'll get the job done for them each and every day. Mr. Speaker, please take their seats. Order. Order. Order. Start the clock. The next question is for the member for Bradford Brandt. Good morning, Speaker. Thank you. My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Companies from around the globe are looking to Ontario for their future and our government must be a champion that will support our industry leaders and innovators. It is essential that we continue to attract new investments that will ensure Ontario's economy will grow and thrive. This summer, the Minister led an international trade and investment mission to South Korea and Japan to strengthen economic partnerships, foster pre-existing relationships, and forge new alliances. Speaker, at a time of economic and geopolitical unrest, can the Minister please explain how his leadership in spearheading this investment trade mission is helping to strengthen Ontario's overall economic environment? Thank you. Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Our recent sales mission to Asia focused on strengthening relationships with our partners and attracting new investments in key sectors, including electric vehicles, life sciences, and tech. While in South Korea, we joined LSK Investment to announce their new $100 million life sciences fund for Ontario companies. This new fund will support early stage life sciences companies with a focus on developing new therapeutics. LSK also announced their plans to open the first overseas office worldwide and their first North American office here in Toronto. This investment will strengthen Ontario's growing life sciences sector. Bonds. Ontario's talented workforce, the best R&D facilities, 65,000 annual STEM grads, more overseas companies are coming. Thank you. Supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. When we think of Japan and South Korea, we think of their innovative technology and sophisticated and renowned automotive industry. And with our government's many efforts to rebuild our now thriving automotive sector, after the Liberals chased away thousands of auto manufacturing jobs to south of the border, it's no surprise that we have a lot in common with these two nations. The minister mentioned that he met with companies in an array of sectors. Speaker, can the minister please expand on other companies he met with while on his trade and investment mission and shed light on any news that we can expect following it? Thank you. Minister of economic development, job creation and trade. In Japan, we met with companies across the automotive and the tech sectors. We thanked Honda and Toyota for their long standing and continued investments here in Ontario and LG Energy for their $5 billion investment in Windsor, which will create thousands of well-paying jobs. When we talk about the over $26 billion in auto and EV investments we've attracted in the last three years, we are confident, Speaker, that this is only the start. And on the tech side, we were thrilled to meet with Japanese telecom giant KDDI. They are investing $1.35 billion here in downtown Toronto in three data centers. Speaker, companies around the world continue to choose Ontario for their future because our government has reduced the cost of doing business by $8 billion every single year. The next question, the member for Nickel Dollars. Merci Monsieur le Président, ma question est pour le premier. Thank you to the premier. This morning on our first day back, people from across Ontario woke up early to get on buses to come to Queen's Park. The good people of North Bay, Randford, Cornwall, Berry, Bracebridge, Midland, Orangeville, Perry, St. Chad, and Peterborough, Durant, the list goes on are joining thousands of people on the front lawn. They are speaking with one voice. Does the premier know why thousands of people are on our front lawn? The deputy premier and minister of health. Thank you, speaker, and it is a pleasure to be able to rise and talk about some of the incredible investments we've been able to do since 2018. You know, there is no doubt that we were left with the system that Kathleen Nguyen in an X at X interview said if we had only as a Liberal Party not frozen the healthcare budget, if we had only not cut those residency positions for physicians, imagine where we would be, speaker. We would have an additional 100 physicians being able to practice in Ontario, but we have not let that deter us. We have a plan and it is working, and there are so many pieces of it, I'm looking forward to talking about some of the innovation that we've been able to do working with, for example, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario to make sure that individuals who want to practice in the province of Ontario can do that. Respond. With additional barriers. Here is the supplementary question. Let me tell you why there's thousands of people on the front lawn of Queen's Park. It is because they want to tell this government to stop the privatizations of our healthcare system. It's that simple. No matter how you call those private clinics, the Auditor General already did the work. 97% are for profit. They are there to make money for their investor. They poach valuable healthcare workers from our public system. The system that this government turned on its head with Bill 124 is the Premier and is Minister of Health ready to listen to the people who made the journey to come to Queen's Park to represent millions of Ontarians and reverse the privatization of surgical suite as well as all hospital services. Minister of Health. No, Speaker, I'm incredibly proud of our Premier and our government caucus who has been able to publicly funded healthcare services expand. Whether it is in the largest expansion of primary care health teams that we have seen since we've started healthcare teams in the province of Ontario. Whether it is through absolutely integrated and surgical diagnostic centers. You know, when we brought forward those expansions of cataract surgeries in January, we now have 14,000 people who can read to their grandchildren, who can go back to work, who can volunteer in their community because those surgeries were done in community, publicly funded using their own hip card. Thank you, Speaker. Next question. Once again, the member for Brantford Branch. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development. Speaker, for far too long, Northern Ontario was neglected and disrespected by the previous Liberal government. They failed to recognize Northern Ontario's economic potential. They disparaged these important communities by calling it a no-man's-lamp. Supported by the NDP, previous governments cut vital resources and programs while adding high taxes and burdens from regulations that made life more difficult. That is why it is essential that our government continues to demonstrate leadership and show respect by building lasting partnerships with the North. In order for Ontario to be a decisive, confident international leader, we must ensure that every region of our province is thriving economically. Speaker, can the Minister please explain to this House what our government is doing to ensure that Northern Ontario businesses and communities can prosper? Thank you. Minister of Northern Development and Minister of Indigenous Affairs. Mr. Speaker, we had an extraordinary opportunity to go visit towns and cities across Northern Ontario to invest in their economies and invest in their local infrastructure. We started out in Sudbury with the Yes Theatre. The Blind River Beavers, Mr. Speaker, were celebrating a new roof and dropping the puck against the Elliott Lake Vikings. We weren't there just to fix the roof, we were there to raise the roof, Mr. Speaker. They went on to win that game. Improving, making improvements to the Legion in Spanish, Mr. Speaker. Then we swung through Little Current, no pun intended, and announced a brand new two-lane swing bridge, Mr. Speaker. And then off to Echo Bay for a new roof in their arena. What do they have in common, Mr. Speaker? There was so much enthusiasm about these local infrastructure projects. I had to tell them that their member of Provincial Party voted against the projects, but they wouldn't let that rain on their parade, Mr. Speaker. They're excited about Northern Ontario Towns, cities, and First Nations communities and what our government's doing to invest in them. Thank you. And for Grant, for Grant. Thank you, Speaker. As our government continues to rebuild Ontario, it is important that we remain committed to providing long-term investments that will ensure all communities can thrive. Under the leadership of our government, programs that support Indigenous economic development and Northern businesses are leading to economic success in those communities. Even the Liberal Party, during one of their leadership debates, acknowledged that Northern Ontario's economy is booming because of the actions taken by our government. Thank you. While these are positive developments, we know that during this time of global economic uncertainty, many Northern and Indigenous businesses continue to face unforeseen challenges. That is why our government must ensure that we are making meaningful investments that will help create jobs and support opportunities to modernize business practices. Speaker, can the minister please explain what our government is doing to ensure that Indigenous entrepreneurs can participate in Ontario's growing economy? Thank you. Minister of Northern Development. Speaker, it's equally imperative that we make targeted investments in First Nations communities across Northern Ontario in the fiscal year 2022-2023. The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund invested $17 million and more than 61 First Nation projects, leveraging $30.9 million and creating or sustaining more than 110 jobs. What does this look like on the ground, Mr. Speaker? Bitigong Nishnabeg, Outdoor Arena, and upgrades to their community center to improve their training capacity. Matawa Training and Wellness Center, the Metogamy First Nations fishing tournament, Mr. Speaker, and improvements to their waterfront development. Mr. Speaker, the list goes on. What's changed, Mr. Speaker, about a new look Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is that we've gone from just under 1% in the previous government to up to 19% of those investments annually into First Nations communities in Northern Ontario. They're changing the game, Mr. Speaker, investing in their businesses and investing in their communities, Mr. Speaker, for a greater sense of prosperity across Northern Ontario. Next question, the member for Ottawa, West Nippian. Thank you, Speaker. School bus cancellations have thrown thousands of Ottawa families into chaos this September because the Minister of Education cut $6 million in transportation funding to Ottawa school boards. When the boards rightfully complained, the Minister offered just $1.8 million in a one-time transfer, but only if the boards agreed to use key messages praising the government. Why does the Minister think it's okay to demand praise while Ottawa parents scramble every day to get their kids to school? The Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, when our government increased funding for soon transportation by $111 million, what did the NDP and Liberals do? They voted against the investment. When our government increased funding to Ottawa school boards, $75 million this school year, what did the member opposite ask or do when given the chance to support her own community voted against it? Indeed, there's some pattern of consistency in the NDP and Liberals. What did we do, Speaker? We increased funding across the board. We increased funding specifically to accommodate the increase in inflationary costs with respect to commodities. In addition, we increased drivers' pay by 70%. In addition, we gave $1.8 million to Ottawa specific, and the French school boards in Ottawa were able to deliver transportation for not the English. So why doesn't the member opposite stop politicizing on an issue that disrupts parents' lives? Get on board, hold the school board to account and demand better for the people of Ottawa? $6 million permanently while offering $1.8 million once isn't an increased speaker, that's a cut. For parents, this is a nightmare situation, getting to work late, leaving early, scrambling every single day to get our kids to school. The minister created this problem with his funding cut. What is he going to do to fix it? Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, funding is up to the highest levels ever recorded in the province's history for student transportation. $111 million more. Literally three out of four cancellations on a trail happening in the English Ottawa school board area. And it begs the question, what about that board is so specifically underwhelming relative to the rest of the province? The French school boards in your community are delivering transportation but not English, which therefore concludes the commonality here is the board, the consortia not doing their job. Instead of justifying the inaction of the board and consortia, stand up for constituents and demand better quality student transportation. Order. Member for Carlton, come to order. Minister of Education, come to order. The member for Carlton, come to order. Let's start the clock. Member for Ottawa, so. You speaker, my question is for the Premier. Last week, the Premier's $8.3 billion gravy train derailed. And speaker, what a mess. Three cabinet ministers lost in a month. And the Premier's office, right in the thick of it. Amen, Massoudi and Jay Strudel, both on that infamous Vegas trip with that developer friend of the Premier's. And then the Premier's ex-executive assistant, Nico Fardini-Diker, working with another Mr. X, Mr. X, to crack open the agreement. And that same Mr. X, an unregistered lobbyist was passing Brown envelopes. Order. Of course, we have the Premier's hand-picked Chief of Staff for the Minister of Housing, Ryan Amato. The one who the Premier wants us to believe was the lone wolf in this whole thing. So, speaker, it's clear to all of us here and all Ontarians that all roads lead to the Premier's office in this scandal. So, speaker, why won't the Premier apologize to Ontarians for trying to pull an $8.3 billion fast one on them? To apply, the Premier. I just find it pretty rich coming from the Liberals. That scandal after scandal for 15 years, cost the taxpayers billions of dollars, changed the green belt not once, not twice, not three times, 17 times for your buddies, building mega mansions. Order. Mr. Speaker, when we took office, as I said earlier, you know, we inherited a bank-rupt province from the Liberals and the NDP supporting them. We have turned things around, and my friends from Arizona were the number one trading partner to 19 states, number two to nine other states. For an economic powerhouse in North America, we do $460 billion a year with the United States. We'd be the third largest trading partner in the world to the U.S. We have an incredible relationship, shipping car parts back and forth up to seven, eight times, but you know something, Mr. Speaker, last month the numbers came out. We created more jobs in Ontario than all 50 states combined. That's what we're doing for people in Ontario. Okay, the House will come to order. Start at the clock. The supplementary question. No one believes the Premier's stories anymore. And the green belt, it's just the tip of the iceberg. It's just the piece that we can see more clearly now. There are a lot more gravy trains on the rails right now in Ontario. There's the municipal boundaries in Ottawa and Hamilton. And how about Highway 413? Are those questionable MZOs that are out there that they're trying to hide between stuff that's for long-term care homes? And God knows what else the Premier's doing in healthcare. We can't see that yet. So what this is really all about, it's about how the Premier thinks he can do business in this province. It's all about what his priorities are. And it's very clear his priorities are rich, well-connected insiders, putting that ahead of all Ontarians. So I'm gonna ask once more, would the Premier, well, I just want the Premier apologize, admit that he was wrong, and let's actually put this to committee so we can have some witnesses in about what happened in this green belt scandal. Thank you. Premier, if I get very rich, let's go back to the days of the Liberals. When they'd have a dinner party, you were only allowed to go to your place to the minister's place. If you have paid the minister $20,000. Let's remind people of that. Mr. Speaker, we're gonna move the province forward. We're gonna create 1.5 million homes. We're gonna make sure that we create economic development and job creation that we're leading North America. We're gonna focus on the $184 billion of infrastructure that the Liberals and the NDP failed to do. They didn't build the 413. They talked about Highway 7, they did absolutely nothing. They talked about Highway 3, did absolutely nothing. We're building the Bradford Bypass. And guess what? As the hospitals were crumbling, we're putting $50 billion in the building, 50 new hospitals, and that's a tip of the iceberg. But thank you for the question. The next question, the member for Peterborough Caworth. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At first, I'd like to congratulate my good friend, the member from Willowdale, to be becoming the minister of long-term care. And now I'm gonna grill him with a question. In June, I was privileged to have the minister of long-term care come to my community at Peterborough to announce the construction of 416 new long-term care beds at Marion Hill Nursing Home and Extend of Care in Peterborough. Wow. These critical investments by our government are positive and are welcomed by the people of both Peterborough and Pembroke. But there's still more that needs to be done to increase capacity in long-term care to help support Ontario seniors. That's why it's so important that our government continues with our plan to invest in the infrastructure that's needed to care for our seniors. Speaker, can the minister of long-term care please explain how our government is increasing the number of long-term care homes across Ontario? Now, that's a good question. The minister of long-term care. Thank you very much, Speaker. Let's start with what a shift this is under the leadership of this Premier and this wonderful former minister of long-term care. Building record homes in this province. Let's just take the Peterborough, Pembroke and surrounding areas as one example. 416 new safe modern long-term care beds. This is the tip of the iceberg, though, Speaker, because our government is supporting another six projects in Renfrew County and four more in Peterborough County. Speaker, that's a total of 1,400 new and upgraded long-term care beds. What a stark contrast just in that area alone, compared to what the Liberals did for the better part of the decade. Net new 611 beds, Speaker. In fact, I have a bigger update for this House, Speaker. Since taking office under the leadership of this Premier, since 2018, 18,000 beds have been completed or under construction, Speaker. That is fantastic news for our seniors. They took care of us. We're going to take care of them. A supplementary question. Speaker, I'd like to thank the minister for that. All seniors in Ontario deserve to be treated with dignity and to receive the quality of care that they need. Absolutely right. That's why it's so important that our government continues to prioritize the needs of seniors and continue to build more new long-term care homes. However, rising interest rates and construction costs are making it more expensive to finance crucial infrastructure projects. With pressing needs in communities across our province, it's positive that our government introduced an additional top-up to the construction funding subsidy to support the cost of developing or redeveloping long-term care homes. Speaker, can the minister please provide an update on the benefits of this funding strategy in supporting solutions that will meet the needs of our seniors in Ontario? Good question. Minister of Long-Term Care. Thank you, Speaker. And a very relevant issue that the member brings up, construction costs around the world are of that, of course, includes in the long-term care sector. And, Speaker, that's a program he's speaking of is the construction funding subsidy or the CFS. 67 projects have been approved under the CFS. This will add over 11,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds across the province, despite their challenges they're having with their construction issues. This is one of the largest long-term capital development projects in this province's history, in this country's history, Speaker. Part of a larger plan to build 30,000 new long-term care beds, improve 28,000 additional for nearly 16,000 added capacity, compare that to the track record of the last government, Speaker. But more importantly, we need to make sure that these beds are actually staffed. $4.9 billion to establish four hours of daily care per resident in our great province. Speaker, I'll say it again. Our seniors took care of us. It is our responsibility to take care of them. Yes, right. The next question from the member from Ms. Tegelop James Bay. Thank you, Speaker. Last June at five hours before Canada, the Minister of College Universities refused to, officially to finance a university for and run by Frank Arterians. I'm talking about the University of Sudbury. The government said that they're based their decision on a number of reports, the final report of the PCAQ to refuse the funding. However, when we asked for access to information, you refused us access to the very documents that undergirded your decision. Why not release the documents so that we can all understand the Minister's decision? What are you hiding? Is this a situation like the one we've seen with the green belt? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the member for that question. Students, their families and the taxpayers of Ontario deserve to know that when their hard earned dollars are invested in Ontario's post-secondary system, that that investment pays off. Our decision to not fund the university to Sudbury's proposal to become a standalone French language university was one that was not made lightly. The university's proposal did not reflect current demand and enrollment trends or the existing capacity of post-secondary institutions to offer French language programs in the greater Sudbury area and across Ontario. I must remind the member that we have 10 Francophone and bilingual institutions across Ontario, and students have the choice to make that. I remind that College Boreal, College Lassite, University of Ottawa, Laurentian University, University of Dehurst, Dominican University, Glendon College, University de l'Ontario, France. We have options for students across Ontario. And as the minister, it is my duty to respect the taxpayers' dollars. Thank you. Order. Supplementary to the member for Sudbury. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Conservative government takes its decisions behind closed doors without consulting anyway, and they don't factor in the realities of Ontarians. And the reality is that Francontarians in the north want a standalone university at University of Sudbury and not four hours away from Sudbury. My question for the Premier is the following. When is the Conservative government going to authorize full funding of the University of Sudbury, University de Sudbury? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member for that question. And we know that the Francophone community plays a vital role in the province's overall social, cultural and economic development. But I must remind the member, it was this government, the first in Ontario's history that created two standalone Francophone universities, governed for Francophone University, de l'Ontario, France, and University of Purse. We're also taking meaningful action to address the shortage of French language teachers in Ontario. In fact, just last month, I was with the Minister of Education and the Treasury Board President and the Minister of Francophone Affairs where we announced an additional 110 French language teacher education spaces for the 2023-24 academic year. We've also announced standalone nursing. The member for Mesquigua James Bay must come to order. The minister can conclude her answer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We also announced standalone nursing programs for College Boreal to offer nursing, not only in Sudbury, but also in Toronto, as well as last year to offer nursing spaces. We do value Francophone education and we are giving choices to students across the province. Thank you. The next question, the member for Carlton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. Thank you. My question is for the Associate Minister of Housing. Oh, great minister. For too many Ontarians, including young people, newcomers and seniors right here in Ottawa, finding the right home is still a major challenge. While our government is taking meaningful measures to address housing supply through new legislation, the scale of this problem calls for continued action and leadership. More resources are needed to build upon the work already underway and to bring forward more measures to address this serious issue. Finding solutions means working in partnership with all levels of government in order to produce results. So, Speaker, through you, can the Associate Minister please explain how our government is getting more homes built? Thank you. Thank you. The Associate Minister of Housing. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you for the question from the great member of Carlton, a great friend indeed, and the member is absolutely right. We're in a housing crisis supply that we've never seen in this province ever, ever. That is why on the first day of my job, I was joined by Mayor Vribanovic and MP Chagor, where we provided more residents of Kitchener an affordable place to call home at the historic St. Paul's Church. Here, here. Speaker, we are providing over $1.4 million to support the construction of 21 affordable housing units that will give seniors in their community a safe and affordable place to call home. Projects like St. Paul's are exactly what we need to improve the housing crunch in Kitchener and indeed across this province. We all know there is much more work to be done. This government will keep cutting red tape and we will keep working with all partners to get the job done. And yes, Speaker, we will succeed as we act, as we achieve and remain accountable to the people of Ontario. Thank you. Thank you. Supplementary question. For you, thank you to the Associate Minister. Mr. Speaker, I agree. Everyone in Ontario should be able to find a housing solution that meets their needs. While it is encouraging to hear about the progress our government is making to advance housing construction, there is still more work that needs to be done, not just in Ottawa, but across the province. The commitment by municipalities and the federal government to work collaboratively with our government in developing strategies that will provide real and long-term housing solutions is important and essential. In order to meet our goal of significantly increasing our housing supply, decisive action needs to be taken. So Mr. Speaker, through you, can the Associate Minister please explain how our government is supporting municipalities across our province, including the great city of Ottawa, so they can deliver on their housing commitments. Thank you. Thank you. The Associate Minister of Housing. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you again to the member opposite. Speaker, by providing funding to municipalities, local leaders have the freedom to choose projects that will work best for their own communities. It puts the decision-making in their hands who know their neighbourhoods best. We are investing another $42 million to the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit to support municipalities across the province by providing urgent assistance to the rapidly growing number of asylum claimants. Speaker, this housing crisis requires all hands on deck. We are getting it done for seniors. We are getting it done for students, for newcomers, and first-time homebuyers. We are getting shovels in the ground and building the homes all Ontarians deserve. We remain committed to building at least 1.5 million homes by 2031. That is our duty, that is our mandate. It results the count, Speaker, and we will get the job done. Next question, the member for Toronto Centre. Thank you, Speaker. Early in September, the Premier claimed that teachers and school boards are indoctrinating children. The Premier's words do matter. My constituent, Rebecca, reached out to me after the protest last week and I quote, I am a parent of a trans child. I was called garbage, a pedophile, an indoctrinator when I joined the counter-protest. One chant presided trans kids are not kids. This constituent broke down and cried. Speaker, the Premier must correct the record. It is the government's own curriculum that the schools are actually teaching. Will he apologize and correct the record that Ontario schools are not indoctrinating our youth? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We believe every single student Ontario irrespective of their differences. In their faith or heritage, sexual orientation or gender, place of birth, colour of skin, it does not matter. Every child should feel affirmed, respected and safe. We absolutely agree with that conviction. Now, Mr. Speaker, we also believe as progressive conservatives, we also believe that parents have a foundational role to play in the life of their kids. Those concepts must co-exist. We believe parents are at the centre of Ontario's public resources. And with respect, we don't claim to know better than the NDP. We actually believe and trust parents to love and support their kids. We will stand up for them and ensure every child is safe in the province of Ontario. I have a mental question. I remember from Toronto, St. Paul. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Trans, queer and gender non-conforming students are terrified right now following comments made by this conservative Premier. In his attempt to distract from the corruption of his government, this Premier offered space for baseless anti-Francine. I'm going to ask the member to withdraw her unparliamentary comment. A teacher in my community... I said it! I said it! Open your ears. I said it. Thank you. Order! The member withdrew. Conclude your answer. Your question. A teacher in my community who sees firsthand the dangerous impacts of this rising hate came to me and I quote, greatly troubled by the Ministry of Education for creating unsafe conditions for those who are marginalised. As much as we hope it is, the students' homes are not always safe places for safe and supportive places for trans youth. The Premier has signalled that he would go as far as outing vulnerable trans kids. My question is to the Premier himself, not the Minister of Education, speak directly to trans students today. Thank you. The schools are a safe place across from here. And the order, the response. Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, we will always uphold the human rights of all children in the province of Ontario. Every child. Now, Mr. Speaker, we also believe as progressive Conservatives, as Canadians, that parents have a fundamental role in the life of their children. They are the centre of Ontario's public health funding school system. And so, we just passed a bill, Bill 98, the Better Schools Assume Outcomes Act that literally strengthens and enshrines the voices of parents. The NDP and Liberals actually voted against that principle. How can you explain to your constituents that parents should not have more involvement in the life of their children? We will stand up for parents. We will, yes, stand up for human rights. And we will ensure kids and schools get back to basics of education. Toronto St. Paul's come to order. Start the clock. The next question, the member for Burlington. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Associate Minister of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity. Great Minister. Our government must build a province where all women and girls are empowered to succeed. Here, here. We know that Ontario and our economy benefits by supporting more women in the workforce, especially in leading-edge industry, including occupations in the skilled trades. Unfortunately, the number of women employed in the skilled trades sector is well below their male counterparts. With more than 100,000 unfilled skilled trades jobs, it's critical that we attract more women to pursue good-paying jobs in these sectors. Speaker, can the Associate Minister please explain how our government is helping women across Ontario develop their skills so that they can enter these in-demand careers? Good question. Associate Minister of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you to the member from Burlington, Nice Jacket. Mr. Speaker, this past summer, I had the privilege of meeting with hundreds of women who are entering the workforce, thanks to the programs and investments made by our government in supporting, training, and skills development. This includes promoting a wide range of fields and careers to women and girls, especially in sectors where need is greatest, like STEM and the skilled trades. And that's why our government is investing 1.3 million to prepare women from underrepresented groups for in-demand careers such as the trucking industry. Only 2% of Ontario's truck drivers are women, and which is why this program will reimburse up to $4,500 for childcare and other living expenses for women who enter. Mr. Speaker, we are making workplaces safer for women, and we're building on Ontario, a province where everyone can thrive once again. Thank you, Mr. President. The supplementary question. Speaker, last week was designated as Gender Equality Week, an important opportunity to celebrate the significant achievements of women in our province, while still also recognizing that barriers to gender equality still exist. We know Ontario is facing the largest labour shortage in a generation, and every day tens of thousands of jobs are going unfilled in Ontario, costing our province billions in productivity. We also know that women are part of the solution and that there is still more work that needs to be done to get more women into the jobs. Our government must continue to recognize that women play a vital role in building a stronger Ontario. Speaker, can the Associate Minister please elaborate on how our government is removing barriers and creating more economic opportunities for women and girls? The Associate Minister. Thank you, Speaker, and the member from Burlington is right. Well, under the leadership of our government and the Premier, we are taking a whole-of-government approach to increasing women's participation in the workforce to support their economic security and prosperity. I am so proud to share that we are already seeing positive impacts from our investments. Last year, labour force participation rates for Ontario mothers reached the highest level on record since 1977. Participation rate for mothers with children under the age of five increased by 2.4 percentage points. Colleagues, our government is on the right track. Last year, Ontario achieved a high historic increase in skilled trades apprenticeship registrations, including a 28% in registrations on women alone. Mr. Speaker, it's never been clear that when women succeed, Ontario succeeds, and we're getting it done for the people of Ontario. The next question is for Ottawa Centre. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Good morning, colleagues. Speaker, I just had occasion to ride my bicycle from Ottawa to Toronto in a measure to try to find out at a community level what people are talking about with road safety and what I heard concerned me in places like Ottawa and Kingston and Brighton and Oshawa and Scarborough and right here in the great city of Toronto. I talked to a paramedic who, while he was responding to a call, had his paramedic bus hit and one of his colleagues injured as they were trying to save someone's life. I talked to a family of a young girl, Serene Armstrong, in Ottawa, whose life will be forever changed due to a brain injury from someone who hit her and left the scene. And what I'm hearing from road workers, from seniors like Peggy Hawthorne from the United Seniors of Ontario is you can alter someone's life, you can even take someone's life, but there is no meaningful consequences in the province of Ontario. And people on all sides of this House Speaker have worked on this for 10 years and we still don't have justice for people in prison. So my question to the Minister of Transportation, to the Premier is, is this a priority for your government and are you prepared to work with me on it? Great question. And the Minister of Transportation. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The government takes road safety and the safety of all users on the road very safely. Ontario has some of the safest streets in North America and we're working hard to keep it this way. I look forward to engaging with a member opposite on continuing to build safer roads across the province. Former Minister of Transportation introduced a very important piece of legislation in this House known as the MOMS Act, which included harsher penalties for those not obeying safety on our roads and will continue to work towards responsive goals as that member mentioned is to keep our roads safe. Thank you. And Mr. Secretary, that's your question. Back to you, Mr. Speaker. Well, thank you, Speaker. I'm going to, as we begin this hopeful collaboration, I'm going to agree to disagree with my friend over there. Sitting next to me here is the member from St. Catharines. Her mom was struck outside an elementary school, knocked Jenny 15 feet in the air, 25 feet in the air. That woman's life is forever changed. And the maximum penalty in a situation like this, Minister and members of the government is $500. There is no immediate provision for licensed suspension for someone who drives like this. What proposing in Bill 40, Speaker, is an immediate one year licensed suspension, an immediate focus not on vilifying the person who causes an accident, but helping people be better drivers, helping people be better cyclists, helping people be better operators of whatever device they use in our communities. Restorative justice speaker. We've been working on it for 10 years. It's an opportunity for us to do something unique in this place, work together. My question to the minister, are you prepared to have this dialogue with us? Look into Bill 40. Let's get this thing passed. Let's work on it together. You're here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have introduced measures in this house that are going to deter bad behaviors on the road. As I mentioned previously, the former minister of transportation introduced longer driver's license suspensions, also longer vehicle impoundment periods for drivers who were engaging in reckless acts, whether that would be stunt driving, street racing or aggressive driving. We take road safety very seriously, and I look forward to working with all members of this house and speaking to and hearing from their experiences about how we can continue to make these roads safer, because Ontario does have some of the safest roads in all of North America, and we will do everything we can to uphold that safety on our roads. Thank you. The next question to the member for Peterborough. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the associate minister of mental health and addiction. Great minister. It's a reality that every year, more than one million people in Ontario experience mental health and addiction challenges. In 2020, our government introduced the Roadmap to Wellness Initiative, the strategy that builds and strengthens access to quality medical healthcare, or mental healthcare, I'm sorry, and addiction services in our province. This initiative was created with the goal of improving mental healthcare for everyone across Ontario. Our government must remain committed to building in Ontario, where everyone is fully supported in their journey towards mental wellness. Speaker, can the associate minister please provide an update on the progress that our government has made to improve the delivery of critical mental health services? The associate minister of mental health and addiction. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member for that question, a very important question, and for the opportunity to talk about how we're rebuilding and modernizing Ontario's mental health care and addiction system. The Roadmap to Wellness are planned to build Ontario's mental health and addiction system, will improve mental health services for communities across Ontario, and support patients and families living with mental health and addiction challenges. Investments through the Roadmap and Addictions Recovery Fund are allowing us to build a recovery-oriented continuum of care that's focused on giving people their lives back, and that's extremely important. We've opened, for instance, Mr. Speaker, 22 youth wellness hubs provided over $40 million to create mobile crisis response teams and expanded care for rural communities by creating new mobile mental health products. And I'm proud to say that by the end of 2023, Mr. Speaker, those investments will have supported the creation of over 500 new addiction treatment beds across the country. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Associate Minister, especially for the residential detox and residential treatment that is coming to Peterborough this fall because of the work that you have done. Speaker, the opioid crisis is creating serious impacts on rural, remote, and northern communities across our province. In Northern Ontario, the population has unfortunately experienced higher rates of overdose than any other region in Ontario, with transportation being a significant barrier to accessing mental health and addiction services. Many Ontarians who live in the north are looking to connect with care that's closer to their homes. Our government must do all that we can to address the ongoing challenges in accessing service in northern communities. Speaker, can the Associate Minister please share what our government is doing to ensure that all Ontarians have access to high quality mental health and addiction care? The Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addiction. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and once again, thank you to the member for that question. Over 50%, Mr. Speaker, of the new beds and treatment spaces created by the Addiction's Recovery Fund are going to the north, to Indigenous and rural communities. This summer, I had the privilege of visiting Sulek out for the opening of a new 37-bed treatment facility funded by a $4 million investment by our government. These new beds will allow local residents, as well as members of the numerous Indigenous communities in northwest Ontario, access to life-saving treatment and addiction services closer to their homes and to their loved ones. Speaker, our goal is to ensure that everyone in Ontario has the support needed to live a happy and healthy life free from the pain of addiction. And we're going to continue making investments that are evidence-based, that are culturally appropriate, and recovery-oriented. Because we believe in ensuring that people with addictions get the support and the care they need, where and when they need it, no matter where they are in the process. Thank you very much. Here's the time we have available for question period. This House stands in Resets until 1 p.m.