 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of His Majesty's loyal opposition. Good morning. This question is for the Premier. Speaker, concerns are piling up about the Government's back-of-a-napkin plan to jam the Ontario Science Centre into a new private luxury spa and parking lot complex at Ontario Place. Last week, the Minister of Infrastructure told millions of radio listeners that she was, I'm going to quote, just verifying the numbers and triple checking before releasing the business case for this decision. Today, her team told the Globe and Mail that she won't be releasing it after all. To the Premier, what did the Minister see in the numbers that led her to change her mind? Good bye. The Minister of Infrastructure. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Our Government is saving the Science Centre. We are giving it a new home at the Ontario Place redevelopment. It will be a new tenant there. It will be an attraction for families, for tourists, for everyone to enjoy, Mr. Speaker. And the Premier was very clear this morning when he was questioned by the media that we will continue to work with the City of Toronto on both Ontario Place redevelopment as well as the lands where the Science Centre sits. And we will do that. Do you supplement your question? That answer, it simply isn't good enough. Taxpayers are already on the hook for millions of dollars for an elite private spa that absolutely nobody asked for. The Government is committing the province to a 95-year lease and they're moving a cherished public institution and all of its jobs from its home community into a much smaller space. So through you to the Speaker, couldn't the Premier at least reveal the business case for these decisions? Minister of Infrastructure. Do you know what's not good enough in our opinion is to leave this site into disrepair, to leave it the way it is. It is crumbling, it is eroding, and I'm speaking about Ontario Place. It is flooded, it is not enjoyed by the general public. Our government has been clear since 2019 that we have a vision for the site, that we want to bring it back to life. We want it to be a place that families can enjoy 365 days a year, that families can enjoy throughout the whole entire day. And we will have that with the Science Centre, with Thurmay, with Clive Nation, with a 43-acre public realm space that will be accessible by the Ontario Line, accessible to the public through all modes of transit. Mr Speaker, that is not good enough. Leaving the site to deteriorate, we will bring it back to life. Final supplementary. Speaker, perhaps they won't release the business case because there is not one. Just like there isn't a good case for housing on the Science Centre lands, we heard from the Toronto Region Conservation Authority on this. The TRCA was not consulted, of course, so they've been forced to explain that these lands are not safe to build on. It's on a ravine, Speaker. The government is piling on one bad idea onto another bad idea here in a half-baked scheme that is losing credibility by the day. Why would any reasonable person, Speaker, take their word for it that this plan is in the public interest? Please respond. The Associate Minister of Housing. Thank you, Speaker. And I really want to thank the leader of the official opposition for her question. Speaker, I think everyone agrees in this House that we are in a housing supply crisis. It is this Premier, this Minister, and this caucus who recognises that and wants to make sure that we get housing built in Ontario. Speaker, after decades of disarray by that government, it is finally this government who is making sure that we're seeing absolute housing starts by 100,000 almost in two years ago and 96,000 last year. And more than that, what's so important is getting purpose-built, rental-built. That's what is more important because we want to make sure everybody in this province has a roof over their head. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. The next question, once again, the leader of the opposition. Thank you, Speaker. Confusing answer to that question, can I just say because I just finished explaining that the Toronto Region Conservation Authority says you can't build there. Anyways, Speaker, my next question. This morning, we learned of some troubling allegations that have come to light regarding the Greater Toronto Hockey League. Allegations that suggest that the teams in the league, which is supposed to be, by the way, non-profit, are being bought and sold for millions. The owners are avoiding having to pay taxes on the whole thing. To make matters worse, Speaker, wealthy parents are buying the ability to influence team rosters, dashing the dreams of players as young as nine years old from playing the sport that they love. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. Will this government investigate these very serious allegations and do its part to put an end to cash-for-access culture in amateur hockey? There are tours in culture and sport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks for the question from the leader of the opposition. I also don't know if he's here. I'd like to thank Mr. Alou as chairman of the Hockey Diversity Alliance for the work that he has done in building and supporting communities that haven't had an opportunity to participate in hockey by funding. Mr. Alou, as a minister here, are thankful and happy to support what he is doing. But I will also tell you on specifically, as a guy who's been involved in sport a long time, coached rep hockey and rep football, I take these allegations very seriously. And as a result, at this time, these allegations, they're being investigated by the GTHL. Now, the GTHL executives have actioned an independent investigation with respect to ethical issues of influence and governance. And yes, they are taking it seriously, and I know they're taking it seriously because they have hired a retired justice from the Ontario Court of Appeal and a retired police detective to do the investigation. I'll tell you, Speaker, I was hoping for a yes. I was just hoping for a yes. It is not good enough, Speaker, to have the GTHL investigate themselves. I'm sorry, with all due respect. Akeem Aliou, who the Minister just mentioned, is here with us today in the Member's Gallery. He is a former NHL player with Calgary Flames and the Chair of the Hockey Diversity Alliance. And he came to this government, to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, months ago, months ago, Akeem showed the Minister documents that formed the basis for these allegations, but nothing happened on the provincial end. And he is hoping, and he is demanding, that this cash for access culture end, that kids are able to play based on their ability, their talent, not if their parents are able to buy them a spot on a team. Speaker, back to the Premier. Will this government launch a public investigation into these allegations and close any loopholes that may allow numbered shell companies to buy and sell kids hockey teams? Mr. Tourism, Culture and Sport. Mr. Speaker, the Ministry does not have a direct relationship with membered organizations as a provincial sport organization. It has no authority. The GCHL is a member of the Hockey, Ontario Hockey Federation. And that's why you asked about action. There is action being taken. It's being taken, as I use the word, independently of the GCHL. Which means, Mr. Speaker, that is separate from the GCHL executives. Once that information comes back and you're right, if there is information that we need to follow up with the Ontario Hockey Federation, we will do exactly that. Now, the member opposite might want to shake their heads at what we're doing, but there is a process that we will go through, and if necessary, we will act based on the information we get from the investigation. Member 1st, St. Catherine. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Hockey is important to me. As it's important to countless Ontarians across the province, it is part of our identity. I was the first female to play on my elementary hockey team. My daughter was the only female to play on the local boys' hockey team at a competitive level. Now, I'm a hockey grandma. And just as hockey is part of our identity, so are values of fairness, inclusion, and accessibility. And we know it is not right when even the most talented children cannot play because their parents cannot buy off a spot on the team. Speaker to the Premier. Will you do what is right and make sure children are able to play based on their abilities and their talent? Mr. Chair, some culture and sport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And though I wasn't applauding, I will applaud that statement because in all my years of coaching, I couldn't agree more at all levels that young people in amateur sport and university need to be judged on their play and who they are to be part of a team. Nothing else is acceptable. And if there is other things going on as being suggested, we will find that out through this investigation. I will tell you, no one is more passionate about creating opportunity for young people in sport because of what it does and how it helps young people through the process. When we find this out, if in fact there is somebody to find out, you can shake your heads all you want. And I will tell you that we will act if necessary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Take their seats. Order. Member for Carlton. Member for Brampton North, come to order. Start the clock. The next question, Member for Spadina, Fort York. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Global news just broke this story. Ontario Place For All has submitted seven Freedom of Information requests to the Ministry of Infrastructure. And for each of these seven requests, this Government has refused to as withheld the requested information. One request was for the lease agreement between the Ontario Government and the private Austrian spa at Ontario Place. This agreement handcuffs this generation and future generations of Ontarians into spending an estimated 650 million taxpayer dollars and cash-sharing operational costs for the next 95 years. Why won't this Government release the lease agreement so that the people of Ontario can judge for ourselves whether this is a good deal? Minister of Infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, let me just take things back a bit, okay? 2019, we announced our vision for the site. We announced we wanted to invest in the site to bring it back to life. 2021, we went out to the public again and informed them of the tenants that we were negotiating with. And then just last week, the Premier and the Minister of Tourism and Culture and Sport were out again to inform the public of the progress that we are making on the site. But you know what we've done? We have learned from the past mistakes of past Governments. We will have tenants that are going to invest capital in the site to build a brand new all-year-round stage, Mr. Speaker. We will have thermae that will build a wellness and sports rec facility and water facilities. And we will have tenants that will actually be contributing to the annual maintenance and repair of the site. The next supplementary question for Park Till High Park. Thank you, Speaker. Since the Minister didn't answer the question previously, I'll ask again. At the announcement to move the Ontario Science Centre last week, the Minister of Infrastructure said the business case that showed it was possible to build a new one would be made public in due time. The Minister then said that she would release the business case to the public once the numbers were verified and triple-checked. The Minister is now claiming that the business case is confidential and will not be released after all. The people of Ontario deserves answers. Show us the business case. Why the secrecy? Minister of Infrastructure. Thank you to the member opposite, but please don't put words in my mouth that is completely inaccurate and inappropriate. But what we are doing, Mr Speaker, is making the site sustainable. We will have three wonderful tenants, Science Centre, Thurmay, Live Nation. Live Nation and Thurmay will now be contributing to the site, to the maintenance repairs to keep the site clean, to keep the site beautiful. Why? Because we don't want it to fall into disrepair under the watch of the Liberal Government. We want this site to be open for years and years and generations to come so that families have a wonderful place that they can enjoy with their families. Mr Speaker, from the public, through the annual consultation process that has been taking place for several years, people want access to the site and they want to enjoy it with their families. Next question for Carlton. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Question for the Minister of Francophone Affairs. Ontario has the biggest francophone community of Canada outside of Quebec, with 600,000 francophones and many people speak French. Access to quality services in French is actually extremely important with these initiatives like the active offer that has been put in place recently. We want to be able to facilitate the access of francophone people to services in French. Mr Speaker, can the Minister tell how the strategy for French services is in place today and what they're doing? Thank you. Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I would like to thank my colleague for these excellent questions. Contrary to what the federal government has, because they're stopping with their modernization project, our government, with the leadership of our premier has modernized the framework of the French services. It is in November 2021 when the Ontario strategy for French services has been put in place. We have modernized these services and this is what we did. We have actually put in place and we have adopted integrated services which are very effective. So working in collaborating with all the important ministries which are working on French services, we have identified the possibility of expanding the services in French. So Mr Speaker, contrary to the liberal government which only speaks, we don't only speak but we act for our community. Thank you, Mr Speaker to the minister for her response. It is always encouraging to hear how much our government is listening Franco-Ontarians who need services in French and how they help the access to services in French in order to let them have quality services in French. Many progress have been done and our government wants to guarantee the continuity of these works where the French community in Ontario is able to access new services. So Mr Speaker, can the minister tell us what they have done in order to facilitate the work of these organizations in order to be able to offer services in French? Well, in order to facilitate the designation of these organizations, we have modernized the process in order to make it a linear method. So we have also services online in order to allow faster services in 2022 and also we work with other ministries in order to identify the organization which are interested in using the online designation method and we have put in place a new online method in integrating the year evaluation process. The organization we choose to obtain this designation according to the French Language Services Act they are actually engaging in offering services in French and we know this is very important for the Francophone community and this is why we continue to modernize the services in the process. Thank you Mr Speaker, my question to the Premier. I was contacted this week by a resident of York Region through a friend. The resident, an 80 year old man was just recently told that his prostate condition could no longer be controlled by drugs and that he needed surgery. He was offered two choices. He could wait for a year and a half to get surgery with his OHIP card through Mackenzie Health or he could pay $6,000 with his credit card and get his care within three weeks at a private clinic. Speaker, can the Premier tell me how he can defend his health care policies when people have to pay to get OHIP covered surgery done in any reasonable timeframe? The member opposite talks about the need for constituents to have access in a timely manner to surgeries and yet opposes the very legislation and proposals that we bring forward that will ensure in fact we have those community surgical centers. Of course the member has conveniently left out some of the details of the example that he gave but I can assure you that organizations like Mackenzie Health that have accessed our surgical backlog recovery of almost a billion dollars as a result of investments that our government has made since the beginning of the 2019 have ensured that Ontario is in fact leading Canada in terms of the shortest amount of wait but we want to do more because we understand that there are people who are waiting too long for the necessary surgery. We will do that work. I hope the member opposite appreciates that that will make a difference for their constituent. Supplementary question. Speaker, again to the Premier the choice this man had was to use his credit card or to suffer or to suffer. When the Premier's decisions will have to wait ages to get surgery to relieve suffering or to prevent death then he has failed. When will the Premier provide the funding for healthcare and healthcare workers so people are not suffering or forced to max out their credit cards to get treatment? Historic investment in terms of recruiting and training healthcare professionals in the province of Ontario we have invested in capital 50 in the province of Ontario to expand surgical operating rooms and make sure that we have that. Through Bill 60 we will continue to expand what already exists in the province of Ontario surgical community and surgical units to ensure that people can get access in their communities in a timely manner. This work is ongoing it is the member opposite and the party they represent that continues to want the status quo. Opposition come to order. Opposition come to order. The next question the member for Hastings, Lennox and Addington. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Minds. Everyone across this province is eager to help advance Ontario's economic prosperity. Northern Ontario is critical to the future of our province and unfortunately its tremendous potential was ignored for too many years under the previous Liberal Government. The rich supply of critical minerals found in the north is particularly important in our transition to clean energy technologies especially the production of electric vehicles EV batteries. Building a robust supply chain means that we must be able to extract the minerals out of the ground with urgency in order for Ontario to become an EV leader in the world. Can the Minister please explain how our government is strengthening Ontario's mining sector? Would you apply for the government? The Minister of Minds. Thank you to the member for the excellent question. Mr. Speaker as an individual that was raised at the Mineside Village of Domundomex in South Porcupine, Ontario our government not only recognizes the importance of the north but we wanted to prosper like the rest of the province. Our strategy is so important because it will connect the mineral rich north with the manufacturing might of the south. This will create jobs and supply Ontario, Canada and the world with critical minerals needed for the EV revolution and the technologies of tomorrow. Our strategy is backed by strategic funding in programs like the critical minerals innovation fund and Ontario Junior exploration program that will build a supply chain and find the minds of the future. Thank you Thank you speaker and thank you to the minister for the answer. We can see that the investments that are being made like those at Umacore in Lenoxon and and Volkswagen in their EV production plants in St. Thomas clearly shows that our government is focused on building a strong made in Ontario supply chain but we need those critical minerals to accomplish this. To capitalize on this generational opportunity we must act with urgency and create the right economic conditions for investments in our provinces mining and exploration industries. Critical minerals exploration is a key driver for creating good paying jobs and building a strong globally competitive economy and it's vital that our government continues to make these targeted investments in order to help our companies search for minerals to be used in the automotive and battery manufacturing. Speaker please explain what actions our government is taking to expand exploration for these critical minerals here in Ontario. Minister of mines Thank you again for the excellent question. Last week I was honored to join the Minister of Finance in Thunder Bay to announce the additional investment of $6 million into the OJEP through budget to 2023. Mr. Speaker that brings our total investment in the Ontario Junior Exploration Program to $35 million. Our efforts are working Mr. Speaker. Last year Ontario regained the top spot for exploration spending with over $878 million invested. We're number one sir. These investments are creating jobs for northern indigenous communities so that they can be a vital part of the supply chain. Mr. Speaker our government under Premier Ford's leadership is building the supply chain for EVs and it all starts with exploration. Thank you. The next question. Member for Ottawa Centre. Thank you Speaker my questions for the Premier. The Eglinton Crosstown LRT is two years late and a billion dollars over budget. This government has missed two deadlines for it to open. To make matters worse Speaker leaked emails note the government is now silencing Metrolinx who prepared a video update the Premier's office's staff would not allow that video update to be seen by the public. Simple question to the Premier Speaker. What are you trying to hide? Minister of Transportation. I understand the frustration that community members feel with respect to project delays on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. It's a project that we inherited from the Liberals Mr. Speaker and from the beginning unfortunately they mismanaged the project but you know our government has been committed to doing transit differently we brought forward legislation the Building Transit Faster Act that the opposition unfortunately voted against Mr. Speaker but Mr. Speaker the member opposite knows better than almost anyone in this house that there are risks associated with rushing a project. Transit riders deserve a lot better than the experiences of the Ottawa LRT Mr. Speaker and that's why our focus has been and I've been clear on this since the beginning our focus is making sure that the Crosstown opens as soon as possible but when it does it is safe and it is safe and reliable for transit riders. I'll just write about one thing people in Ottawa Centre have seen this movie before back to the Premier the problem for our city in Toronto here is that the same P3 consultants that designed our failing LRT they are the same ones this government has under contract for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT and red flags are popping up everywhere for example City News Toronto documented buckets of broken up chunks of the Sloan Station platform at Eglinton with barricades all of a sudden everywhere after this LRT station appeared poised to open. The Toronto Star over the weekend reported as I said before Metrolinx officials are frustrated with this Premier's staff silencing them when they're trying to give the public an update on the project. Speaker I agree with councillors Cole and Matlow and others who said we need a public inquiry on to this mess. That was something good enough for Ottawa it should be good enough for the City of Toronto. Will the government commit to a public inquiry of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT today? Yes or no? Order Minister of Transportation Mr. Speaker well what I can commit to the people of Toronto is that they will get a system that is safe and reliable to use once it is ready to open with respect to the specific issue on the Sloan platform Mr. Speaker repairs are being made on a section of concrete that was identified through Metrolinx this very strict quality control and inspection process and there are no additional costs required to fix this platform Mr. Speaker but Mr. Speaker what people of Toronto don't need are politicians forcing a system to open before it is ready. That is what happened in Ottawa Mr. Speaker when the mayor demanded that they shorten the testing period derailments Mr. Speaker transit riders were stranded and couldn't get to work and couldn't get home. Mr. Speaker we will not rush a system to open before it is ready. Transit riders deserve better and that's what they will get under this government. The next question to number 4 Ottawa South. Mr. Speaker my question is for the Premier the Premier likes to say under my watch if you ever need your OHIP card not your credit card the Premier should tell that to Lisa whose wait time for breast cancer surgery at the Ottawa hospital was so long she was forced to go to a private clinic to pay $50,000 for the life saving surgery that she needed and Lisa is not the only one. Wait times for breast cancer surgery at the Ottawa hospital are so long surgeons are advising their patients to consider private options dozens of women in Ottawa are having their life saving surgeries delayed and then rescheduled the uncertainty and the wait is agonizing Speaker how is any of this in any way acceptable to this Premier Deputy Premier and Minister of Health you know it is frustrating when people have to wait for long periods of time for their critical surgeries which is exactly why we have brought forward through your health plan Bill 60 which allows us to expand those community and surgical centres you know the example the member gave there needs to be some context to it and of course that surgery if it happens in the province of Ontario is covered by your OHIP card and the same member from the City of Ottawa who is opposing the innovation that is happening at the Ottawa hospital today where through our surgical backlog fund we have the hospital has been able to utilize an innovative model that ensures an OR room within the hospital is being used on the weekend when it was sitting vacant before what does that do Speaker it means that those critical surgeries and will continue to happen have the ability to happen sooner because we are utilizing those OR operating rooms over the weekend thank you Supplementary question Speaker I'm hoping in the supplementary the Premier will be able to explain to Lisa how he could allow this to happen so do you know how many many women at the Ottawa General Campus of the Ottawa General General Campus of the Ottawa Hospital are getting their life saving breast cancer surgeries within the safe recommended rate 90% 75% no 50% no 25% no 13% 13% and the situation for gynecological cancer surgeries is not much better it's 30% all the while the hospital is renting out ORs to a private company while these women watch that and wait every four weeks these breast cancer surgeries are delayed the risk of death increases 6 to 8% there's a reason that we started measuring wait times in 2007 so this wouldn't happen so back again to the Premier Speaker how did this Premier allow this to happen under his watch to help the member opposite should also talk about the wait times that are happening across Canada because in fact Ontario leads Canada in the shortest wait times is that enough clearly not we want to do more which is why we are expanding immediately through the surgical backlog recovery almost a billion dollars has been used by our public hospitals in the last three years to expand their operating room capacity and it has worked back we are now down to wait times that are equivalent to pre-pandemic levels that is a success that we have to point and thank our hospital partners for is it enough no we don't want the status quo which is why through Bill 60 we are expanding the community surgical and diagnostic centres that will ensure that people have access to regularly scheduled surgeries in a timely manner closer to home is exactly what the people of Ottawa and Ontario need and deserve thank you speaker order stop the clock member for Ottawa south will come to order minister of the environment conservation and parks will come to order start the clock the next question the member for Chatham Kent Leamington good morning speaker thank you my question is for the minister for seniors and accessibility it's important that Ontarioans of all ages and abilities can participate in local programs across the province because of our government's commitment to helping seniors and people with disabilities to stay safe active and socially connected we are hearing encouraging reports about successful projects through the inclusive community grant program to name just a few examples speaker the city of Burlington received funding to install portable beach mats to make access easier to the waterfront for everyone the public library in Trident received funds to make accessibility improvements as well speaker can the minister please share more about the inclusive community grant program and how this contributes to advancing accessibility for all of Ontario the minister of seniors and accessibility thank you to the hardworking MPP from Chatham Ken Leamington for the wonderful question we thank you and all the advocates of accessibility who are working hard to make Ontario more accessible our government launched the inclusive community grant as a community based approach to help the province become more inclusive for everyone since 2018 our government has funded over 60 projects to local organizations to make inclusive spaces meet the accessibility need in their community these grants are making libraries parks and other public space all across Ontario accessible thanks to the leadership of this premier we are building accessible Ontario thank you thank you speaker it's encouraging to hear that our government is making meaningful investments to help improve the daily lives of individuals and families across our province and we all still know there's more to do in every community there are opportunities and challenges when it comes to reducing barriers so that people across Ontario can live active healthy lives ensuring continuous improvement accessibility and inclusion for everyone is an ongoing responsibility and we all play a role supporting the needs of our communities it's vital that our government continues to provide funding that supports local needs and empowers community organizations so that improvements can take place everywhere in Ontario speaker can the minister please elaborate on how our government is investing in accessibility projects in both rural and small urban communities accessibility the speaker project by project community by community we are advancing accessibility I want to share with you that we have invested nearly $50,000 in inclusive community grant to the active lifestyle center in Chatham can Leamington this funding went to Ontario driving port for older adults this has support up to 1500 older adults from 11 rural and smaller urban communities in Chatham can access driving to stay active and connected it doesn't matter how big or small a community is we can all work together to build an Ontario that is inclusive for all together we are building a better Ontario my question is to the premier Windsor salt workers from Unifor locals 240 and 1959 have been on strike over nine weeks as they continue to fight for job security and against the outsourcing of their jobs by a US hedge fund company stone canyon industries these workers mine and produce the table salt and more that we all benefit from in fact the salt used in the kitchen and on the dining room tables right here at Queens park is Windsor salt the conservatives claim they are working for workers so Windsor salt workers want to know what specifically has the premier done to support them during the strike and stop the outsourcing of their jobs to apply to the government house let me just say we do appreciate how important these workers are to the province of Ontario in fact all workers are important to the province of Ontario and that is why in the last election the majority of the unionized workforce across this province supported progressive conservatives in the election including the members and riders now the Minister of Labor has put forward a number of initiatives that improve the working conditions not only of workers but more importantly Mr. Speaker equally as important Mr. Speaker is that the conditions that we are bringing in are as a result of some of the incredible work that we are seeing by this minister to bring jobs and economic activity back to the province of Ontario this province is thriving we have thousands of jobs that are being created thousands of jobs where we will turn to our unionized workforce to workers across the province of Ontario to help us continue to build a bigger better stronger province of Ontario and that includes those workers that the member has referenced now we encourage both the workers and their employer to reach an agreement at the table because I'm sure the member would agree that's exactly where it should be done Supplementary question Thank you Speaker I'll remind everybody it was actually the conservatives that scrapped anti-scab legislation and it's very clear what you feel about workers with bill 124 and bill 28 Speaker scab labor is used by employers to undermine collective bargaining and drag out labor disputes the conservatives have a track record of supporting the use of scab labor time and time again 16th time since the conservatives cut anti-scab labor our anti-scab labor bill the conservatives wouldn't answer whether or not they'll be supporting it in fact they wouldn't even look at the workers that were here so I'll try again will the premier tell workers today whether or not his government will vote in favour of our anti-scab labor bill and support Windsor salt workers yes or no I truly find the NDP entertaining you know why Mr. Speaker because this member gets up in her place supported by the members around her and suggests that oh we want to bring anti-scab legislation back but when they had the balance of power when they could have said to the liberals we demand that you bring back this legislation why because they held the balance of power they could have said workers are a priority for the NDP instead they said that stretch goals on auto insurance is all that they needed to continue the disaster that was the liberal government from 2011 to 2014 you didn't make workers a priority in 11 you didn't make them a priority in 12 you didn't make them a priority in 13 you didn't make them a priority in 14 when you supported every single disastrous budget that that group brought to the province of Ontario that brought workers in this province to its knees and now when you're down to 30 people member the order of the member for Windsor West will come to order I'll remind the members to make their comments through the chair not across the floor of the house the next question the member for Don Valley West thank you speaker the minister of finance frequently talks about transparency about how his crystal ball is a bit foggy and how certainty is not part of the future it is always uncertain but now his government is saying they can predict the next 95 years with their new lease for Ontario place the next 95 years will be gone and a new generation of Ontarians will have to deal with the generational decisions of this government the province and city of Toronto had a similar lease for the Ontario Science Centre and now halfway through the province is insisting that it be destroyed because it's too old the minister knows a 95 year business case is not a sound one maybe that's why they won't release it speaker can the Premier please tell us how his government now has the crystal ball confidence to approve his government signing a 95 year lease with a company that only set up shop in Canada two years ago to apply minister of infrastructure I cannot believe that member is asking this question right now they closed the doors to Ontario place they left it to go into disrepair to be in a state where it is constantly flooded and at times not safe for people we have presented a vision to the public we were out last week the Premier was answering questions this morning the leader of the opposition said very clearly standard commercial lease now our partners our tenants are making serious investments to the site building a brand new stage that will be enjoyed all year round as opposed to just the summer period Thurmay water park wellness facility which will also have 12 acres of public realm space and 43 acres of public realm space together and contributing to the maintenance and upkeep of the site which you failed to do take responsibility for your actions once again all of my members to make their comments through the chair start the clock supplementary question speaker the government announcement to move the Ontario science centre was a shock to everyone except those in the deal room it is anything but transparent the government did not consult with the people of our community they did not consult with the city of Toronto or the TRCA who jointly owned the land the science centre is an important cultural and educational hub in North York serving thousands of local students with programming and employing many people in my writing of Don Valley West and neighbouring Don Valley East moving it to Ontario place means moving jobs and programming out of our community our community will be lessened culturally and economically with the loss of the Ontario science centre this decision made in secret shows the lack of regard this government has for the people of Thorncliffe park and Flemington park speaker can the premier please explain how our community will benefit from this move and how much benefit will go to the developers to advise them to do this thank you to reply the minister of tourism culture and sport thank you Mr. Speaker you know this is a great opportunity for me to after having a number of consultations with the chair CEO that reminding everyone that if you haven't been there lately the science centre is open for business there's a lot of great things going on there school visits an opportunity for people to go revisit if they haven't usually a lot of conversations around things that people don't understand because they haven't really examined it but let me tell you this when we talk about a potential world class world class staging of down at Ontario place it's unbelievable and then I taught you know all the conversations of people across our province in tourism so the one thing that really bothers me Mr. Speaker about this when I hear the conversation back and forth and on going while I am still speaking is the fact that it sounds like members in the NDP are against tourism really all those people across our province that make a living that provide income are against tourism development I'm shocked Mr. Speaker I'm just shocked Thanks Lennox and Addington Thank you Speaker my question is for the Associate Minister of Transportation Speaker roads, highways and other critical transportation infrastructure are vital to ensuring that our economy remains strong and productive unfortunately under the previous Liberal government Ontario's transportation networks were neglected in fact Highway 33 known as the Loyalist Parkway which spans across the south eastern portion of my riding next main street in the village of Bath would greatly benefit from improvements this is just one example there are plenty of roads and bridges and municipalities all across the province that are desperately in need of upgrades our government must continue to prioritize investments in transportation infrastructure that will keep our communities moving safely and efficiently every day Speaker can the Associate Minister please explain how our government is supporting local communities local municipalities to revitalize their transportation infrastructure to apply the Associate Minister of Transportation Thank you Speaker I'm excited to answer that question because it's a great room for a member who does great work in his riding I'm glad to inform that member in fact that two weeks ago our government announced 30 million dollars in connecting Link's funding to support municipal road and bridge repairs in 21 municipalities across the province we're dedicating just over 317 thousand dollars to help revamp Main Street in Bath Village in that great member's riding so folks can get around and connect to Highway 33 with the Speaker our connecting links program provides funding up to 90% of eligible project costs to enhance municipal roads and bridges that run through communities that connect to provincial highway this funding will make sure it makes it easier to connect people to jobs to move movement of goods and to generate economic growth and to take the House Leader down to celebrate the Leafs Cup when that happens Speaker just like Leafs Man last night's win they're buzzing Ontarians are buzzing because unlike the NDP and the Liberals this government is getting transportation done Thank you Speaker and thank you to the Minister it's terrific to hear how the government's investments will restore vital transportation to communities across Ontario specifically in the Village of Bath there's still more work to do when it comes to expanding our transportation networks we know that clogged roads and gridlocked highways impact individuals, families and businesses resulting in delays and inconvenience that waste time and money road congestion prevents the transportation trucks from moving our goods efficiently especially the 401 in eastern Ontario costing more than 11 billion dollars annually to Ontario's economy we're counting on this government to continue to implement projects that will connect more people to jobs housing and economic opportunities all across the province Speaker can the Associate Minister please elaborate on how our government will deliver on the promised plan for these transportation infrastructure improvements Associate Minister of Transportation Speaker I'd love to elaborate because this province is booming and the population is growing by hundreds of thousands of people a year it's a time to invest into our transportation infrastructure is now and Speaker despite the heckling of the NDP for some reason we're going to do exactly that 27.9 billion dollars over the next 10 years to expand highways and revitalize our transportation infrastructure from the 20 of the QEW Garden City Skyway Bridge to expanding the 401 between Pickering Eastwards and of course the widening of highways 11, 17 and 3 our government is building transportation throughout the province Speaker a lot is getting built over the next decade both now and in the coming years in fact Speaker in the next fiscal year alone we are investing 3.2 billion dollars to expand repair provincial highways and bridges then over the next four years the Ontario Highways program will focus on more than 600 expansion and rehabilitation projects through all this work Speaker we are not only building this province for the people of today for those moving here in the future that includes haps fans like the member who asked that question Thank you very much Speaker my question is the Premier Speaker, actor artists are gig workers almost a year ago the ad agencies who hired these artists demanded a 60% cut to the rates they demanded enter retirement contributions and they demanded to end their benefits and instead of bargaining the ad agencies locked out actor members and hired scab replacement workers my question is Speaker will the Premier commit to passing NDP Bill 90 the Anti-Scab Labor Act to the balance of workers the government house speaker again look at the NDP right they didn't care about actor workers when they had the balance of power now let me just explain for the NDP what the balance of power means it means that you can decide whether a government is in power or is not in power you had that ability you had the ability between 2011 to put the liberal government out of its misery and to bring back to the province of Ontario but more importantly they had the power to bring back this legislation when they could have guaranteed that it passes what they didn't do now when the people of the province have reduced them to a small rump in the legislative assembly they bring forward legislation that they say is a priority it's not a priority when they have the opportunity to pass it instead what we're doing is we're giving the workers of this province the opportunity to succeed and you know what that has resulted in 600,000 jobs thank you Speaker there's not a worker here who believes what he's saying I'll tell you what happened because I was sitting right there when I was in strike and scabs were crossing my ticket line the Liberal Party countered the number of Conservative members and they hid in the back room while the Conservatives voted down anti-scab and if they really believe anti-scab they pass it today or they table their own for more than 60 years Speaker action performers that make commercials through the national commercial agreement instead of bargaining advertising agencies have locked up the workers and a lot of the government's advertising is done by ad agencies like FSB and Leo Burnett and they are using scab replacement workers for Crown Corporation ads and they're using the same brand actors members have been locked up for nearly a year nearly a year of them turning their back on these workers will the Premier commit today that Government Ontario and the Crown Corporation is accountable to it will not use replacement scab workers in any Ontario government funded ads will you have these workers backs yes or no thank you but what the member fails to say is that when the NDP then had the opportunity to support a motion of non-confidence that the progressive Conservative opposition brought forward they voted in favour to keep the Liberal government in power if the member was so angry if the NDP were so passionate about that vote then why didn't you take them down you could have saved the people of this province billions member for Sudbury will come to order the Government House later is warned the member for Sudbury is warned and once again I think for the fourth time I'll remind the members to make their comments through the chair start the clock the next question the member for Scarborough Centre thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the minister of colleges and university this week most students in post-secondary education programs will be closed to finish their academic year before the start of their summer break and while completing another academic year and for some their degrees is a call for celebration we know that the exam session can be a stressful time for students and impact their mental health that is why it is so important for students to have mental health resources on campus that are accessible and available to them whenever they need it the most Speaker stop the clock I'm just going to remind members that after they've been warned if I have to speak to them again they will be named not applies to everybody start the clock I apologize to the member for Scarborough Centre Speaker can the minister please explain how our government is continuing to make mental health support available for a university and college student across the province thank you Minister colleges and universities this important issue as minister and as a mother through university age daughters I personally understand how important it is to support post-secondary students mental health and create the right conditions to help young people succeed in their post-secondary journey I'm proud to say that since day one our government has taken action to support a healthy Ontario and that includes in our 2023 budget where we outlined our continued investment of $100 million in mental health supports for post-secondary students across the province that ensures that more social workers psychologists and support staff on our campuses and virtually to support our students when they need it most because we know that the post-secondary education journey can sometimes be tough our students deserve to have the resources they need to navigate those challenges and ultimately thrive and excel our government understands that improving mental health our post-secondary students to succeed will create a stronger and healthier Ontario great the supplementary question thank you minister for that great question it's great to hear that more funding is being provided for mental health to support workers on our campus however we know that there are still many students who require time timely help throughout the summer and unfortunately that they cannot always access the help they need especially those who have returned to their home community after an academic year concludes the reality is mental health support are needed both on and off campus and that is and that these support are needed beyond the regular school year some people across our province need access to resources that understand their unique need and will support them in their personal mental health journey can the minister please elaborate on what mental health services are in place to support students year round thank you thank you again to the member for their concern over the mental health supports of Ontario's post secondary students we have been investing in programs that support students wherever and whenever they need help because we want them to know that they are not alone and that no one should ever suffer in silence this includes supporting initiatives like good to talk a mental health help line solely for post secondary students that is available 24 7 or even live chat we also support a new virtual mental health app called get ahead which is available to students at all publicly assisted institutions across Ontario that they can access whenever they feel like they need help or someone to talk to and these supports are on top of those offered on campuses at our colleges, universities and indigenous institutes through these investments we will continue to bolster mental health supports at institutions to support students throughout their post secondary journey and set them up for success to all the students out there including my own daughters who deserve exams coming up and beyond always prioritise your physical and emotional health being and I send all students best wishes on their upcoming exams the next question member for Toronto thank you speaker my constituent Angela recently received a 20% rent hike totaling over $400 a month which is something that she and her fiance did not budget for and simply cannot afford yesterday this government voted down a motion from the NDP to bring real rent control to all buildings what is the premier going to do to protect Angela and her neighbours from this unaffordable yet legal rent hike the associate minister of housing thank you speaker I do want to thank the member opposite for her question because it does allow us to highlight some of the work that our government is doing especially through bill 97 speaker as we've heard many times before two years ago we had record housing starts by doing that we are building more housing for everybody right across this province and the best part about that is the purpose built rental is being built but you know what I'm not going to take any lessons from the NDP I'd just like to remind everyone once again in 1992 when the people of Ontario entrusted them to be the majority government they had rent control at 6% inflation was only at about 1.4% how do they justify that that is their record and that is what they did they say no every time this government puts something forward they say no to requiring landlords to make efforts to negotiate a repayment agreement with the tenant before the landlord tenant board to make it easier so that nobody has to get evicted thank you the supplementary question thank you speaker under this government rents are now increasing in Ontario by 20% and 30% and 40% and 50% these are stories I hear every day every week there is over 30,000 tenants who have now are in renter rears over 32,000 backlog cases at the landlord tenant board over 85,000 Toronto households who are on the wait list for social housing in the city of Toronto now cost over $3,000 a month a historic high under this government if not for real rent control what exactly what exactly is the premier going to do to stop rent gouging in Ontario speaker once again I just want to highlight some of the things that we are doing for renters in this province you know once again as they say continue to say no it is this premier and this minister and this government that is standing shoulder to shoulder with tenants across Ontario as we take decisive action to strengthen tenant protections and remedies that's why Ontario rental housing starts has gone up once again with records in the beginning of this year that's why Ontario is the number one jurisdiction for people to come to live this is the choice of people from across the world this is a choice from all great businesses to come here start a business to grow business the minister of economic development is bringing in amazing companies here we need the housing for the people who are going to work there we're building the infrastructure the communities the hospitals and we're reducing red tape to make sure it all gets done thank you that concludes our question period for this morning