 It is now time for Earl questions. I recognize the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Thank you so much speaker. My first question this morning is to the Premier. Perhaps he knows this but the cost of everything is going up and yet wages here in Ontario remain flat. And of course the leading culprit for keeping wages low in this province is in fact the Premier and his government. A low minimum wage and a 1% freeze. Apologize to the Leader of the Opposition. Perhaps the Member should. A low minimum wage and a 1% wage freeze hurts those workers and in fact it hurts all workers. It sends a message to the business community speaker to keep wages low. It sends a message that that's okay. When will this Premier actually show some leadership speaker and help all workers by ripping up Bill 124 and significantly increasing the minimum wage in this province? Through you Mr. Speaker, I stood in this chamber many times talking about the carbon tax. How would increase the cost of going from point A to point B, increase the cost of groceries, increase the cost of trucking. We made sure we did everything we could that we didn't see the 10 cent a liter gas increase. Matter of fact Mr. Speaker, we lowered gas rates by 4.3%. We're committing to lower it up to 10 cents. We're the only party that actually create an environment for people to have a job. Under the NDP and Liberals, they lost 300,000 jobs. So they didn't have to worry about an increase because they didn't have a job Mr. Speaker. They constantly vote no. We vote yes to stirring up the economy, getting jobs created. We're a party of yes. They're a party of no, no, no, no. We're going to continue on making sure that this province thrives and prospers and grows. I remind this Premier that he said no to a $15 minimum wage three years ago. It was one of the big first no's that he said to the workers of this province and as a result, workers have lost out on $5,300 since he said no to them back then. In fact, here's what the Premier said and I quote about the wage increase in 2019. The worst bill for the frontline hardworking people this province has ever seen. He called it a job killer calling it that again today. The Premier, billionaires, the Premier's buddies, they never need to worry about putting food on the table speaker or putting a roof over the head of their kids. How can the Premier justify taking $5,300 away from hardworking folks while bending over backwards for the buddies that seem to do very well by this Premier? The Speaker, I'll go back to my previous comments under the NDP and the Liberals. There was over 300,000 people that didn't even have a paycheck. There was 307,000 people in 18 months that we created a job for. We created the environment for companies to thrive, prosper and grow, and when they thrive, prosper and grow, so do their employees. We're the only government that is pro-affordable housing, making sure that we can have areas that can then build homes at an affordable cost. We believe in affordable ownership. Again, the NDP and Liberals, they destroyed this province for 15 years. We've turned the corner. We continue leading on the leading North American job creation, economic development. That's what we believe in. Their job killers were job creators. Well, Speaker, no matter how you slice it, the Premier's 10 cent an hour wage increase was an insult to working people in this province. Even a $15 minimum wage today will never replace the $5,300 that this Premier took out of the pockets of everyday working families. And of course, things are even worse now, because the cost of everything is going up. Absolutely everything is increasing in cost. The Premier has a choice. Order. The fall economic statement is coming this week. People need and deserve a raise. He has a choice to give back what he stole, not 10 cents an hour, not even $15. And ask the Leader of the Opposition to withdraw. Withdraw, Speaker. He has a chance to give people back what they deserve, what he took away. And he has a chance to make sure that a meaningful minimum wage is brought into place in this province. Will he do that on Thursday? Premier, your reply. Speaker, the NDP and the Liberals for 15 years drove businesses out of this province. They jacked up the hydro rates to have the most expensive hydro rates anywhere in the country. People were losing the jobs rate left in the center. Over 300,000 people lost their jobs. Speaking to owners and presidents and companies from small, medium and large, they said before we took office, this was the worst jurisdiction in North America to do business in. We saw it with GM leaving based on the policies of the NDP and Liberals now. GM is doing the fastest build they've ever done in the history of General Motors, because we've created that environment. They're going to be employing people. No matter if it's electric vehicles and manufacturing batteries here, again we're going to be creating thousands and thousands of jobs and we need people. We need great people to come to this province and be the workforce to build this province. Unlike the NDP and the Liberals, they're job killers. The next question, the Leader of the Opposition. Thank you so much, Speaker. My next question is also to the Premier. You know, the Premier's Bill 124 also keeps wages down and sends the wrong signal to the business community in this province. Across Ontario, workers' wages are frozen at 1%. With inflation, those stagnant wages mean life's getting harder. People are actually losing ground. The little guy is losing ground in this Premier's Ontario nurses. Across our province are literally abandoning their profession because they feel disrespected and devalued by this Premier and his government. Will the government do the right thing and scrap Bill 124? To apply, the member for Aurora will courageous Richmond Hill in parliamentary assistance. Thank you very much, Speaker. Speaker, to the first point that the Honourable Member pointed out was the jobs in this province. It's under the leadership of this Premier, Mr. Speaker, that we have jobs created in this province while the previous government said goodbye to those jobs supported by the NDP. This Premier said, we're not going to give up on those jobs. We're going to fight for every single good-paying job for this province of Ontario. We will be there every single day because Ontarians, we have the best and the brightest in this province, Mr. Speaker. We're not going to give up on them. They deserve the best on the this government and this Premier and our Minister, they will always have. When it comes to Bill 124, on the second part of the question of the leader across, Mr. Speaker, Bill 124 is designed to protect the very same jobs that the leader is alluding to, Mr. Speaker. Those jobs that the people are depending on every single day. Mr. Speaker, Bill 124. It's inaccurate to suggest that it caps at 1%, Mr. Speaker, because public sector employees will still be able to receive salary increases for seniority, for performance, increase qualifications as they do. That's a supplementary question. Well, Speaker, the low wage policy of this government is actually hurting every day, families day in and day out. The cost of living is increasing very significantly. This year, at least by 4%, the last two years up by 2.5%, that is hurting people's ability to make the bills, Speaker. Everything is up. The cost of food is up. The cost of clothing is up. The cost of housing is up. The cost of transportation is up. The cost of gasoline is up. The only thing not increasing in the province of Ontario are people's wages. So my question is, why does this Premier think that hardworking Ontarians don't deserve better wages so they can afford the rising cost of living in this province? Mr. Labour, training of skills development. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I can tell the leader of the opposition that everything Premier Ford and our government is doing is driving paychecks in this province. We're bringing in historic workplace protections for workers in this province. And Mr. Speaker, we're spreading opportunity to every worker in this province. And I have to remind the member opposite. She voted no. She said no to creating opportunities in the skilled trades. I have to remind the member opposite, Mr. Speaker, that these are jobs that are in demand, that in many cases pay six figures. They have defined pensions and benefits, something I thought the NDP would say yes to. So Mr. Speaker, we're going to continue every single day having the backs of workers continuing to spread opportunity right across this province and build back a better province. The final supplementary. Well, Speaker, I think everybody knows very well what this government's spreading. Look, this low wage policy that this government continues to keep in place in this province is hurting people everywhere. Snowplow operator in Thunder Bay, a food safety inspector in Guelph, registered nurses in Milton, Sarnia and Ottawa, youth councillors in London, water systems mechanic in Cambridge, an aircraft maintenance engineer in Sault Ste. Marie, corrections rehabilitation officers in the city of Niagara Falls. Really, everywhere in this province, this government's low wage policy is hurting people. It's making life harder for everyday folks. Will the Premier tear up Bill 124, give those workers the raise they deserve and signal the right way for the business community to treat workers? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I thank the member for the question again. Mr. Speaker, what all employees and job creators in this province know is that our government will have their back every single, every step of the way, Mr. Speaker. We've done it throughout the pandemic. Remember when it came to pre-pandemic, Mr. Speaker, Ontario's economy was booming. We have issues filling those jobs unfilled because of the policies of this Premier and this government, Mr. Speaker. We will fight for those jobs. We will make sure that every single employee in this province knows that their government has their back. We have already created supports for our small businesses, making sure that funds are available for theirs, for them and their employees, Mr. Speaker. Ontario's small business support grant, for example, which supported over three, would provide a $3 billion to over 110,000 small businesses, Mr. Speaker. The grant that provided them with PPE support, funding that supported them to have online presence for their customers, Mr. Speaker. That's our government fighting for Ontarians every single day and we won't stop long after recovery. We'll make sure Ontario is the best. The next question, the member for Waterloo. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Over the weekend, the Toronto Star and the National Observer revealed that the main beneficiaries of this government's proposed Bradford Bypass Highway are well connected landowners with political and donor ties to the PC Party of Ontario. One of these beneficiaries is the father of the Associate Minister of Transportation whose golf course had been in the path of the highway, but in the spring, this government quietly rerouted the highway so that it will now destroy homes and a dense forest in the green belt instead of the golf course. Mr. Speaker, this reeks. Why should anyone trust the integrity of this government's transportation planning decisions when they seem to be driven by the private interests of landowners with ties to the PC Party? The people of this province deserve some honesty and answers from this government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Bradford Bypass is exactly what type of project this province needs. We want to save people's travel time 35 minutes one way. That's well over an hour, two ways. That's an hour extra they can spend with their families, Mr. Speaker, but they voted no against it, both NDP and the Liberals. We're spending over $21 billion built in the United States and in the United States over $21 billion building roads and bridges and highways across this province. Because it's critical to make sure that people spend more time at home. It's critical to make sure that we get the transportation of goods back and forth as quickly as possible. That will also reduce costs, but again, Mr. Speaker, the Liberals and NDP are against building roads. They're against building highways. They vote against it every single time. They vote against the cow pasture. Mr. Speaker, we believe in building infrastructure. We're a party of building infrastructure and we'll get this province moving again. Mr. Speaker, no one is buying what this premier is trying to sell the people of this province. And there's a saying. It's not what you know, it's who you know and that certainly is true with this premier. This premier knows that there are less costly and less destructive ways of building a $1.5 billion highway, four to six lane highway through the green belt prime farmland and the Lake Simcoe watershed, no less. He is actually sitting on planning studies that prove this. You know this is the truth, but the premier doesn't seem to care, Mr. Speaker, what those studies say. He's against research and evidence. He cares only about what his developer buddies including the well-connected landowners who own nearly 3,000 acres of land along this highway corridor and they are poised to profit. They will make a huge amount of money including the father of the Associate Minister of Transportation. Mr. Speaker, does the premier not understand or does he just not care how bad this looks and how it undermines the trust of everything that happens in this place? Mr. Speaker, please take your seats. And the premier to reply. Mr. Speaker, the NDP and the Liberals are anti-infrastructure, anti-highways, anti-roads, anti-everything. They sit back on the sidelines and say absolutely everything. We believe in getting the province moving forward. Mr. Speaker, let me tell you the people that do support it, the people that live up there that travel these roads, they support it. York Region, Simcoe County, Bradford West William Barrie and East William Barrie, the mayor of Bradford Terry Robcuffer said that this is an absolutely essential piece of infrastructure something that some of these members do not understand because it never went past north of Bloor a lot of their members so they don't know how everyone else travels but we're helping them by building $29 billion subway system again Mr. Speaker. The executive director of Holland Marsh Grores Association this is a farm association that uses this road all the time is representing over $125 billion. Thank you very much. Stop the clock. Stop the clock. So we need a few reminders. First of all when the speaker stands your microphones cut off you need to sit down. When someone else has the floor though I need to be able to hear that person and when there's constant heckling from members on the other side it makes it very difficult for me to follow what's being said as you know. So if this continues I'll start identifying the members by name and calling the door by name. Thank you. Please restart the clock. The next question is for Carlton. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker my question is for the minister of long-term care. Mr. Speaker long-term care is an area that has long been neglected by previous governments. Between 2011 and 2018 the previous government only built 611 new beds. That is an increase of only 0.8 percent while the population of Ontarians aged 75 and over grew by 20 percent. Mr. Speaker that is only 611 new beds for 1,176,211 people. While I know our government has made a commitment to build 30,000 new long-term care beds by 2028 Mr. Speaker can the minister tell this house how much the government has invested into building long-term care beds since 2018. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker to the member from Carlton for that question and for her work for her constituents. The member is right the government is committed to fixing long-term care one of the pillars of that commitment is our commitment to build 30,000 new beds Mr. Speaker the member is also right that the previous government in the last seven years has built 611 new beds in the last seven years of their government. Mr. Speaker in Ottawa alone this government has committed to 625 new beds and 881 redeveloped beds and that is just in Ottawa Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker the question was how much have we invested $2.6 $8 billion Mr. Speaker for those safe modern beds that 20,161 new beds Mr. Speaker 15,918 existing beds and Mr. Speaker that means we are two thirds of our way down to our commitment to build 30,000 new beds to protect seniors and give them the kind of homes they deserve. Supplementary question. Thank you Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker in the seven years prior to our government entering office the previous government did not build a single bed in my writing of Carlton this is shameful Mr. Speaker and my constituents have demanded better. Last Friday I was pleased to have the minister of long-term care in my writing to announce the groundbreaking of a brand new building for extended care Stitsville. This new home will provide 256 upgraded modern long-term care beds for seniors in my writing and will welcome residents in the fall of 2023. We are grateful for these investments Mr. Speaker and that doesn't include the investments made at the Osgoode care centre in Osgoode again in my writing of Carlton Mr. Speaker can the minister introduce how he will deliver desperately needed long-term care beds to the rest of the province. Long-term care. Mr. Speaker this is the value of the kind of advocacy that the member from Carlton delivers 256 new beds to nothing. Mr. Speaker we're there with the member and thank her for hosting me along with the member from Ottawa and Appian along with Jim Watson the mayor of Ottawa who commended this government for building beds in his community. Mr. Speaker we're not done yet we're well on our way to our 30,000 bed goal and Mr. Speaker that's why a few weeks ago I opened calls again for applications for those who want to develop long-term care beds Mr. Speaker not for profits, municipalities private sector partners we invited anyone interested in building redeveloping long-term care beds to apply through www.ontario.ca forward.developing LTC. Mr. Speaker we're committed to working with all our partners municipalities like the City of Ottawa to build long-term care beds to help our seniors. Mr. Speaker good morning Mr. Speaker my question is to the premier Mr. Speaker this government's new long-term care bill does nothing to assist our seniors in long-term care who need our help today. Seniors are cramped in for profit long-term care homes. Stop the clock government side will come to order please restart the clock. Thank you Mr. Speaker it's wonderful that the members would heckle another member when we're speaking about our respected elders. Seniors are cramped in private for profit long-term care homes that cut corners neglected our loved ones and this government is doing nothing to guarantee seniors will get the care that they deserve instead of implementing a standard four hours of care per day this government told families that they're going to have to wait three long years before this basic standard is met. Our precious parents and grandparents desperately need these changes and yet this government keeps telling them to wait how can this government tell seniors and families that they have to wait three long years before they'll receive four hours of care per day instead of helping them right now. Mr. Long-term care I appreciate the members question and I appreciate it particularly because the NDP five times in this legislature Mr. Speaker once by once by the leader and most recently by the member from London Fanshawe introduced something called the Times Care Act Mr. Speaker and the Times Care Act called for four hours of care for nurses and PSWs Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker this is something that was talked about in 2008 Mr. Speaker we are the first government who not only has funded it but also has put it into legislation so Mr. Speaker given that many members including the leader and personally the member from London Fanshawe introduced that they introduced acts to add four hours of care legislatively given that we've done that I'd ask the member what is wrong with saying yes to four hours of care that you've been calling for the last seven years restart the clock supplementary Speaker I'm pleased to hear the minister admit that the NDP has been standing up for seniors since 2008 the Times Care Act has still been something that this government has kicked down the attention of implementing until 2025 instead of standing up for seniors the Premier would rather dole out taxpayer money to pad the pockets of big corporate buddies who run these for profit homes he's handing out more licenses for for profit long-term care homes instead of prioritizing getting our seniors the help they deserve today standards of care and air conditioning in the hot summer months aren't even on his radar time and time again we see this what's best for his buddies firing up the gravy train instead of doing what's best for our parents and grandparents our legislature should unequivocally state that people are more important than profit and seniors deserve an excellent quality of life why is the Premier prioritizing helping his buddies in the private long-term care sector over improving the lives of our loved ones in care Mr. Long-term Care Mr. Speaker and I thank the member for his question just to correct the record 2008 was when the previous Liberal Government which was later supported by your party first heard about long-term care when this was brought forward in 2020 Mr. Speaker in this legislature this side of the house supported it right but now we're turning it into a reality but the member mentioned the question about order from London centre mentioned the fact that what is what is the impediment to doing it right now and Mr. Speaker it's staffing we need to hire 27,000 new staff and that's why in London North Centre alone Mr. Speaker the members riding we're adding 3.6 million dollars this year Mr. Speaker 22 million dollars by the end of year four Mr. Speaker we're upgrading 160 homes at Mount Hope Centre and 160 homes at South Bridge in London so Mr. Speaker we're answering the members question we're answering with legislation we're answering with dollars and we're answering with a commitment to our senior the next question the member for Ottawa so very much Mr. Speaker my question is for the Premier Speaker in the summer 2018 the Premier launched an attack on Ontario's workers and took away paid sick days eliminated equal pay for equal work and other workplace protections and he cut the increase to the minimum wage to $15 an hour and it was hard to watch on this side the government benches daily standing ovations cheering on the Premier as he stuck it to minimum wage families families that live paycheck to paycheck so it cost each worker about $6,200 so far more if you're working two jobs and this is the Premier says I'm for the little guy so Speaker through you does the Premier have a shred of remorse and will he apologize for robbing these families of a fair wage going to ask the member to withdraw I withdraw thank you to reply the Minister of Labour thank you very much Mr. Speaker everything we're doing as a government is to ensure that workers across the province have more opportunities that lead to bigger paychecks we've recently just introduced the working for workers act Mr. Speaker to address issues in workplaces across the province that the former Liberal government neglected in fact Mr. Speaker we're bringing in the toughest legislation and protections for those workers hired by temp help agencies and recruiters Mr. Speaker to crack down on those law breakers Mr. Speaker we're ensuring that there are washroom facilities for those essential workers like truck drivers and food delivery workers and couriers Mr. Speaker we are going to recognize for the first time foreign credentials these newcomers coming to Ontario so they can earn bigger paychecks Mr. Speaker I'll respond more in the supplemental thank you thank you Mr. Speaker with all due respect the Premier is like a one man wrecking ball when he came here so don't accept to have credit for building something you knock down to the ground so the pandemic has hit minimum wage workers harder than anyone else the same people the Premier likes to call heroes grocery store clerks cashiers gas station attendants cooks cleaners the people who make our everyday lives easier the Premier made their lives harder and it's cost them at least $6200 so far more families have two incomes that extra money was important to those families too many of them live paycheck to paycheck so what did it mean less money for rent or to put food on the table or pay for a prescription less money for child's clothes or maybe a school trip so speakers through you will the Premier apologize today for taking that family's opportunity away from them by not allowing their wages to increase thank you Mr. Speaker well thank you again and Mr. Speaker everything we're doing is about having policies that lead to bigger pay tracks more workplace protections to lead opportunities to workers across the province Mr. Speaker let's talk about the former Liberal government record when it comes to the skilled trades Mr. Speaker they brought in a system full of red tape that led to a 40% decrease in apprenticeship registrations Mr. Speaker these are well paying jobs that are in demand in fact I think of construction over the next number of years we're going to be short of 100,000 workers in fact Mr. Speaker these jobs pay six figures in many cases with defined pensions and benefits these are the opportunities that we want every worker in the province to take part in and I would ask the opposition to start saying yes to these good jobs let's be on the side of workers and support our legislation the next question remember for Etobicole Lakeshore thank you Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker across Ontario more and more young people are rolling up their sleeves to get vaccinated against COVID-19 it's what led Ontario to have one of the highest youth under 20 immunization rates in the country and we thank those young people for doing their part we know that measures that we have put in place coupled with the high vaccination rates are working Mr. Speaker this government recently announced an update to the PCR testing in our schools through you Speaker can the Minister of Education share with our parents and guardians how PCR testing will be expanded in all our Ontario schools thank you well thank you very much Mr. Speaker I want to thank the member for Etobicole Lakeshore for this important question and the members own community of Toronto and likewise in Ottawa working with some of the best hospitals in this province we've been able to provide access to roughly 900 schools to date with a take home PCR test that was more to do especially as we prepare for the winter which is why we have taking the decision last week with the full support of the Chief Medical Officer of Health to expand access to take home PCR tests for all students in the province of Ontario in fact all symptomatic students this November will be able to access a take home test and a kit to bring home making it more convenient, more accessible reducing the barriers, increasing access to testing for all families in Ontario we're also ensuring that close contact asymptomatic students and staff have access to this important expansion we're the only problems in the nation to offer this to families because we're committed under the Premier's leadership to make life a bit easier for parents who have faced such hardship through the pandemic we'll do whatever it takes to keep kids safe keep our staff safe and get us through the worst of this pandemic and the supplementary well thank you Speaker and thank you Minister for that answer take home PCR tests will make life much easier for mums and dads and grandparents to make life easier Mr. Speaker the minister has been clear our commitment to continue to keep schools open and safe it works both ways I need to be able to hear the government member when they're asking a question without heckling I apologize for interrupting you know when you see the smiles on the young people's face knowing they're going to school to see their friends it just brings joy to all our hearts as the minister outlined a cautious reopening plan to make sure medical experts is working through you Mr. Speaker to the Minister of Education what additional steps is the government taking to ensure our little ones remain safe schools remain open and look forward to prepare for the year well thank you Speaker indeed the government has through the last year invested over $600 million in air ventilation improvements the deployment of 70,000 HEPA units to make sure our classrooms are safer than they've been in the past but we're taking nothing for granted it's why we've expanded access to take on PCR tests to all children and access to all staff we also Mr. Speaker have made a decision to adopt the test to stay model supported by the Chief Medical Officer Felt that is designed to reduce absenteeism to help encourage kids to stay in school to avoid the closures that can happen as a result of the Delta driven fourth wave where 99% of our schools remain open but to ensure we remain cautious and guard against this virus we've adopted this model that test students frequently over a two week period using rapid antigen tests to keep them in school we've also elevated the testing requirements on vaccine staff adopting two negative tests now it will be three effective November 10th we're doing everything possible under our Premier's leadership our schools open and keep them safe thank you thank you Mr. Speaker my questions to the Premier Premier last week my colleague from Niagara Falls had held a press conference with the newly formed occupational disease reform alliance this alliance is composed of advocates from every corner of this province who have lost loved ones to workplace cancers and illness they came together to this government they will be ignored no longer they came together to demand justice and proper compensation for their loved ones who live where cut short their lives were cut short for no other reason than that they went to work Premier this group is sick of hearing you say you have no power to give justice to their loved ones on Friday they listed four demands of this government demands which require legislation from you the ball is clearly and firmly in your court we are asking you here today to answer them clearly will you acknowledge the legislate their demands it's easy yes or no Minister of Labor training well thank you very much and I truly do thank the member opposite for this very important question Mr. Speaker let me begin by saying to all workers across the province who have faced illnesses on the job our hearts and thoughts are with you and Mr. Speaker we continue to strengthen health and safety in this province in fact Mr. Speaker I think we all could agree in this house that every single worker deserves to come home safely after hard days work and Mr. Speaker I had the opportunity this morning to actually call Dr. DeMaris who is leading some excellent work around occupational disease and proud to say to Dr. DeMaris that he has our full commitment to continue doing the great work in fact I called him this morning to let him know that we're going to fund his program over six million dollars over the next five years to better improve health and safety in workplaces supplementary question thank you Speaker I'm not sure if that was a yes the group that came together last week demanding justice contain advocates from Sarnia, Dryden, Peterborough Kitchener Waterloo and many many more they have come together to say they will be ignored no longer what's more we know there are further areas of Ontario where workers were exposed to chemical causing cancers and we will tell their stories as well this now includes the former GM site in St. Conference loved ones dying because of the chemicals they were exposed to at work has happened across Ontario and these workers demand the compensation that was promised to them that includes their families people like Jean from Sarnia who has been fighting for justice for her husband Bud for 20 long years who continues dealing with the WSIB and her quest to get justice for Bud. Premier will you stand in this house today and say clearly to Jean and all the other families affected by workplace cancer and the justice they deserve by listening to the ODRA and presenting legislation right now this thank you again to the member opposite the health and safety of every single worker in this province is our government's number one priority occupational diseases are just as serious as physical illnesses and as I said in my first answer every worker deserves to come home after a hard day's work Mr. Speaker it's one of the reasons why we want to continue to strengthen the WSIB system I mean the member opposite will know it was just only a decade ago that that agency was on the brink of bankruptcy Mr. Speaker I'm proud to say that we built back a stronger system that's going to be there for generations of workers to come and we've reformed the system to ensure that only safe employers receive reductions in premiums this allows those employers to bring in new health and safety protocols and programs to give workers wages and to hire more workers across the province we're going to continue to have the backs of workers every single day the next question the member for Chatham Kent Leamington thank you speaker my question is to the minister of health what's the ministry's position on PPE and masking of care workers to control transmission of COVID in a hospital setting are these reasonable and effective measures to keep patients safe and to reply the minister of health well thank you very much to the member for the question there are numerous ways that one can keep oneself safe one is vaccination vaccination is the single best way to protect yourself, protect your loved ones protect your community, protect everyone around you that's why we are urging everyone to be vaccinated and the vast majority of people are including workers in health care but there's other steps that need to be taken use of PPE is obviously very important masking is very important, social distancing is important, ventilation is important there are many steps that need to be taken to protect people from COVID not just one single thing but a number of different issues taken together are protecting Ontario patients and residents you mean the supplementary question thank you speaker and thank you for that response minister I appreciate it but if PPE and masking of staff are both reasonable and effective measures to keep patients safe then the government's vaccination policies against unvaccinated health care workers is clearly unconstitutional under the current circumstances because the government obviously has alternative effective measures available to keep everyone safe both vaccinated and unvaccinated alike now if unvaccinated health care workers have the option to stay on the job keeping patients safe by masking and wearing PPE how can you possibly justify not going with this reasonable accommodation that will cause minimal impairment of charter rights and avert foreseeably catastrophic hospital staff shortages that will follow from the government's current policy minister of health well as I indicated my first response the single most important thing anyone can do is be vaccinated be vaccinated twice that is what all of the organizations around the world have said the World Health Organization the FDA NACI Health Canada all of those organizations have indicated that is the most important thing there are of course other steps that need to be taken with masking and PPE those hospital workers that are yet unvaccinated and again we're urging everyone to be vaccinated and the vast majority of health care workers have they still need to be tested on a regular basis before they can come in to work but that is important you raise the issue about people leaving the profession if they're not vaccinated that is why the premier has written a letter to hospitals and other health care organizations across the province to understand what their concerns are about losing staff and in British Columbia as the member may know they've had to cancel some of their surgeries because they have 4,000 people that are going to be leaving that are not vaccinated this is a very important consideration one that we're thank you very much thank you the next question the member for Carlton thank you Mr. Speaker the detection of African swine fever in the Dominican Republic in Haiti are emphasizing the importance of tightening the pork industry's biosecurity and preparedness efforts as the members of this chamber are aware Ontario's pork sector employs 58,000 Ontarians exports over $700 million annually and is responsible for 2.8 billion of Canada's GDP a disruption to Ontario's pork value chain is likely to have a large impact on the industry Mr. Speaker can the Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs explain the steps that this government is taking in response to African swine fever thank you Member for Alderman Norfolk the parliamentary assistant thank you Speaker I thank the member from Carlton for that question the recent detection of African swine fever in the Caribbean and the devastating impact has had in both Europe and Asia is a good reminder to tighten protections all along the pork industry value chain now African swine fever is not a threat to food safety or human health but it is a severe viral disease that affects pigs our government has announced the investment in nearly $3 million in new initiatives to support the provincial pork sectors prevention, planning and disease preparedness this initiative will provide cashier funding that will support biosecurity improvements and emergency preparedness Speaker, our government is taking an active leadership role in working to prevent the spread of African swine fever within our borders and supporting as was mentioned the 58,000 hardworking people Bond? Supplementary question Mr. Speaker I understand that part of last week's announcement also included changes to the invasive species list in the Ministry of Northern Development Minds Natural Resources and Forestry regarding wild pigs and designating them as an invasive species I understand that if established here in Ontario it could adversely affect the broader agriculture industry and our environment as well Speaker, while other jurisdictions have struggled with the effects of feral hogs Ontario has thankfully not experienced the devastating effects of these animals Can the Minister of Northern Development Minds Natural Resources and Forestry explain why Ontario is taking action now if wild pigs are not currently a threat to Ontario And to reply the member for Kitchen and Conestoga Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member for Carlton for a very important question while wild pigs are not native to Ontario they are known to cause wild scale devastation to wildlife and ecosystems and could cause negative impacts to Ontario's agriculture sector and to avoid this here in Ontario the government took action and added these pigs along with 12 other species to the list of invasive species to make sure they do not have a chance to become a widespread issue across our province I was pleased to see that stakeholders such as the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and the Invasive Species Centre come out in strong support of this policy change Mr. Speaker we are saying yes to protecting Ontario's biodiversity and delicate ecosystems by adding wild pigs to the invasive species list The next question member for Parkdale High Park Thank you Speaker My question is to the Premier We are now entering the third month without access to eye care for seniors and children Many of my constituents in Parkdale High Park cannot access desperately needed eye care like Stefan's 13 year old child who can't read the blackboard at school and Dan's 9 year old step child can't read anything either and is falling behind Parents like Stefan and Dan want to know how many pennies does the Premier need to pinch before he will prioritize their children's vision and academic success Mr. Health Thank you very much Speaker and thank you to the member for the question I understand the concern of many parents they're concerned about their child's eye care as well as many seniors that are worried about any vision problems not being dealt with However, the decision to step away from the table was done by the Ontario Association of Optometrists The Government of Ontario will continue to fund OHIP services, eye care services for both children and seniors and we are ready to go back to the table to discuss this with the optometrists We've already made a payment of $39 million into their accounts to cover past losses because as the member will know their agreement expired in 2011 and nothing was done by the previous Liberal government to remedy that We are prepared to do that We understand that optometrists have issues to discuss but we need them to come back to the table We are prepared to go back into mediation and we really hope that the optometrists will do the same Thank you Member for Hamilton Mountain Supplementary question Another constituent of mine Jean was recently diagnosed with glaucoma Without access to regular appointments with his optometrists Jean's vision will be permanently damaged and he may lose his vision altogether Speaker Jean's vision is worth funding Eye care is healthcare and yet this government is sitting idle while children and seniors go without care Will the minister do her job and negotiate a fair deal with optometrists Thank you very much I certainly agree with the member that eye care is an essential service it is something that needs to be funded and the optometrists have a duty to continue to provide care if they choose to not provide care to certain people they still have a responsibility that the college of optometrists has indicated they must deal with and we are ready to sit down to the table with them in addition to the $39 million we have already made we have also offered to increase their services by 8.48% retroactive to April 1 and immediately establish a working committee to deal with the overhead issues that optometrists have also mentioned we want to reach a deal with them that is fair to them and it is fair to the taxpayers of Ontario but we can't do it alone the government can't do it alone we need the optometrists to come back the only way we can reach a deal we are already willing and able to come back to the table and we ask the optometrists to please do the same Order. The next question the member for Gondalli West Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and my questions for the Premier in 1948 the Government of Ontario Progressive Conservative Government established the Ontario Educational Leadership Centre for more than 70 years OELC under a couple of different names including Ontario Athletic Leadership Camp with young leaders, ordinary kids from across the province Mr. Speaker more than 100,000 young boys and girls chosen by their schools to develop skills in athletics, music, outdoor education and problem solving and indeed Mr. Speaker in 1969 a 16 year old from Richmond Hill High School was chosen by her school to attend OELC she'd never been to overnight camp she'd never interacted with people from across the province and she had no idea that she had potential as a leader and she certainly had no idea that she could ever become a leader Mr. Speaker at a time when we need young people to be at their best as we enter this post COVID world at a time when we know that students need opportunities for experiential learning and team building why would the government choose this moment to remove supports from OELC Minister of Heritage Tourism and Culture Industry Thank you very much Mr. Speaker I wanted to say thanks for the question obviously right now as we talk about support and recreation and leadership skills in the province of Ontario the Minister of Education and myself have been working hand in glove particularly over the past 19 months in order to ensure that we do have the supports I also want to acknowledge the member opposite for becoming Montero's first Premier and for that leadership experience that she had through the province impacting her and of course as we speak right now we'd also like on this side of the house I'm sure as all Ontarians do to welcome the first female Premier Heather Stevenson for her election to the house but I want to be perfectly clear this government has invested in sports and recreation and after school programming right across this province in fact just a week ago I was in Ottawa my nation's capital in our nation's capital my community investing 13.5 million dollars in after school programming for vulnerable youth we've also invested and I'll speak to this in the supplemental on increased enhanced supports for athletes across Ontario to provide performance thank you and the supplemental question thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I'm not actually denigrating some of the things that the minister has talked about Mr. Speaker I'm talking about a unique property and unique set of programs OELC has had to adjust and adapt over there more than 70 years but they've survived and they've thrived because of their own strong belief in the importance of nurturing student leaders and in their own words they say in a result of our foundational belief that students can and do make a difference and that the cultivation of leadership requires a very special environment one that fosters curiosity, reflection and growth and provides students with opportunities to learn about themselves others and in community OELC is not a place reserved for the elite or for the wealthy or for the privileged it is a place that provides opportunity to children from every background kids who would otherwise have no access because their parents wouldn't necessarily be able to pay for them Mr. Speaker it's a place that helps prepare young people to lead in an unknowable future will the government commit to sustaining OELC in order to provide this generation and the next with the opportunity that have enriched the lives of so many young for 70 years Mr. Speaker so happy to have a conversation with the member opposite post question period to talk about that specific entity I will say we will continue to work with our after-school programming the $13.5 million my ministry has invested is in addition to the $13.5 million that the Minister of Education has invested our priority in this government is to ensure the health and well-being of all young students and athletes in this province but we have invested extraordinarily amounts of money in our sport and recreation division including $155 million to sports and recreation sectors this past year in addition to $105 million we increased the investment into the Ontario Trillium Foundation which just recently had a call for applications in terms of their capital and operating supports so we're happy to continue to work with organizations across the province in fact as minister I've often said regardless of if I was here or children's community social services government cannot and should not do it alone we need community organizations across this great province which are supported by our ministry through the Ontario Trillium Foundation to grow our economy but also from the next question the members will keep working on Mr. Speaker my question is to the premier First Nations across Ontario have called on this province to drop its appeals of the Robinson Huron Treaty annuities case under the agreement signed in 1850 the share of revenue First Nations received from mining and forestry on their treaty territories would increase as revenues increased over time there has been no change in the annuity since it was set at $4 per person in 1874 is Ontario prepared to honour the Robinson treaties and shared the resources fairly we're glad to have the government thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you for the question and the active interest in the Robinson treaties as you know it's a matter of discussion between officials and so it's something that I can't comment on in the house but something that I'm keenly aware of and interested in pursuing so again I can't get into the content of it Mr. Speaker but it's something very important to this government that would continue to engage in a respectful manner Mr. Speaker the supplementary question Miigwech doing an appeal in the court is not honouring the treaties this week is treaties recognition week in Ontario I remind that treaty relationships should not be fought in court the Robinson here on in Chinabeg want to move forward with treaty renewal and Ontario is blocking this process Chief Dean Sayers of Batchewana said of this matter as a people this colonial court process is not our preferred resolution to a disagreement about treaty implementation treaty is a sacred agreement that is to be interpreted in a way that serves both parties in court Speaker again Ontario stop wasting time and resources and finally honour the promises of the Robinson treaties Thank you Mr. Speaker and as the member opposite would be aware that most court matters get resolved without actually having the courts decide them and so I would encourage the ongoing dialogue in the spirit of the dialogue that we've been having with several treaties Mr. Speaker and again I can't comment on the content of it but this is a very important matter for this government. Thank you Mr. Speaker Next question once again the member for Chatham St. Leamington Thank you very much Speaker Question is to the Minister of Health Minister wouldn't you agree that it would be advantageous for members on the science table to welcome doctors who work day in and day out caring for COVID patients and who may have a very different viewpoint on the treatment of public guidelines. I believe that that move would further add credibility Many are frontline doctors working side by side with other healthcare professionals they can add valuable insights from their experiences insisting the government in providing the best solutions for patients Now in my opinion a more balanced approach would assist the science table in making again more informed decisions. I'm sure you would agree with that Here in the legislature we have a saying always hear the other side So my question is will you invite these frontline doctors to assist the science table and will you agree to an open healthy debate with doctors on both sides of the issue I believe the voting public Thank you very much Minister of Health to reply Well thank you very much We listen of course to a variety of doctors we have our Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Moore we have the Science Advisory Table we have the People of Public Health Ontario there are already many frontline professionals that are advising on a volunteer basis to help out with this but if the member is suggesting that we should have a discussion at the Science Advisory Table of those who are in favour of vaccination and those who are not absolutely not. I would not agree to that because the experts have already indicated that the best way to protect yourself your loved ones, your family and your community is to be vaccinated Thank you very much back to the Minister shockingly it has been observed that the rising number of unexplained medical problems in otherwise healthy people as potential adverse reactions to the vaccines are not being reported but to suggest that the vaccines cause medical problems invites professional ridicule but doctors are at a loss to explain the increase in non-COVID related ailments and increase in heart attacks in young people mainly males who receive the vaccines recently four university students died within a two week period the number of childhood adverse effects has been on the rise the most notable side effect is myocarditis in males which can cause permanent damage medical experts I've spoken with state that many of the damaged young people could require a heart transplant in later years so Minister will you commit to investigating these known health issues with doctors whose narrative may differ from the science table and work to mitigate this situation Minister of Health Thank you what I can say is that in a situation where there has been a negative impact that may be related to a vaccine that has been thoroughly investigated by all of the doctors involved in the situation we've had several situations where we've recommended certain medications certain vaccines for people of different ages but to suggest that there's not they're not being indicated and they're not being reported is absolutely not true not in Ontario we take this very seriously we are looking at the situation for each and every adverse event that's something that Dr. Moore takes very seriously that our government takes very seriously and this is absolutely important because we are following the science we are following the clinical evidence and we continue to do so to protect the health and safety and well-being of all Ontarians Next question My question is to the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture industries last month the federal government ended CRB for good the only relief available for independent travel agents after their businesses were slowed down due to COVID this government listed independent travel agents as eligible under Ontario's grant for my constituent Carol an independent travel agent for 20 years CRB was her lifeline she and 7,000 agents across Ontario 75% of them being women have not received a cent promised by this government from the Ontario Tourism and Travel Small Business Support Grant due to an oversight frankly in the application that requires a TECO registration number what they have of course the agents is a TECO certificate number my question is to the speaker my question is to the minister will the minister fix this error allowing independent agents access to this grant and back day their support thank you speaker I'd like to offer an answer but I think I'd better refer to the minister Mr. Heritage I want to thank the member opposite for her advocacy also want to thank her for standing up for her constituents over the period of this pandemic of course as I've said many times in this legislature the sectors that I represent have been first hit hardest hit and by all means will take the longest to recover we're anticipating travel and tourism won't get back to pre-pandemic levels until at least 2025 particularly as these continued waves continue to hit different parts of the economy and our society I will say that our government is absolutely committed to the restoration of the tourism sector which is why we've invested 100 million dollars in the tourism recovery fund another additional 150 million dollars into a travel incentive that will occur next year 100 million dollars into small business grants 50 million dollars into festivals and events programming in addition to 105 million dollars for the Ontario Trillium Foundation how was that supported our Ontario travel and tourism small business grant in terms of travel agent support they received over 8.6 million dollars to eligible travel agents and wholesalers throughout the province of Ontario we're proud to have stood up for them at that time we're proud to stand up for them the Ontario Trillium Foundation in the City of Ottawa Nations Capital I was able to be there with 500 people both at a hybrid event here in person as well as online to say that we are going to be back the supplementary question the Minister of Culture has missed the point and tourism of course is that the travel agents are listed as eligible for this program however the application says you require a TECO registration number number, and the agents have a TECO certificate number, so they are being left out. Carol, who is a member of the Association of Canadian Independent Travel Advisers, has written to this government, to this ministry, as have I as well, along with the Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Production, as well as to the Premier. And none of us have heard back from this Conservative government on our advocacy to independent travel agents. So my question, Speaker, this time to the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries is, how are we going to help independent travel agents if this government is not providing them any funding whatsoever and they have no other funding streak? Thank you. Mr. Appli, Mr. Perry, Sport, Tourism, Culture and Business. I just wanted to be very clear that the Ontario Tourism Recovery Program is aimed at accommodations and attraction businesses that are key generators of paid tourism visits to a region and a significant contributor to the area's economy and job creation. My priority is for the tourism economy in Ontario to be restored, not the tourism economy in the Dominican Republic or in Florida or in Mexico. My priority is to make sure that people want to visit back in Ontario at the appropriate time, which is why that particular fund is dedicated toward those key anchor attractions, which is why we invested not only $100 million into that area, but also over $100 million into Ontario's iconic cultural institutions and additional $35 million into our Ontario arts sector, and that's why we invested $8.6 million to eligible travel agents through the Tourism Small Business Support Grant, which was nearly 10% of the entire allocation of the budget program. Travel agents and wholesalers were required. Thank you very much. Thank you. The question period has concluded.