 And it is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Speaker. Speaker, my first question this morning is for the Premier. The Premier's three long-year wage policy, low-wage policy, has hurt so many workers in this province. It's been three years that this low-wage policy has been in place. And what we know about this Premier is, at least in the past, he's called the $15 minimum wage a job killer. Meanwhile, the cost of everything is going up. Auto insurance is up. Hydro is up. Gas is up. Milk is going up. 8 percent. Butter is going up. 12 percent. Everything is going up, but people's wages. Under this Premier, literally, the price of everything has gone through the roof. Why has this Premier stubbornly stuck by his low-wage policy for three long years hurting so many workers? And to reply on behalf of the government, the government house leader. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Actually, just the opposite, Mr. Speaker. What we set out to do in 2018 was to rebuild the Ontario economy so that it would work for all Ontarians. Look, in 2018, I think everybody would acknowledge Ontario was a province in decline. We were losing thousands of jobs. High electricity rates were forcing small, medium and large job creators to make investments in other parts of the country and other parts of North America, frankly, Mr. Speaker. But because of the hard work of this government, we're seeing those jobs start to come back, despite the fact that we are battling a global health and economic crisis, Mr. Speaker. So we're seeing those jobs start to come back to the province of Ontario. And we are very excited about that. But the leader of the opposition is correct. To understand how tough it is, the prices of goods are starting to increase, Speaker. Inflation is a problem. It is something that we continue to fight against every day. It's something that we started off in 2018, saying it was too expensive for the people of the province of Ontario to live here. Because of those high prices, that's why we started immediately to... Thank you very much. A supplementary question. Well, Speaker, workers have been robbed of over $5,000 since this Premier's low-wage policy was enacted three years ago. A $15 minimum wage is not going to make up for those losses and that hardship. Meanwhile, the Premier's buddy, this very government house leader, just got a raise of $27,000. By the way, that's a raise of $13 an hour. The Premier's low-wage policy has hurt workers, Speaker. It's very, very clear. It's robbed them of more than $5,000, $5,300 in fact, since it started three years ago. Why is the government... Why is the Premier still short-changing workers? Government House Leader. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As I said, just the opposite, Speaker. When we took power, when we took office in the province of Ontario, Ontario was in the midst of one of the largest declines that it had had in generations. We had lost some 300,000 manufacturing jobs in the province of Ontario. The once economic engine of this country, one of the most powerful economies in all of North America, had been brought to its knees by high costs of electricity, by over-regulation. Regulation that had left Ontario one of the most over-regulated jurisdictions in North America. And we knew we had to do something right away to bring those jobs back to Ontario. Mr. Speaker, that's why we set out to reduce taxes for the people of the province of Ontario, to encourage business development. We cut taxes for our small, medium and large job creators. We cut hydro prices, Mr. Speaker, so that there would be an incentive to invest here in Ontario again. The hard work of the Minister of Economic Development helped ensure that people wanted to invest here. The hard work of the Minister of Health made this an important jurisdiction that people could rely on. And the massive investments that we are making in infrastructure will make jobs for generations of Ontario second. Thank you very much. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, we all saw what the government did. One of the first things they did was decide to attack workers. That's what they did three years ago. They took away the minimum wage increase. They took away their paid sick day, Speaker. That's what this government did. You know, when housing is more expensive, transportation is more expensive, food costs are more expensive, so much more is going up here in the province of Ontario. And the Premier has literally taken $5,300 out of the pockets of workers over the last three years. A $15 minimum wage is simply not going to cut it, Speaker. It would take a minimum wage of at least $17 just to make up for what this government took out of the pockets of workers. So my question is, Premier has all but admitted that he was wrong to reduce the, to take away the minimum wage increase three years ago. He was wrong to implement a low wage policy then. So why is he not announcing today a minimum wage that at least puts back in the pockets of working people what this Premier took out? Mr. Speaker, the leader of the opposition is obviously making it up on the fly. We were right. We were right in 2018 when we said the Ontario economy needed help. We were right to focus on reducing electricity prices. We were right to focus on eliminating useless and outdated regulations in the province of Ontario. How do I know we were right, Mr. Speaker? Because jobs started coming back to the province of Ontario in numbers that we hadn't seen for generations, Mr. Speaker. The leader of the opposition was wrong when she insisted that we have a carbon tax that would cost the people of the province of Ontario hundreds of dollars, a tax that she still supports, Mr. Speaker. The leader of the opposition was wrong when she and her friends in the Liberal Party voted against tax cuts for her small, medium and large job creators. The leader of the opposition was wrong when she voted against important measures that the Minister of Education brought in to make childcare more affordable. The leader of the opposition was wrong when she voted against subways. She was wrong when she voted against long-term care investments. She was wrong when she voted against healthcare, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Order. The House Leader's revisionist look at the history of this government's performance is something else I can tell you that. But my next question is actually for the Premier, Speaker. It's really clear that nurses and healthcare workers are leaving in droves because of this government's low-wage policies. That's what's happening in our province. It's not vaccine policy that's driving nurses out of their profession. It's that they are overworked and undervalued by their government. Bill 124 made sure of that, Speaker. But they deserve, at the very least, the safest workplaces possible that we can give them. Weeks ago, the Premier asked for advice on what to do about vaccine mandates in healthcare. And lo and behold yesterday, the Minister of Health admitted, acknowledged that she had all the information needed for the government to make a decision. So my question is, when will you make a decision on mandatory vaccines for healthcare and education workers? Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. Thank you very much, Speaker. And thank you to the Leader of the Opposition for the question. This is an important question because we've seen what's happened in other jurisdictions that have brought forward mandatory vaccination policies in British Columbia. Just recently, they've had to cancel some of the surgeries that had already been postponed because of COVID-19 and the 4,000 workers that were going to be put on leave. We don't want to see that happen in Ontario. That is why the Premier sent out the letter. We are reviewing the responses right now to ensure that whatever determination is made that we protect the health and well-being of everyone in Ontario, whether it's preventing COVID or taking care of people who need to have those surgeries. They've waited long enough. They need to have those surgeries and we need to make sure that we have sufficient health human services to care for them. And a supplementary question. Well, Speaker, the science table already weighed in. Quite some time ago, the science table weighed in on October the 19th. We're now well into November, Speaker. Mandatory vaccine policies protect healthcare workers. They protect patients. They protect visitors. They protect everyone, Speaker. They will further protect our healthcare workers from getting vaccinated. The science table said, and I quote, requiring that hospital workers be vaccinated is an evidence-based policy that protects Ontarians. So my question again is, will the Premier and the Minister actually listen to the advice that they're getting from the science table, from others that are telling them that vaccine mandates in healthcare to keep Ontarians safe? Minister of Health. Thank you. Our government has been listening to the science and the evidence. Since this pandemic began well over a year ago, 20 months ago virtually. We've been listening to what the science advisory table has to say. We've been listening to the chief medical officer of health. We're listening to experts across the province. We're listening to people who are on the list. We're listening to the chief medical officer of health and the chief medical officer of hospitals, chiefs of different health organizations. What the recommendation is that everyone should receive a vaccination. That is what we've been saying since day one. We are increasing the numbers. We have over 88.2% of the population of Ontario has now received a first dose. 84.5% a second dose. That is what has been strained as a result of COVID-19. So it is our obligation and our responsibility to make sure that we are going to have sufficient health human resources to take care of all of the people in our hospitals that need care. Thank you. The final supplement. The premier asked for advice by October 19. The Ontario Hospital Association has weighed in, as has the science table of the Ontario Hospital Association. It is the first time that we have received a vaccine. But this government has never taken decisive action during this pandemic. We saw it with the Hunger Games roll out of the vaccines when they arrived in our province. We still see it with no concrete plan for children knowing that the vaccine is coming our way for young ones. The advice is in, but all that Ontario is missing. So my question is when will this government finally take action and mandate the vaccines that their experts are telling them they should be doing in hospitals and in education. It needs to be done, Speaker. When will they do it? Please stop the clock. There's some constant interjections coming from the government side. It's very distracting. I'm trying to listen to the person who has the floor in the house. It's difficult to tell who's interjecting. People are wearing masks. I would ask all of you, please, to show respect for your colleague in the house and allow me to hear the person who has the floor. Please start the clock. Minister of Health to respond. Decisive action has been taken by this government at every step along the way during this pandemic. Starting with building up our testing infrastructure. I want to make sure that we vaccinated people. Ontario has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. And that is because of the people of Ontario coming forward to take these vaccines, to make sure that we can vaccinate people in every part of this province. With 88.2% of people having had a first dose vaccine and 84.5% having had the second dose, clearly successful plan ready to go for children aged 5 to 11. And the other issue we're dealing with and we need to deal with this very cautiously is the issue of if we bring in a mandatory vaccination program, what will be the response of the health human resources. That is the responsible step to take to make sure that people who are in need, wherever they are in the province of Ontario, will . The next question. Member for Waterloo. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. A public Facebook post by the Silver Lakes Golf Course dated March 23rd, 2021 reveals that the previous week the golf course hosted the Minister of Transportation as well as the Associate Minister of Transportation, whose father is the Minister of Transportation and the Associate Minister of Transportation, who was Bradford Bypass Highway. But one month later, the ministry revealed a root change that spared the golf course. There is no clear reason or rationale as to why the Minister and the Associate Minister would be at this golf course at the same time. Why was the Associate Minister with the Minister of Transportation recognized how inappropriate this is? Stop the clock. Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries will come to order. Please start the clock. Minister of Transportation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise and I'm pleased to have the opportunity to address the member opposite's question and her comment. Let me be clear, Mr. Speaker. Minister Cho has been screened from the file pertaining to the Bradford Bypass Mission in 2018. Neither myself nor anyone in my office has had any conversations with Minister Cho about the Bradford Bypass. But let me also be clear. Minister Cho and his family, immigrants to Canada have worked hard, contribute greatly to our community and they are success stories that should be celebrated. The depictions of the Cho's is anything but success stories is unacceptable and they should be and you should be ashamed of yourself. Mr. Speaker is a real problem. It robs people of time with their families, it robs workers of productive time at work and it makes it harder for farmers to get their goods to market. It also contributes to GHG emissions. The opposition wants to put its hand to the hand, Mr. Speaker. I'll remind all members to make their comments through the chair. Supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not going to take any lessons from what and what stands as ethical actions in the province of Ontario. I'm going to remind the members again to make their comments through the chair. Member for Board. Experients now know that the main beneficiaries of this 1.5 billion four to six lane highway through the green belt 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 who himself has donated over $10,000 to the PC party since 2016. These are facts. I said it yesterday and I will say it again. This reeks with all the transportation infrastructure projects that need funding in this province. Why is the Premier prioritizing destructive and unnecessary highways through our green belt whose main beneficiaries happen to be the Premier's buddies and donors? Who are you choosing in this decision making process because we see it very clearly. Once again make your comments through the chair please. Minister of Transportation Mr. Speaker, the opposition doesn't see it. The main beneficiaries of this highway and other new highways are the drivers of Ontario. Renewers in York Region and Simcoe County have been calling on governments to build the Bradford bypass for decades. Congestion is a real problem and members of the opposition just want to keep their heads in the sand and not recognize this reality that plagues people drivers, commuters, families workers, farmers. It's been a problem for decades. It's a problem today and as Ontario welcomes millions of new people every five years the problem is only going to get worse. Our government doesn't shy away from taking decisions that will benefit Ontarians and that's why we're going to build the Bradford bypass and the 413. Member for Waterloo will come to order. The next question, the member for Flamborough Glandbrook. Thank you Mr. Speaker and good morning. Since 2008 we have been hearing calls to increase the average daily direct care received by residents to four hours. Many of my constituents were disappointed that from 2009 to 2018 the Liberal government only managed to increase the average of daily direct care by 22 minutes per day. Speaker that is just not good enough. Throughout the pandemic I have seen first hand all of the great work nurses and PSWs working in long-term care have done in my riding of Flamborough Glandbrook and right across Ontario. Speaker frontline healthcare workers, residents and families are tired of past governments that were all talk, no action. Speaker will the minister of long-term care tell this House what he is doing to ensure that our residents receive the care they deserve. Minister of long-term care I would like to thank the member for Flamborough Glandbrook for that question and the work she does for her constituents Mr. Speaker. The member is right our government has now a legislated commitment in the legislation I propose to four hours of care Mr. Speaker that means that instead of 22 minutes which was the experience of the nine years before we were in government Mr. Speaker care will improve by one hour and 22 minutes Mr. Speaker and that means we need to hire 27,000 new PSWs, new nurses for our long-term care homes recently we announced the first steps towards that $270 million Mr. Speaker to hire the first 4,050 new long-term care staff that includes $1,500,000 this year just in the riding of Flamborough Glandbrook and that will be raised to $9 million annually by 2024. Mr. Speaker this government realizes that we need to build a system that supports our seniors Mr. Speaker we understand that the need for staff is critical among that and that's why it's such an important part of our plan to fix long-term care Supplementary question Thank you Mr. Speaker this newly hired staff will go a long way to providing quality care to our residents in long-term care across Ontario and right in my riding of Flamborough Glandbrook Mr. Speaker while it's great to have investments like this in place to hire new staff we need to make sure that we can retain the staff that we have enough staff to deliver high quality care to residents and the best way to do this is to provide opportunities for long-term care staff to advance the careers in their field Speaker does the minister have a plan to support the training and advancement of long-term care staff and ensure we can retain this staff Mr. Long-term Care Mr. Speaker again I thank the member for her question and she is right we need to protect the progress we're making by making sure that there are staff available and that's why Mr. Speaker last week with the minister of colleges and universities we announced $100 million to support two new innovative programs to train thousands and PSWs and registered practical nurses to move up to the next step in their career ladder Mr. Speaker the first initiative is partnering with we, RPN and the ministry of health to provide tuition support for eligible PSWs and RPNs who wish to become either RPNs of colleges in Ontario and the ministry of colleges to increase access to nursing programs and create 500 additional enrollments. The CEO of we RPN, Diane Martin said we RPN is thrilled to collaborate with the government to create the begin initiative that will give PSWs and RPNs new opportunities to grow their careers while expanding Ontario's nursing workforce Mr. Speaker this is just one of the many initiatives and investments we're making to make sure that our seniors receive the care that they deserve and remember for Essex. Mr. Speaker it was up in court again last week defending the premier's failed attempt to appoint his longtime friend Ron Tavener his old P.P. Commissioner we all remember Ron Tavener in here Mr. Tai you'll remember is a close ally of the premier and was a high profile recipient of another gravy train appointment in 2018 but what we know now is that this guy's been raking in public money for years. Public accounts has revealed that Mr. Tai's law firm Gardner Roberts has made $771,000 since the premier was elected that's three quarters of a million dollars paid for by the people of Ontario. Speaker can the premier explain how exactly he has managed to find this staggering amount for his buddy while the people across Ontario have lost wages, have lost their jobs and have lost their livelihoods and to apply on behalf of the government the government has. Thank you Mr. Speaker and I think the important part of that question is the fact that we are starting to see the Ontario economy rebound as I said earlier in 2018 we saw a province that was in decline a province that was in decline ostensibly because of the years that the Liberals and NDP shared in office Mr. Speaker they failed to make important investments they overregulated the province they caused hydro and electricity rates to skyrocket the total median large job creators to leave in droves losing 300,000 jobs in the process Mr. Speaker we decided to do things differently that's why the Minister of Labor has put a focus on the skilled trades they of course voted against those important initiatives that's why we're bringing an important transit and transportation initiatives to bring the economy get it moving Mr. Speaker they of course have voted against that we heard about gridlock in the city of Toronto they voted for York region respond been waiting for subway York region they voted against it highways and the members own riding voted against it so when it comes to creating jobs and economic growth Mr. Speaker I know that the people of Ontario can trust this side of the house thank you supplementary question Mr. Speaker when no reasonable answer can be given by the government house leader to a very flagrant abuse of public tax dollars we just got a $27,000 a year pay raise because that's what he seems to be best at Mr. Speaker the Premier's low wage policy for workers affects everyone like nurses water safety mechanics and snow plow operators but we now know that that low wage policy doesn't extend to the Premier's buddies like Gavin Ty who's hauled into court every time the Premier lands himself in hot water which is a lot Mr. Speaker cash is flown freely to the Premier's buddy's law firm while every time the Premier's friends have had to struggle to make ends meet it would take a minimum wage worker at $15 an hour more than 24 years what the Premier's buddy's law firm has raked in in three years Speaker why are the only people that have benefited from the Premier's generosity his buddies the wealthy lawyers developers and corporate insiders I think that question in itself highlights the fact why nobody takes care of a member seriously in fact in his own community when they wanted to talk about transit and transportation and widening the roads they didn't actually go to that member they went to another member Mr. Speaker when they wanted to talk about a new hospital for that community something that this member failed on for years Mr. Speaker they actually came to this side of the house and said can you get us a new hospital and we got them that new hospital the Minister of Transportation we know that this member really adds no value to the community now when you talk about the important things that are happening in the economy Mr. Speaker we have brought jobs and economic growth back to the province of Ontario and I know it hurts them I know it hurts them Speaker you hear them cat calling across because they are so bankrupt of ideas just as bankrupt as the province was when they shared power with the Liberals Mr. Speaker we've turned the corner it upsets them that it makes us happy and it will make Ontario even more prosperous. Thank you the next question the member for Chatham Kent Leamington. Thank you very much Speaker my question is to the Minister of Health Minister you've stated that no child has been vaccinated without having had parental consent you've also stated that the side effects to the vaccines are being reported well I've received correspondence informing me of some very disturbing news severe skin blistering in a second shot but his doctor wouldn't report it to VAERS. A teenage daughter received a vaccine without the mother giving consent and recently a 54 year old doctor died in his sleep after receiving his third Pfizer dose a booster many who had COVID chose not to seek hospitalized treatment for fear that he would be given remdesivir a drug recommended by the Ontario science table for hospitalized patients at over $3,000 per treatment yet the World Health Organization in effect of plus it had significant renal and liver toxicity they also feared being put on ventilators with high risk question so my question is Minister what are you willing to do to address these inconsistencies in reporting and concerns of pharmaceutical treatments that could cause more harm than good. And to reply the Minister of Health Thank you well Speaker what I would say through you to the member is vaccination against COVID is your best protection it will save your life it will save your life and we've seen that by the countless millions of Ontarians who've already received the vaccine we're recommending it for everyone we're preparing for children age 5 to 11 to receive the vaccines but no one will receive a vaccine without it going through very careful scrutiny these vaccines have been approved by the World Health Organization the Food and Drug Administration in U.S. Health Canada the National Advisory Committee on Immunization all of those organizations have indicated that it is far safer for you to receive the vaccine because it will prevent you in most cases from being hospitalized and being in intensive care but ultimately what's most important is they will save your life and that's what's most important Supplementary question Back to the Minister I've been in contact with a number of medical experts in Ontario and the U.S. who are widely accredited and have the skills of expertise they've expressed their willingness to make themselves available for a publicly accessible discussion via Zoom to discuss effective early treatment for and prophylaxis measures against COVID-19 to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death and risk of long COVID Minister the other day I asked you to welcome an open debate that engaged doctors on both sides of the vaccine issue and the therapeutics for early outpatient treatment of COVID many face unemployment and are hesitant to receive the vaccines creating a labor crisis in all sectors including healthcare Minister Elliott would you agree to facilitate this discussion between your senior health team officials and engage these individuals on this topic of public interest overall it will give our public health officials an excellent opportunity to inform the public about their views on this topic and to exchange ideas of interest for the benefit of all Again members please make your comments Minister of Health the short answer to your question is no it is very commonly accepted on Ontario by medical advisers that we're speaking to by the Ontario Medical Association by our chief medical officer of health by the science advisory table that the best way to deal with COVID-19 to protect your health the health of your loved ones the health of your community is to receive the vaccine there is no other answer to that we'll save your life thank you the next question the member for Whitby thank you Speaker my question is to the Minister of Health Speaker this pandemic has tested us and many Ontarians are still searching for the light at the end of the tunnel with vaccination numbers rising and key health indicators improving I've heard from many constituents in Whitby who are eager to get back to some of their pre-pidemic routines could the Minister of Health please tell us how the government plans to safely reopen Ontario while managing COVID-19 for the long term Minister of Health thank you very much Speaker and thank you to the member from Whitby for your question and for your excellent representation of the residents of Whitby Ontario is doing well Speaker compared to other jurisdictions thanks to the continued efforts of Ontarians our government's cautious phased approach to reopening because of this we are now in a position where we have a plan for lifting public health and workplace safety measures in Ontario together in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health we released a plan to safely reopen Ontario and manage COVID-19 in the long term which outlines the province as a gradual approach to lifting remaining public health and workplace safety measures by March 2022 Speaker this plan is built for the long term and it will guide us safely through the winter and out of this pandemic while avoiding lockdowns and ensuring that we don't lose the hard fought gains we have already made supplementary thank you Speaker and back to the Minister of Health we know the challenges that Ontarians have faced throughout the pandemic Ontarians are counting on the government to make it possible to ensure a cautious approach so that no business will have to close their doors due to another lockdown many of my constituents are still eager to know more and have questions about the plan to reopen can the Minister tell us when we can expect to move forward with the next phase thank you Speaker Mr. Teller our government's plan is based on a phased approach regarded by the ongoing assessment and monitoring of key public health indicators and health care indicators such as the identification of any new COVID-19 variants increases in hospitalizations and ICU capacity rapid increases in transmission to ensure that public health and workplace safety measures are lifted safely and carefully we know that we still need to be vigilant and want to make sure that these hard fought gains with the plan having begun on October 25th and with the lifting of capacity limits in most settings in the absence of concerning trends in public health and health care we will continue on to the second phase on November 15th furthermore we are happy to announce that based on key health indicators continuing to improve by March 28th 2022 we intend to lift remaining new hospitals with the measures Thank you very much the next question The federal veterans affairs Canada provides the disability award to any veteran that applies after suffering a debilitating injury such as a loss of a limb but Ontario has the practice of taking this money from the veterans that need it the most clawing back these funds from the injured veterans that need Ontario social provide basic needs like housing support. This is because Ontario considers this one-time award for their permanent injury as income. No veteran should go to bed hungry at night. No veteran should fear the loss of the roof over their head. Will the Premier make this right by today, ending the clawback policy for disability awards in Ontario? Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member opposite for this question. I know that this is something that she is incredibly passionate about, and I thank her and her family for their service to to our country. Our veterans have made tremendous sacrifices to make our country and province what it is today, and we need to be there for our veterans when they need us. That's why our government passed a new law last year to expand the Soldiers Aid Commission Program to include all Ontario veterans and their families regardless of when and where they served. This was the first meaningful change in their mandate after years of neglect by previous governments, which saw the Commission's financial assistance constrained to a very limited group of former servicemen and women. I'm pleased to add that to support this expanded mandate, the Commission's funding has been increased by about six hundred percent to one point five five million dollars each year. Our Premier and our government will continue to stand behind every man and women who has served in our armed forces. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. And I did stand here last year and I asked for the the award that was given because I put pressure on that government, this government. But the Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Command operates a program. Everyone in this chamber will agree does important work, operation, leave the streets behind. The provincial president wrote a letter last week outlining clearly what is at risk with this practice of treating a disability award as income. It can lead to some low income veterans becoming homeless. It is shameful to consider that a veteran's physically debilitating loss would result in homelessness. No veteran should have to worry that the Ontario provincial government will claw back their basic needs like shelter until their disability award is spent. Will the Premier and the shameful practice of clawing back injured veterans disability award and honour our veterans ahead of Remembrance Day, not with ceremonies alone but with actions that ensure injured veterans who are struggling with poverty continue receiving assistance for basic needs like food and shelter? Do the right thing make the change today? Thank you, Speaker. And I appreciate the supplementary question and I hope that all members of this House will join in supporting the Minister for Citizenship and Multiculturalism's new bill to ensure mandatory policies in place that allow workers to wear poppies because I know we all want to recognise the valiant sacrifice of our brave men and women in our armed forces. I'd like to speak a little bit about the Soldiers Aid Commission and how it provides assistance for veterans and their families. The Soldiers Aid Commission provides veterans and their families up to $2,000 over a 12-month period for household goods like health-related items, hearing aids, glasses, prescriptions and dental needs, home-related items like repairs, moving costs, replacement and repair of roof and furnace, specialised equipment like assistive devices, wheelchairs, personal items and employment-related supports. We're going to continue to support our seniors through this expanded mandate of the Soldiers Aid Commission and we look forward to working with all members of this House to make sure. Thank you. Next question from the member for Ottawa Vanyin. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Mr. Speaker, good governance is about making responsible investments where investments are needed. Our schools definitely need more investment and there is a backlog to catch up with. School boards have submitted their priorities for new infrastructures back in the spring and there is still no approval for investments. Yet this government is still on spending $6 billion on Highway 14 that will destroy the environment and provide no relief. The Liberal Party is committed to spending that money on new education infrastructure where the investment is needed. What is the Premier's reasoning for spending billions on the highway that nobody wants except for a few developers and speculators instead of on our education system? Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member opposite for the question. I will remind the member that under the former Liberal government the repair backlog in Ontario schools rose to $15 billion. Creating a maintenance backlog that children in every region of Ontario are paying the price for today but thanks to the leadership of our Premier and the investments on an annual basis of $500 million we are remediating that backlog. We are investing in new schools every single year Speaker. Net new schools that are being added to the province that are modern, that are connected, that provide STEM education opportunities that are critical to our future prosperity. Mr. Speaker we have also invested $1.6 billion of which $600 additional million provided to improve the standards, the ventilation of those schools. It is neither a proposition. We can build infrastructure for the next decade for future growth while continuing to improve the schools that our children depend on now into the future. Complimentary question. Thank you Mr. Speaker. If you build it they will come. This rule of transportation planning is the reason why adding new lanes almost never results in less congestion. The government speak as if it is inevitable that new residents in the 905 region will need to drive on highways. But that's not taking into consideration the impact of the pandemic and the fact that people may not need to commute as much to urban centres for work as we adapt our ways of living. Rush hours not the same. People are working from home. Rail transport is the most environmental friendly way to travel. The greenhouse effect of gas emissions per kilometre on railway transport is 80% less than cars. If the government would instead prioritise rail travel residents of these areas would be able to use this greener alternative. So what is the government plan to get people out of cars and into trains? Mr. Speaker and I thank the member opposite for the question. Our government has the most ambitious transportation plan that's ever been unveiled in Ontario. We have a $28.5 billion new subway plan for the GTA. We have the largest expansion of GO rail in Ontario's history. We have a massive infrastructure plan that's going to get people out of their cars and onto rail and into subways. We also understand that we do need new roads. We're welcoming millions of new people to this province over the next few years and we need roads for our trucks to get our goods to market. Commuters spend hours idling in traffic Mr. Speaker. That increases greenhouse gas emissions and it reduces people's quality of life. Now while members of the opposition want to pretend like congestion isn't a problem today and it won't be a problem tomorrow, our government is committed to doing what we can to improve the quality of life of Ontario. The next question, the member for Park Wellington. Thank you, Speaker. Community living organizations in my writing do incredible and compassionate work to serve our loved ones with varying levels of abilities every day. I'm grateful for their work and commitment. Shockingly, under the previous government, housing support for people with disabilities was unaffordable and scarce and left many unsupported once they transitioned out of childhood support to train on to them and their families. Speaker, there's a need for more independence and housing that will allow people the freedom they want and deserve. Speaker, would the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services tell us what this government is doing to help people with disabilities achieve greater independence in living? Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the member for Perth Wellington for that question. I know that he has been a passionate advocate for some of our most vulnerable citizens throughout his time in office. Our government recently released the journey to belonging, choice and inclusion, which is our long-term plan for developmental services reform. Part of that plan for developmental services reform includes ensuring that individuals are supported to find suitable housing in their communities. These supports are especially needed for those who may be transitioning to the adult system or who are living with aging family members. That's why, Speaker, our government also invested an additional $13 million to help people with developmental disabilities access more inclusive housing options in the community and to expand the Adult Protective Service Worker Program to support more independent living. This investment will mean more people with a developmental disability can receive the assistance they need to find an accessible and affordable home. Thank you, Speaker. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, I'm sure we've all heard from hundreds of people around Ontario on this issue and their message is clear. They need access to support and services that are available, easier to understand and more flexible and meet individual needs. People have said that it can be confusing trying to navigate support from multiple government programs. People are frustrated waiting for developmental services because they don't know what support they can expect and who they can expect to receive and when. Speaker, can the minister tell us how this program will make sure these concerns won't fall on deaf ears as they did with the previous government? Thank you, Speaker. I appreciate the supplemental question from my colleague. The member is right when he points out that this $13 million investment aligns with the goals of journey to belonging. We're moving quickly to improve current supports and streamline processes for those accessing services by simplifying the assessment process, improving passport to better address people's needs, building skilled staff capacity, and introducing initiatives that will support individuals through natural life transitions such as into school or adulthood. When fully implemented, this investment will see more than 1200 people with developmental disabilities receiving the help they need to find accessible and affordable housing. Speaker, as our government makes both immediate and long-term improvements to developmental services in Ontario, we will continue to engage our service partners, individuals with lived experiences, and families on how we can. Thank you very much. Next question. I come from 3D9 territory. Our lands are resource-rich, but the quality of basic infrastructure water, healthcare, and education is poor. This government has said it's open for business to develop the ring of fire in 3D9 territories. Promising benefits for all those who make agreements with the province. But you see, Speaker, we already made that deal under 3D number nine. My question to you is how do you intend to honour any new agreements given that Ontario does not honour its responsibilities in 3D number nine? I agree with the honourable gentleman, the ring of fire offers an enormous opportunity for the people, the province of Ontario and our First Nations who will be a very, very important partner. And I apologise they're not our First Nations, First Nations because I do apologise to the member for that. A very important partner in this, Mr Speaker. The member is absolutely correct. This could provide the province of Ontario with billions of dollars in economic activity. We've heard the Minister of Economic Development talk about how important the ring of fire is to bringing on board some of those other investments in electric vehicles of course we're going to have to work with not only with First Nations but with other partners in the area. I'm very happy to hear the honourable member talk about this because he and all of his colleagues will be equally important in helping us open up this area. He's correct, waited for far too long. The fact that this resource has been sitting there for far too long I think is just another indication of how ill-prepared the previous Liberal Government was to open up the economy over 15 years, Mr Speaker. And we're getting the job done. Supplementary question. Speaker, I have children as young as old. You know, I see them emotional, crying. They just want clean drinking water. And Speaker, the treaties were attended to benefit all parties. But not many First Nations, but many First Nations people struggle in third world conditions since these agreements were made. Yet mining and logging continue to happen in these territories. With the economy still recovering, we hear that the development of the far north is a major part of Ontario's recovery plan. And I want to be clear, this government has no right to request development on our treaty territories without a plan to improve baseline necessities like water and infrastructure. I would like to know how the Premier plans to honour Ontario's treaty obligation to the people of Treaty 9 before allowing development. Again, Speaker, by working with First Nations in the area and other partners in the area, we understand fully that this is a resource that cannot be developed if we do not all work together. The member raises some very important points when it comes to education, when it comes to basic infrastructure in the area. We're making those investments. A number of these communities, remote and rural communities didn't have access or still don't have access to high-speed internet. We're making that investment to ensure that even rural and remote communities across this province will have high-speed internet. We're making the investments by working with community leaders to ensure that there are roads so that we can access the Ring of Fire and the thousands of jobs and the billions of dollars in economic activity that will come with it. We are very excited by this opportunity. Disappointed, I think all Ontarians are disappointed that it has taken so long to get here. This is a resource that we knew existed and should have been productive for the people of the province of Ontario generations ago. We're getting the job done, but we will work very closely with First Nations because they have to be a partner in this, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. The next question, the member for Gwell. Good morning, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. A 2014 transportation study showed that the Bradford bypass poses significant risk to communities and the environment. It will pave over 17 hectares of the Hall of Marsh, destroy 39 hectares of wildlife habitat, 10 hectares of provincially significant wetlands, cause groundwater contamination, and put Lake Simcoe and the Greenbelt at risk, all while increasing climate pollution by 87 million kilograms a year. Speaker, the Premier will make significant alterations to his transportation schemes to protect a golf course. So my question is, will the Premier make alterations to his highway schemes that primarily benefit wealthy land speculators so that we can protect the Hall and Marsh, Lake Simcoe and the Greenbelt by cancelling the Bradford bypass? Mr. Speaker, and I thank the member opposite for the question. Let's be very clear with respect to the Bradford bypass, we are not reducing environmental protections. Current and future work on the Bradford bypass will continue to be subject to all conditions under Ontario's robust environmental assessment process. The first environmental assessment was done back in 2003 and many proponents of the Bradford bypass said we've already got an EA in place, we don't need to do one. But our government said no, we need to make sure that all the steps are followed and therefore we could resume the EA process and we are committed to seeing it through. Mr. Speaker, we must alleviate congestion before it gets worse for commuters and for the environment. Member opposite knows full well the impact of congestion on our environment. That's why we're committed to getting the Bradford bypass built in an environmentally sustainable way. Thank you. Supplementary question. Speaker, if the government had any credibility on reducing commute times, they would take the 6 to 12 billion dollars they're planning on putting in to the Bradford bypass in Highway 413 and increase their investment in regional transit. They would increase the amount of investment they're making in affordable housing within existing urban boundaries so people don't have to move an hour away from their work just to be able to afford to find a place to live. And in a previous answer the minister said we want to help farmers get their product to market. Well then we need to not pave over farmland. The 2,000 acres of farmland that the 413 will pave over, not to mention all the sprawl it is going to unleash. Speaker, will the government say yes to protecting Lake Simcoe, yes to protecting wetlands, yes to protecting prime farmland, yes to protecting all the jobs in the food and farming sector by saying no to these destructive highway projects. Thank you. Mr. Trestacation. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Well the member opposite talks about credibility on an environmental record. Well I'd like to ask the member opposite why he voted against our 28.5 billion dollar subway plan for the GTA. Why Mr. Speaker did the member opposite vote against our budget that funded the largest rail expansion in Ontario's history. Mr. Speaker our government is committed to getting drivers off the road and to reducing GHD emissions and we have the largest transit infrastructure plan in North America today. Our government is incredibly proud of our record on public transit but we also know Mr. Speaker how important it is to address congestion in Ontario. Our government did not have the will to do so but Mr. Speaker we believe that it is essential to get it to improving people's quality of life to reducing congestion. We need to build new infrastructure Mr. Speaker and that's exactly what we're going to do. Order. The next question. The member for Sudbury. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the minister of francophone affairs. The members of the francophone community are ignored especially with the fact that they're trying to meet her but the conservative government refuses to meet with them. The University of Sudbury is not part of the Laurentian University court case. Will the minister agree to meet with them? Minister of francophone affairs thank you to the member for this question. It's very worrying to see that the Laurentian University found itself in the situation with such strict measures and we need to ensure that it's sustainable long term. We are working with the minister of colleges to ensure that the francophone universities are built in the north and as the member knows our government continues to follow closely this procedure. Our government clearly indicated that you will be there to support the French post-Sanconari institution in Sudbury and in the northern part of Ontario when the case is close. After the election after I was elected in 2018 I started learning French and I was able to read my first book in French this summer. This book was about the history of my city and I can tell you that the francophones of Sudbury have the right to have universities in French that are led by and for the francophones. The francophone community is united and has one voice they want a university of Sudbury that is francophone. Can the minister agree to that? Thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I would like to congratulate the member for his work on this French that is excellent. I read the plan of the university of Sudbury and I will work with the minister of colleges to determine the best way to go forward to go further but since the case is still in court I cannot commence further. Our government recognizes the importance to have a governance by and for the francophones. This is why it's our government that created the university of the francophone and the entire francophone university and this is why we want those universities to have their own independence. We are defending French education. Thank you Mr. Speaker. The university of Sudbury project by and for francophones must be built. It is a project that supports 100% and that the community supports. It is essential to the development of and access to French language education in Northern Ontario. The university of Sudbury is independent already has a starter and is already ready to continue to provide quality education to all francophones and francophones in Ontario in Canada and the world. By every time we talk about this project the government tells us in court and refuses to talk about it when in fact that rule doesn't even apply in this case. It's not the university of Sudbury that's before the courts law action university. So once we're all when will the government accept public funding for the university of Sudbury and why is the government hiding behind a rule that doesn't even apply in this situation. Like the member knows, this case is in court right now so a member of the government cannot comment on this. The situation in Sudbury is very interesting. I'm working with the Minister of Colleges to develop a plan once the case is closed. Monsieur le Président, the federal government has dedicated $121 million to support post-secondary education in our community of the official language in a minority situation and places a special accent on... With a particular emphasis on governance by and for those communities to access funding, provincial governments have to apply. The deadline for this application was October 15 and as of today the Ontario government has not yet submitted anything even though our university are clearly asking for this funding. This is not the first time that this government has left millions of federal dollars on the table. Will the government finally submit the funding request for post-secondary institutions of university? Yes or no? Thank you to the member for this question. She knows that our government is working closely with the federal government on these issues. It's our government who had a partnership with the federal government to set, to establish the University of Francophone Ontarians. This was something that was asked for 40 years by the Francophone community. It's our government who made it possible and we're very proud of this success. We will continue to listen to the Francophone community so that we're ready to help. Thank you speaker. My question to the premier. A recent press progress article revealed that this conservative government is considering contracting out employment services for social assistance recipients to Maximus, a for-profit company with a treacherous track record. This is the same company that caused serious harm to individuals with disabilities in Kansas because of a backlog issue and lost documents. Kansas eventually brought back services in-house. In Kansas it was found that oversight and training at Maximus were lacking. Social assistance recipients have been neglected by this government and the Liberals before them. Recipients with disabilities live in deep poverty without enough money for housing or food. This government refuses to adequately raise social assistance rates. In BC, Maximus was fined at least three times and cost the province almost 50% more than was originally projected. My question is this. Why is the premier contracting out Ontario jobs and prioritizing patting the bank accounts of for-profit companies with billions in revenue and terrible track records rather than supporting and protecting existing Ontario social assistance workers who have well-paying unionized jobs and the vulnerable people that they support? Member for Ottawa West, the PM and parliamentary assistant. Thank you speaker. And of course throughout the COVID-19 pandemic Ontario's employment has been there to support some of our most vulnerable through for example the $1 billion in the social services relief fund. But now as we begin to emerge out of the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the hard work of all Ontarians in our health care system and all those who have been vaccinated, we're now going to begin to pivot towards how we get the Ontario economy back working again, get Ontarians into good-paying jobs. Ontario's employment and training programs are critical to building the skilled workforce that we need to rebuild and revitalize Ontario's economy after the COVID-19 pandemic. As the auditor general highlighted the current system has not produced results for the people of Ontario and in fact even before the pandemic only 1% of people on social assistance were finding employment every month. That's why we've launched three pilot programs forward on our work to strengthen employment services for those on social assistance. We're going to keep doing this important work speaker. Thank you. Question period has ended. There being no further business at this time. This house stands in recess until 3pm.