 It's time for oral questions and I recognize the leader of the official opposition. I also want to wish everyone a happy Halloween and a safe and fun time for children tonight as they go out trick-or-treating. My first question this morning, Speaker, is for the Premier. This week, Ontario families have heard some stark news about the state of their hospitals, long-term care, and the lack of credibility of the Premier's promise to end hallway medicine by summer. They learned hospitals in Brampton are routinely operating over 100% capacity. An urgent care centre receives 587% more patients than they are funded to care for. And from the Independent Financial Accountability Office, they learned the wait for long-term care beds will grow longer and that hallway medicine is going to grow much worse until things change. Is the Premier ready to admit that things actually need to change or does he still claim that his plan is on track? Questions addressed to the Premier? Well, through you, Mr. Speaker, I know we've said it over and over again, but we've actually increased healthcare by $1.3 billion. That's $3 billion on Papa, mental health and addiction, $3.8 billion. We're building 15,000 long-term care beds for the first five years. And what's amazing, Mr. Speaker, in the first year and four months, we're almost at 8,000 beds already. This is, Mr. Speaker, we inherited an absolute mess when it came to healthcare. I travelled around the province, I talked to the frontline doctors and they were the ones telling me it's an absolute mess. They had some solutions, sat down a round table and listened to the frontline folks that deal with it day in and day out. We're pouring money into healthcare and as you're going to hear, we're going to put more money into healthcare next year as well. So we're focused on ending hallway healthcare, we will end hallway healthcare in this province. Supplementary question. Well, Speaker, yesterday the Financial Accountability Office painted a stark picture of our long-term care system. The Liberals allowed the wait list of seniors waiting for a long-term care bed to grow by 78% over seven years. And under the Ford government, it keeps growing. Can the Premier tell us how many new long-term care beds he has actually made available? Not just announced, but actually made available after over a year in office. Are you here? Minister of Long-term Care. Referred to the Minister of Long-term Care. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member for the question. I am thankful to the FAO for providing this report and shedding light on an issue that was ignored by the previous government for 15 years and supported by the NDP 90% of the time. They sat on their hands and they ignored this issue. Now we're dealing with this reality. We are well on our way with 50% of those 15,000 beds allocated. We have 8,000 allocated. We have 1,800 that are newly allocated. We are putting people into long-term care homes regularly. The 36,000 people that were on the wait list, they are being accommodated as we speak in terms of new long-term care spaces coming available. But we know the problem is growing. And that's why we are making sure that we develop innovative ways to address the issue and making sure that people get the care they need when they need it. A supplementary? Well, Speaker, the answer that the minister didn't provide notwithstanding other information that was inaccurate that she provided, the answer is 21, Speaker. Between July 2018 and August 2019, the government only created 21 beds. And during that same time, while they created 21 beds, Speaker, the wait list grew by more than 2,800 people. Can the Premier explain why his government is following in the Liberals' footsteps, even though our seniors' population continues to grow? Minister? Thank you again, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for the question. Between 2011 and 2018, the number of long-term care beds in Ontario increased by only 0.8 percent while the population over 75 years of age grew by 20 percent. The previous government and the NDP were blind to the issue. Our government is committing to making sure that those 15,000 new beds are created and we are committed to redeveloping another 15,000. And we are adding $1.75 billion to long-term care over the next five years to address that and $72 million more this year over last year. So our government is actively working on this issue, one that your government, previous government, ignored. Thank you. The next question, once again, the leader of the official opposition. Well, Speaker, my next question is for the Premier Speaker. The Financial Accountabilities Office report made it pretty clear that the government needs to increase investment in long-term care if they want to make a dent in the waiting list or get patients out of hospital hallways. And if we're talking about stats in terms of how many beds are being created versus how many additions are coming to the wait list, this government's record so far is 0.01 percent. So the Ford government, unfortunately, is not able to get patients out of hallways because they're doing things the same way that the Liberals did. The Ford government is at the same time, however, making cuts to our long-term care grants. This is something we were talking about all summer long in many communities across Ontario. So the question is, will the Premier listen to expert advice and agree to abandon his government's intention to cut $34 million from long-term care funding? Questions to the Premier? Through you, Mr. Speaker. I just can't wait to the leader of the opposition. He's both ministers of health, minister of long-term care, standing in front of these long-term care facilities, cutting ribbons, also cutting ribbons to the historic $27 billion into building new hospitals into new infrastructure. This will create 3,000 new hospital beds, Mr. Speaker, right across this great province. This year our government is increasing health care again. Just to remind everyone, 1.3 billion, that's an increase of 2.1 percent. That's 384 million or 2 percent increase for hospitals. This includes 67 million for 700 beds in crowded hospitals, 68 million for small, medium and multi-site hospitals, which are desperately needed because it was ignored for 15 years, propped up by the NDP, $155 million more with home and community care, and 72 million more for long-term care sector, not reducing funding but increasing it by 72 million for long-term care. Thank you. A supplementary question. Well, Speaker, with all due respect, ribbons make good photo-offs, but they don't help our hallway medicine crisis. Our bill is crystal clear, Speaker. The cost of creating new long-term care beds will grow over time, yet as the need for the investment grows, the Ford government is moving ahead with cuts to long-term care, and that's combined with budget cuts at overcapacity hospitals, that are struggling with deficits. This was a formula for hallway medicine and the crisis that was made when the Liberals put it in place while they were in office. Why is the Ford government repeating the mistakes of the Liberal government, Speaker? Stop the clock. Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry will come door. Restart the clock. Questions addressed to the Premier? Minister of Long-Term Care. I would like to read you something from the FAO from his report. The 15,000 new beds represent the first meaningful increase to the supply of long-term care beds in over 15 years. It recognizes that our government's investments in long-term care is the largest new health sector spending commitment in the 2019 budget and is a crucial part of the government's priority to end hallway health care. So the inaccuracies in some of the commentary that's been going on is misleading, and I want to make sure. I'd ask the Minister to withdraw the unparliamentary remark. But if we're going to talk about... I didn't hear. I didn't hear. You must withdraw. She said it. I withdraw. Yes, I did. Thank you. So the report states that between 2011 and 2018 that the number of long-term care beds in Ontario increased by only 0.8% while the population of Ontarians aged 75 and over grew by 20%. Our government is committed to addressing this issue that has been building for 15 years, and we're well on our way to doing that. Well, Speaker, as I said yesterday, there's a big if as to whether or not the promise to build those beds comes to fruition. We saw the Liberals make those promises as well and those beds were never built. And of course, the Conservatives are following on the same track as the Liberals in all the other mistakes that were made in terms of our health care system. Stop the clock. I apologize to the Leader of the Opposition. Government's side will come to order. I need to be able to hear the member who was asking the question. Restart the clock. Again, my apologies to the Leader of the Opposition. There's no doubt that the Liberals left the health care system hanging by a thread and instead of making things better, the Conservative government continues to plow ahead by making cuts to health care services and it's making things even worse. From ambulance shortages to bigger wait lists for long-term care to more hospital overcrowding, now we're heading into a terrible flu season which is a recipe for disaster. Will the Premier put patients first? Stop the cuts and make the investment needed to tackle hallway medicine. Referred to the Minister of Long-Term Care. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member opposite again. We recognise that Ontario has an aging population and this issue has been building for many, many years and we know it's going to take real action to create the capacity that's required and that's why we're streamlining processes to make sure that we get shovels in the ground and allowing areas across Ontario to benefit from the allocation of almost 8,000 new beds that we've announced and 18,014 beds in just the last year and the FAO report clearly states that the previous government failed to act responsibly and proactively to deal with this problem. Our government is committed to protecting the frontline services that directly impact Ontarians. Long-term care is one of them and we are making major investments. I want to repeat that. Major investments into the long-term care system and we are committed to addressing any gaps that there may be. Thank you. Thank you very much. The next question, once again, the leader of the official opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is also for the Premier. I want to ask the Premier about an Ottawa woman's plight which encapsulates healthcare under the Ford government and the Liberals before them. Maria Conupescus is an Ottawa resident who had minor surgery in 2017. She's been living in hospital ever since because the personal support workers and home care that she needs aren't available for her. Does the Premier believe that patients who receive minor surgery should be forced to live in hospitals for years at a time? Questions addressed to the Premier? The Minister of Health. Heard to the Minister of Health. Well, thank you very much. It should not be happening. When people are ready to leave hospital they should be able to do so with the supports and services that they need at home. However, we also know that there are many personal support workers that are graduating in the province of Ontario, but they're not staying on as personal support workers. So it indicates to us that there's more work that we need to do. I am working with my colleague, the Minister of Long-Term Care, to develop a human resource plan for people to receive the supports they need, whether they're in hospital long-term care or in home care. It is something that we are working on. We know that there are concerns with respect to some of the scope of work that they're doing. So we are looking at client-partnered scheduling which allows care providers to make the most of their workforce, geographic alignment of home care and community care to reduce travel times. And I will discuss more on the supplemental. Thank you. A supplementary question. Look, Speaker, this woman is now on her second Premier and is still waiting in the hospital. Here's the facts. The FAO says hallway medicine is going to keep getting worse. The wait for long-term care which grew by 78% under the Liberals is going to keep growing longer. And 94% of the government's home care investment this year comes from the federal government. There are literally thousands of people like Maria waiting for home care. When is this government, this government going to stop continuing the neglect of the previous government and take serious action to deal with the crises in home care, long-term care and hallway medicine? Minister of Health. Thank you. Well, through you, Mr. Speaker, I can assure the leader of the official opposition that we are taking action on all three fronts because we need to provide integrated care for patients and families regardless of where they are. The status quo with our current health system is not sustainable. It's not satisfactory to people. They feel as if when they leave hospital they're being shut out of the system. That shouldn't be happening. People should know that their health care system is there for them throughout their health care journey wherever they happen to be. That's why we are transforming our health care system and bringing it into the 21st century with digital tools as well to make sure that people are supported. We know that even though we have increased care in hospitals by $384 million this year with an additional $68 million for small and medium-sized hospitals, we know that the hospitals aren't the only sector that need help. We need help in the home and community care sector. That's why we're investing $155 million more dollars this year so that people can get from hospital to home with the care and supports that they need. We are working on that in numerous hospitals in Ontario. Thank you very much. Thank you. The next question, the member for Flamboyle, Flamboyle. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and my question is to the Premier. Premier, yesterday you highlighted the positive impact that our policies were having on the economic conditions for this province. And since forming government, Ontario has once again become the jobs leader in Canada with nearly 272,000 new jobs per year. But as you previously indicated, this success is unprecedented and since 1981 there have only been a handful of times that the economy has performed at this pace. This is a true testament to the success of our open-for-business strategy. In your closing remarks yesterday, you made reference to the historic investment by DHL in Ontario. Can you please describe what it will mean for the people of this province and... I apologize to the member. Member for Don Valley East will come to order. The Premier to reply. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank our All-Star member from Flamboyle, Glenbrook, who worked her back off getting DHL into Hamilton. And by the way, the only member that's working her back off in Hamilton. Mr. Speaker, I got great news for the leader of the opposition. I'm sure she hasn't heard about it. But DHL is expanding $100 million expansion over at the Hamilton Airport and the leader's riding. Not only they're putting $100 million in, Mr. Speaker, they're actually expanding their operations from 50,000 square feet into 200,000 square feet. They're going to be hiring more people, but this is a perfect example. When you have an MVP representing all of Hamilton, working hard, creating jobs, meeting companies, connecting you to the Premier, that's why we have 272 people. Okay, order. I had to interrupt the Premier because it wasn't a standing ovation, but it was a loud ovation. I couldn't hear. Restart the clock. Supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and back to the Premier. And this really is a huge deal for the people of this province and for the people in Hamilton. Having investments from companies like DHL truly recognizes how crucial Hamilton is as a gateway destination to Ontario. This announcement combined with the recent investments by Liberty Group, Striker Corporation, and KF Aerospace, among others, demonstrates the vital economic potential that Hamilton has in helping to drive our province forward. And you know what? The good news continues. Premier, can you share with the legislature the announcement regarding the Korea Electric Power Corporation, Engineering and Construction Company here in Ontario? Premier? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you again from our great MPP. I first want to acknowledge the great work the Minister of Economic Development is doing out there, job creation. He's out there focusing on trade, no matter if it's Asia or over in India or all over the world, the United States, telling the people that Ontario is open for business, open for jobs. What a successful trip the Minister went, took along the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Minister of Seniors and Accessibility, and comes on, need on, on sale. Thank you for the tie that you brought back for me. Thank you. And because of their efforts on the trade mission in Korea, the Korea Electric Power Corporation, Engineering and Construction Company has announced that they have opened up a new office in Port Algin. Now, Korea Electric Power Corporation, Mr. Speaker, is 93% of Korea's electricity grid. The insight and knowledge which they provide will be invaluable resource and support of the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station and their project. Thank you. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is to the Premier, Speaker, parents and advocates of children with autism, some of whom are in the public gallery today, have long felt attacked first by a liberal and now by the conservative government more concerned about their political fortunes than the welfare of the children who need support. Today's Globe and Mail has a concerning and disturbing report detailing how a communications firm under contract with the Ford government was also providing free communication training to an advocacy group that routinely attacked parents fighting for therapy for their kids. Speaker, families deserve to know what this firm was doing and why. Will the government make the contract between the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and the Daisy Group public today along with any documents associated with that contract? The question was addressed to the Premier. House Leader. And it's been referred to the Government House. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Obviously, the Minister followed all the rules with respect to this contract. Look, the Minister is not different than any one of us here. We often sometimes need assistance in fulfilling our duties. There's opposite to as much as we do. But in this instance, the Minister followed all of the rules and I think as you can see, Minister Speaker, she's been working very hard for the people of Ontario and the government, of course, we've all been working very hard and I hope the Honourable Member will take the opportunity to receive that report and work with us to bring forward an autism program that I know the Minister, the new Minister, has been working very hard on. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. Concerned parents deserve answers. Government funding went to a communications consulting firm and that firm turned around and offered free services to a group that was attacking the government's critics. Even the group itself felt this was suspicious. When they asked questions about why they were getting all this help for free, they were threatened with a lawsuit. The forward government needs to come clean, Speaker. Will the Premier tell us today what Daisy Group was being paid to do and provide answers for parents who have been treated so cruelly by this Government in the past year? Questions been referred to the Government House, Leader. As I said, Mr Speaker, the Minister followed Treasury Board rules in the awarding of the contract as all members would suspect. The important thing is that the Minister, the former Minister and the current Minister have been working very hard over the summer to bring forward a report which I know was released yesterday. I know that on this side of the House and I know and I appreciate hopefully that all of us can be proud of. This is very important to community, Mr Speaker. I know the Minister has worked hard to double the funding in the sector and I'm very much looking forward to as I know all of the members are in bringing forward a program. As I said, we can all be proud of and that works for the families who have fought so hard. Thank you. The next question, the member for Don Valley East. Thank you, Speaker. The Premier earlier this week in the Toronto Star admitted to making many mistakes to the Attorney General. Does the Attorney General believe that the devastating cuts to legal aid services to families here in Ontario was among those mistakes? Great question. Questions addressed to the Attorney General? Thank you, Mr Speaker. I'm glad to rise for the first time in question period. I think the mistakes that were made in legal aid were really about the Liberal government allowing it to increase by 27% in the budgets and provide no meaningful service beyond that, Mr Speaker. I can tell you that when we came into office we approved service for the 900,000 people who access legal aid, whether it's through duty council, whether it's through clinics or whether it's through the 4,000 lawyers who take certificates to provide service to those who are vulnerable. Mr Speaker, I think what we're doing with legal aid, when I go to the clinics, when I was in Brampton or Mississauga or Ottawa or Renfrew all over the province, when I go into the clinics and I talk to the service providers I can tell you one thing, Mr Speaker. They agree with the Auditor General that we can do better that we can provide better service and that we can make the major improvements in the system. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Supplementary question. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. A question back to the Attorney General and I'll ask another question about a potential mistake. While the government was making massive cuts to legal aid slashing and cutting those services to families, the Premier was on the phone reassuring people that he would actually take care of business and get them the services they need. Instead, they were shuffled from office to office to office to office without any hope, any help. Worse, these promises by the Premier could be seen as potential political interference. So my question back to the Attorney General will he admit today that the Premier assuring people that they would get these services and get this help and just getting that false hope was among these mistakes that the Premier has admitted to? Again, the Attorney General. Thank you, Mr Speaker and again pleased to address the question because I think it's not really shocking that our offices talk to each other. I think, Mr Speaker, it's the silos that were set up by the Liberals that were causing some of the trouble. Mr Speaker Mr Speaker, it's critical it's critical that we hear from the people in Ontario and their experience with their government so we can fix the system that we can improve the system so that we can make sure that they're getting what they deserve and it's not throwing more money at it like the Liberals did increasing the budget by 27% and no more service. That is shameful, Mr Speaker we will not do that. The member for Don Valley East will come to order. Restart the clock. Next question, the member for Perry, South, and Muskoka. Mr Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transportation. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet with the leaders of Safer Highway 11, Muskoka. We discussed that several great intersections along the highway between Bracebridge and Huntsville make portions of Highway 11 a dangerous drive. In fact, they told me there have been 950 accidents on this stretch since 2009. I personally like to thank co-founders Kevin Powers and others for their work in bringing attention to this issue. Speaker, can the Minister of Transportation please inform the constituents of my riding of Perry, South, and Muskoka about what her ministry is doing to address safety concerns along Highway 11? I'd like to thank the member for his question and for his advocacy on behalf of his constituents in Perry, South, and Muskoka. I know that we both share the same commitment to road safety. Mr Speaker, the ministry is currently undergoing an operational performance review of Highway 11 between Bracebridge and Huntsville. This review includes examining a total of 10 at-grade intersections along this 35 km stretch and will provide recommendations to address any safety and operational concerns at these locations. Once this review has been completed, the ministry will develop an implementation plan for the recommended improvements to ensure the safety of Highway 11. Our goal is to remove all the at-grade intersections and replace them with a combination of interchanges and crossover bridges. Speaker, we understand that these large projects take time to design and construct. In the interim, we're making improvements that enhance the safety of at-grade intersections. Thank you. A supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and I would like to thank the minister for her response. Highway 11 is a vital quarter facilitating the movement of people and goods across Ontario, which keeps our economy booming. Both the towns of Huntsville and the town of Bracebridge have passed resolutions asking for improvements in the future. I'm pleased to hear the minister shares their concerns. Can the minister please tell us how our government is investing in Highway 11? Thank you again to the member for the question. Our government is committed to making smart investments to ensure people and goods get to where they need to go safely. That's why our government is investing $11.3 million in Highway 11. Our investment entails ongoing rehabilitation of three highway structures and resurfacing to improve the ride quality and performance of Highway 11 and increase safety for local drivers. This work is expected to be completed this fall, just in time for the winter months. Our top priority is to ensure that our roads, bridges and highways remain among the most safe in North America. Speaker, safety will be a back seat on our watch. The next question for York Southwestern. Thank you, my question is for the Premier. Yesterday morning, two people were shot in my riding of York Southwestern. Last night, 15 ages were injured and just this morning gun violence has erupted again shaking our community. People are scared and they don't feel safe in their own neighbourhoods. The government has cut programs that help prevent youth gang involvement like youth employment programs, mental health resources and after school programs. We need more resources to prevent young people from joining gangs, not less. Premier, when will your government commit to making necessary investments to keep our youth and community safe? Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. I share the members opposites concerns. I think that we all are very disturbed when we hear about these brazen attacks that are happening on our streets and in our communities. While I would never suggest that I get involved in an active investigation, Chief Saunders has made it very clear that in the most recent attack that we learned about yesterday evening that he believes strongly that this is a solvable crime and we as a community must come together and assist the police whenever possible to ensure that these individuals who don't have any regard for our families and our streets and our communities are brought to justice swiftly and quickly. Thank you. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. Again, my question is to the Premier. By the time the police are called we have already fell the community. We cannot keep holding funerals after funerals and community members are tied of government in action. They saw the Liberal government fell to act on the recommendations from the Roots of Youth Violence report for over a decade after it was released. And now they see a Conservative Government in communities and getting guns off the streets. People in my community deserve so much better. Is this Premier content to continue the inaction on the community's safety and will he rise in this House today and commit to take action? The question has been referred to the Solicitor General. Thank you, Speaker. Respectfully, I must disagree. One of the first actions that we took when we formed was an additional $25 million was given to the City of Toronto to deal with guns and gangs violence in our communities. As recently as this summer we, along with our federal partners because I think we all understand and appreciate that federally the City of Toronto and provincially we have a role to play in ensuring that our communities are safe. We funded surge funding to assist Toronto Police Service at the request of the City of Toronto. We are doing things but we also need our communities to step up and bring forward any kind of evidence to reach out and communicate so that our police, as I said, can act swiftly and quickly to cut down on some of this very heinous criminal activity. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Speaker. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is for the Everhard Working Associate Minister of Transportation. Through you, Speaker. Minister, I know that there are a lot of people who are excited to see that they will finally be getting the new transit service in their backyard in Richmond Hill. The reason I say finally, Speaker, is because they have been promised this time after time after time by the previous government but it took this Premier one year to finally get it. It's great to see that our government will be finally working together with the City of Toronto and hopefully the federal government to build new transit to places like York Region. Speaker, can the Minister please tell the House how our transit plan will not just benefit the people of downtown Toronto but in York Region as well? Good question. Thank you to the Speaker and thank you to the wonderful member for the question. I know that over the last few days there has been a lot of discussion taking place around Toronto, Ontario line and the Scarborough extension. I think it's equally as important that we discuss how the young north extension will serve the people that reside north of Finch. I know that our York Region MPPs and we have many of them in the House here and local municipal leaders in York Region are ecstatic that they finally have a firm commitment for transit expansion. As the municipalities in the greater Toronto area continue to grow, we need to ensure that we can build a strong subway network, a foundation so that we can address future growth and expansion and future regional integration. I look forward to breaking ground with all of my colleagues from York Region in the very near future. Thank you very much. Supplementary question. Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister for her response and for her commitment to delivering transit to the people of York Region. I know that the Associate Minister is a true transit advocate in her role both as a minister and as an MPP. One of our four transit priority projects included in the provinces deal with the city is the western extension of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project which will see the current Eglinton Crosstown project extended further west delivering more relief for commuters. Would the Minister please tell us a little bit more about this and other key transit project? Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, I cannot emphasize to you enough how important this project is to my constituency. For many years there's been great uncertainty as to how to proceed and when with this project. For those of you that don't spend a lot of time in Etobicoke, my constituents do not have access to fast and reliable public transit. This project, this $4.7 billion investment in our community will serve the people west of Mount Dennis through Etobicoke and eventually connect to the airport. Much of the proposed extension will be underground as we've advocated for it and I am excited to continue to collaborate to work with the City of Toronto to get this project in motion and get the great people of Etobicoke moving. Thank you very much. Thank you. The next question for Brampton East. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. The Premier himself knew his government's cuts to legal aid have caused harm to Ontarians. He told Global News on April 22nd quote, if anyone needs support on legal aid feel free to call my office I will guarantee you that you will have legal aid. Sounds pretty clear Speaker what the Premier was saying but his own staff disagree with what he meant. So let's get some clarification. To the Premier what did you mean when you said to Ontarians quote, I guarantee that you will have legal aid. Questions to the Premier. Attorney General. And referred to the Attorney General. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you Mr. Speaker and I thank the member for the question the member from Brampton East and when I visited the clinic in Brampton it was very informative because what the legal aid clinic in Brampton has done is work around some of the existing rules to make sure they're providing services in a modern way. They have rooms set up in the Brampton legal aid clinic where you can go in and there are TVs and they can interact with the services they need. Mr. Speaker the answer to the question is this the answer is we want to hear from Ontarians we are so frustrated with what the Liberals left us as a legacy of neglect with legal aid that we're having to make sure that we understand where the service needs are and we want to hear from every Ontarian that is trying to access the service. Mr. Speaker whether they contact the Premier or they contact my officer they contact any member in this caucus we want to hear what Ontarians want we want to hear how we can deliver service in a better and more modern way. Mr. Speaker there's absolutely no question there is more that we can do but it's not throwing money at the problem it's doing our work in a more modern way. Thank you Mr. Speaker back to the Premier in a freedom of speech. Mr. Speaker the Premier's staff wrote that they were honestly struggling with how to respond to Ontarians pleading for legal aid support and another staffer wrote that what the Premier meant to say was Ontarians would have quote access to the folks at Legal Aid Ontario which is it Speaker the empty promise the Premier made on radio that Ontarians will be guaranteed that the cuts will continue. Thank you Mr. Speaker make no mistake the ministers make the decisions the staff may provide advice so I stand behind any decision that we have made because we made it with knowledge of where we needed to go we needed to make sure that the bus that the Liberals put us on towards a cliff if 27% increases that caused the system to become unsustainable while the NDP were with them or standing on the side of the road saying nothing I have no idea but Mr. Speaker it is not sustainable what we were handed we're going to make Legal Aid more reflective of the needs of the 900,000 people who access our system the vulnerable people who are going to be losing service on the track that we were left so we're making sure services are going to be there for the most vulnerable and we want as many as possible to access the system that's why those phone calls emails tax it doesn't matter to any minister to any member of our government in this house thank you Mr. Speaker next question the member for Brampton West thank you thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Transportation we have heard a lot about Sub-West this week after years of delays and political gridlock the city of Toronto and the promise of Ontario have entered into a historic partnership to build an integrated and modern public transport network for Toronto but Speaker I understand that the minister is doing much more than just getting Sub-West built for Toronto could the minister please share what she's been working on since her appointment to this portfolio Minister of Transportation Thank you Speaker and thank you to the member for Brampton West for the question I'm very happy to switch gears today to talk about our plans to create a gridlock busting network of transit options across the region Speaker our government is building towards the largest ever go rail expansion this summer we announced 150 additional go train trips per week including 84 new trips and the expansion of 65 existing trips we've also announced our intention to purchase 36 more go rail cars which were built or will be built by Ontarians and support local jobs in Thunder Bay Speaker the demand for public transit is growing that's why it's so important that we work today to improve and expand go services go rail expansion will permanently change the way we move around the region I look forward to sharing more in the supplementary Thank you very much supplementary question Thank you Speaker and thank you to the minister for the answer I know residents in my riding of Brampton West are directly benefiting from our government's recent introduction of hourly two-way weekday train service between the city of Brampton and Toronto My constituents now have more options when traveling from home to Toronto making life easier for commuters in the GTA offering more trips and more times is the key to getting Ontarians moving which is exactly what our government is focused on Speaker could the minister elaborate on our plan to enhance go services I'd also like to take a moment to thank my colleague the minister of infrastructure to facilitate the procurement on our massive plan for go expansion she's doing a great job she's always bringing all day two-way go every 15 minutes to our go network this is significant Speaker we're making it easier for people to move around in our province so they can get where they need to be quicker and safely earlier this year we launched Kids Go Free with children under 12 riding families are choosing Go Transit we've also announced that starting in the spring of 2020 Go Riders will be able to enjoy free Wi-Fi on all Go Transit trains and buses we're not only expanding public transit in Ontario we're also delivering better services, more choice and more convenience for commuters Thank you the next question the member for Algoma Manitoulin My question is to the minister of health here on shores family health and Blind River was able to secure not only one but two physicians for their clinic this should be great news for the community but the ministry officials have told them the application and registration will take up to 20 weeks this is unacceptable these two doctors have been practicing in Ontario have their CPSO number and billing number but they have to wait for the ministry to approve them while the ER is full and flu season is on the corner Minister what is taking so long Questions to the minister of health Well I thank you for raising this question we don't want people who are fully able to provide services to not be able to do so so I'd be certainly happy to speak with you following question period I'd get a few more details so that I can follow up within the ministry to see what is taking so long to get those people online and working as soon as possible so thank you for raising it and I've sent many letters to your ministry again Northern and rural communities are struggling enough as is as it is to recruit and retain doctors these two doctors we relocated to Blind River along with their family in hopes of helping to relieve the pressures on the community now they are told to stay on standby this process could be and should be streamlined in a matter of a few days again this is unacceptable and if there is no immediate change it will hurt the improvement prospects of future physicians in Blind River and the area will the minister fast track the process for these two physicians in Blind River and restructure the current process to meet the needs of Northern communities Minister of Health Well yes as I indicated in my previous answer I certainly would do whatever I can to work with you and to find out specifically what the problem areas are why this isn't being moved forward more quickly so in response to your specific question I'm happy to look into it in terms of the more general situation the fact that it's very hard to recruit medical professionals health care professionals to Northern Ontario as well as some more rural and remote areas we're certainly aware of the concerns with that we are working with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine they've been enormously helpful in trying to attract local candidates to to go to school there and to stay there so we are working on some recruitment and retention policies there's more to be done obviously but we want to make sure that people across Ontario can receive the health services that they need and we will continue to focus in on Northern Ontario because I know there is a continue response thank you next question to member for Thank you so much speaker my question is to one of my favorite ministers a minister of education speaker I know from speaking with my constituents in Burlington that access to child care spaces is a significant pressure on their families I know that the minister recently announced the government's progress in supporting the creation of child care spaces across Ontario underscoring our focus on creating greater choice for parents in Burlington and communities in Ontario so can the minister outline how many spaces in fact have been created in the first year of our government questions to the minister of education well thank you speaker I want to thank the member from Burlington for being a champion for affordable child care for families right across the GTA I also am proud speaker I joined my colleague minister Dunlop last week to announce that under our government 19,000 public and private child care spaces were built in the province of Ontario under our government and that is because Mr. Speaker we're creating incentives in the private sector for independent daycare to expand in every region of the province it's while we're expanding institutional daycare in schools investing over a billion dollars to build 30,000 child care spaces for working families in this province Mr. Speaker we do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach as other parties do we believe in choice for families and affordability for working people we're going to continue to build in our success going forward supplementary question I know from speaking to families that they need more spaces and they want more choices not the one-size-fits model that is proposed by the parties can the minister tell us more about how the government is investing and unleashing growth in child care across Ontario Mr. Speaker well thank you speaker and thank you again to the member from Burlington for her leadership Mr. Speaker we are investing over two billion dollars this year in child care to ensure we achieve two dual objectives the first is affordability we're doing that through a nearly 400 million dollar child care benefit announced by our government because we recognize Mr. Speaker under 15 years of the former liberal government child care rose the highest cost in the nation this is unacceptable for working families and it's unacceptable for this government that's why we move forward with an initiative to make child care affordable up to 75% of eligible expenses for working moms and dads Mr. Speaker we're investing billions of millions of dollars to expand child care options quality child care options right across the province and we're going to continue to do this while supporting our municipal partners with a 1.7 billion dollar investment to help them make child care accessible for their families and their communities the next question the member for Thunder Bay Attic Open thank you speaker as you know premier layoffs at Bombardier planned are coming next month to Thunder Bay and this government has not offered a real solution and neither did the government before them hundreds of families across my riding are facing uncertainty and hard times what will the premier do to help the workers at Bombardier keep their jobs questions been addressed to the premier well thank you for the question from the member from Thunder Bay I find it ironic I was up there I didn't see the member actually last moment I met one of the heads of the Unifor groups named Dominic and he came to an event the night before and said can you show up at 7 in the morning I showed up at 7 in the morning talked over 300 members there and told them that we saved over 200 jobs they appreciated me showing up so much clapping, cheerful way to go you're the only one that has showed up to our plan order this government saved over 200 jobs and they didn't appreciate what they did tell me they didn't appreciate Mr. Speaker Unifor actually using their union dues to attack a person that's trying to save their jobs and help their family fight for and they said they said they didn't want their union dues being used to attack a guy that's that's what they said I get along great with them we're going to continue to thrive in Thunder Bay and represent Thank you my question is still for the premier the Thunder Bay Bombardier plant has a long and storied history and is over a century old fighter bomber aircraft were built there during World War 2 and it remains a major employer in the Northwest jurisdictions across the globe have found ways to keep productions local but so far there's been no real action by this government or the government before to save that plant what will this government do to keep the Bombardier plant open Premier Minister of economic development Minister of economic development First I want to congratulate the Minister of Transportation on purchasing 36 of Bombardier's cars that are built there we're greatly appreciative of that work not long ago the CEO of Fiat Chrysler told Premier Wynn that she has created the most expensive jurisdiction in all of North America in which to do business and that's why Premier Ford and our government took very swift action to make Ontario open for business and open for jobs since taking office we've reduced red tape and reduced the cost of doing business by $5 billion and so companies like Bombardier and others all now have their WSIB payments reduced without any benefit reductions and can now write off their equipment in the year that they purchased this this gives companies like Bombardier and others the hope they had lost under the previous government and that's exactly how 272,000 new jobs were created in the province of Ontario the next question remember for Chatham Kent Leamington thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Associate Minister of Energy expanding natural gas will make Ontario communities more attractive for job creation and new businesses I was excited to join the Associate Minister last month at Kent Bridge Road Station in Dresden where he announced construction work was officially underway on two new natural gas transmission pipelines in Chatham Kent Mr. Speaker could the Associate Minister please tell us how the natural gas expansion program will save people money and ensure our province is open for business the Associate Minister of Energy thank you Mr. Speaker it's my pleasure to answer the question of the honourable member from Chatham Kent Leamington and for all the great work he does on behalf of his constituents Mr. Speaker I also want to thank the Minister of Infrastructure and the Minister of Energy for their continued leadership and putting affordability back on to energy bills for inter-owns our government's priority is putting more money in the pockets of people by lowering energy costs by expanding access to natural gas we're helping make life more affordable for families and businesses in Chatham Kent the Chatham Kent natural gas expansion project is possible thanks to our government's new and innovative partnership with the private sector the construction of two new transmission lines there could save the average homeowner up to $2200 per year in energy costs as they switch from costier fuel sources Mr. Speaker I look forward to sharing more information with the benefits of this excellent program in my supplementary supplementary question Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the Associate Minister of Energy for your continued support on this critical file you know I know that our government is working very hard to fix the 15 year long liberal hydromass and deliver real relief for families and families and businesses Mr. Speaker for the Associate Minister of Energy please tell the members more about how our government is helping to lower energy costs for businesses across rural remote and other under service communities in Ontario Associate Minister of Energy Thank you Speaker and again to the member from Chatham Kent Lemington for that great supplementary for the great work he does and I truly hope he's back dancing soon with a successful knee replacement Investing in Ontario communities benefits the whole province and this is why we're working to connect more rural and remote communities to natural gas in Chatham Kent the municipality estimates the additional natural gas capacity could create up to 1400 new jobs in the local green house industry alone that's the significant Mr. Speaker the natural gas project is a great example of how our government is working with the private sector to create more incentives to make communities more attractive for businesses which in turn creates more jobs. We're committed to lowering energy costs and giving real relief to families and local businesses and look forward to having the people in South Bruce, Erin Aldersley Concardon in South Bruce, Chatham Kent Chippewas of the Tams First Nation and Skugog Island in services early is the end of this year Mr. Speaker and we'll continue to make lives better for the people of Ontario The next question the member for Windsor West Thank you Speaker my question is to the Premier. Bonnie Keith has been on a hunger strike outside the town hall since Monday Bonnie is taking this drastic action because she is desperate for help for her adult daughter Jenny Jenny has Williams syndrome Bonnie and her husband cannot care for Jenny on their own Jenny lived in a group home until a year and a half ago when her bed was given away after a brief hospitalization. Now Jenny is being bounced from homeless shelter to homeless shelter which cannot meet her needs. She has been bullied and even brutally assaulted in a shelter. Jenny desperately wants a place to call home. Bonnie has tried every avenue to find supportive housing for Jenny but with the 25 year long wait list and about 16,000 adults on that list Bonnie and Jenny have nowhere to turn I'm going to ask the Premier why is your government not helping Bonnie and her vulnerable daughter Jenny. The question has been addressed the Premier. Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Thanks very much and thanks to the member opposite for the question. I know I was down in Windsor earlier this summer and had some meetings with the member from Windsor West with community group that had a lot of the same issues that she just described we both feel very passionately about the need to build more housing for individuals with developmental disabilities while I can't speak to the case that she's referencing directly what I would encourage that family to do or any family in this province that's running into a similar situation is we do have a lot of caring MPPs in this legislature and caring constituency staff that do tremendous work every day Mr. Speaker dealing with situations like the one that the member opposite just described is imperative actually for people that are in crisis like the member that the individual that was just mentioned is reach out to our constituency offices because we will do everything that we can within this ministry with crisis intervention to help the individual get the accommodation that they're looking for Mr. Thank you very much. Supplementary question. Thank you Speaker. I'd like to point out that Bonnie was contacted from someone from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services who suggested her their parents pool their resources to build their own home and to start a GoFundMe page. I spoke to Bonnie as did my colleague from Ottawa Centre she is desperate for help she has contacted her MPP who is the Minister of Natural Resources and she's contacted the Premier neither of them responded Bonnie feels ignored there are thousands of families that are facing the same challenges the wait list for supportive housing is 25 years long and as I pointed out about 16,000 people are on that list Liberal and Conservative Governments have created this shameful legacy in Ontario people with developmental disabilities are being told that their only option is to live in homeless shelters I get at least one phone call a week from a parent at the end of the rope desperate for housing for their child and this is deplorable will the Premier work with Bonnie to build their own home for Jenny will he get to work immediately to address the back thank you very much questions for the Minister of Children community and social services unfortunately unfortunately Mr Speaker there seems to be a bit of a theme today when it comes to developmental services and there seems to be a theme when it comes to long-term care as well in the provinces of Ontario the theme is Mr Speaker in the provinces of inaction on the housing front by the previous Liberal Government we have a long order to do on this side of the house and I can tell you that my ministry takes this extremely seriously I can tell you that the Ministry of Health and long-term care are taking this extremely seriously I can tell you that the minister responsible for housing in Ontario is taking this seriously we need more housing in Ontario we need housing for our seniors we need housing for individuals developmental disabilities Mr Speaker we need more housing for mixed-use community housing and that's why we have brought lots of legislation to the floor of the legislature to start to deal with the irresponsibility and the inaction of the previous Liberal Government and the Speaker stands using it the next question the member for Scarborough Rouge Park thank you Mr Speaker my question is for the Minister of Long-term Care we all aware of the difficulties when it comes to securing long-term care in Toronto and across the province parents loud ones end up sitting on wait lists for days at a time sometimes with no end in sight it's an issue that affects us all across the province there are more than 36,000 Ontarians waiting to get into a long-term care home putting a strain on healthcare system and leaving residents waiting too long for the care they need but I know the situation right here in Toronto can be especially difficult to deal with can the Minister please outline what she has done to shorten the long-term care wait lists right here in Toronto questions to the Minister of Long-term Care thank you Speaker and thank you to the member and their great work, thank you I know that the wait lists in larger cities like Toronto and Ottawa are particularly challenging and over the past few months I've been able to visit many of the long-term care homes and have the opportunity to hear about the wonderful work that our long-term care homes are doing to provide the services that our residents need and earlier this month I was at Etobicoke Centre with a good member from Etobicoke Centre and we reaffirmed our commitment to the 200 new long-term care beds at Runnymede Long-term Care project here in Toronto the minister has always been a leader in delivery of healthcare in Toronto and these new beds will help take pressure off hospitals, allow doctors and nurses to work more efficiently and to provide better and faster healthcare for families and patients these beds will make a great difference to individuals in this area and ensure those who need care in long-term care facilities will receive it, thank you I conclude this question period for today and for the week I want to recognize the member for Nickelbelt on a point of order Quick point of order speaker, on Monday I talked about one of my constituent Mr. Hyslop and I mistakenly referred to him as Robert his name is Raymond Thank you very much We have a deferred vote on government notice of motion number 68 relating to allocation of time on bill 124 an act to implement moderation measures in respect of compensation in Ontario's public sector this will be a 5 minute bell Members please take their seats Will the members please take their seats On October 30th 2019 Mr. Colander moved government notice of motion number 68 relating to the allocation of time on bill 124 All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be counted by the clerk Mr. Colander Mr. Colander Mr. Fidelli Mr. Ford Mr. Fili Mr. Clark Mr. Smith Mr. Hardim Mr. Tabolo Mr. Raman Mr. Thompson Mr. Downey Mr. Fulerton Mr. Jones Mr. Sarkaria Mr. Schott Mr. Scho Mr. McDonnell Mr. Marto Mr. Joe Willidale Mr. Gill Mr. Martin Mr. Parsons Mr. Scully Mr. Nickles Mr. Puccini Mr. Miller Perry-Selmas Coker Mr. Barrett Mr. Osterhoff Mr. Tenegasson Mr. Barber Mr. Hogarth Mr. Trantofilopoulos Mr. Crawford Mr. Rashid Mr. Bowman Mr. Smith Mr. Smith Mr. Kuh Mr. Sandy Mr. Anon Mr. Gamari Mr. Kanapati Mr. Sabaoui All those opposed to the motion will please rise one at a time and be counted by the clerk and please rise again Mr. Mann Mr. Vance Mr.kernahans Mr. Beeson Mr. Phyt Ms. King Branson Mr. Guen Mr. contributions If you would ready it And before I recess the House, I want to express my appreciation to all of the members of this legislature for the higher standard of decorum that we achieved this week. I'm sure the people of Ontario noticed, and the Speaker appreciates it very much. Thank you. Tends to recess until one o'clock this afternoon.