 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of His Majesty's loyal opposition. Good morning, Speaker. The public accounts were published last week, and we got to see a detailed overview of the government's revenue and expenses for the year. Public agencies are supposed to publish their financial statements at the same time, but strangely, Ontario Place did not. In fact, Ontario Place has not published a single annual report since the Conservatives took office five years ago. So, Speaker, to the Premier, can the Premier explain why his government is hiding the financial statements of Ontario Place? To respond, the Parliamentary Assistant and Member for Brampton West. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I wish the leader of the opposition had shown the same enthusiasm and passion when their partners in the previous Liberal government left this historic place instead of neglect and disappear. Mr Speaker, this will not happen under the watch of this Premier and this government, because we believe in getting things done and built, not neglected. There's no better time to make this iconic destination back to life, Mr Speaker, and our government remains committed to redeveloping Ontario Place in a sustainable way, respecting the historical and natural features, Mr Speaker. Our government is bringing Ontario Place back to life, making it a remarkable world-class year-round destination, Mr Speaker. The improved Ontario Place will provide people of all ages with something to enjoy, including enhanced public spaces, increased access to the waterfront, pools, water slides, health and wellness services. Thank you, Mr Speaker. That was an interesting response, Mr Speaker. Government doesn't want to admit they're hiding these, but journalists had to file Freedom of Information requests to get the 2022 financials. This government wants Ontarians to believe that Ontario Place is derelict and abandoned. The Minister of Infrastructure even told this House before, and I quote, It is not enjoyed by Torontonians or Ontarians, but these newly released documents reveal that Ontario Place actually attracted 2.9 million visitors last year alone, just in one year. And they made a record profit. 2.9 million visitors? That is almost as many visitors as the Statue of Liberty. So, Speaker, it doesn't sound like tumbleweeds to me. Order. Back to the Premier. Order. Why is the Premier hiding the facts about Ontario Place? Order. Once again, I reply to Member for Brampton West. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Ontario Place holds a special place in the hearts and minds of Ontarians. Mr Speaker, the new site will feature upwards of 50 acres of free parks and public spaces for everyone to enjoy, including trails, green space and parkland, playgrounds, fountains, beaches, boardwalks, spaces for festivals and markets, as well as an updated marina with opportunities for water, site, cafes and year-round restaurants. Mr Speaker, let's not pretend that millions of Ontarians would stand into Ontario Place to walk around on the giant asphalt pad that currently takes up most of the East Island, Mr Speaker, due to the lack of vision and action by the previous Liberal Government. The only major draw for Ontario Place currently is to see a concert at Echo Beach. But why the state, Mr Speaker? With the redevelopment of Ontario Place, we are supporting economic growth and prosperity and providing an open and viable destination for all. Our investments in Ontario Place, Mr Speaker, will create approximately 5,000... Order. Order. The final supplementary. For the reality is, the reality is, the Premier is forcing taxpayers across this province in Thunder Bay and Windsor in Ottawa and in Timmins to pay more than $650 million to subsidize a luxury spa for rich people. Meanwhile, he's closing rural emergency rooms, northern highway projects, freezing funding for homelessness programs in Ottawa. The NDB believes this government should be investing to get people the health care and education and housing they need, not spending $650 million on luxury spas. Will the Premier stop the transfer of public funds into private pockets and cancel the thermal deal? Dan, a number for Brampton West. Thank you, Mr Speaker, and thank you once again to the Leader of our opposition. Mr Speaker, we recognize the importance of Ontario Place as a historic, unique destination for all and will continue to engage with public and stakeholders to ensure all perspectives from across the province are recognized and considered. Not only that, we have hosted extensive public consultations on the redevelopment project. I'm pleased to share with the House that over 9,200 people participated in this process to share their ideas for the future of Ontario Place. Mr Speaker, as I said, we are supporting by redeveloping the Ontario Place, Mr Speaker. We are supporting the economic growth, prosperity and providing an open and enjoyable destination for all, Mr Speaker. Our investments in Ontario Place will create approximately 5,000 new jobs during both construction and permanent operations stages, yield millions of dollars, Mr Speaker, and rental payments for the province and will attract estimated 4 to 6 million. Thank you very much. The next question is back to the Leader of the Opposition. Order. Stop. Order. We start at the clock. The next question leads to the Opposition. Mr Speaker, we know these guys love their spa services, but $650 million. That buys a lot of good luck rituals. A lot of good luck rituals. Leaks out about this Premier's secret 95-year deal with Therma. Order. The worse it smells. Normally, with a large procurement like this, infrastructure on Ontario would appoint a fairness monitor to ensure fairness and integrity. The NDP, we've submitted a Freedom of Information request to get the fairness monitor report for the Ontario Place procurement. Turns out no such document exists, Speaker. Back to the Premier. Why wasn't there a fairness monitor for this particular procurement? Mr Speaker, it was the previous Liberal government that left this historic place instead of neglect and disrepair, Mr Speaker. Order. And the opposition didn't do anything that time, Mr Speaker. This is the government that is taking action, Mr Speaker. Not only we're doing redevelopment of the Ontario Place, we're investing $184 billion in infrastructure over the next 10 years, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, this is the government that believes in taking action and we are taking action. We are committed to redeveloping Ontario Place in a sustainable way, also respecting the historical and natural features, Mr Speaker. And as I said, once this is the Ontario Place is open, it will approximately create 5,000 new jobs, Mr Speaker. And as I said, it will attract five to four to six million visitors each year, Mr Speaker. This is the place for family and friends to enjoy. Mr Speaker. Respond. Thank you, Speaker. Maybe it would be helpful if I explained a little bit about why that fairness monitor matters. The NDP has learned that a few days before the bid submission deadline for the Ontario Place procurement infrastructure, Ontario mysteriously extended the deadline by three weeks. Several bidders had already submitted their bids on time, but thermal with its private luxury spa proposal had not. Speaker, to the Premier, was the deadline extended to give thermal an advantage? Mr, as I said earlier that this is the government that believes in public consultation, and we are continuously consulting the public and other stakeholders, Mr Speaker. As I said, over 9,200 people participated in the public consultation. Mr Speaker, that in the process to share their input and ideas for the future of Ontario Place, Mr Speaker, this government is taking action. As I said, not only we're doing the redevelopment of Ontario Place, we're investing 184 billion over the next 10 years, Mr Speaker. And most importantly, we're making these investments, not only building the new hospitals, highways, Mr Speaker. Also, the most importantly, we're connecting all interiors with high-speed internet by 2025, Mr Speaker. This is the government that will get it done. Final supplementary. Maybe the opposition. All right. Well, let's try this again. Fair procurements. Fair procurements use scoring criteria and metrics to objectively assess each bid. Earlier this year, the NDP asked Infrastructure Ontario to provide these criteria and give us the scorecards for the Ontario Place bids. They won't provide it. It seems there were no scoring criteria, no scorecards. If this seems familiar well, Mr Speaker, it's because this sounds an awful lot like the Green Belt grab. Mr Speaker, if thermal was chosen based on fair and objective criteria, why won't this Premier and this government release the details of this election process? Government member for Brampton West. Order. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Once again, we've been listening to the public through the redevelopment process, Mr Speaker. We have heard loud and clear that interiors, Mr Speaker, want the redevelopment of Ontario Place and will continue to collect feedback from public, from stakeholders, from Indigenous communities, Mr Speaker, as part of the redevelopment process. Mr Speaker, just this week, Minister Surma and Premier Ford attended the Toronto Region Board of Trade for discussion on the waterfront and our plans to redevelop Ontario Place. Premier Ford thoughtfully said, Mr Speaker, bold thinking will always invite disagreement. The Premier is completely right, Mr Speaker. After 15 years of neglect and mismanagement, Mr Speaker, we're acting on a world-class vision. Order. Bring Ontario Place back to life, Mr Speaker. And once, Mr Speaker, this government bring it back to life, this will be a remarkable world-class year-end destination, Mr Speaker. Some proved Ontario Place will provide people of all ages with something to enjoy, Mr Speaker, including enhanced public spaces, increased access to the waterfront, pool... Thank you very much. Take your seats. Restart the clock. The next question. Mr. Ford. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. If the member opposite had actually attended the consultations, he would have heard loudly and clearly that the residents of Ontario do not want their tax dollars going to subsidize on a permanent spot. This government has been planning changes to Ontario Place for some time. In 2021, they even hired a special advisor on Ontario Place, a job that paid us as much as $171,500 per year. Mr. Ford, Mr Speaker, I wish the members opposite had shown the same passion, Mr Speaker, when their partners in the previous Liberal government left this place in state of neglect and disrepair, Mr Speaker. We are the government. We are the government. We are the government. We are the government. We are the government. We are the government. We are the government. We are the government that believes in action and getting things done and build, Mr Speaker. And this is what our government is doing. We are investing $184 billion over the next 10 years in infrastructure, Mr Speaker. And this Ontario Place, Mr Speaker, our government is delivering on our promise to bring Ontario Place back to life, making it a remarkable world-class year-round destination. That's fun for everyone, Mr Speaker. As I said, Mr Speaker, with the Ontario Place, we are supporting economic growth and prosperity and providing an open and enjoyable destination for all, Mr Speaker. And our investments in Ontario Place will create approximately 5,000 new jobs, Mr Speaker, 5,000 new jobs during both construction and permanent operations. And, Mr Speaker, it will also attract 4 to 6 million visitors. Thank you very much. Okay. Interesting, Speaker. The NDP filed freedom of information requests for all advice or reports from Mr Saunders during his time as the Premier's Special Advisor on Ontario Place Development. The government found no records. And I'll quote from the FOI office. Access cannot be granted as no records exist. Back to the Premier. Can the Premier show any evidence that his Special Advisor produced any advice? Look for Brampton. Mr, as I said earlier that Ontario Place holds a special place in hearts and minds of Ontarians. And, Mr Speaker, this is the government that made that commitment to the people of Ontario that will be doing the comprehensive redevelopment of Ontario Place and bring it back to life, Mr Speaker, also respecting the historical and natural features, Mr Speaker. And, Mr Speaker, as I said, this will attract millions of visitors, Mr Speaker, each year, around 4 to 6 million visitors each year, Mr Speaker. It will create 5,000 new jobs, Mr Speaker. You know, it will give boost over economy, Mr Speaker. And also at the same time, we are mindful and we are mindful and recognize the importance of protecting the environment, Mr Speaker, wildlife and habitats surrounding the redevelopment site, Mr Speaker. And once we bring it back to life, it will create thousands of jobs, Mr Speaker, and attract millions of visitors each year. The Member for Burlington. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Transportation. Oh, great, Minister. Every day, thousands of residents in my riding of Burlington and communities across the GTA rely on our Go Transit networks to help them get to work, to school, to appointments and to visit their families and friends. Like many communities across Ontario, the city of Burlington areas are growing rapidly. Every day, new families are calling Halton Region home. The people of Burlington, Halton and the surrounding communities are counting on our government to continue to make investments into transportation networks that will benefit all of Ontario. Speaker, can the Minister please provide an update on what investments our government is making into the Go Transit system? Mr. Appli, the Minister of Transportation. Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank the Member for Burlington for that question and our advocacy for transit users in their riding across the province. Mr. Speaker, we're building the largest transit expansion plan in Ontario's in history. In fact, the largest in North America history from new subways, LRTs, two way all day go, we're investing $70 billion over the next 10 years to keep people connected. And Mr. Speaker, Go expansion is a key part of our plan. Work is well under way as we move forward with two way all day go every 15 minutes on key segments of the Go train corridor. With new electric trains we will be able to reach speeds of up to 140 km per hour. More trains, more service and faster speeds. The investments we're making today will have a generational impact to come. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. The Minister is correct in recognizing that enhanced two way all day go train services will bring greater convenience to people traveling throughout the GTA. I hear regularly from individuals and families in my riding that the go train is the easiest travel option whether they're going to a sports game or heading to work downtown. The Lakeshore Westline is already the easiest line in the go train network and the need for expanded services is a pressing concern. While the previous Liberal Government failed to plan ahead when it came to meeting our growing transportation needs our government must continue to implement transit solutions that will help to build a stronger Ontario. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how our government is expanding public transportation networks in my community and beyond. That's a good. Mr. Speaker, thank you. Thank you to the member. Mr. Speaker, we know that communities need investments into public transit right now. That's why since 2018 we have continued to steadily increase go train service across this province and made billions of dollars investments in our transit systems. We have also made incredible incredible progress on two way all day go. Last year our government announced with partners to design, build, operate and maintain an expanded electrified go rail network and fleet over the next 25 years. In addition Mr. Speaker, work is complete on a new section of the Aldershot GO. The new tracks will give commuters the Lakeshore Westline more service to West Harbour GO and Hamilton and beyond. Speaker, we're full steam ahead and I look forward to sharing more updates as we transform GO Transit across this province. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Parkdale High Park. Thank you Speaker, my questions to the Premier. The Eglinton Cross on LRT project is running way behind schedule and there's no clear end in sight. People are fed up. People want answers. That's why the NDP put forward a motion this morning. We want Mr. Verster to come to the city and tell us what's going on with the Eglinton Cross on LRT. Speaker, the Ford Conservatives rejected our motion. Why is this government protecting Mr. Verster? Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the NDP on how to build transit or influence our transit plan, Mr. Speaker. Every single investment that we have made, the $70 billion over the next 10 years let's look at the City of Toronto. That member and that politician, members over there voted against the Ontario line, a $30 billion investment. They voted against the Eglinton West Cross Town extension. They voted against the Scarborough extension. For years the people of Scarborough have been left behind but under the leadership of Premier Ford and this government we're making record and historic investments into supporting the people of Toronto, building a world-class city and a province to south to north to west. Thank you. The Eglinton Cross Town LRT killed hundreds of small businesses, wasted billions of dollars and made people's lives difficult for 12 years. In the meantime, under Mr. Verster's watch, Metrolinx has become even less transparent, even more wasteful and overly reliant on private consultants. The only train running is the gravy train Metrolinx executives are on. Mr. Verster's own salary has doubled to almost a million since the Conservatives came to power. Premier, why are you rewarding Mr. Verster for his failures? Mr. Transportation. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the frustrations of people with the Eglinton Cross Town. We're frustrated, everyone's frustrated, but we're going to continue to build from the challenges of the Eglinton West, Eglinton Cross Town. And every time we have put forward changes in this House, the members opposite have voted against it, the building transit fast track. He's a great example of that, taking the learnings from the challenges of building transit in this province, we're getting it done, but when the members opposite were given a choice and a chance to stand building transit faster in this province, in cities like Toronto where we need to get shovels in the ground, they voted against that every single time. We make investments to build two-way all-day go to places like Kitchener on the Kitchener line. The members opposite vote against that every single time. The people of this province expect us to build transit. That's exactly what we're going to do, $70 billion over the next 10 years. The next question, the member for the House. Good morning, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the solicitor general. Human trafficking, intimate partner violence, domestic violence and child exploitation are horrendous crimes that often go unreported. Trafficking, exploitation and violence exist in many forms. Praying on the vulnerable and taking advantage of systematic issues such as poverty and inequity. Discrimination and unsafe working conditions. Regardless of the cause, the outcomes are devastating resulting in physical, psychological and emotional trauma to the victims. To combat these crimes, it is imperative that our government invest in services and programs that will reduce incidents of these crimes and provide support to survivors to help them in rebuilding their lives. Speaker, can the solicitor general please explain how our government is keeping Ontarians safe and mitigating the harm inflection on the victims of crime. Thank you. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker and I appreciate the question and the member from Scarborough region court is right. There is nothing more villainous than praying on the vulnerable and that's why recently I announced that Ontario is investing more than $4 million across the province to help support victims and survivors of intimate partner violence and domestic violence and human trafficking and child exploitation and the funding is being delivered through the Victim Support Grant. The Victim Support Grant is part of Ontario's Gangs and Violent Reduction Strategy and complements the province's $307 million against antihuman trafficking strategy and I'm proud to say, Mr. Speaker that 45 police services are receiving funding through this program for 2023 and 2024. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their homes workplace and communities. The sad reality is that many victims are often in precarious situations and are afraid to come forward. These investments by our government into police services across our province are a positive step in supporting victims and survivors as well as strengthening partnerships among community agencies. However, it is in social that programs and services through the Victim Service Grant match the needs and the unique circumstances in each local community. Speaker, can the Solicitor General please explain how the Victim Service Grant funding will provide support for the victims, survivors and law enforcement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Each police service that receives a grant funding has their own unique project to help victims of crime. As an example, the OPP in Dryden received $50,000 for their project called Footprints in Northwest Dryden and this project will be used to fund increased supports for victims of intimate partner violence through education and operational support for both agencies and victims. Mr. Speaker, our investments are made in a proactive manner in order to help victims and in order to fight against these crimes. Thank you. The next question, the member for MAG, Mr. Senator. Thank you to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Early last year, the Government's Housing Affordability Task Force made 55 recommendations to speed up housing. The Minister of Municipal Affairs said that the Government will lose funding if the mayors don't respond within one month. Why is the Minister threatening municipalities when it was his Government's choice to ignore its own Task Force recommendations? Mr. Minister, Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Municipal Affairs said that the Government will lose funding if the mayors don't respond. Mr. Minister, Mr. Looker, he's in housing. You can't make this stuff up with these guys, right? So we sent a letter to them. As you know, Mr. Speaker, we've undertaken 23 of the recommendations and we asked our municipal partners who, by the way, are actually here today speaking with us on how we can build homes faster across the province of Ontario. We asked them to help us so that we could get more homes built faster. And our municipal partners are excited about this opportunity. As I said, they're here today working with a number of Ministers to do just that, Mr. Speaker. So we're going to continue doing all that we can to build homes faster. In fact, we have a new fund that's in place for our municipal partners. It's called the Building Faster Fund like you voted against the Building Faster Fund, like you voted against Building Transit Faster, like you voted against Building More Hospitals, like you voted against Building Transit and Transportation, Mr. Speaker. But we're going to work with them. We're going to get homes built for the people. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. Everyone knows that the Premier's so-called housing has ignored his own housing task force and focused instead on enriching his speculator friends who made huge profits from zoning changes without building a single home. And I'll let the minister know that in Hamilton, we're exceeding our housing targets and we're doing it within our previous boundaries. This means for Hamilton, complete sustainable communities. This means lower infrastructure. This means more affordable housing in Hamilton. So until the Premier stop making it harder to build homes in Hamilton, stop trying to enrich his speculator friends and reverse his forced and harmful expansions of Hamilton's urban boundaries. Minister, Mr. Affairs and House. No, Mr. Speaker. I will not reverse the expansion of the urban boundaries. The urban boundary expansion, of course, was that they did not have enough space to meet future demands in their community. As a result... Minister? As a result, Mr. Speaker, the province identified additional lands that over the next 30 years could be made available for that. As you know, the official plans also contemplate intensification within the existing urban boundaries before additional boundaries can even be contemplated. The municipalities remain in control of when that additional territory would be used, if it would be used, Mr. Speaker. The good news for the people of Hamilton is that despite the objections of the opposition, this government has put policies in place that will see thousands of additional people moving into that community to be included in the economic growth that we're seeing in Hamilton. The next question is from the Minister of Transportation. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Transportation. Scarborough dissolves the same support for transit that the rest of Toronto experiences. But I'm not sure this government agrees. The outdated Scarborough RT has been shut down. But the Scarborough Subway extension to replace it, which this government loves to brag about, despite being a project commissioned by the previous government in 1930, the TTC wants to build a busway in the RT route, but they need provincial funding to get it done. We need this busway so that thousands of Scarborough transit users can get to work and school and time and spend more time with their families. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to treating Scarborough with respect and funding the busway? Order. To reply, the Minister of Transportation. Mr. Speaker, the former Liberal government had 15 years to build transit in Scarborough. What did they do? Absolutely nothing. They talked a lot, but they did nothing. Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we have shovels in the ground on the Scarborough Subway extension. The people of Scarborough were ignored for long enough under the Liberal government. We're going to build a school in Scarborough, and we will take no lessons from the members opposite of the independent Liberal party on how to invest and build transit in Scarborough. Mr. Speaker, I do not know what the Scarborough PC MPPs are telling the Minister behind closed doors, but it is time to listen to the people of Scarborough, it is time to listen to Toronto City and to listen to the community advocates. We had a subway derailed and shut down for good in Scarborough and the province will not lend our beautiful seat a hand. Why does the Minister find it acceptable for this to happen and not provide any support to the people of Scarborough? We matter. The Associate Minister of Transportation. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to make it first time of the year. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to hold this conference of inaction by the former Liberal government under the leadership of Premier Ford. Scarborough is no more a forgotten part of city of Toronto. Mr. Speaker, we are building Scarborough subway after Liberals did nothing. We are building the first ever medical school in Scarborough Mr. Speaker, I'll tell one thing. We will continue to build transportation, we'll continue to build hospitals, we will continue to make Scarborough a better place for everyone. Doesn't matter where they come from, under the leadership of Premier Ford, Scarborough is thriving and Scarborough is on the map. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The next question, the member for Carlton. The Minister of Education. These past few weeks have forced Osta's leadership to play their hand and show their cards. Despite meeting with the Ministry of Education officials and receiving extra funding this past summer, the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority has left parents scrambling to get their children to school. It's been over a month since school started and the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority did not have their act together. Reports continue to come out regarding numerous school bus routes being cancelled. For the past four weeks, this has left thousands of parents in my riding of Carlton and across the city of Ottawa to have to set up carpools or rearrange their work schedules so they can drive their children to and from school. Just last night, Osta announced it's appointed an interim operations manager to take over during the GM's leave of absence, which was announced Monday. Families are frustrated and are looking for leadership and accountability from Osta. Speaker, through you, can the Minister please ask the record straight and explain what supports our government has provided to address student transportation needs in Ottawa? Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Members from Ottawa, West Nippian and Ottawa Centre literally sit on the sidelines on this issue and do what they do best, slack divisive and hashtag politics. This government is standing up for Ottawa families and getting the job done. We are the only party in this legislature holding the school board and the consortia to account. We have not only done that but we launched an audit of the consortia because we demand better. 70% of all cancellations in the entire province are in the English public Ottawa school board, French school board consortia that has fewer students and a larger territory getting the job done and not the English consortia. So I expect all members to stand up for Ottawa families, like the member from Carlton, to demand better. We provided an additional increase of funding of $1.8 million to that school board and even so with additional funding they can't get the job done. So we're going to stand up and demand better for all Ottawa residents. Mr. Speaker, and through you, thank you to the minister for his clear response on this urgent issue that is affecting thousands of families in my riding of Carlton and across Ottawa. Unfortunately, problems with school transportation services are occurring only with the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority impacting thousands of children. While the Ottawa French Language Transportation Authority can get students to and from school, it has been the English boards that have that have had difficulty with AUSTA. The difficulties that families are facing to get their children to and from school are unacceptable. One parent from rural Ottawa even had to take off work indefinitely to get her child to and from school. Another parent from Munster told me she's at risk of losing her job. Parents have told me they've spent over $1,000 in Uber just in a month. Mr. Speaker, AUSTA steps are hopeful, but more needs to be done. And Mr. Speaker, through you, can the minister please explain what our actions, what actions are going to support reliable and safe transportation services for students in Ontario? Thank you. Once again, the Minister of Education. Thank you, Speaker. Let me just acknowledge the incredible leadership of the member from Carlton who has been standing up and holding the school board and particularly the AUSTA to account. Then, Mr. Speaker, we have taken action from the beginning. We launch an audit of this board to understand the long term fiscal sustainability to make sure parents have reliable, dependable transportation services for their children. We increase wages to $23 an hour, a significant lift in wages for workers, particularly for our bus drivers. We increased statutory benefits, providing 13%, which did not exist in the past. We're paying for 10 statutory holidays, which didn't exist in the past. We're paying for four days of annual training and dry ones. We are increasing respect for the worker, which is why the Ontario School Board's School Bus Association has endorsed our plan. Mr. Speaker, for Ottawa specifically, we provided $75 million, and yet they couldn't get the job done. The French school boards in the same region, with larger territory, fewer kids, are able to do it. So we've now made a clear message to the Ontario Student Transportation Authority and the school board that we're auditing them. We're expecting better, and we're going to ensure better delivery, more consistent delivery for the families of Ottawa they deserve. The next question, the member for Nicol Bel. Thank you, Mr. President. My question for the Premier. Question to the Premier. The financial accountability officer confirmed what we already knew. This government is starving our public health care system. Instead of strengthening our public system and supporting the people who are sick, who are injured, who are in needs of care, this government hides health care money in slush funds. Will the Premier listen to the people of Ontario telling him that our health care system matters, that they want him to keep his promises and spend the money on care that they need? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As we've said many times, the FAO opinions are not actually representative of actual government spending, but don't take it from me. Just look back at all of the past predictions, which have been wrong. Anyone waiting and wanting to see accurate numbers has only to look at the public accounts. The public accounts show that health care spending has increased $2.7 billion last year and that this government has increased health care spending by $16 billion since coming to office in 2018. After years of neglect by previous governments, we are investing in health care infrastructure, getting shovels in the ground on over 50 hospital developments, including 3,000 new hospital beds across the province over the next 10 years, and we're also investing in health human resources and education supports to build those health human resources. Our government has a plan to improve health care in Ontario, and we're getting it done. During the first three months of the fiscal year, this Conservative government spent $1 billion less on health care than what they promised to do. This is while the emergency room closures continue to happen. Ask the good people of Minden about this. While 2 million Ontarians do not have access to primary care, while thousands of children are on waitlist for surgery, this government did not spend $1 billion they had allocated for health care in the first three months. What will it take for this government to go from words to action, to stop sitting on health care money and get the people the care they need? Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Years of neglect by previous governments supported by the NDP got Ontario into the situation it's in, but we're taking action to fix those mistakes and we are delivering a better health care system for Ontarians. Our plan has reduced the surgical backlog to below pre-pandemic levels, but we haven't stopped there. We've added our community surgical diagnostic clinics. 19,000 cataract operations have happened in the last year alone at those clinics. And the NDP voted against that. In our 2023 budget, we announced an investment of $30 million to expand and create up to 18 new primary care teams in communities with the greatest need. And through our Your Health Act, we are cutting red tape to allow health care workers from across Canada and international workers to be qualified to practice here in Ontario. We have a plan and it's working. Thank you. The next question, the member for Kingston and the Islands. Five years ago, the Premier was caught on video promising to take land out of the Greenbelt. Three years ago, an aid of the Premier and a developer arranged to meet in Las Vegas. One year ago, an envelope with instructions was handed in at a dinner. Then $8.3 billion was given to friends and donors. Two weeks ago, the Premier apologized for opening up the Greenbelt with, quote, a process that moved too fast. But since they've been plotting this for years, it's like being sorry your getaway car got a speeding ticket. He apologized for going too fast to avoid apologizing for the real problem, corruption. To the Premier, my question is very. And ask the member to withdraw the unparliamentary comment. Withdraw. And place his question. My question is very simply, are you sorry for a corrupt process or are you just sorry you got. Going to ask the member to once again withdraw the unparliamentary comment and not repeat it. I withdraw, Speaker, but for clarification, if I refer to a process, is that okay or not? You must withdraw the unparliamentary comment. I withdraw. Did he say it was true? To reply, Minister Ms. Volker is in house. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Look, as I said a number of times, look, we wanted to build homes as fast as we possibly could. We made a public policy process that was not supported by the people of the province of Ontario, and that is why we decided to move very quickly to return those lands. But we will not be straight in our desire to ensure that we build 1.5 million homes for the people of the province of Ontario. We're in the process of disentangling ourselves from the mess that was left behind by the previous Liberal government. But at the same time, we're seeing housing starts at their highest level in over 15 years. We're seeing purpose-built rentals at their highest level in over 15 years. So we're on the right path, Mr. Speaker, ensuring that we get kids in the next generation out of their parents' basements and into the homes that they deserve. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, this is about money for privileged access to power and wealth. The Premier once claimed he was for the people, and these certainly are not the 50% of Ontarians who are now living paycheck to paycheck. People are struggling, and it's the job of this government to help them, not demoralize them, but enriching their friends. The Greenbelt scandal has clearly been years in the making. Mr. Speaker, my question through you to the Speaker, to the Premier, is very simply, when did you lose your way? Mr. Speaker, honestly, the Liberal Party, this is a member who is running for the leadership of the Liberal Party, who is taking on the perceived front-runner because she is now the only politician in the province who wants to build on the Greenbelt. He has been taking her on. This is a person whose leadership candidate, front-runner for the leadership candidate, is taking millions of dollars from the same people that he is now calling corrupt, Mr. Speaker. That is who this member is, so I encourage the member to take that very same question back to the next Liberal leadership debate, turn to your left or turn to your right, whatever side she is sitting on, and ask her that very same question because what we're doing is untangling the mess that was left. He has the nerve to talk about affordability when yesterday the Liberals and NDP teamed up to ensure that the carbon tax stays on groceries. That is the legacy of the Liberal and the NDP. We put more money back in people's pockets, they take it away. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Red Tape Reduction. Great Minister. Small businesses are essential in helping to build a stronger Ontario. They provide much needed jobs and help to support economic growth in our communities. Unnecessary and outdated regulations cause frustrations and delays and compromise Ontario's competitive advantage over other jurisdictions. That's why our government must continue to make things better for people and for businesses by reducing regulatory burdens, encouraging greater investments, and boosting Ontario's overall competitiveness. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how our government is supporting Ontario businesses to prosper and thrive? Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I want to thank the hardworking member for Burlington for that important question, Mr Speaker. I don't think I need to remind the members in this legislature or Ontarians about the failed policies of the previous Liberal Governor for 15 years, of course, supported by the official opposition NDP, Mr Speaker. When we saw jobs were fleeing, businesses were leaving the province, Mr Speaker, and Ontario was becoming uncompetitive to do business in. Thanks to the government under the leadership of Premier Ford, Mr Speaker, since 2018 we've been working hard to reverse that trend. Thanks to the 11 different red tape packages that we have introduced in the legislature, Mr Speaker, that has helped to reduce over 16,000 different kinds of pieces of red tape, Mr Speaker. That is now saving Ontario businesses nearly $950 million in annual compliance. We know we have more to do. We will continue to work hard. Thank you. Supplementary? Thank you, Speaker. Our government must continue to implement measures that clear the unnecessary burdens placed on job creators, whether you're a business owner looking to expand and grow, or trying to access government programs and services. The last thing anyone wants to do is to navigate a needless web of complicated processes and paperwork. While the previous Liberal government operated under the assumption that more red tape is better, starting and growing a business is hard work. By eliminating unnecessary red tape, our government is creating an environment that drives new investments and helps to grow the economy without compromising public safety and environmental protections. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how cutting red tape is supporting economic growth in the province of Ontario? Thank you, Mr Speaker. I want to thank the member for the important question once again, Mr Speaker. On this side of the house, our government understands the importance of helping businesses which are the backbone of our economy and what it means to continue to make our province competitive, continue to allow our businesses to compete at the world stage, Mr Speaker. Thanks to the initiatives that our government has brought forward to date, Mr Speaker. Just last year alone, there were 85,000 new businesses that started in the province of Ontario. Mr Speaker, there are over 700,000 jobs that we have created since taking office in June 2018. We recognize the importance of making sure our businesses are spending time creating jobs and investing money into their businesses rather than having to worry about filling out unnecessary forms and spending time competing with or filling out unnecessary forms. We will continue to Thank you very much. Next question, the member for Toronto Centre. Thank you, Speaker. To the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, there's a rent strike in his riding with thousands of tenants coming together to form a tenants union. They are fighting expensive above guideline rent increases by their corporate landlords. His tenants are feeling unprotected and they are desperate and they're angry because the rents have become so unaffordable over the past six years in Ontario. They know that this Conservative government voted against real rent control and they took away their final tenant protections. To the Minister, on behalf of your struggling tenants and those across Ontario, will you bring back real rent control for all homes, including those built after 2018? The good news for tenants across the province of Ontario is that we have the highest starts with respect to purpose built rentals that we have seen in over 15 years. One of the real reasons why we've had such challenges in the rental market is because people just were not getting into building. Most people who have rental apartments, frankly, Mr Speaker, are the mom and pops out there who go and make investments whether for their futures and they bring on new allocations. I know that was something that my parents did. They wanted to come here. They worked very hard. They sacrificed a lot. They bought little stores in East York with two apartments on top and that is how they plan for their retirement. We have to do our best to support landlords. We have to do our best to support tenants. But the best thing that we can do is to bring more supply on. We have rent control across the province of Ontario. We're going nowhere but at the same time, Mr Speaker, we're building more supply on so that we can bring down the cost because when there are more, it's a simple fact, when there is more to choose from, those rents will come down. Mr Speaker, back to the minister. His answer just proved why this government is so out of touch with Ontarians. People are struggling. They are frustrated with surging rents, broken elevators, moldy walls, leaky faucets and many other maintenance issues that are plaguing their buildings that are not being fixed by greedy corporate landlords. This is leading to hundreds of dem eviction applications in the City of Toronto alone. This is going to displace tens of thousands of people from their rent-controlled home, the cheapest, most affordable apartments in Ontario. To the minister, what will you do to stop the housing affordability crisis in Ontario and will you protect everyday Ontarians from greedy corporate landlords? Mr Speaker, that really speaks to it, right? Most of the landlords across this province are people just like my parents were. You know what my parents did? They worked very, very hard, seven days a week, and they bought two small properties with apartments on top. You know what we did? When we were kids, we didn't go away from March break. We went to those apartments and we painted, we fixed them up. That is what we did, Mr Speaker. My parents weren't greedy landlords, just as the 80% of landlords that are out there who do the exact same things that my parents did are not greedy. That is the difference between them and us. We don't think that hard working people who make investments are greedy. We thank them for the investments that we make, but what we do do is ensure that we hold everybody responsible, both tenants and landlords. We're working together to bring more supply online. Mr Speaker, I know that the Attorney General also increased resources at the Landlord Tenant Tribunal. You know why? Because we can do more for all people in Ontario. Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Seniors and Accessibility. I want this opportunity to highlight funding provided through the Seniors Community Grant Programme to the Markham Museum, a wonderful organisation in my riding. Thanks to this investment, the Markham Museum received over $24,000 that will be used to offer programs to help seniors keep healthy and socially connect. Throughout their lives, seniors have helped build and contribute to Ontario's quality of life. They deserve opportunities to be involved in activities and programs in their local communities. I'm going to inform the member for Waterloo, the member for Hamilton Mountain, and the Minister of Municipal Affairs. We've actually moved on to another question. I apologise to the member for Markham Unionville, who has the floor. Start the clock. You can finish your question. I continue to support organisations through the grant programme. Speaker, can the Minister please share more information about the Seniors Community Grant Programme that is how it is making a difference for our seniors? Thank you to the Marvelous MPP from Markham Unionville for the question. He's doing an incredibly job for advocating for seniors and making a difference in his riding. I'd like to thank you again for inviting me to celebrate this exciting news at the Markham Museum. All the staff and volunteers have done an excellent job to create a wonderful attraction for the whole community to enjoy. They will now be able to offer more handsome programs like portrait classes for seniors. They are creating opportunities for seniors to get creative, to learn, to be together. What an exciting news for our seniors. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you to the Minister and the Premier for their strong leadership and advocacy in helping to make life better for our seniors. Under the leadership of the Premier and the Minister, the Seniors Community Grant Programme is making it possible for local organisations to have direct impact on the lives of seniors in Ontario. Seniors Community Grants are an amazing way to support unique community-driven projects. Constituents always contact my office asking about what programs are being offered for seniors and how to access the tools and resources available for them. Speaker, can the Minister please share further information about how people and organisations can learn about the programs and services that are available for seniors? Minister of Seniors and Accessibility. The best way to support seniors is to bring them together to get active and connected. My ministry works with the AOC AO, all the adults association of Ontario, to put together senior active living fairs. These fairs help seniors find resources, connect to local organisations, and to each other. Coming up in October, there will be seniors fair from post-Toronto, Thunder Bay, Windsor, Canada, and more. Events like this are an excellent way to spread awareness about all the programs and services available. I encourage all members to host and attend events for seniors in their own communities. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Thank you. The next question is for the member for site. Unfortunately, Sudbury is one of the highest opioid overdose death rates in the province. 112 people died last year in Sudbury, Manitoulin. That is nine deaths a month. That is three times the provincial average. This spot, Razo Sudbury Supervised Conception site, saves lives. They've had almost a thousand visits and reversed all 15 overdoses that happened on that site. Despite their life-saving work, the workers at the spot receive lay-off notices, and the spot will be forced to close by the end of the year. That's because they haven't received a single dime of provincial funding from the Conservative Government. Speaker, people in my city are dying. This is a provincial responsibility. The city of Sudbury has already contributed almost a million dollars keeping the spot open. They can't afford to do it anymore, and they should never have had to pay the Premier's bills in the first place. Razo has been waiting since August 2021 to hear about provincial funding. That's more than two years. Opiate overdose deaths aren't waiting for the Conservative Government to decide to get into fight. My question, Speaker, how many more people in the North have to die before the Conservative Government gets off the sidelines and provides this life-saving funding? Health and Addictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for that question. We've actually been having discussions about that, and we've spoken quite a bit about the importance of building a continuum of care where treatment and recovery are the focus, and that is what we have been doing everywhere in the province, including in Sudbury. We've opened numerous beds to ensure that people that are looking for help and need help get that help. Unfortunately, with the situation that we had at Lesleyville, it's forced us to look at the consumption and treatment sites to determine the impacts that it's having on public safety as to where they're located. The review is taking place, and we are expecting a response that's going to look at what we can do to ensure the safety of people in the neighbourhoods where these consumption and treatment sites are located. Until then, the process is under review. We recognise the importance of building that continuum of care. We will continue to make investments that are based on building and ensuring that people get the help of where and when they need it.