 It is now time for oral questions. Point of order. Point of order. Thank you, Speaker. I'd like to call to the attention of all members to the fact that Saturday, October 24th is Brain Cancer Awareness Day. I ask this House to join me in recognizing all those who have been impacted by brain cancer. We send our heartfelt support to those affected and to the wonderful health teams that are supporting them during this time. Thank you. Again, it is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Office. Thank you. Speaker, my first question this morning is for the Premier. Families who lost loved ones in long-term care during COVID-19, the pandemic, have lived with pain and heartbreak that is unimaginable. And this week, the Premier added to their pain by exempting himself and long-term care homes from legal liability for their failure to protect seniors in long-term care. Yesterday, the Premier dismissed families' concerns claiming, and I quote, that they had only read the headlines. Why would the Premier insult families expressing outrage and frustration by claiming that they're just not smart enough to understand the government's bill? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased to rise again today and answer the same question in the same way. What this does not do? What the bill does not do? Does not protect bad actors against claims related to gross negligence or intentional misconduct related to the inadvertent transmission of COVID. It does not interfere with employee rights as they relate to WSIB or supporting legislation. What it does do is targeted, enhanced civil liability protection for volunteers, for workers, for nonprofits, for businesses, for charities, for the people who are on the front lines in our communities, who want to engage in our communities, who have been engaging in our communities, Mr. Speaker. This bill supports our communities in so many sectors. I look forward to expanding in the second question. Supplementary question. Well, Speaker, families have actually read the bill, and they know exactly what this Ford government is up to. Darlene Thomas wrote us to say, and I'm going to quote Darlene, I am disgusted and appalled reading this bill. My grandmother died alone under deplorable conditions at Orchard Villa. Now the government wants to protect these companies. Where is the justice? So why is the Premier more interested in protecting himself and the for-profit long-term care chains than allowing Darlene and thousands like her to have some justice and accountability for what happened to their loved ones? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And as I was reading some of the coverage, Steve Berman, who's a lawyer in running some of the cases that have already been launched, and if you read his comments in the paper, I don't think he has any concern at all that his cases are in jeopardy of meeting the standard that we're putting out to protect the people in the front lines, the people contributing to our communities, to the nonprofits, the businesses, to the many others. What this legislation does not do is protect bad actors. Bad actors need to be aware. If they are failing to provide the necessities of life, if they're deliberately ignoring public health advice, or they're just not taking public health advice, if they're fraudulent, or they're unlawful confinement, or assault, or bad, all of those things can still be pursued, Mr. Speaker. What we're doing is providing a standard of protection for those who are contributing to our communities, doing so with good faith, with an honest belief, Mr. Speaker. The final supplementary. Speaker, Matt Smith Johnson of Scarborough lost his grandfather in March and writes this. This clearly leaves an open door for long-term care corporations to simply claim, quote, we thought we were doing the best we could when we can all see that they are not. This shifts the burden of proof onto the victims, and that's what Matt Smith Johnson had to say. So my question is, when will this Premier finally admit that these families are not ignorant, as he suggests, that they have actually read the bill, and they simply refuse to sit by while the Premier rewrites the law to protect himself and to protect the long-term care chains that failed to protect our loved ones? Very general. I've heard the Leader of the Opposition say it three times now, but I think what was said yesterday was that I didn't think that she had read the bill. And I'm fairly certain that she hadn't because the things that she followed up with through successive questions clearly do not get captured in the bill. She's talking about alleging things that are gross negligence. She's alleging things that are over the top. What we're talking about, what the bill talks about, is protecting those people like the PSWs, the frontline workers, the grocery clerks, the charities, the non-profits, the people who are contributing to our communities, the people who are nervous about volunteering at their local sports organizations. What we're talking about is just with an honest belief and a good faith effort, they're engaging their communities as we want them to do to help us rebuild Ontario and help us recover together. Again, the Leader of the Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is also for the Premier, but I have to say it's doubly disgusting that the government's trying to use these folks as a shield against the criticism they're getting for this nasty bill. For days the Premier has denied the fact that his legislation has one goal. And that goal is to protect the Ford government and for-profit long-term care homes from liability in terms of the failure to protect the seniors that were in their care. The 20 lawsuits that have been filed during this pandemic aren't targeting paramedics and they're not targeting hockey coaches. They're demanding justice from this Ford government and long-term care chains that made millions while seniors suffered in their care. That's what this is all about. If the Premier is sincere when he claims that he wants to provide accountability, if the minister is sincere, then will they exempt the Ford government and private long-term care homes from the legislation? The Attorney General. Is the Leader of the Opposition sincere in demonizing the good actors, in demonizing the people who are in good faith taking public health advice, implementing it? Is she demonizing the PSWs who are doing work every day, the cooks in the kitchens, the people who are helping them, the people who are putting themselves out there, let alone the people who are nervous about coming forward to help in our communities? Is that the effect that she wants, Mr. Speaker? I cannot believe that I'm hearing her say, throw our workers in harm's way when they're making a good effort, an honest effort, good faith. Order. Mr. Speaker, we are protecting the people of Ontario so they can contribute to our communities like we're asking them to do to help us recover Ontario as we go through COVID-19, Mr. Speaker. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and I would say not at all. In fact, I'm not even demonizing this Ford government. They're doing it all themselves quite well, Speaker. And by the way, the minister needs to know that the person he was quoting in terms of the lawsuits says this, we are puzzled why the government has promised to protect nursing home residents at all costs is now focused on passing legislation that will only protect nursing home operators, their shareholders and their insurance companies. But the fact is, since this pandemic began, the Premier has bent over backwards to protect the vested interest in long-term care, whether it's Mike Harris sitting on the Board of Chartwell or the small army of Ford government staff now lobbying for for-profit long-term care chains to be protected, connected, conservatives know that the Ford government will rewrite the law to ensure that they avoid any accountability. So if the Premier wants to prove otherwise, there's a simple solution. He can exempt the Ford government and these for-profit chains from this legislation. Will he do the right thing? Please take your seats. The Attorney General's response. I'd be curious to know if the Leader of the Opposition took my suggestion yesterday and got a second legal opinion from the Attorney General of B.C., the NDP Attorney General, who brought in very similar legislation. Or, and I should have thought of this yesterday if I didn't, but here, you know, she could phone the Attorney General of Nova Scotia who, a Liberal government, so if she doesn't trust the NDP government in B.C., she could phone the Liberal government in Nova Scotia and talk about the minister's directive there. It's similar. We are protecting the front lines. We are protecting the people who are nervous about the inadvertent transmission of COVID. This does not provide any level of protection for criminal behaviour, for gross negligence, for, you know, not providing the necessities of life, the little bit of failure or standard of care. This doesn't help those bad actors one little bit. In fact, it helps us get to them and make sure that they pay the price for their bad actions. Thank you. The final supplement. Who I don't trust is this Ford government and neither do the families in Ontario who were devastated when they lost their loved ones in long-term care. Residents in long-term care and their families deserve so much better than what this government's offering up. After promising an iron ring, after promising accountability, the Premier refused to make the investments needed to protect seniors in the midst of the pandemic and he is refused to call a public inquiry as well. But he is now literally rewriting the law to protect himself and for-profit corporations and long-term care chains from liability. Why is he rewriting the law, Speaker? Why is he rewriting the law to protect himself and those chains from the profits that they make, Speaker? They should be held accountable. These chains make a lot of money off of our long-term care system. Why is he protecting them and not the seniors that they are supposed to be caring for? Attorney General. Now we're getting to the nub of it, Mr. Speaker. If you make money, you're a bad guy. That's where it comes from. Well, I'm focused on the people who are volunteering their time. I'm focused on the people who are going to work every single day putting themselves at some risk. I'm focused on the people who are in our communities fighting for our communities, helping Ontario to recover. We are in unprecedented times, unprecedented times. We are looking at those sectors and saying whether it be agriculture, colleges and universities, whether it be the volunteer sector, the charity sector, there's so many people. We need people in the food banks helping those who need it the most and the NDP would have us throw them under the bus. It is shameful, Mr. Speaker. Member for York Southwestern. Good morning, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Aaron Porter is a York Southwestern resident and TTC employee. On October 4th, Aaron felt unwell, was told to stay at home and get a COVID test. He got the test two days later, but Aaron only received his results two weeks after by phone. It was negative, thankfully. Like many workplaces, Aaron was asked to bring physical copy of the test results. He could not get it online and the telephone number he was provided was automated. Aaron could have returned to work sooner if he received his test results. This antiquated system makes it difficult for containing the spread of COVID and for an economic recovery. Premier, where is the plan to address the rest delays that specifically hurt my community? Minister of Health. Well, thank you very much. I thank the member very much for the question, and I am assuming that you are speaking about the situation at the Humber River Assessment Centre where there were some people who were experiencing delays in receiving their results. However, that situation has been resolved. Ontario Health has been working with the Centre and they have put in measures to make sure, mitigation measures to make sure that the situation doesn't happen again, and that people are now able to receive the results online. There was a glitch in the system, but it has now been resolved. Supplementary question. Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question again is to the Premier. Mr Speaker, my writing is a hotspot that means residents like Aaron, many whom are essential workers and provide a vital service, are at high risk of getting COVID. We need reliable, local community-paced testing with quick turnaround for test results. I would like to remind the Premier what the Health Minister said yesterday in the Toronto Star. She said, an eye-coating, if there is a need, and it sounds as if there is in your community, we will do whatever we can to get the resources there. Well, Mr Speaker, there is a clear need and my community has been begging for the province help for months. The health leaders in my community, from Humber River Hospital to the community health centres, are doing their best. Question. But we need more resources. Can the Minister tell Aaron and other residents of York Southwestern that we will get local community-based testing and timely results, Mr Speaker? Minister. Yes, I can tell the gentlemen that and I can tell all of the members of your community that we are responding to that need. We have recognised that there are certain communities in Toronto area and the GTA that have greater needs and that they can't all be resolved through the assessment centres. And in fact, we have 15 completed or planned community testing events that are taking place in the North Etobicoke-Malton Woodbridge area. Many of them have already taken place, but I can tell you that October 14th, 15th and 17th, there were assessment centres that were opened in Rexdale. October 24th and 31st, November 7th, there will also be additional testing centres that are opened in Rexdale as well. So we are responding to the need. We recognise that there needs to be some mobile, some pop-up testing in certain areas. And as we said yesterday, as I said yesterday, if there is a need, we will respond to it and we are responding to it. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Mississauga Streetsville. Thank you. Good morning, Mr Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks. As we all know, the previous Liberal Government failed to act when the people of Ontario asked for a more effective and user-friendly recycling programme. For the last 15 years, while the previous Liberals and their new leader, Adele Duca, were in power, Ontario's diversion rates stalled at just 30%. And we saw them make no effort to modernise a programme that was no longer working for the people of our province. Mr Speaker, Ontarians have suffered under the Liberal Peace Meal Blue Blocks framework long enough. And it is about time that a Government showed truly the ship on this issue. It is easy for the Opposition to say that we are not doing enough to help the environment, unless we have already made to improve a system that was so irresponsible, neglected under the previously Government suggests otherwise. Mr Speaker, this past Government showed time and time again that they were not able to make the far-reaching changes necessary to finally give Ontarians the Blue Blocks programme they need and deserve. So, can the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks Thank you. Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Thank you very much. Mr Speaker, and thanks to the member from Mississauga Streetsville for that excellent question. And I'm pleased to give this response. Mr Speaker, our Government is committed to implementing a Blue Box programme that is easy and accessible for all Ontarians and one that will work to achieve the highest target waste diversion in North America. It is my commitment, Mr Speaker. As Minister, that once transitioned, the Blue Box programme will continue to be convenient and accessible to all people of Ontario. This includes municipalities with populations under 5,000. If you had a Blue Box curbside collection system prior to the transition to producer responsibility, Mr Speaker, you will continue to have it after the transition to producer responsibility. In fact, Mr Speaker, producers will have to ensure that more communities including Northern Ontario and Indigenous communities have some form of service. Mr Speaker, I now will expand the programme to apartment buildings, long-term care homes, retirement homes, schools, municipal parks. Thank you very much. And the supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. And back to the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks. The people of this province were continually ignored by the previous Government and it's frustrating to see that nothing significant was ever done to provide Ontarians with the more convenient and consistent recycling options. By not working to modernise the Blue Box, what the Liberals did was effectively ignore the amount of waste that was going into our landfills. The opposition loved to endorse headlines alluding that the Government is ditching recycling, yet in their own environmental plan, they actually say quote, the most efficient way to reduce emissions from waste is to divert it from landfills end quote. Ontarians deserve more than this rhetorical whiplash. What they need is a Government that will have the consultation to create a system that actually works for the people of this province and one that diverts more waste from landfills. So can the Minister of Conservation and Parks provide members of this House and effectively minimising the amount of material that ends up in our landfills? Minister. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. And Ontarians divert almost 50% of the residential waste through the Blue Box program, green bins or composters in their backyard. Unfortunately, when you factor in the waste from other resources such as commercial and industrial, the diversion rate drops to about 30%. That means that about 70% of all total waste generated in our province ends up in landfills. And it stayed that way for the past 15 years. This represents a significant loss in economic opportunities when potentially valuable resources are thrown in the trash. We need to do better, Mr. Speaker, and that's why our Maiden on Terror established our waste diversion programs on the producer responsibility model. Making producers responsible for the waste associated with their products and packaging will spur innovation from producers. And in the case of the Blue Box program, Mr. Speaker, we'll provide up to 135 million dollars per year in relief for municipalities and ultimately the taxpayer. Mr. Speaker, we're expanding the list going into the Blue Box, we're standardising the list so people will know throughout Ontario what's going into the Blue Box and what's going into it. The next question, the member for Waterloo. Thank you very much. On my questions to the Premier, a growing chorus of anti-hate experts and concerned citizens are raising serious concerns about the Premier's decision to quietly sneak provisions giving Ford Alley, Charles McVady the power to grant university degrees at Canada Christian College. Yesterday the Premier said, and I quote, he went through the process like every other college the process is independent. Unquote. However, CBC News today reports that Canada Christian College has not actually completed this process at all, Mr. Speaker. Why would the Premier of Ontario make such a completely untrue claim? To ask the member to withdraw her own parliamentary remark. Questions have been placed. The Parliamentary Assistant will reply. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. After all, private post-secondary institutions in Ontario require a thorough and rigorous organizational review in order to change names, expand degree granting authority. This review is undertaken by the independent post-secondary education quality assessment board. We look forward for the review. Supplementary question. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. However, McVady has a well-documented record of crossing the line into hate speech. In 2006 McVady was called off of a Christian broadcast channel for suggesting that LGBTQ people pray on children, and that Haitians practice Satanism. On Twitter, McVady has called the Islamic Faith a war machine and even invited Garrett Wilders, a notorious anti-Islamic political leader to speak at Canada Christian College, saying that Canadians should come to the campus to learn about the threat of demographic jihad. And that the government wants to make into a university. Will the Premier admit today, will anybody on that side of this house admit today that this was not the result of an independent process, this is an attempt to do a favour for a political ally, will you stop this reckless plan today? Members will take the seats. Parliamentary system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, it's the post-secondary education board that reviews programming. One of the reasons we have a high quality education system across the province of Ontario is because we lean on the expert advice of the post-secondary education quality assessment board, B-Cabs made up of independent experts and individuals with significant expertise and experience in the education sector. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The next question, the member for Don Valley West. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Let me say I, you know, I appreciated the other day the comments of the Premier about my trailblazing role as the first woman in openly lesbian, openly gay, Premier of Ontario. So, Speaker, I wonder then if the minister could confirm for us that he supports the inclusion of all Ontarians regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, socioeconomic status, ability or ethnicity in his vision of a strong, thriving post-secondary system. The Parliamentary Assistant, your question. Thank you, Member Opposite for her question. In my previous career I worked internationally and one of the reasons youth from across the globe choose Ontario is because of the high quality of our post-secondary education system. Regardless of background they choose Ontario because programming is of a high quality because, Mr. Speaker, we rely on the expert advice of the post-secondary education quality assessment board. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate at least part of that answer, but now I ask that the minister explain to the legislature and to the people of Ontario, particularly to people in the LGBTQ plus community, young people who are questioning their sexuality, children who are being raised in loving gay and lesbian families, why this government would extend the mandate of the most publicly and vocally homophobic man in Ontario? Why in the name of all that is decent would this minister validate the racist and homophobic rhetoric of Charles McVeedy by extending the reach of his Canada Christian College? As Reverend Michael Coren wrote yesterday in iPolitics, and I quote, for many people Charles McVeedy is Canada Christian College. Why then would this government grant such an organization run by a man who rejects science and evidence and is on the record espousing hate to grant university degrees in science and in arts? Is this actually happening because of McVeedy's support during the 2018 election campaign? And if so how will conservative members explain their actions to the young people living in fear of homophobia in their constitution? Members will take their seat. I want your assistant to reply. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I'm proud of the world-class education system, the inclusive world-class education system we have in the province of Ontario. Mr. Speaker, when we develop a program to respond to the labour market needs of this province, it is done with the independent assessment. Order. With the independent order. Parliamentary assistant, please conclude. With the independent assessment of the post-secondary education quality assessment board, Mr. Speaker, it's been going on for the past 20 years in the province of Ontario and we will continue to have a world-class education system that welcomes the people of Ontario. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Over the summer and actually over the last few weeks I've been meeting with small businesses across my writing. In fact, last night I had a round table with a number of businesses. Consistently they support the actions of this government and at the same time they keep asking us, can we give them more help off setting the high cost associated with PPE? Can the associate minister of small businesses provide greater clarity on how the Main Street Recovery Act will help small businesses address this concern? And does the minister have any indication if the other parties in this house will support small businesses by helping pass this legislation? Thank you Mr. Speaker. And I'd like to thank the member from Peterborough, for the question. Mr. Speaker, small and main street businesses are the backbone of Ontario's economy and our economy. They are designed based on over a hundred virtual meetings, round tables, and discussions. And more importantly, Mr. Speaker, the largest ever stakeholder consultation in the history of this province. Now the plan draws from across government and builds on more than $10 billion in urgent economic relief provided through the COVID-19 action plan. It also includes the Main Street Recovery Grant that would modernize rules to help small businesses and programs like the $1,000 Main Street Recovery Grant to fund PPE. Mr. Speaker, Ontario's small business strategy completes the plan. It's a long-term framework that will help small businesses rebuild, reinvest, and grow. That's a great supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. Well, I'm not surprised, but I am sure that many of the other parties don't want to help small businesses with the high cost of PPE. Ironically, the leader of the Liberal Party on the campaign swing through Guelph heard the top issue facing small businesses there was, wait for it, assistance with PPE. Now, Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Leader has criticized the Premier for spending time this summer meeting with Ontarians. He referred to it as campaigning. Leadership is, in this day and age, actually talking to people in their communities. A little bit of a discrepancy there. Leaders in the House, or sorry, Liberals in the House demand further closures and restriction measures. But at a recent nomination meeting in Halton, they stacked the room. Parliamentary assistance can respond. Mr. Speaker, and thank you for the question. Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the devastating impact that COVID-19 is having on businesses and people right across Ontario. But our government has a plan to modernize regulations and to reduce unnecessary burdens to help more people in businesses recover from the economic effects of COVID-19 and to prepare them for the opportunities of the future. The Better for People Smarter for Business Recovery Act will help build a government that works for the people of Ontario through the pandemic and beyond. Mr. Speaker, our government is creating the right economic environment that will allow people and businesses to focus on recovering, rebuilding and reemerging from this crisis stronger than before. The next question, the member for London West. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Once again, the Premier is shamelessly against the pandemic to push through legislation that is driven by his own agenda and that will do absolutely nothing to help Ontario recover from COVID-19. The government's meddling and local decision making by scrapping ranked ballots came as a complete surprise to Ontario municipalities, especially London, the only city to have used this voting system. London's leadership in running a successful ranked ballot election in 2018 has been recognised across Canada, but the Premier's interference means that not only are the one-time expenses in tabulator algorithms, additional auditors and voter education now lost, but the city will face new costs to revert back to first-class the post. Speaker, how exactly does overriding local democracy and forcing London to abandon ranked ballots save municipalities money? The Member for Milton, the parliamentary assistant. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I want to thank the member opposite for that important question, Mr Speaker. It is important that the way people vote in the federal election and the way people vote in the provincial election is the same way that people vote in the municipal election. Our government is committed to enhancing consistency in all elections, Mr Speaker. This year we responded to a request by the chief electoral officer of Ontario and made changes to create a single voter list, Mr Speaker. That would be used both in the municipal and in the provincial elections. As noted by the chief electoral officer, this change was intended to reduce the need to make corrections on election day, shorten wait times and save municipalities money, especially during some of the most difficult times that happened. I want to thank the member opposite for that response where resources could be put to use in other areas to help local constituents. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Member for Kingston and the Islands. Upon hearing of the government's surprise move to end ranked ballots, the mayor of Kingston said this. I am disappointed for the residents of Kingston who spent a lot of time passing a vote for what they thought was best. Yesterday the premier said that these ballots were confusing. I question how when the premier won his leadership on a ranked ballot system. And without it I may very well be asking Premier Elliott a question right now. But I guess the premier is actually just a little confused about how he actually ended up in the position that he is in. And just because they're in for all the people in Ontario who actually understand them and support them. Why is the government using the pandemic to get rid of ranked ballots when voters in Kingston voted massively in favour of them? Thank you, Speaker. Member for Milton. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I want to thank the member opposite for the question. Let me get this on the record. The first election in Ontario was the first of five municipalities in Ontario during the last 2018 municipal election used the first pass the post system. The city of London was the only municipality to have used ranked ballots in Ontario. And their municipal election, get this, cost $515,000 more than the previous election. That's 40% higher. Opposition comes to order. The same election results that they would have under the previous system, Mr Speaker. And I also like to remind the members that he mentioned City of Kingston. As outlined in the city's staffing report in 2018, the city of Kingston projected a 2022 municipal election would cost $1 million more, Mr Speaker, under the ranked ballots. Thank you. Thank you very much. That was your come to order. Thank you. I have a question for the member for Guelph. My question is for the Premier. I have been told that the Premier gave PCMPP a for the people sign for their desk. After the Premier's latest attack on local democracy, I am wondering if they have changed the signs to Doug knows best. The people of this province do not need the Premier to conduct local democratic elections. I am confident that people can decide that themselves. And if they choose ranked ballots, they will choose a system that leads to more civility. Something I believe we all need in politics. So Speaker, my question is for the Premier. If ranked ballots are good enough to elect the Premier as leader of his party, why are they not good enough to elect mayors and municipal councillors? Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I pointed out earlier, our proposed changes would bring predictability to municipal election. It would bring consistency to municipal elections and we would vote the same way federally, same way we would vote provincially and the same way we would vote municipally. I am proud of the fact that our government has a collaborative of municipal partners that is unprecedented in Ontario. Just this year, under the leadership of our Premier, Mr Speaker, we signed a safe restart agreement which will provide $4 billion in emergency funding to our municipal partners. Our government also passed legislation that give municipalities more say on the locations of green energy projects and landfills. This collaborative spirit is not shared obviously with the opposition who voted against all of these measures unfortunately Mr Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary question. Speaker, I find the parliamentary assistance answer shocking. That the government actually thinks that they are going to impose on municipalities and take away their democratic right to determine how they are going to elect their local councils is just wrong. I am also quite offended Speaker that the government keeps putting a price tag on democracy. Democracy cheapens democracy to do that. You know the fixed cost for the ranked ballot elections in London were 10 cents an elector. 10 cents an elector. So can the parliamentary through you Speaker, can the parliamentary explain to the people of Ontario how 10 cents is too much to spend on improving democracy. Order. Parliamentary assistance required. Thank you very much Mr Speaker. I want to thank the member opposite for that question. And for the members benefit Mr Speaker let me translate what 10 cents an elector looks like in real dollars Mr Speaker. Order. That works out to $515 thousand additional cost. That is 40% higher Mr Speaker literally to receive the exact same result that they would have received under the previous process Mr Speaker. What we're trying to do on this side of the house is make the process consistent. This is exactly how we vote in our federal elections. This is the same way we vote in our provincial election and it will be the same way that orders in Ontario can vote in a municipal election while respecting the taxpayers dollars Mr Speaker. Thank you. Thank you Mr Speaker. The next question the member for Mississauga, Erin Mills. Thank you Mr Speaker. When the province various liberal government was in power they spend a lot of time to dig their carbon tax but had very little to show for it in terms of real environment outcomes. Ontarians weren't fooled. They knew that this various liberal government tax was nothing more than government cash grabs that did a little to protect our environment or prepare us for the future impact of climate change. In fact even the Liberals own environment minister said that their 2017 pricing scheme was not a real solution to address Canada's greenhouse gas emissions or meaningful address the issue of Ontario changing climate. Mr Speaker has lacked clear directions when it comes to fighting climate change and this is all thanks to the previous liberal government backed by NDP who cared more about fervulously spending taxpayers dollars than coming up with the restructuring. If there is a general consensus it seems about finding effect Thank you. The response Minister of the environment Thanks very much Mr Speaker Mrs. Aguero knows for the question and Mr Speaker my ministry is committed to achieving Ontario's emission reductions target and preparing for the impacts of climate change and we will continue to work hard towards this in a way that is transparent and respectful of hard-earned taxpayer dollars. We announced that we would be introducing an important initiative the first ever broad multi-sector climate impact assessment to better understand where and how climate change is likely to affect communities economies and the natural environment Mr. Speaker we recognize the importance of gathering expertise to make more informed decisions and we have selected a consulting team led by the climate risk institute to conduct the provinces first ever multi-sector climate change impact assessment As part of this work Mr Speaker the institute will be reviewing a variety of information such as climate data land and use patterns in social economic projections. Mr Speaker this will serve as our foundation to develop appropriate climate change resilient measures. Thank you very much and the supplementary question Thanks Minister Ontario climate is changing with more frequent and extreme events such as severe rain ice and wind storms prolonged heat waves and milder winters Climate change should not be made a partisan issue and instead of crusading against the government both the Liberals and NDP should step up to the plate so that we can work together to ensure that Ontario maintain both a healthy environment and a healthy economy Mr. Speaker the people of Ontario want a government that bear to rise real action that will lead Ontario fight against climate change and make up for years of neglect by the previous government. They want a plan that will protect and prepare communities from impact of extreme weather events. So can the minister of the environment conservation and parks tell us how exactly the impact assessment will take into account the different environmental considerations of all provinces, regions or communities. Minister Thanks again for that question for the member. Mr Speaker in 2018 insured damage for severe weather events to reach $1.9 billion the insurance bureau of Canada estimates that for every dollar paid out by an insurance claim for homes and businesses Canadian governments pay out $3 to recover public infrastructure damaged by these severe weather we know that we need to strengthen the province resilience to the impacts of climate change and we recognize that in order to do that we need to find the environmental approach that fits all provinces, regions and communities the climate change impact assessment will examine the unique geographies economies, municipalities and communities of the province. It will also examine the impact on a number of key themes including infrastructure, food and agriculture, people and communities, natural resources, ecosystems and the environment and businesses and the economy. Mr Speaker we are committed to promoting integrated tangible environmental solutions that tackle climate change address local priorities and support communities as they work to do their part. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Beaches East York. Thank you Speaker. Nelson is a grade 8 student in my riding who is in virtual school Nelson has ADHD and has been doing brilliantly in a program that ensures that he has lots of one-on-one time with a teacher or EA and that allows him to follow his IEP. As of today however, Nelson still doesn't have a teacher in his online class and that means that either his parents have to stop their work to act as his teacher or he joins a regular class of 35 kids without the attention or the IEP that he needs. It is almost November and this is brutally unfair to Nelson and his family. What is this government going to do to ensure that Nelson gets the education he needs and deserves. Thank you. Minister of Education. Well thank you for the question Speaker. The basis of the question underscores the importance of quality in teaching. It's why just days ago the Premier supported by the trustees public school board associations and parent councils have rescinded Regulation 274 to allow the principals of those schools to hire expeditiously because as the member noted that child should have a teacher. I think we all endeavor to ensure a child that this juncture has an educator to lead them in instruction. I understand the frustration of that parent of the member opposite. It's why we gave our school boards an additional influx of money 100 million dollars to hire more educators. It's why school boards have hired north of 2,000 educators and if we seek to assist school boards in hiring people for promotion or hiring them for supply we should ask our Federation partners and I asked the member and her supplemental to agree that we should rescind the 50 day rule to allow retirees back into the classroom after firm opposition by the Ontario teachers. Supplementary question the member for Davenport. Mr. Speaker the minister and my question is back to the Premier but this minister thinks they've done enough he is completely ignoring the stress that students and parents and teachers have been put under when it comes to online learning. In the community of Goulay River north of St. Marie parents are still driving their students to the schoolyard to access the internet so kids can download their lesson. As we heard students in Toronto are still waiting for teachers to be assigned to them for virtual learning as of last week and despite registering in August. I want to share one other one Bella Bella in grade four has to stay home because of an autoimmune issue. I just heard from her parents today her teacher is spending 90% of her time helping little kids to deal with their tech issues rather than teaching the curriculum they're trying their best to make this work for students but they're being forced into some impossible positions thanks to this government's lack of support while the government sits on over 9 billion dollars in COVID relief money families are struggling with online learning when are they going to act to support them. Thank you. Mr. Speaker the member opposite solution is not to enhance online learning it's actually to scrap it all together I wonder if they knew that her member would rather her not even have the choice of online learning how she would feel knowing that that child clearly ought to be home given her own personal circumstance it is this government who stood alone it is this government who stood alone in the defence of online learning and the negotiations we created an online learning system that has not and never been created in the province or in this country we lead the premier has a commitment to innovation and pedagogy by providing parents a credible online learning program we mandated funding training of every educator we provided 69 million dollars to hire virtual principals we provided 30 million dollars to procure over 40,000 new pieces of technology and we've insured into every school by next September we are firmly committed to this digital pivot we will do everything we can to support our school board the next question the member for Ottawa thank you very much speaker my question is for the minister of long-term care there are still seven homes with double digit COVID-19 cases long-term care homes in Ontario today and yesterday the minister said that long-term care residents were not being moved out of crowded homes and four bed ward rooms because and I quote they have a moral right to their home a moral right to their home and then she also said we considered decanting residents decanting I didn't think the minister could exceed comparing COVID-19 to a bad flu season but she succeeded so Fairview nursing home right now is putting up wall dividers between COVID positive residents and COVID negative residents wall dividers so the minister couldn't answer yesterday whether she thought that was a question and given her training I would expect that she be able to answer that question easily so does the minister think that putting up wall dividers is the safest way to protect residents from the spread of COVID-19 clearly Mr. Speaker the member would can appreciate that the government inherited a system after 15 years that was in peril and I know to the residents of that nursing home it doesn't matter to them that the government inherited investments in long-term care for many years what they want is their government to move quickly to take action that is exactly what we did when it came to long-term care Mr. Speaker before the pandemic hit and is what we're doing after the pandemic hit to the members question is it the best choice obviously not Mr. Speaker but that's not what we want we want a system that treats all our seniors properly that is why we are building so many long-term care homes that is why we move to Ontario health teams a blanket of care for our seniors whether it's in the hospital long-term care whether it's home care we want the best response Mr. Speaker and we will continue to work on that Mr. Speaker despite having inherited a system that was so broken the supplementary question if it's not the best choice then maybe you could have planned for another so in Ottawa's western villa where 20 residents have died in September and I mentioned it yesterday at a home that's less than 15 minutes drive from the minister's constituency office Donna Mavis was told by West End Villa that she couldn't take her sister June out of the home early in the summer in August June got COVID-19 she survived but here's what June said people were dying all around me it was frightening after this month's long struggle June went home yesterday so since the minister wants to talk about the moral rights of residents through you Speaker what is the minister's moral obligation to the residents of a West End Villa thank you the government host I would suggest to the member that it is the obligation of all members of this legislature all of us who have been elected to this place to do our best to help people in the province of Ontario where there are seniors in long-term care homes patients in our hospitals receive the top the best care that they possibly can it is without a doubt we inherited a system that was broken but that is what we started off almost immediately after the 2018 election to fix with significant new funding for our long-term care homes when the pandemic hit in fact before the pandemic hit the minister of health brought in place the health teams to provide a blanket of care because we knew that there were shortcomings in the system that were left to us by the previous liberal government so his constituent June I say to you I am very sorry I am very sorry on behalf of all parliamentarians you expected better and we are doing all that we can to ensure that you get better it is not just about money it's not just about new builds it's not just about PSW's it is about a commitment to making sure that long-term care is the best that it can be for now and into the future we won't let them thank you Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Premier the TTC must purchase more buses street cars and subways to provide service and address over crowding and the decision on how much they are going to purchase this today here is the problem the TTC doesn't have enough money to buy the vehicles it needs Toronto needs 1400 buses but it can only afford 300 Toronto needs 80 subway cars but it's ordering none none because this government is refusing to pay its fair share in help out Toronto has come to the table the federal government has come to the table but this government is nowhere Premier can you commit today to helping the TTC buy the vehicles our city needs so transit riders can get from A to B at an affordable price the associate minister of transportation thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member for the question I think it's unequivocal the fact that the Premier has been the strongest advocate for public transportation in the province of Ontario we are investing a $28.5 billion to expand our subway system and not to mention the fact that the Premier himself stood with conviction to negotiate a good deal for Ontario when the members opposite accused him to give in he did not negotiated further which led to $4 billion being provided to municipalities with up to $2 billion provided to transportation agencies to support them during this difficult time the member for Thunder Bay Attic Hoken supplementary my question is for the Premier the workers at the bombarded plant in Thunder Bay need our help hundreds have been laid off and more jobs losses are coming Toronto needs more transit vehicles we can build them in my riding that's a made in Ontario solution right in front of us with provincial funding Toronto's order would be much bigger and that means more jobs yes this government has dropped the ball on funding they have been silent I've asked this question before but it needs to be asked again when will this government finally step up and fund the much needed Toronto transit vehicles orders for bombarding workers so that they can keep their jobs thank you very much to the member for the question something that is very important to us all of our colleagues and particularly our colleagues in northern Ontario is the preservation of good well-paying jobs Mr. Speaker Metrolinx put in an order earlier this year to the tune of $100 million for additional vehicles Mr. Speaker we have invested a historic amount in public transportation across the province of Ontario which will certainly require additional vehicles additional fleet to service and we will continue to collaborate with the City of Toronto and York Region to start construction as quickly as possible so that we can continue to order additional vehicle and fleet thank you the next question the member for Cambridge thank you speaker my question is for the task force to provide specific recommendations to change Ontario's publicly traded stock market and capital markets the task force was called the capital markets modernization task force and was chaired by downtown Toronto lawyer Wally Solomon who practices in special situations in July of 2020 the task force released the 47 proposals it provided to this government on September 3rd 2020 the Canadian securities administrators whose mandate is to harmonize capital markets across Canada that the task force ignored having Ontario adopt the passport system that harmonizes our capital markets with the rest of the countries and also identified 10 proposals that had concerns with can the minister tell us if he plans on adopting all 47 proposals put forward by his task force that was chaired by Mr. Solomon Mr. Finance to reply Mr. Speaker I thank the member for the question and this work is important work I appreciate her giving me an opportunity to highlight it Ontario's capital markets are an important part of the infrastructure of our success not just now in the future and our government recognized that the evolution of those capital markets as with the evolution of capital markets globally was an important area of focus and that's why we did appoint the task force that task force has provided preliminary recommendations but as is our approach in government we wanted to make sure we consulted so I asked that the broader community including the national regulator have the opportunity to comment on that we're awaiting the final comments and we'll look to those recommendations but Mr. Speaker the work of the capital markets task force is aligned to the idea of this government we want to create an environment where capital can be raised but also where investors can be protected and when those recommendations are final I'm sure I'll bring them back to the house and I'll look forward to it Thank you very much As a woman of mixed ethnicity I found one proposal of the task force curious the minister previously stated that the goal of the task force was to reduce regulatory burdens proposal 19 of the task force calls for the Ontario government to adopt a policy introduced earlier this year by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's federal government this proposal calls for government mandated gender and race quotas that all companies listed on the stock market would have to comply with the task force also calls for the suggestion being that people like me can't make it onto a corporate board without your help this specific proposal would actually increase regulatory burdens on companies listed on the stock market rather than reduce them can the minister tell us whether he will be moving forward with this new regulatory burden on business and apply government mandated gender and race quotas that all companies listed on the stock market would have to abide by Minister of Finance No Mr. Speaker and again I appreciate the chance the member highlighted the members of the task force I'd like to do so as well Cindy Tripp who is the founding partner and managing director of GMP Securities Melissa Kennedy who was the chief legal officer at Sun Life, Wes Hall founder of the executive chair of Kingsdale advisors and the founder of the Black North initiative as well Rupert Urshame a former CEO at AMIA and also of course will lead Solomon she's mentioned Mr. Speaker all these recommendations come before the minister we will see what the recommendations back from the broader community are but Mr. Speaker I think it's important that we look at all of these options they are contained in a very consultative report and we'll present them when they're ready and report reforming the capital markets the next question the member for Niagara Falls St. Catharines just down the highway thank you speaker the former GM plant site in my house is being tested for toxic materials for the second time the residents of St. Catharines had to wait almost six months six months for the results of this testing a study that found high levels of carcinogenic PCBs leaking into the 12 mile creek these new tests need to be expedited concerned residents of St. Catharines deserve up-to-date information will this ministry commit to expediting tests for the former GM lands in St. Catharines to provide the answers to the neighborhoods in the area Mr. the environment thank you very much from the member opposite for that question and we had a quick conversation yesterday regarding that and I know you had a meeting with the ministry staff the other day regarding the GM property and you know the health and safety of Ontarians is front and foremost in the ministry environment in the city of St. Catharines and addressing the residents concerns we are conducting water sampling we're taking air sampling as well and we're looking for impacts in the downstream in which we'll act if there are some that are beyond legal limits we are planning additional water sampling in the areas following a rainfall Mr. Speaker and we'll continue to do so to ensure that in collaboration with the city of St. Catharines we will continue our monitoring of the situation to ensure that the residents around the area including all the residents of St. Catharines are maintained and kept safe and ensuring that the environmental standards set forth by the government of Ontario are held to the highest thank you very much the supplementary question thank you speaker concerned residents are asking for on the grounds and the water surrounding the former GM site everyone sitting on that side of the house knows how deadly asbestos is and how just one interaction with it can lead to lifelong problems and can be fatal the minister of environment has said it is the responsibility of the minister of labour the minister of labour has said they cannot investigate unless the site is active which ministry will it be the residents of St. Catharines deserve a better answer the residing residents want the former GM property cleaned up and rid of contamination the mayor and city councillors want the former GM lands cleaned up once and for all above all the community the residents have raised concerns about asbestos poisoning will this government commit here today to make an exception to include asbestos in their water testing so that the residents and the city of St. Catharines could move forward and development can please take place thank you and the minister of the environment would reply thanks again for that question and you know we are more than willing to continue to work with the city of St. Catharines on the issues surrounding the GM site we have a lot of air monitoring to assess for asbestos coming from the dust piles and the rubbles and she is member opposite is correct it's not a labour issue if there is no work being done on the site and we will work with the city of St. Catharines to ensure if the land comes up for sale that the record of site condition is at above board standards and I'm more than happy to sit down and meet with the mayor of St. Catharines I have a further discussion on this issue so we could support the city of St. Catharines ensuring the GM site is safe for the residents of St. Catharines thank you very much that concludes our question period for this morning this house stands in recess until 1pm