 no time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of his Majesty's Royal Opposition. Good morning, Speaker. This question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Earlier today, the NDP released a document obtained from Freedom of Information requests showing that officials at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing were discussing the removal of specific Greenbelt lands prior to the last election. Will the minister tell us which officials were discussing these Greenbelt removals, and was he one of them? Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Speaker, there wasn't much detail there, but I believe that I'm familiar with what the opposition is referring to. My understanding is that the third party in question was the city of Hamilton, and that the record should be released in due course. Supplementary question. So, Speaker, let's be clear. According to the documents we've obtained from anywhere from about six months to two years before the public was told, Ministry staff were talking about removals from the Greenbelt. But the minister told the integrity commissioner that he did not know about the Greenbelt removals until shortly before the public did on November 4, 2022. How could that be true? Does the minister want to correct his timeline right now? Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Mr. Speaker, I'm not familiar in totality with what the leader of the opposition speaks, but if I understand it correctly, the request was from the city of Hamilton, a third party, and those documents will be released very, very shortly. The final supplementary. I'm going to go to the Premier with this one. It's now clear that government officials in the Premier's office and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs knew specific details about the Greenbelt removal plans much earlier than the Premier and the minister have claimed. There is also evidence that certain landowners were tipped off about the Greenbelt plans long before the general public learned about them. The NDP and journalists have filed more freedom of information requests for documents that might shine more of a light on who knew what about the Greenbelt plans and when they knew it. We know these documents exist, but the Premier and the minister are keeping them secret. Why are these documents being kept from the public and will the Premier release them now? And the government I'll see. Secret documents that the leader of the opposition got in the freedom of information request. So, Mr. Speaker, this is just another. This is just. I will speak up because what we're doing is speaking on behalf of the people, the problem. Because of 15 years of liberal and NDP mismanagement of the economy have put the province of Ontario in a housing crisis. The largest land mass in the country has a housing crisis. Why? Because they put obstacle after obstacle after obstacle in the way of building new homes. And that is all that they have been doing since we got back here. We want an election on a promise to build more homes. We want an election on a promise to grow the economy, to bring more people to the province of Ontario. They can stand in the way all they like, but it really comes down to one thing. They want people to be dependent and reliant on the government. And progressive conservatives want to give people the tools and the resources to succeed. And we will not stop. We will remove obstacles. We will build homes and we'll continue to ensure the most prosperous province in the country. Not the clock. Restart the clock. The next question. Mr. Speaker, that doubling down, that tells us a lot. This next question is to the Premier. The disillusion of peel is an unprecedented change that will affect the daily lives of millions of people. It's going to be complicated and it could get very messy. If this is going to work, then the people of peel need to be at the centre of the process. They need to be consulted. They need to be heard. So why won't the Premier consult the public and conduct committee hearings to ensure that Bill 112 will deliver the best possible outcome for peel residents? Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor. Well, I want to say to the Leader of the Opposition, we were crystal clear in the press conference with the three mayors, the day we presented the Hazel McCallion Act on the legislative floor. This is an issue that has been widely discussed. There have been elections run on this topic. And our government was clear in terms of the disillusioned peel. If you live in Peel today and you receive services on January 1st, 2025, when the dissolution will take place, those same services will be in place. If the bill passes, we'll appoint a transition board. That transition board will work with those three mayors, and those mayors are going to have to roll up their sleeves because it's going to be a big process to be able to transition from the region appeal, which has been in effect for 50 years, and end on that January 1st, 2025, with three separate municipalities that stand on their own. But that still provide those same excellent front line services. Joy today. Supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. And I'd say to the minister who needs to get out there and listen to the people, particularly in Brampton and Caledon, who are very deeply concerned. But people in Mississauga, in Brampton, and in Caledon have a lot of questions about what's going to happen to them, what's going to happen to their municipal services, what's going to happen to their tax bills or their utility bills. These questions are to be answered apparently by a transition board whose mandate and also who's on it remain completely unknown right now, with no guarantee that this process will be any more transparent than the last regional governance review, the findings of which I'll remind everyone remain a complete government secret, right? Who will serve on the transition board and will their findings be released to the public well in advance before the government makes a decision about appeal? Mr. Secretary of the Opposition knows how this place works, right? The Minister of Legislative Affairs and I are working very closely. But you don't appoint a transition board until the bill passes, you know? We want to ensure that there's certainty for the people appeal as we move the Hazel McCallion Act through the process. But until the bill passes, the transition board will not be appointed. But I can tell you exactly the same thing today that I said the day the bill was presented. We need all of those mayors in Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon, some of our provinces fastest growing municipalities to work together with the transition board to ensure that my mandate that those excellent frontline services that people in Peel Region receive today are going to be the same services they receive on January 1, 2025. I understand why this government would refuse to consult the public on a bill that's going to have such significant consequences. I know the people in Mississauga, Brampton in particular and many Brampton residents have raised serious concerns that this disillusion of Peel is going to cost the city billions of dollars and drive up their tax bills or threaten their services. So Mr. Speaker, through you to the Associate Minister of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity, who is also the member for Brampton Center, why did she move the motion that blocked her Brampton constituents from being heard on Bill 112? Mr. Speaker, let me get this straight. The party that lost all of their members in Peel Region, they were all thrown out in the last election, is now pretending to understand what the people of Peel want. I will say very directly to the Leader of the Opposition, the reason why we voted on the legislation was because the NDP allowed the bill to collapse at 9 o'clock. The party had scheduled hours of debate on this, and you know what happened? The members of Peel from the Progressive Conservative Clock has all talked. They all had speeches, they engaged in comments and questions. They stood up on behalf of the people of Peel who sent them here unanimously, unanimously. And you know what happened with the Opposition? Ordered. Ordered. They went home at 9 o'clock and allowed the bill to collapse in a whimper, Mr. Speaker. You know why? Because they know it's the right thing to do. And you know what this is about for the Leader of the Opposition? Funds. More obstacles in the way of moving the province forward. Obstacles in the way of building homes. This Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing will remove those obstacles. This talk is over again. Member for Nickel Belt. Thank you, Mr. President. My question is for the Premier. This morning, the people of Mendon have lost their emergency department. There is now a big piece of plywood where a blue H used to be. The emergency department in Chelsea, Almonte and Pryor and many others are in precarious position. The hospital in Fort Erie and Port Coburn went from having a full emergency department to a 24-7 urgent care centre and now Niagara Health has announced a 50% reduction in the hours of operation and even with this reduction in hours, they will not be able to cover all the shifts this summer in Fort Erie or Port Coburn. What is the Minister, the Premier, doing to keep emergency health services going 24-7 in all area of our province? Thank you, Speaker. You know, the member opposite knows very well that these are not unique circumstances to Ontario. In fact, we see it across Canada and in fact around the world where health human resources are being stretched and we are making sure that we put programs and incentives in place to make sure that hospital leadership have many different programs to tap into. But I have to say, you know, the NDP keeps talking about the status quo. We are not satisfied with the status quo. So while since 2018, we've had 1,800 new physicians open and practicing in the province of Ontario, which the NDP office have voted against. When we voted and invested in two new medical schools, the NDP chose to vote against. When we expanded the ability for community surgical centres to have that critical access to critical diagnostic and surgical pathways in their communities, the NDP voted against. You stand. Order. Thanks back to the Premier. The residents in Fort Erie and Port Colbran deserve health care in the province of Ontario and you're causing the crisis right here in this province. The actions of this government is serious consequences for the people of Ontario. Just ask the people of Fort Erie. Another community losing access to health care services under this government. Yesterday, Niagara Health announced the Fort Erie Urgent Care Centre would greatly reduce their hours, only operating between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. That's a 50% cut in hours. Why? Because this government is facing a staffing crisis in health care. One this government is happy to make extremely worse with Bill 124 and Bill 60. Speaker, will this government step in, repeal Bill 124 and provide the support now to keep the Fort Erie Urgent Care Centre open 24-7 now? Thank you. Members, I take your seats. See Director Comments through the Chair, not directly across the floor of the House. Minister of Health. $27 billion in capital investments across 50 different hospitals. New expanded renovations, including, I might add, a large building build that is happening in Niagara Region. Why? Because our government saw from 2018 that lack of investment, lack of foresight, ensured that we need to make those investments and we are. We've done short-term, medium-term and long-term investments and every single time, Speaker, the NDP voted against them. You can talk about status quo. We will move forward with investments and we will continue to do that work, including in Niagara Region, where we have a very substantial hospital build that is happening in his own community. Next question, the Member for Carlton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education. With Ontario's population growing rapidly and an increasing demand for workers in many sectors, we need to make sure that our students are properly equipped for the jobs of the future. Sadly, the previous Liberal government failed to update critical elements of the curriculum which left too many young people unprepared for the emerging global economy. Since taking office in 2018, our government has demonstrated unprecedented leadership in addressing these urgent needs. Our students deserve to learn fundamental concepts and skills that will prepare them for the workplace of tomorrow. Speaker, through you, can the Minister please elaborate on how our government has updated Ontario's education curriculum? Thank you. Minister of Education. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. I want to thank the Member for Carlton for this question. I think many parents are seized with the question, how are we helping to set kids up for success in this economy? And Mr. Speaker, one of the most fundamental ways we can enable the success of young people is to make sure they are learning skills relevant for the job market today. And so, Mr. Speaker, in the legislation before this House did better schools and soon outcomes act, we have a provision that will mandate, as a matter of course, with the government every three years, at the least, must update curricula to keep it relevant to the labour market and to the skills that young people need to succeed. In addition, this coming September, we're very proud to be unveiling a new language curriculum that aligns with the Ontario Human Rights Commission's Right to Read report, invoking a phonics-based approach to learning again that's going to help young people read, particularly children with special education needs. We're hiring 2,000 more staff, particularly literacy-focused teachers, to get this right, and we know a modern curriculum will help kids succeed in a changing world around us. Supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's encouraging to hear that our government has led the way for so many updates to the curriculum that will help our students to succeed. However, I hear concerns from many families across my riding of Carlton that students are not being taught the relevant life and job skills that they need to function in our modern economy. It's projected that by 2026, approximately one in five job openings in Ontario will be in the skilled trade sector. That's why our government must continue to make critical investments that will benefit our students for years to come and will help to strengthen the economy of tomorrow. Speaker, through you, can the minister please explain what our government is doing to prepare students for careers in the skilled trades and technology sectors? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, thank you. Well, thank you again to the members of Carlton. I think this is an important question. You know, the Minister of Economic and Social... The Minister of Responses for Economic and Social Opportunities for women often speaks about the fact that there are too few girls in our school system on a path of STEM education, specifically in the skilled trades. And we know a third of girls take a technical education course to help ensure we bridge that gap. We're going to require every student in Ontario's schools starting next September September to take at least one technological education course, it's going to help open the horizon and the opportunities of young people to succeed. This coming September we have a new technology course being unveiled. The next September the entire technology curriculum will be unveiled. It's all part of a broader plan to ensure with the disruptions happening in the economy around us that we are ensuring young people have the skills necessary, from financial literacy to coding, learning about skillsets, fundamental to help them have a leading edge job, a good paying job, when they graduate from Ontario schools. Thank you. The next question, the member for Kiwetanol. Good morning. My question is to the Premier. In 2017 the chair of the Human Rights Commission toured Provincial Jail in Kenora and found that every inmate was struggling with mental health and addiction disorders. Speaker, I was there last week and I can tell you that the situation is not getting any better. And, you know, Speaker, what I saw, you know, it's as if the people that are there are not human. And Ontario needs to act on its promises to provide more treatment in jails, especially the addictions crisis as the addiction crisis continues. But what is Ontario doing to ensure inmates in the northern jails are getting the mental health and the addictions they need help with? Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank my friend for the question. You know, Mr. Speaker, I toured a lot of facilities all over Ontario and it has been an eye-opener for me to see the investments that we made in the facilities to meet the cultural needs of the Indigenous peoples there, such as the smudging spaces, the sweat lodges and the teaching lodges. Mr. Speaker, it has been my honour to meet so many native inmate liaison officers, the Nylos, who are absolutely critical to the chaplaincy and the wellbeing of those facilities. It has been my honour, Mr. Speaker, to meet Elder Cam Goodman, Cam Goodman in Thunder Bay where I've seen for myself. Mr. Speaker, this is important to our government and we will continue to act. Supplementary question? What the Solicitor General is describing is not working, because when I was there, you know, the officials that were there with me told me that 50 people that were there did not belong there. They need mental health services. The lack of resources inside the provincial jails is simply a reflection of society, out of sight, out of mind. The answer is not building more correctional facilities. If we had proper addictions and mental health treatment for our communities, there wouldn't be nearly as many people in jails in the first place. What is this government doing to ensure that the addictions crisis doesn't continue to keep filling entire jails, especially in the north, for our young people? Please take your seats and reply to the government, the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and Mr. Speaker, our government shares the concerns that are being spoken of in the House this morning. When you stop and think about the importance of providing culturally safe services that are low barrier to individuals, these are investments that need to be made upstream. Yes, investments are being made in corrections facilities by increasing the amount of services and supports, transitional housing when individuals come out of the correction systems, but we have to look upstream. We have to look and see what needs to be done in the communities and provide the services where the individuals live. And that's exactly what we did. The $90 million investment put 54% of the dollars and created 7,000 treatment spots, the majority of which are in Northern Ontario. Why? Because we need to deliver supports and services before individuals resort to situations that get them into corrections facilities. And we've done that in Sioux Lookout, in Thunder Bay, in Sudbury, in Timmins. And the list goes on and on. And we will continue building, continues of care for individuals that are culturally safe and appropriate as close to home as we possibly can. The Member for Scarborough, Agent 4. Thank you. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. With over 300,000 jobs going on fulfilled daily, we are facing a historic shortage of workers in Ontario. In order to ensure that our economy is strong and resilient, we need more skilled workers to fill labour gaps in key sectors. We must welcome more workers who are best positioned to succeed in critical industries where there are significant labour shortages, including construction, healthcare and technology. Our government must do everything we can to ensure that we have the workforce that is needed to help build Ontario. Speaker, can the Minister please explain what actions our government is taking to strengthen Ontario's workforce? Thank you. Mr. Labour, Training and Immigration Skills Development. Thank you very much. And thank you to the Member for this very important question, and he's right. One of the greatest economic challenges we're facing in Ontario today is that 300,000 jobs are going on filled. I'm proud under the leadership of Premier Ford that our government has landed a truly historic deal with the federal government to double the number of economic immigrants we can select to a minimum of 18,000 by 2025. Speaker, this means that we can select more skilled trades workers, more software and IT workers and more healthcare workers like nurses and personal support workers. We're tackling our labour shortage head-on and making it easier for employers to find the skilled workers they need to grow and build the future of Ontario. All across our province, there are in-demand and well-paying jobs waiting to be filled. Welcoming more immigrants with the skills we need is a win for workers, businesses and communities in every corner of Ontario. Supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. The increase of individuals and families arriving to the Ontario Immigration Nominee Program is certainly good news for workers, employers and for the overall prosperity of our province. However, for some newcomers who have already settled in Ontario and many of them settled in the Scarborough Aging Court, there are barriers that unfortunately prevent them from pursuing careers in fields that they are trained for and are eager to work in. Currently, only one in four immigrants are able to continue working in their professions when they come to Ontario. That is why our government needs to show leadership and remove obstacles that make it difficult for qualified individuals to apply for work. It costs our province billions in lost productivity when jobs remain unfulfilled. Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is eliminating barriers so that skilled immigrants can pursue employment in their professions? Thank you. Mr. Labour, immigration training and skills. Thank you, Speaker. I want to thank the member. He's been such a champion to really set up immigrants for success when they come here to Ontario. So I want to say thanks to the member. Speaker, our government through our First Working for Workers Act made it illegal for regulators to require Canadian work experience. We are leading the way in Canada by eliminating this unfair and truly discriminatory barrier that far too many immigrants coming to our Ontario face. The professional engineers of Ontario became the first regulator to remove their requirement for Canadian work experience. Every single regulator should follow their lead before our December deadline. We need all hands on deck to build a brighter future for all of us. This change allows immigrants to start better jobs or in bigger paychecks and build a better life for themselves and their families. Our government under the leadership of Premier Ford is leveling the playing field and bringing the Canadian dream within reach for more people. I thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Ontario's own Education Equity Action Plan directs school boards to undertake work which will eliminate inequities in the education system. Most school boards have taken this responsibility to heart. They understand that it impacts student achievement and well-being. But there has been significant and damaging pushback in communities. In Waterloo, both public and Catholic school boards have faced outright vicious hatred. Boards are doing this important equity work as directed by the government and yet Ontario school boards are receiving very little support from the ministry. So I'm asking today, very clearly, does the Minister of Education stand behind Waterloo public and Catholic school boards, their trustees, their directors of education and their students as they undertake this important equity work. We stand by everyone who is committed to quality education for the people and students of this province and that includes in Waterloo region and in all regions of Ontario where we value the work of our front-line educators trying to make a difference in our schools. But, Mr Speaker, if the aim fundamentally is to reduce barriers that impede progress for some of the most at-risk kids in Waterloo or in any region, then the members opposite should explain in the supplemental the logical consistency of opposing the de-streaming of the entire grade nine curriculum. How the members opposite could pose the question when we are trying to ensure there's more racialized, qualified, merit-based educators in the front of classes where we have some of the highest amount of classrooms with racialized kids. When we removed Regulation 274, it was the leader of the opposition, the former education critic who suggested siding with the Education Union saying that's the wrong policy. Stand up for kids, make actions necessary to improve the lives of kids. Get over the performative hashtag politics at the end of the day. Members will take their seats. Start the clock. Supplementary question. Speaker, it's interesting that the Minister of Education avoided my question but I might add you might try funding de-streaming to make it successful in the province of Ontario. Because earlier this week when the Premier was asked whether he thinks the York School Board should fly the Pride flag in June, he said no comment. A failure to comment is a failure to stand up for equity. There are no neutral positions on this. When those who oppose equity in our schools hear the Premier's refusal to comment, they feel emboldened. They assume rightly or not that he agrees with them and is making space for those voices. Does this government realize the harm caused by saying no comment on matters of equality and equity? Order, Mr. Speaker, on this issue, on an issue of fundamental on human rights, I would hope and expect members opposite to bring people together instead of dividing us based on your own political opportunism. It is actually shameful to divide people instead of bringing us together on the basis of standing up for the rights of every child, every single child to be respected and safe in the school. The Premier of Ontario walked in the York Pride parade with your opposition down to order, with parents and with students, the visibility, the presence, the pride we share in those kids and we're going to be there again irrespective of the division of the NDP. Order. The member for Waterloo will come to order. The Minister of Education will come to order. Member for Hamilton Mountain will come to order. Are you ready to start again? Start the clock. The next question, the member for Kingston and the Islands. Mr. Speaker, earlier this month the Ombudsman released a report on the landlord and tenant board. In response to questions, the Attorney General stated that Ontario's tribunals were in a shambles when this government took over in 2018. However, the chapter entitled Issues Contributing to the Delay notes that the problem started in 2019. Delays were specifically attributed to the Conservatives' decision to leave positions unfilled, presumably waiting for preferred candidates while experienced applicants were available or could have been renewed. Mr. Speaker, under this government's watch Ontario's tribunals have fallen into a shambles. Will this government commit to putting aside what the Ombudsman called the quote political nature of elections, especially when tribunals have many unfilled positions so that people can have timely access to justice? To reply, the Attorney General. Thank you Mr. Speaker and I'm not sure which of those questions to answer but I'm going to tell you what we are doing the landlord tenant board because we are investing so much money and effort and time to make sure that the people of Ontario are served Mr. Speaker. When the Liberals left the fire that was in tribunals, when they left it to us to fix Mr. Speaker, I can tell you the back office system, the back office system was not working Mr. Speaker and so we undertook as soon as we came into office to start rebuilding the backbone of the tribunal system and the landlord tenant board in particular Mr. Speaker, we worked with the province of British Columbia and NDP government to see what they were doing and we've adopted parts of their system, we've invested 26 and a half million dollars Mr. Speaker to fix that part of the LTB alone. Mr. Speaker, he can talk about the the Ombudsman's report Mr. Speaker, there are so many things that they left undone that we've had to fix but we are going to get it done Mr. Speaker. Well Mr. Speaker the Attorney General knows well that the timeline for the problems at the landlord tenant board as identified by the Ombudsman started in 2019, made no mention of the of the Liberal government. Tribunal watching Ontario in response to the report said experienced and proven leaders were replaced in some cases by people for whom political affiliation seemed to be the main qualification. This seems to be a common theme with this Conservative government. It's okay to ignore what's broken in Ontario so long as their friends are taken care of. Mr. Speaker, let me be constructive. Will this government commit to creating a non-partisan oversight body that protects the independence of Ontario's adjudicative tribunals? Government side come to order. Order. The Attorney General to respond. Thank you Mr. Speaker and I welcome the opposite member to the politics of Queen's Park Mr. Speaker and maybe not everybody knows but I can tell you Mr. Speaker that the way that it works is Tribunal's Ontario is an independent operation and they advertise for positions, they interview for positions and they recommend for positions Mr. Speaker all independently in a non-partisan way. Now I know he's new to the legislature Mr. Speaker but it's important that he understands that the independence of the Tribunal is is really important and we honour that and we are making sure that qualified people are serving the people of Ontario and we will continue to do that Mr. Speaker. Member for Scarborough Aging Court. Thank you. Speaker, my question is for the Associate Minister of Transportation. My community is growing rapidly and they need more convenient ways to connect to their jobs, family appointments and other communities in the GTA. Whether travelling by car or bus, traffic congestion and gridlock adds frustration and unnecessary delays. Even though our government is making historic investment into new transit infrastructure, Toronto's North End still needs more transit option. The people of my community and across the GTA are looking to our government for solutions that will make transit easier and more convenient. Speaker, can the Associate Minister please explain how our government plans to increase the transit options in the GTA? Thank you. It is a good question because we need to increase those transit options. Minister Mulroney and I actually recently gave official direction to develop an initial business case for an extension of the Shepherd Subway. Let's break it down, Speaker. We've asked officials to examine extending the Shepherd Line eastwards from its current terminus at Don Mills Station to the future Scarborough Subway extension which would serve that very member's community. But that's not all. While the initial business case will focus mostly on the eastward route, we've also tasked agency officials to investigate a possible western extension from Shepherd Young Station to Shepherd West Station. This potential east-west expansion would create a game-changing transit corridor across Toronto's North for riders across Scarborough, North York and beyond. This is a stark contrast to the Liberals and the NDP who for decades did nothing, nothing to build transit in any meaningful way. We're not only cleaning up their mess, Speaker. We're building that transit for Brad. Thank you, Associate Minister. Speaker, our government's commitment to deliver transit relief for the people of Ontario is welcome news. And I am sure the residents of the Scarborough Aging Court, Scarborough North and Don Valley North, they will be delighted with this news today. Transit upgrades and expansions are needed now to ensure frequent and convenient service for years to come. The previous Liberal government failed to plan for Ontario's transit needs and failed to invest in building vital transit infrastructure. The investment and construction work that are currently underway to strengthen our province's transit networks show that our government is getting it done for the people of Ontario. But more can and should be done to deliver on our commitment to these projects. Speaker, can the Associate Minister please expand on how our government is making historic investment in building transit networks? Thank you. Associate Minister of Transportation. Speaker, vitally important question. As I look up at the gallery and see our young friends visiting us in the chamber, I think back to when I was their age. No transit in any meaningful way. It was a joke for a growing city, a world-class city like the City of Toronto, but that transit gap is being filled under the leadership of this Premier and this government. In fact, with the largest transit expansion plan in Canadian history being underway, but to turn those plans into reality, Speaker, we have to get through the red tape. And I know the Liberals love the colour red, whether it be a ties or tape, but we've got to cut through that to actually build that transit. That's why we passed the Building Transit Faster Act. That's why our four priority subway projects are well underway. That includes the Shepard Subway East extension, the initial business case, by examining track alignments, great options, storage facility requirements and technology regimes of the potential extension. Speaker, dedicating $1 million to the early planning work on this, all that is to say these aren't just plans, these are reality. We're bringing transit in a meaningful way to the great people of Scarborough and across this entire process. Thank you, Speaker. Through you to the Minister of Energy. Yesterday, the body that oversees electricity grids in North America reported that Ontario risks power outages this summer. In fact, Ontario is the only province in Canada that is rated with elevated risk that it can't meet peak demand. After five years, this government's policies of cutting funding for efficiency and conservation, of demolishing wind farms, cancelling other renewable projects, it's led to this. What will the Minister do immediately to protect his province from the risk that he has set up? Thanks very much to the member opposite for the question. My number one job is to ensure that we have an energy system here that's reliable, one that's affordable and one that's clean, Mr Speaker. And I'm glad to say it's an A plus on all three of those categories in Ontario. We have a system that is 90% clean, Mr Speaker, one that is attracting investment from all around the world. They're coming here because our system is clean, because it's reliable and it's affordable. If the member opposite was in charge of our energy system, God forbid that that should ever happen. We certainly would become one of the most unreliable jurisdictions in the world, Mr Speaker, because he's against base load power. He's against base load power. We get 55 to 60% of our nuclear energy that provides power on our grid, clean, not emitting energy. He would be against that. He would be against natural gas, which is our insurance policy to ensure that the lights stay on, Mr Speaker, and don't trust me. Trust the independent electricity system operator that says that the prices would go up and it would become less reliable. Again, through you, Speaker, the North American Electricity Reliability Council has just said Ontario, under his watch, is at risk of power outages this summer. He can give us all the talking points he wants. The independent North American regulator says you've got a problem. You're in charge. You have for five years neglected the steps necessary to make sure that we have the power we need when we need it. You've refused to act on the climate crisis. We're going to see more extreme weather that increases the chances that we'll have outages. We've seen that in Ottawa. Again, what will the minister do today to protect us this summer so that we don't have those outages? One more time. I'll remind members to make their comments through the chair, not directly across the floor of the House. Minister of Energy. Speaker, we have a grid in Ontario that is the envy of all jurisdictions in North America. One that's clean, one that's affordable, and one that's reliable, and one that's safe. God help us if the NDP were ever in charge of our energy system. We're seeing multi-billion dollar investments in our province from companies around the world like Volkswagen, Stellantis, Unicor. So many others, Mr. Speaker, because we have a system that people can rely on. We're making sure that we're hardening the infrastructure here to deal with some of the conditions that the member is talking about. But at the same time, because of our success on this file, we're now building North America's first small modular reactor, Mr. Speaker, that's going to go online in 2028. Our nuclear fleet is being refurbished, Mr. Speaker. When they come back a little bit later on this decade, that's 3,500 megawatts of clean, not emitting electricity enough to power the city of Toronto for the next 35 years, Mr. Speaker. The largest procurement of energy storage in Canadian history is... Thank you. Next question, member, for Hastings, Lennox and Addington. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Speaker, my home communities in Hastings and Lennox and Addington have very much to offer in the way of hospitality and tourism. Across the vast region here in Eastern Ontario, there are thousands of lakes, rivers, trees and wildlife that represent the very best of the great outdoors here in Ontario. With summer vacation time fast approaching, many local businesses and my communities are eager to benefit from visitors enjoying their hospitality while they contribute to our local economy. Tourism is vital to Ontario's economy and our government must do all that we can to encourage more people to visit our cities, towns and our rural communities across the province. Speaker, will the Minister please explain what our government is doing to encourage and promote tourism all across Ontario? Mr. Tourism, Culture and Sport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker and I'd like to thank the member representing Hastings, Lennox and Addington for his question and more importantly telling us earlier today about some of the events and festivals that are going on in your community. That's what tourism is all about, sir. You've got it and your community is doing it right. From the buzz of the big city and the bright lights to the stars up north, our government is providing support for tourism across the brand. This year we are providing 1.3 million through the local regional tourism organization that will help promote Hastings, Lennox and Addington as a tourism destination. Our government is delighted to spread the news about experiences in agritourism, trails, the nature-nature trails and make the member's community an attraction, a destination for all people because you have a lot to offer. We're excited about where tourism is going and I have more in the supplemental for you. Speaker, I can tell you that our communities appreciate this important investment made by our government to support the initiatives that will draw more visitors to eastern Ontario. Our restaurants, hotels and all of our attractions are looking forward to increased attendance this year and increased revenues this summer and beyond. The growth that we see in Ontario's tourism sector is encouraging. It's exciting. However, it is vital that our government continues to address the challenges that many tourism-related businesses face. The tourism sector contributes significantly to Ontario's overall economy and benefits many other industries in the process. The importance of tourism in Ontario simply cannot be understated. Speaker, will the minister please elaborate on the long-term outlook for the tourism sector here in Ontario? Mr. Tourism Culture and Sport. Mr. Speaker, thank you and thank you again for the question and you know everyone used the word rebounding. We're past that in tourism. We're talking about getting stronger. We've rebounded. We're moving ahead on things and a lot of people might find it interesting that the World Travel and Tourism Council just reported that Canada's travel and tourism sector is poised to a huge rebound. I call it moving forward. We're the nation's largest travel destination, welcoming 42% of all visitors to Canada. That tells you something Mr. Speaker. From my meetings across the province and specifically just the last couple weeks in the agri-region, meeting with Niagara parks, casinos, hoteliers, the great wineries and the opportunities there, they are ready to go. They aren't rebounding. They're there Mr. Speaker and we are happy to support them to drive them even further in their destination and what they're trying to accomplish as being a tourist destination, maybe being the best tourist destination in this country. Thank you. The next question, the member for Windsor West. Thank you Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Labor. Windsor Salt workers from Unifor locals 240 in 1959 have been on strike for 104 days. They're fighting a US hedge fund company that wants to contract out their jobs and is using scab labor to prolong the labor dispute. The company is using union busting tactics and refuses to bargain in good faith. When will the minister stand up to this American hedge fund company, support these Uniform members as they fight union busting in the use of scab labor and pass our anti-stab legislation? Minister of Labor. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Look, my message is clear. Get a deal at the table, a deal that's good for workers and families in Windsor. But Mr. Speaker, it's our government under the leadership of Premier Ford that continues to work with our labor partners, with employers and with workers across this province to ensure that we're creating better jobs and bigger paychecks for workers out there. Under the leadership of the Minister of Economic Development and our entire government we have 600,000 more people working in Ontario today than when we were elected back in 2018, including tens of thousands of more people in Southwestern Ontario. And in fact, Mr. Speaker, the Premier is down there today with our amazing MPP from Windsor-Dakamsa to make more great announcements. It's our government that's building a brand new hospital down there, which the member opposite opposes. It's our government that's widening Highway 3, which the NDP oppose. But Mr. Speaker, we'll continue having the backs of people in Windsor Essex every day. Thank you, Speaker. I've never opposed the hospital. That's a lie from the Minister. I heard the member for Windsor West. I heard what she said. I'm going to ask the member for Windsor West to withdraw. I withdraw. Thank you, Speaker. These workers have been on strike for 104 days, Minister. They can't feed their kids and they're about to lose their homes. They need you to pass anti-scab legislation and actually support them. I have a letter from the Minister of Labor in response to a petition supporting anti-scab labor legislation my NDP colleagues and I tabled. The Minister appears to support the use of scab labor in his response by stating the use of replacement workers does not prevent those employees who are on lawful strike or locked out from returning to their jobs as part of a return to work protocol at the conclusion of a labor dispute. The Minister knows that using scab labor undermines the collective bargaining process, prolongs labor disputes and raises serious safety concerns. Again, I'll state these workers have been out for 104 days. So I asked the Minister this simple question once again. Will you support these workers and pass our anti-scab labor legislation yes or no? Mr. Speaker, it's under the leadership of Premier Ford in this progressive conservative government that is supporting workers everywhere in Ontario every single day. Mr. Speaker, let's look at what happened in the legislature yesterday. We passed legislation that reduces diesel exhausts in mines across Ontario by 70 percent. The toughest regulations in all of North America. Do you know who opposed standing up for those 30,000 miners? The NDP in Ontario. Do you know who voted against the investments in the skilled trades to get people jobs with defined pensions and benefits in Windsor? The NDP. Do you know who voted against hiring more inspectors today than at any point in Ontario's history? The NDP. We will take no lessons from the NDP when it comes to standing up for workers in this province. It is under the leadership of Doug Ford. I had to interrupt the Minister of Labor I couldn't hear. Start the clock. The next question. Member for Hastings, Lennox and Addington. Thank you, Speaker. My question this time is for the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery. I just spoke about the value of tourism and those entrepreneurs and businesses are vital to Ontario's economic prosperity. Starting and growing a business can be incredibly challenging when trying to navigate complex processes to obtain permits, follow regulations and create jobs. While these are necessary requirements, accessing government services should not be complicated and difficult. The faster businesses can get up and running, the faster they can pursue their dreams and help to build a stronger Ontario. That's why it's up to our government to remove obstacles to create unnecessary delays so that business application can be processed easier and more efficiently. Speaker, will the Minister please explain how our government is making it easier for businesses in Ontario to access the government services that they need? Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery. Thank you very much, Speaker. And thanks to the member from Hastings, Lennox and Addington for his question. In the past, Speaker Ontarians have been forced to navigate through a fragmented experience when trying to start, operate and grow their own business. And thanks to unclear and hard to find information that is scattered across the internet. But in Premier's own words, the puck stops with us. Our government has built a new digital experience on Ontario.ca slash business that make it easier for businesses to get the information they need when they need it through a new single window of seamless information. Speaker, and thanks to our ability to use this best in class technology, we are providing them with the best that Ontario has to offer. We absolutely have to seize this unique opportunity, Speaker, to transform how our government better serve businesses right here in our great province. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the Minister. It's great to hear that improved access to our government services will make it easier for businesses to navigate the website and to find the information they need. As a former IT guy, I know that when it comes to providing government services, we can't be an offline government in an online world. Any initiative that makes it easier for businesses to get up and running is a positive step that will contribute to their eventual successes. It is essential that our government continues to listen to the business community and to implement solutions that help to move Ontario forward. Speaker, will the Minister please elaborate on how this new single window system access system will help to improve services for businesses here in Ontario? Thank you very much, Speaker. And thanks again to the member for his question. These new additions to the portal will bring a lot of new benefits that businesses have wanted for a very long time. For example, businesses will be able to get updates in real time on their phones and computers. They will find the information they need on streamlined websites quickly. Speaker, they will have a clear resource mechanism whenever they feel that service providers have not met their expectations and they will have proactive alerts and reminders that help them stay on top of their needs. Speaker, as our economy continues to boom, as businesses continue to come in this province, we want to make businesses' owners' life easy, not difficult, as what the opposition would always be looking for. To make life difficult for businesses, to come in our province, this government will make sure that businesses make it easy for them. My question is to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. On April 21st, I received a letter signed by this Minister stating that conservation officers did not deserve to be reclassified, thus denying them wage parity with other enforcement officers. So imagine my surprise when 10 days ago this very same Minister stated that conservation officer classifications are being reviewed with Opsu, together with the Ministry Director of Enforcement. Well, Opsu was as surprised as I was and described the Minister's statement as not accurate and misleading the public. So I ask, will the Minister come clean on the truth? He has the power. Minister, does he or does he not intend to reclassify conservation officers to give them wage parity with other enforcement officers? Minister of Legislative Affairs. Government House. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. I have to say, look, the Minister of Natural Resources is working very closely with his partners on this speaker, but it really is exhausting to listen to the NDP, right? So question after question today has been about the NDP wanting something that they have voted against. So let's see, the members for Windsor vote against hospitals and then say they want hospitals. The members from Toronto vote against subways and roads and expansions in Toronto, but then say they want them. The members for Sudbury and the Northern members vote against minors and the work that we're doing to protect and improve the economy in the North and then say, oh, maybe we should do something about that. I'm going to give some unsolicited, unpaid advice to the NDP. What happens in a parliament is that we bring things forward and when you want them, they're supported in legislation and you vote in favour of it. So when you vote against things, Mr. Speaker, what happens is that you don't get it. Thank you. A progressive Conservative government is moving on all of these things, including adding more conservation officers to the province of Ontario, and that member voted against that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The situation we're having with no wage parity is a lack of political will and a lack of respect for conservation officers. Stop hiding behind a collective agreement. The government needs to finally give the conservation officers the respect and the increase they deserve. You have the ability to intervene. You have done in the past, including in this house, when you added associated ministers' titles to your MPPs. The protection officers are asked to wear anti-bullet vests. They ask to go and intervene in dangerous situations. And they've been asking for many years to have money paid for with the work they do. It's the least that the government could do. And to say it's the fault of the opposition, it's not. Do the right thing and give conservation officers their fair compensation similar to other enforcement officers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's the NDP who's always hiding the answer. The policy is to increase services for the public. It's the NDP that each time hides it. Don't hide behind a collective agreement. Now, I don't know, colleagues, we've been sitting here constantly for months, and they keep talking about the importance of respecting collective agreements. And I appreciate the member opposite for confirming that it is progressive conservatives who actually honor the workers of the province of Ontario day in and day out. So let me tell the member very clearly, I will not do what he asked. I will not turn my back on a collective agreement that was signed by the workers of the province of Ontario. I'll let him explain to conservation officers, to the workers of the province of Ontario, while they want to open up those hard-fought collective agreements and turn their backs on the workers. Conservatives will never do that. Start the clock. The next question, the member for Newmark at award. My question is for the Associate Minister of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity. Our government needs to build a province where every woman and girl is empowered to succeed. This starts with getting more women into jobs than ever before. According to recent employment data regarding women's labour force participation, the overall employment rate in April significantly increased as compared to pre-pandemic levels. There has been an increase of 450,000 jobs, a large portion of which have been filled by women. This number demonstrates that the investments and supports put in place by our government are increasing women's economic security. However, there is still more that needs to be done in advancing equality and economic independence for women. Speaker, can the Associate Minister please explain what actions our government is taking to support even greater participation by women in Ontario's workforce? Mr Speaker, the member from Newmark at Aurora is absolutely correct. The current data reveals the ongoing increase and contribution of women in Ontario's workforce. One of the key reasons for this success is due to the historic agreement that our government was able to secure regarding enhancements to affordable childcare. Through our Minister of Education, our Premier and this government, Speaker, we didn't just sign any deal with the federal government, we signed a better deal for the people of this province. A billion additional dollars and an additional year of funding guarantee that no other province in Canada had. It is this Premier that was able to do what the NDP and Liberals couldn't do for 15 years, which is reduced childcare fees for generations to come to 50% reduction in fees for women, working moms and dads, and with an increase of 86,000 new childcare spaces by 2026.