 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of his Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Thank you. Good morning, Speaker. This question is for the Premier. Speaker, I want to welcome health care workers, advocates and ordinary Ontarians who are here in the galleries today to witness one of the greatest threats to the right to public health care that we've seen in our province for generations. Under Bill 60, we're going to see even more emergency room closures because there won't be enough staff to keep them open. People will pay more for care as investor profits are put first. And we're going to see a two-tier system where a select few will jump to the front of the line and everyone else is going to have to wait even longer. Knowing this, will the Premier drop his plan for two-tier investor-driven health care? He's a parliamentary assistant member for England and Lawrence. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Over the past 30 years in Ontario, over 800 community clinics have provided health care services to Ontarians paid for with their OHIP cards in a timely and convenient way. Many Ontarians have already had positive experiences in receiving care with these clinics, which are often closer to their homes. Care in community clinics will be expanded if Bill 60 passes to ensure more access to timely care for Ontarians. The NDP seems to be more concerned with fighting for the status quo. This Premier and this government is fighting to ensure that Ontarians get timely access to care. Supplementary question. Speaker, I want to remind the government members opposite that it's not just the people in this room who are watching carefully. It's people all over Ontario from Thunder Bay to Minden, from Chesley to Kingston. They are all rallying against Bill 60. They know that this bill is going to make their health care worse and not better. And Speaker, they're either going to have their voice heard today or at the next election. Will the Premier listen to the voices of Ontarians or will he continue to put their health care ahead of companies trying to make a profit on the backs of sick people? For England and Lawrence. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. When it comes to your health, the status quo is no longer acceptable. Government is taking bold action to eliminate surgical backlogs and reduce wait times for publicly funded surgeries and procedures. Ontario has a three-step plan that better integrates and uses community surgical diagnostic centres and their state-of-art facilities to speed up how quickly. People are able to get surgeries and procedures using their health card, never their credit card. And this plan will add more than 14,000 OHIP-insured cataract surgeries each year, expand community-based clinics, perform more surgeries such as cataract surgeries, MRI and CT scans, imaging, and expand surgeries closer to home. More convenient for people. If the NDP want more transparency and accountability, they should be supporting the changes brought forward in Bill 60. Bold action, Speaker. Bold action. Bold action to sell off our public health care system. Bold action to put sick people at the back of the line. Speaker, he doesn't have to take our word for it. We've already seen private delivery of surgical services fail Canadians. Quebec handed billions to private health care providers only to see their workforce depleted and exhausted, higher costs and worse outcomes for patients. BC changed course because of rampant illegal overbilling by private-for-profit providers. Speaker, the Premier has a chance to stop this scheme before it's too late, and so back to the Premier. Will he pull Bill 60 and instead invest in our health care workers, our public hospitals and patient care? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member opposite. I would also like to quote the President of the OMA, Rose Zacharias, who said, Experience Elsewhere has shown that providing output surgeries, outpatient surgeries and procedures in the community actually greatly improves patient experience. Patients get their surgeries sooner, have lower rates of infection and get to go home the same day. These kinds of things are also supported and have been said by our Auditor-General here in Ontario. Ontario needs to make changes to support patient care better, to make sure patients get access to care quickly. And that is what this government is going to do. We're putting patients at the centre of care. The Opposition. Speaker, Ontarians know a bad deal when they see one. And this government's secret 95-year lease of public parkland to an international corporate conglomerate, so they can put up a private luxury spa, has all the markings of a bad deal for taxpayers. Not to mention the estimated $650 million of public money that's going to be spent subsidising the spa and a massive parking lot. I mean, that has got to be one of the most expensive parking lots in Ontario's history. Speaker, if this is such a good deal for the people of Ontario, why is this Premier keeping the details a total secret? Government, the Minister of Interest structure. Thank you to the Leader of Opposition, Mr Speaker. The public was very clear. Right now we have an Ontario place that is sitting there that is not enjoyed by the public 365 days of the year. Mr Speaker, we are seeing a $500 million private capital investment into Ontario. We are seeing a brand new facility, 12 acres of public realm space on the West Island itself and ongoing maintenance. And why is ongoing maintenance, annual maintenance important, so that we don't have an Ontario place like we have today that is falling apart, that is being flooded. I will make sure that there will be a beautiful Ontario place for generations and generations and families to support families. Speaker, I don't buy it. I don't buy it and I don't think many Ontarians out there do either. They know that this is a good deal for thermal and a bad deal for them. It's been revealed that the government is now working on a sole sourced backroom deal with Slatko Starkovsky and his nebulous company, Ontario Live. Speaker, to the Premier, does he or does anyone in this government have an existing or a past connection with Mr Starkovsky? Minister of Interest structure. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, we were very clear with the public two weeks ago when we announced the holistic vision for Ontario Place, which will include a brand new state of the art stage that can be enjoyed 365 days of the year. A 43 acre public park that the public will be able to enjoy all times of the year. A wellness centre as well as a brand new science centre with additional exhibition space for families to enjoy. Now, Mr Speaker, again, back to the basics. Do we just leave Ontario Place as is so that it can continue to fall in disrepair and continue to be flooded? Or do we bring it back to life and make it a wonderful place for families? I think the choice is- The final supplementary. Speaker, the Premier and his minister don't want to answer the question and I wonder why. It turns out it's being reported that Starkovsky does have a connection to the Premier's family. And in fact, Starkovsky is, and I quote, a savvy political operator with a complicated business history. Now, another conservative insider, Carmine Negro, who was appointed by this government, by the way, to be chair of Ontario Place and is a good friend of the Premier and attended his family's wedding reception is brokering a- Government side, come to order. With Starkovsky. Stop the clock. The government side will come to order so I can hear the member who's seeking to ask the question. Order. Start the clock. Leader of the opposition. Speaker, the Premier just said, God forbid I have a friend at the wedding. Well, not just any friend, Speaker. Not just any friend. This is Carmine Negro, who was appointed by this government to be the chair of Ontario Place after he was appointed to be the head of the LCBO, by the way, and is a good friend of the Premier and is brokering a backroom deal right now with Starkovsky. Speaker, my question to the Premier is, does he have any idea how bad it looks to have one family friend brokering a deal with another family friend on behalf of his government? Mr. Speaker, I can see the Leader of the Opposition is into gutter politics. Doing nothing. The NDP have done nothing for 10 years, along with their buddies at the Liberals. That's the reason they got annihilated in the election because they do absolutely nothing. We're going to build Ontario Place and mark my words, Mr. Speaker, every single person over there, what they're going to do when we build a beautiful amphitheater, when we build beautiful water park, and we add beaches and we add parks. Guess what, Mr. Speaker, every one of them are going to show up there to either a concert or wander through or bring their friends. We're in a government to sit around. We're a government that gets things done, unlike they did for 15 years, that destroyed the province. Order. Start the clock. The next question, the member for Ottawa, West Appian. Thank you, Speaker. Wait times for breast cancer surgeries in Ottawa have stretched so long that women have been driving to Quebec and paying out of pocket just to get surgery. And now, last week, we learned from the Ottawa citizen that one of the Ottawa hospitals breast cancer surgeons was getting only two hours of operating time a month. Why is this government pushing ahead with its privatization agenda when publicly funded operating rooms have been sitting unused while surgeons and patients have desperately needed access? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our government knows that wait times for surgeries and diagnostic tests have been increasing year over year and we're not OK with the status quo. We know that more work needs to be done. And that is why we are passing, hopefully today, our innovative plan which includes the introduction of the Your Health Act which will help eliminate surgical backlogs, reduce wait times so Ontarians can have easier and faster access to the care they need when they need it. That's what it's about. Now the member opposite knows that our government has invested almost a billion dollars in the surgical backlog trying to clear the backlog of surgeries from COVID and we managed to get it down to pre-pandemic levels but that still means too many people are waiting for care too long and that's not good enough for this government. We're going to make sure people get access to care in a timely and convenient way. Thank you, Speaker. Let's review what this government's innovation agenda actually is for public health care in Ottawa. First, they allow a for-profit clinic to operate inside our public health care system. Every weekend they've been bringing in surgical equipment from Toronto. Colleagues, do you call that innovation? No. OK, second thing they do in Ottawa Speaker, they poach nurses from inside our public ORs for this clinic. They do nothing as this happens. They don't acknowledge it, approving it or any responsibility for it. Does that sound like innovation to you, Carl? OK, and third, as my colleague just said, they give a surgeon two hours, two hours of OR time a month for breast cancer patients forcing them to go down the highway to Montreal and pay out a pocket for life-saving care. Does that sound like innovation to you? Absolutely not. OK, so look, let's call this agenda and Bill 60 what it is. It is not innovation, it is sabotage and we see right through it. The Premier to reply. It's a real shame hearing the two members from Ottawa criticizing their hospital because that's what they're doing. They're criticizing the best CEO, in my opinion, one of the best CEOs in the province, Cameron Love. I had a discussion with him and Mr. Speaker, you see the increase of backlog surgeries go up by 30%. This is about getting rid of the backlog, making sure we help people get well again, but to sit there and criticize their own hospital. By the way, Mr. Speaker, we're putting $9 billion into that hospital. The next question. The next question, the member for Cambridge. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Ontario is home to the largest life science sector in Canada, which employs thousands of workers in a high skilled job market. But with competition growing from the south of the border and in other parts of the world, we need to remain competitive if we're going to continue attracting these important life-saving investments. That's right. Speaker, will the Minister please provide an update on how the government has continued to attract these critical investments in the life science sector, while also ensuring the services that are made in Ontario benefit all Ontarians? Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Last week with the Premier, we were thrilled to welcome Moderna's multi-million dollar partnership with Nova Call Pharma in Cambridge. They will expand vaccine manufacturing in Cambridge and ensure faster, more reliable access to life-saving vaccines. But not only will this investment create good-paying jobs, it will provide our health care workers and families with more reliable access to life-saving vaccines helping to ensure we no longer have to rely on other jurisdictions to keep us safe. Speaker, with the four million dollar investment through our Ontario Together Fund, Nova Call will add to their 500-plus highly-skilled workers. It's hard to keep up with the billions in life science investments. Sanofi, Roche, Omniobio, AstraZeneca, Novartis, this list goes on and on, Speaker, and the momentum of investments by these companies is a vote of confidence in our life-saving sector. There's supplementary questions. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the minister for his answer. There's no doubt that Ontario's booming life science sector has contributed to the province's economic prosperity resulting in better health outcome for all Ontarians. But in order to continue attracting game-changing investments, Ontario needs to demonstrate why it is able to compete with other jurisdictions and to show that we are open for business. Speaker, will the minister please elaborate on what our government is doing to secure Ontario's standing as a global pinnacle in the innovation in life science and health sectors? Minister of Economic Development. Speaker, under the previous government, Ontario could not compete for investments in the life sciences sector. We were left at the mercy of other jurisdictions for critical medicines, especially during desperate times like COVID. But now with over 70,000 skilled employees generating more than $64 billion in annual revenue and $11 billion in global exports, we've attracted record investments and jobs with more than $3 billion investments in just the last two years. Our government also released the province's first life sciences strategy in over a decade, which includes a $15 million life sciences innovation fund. Speaker, think of where we were when the pandemic struck. We had almost zero PPE being built in Ontario. Today, we're at 74% and tomorrow, when the gloves are built and nitrile gloves are built in London, we'll be at 94% of all PPE. Thank you, Senator. Thank you, Speaker. The constituent Lori's best friend urgently needs an MRI, but hospital waitlists are now months long. She called an advertised for-profit clinic and was told that for $795, she can get an MRI within 48 hours. This entirely contradicts the Premier's promise to Ontarians, which is that they would never have to pay for healthcare with their credit card. Why did the Premier break his promise? Thank you very much for the question. As the member opposite knows, we have the commitment to the future of Medicare Act here in Ontario and patients cannot be charged for publicly funded OHIP services. If a patient has a concern, they can certainly raise that by contacting the office, protectpublichealthcare.com. I think .ca is the website. And so you're raising an issue. Somebody's offered to charge this person, but this person can receive publicly funded services and will receive publicly funded services more quickly if we pass Bill 60 and put in more clinics. Thank you very much. That promise has been broken and clearly we're not getting an answer. Blythe, the constituent and the healthcare professional asked, and I quote, why are we paying taxes for healthcare when the government consistently underspends by over $1.6 billion? The Premier must stop and I quote, must stop giving his friends pay raises on our public healthcare system. Will the Premier listen, then take action, stop Bill 60 and finally stop privatizing the people's public healthcare? Premier. Mr. Speaker, there's no government in the history of this country that's put more into healthcare than we have. It's all time high. It's an all time high of $81 billion. I know the NDP can't add one plus one, but it's $81 billion. We've increased it by $20 billion. It's unheard of. We're adding 60,000. We've had 60,000 nurses registered since we've been office. 8,000 doctors have registered since we've been office. Last year was a record setting year for new nurses at an amount of 12,000. We're building 52 major hospitals, expansions, or brand new hospitals that have been neglected for 15 years. We're fixing healthcare. We're ending this hallway healthcare that you created and we're bringing healthcare back to the standards of a world-class healthcare system the best in the world. This question, the member for Newmarket, Aurora. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education. When students feel safe, welcome and included, they are more likely to be actively engaged in classroom learning and participation. That's right. However, many children and youth are struggling with mental health challenges, which make school and other aspects of their life difficult. To help our students thrive, they need to be equipped with knowledge about mental health and know where they can get help when they need it. It is vital that the mental health and well-being of our students continues to be the top priority of our government. The need for more support is greater than ever. Speaker, can the Minister please explain what our government is doing to expand mental health literacy for our students? Question. Minister of Education. Thank you very much. I want to thank the member for Newmarket, Aurora for her exceptional work on promoting mental health in the classroom. I'd be remiss to also give a message of gratitude on behalf of all parliamentarians and the member from Burlington for her leadership in this house and this province and country advancing mental health literacy for the next generation. We are inspired through her work and because of her motion, we're standing today proudly to advance the cause of mental health literacy, mandating it across the curriculum, bringing it in grades seven and eight for our teachers and for our students as well as mandatory learning in grade 10, connecting it with the real-life skills young people can now use part of this curriculum in grade 10 careers as they start to give thought to higher learning, post-secondary, skilled trades learning and to come up with a useful toolkit of ways by which they can manage stress and angst in their life. I also, Speaker, want to affirm part of this announcement was the expansion of funding. Under our Premier's leadership, we've increased funding by 550%. A positive step forward as we help to ensure the success and the health of children. Thank you. Supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that response. It is great to hear about the important measures that our government is implementing to ensure that students have the tools and confidence to help them succeed. Our government understands that students need access to consistent and reliable mental health support in our schools. Previous investments made by our government into student mental health initiatives have been significant and well received. Just this past Friday, I met with the co-founders of the Bully-Free Alliance of York Region in my constituency office to discuss mental health support for students and this initiative was very well received. But we all know that more needs to be done and should be done to help and support students and their families beyond the school year. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how our government is delivering on the commitment to expand access to mental health professionals and services? Great question. Thank you, Mr Speaker. We want to make sure that no child has to face mental health in silence. We want to make sure that parents know that there are resources and capacity in a system that is prepared to step up to support young people. When you compare the former Liberal government peak of spending in mental health in schools, we were around $18 million per year. Today, under our government's leadership, we've increased funding to $114 million. We have $550% increase in mental health. I accept fully that we have to keep investing, because demands are rising, and the member is absolutely right. Part of the announcement we made last week and thanks to the leadership of the member from Burlington, we are going to be funding summer learning to create an annualized experience, access 12 months a year. The system wasn't designed for kids. Kids would have access to a psychologist, psychotherapist, who would have to pivot to a community in the summer. We're going to expand capacity this year, add $14 million next year, $16 million the year after to ensure kids have dependable access to their children. Thank you very much, my question is to the Attorney General. The Ombudsman investigation into delays at landlord and tenant board was a damning indictment of this government's failure to provide justice to tenants and landlords. The Conservatives have had five years to fix the landlord and tenant board yet this report shows that the government has made the problem worse. Delays at the LTB has increased the number of people waiting for hearings has doubled to 38,000 people. This government has accepted all the Ombudsman's 61 recommendations to fix the LTB. When do you plan to implement those recommendations Speaker? Thank you Mr. Speaker and I appreciate the opportunity to address the Ombudsman's report which is well received. I'll remind the member opposite the data that he is using was from a previous moment in time but let me tell you this and I'm going to quote the Ombudsman where he says a factor was the transition of government in 2018. The landlord tenant board should not have been in that precarious a situation before the 2018 election Mr. Speaker so it was a mess when we got it. What he's recommending is that we add more adjudicators. Well Mr. Speaker we're doubling the number of adjudicators that is done. The NDP did not have that. The Ombudsman says we should add more resources to the back office staff. Well Mr. Speaker when we brought that forward the NDP opposed it we did it anyways Mr. Speaker. And we are fixing the landlord tenant board for all Ontarians and I wish the NDP would support us on one of the many things that the Ombudsman has highlighted that we're already doing. Supplementary question. Speaker that was not an answer the you've had five years you've had five years to implement it but you just blamed the Liberal Government yes they made a mistake and it was horrible but you have had five years to change that you did not. The landlord and tenant board is a mess. Speaker tenants are waiting up to two years to get their landlords to do basic repairs stop harassing them to deal with vermin. Landlords are waiting for months if not years to just be hearing while they lose on rent or lose their homes because they cannot keep up with their mortgages. Speaker this system isn't working for anybody and they have had five years to fix that. Speaker my question is can this Government actually commit to making those changes that the Ombudsman has recommended because Ontarians deserve and landlords and tenant boards Ontarians deserve a landlord and tenant board that actually is working right now for Ontarians. Well Mr. Speaker and I wasn't blaming the former Liberal Government it was so obvious the Ombudsman blamed the former Liberal Government but let me be clear Mr. Speaker the member is asking will we do the things the Ombudsman is saying we should do. Well Mr. Speaker we've already done most of the things that he's sold us to we've doubled the number of adjudicators we supported back office staff he said technology was failing when this Government came to power well this Government spent $100 on a new state of the art system and it's working very well Mr. Speaker and they oppose it. Thank you the next question the member for Don Valley East for the Premier Mr. Speaker Bill 60 is reckless, incomplete and poorly conceived ignores the root causes of the problems in our healthcare system and fails to prioritize patient health over private wealth Bill 60 could have been salvaged but a 45 amendments I proposed all were thrown out when the Government was asked to ensure that the bill allowed it they said no. When they were asked to establish conflict of interest rules for directors who issue licenses they said no. They said no to protections against upselling, upcharging profiteering and siphoning of healthcare workers out of the public hospitals and Ontarians are outraged. I know this I know the Government members are hearing it from their constituents because when their constituents don't hear back from them they reach out to me instead so to every Government member who will have the courage who will have the courage to listen to the people of Ontario and vote against Bill 60 and to the Premier since this Government isn't serving the interests of Ontarians whose interest is it actually serving Member for Eglinton Lawrence Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member opposite for the question although I have to say I give back to all my constituents and I know my colleagues do the same thing and I haven't really heard what you're suggesting in fact that Bill 60 actually expands oversight and patient protections when it comes to your health and as you know we've had 800 community clinics operating in Ontario for many many years. Bill 60 brings them into the healthcare system and integrates them with all of the other parts of the healthcare system which will enable more of that oversight but lots of things in there also protect people from the kinds of things you're suggesting like upselling you now have to post any uninsured charges both online and in person every surgical and diagnostic centre must have a process for receiving and responding to patient complaints patients cannot be denied access to treatment if they don't purchase uninsured services we're expanding the oversight of the patient ombudsman to include integrated community health services these safeguards are in place to ensure that no one has to pay thank you and the supplementary question Mr. Speaker that's not what stakeholder after stakeholder after stakeholder said during public hearings what this bill actually allows is the simplest surgeries to be done for the highest price they will be funded by our tax dollars and it is the shareholders who will be laughing all the way to the bank and meanwhile patients will be left with lighter wallets since this government refused to put protections against upselling and upcharging in place they refused I find that strange when the Premier insists patients will never pay with their credit card even though they already are this government isn't about protecting patients they aren't about protecting our public health care system all they are doing is protecting shareholders they're letting private for-profit companies have unfettered access to the demand that exists in our health care system and so Mr. Speaker why won't the Premier recognize the need to clear the surgical backlog and protect patients as well as our public health care system at the same time the Premier Mr. Speaker under their government they created 800 diagnostic centres which I agree with just imagine if we took the diagnostic centres out of Ontario you talk about a backlog we need to add to that and I find it very ironic coming from the member from Donvelly East his own colleagues at the Ontario Medical Association endorsed it the Ontario Hospital Association endorsed it we need more opportunities convenient care closer to home that you can actually walk in the clinic down the street and actually get an MRI rather than waiting God knows how long months and months we're going to shorten the list we're going to give people the care they need in a rapid fashion the next question the member for Carlton Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing the lack of housing supply in Ontario has reached alarming levels with home prices and rents in many areas being among the highest in Canada including in my riding of Carlton and across Ottawa our government was given a strong mandate by the people of Ontario to address the housing shortage and our government must meet our goal of building more homes by 2031 so that people across our province can find housing that meets their needs and budget the people of Ontario expect that these homes and buildings are safe and accessible so Mr. Speaker through you can the Minister please explain what measures our government is taking to ensure the quality of construction so that Ontarians have access to the safe and secure homes they deserve that's a good question Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to apply I want to through you to the member for Carlton she just does such a fantastic job advocating for the constituents it's great that she was able to recognize some of her staff here today Speaker we're proud as a government that we've declared May as Building Safety Month and I really want members to take the opportunity to recognize the critical role that Ontario's building officials play in public health and safety while at the same time tackling our housing supply problem I'd also like to again thank and acknowledge the members of the Ontario Building Officials Association that are joining us today in the legislature I want to thank you for your incredible work in Ontario's 444 municipalities and I want to encourage everyone to reach out to their building departments and promote Building Safety Month it's so important and I want to thank the member for Carlton again for the question and bringing it up Supplementary question Thank you Mr. Speaker and my supplemental question is for the Minister of Housing it's great that the Minister brought up Building Safety Month because I think it's so important to celebrate Building Safety Month this year by reflecting on the steps our government is taking to ensure that Ontarians have access to safe secure and affordable homes changes introduced by our government to Ontario's building code are crucial in adjusting the important issues of safety reducing barriers and helping to speed up construction out of the housing market our government must be responsible to ensure that we are doing everything we can to address our provinces critically low housing supply and to ensure that Ontarians are kept safe so through you Mr. Speaker can the Associate Minister please expand on what actions our government is taking to address the housing supply crisis Thank you The Associate Minister of Housing I'd like to thank the member from Carlton for her question this government is taking a strong mandate to ensure that Ontarians have access to safe and secure housing we're taking action to deliver on our mandate by encouraging innovative approaches to home ownership and housing supply including tiny homes, second units and laneway suites we regularly update our building code to take advantage of technological advances innovative new solutions expert research all while reducing red tape and making it easier and faster through our Helping Home Buyers Protecting Tenants Act we are also proposing to continue streamlining development and approvals while making it easier to train and recruit building inspectors our government is committed to keeping Ontarians safe whilst also laying a solid foundation to address Ontarians housing supply crisis over the long term The next question the member for London North Centre My question is to the Premier Speaker, on her 83rd birthday Crystal received a misleading intimidating letter from her building management claiming she's being evicted another resident Julie, a 72 year old widow fears becoming homeless by renovation Conservative and Liberal governments ignored renters for years and instead bow to greedy corporate landlords changing laws to let them pad their pockets while people become homeless will this government stand up for seniors stand up for renters stand up for people at the risk of homelessness by ending vacancy decontrol yes or no Mr. Mitchell-Farris In Bill 97 the Helping Home Buyers and Protecting Tenants Act we're proposing greater legal protection for tenants on renovations we're proposing greater legal protection for tenants on landlord's own use and our government is imposing the strictest penalties in Canada against bad actor landlords over and over again this government as part of our housing supply action plan are building upon the success of some of our policies but these tenant protection policies are extremely important for the reasons that the member has articulated the supplementary question to member for London Fanshawe last week I received an influx of emails and calls from residents at units 1270 and 1280 Webster Street many of them vulnerable seniors and people on social assistance after recent purchase one third of tenants of the building we're receiving notices and 13s and facing evictions many other speaker are waiting to hear when their necks are being blocked it is clear that the paltry protections in bill 97 offer very little improvement to a very big problem the ombudsman's report's message was clear the landlord tenant board isn't working for anyone can the Premier please tell me and all the tenants at Webster apartments when he will take real action to protect tenants from an evictions and will he commit to passing our NDP bills 58 protecting renters from illegal evictions and bill 25 rent stabilization act will he do that and give a darn Mr. Secretary Mr. Secretary I think we now know why the NDP are asking these questions they're trying to find a reason to not support our tenant protections in bill 97 we were in London with Mayor Morgan where we celebrated Attorney General the historic investment that this government is making in the landlord tenant board $6.5 million doubling the size of adjudicators and importantly adding additional staff at the tribunals as the Attorney General has talked about we're responding directly from the Ombudsman report and despite the hoarders from across we're going to continue to add measures like that are in bill 97 but I think that question just sets the stage for their party again to not support increased actions for tenants in our order the next question member for Hastings Lennox and Addington thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Infrastructure Minister we all know that reliable high speed is key to building a stronger Ontario it allows for improved access to health services supports and strengthens remote business operations and innovation in the agricultural sector and boosts our overall economy unfortunately the previous government ignored many rural remote and northern communities when it came to making investments in broadband infrastructure our government understands that reliable high speed internet is a necessity however our government must continue to live up to our commitments and build on the progress already made in constructing broadband projects so Speaker can the Minister please explain how our government is addressing connectivity concerns so that no community no rural community is left behind Mr. Ben for structure thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank you so much to the member for the question it was such a pleasure to visit Thunder Bay last week Mr. Speaker while we were in Thunder Bay we announced the internet service providers that will be building 14 high speed internet projects an investment of $8.4 million through the province of Ontario through the ICON program which was actually the very first application based program created by my colleague the MPP from Halliburton Corthall Lakes Mr. Speaker this $8.4 million will go a long way to connect 11,000 businesses and homes in Northern Ontario to high speed internet and it was such a pleasure to speak with municipalities as well as residents in Thunder Bay about the importance of getting that work done as quickly as possible and making sure that no one is left behind thank you Speaker and thank you to the minister for that comment it's great to hear that our government remains focused on bringing reliable high speed internet to the unserved or underserved communities across the province these investments by our government will make our community stronger and make life more convenient for individuals, families, workers and businesses the people of our province deserve to be kept informed about the progress our government is making and delivering on our promises for broadband infrastructure the people of Ontario need to be assured through up-to-date information that our government is doing what we promised Speaker can the minister please explain how Ontario's can stay informed about the progress of critical internet projects across the province thank you thank you again it was such a pleasure to be joined by the member from Thunder Bay but also the minister of municipal affairs and housing as well as the minister of agriculture to announce a brand new interactive map that is public is made public so that constituents and residents across the province of Ontario can log in access it and see which projects are happening in their area I would highly encourage that all members in this house promote this website Ontario.ca forward slash high speed internet and why this is so important we are investing in over 200 projects currently today $2.3 billion we want every single resident to be able to access that information online and see when the project starts how much funding is being committed to it and which technology will be used Mr. Speaker again we will not leave anyone behind thank you speaker my questions to the Premier Premier Grace is 13 years old she was told last March that the only treatment option for her severe scoliosis is surgery after 14 months of waiting she still hasn't even received a surgery date Grace has 76% curvature to her spine and it's getting worse her father Andrew is in the gallery today after being told by the surgical board at SIG kids that he should contract the Ministry of Health the ministry told Andrew to contact me when is this conservative government going to take responsibility for the suffering children like Grace are enduring because of surgical backlogs we will apply the member for Eglinton Lawrence thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank you the member opposite for the question as I said the last time she raised an issue like this on the floor of the house I would be happy to meet with her afterwards and with Andrew to discuss the situation and see what we can do to help but this government has invested over almost a billion dollars in the surgical backlog and recovering from the surgical backlog and we are now back to pre-pandemic levels so the number of people waiting now are about the same as what existed pre-pandemic the issue is it isn't good enough and this government knows that and that is why we have brought forward bill 60 to make sure that hospitals can focus on the care hospitals are the only ones that can do opposition come to order and the simple procedures can be done in community clinics where they can be done more quickly in a timely and convenient way they can go for bill 60 so that we can help people back to the premier waiting for surgery has left Grace in chronic pain her mental health is suffering she is socially isolated from her peers she's about to start high school such an important time for a young person no one should be left to suffer like this Grace's quality of life is deteriorating physically, mentally and socially all because she can't get surgery that she needs will the premier do what will the premier do to make sure that young people like Grace for whom this age is so formative do not have to wait indefinitely to live their lives free of pain, free of stress and in isolation Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and we agree Grace should not have to wait and that is why we're taking all the steps to make sure we clear the surgical backlog and do better than that to make sure people like Grace do not have to wait but can get timely care we've made a lot of specific investments into pediatric care and pediatric care including very recently including sick kids Chio, McMaster, all of the children's hospitals and we will contend to make sure that people get the care they need in a timely way If you would support Bill 60 we might see some progress here in Ontario on reducing the backlog so please vote with us today to support Bill 60 to make sure that care is timely and convenient for all Ontarians The next question the member for Scarborough Centre Thank you Thank you Mr. Speaker My question is to the Minister of Children Community and Social Services All children and youths deserve to live happy and healthy lives However, for children and youth with complex needs and for their family it can be difficult for them to access the care and service they need Every situation is different and every child deserves to have the care and support that meets their individual needs Speaker, can the Minister please explain what the government is doing to service for youths and children with complex needs Thank you Thanks very much Speaker and I want to thank my colleague from Scarborough Centre for the great question and really for the remarkable job that he's doing for his constituents in Scarborough Speaker, as I've said many times in this House this government will not leave anyone behind will continue to support children and youth with complex needs with the specialised care that's necessary to help them live the best life possible We supported this commitment by launching our integrated pathway for children and youth with extensive needs pilot to help children and youth with complex special needs We're investing 97 million over three years at three major hospitals in Toronto, in Hamilton and in Ottawa to connect children and youth to highly individualised and special care that's designed for them and will continue to look for ways to improve every single life of every single Ontarian across this province including our children and our youth Let's have a romantic question Thank you Mr Speaker It's good news that our government is finding solutions that connects family and children with complex needs to the care that they need There are many children and youth in Ontario with complex needs These young people and their family face many struggles every day They deserve to be connected with health care and social services providers at hospitals and community agencies Mr Speaker Can the minister please explain how this program will support children and youth in our province Thank you Mr Children's Community and Social Services Thanks very much Speaker Gladly and again I thank my colleague for the question Speaker families participating in this program will be connected to a team of professionals who will work with them to provide a tailored support based experience that focuses on their child's unique needs Services like medication adjustments personalised behaviour support plans, mental health assessment and treatment and Speaker we know parents need support as well which is why we offer programs that are counselling programs for parents and caregivers Mr Speaker We have also included a specialised assistance to help children and youth build skills such as communication and self-regulation Speaker this government under the leadership of this premier will always stand up for children, youth and families across the province and we will continue to take action to ensure every single person in this province Mr Speaker has the support they need Thank you Speaker My question to the minister of health In March your government eliminated the physician and hospital services for uninsured persons program I've been contacted by bent wives in my community pleading for restoration of that program they've dealt with pregnant residents of this province who faced life threatening conditions and needed that program you've made public statements that such women would be able to receive care under other programs I want to tell you midwives have made it clear to me that there are no alternative sources and their patients are facing the fear of crippling medical debt will you restore the program in order to avoid unnecessary suffering and needless debt Thank you very much Mr Speaker and thank you the member opposite for the question as we said the program was a COVID program when people could not travel now that people can move around the province the program is no longer necessary but the only thing that has changed is for the way the government reimburses hospitals and physicians for that kind of care and from the patients point of view care will be available when they need it at hospitals and in physicians offices Supplementary question Speaker again to the Minister of Health that is not what the midwives are finding that is not what they are finding give you an example I was told by a local midwife about a woman who after suffering a complication from this carriage was avoiding going to the hospital out of fear of medical debt if this woman had not been convinced to go to the ER by her midwives when the program was in operation she would have likely hemorrhaged and died at home because of her fear of medical debt this is one of a number of cases I've been told about these are tragedies just waiting to happen why won't you act to prevent these tragedies Thank you very much Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank the member opposite this government is acting to make sure that healthcare is delivered in a timely way to everyone in Ontario for a decade the NDP propped up the Liberals while they created the longest healthcare wait times in Ontario's history they sat idly by while the Liberals fired 1600 nurses froze healthcare spending reduced medical school spots on this side of the house we're taking action to the care they need the former Liberal Premier propped up by the NDP admitted to freezing hospital spending for years and in 2015 eliminated 50 medical residency positions from Ontario that means 50 less doctors in 2019 100 less doctors in 2020 150 less doctors in Ontario in 2021 and 200 less doctors in 2018 this year that would have meant 250 doctors we now don't have because of decisions made by that government a member from Markham-Corn Hill Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism every day Ontario welcome individual and families from many countries around the world who have arrived here in our province to make Ontario their home we are proud to welcome so many talented skill working individual who are helping to build a strong Ontario in my riding of Markham-Corn Hill I can think of many individuals and families who are built happy and successful lives here diversity our province businesses communities and social network to grow and thrive old people who come here Ontario deserve to be respected no matter where they come from Mr. Speaker can the Minister please explain how our government is supporting diverse and inclusive community across Ontario Thank you Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank you for the incredible member from Markham-Corn Hill for the question you are absolutely correct Ontario strength is in our diversity we are home to many vibrant and successful communities for generations newcomers from around the world have been calling Ontario home they see it as a place where they can pursue their dreams and create a brighter future for themselves and their families Mr. Speaker they have played an integral part of our social and economic growth of our province and we invite making Ontario the incredible place it is today just this last month alone we saw a brilliant and vibrant celebrations such as Sea Carrotage Month, Tartan Day Easter, Passover Ramadan, Eid and Puthandu and this month Mr. Speaker we are celebrating Asian Jewish, Dutch and Polish communities our government will always be a champion for Ontarians from different backgrounds, regions and beliefs. We will continue to work to build a stronger more inclusive Ontario where people from all walks of life have every opportunity Thank you Mr. Speaker Thank you Mr. Speaker for that response and for that success of these communities and the Ontario Remind a top destination for those seeking new opportunities last year alone we welcome a record number of newcomers to province that will help secure Ontario future for years to come with the on-coil labour shortage in many sectors there are many jobs available but newcomers and people in diverse communities need to support access these opportunities Mr. Speaker Can the minister please explain how our government is supporting all Ontarians providing them with the opportunity to succeed Thank you Mr. Speaker I am glad that the member asked that question because across every part of our government we are working around the clock to build a stronger Ontario for all people who choose to make Ontario home I know that the minister of finance development, job creation and trade are working to create jobs and build a resilient economy the minister of labour, immigration training and skills development are helping people get the skills and training they need to find good paying jobs the minister of municipal affairs and housing is working to meet our goal of building 1.5 million homes to help newcomers and all Ontarians find an affordable home and many more are working to get to build highways, transit and infrastructure to support our growing province Mr. Speaker, our government will continue to help people, families workers and businesses today building a stronger Ontario for tomorrow Thank you very much Mr. Speaker my questions for the premier this is the headline regarding agency nurses in Ontario and I quote it's going to bankrupt healthcare in Ontario as Ontario's hospitals grapple with the staffing crisis critics warn that the rising reliance of temp agencies is not financially sustainable Erin Aras who is here with us today she's the new Ontario nursing association president she's also an emergency nurse at Grand River Hospital in KW and this is what she has to say and I quote as a nurse in a unionized position I would often make half of what an agency nurse would make in some cases they would make three times what we would make there are 43 days until the bill 24 appeal is decided this government continues to fight unconstitutional legislation in the courts it is never too late to do the right thing will you respect nurses in the province of Ontario and the bill 60 scheme that actually removes nurses and poaches nurses from the healthcare system to apply to minister of health well speaker with the greatest of respect the member opposite is not saying things that are accurate bill 60 will actually improve community and surgical centres in the province of Ontario why because we don't have to wait in an ordinary amount of time for their surgeries it's important that people have access to these community surgical centres whether it is in their local hospital and speaker I have the honour of actually visiting the Grand River hospital last week and some of the innovation that they've been able to do in very creative ways working with partners in community speaks to why it is so important that bill 60 passes in the province of Ontario where all of the other innovations that are happening whether it is the 50 plus projects new builds that are happening in the province of Ontario whether it is in the learn and stay program led by thank you very much that concludes our question period for this morning I understand the Premier has a point of order I just wanted to thank everyone for coming out on Saturday what a huge success I want to thank the staff I want to thank the Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Culture that you put this together and you can just see the success when thousands and thousands Mr. Speaker I think after two or three hours one of the beef farmers or pork farmers they said they handed out over 10,000 hot dogs or hamburgers we need to do this more often put the politics aside and work for the community and I want to thank the opposition both three opposition parties I know I saw some of them come by but again Mr. Speaker I just want to thank everyone for the collaboration thank you pursuant to standing order 30A the member for Ottawa West has given notice of her dissatisfaction with the answer to her question given by the Minister of Health concerning access to publicly funded operating rooms in Ottawa and private members public business we have a deferred vote on a motion for closure on the motion for third reading of Bill 60 an act to amend and enact various acts with respect to the health system calling the members this is a five minute bell