 It is now time for oral questions, and I recognize the leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Good morning, good morning, Speaker. Happy International Women's Day. Another day and another report showing this government's complete failure to address Ontario's health care needs. At nearly every turn, this government chose not to help Ontarians when they needed it most. Today's report from the Independent Financial Accountability Office shows that this government could have kept people, 107,000 people from waiting in pain. They could have protected our loved ones in long-term care. They could have kept emergency rooms open for when people so desperately needed them. And Speaker, there were 145 unplanned emergency room closures last year. This government chose not to. Speaker, to the Premier, will the Premier admit his government underfunded health care as an excuse to sell it off? To the Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, to the floor. I won't, because the numbers in fact show that since 2018 we have increased health funding in the province of Ontario. 514 billion dollars. The Financial Accountability Officer is actually showing that the status quo doesn't work and cannot work into the future. Imagine for a minute, Speaker, if we had a Liberal government or an NDP government when they were empowered that chose not, that decided not to close residency spots. In the case of the Liberal government, over 50 new physicians would be practicing in the province of Ontario if they hadn't made that decision in 2015. We are making the investments, we are making those increases, and I am incredibly proud of the work that we've been able to do in a very short period of time. 3,500 new hospital beds in the province of Ontario since we took power. And those beds are serving people safely with caring and compassionate staff that will continue to be there when we need them. Supplementary question. Speaker, the government can rattle off all the numbers they want. I'll share one number from this report with them. Order. Order. 3 billion dollar funding shortfall for healthcare. There's a number. The fact is that people are feeling the effects of this crisis across this province every day. The FAO report shows that the Conservatives ideological push towards a two-tier healthcare scheme is going to fail Ontarians, it's failing them now. There is still not enough hospital beds and not nearly enough staff to keep them in use. That's in your plans. No real plan to reduce wait lists. Even more emergency room closures are coming and will still be 30,000 PSWs short. So my question to the Premier again is will this government abandon their plans to divert public dollars away from our hospitals and into the hands of private shareholders? I have to ask if the member opposite the leader of the official opposition will join me in congratulating hospital providers, hospital leaders across Ontario who have successfully decreased our surgery backlog to before pre-pandemic. That is a success. We need to make sure that we were pre-pandemic surgeries by the end of March because of healthcare workers' hospitals stepping up making those investments. We've actually achieved that goal earlier this month. I am incredibly proud of the 50 new hospitals. The hospital builds expansions, renovations that are happening right now in the province of Ontario. We're making those investments because we absolutely understand that we need to be prepared for a population that continues to grow in the province of Ontario and an aging population. The final supplementary. You know what? The Minister wants to celebrate International Women's Day. Repeal Bill 124. The Conservatives can say that nobody is going to have to pay for healthcare. They're praying that their plan is going to work, but this report tells a different story. And they have a terrible track record, Speaker. Why should anybody trust them? Because, after all, this is the same government that said they'd never carve up the green belt. They said there was going to be no crisis in healthcare and that they'd never privatise it. The people of this province deserve a government that they can trust to put their needs first. The facts in this report speak for themselves. Speaker, to the Premier, will this government put patients ahead of profits? Please take a seat. Minister of Health. We are already seeing some innovation that is making a difference in the lives of people who are waiting for surgeries, who want to be back with their family at their job in their community. In December, 49 new MRIs were announced, operational funding in the province of Ontario, including, Speaker, hospitals that had never had an MRI before, like the Collingwood Marine General. We have invested and we will continue to invest because we want people to have access to those diagnostic opportunities, those surgical clinics in community. And when we make those investments, we see hospitals and hospital workers stepping up and doing the right thing. And I have to highlight and congratulate, you know, Blue Water Health, the member from Sonia Lampeden, 10 new hospital specialist doctors are starting. That's where we see we're actually making a difference on the ground and in community. Here, here. Thank you. The next question, once again, the Leader of the Opposition. There are 107,000 people waiting in pain and this government sat on $21 billion in healthcare funding. That's just shameful. Order. Speaker, I want to wish everyone in this house, especially the women, a happy International Women's Day again. And I am reflecting on how far women and gender diverse people have come and how far we have to go. Nurses and personal support workers have been lauded by this government for their heroism. They hold up our healthcare system. They take care of our loved ones and they're predominantly women. But this government is fighting them in court over the right to suppress their wages. Shameful. My question to the Premier is will he drop his wasteful appeal of his government's legislated wage gap? Bill 124. The President of the Treasury Board. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to absolutely thank the incredible work that our healthcare heroes are doing across this pandemic into today. Mr. Speaker, that is why, as a province, we launched the largest health human resources, recruiting and training program ever by any government. That is why nearly 12,000 nurses were registered last year to record high for any province. For this province, we have continued to make historic investments into ensuring that our healthcare human resources, our healthcare workers are supported by this government. And in fact, Mr. Speaker, the members opposite have voted against each and every single one of those measures. We will continue to do whatever we can to support healthcare workers across Ontario. Supplementary. Well, I guess that's a no, Speaker. It's very unfortunate, but it's not just nurses and personal support workers. It's education workers in this province who have faced a similar sexist fight with this government. 70% of CUPI's education workers are women, and more than half of them were working additional jobs to make ends meet. Instead of giving them a fair wage, this government used the notwithstanding clause against them like a sledgehammer, until they were forced to learn an important lesson, I think, this government, that women. Women will not back down. We will not back down. My question to the Premier is, will he stop holding down women's wages? Women's social and economic development. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are getting more women into jobs more than ever before. We are investing heavily in employment training and support so women have access to in-demand skills and opportunities. In fact, we've seen an increase just in December alone of gains for women in full-time employment of up to 63,000. So we are building Ontario and women are at the forefront of that. But Mr. Speaker, I think what the members opposite may be failing to understand is that in order for women to have access to the support, to be in a healthy mindset, to get jobs, to maintain jobs, they need to feel smarter. And Mr. Speaker, women are not feeling safe, mainly because they don't have a safe home to go to. We are working to build homes faster in Ontario, Mr. Speaker. Many women are staying in shelters longer because they don't have places to go in order. We've heard this in shelters across Ontario, been to Hastings, Oakville, Burlington. They're saying the same thing. So Mr. Speaker, if the members opposite really want to support women and put women's safety and priority first, they'll support Bill 23, our government's attack. I'd note, Mr. Speaker, they never addressed the wage gap, which was my question. So that's a no. No to women who are working in the jobs that make our communities work. No to the women that care for our children. No to the women that care for the sick and the elderly. And no to every woman who does the same job as a man, because still women in this province are earning 70% of what men are. You fought the midwives. You refused the call to raise the minimum wage that so many women in this province rely on. You've stalled progress on pay equity and pay transparency. Again, to the Premier, will you stop fighting women who just want what's fair? Make your comments through the Chair, the Associate Minister, once again to reply. The government is dedicated to supporting equal pay for equal value, for work of equal value. And that is why we've been working diligently on empowering women and providing women with the supports to make sure they have all the resources to enter and re-enter the workforce. We're also breaking barriers for women so that they feel free to enter male dominated jobs. Opposition, come to work. The ones in skilled trades, STEM, and you know, we know those jobs pay well. Our government introduced the supporting retention in Public Services Act to ensure that existing pay equity gaps are not widened and to help employers meet their obligation when it comes to equal pay for equal work. So I would like to say that we also have the Pay Equity Office to ensure that we have functioning and strong complaint systems. Mr. Speaker, wraparound supports, job training, entrepreneur supports. We're making investments, women are at the forefront of the post-pandemic economy, and we're seeing women get into jobs more than ever before. Well, so much. Next question, the members of St. Thomas. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. I have tabled a motion today that will have a great impact for people across this province. It is time that Ontario takes an important step towards gender and reproductive equality and commits to covering prescription contraceptive care under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan. We need to guarantee access to contraceptive care at no cost for anyone who needs it. This will ensure better gender equality and lead to better health outcomes. It will lower barriers to access, enable people to make better decisions about their health and family planning. It is my sincere hope that this government will support this motion today on International Women's Day. Will the government follow British Columbia's lead and introduce a no-cost prescription contraception policy for all residents in Ontario? Good question. Minister of Health. Thank you, Speaker. I look forward to reviewing the member opposite's motion. We obviously are looking very closely at what British Columbia has proposed. Look, I'm a firm believer in when there are good ideas, when there are innovative ideas. I am always willing to talk and have those conversations to see if and when it is appropriate. As the member opposite would know, many private members' bills from across all parties have been passed in the last session and in this session. We will continue to see whether there is validity and where we can work together on important issues like women's productive health. Thank you. And the supplementary question. Member for Scarborough, South West. Thank you very much, Speaker. Speaker, access to contraception is healthcare and offering anything other than publicly funded access is not good enough. While other provinces across the country are leading that change, lack of action from our government will make Ontario fall behind. We know the reality, Speaker. Study after study points out that existing coverage for contraceptives leaves low-income individuals, especially women from marginalized communities behind. While this change comes at a small cost to the province, the difference it will make in the lives of those impacted will be immense. Speaker, today is International Women's Day. And all of us in the House are focused on the important issue of gender equity. So my question is, will you commit, will this government commit to ensuring universal access to contraception in the upcoming budget? Thank you very much. Thank you. So I'm not sure that you heard my previous answer, but I said I am happy to take a look at and make an assessment on whether this is something that Ontario should be moving forward in. And look, our record proves very aggressively that when there are new opportunities, like the Cystic Fibrosis Drug, it was actually the province of Ontario that was the first to put it on the drug formula. Luckily, another drug that as recently as last week, we have ensured that a very limited number of very important treatment is available for individuals who are suffering from blindness. We are there with patience to make sure that as innovations happen, as we can move forward on changes that are impacting people's health and people's lives, we are absolutely going to be there. Thank you, Speaker. The next question, the member for Brampton North. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Transportation. Great Minister. For the people of my riding at Brampton North, access to reliable and convenient public transit must be a priority. People of all ages and from all walks of life rely on public transit for themselves, their families and for their livelihoods. The people of our province expect transit networks to be stable and efficient. Our government must continue to deliver on its commitment to expanding Ontario's public transit system to meet local community needs. We know where the NDP stand. They vote no time and time again as our government works to get shovels in the ground and build the transit our communities desperately need. Speaker, can the Minister please explain where our government stands and how we are making critical investments in public transit that will strengthen communities and support economic growth? Minister of Transportation. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member for Brampton North for the important question. Speaker, commuters deserve nothing less than a transit system that will get them where they need to go every day. That's why in February I was thrilled to announce that our government is investing over $379 million for public transit in 107 municipalities across Ontario. What does this mean for the people of Brampton, Mr. Speaker? It means that we're providing over $16 million to support public transit in the City of Brampton alone. The funding can be used to extend service hours, buy new buses, add routes, improve accessibility, or upgrade infrastructure for local public transit services including Brampton Transit and Zoom. Speaker, our government is providing municipalities with the supports that they need to succeed. We're investing in public transit across Ontario including in the great City of Brampton. Back to the member for Brampton North. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for her response and a little louder for those around the great City of Brampton. This news is welcome news that our government is so significantly investing in public transit as we know Brampton is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. As more people turn to public transit, there's no disputing that now is the time to invest in this key infrastructure. The gas tax funding will help to ensure that communities have the resources they need to continue to deliver safe and reliable transit service. And after 15 years of neglect from the previous Liberal government backed by the NDP, it is essential now that all governments work collaboratively together to provide the quality of transit service that our communities so rightly deserve. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how our government is working with our municipal partners in supporting effective public transit? Thank you, Speaker. Well, as the member notes, ensuring that people can get to work, home, to medical services when they need to, it's more than just a luxury. It's an essential service. We've heard from municipalities that they need our continued support after the last few challenging years. And so we've been there to help them every step of the way. Speaker, to further support municipalities like the City of Brampton, we're providing a one-time additional top-up of $80 million, included in this year's funding through the gas tax program. This will allow Brampton to accommodate its growing population and its increasing ridership while supporting economic growth in the city. Speaker, with more people returning to public transit, now is the time to invest in this critical infrastructure. Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we're getting it done. Thank you, Speaker. 689,000 people in Ontario have eating disorders and they disproportionately impact women and girls. Sherry is one of them. Sherry has been waiting for a publicly funded adult inpatient bed since 2021. Why? Because there are only 20 publicly funded beds in Ontario. People who cannot afford to pay $30,000, $50,000, $60,000 for private care, Speaker, are dying on waitlists. Last we spoke, she was still on a waitlist that was closed. Speaker, I don't want Sherry to die. My question is to the Premier. Will this government increase adult ED beds, address the specialized staff shortage, make the temporary 14 pediatric beds permanent, and create billing codes to ensure ED survivors and families aren't paying out of pocket for the physical and mental health care they so desperately need? Thank you. The Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member opposite for that question. She and I have had many discussions about eating disorders and the work that needs to be done. And Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, COVID-19 saw a surge in severe eating disorders among children and youth due to increased isolation, school disruption, and social media exposure, as well as to adults. The AG report in 2016 showed that the Liberals spent $10 million to send 127 kids to the United States for eating disorder treatment. We spent $16.5 million, and we spend that annually to make sure that they can be treated closer to home right here in the province. Our investments are building and supporting treatments and beds and spaces across Ontario. $8.1 million, seven beds at CHEO, five at SickHids, two at McMaster, $11.1 million annually for 20 treatment spaces in underserved communities like Southbury, North Bay, and Sault Ste. Marie. Mr. Speaker, we are making investments to ensure that anyone that needs support in the province of Ontario gets it where and when they— Thank you very much. Please supplement your question to the member for Niagara Center. Speaker, through to the Minister of Health, Jane Wigmore, a retired OBGYN nurse from Port Coburn, reached out to my office concerned about the unacceptable four-month wait for PAP test results. She said it is of the utmost importance for women to get their results as soon as possible because the chances of survival depend on early detection so that treatment for diseases like cancer can begin as soon as possible. Jane would like to know, is it acceptable to this Minister that women in this province are waiting over four months for the results of a PAP test? Thank you, Speaker. No, I don't think it's acceptable. I think that as we get diagnostic imaging and as we get diagnosis and information and community, we need to get those tests back quickly so that if and when there is further intervention that is necessary, that is available quickly. We all understand, I'm sure the member opposite understands that the faster that a person has access to treatment and testing, the faster that they can move forward on their diagnosis and treating it. I have been working closely with our lab partners to make sure that they have a plan to ensure that those tests that are taking frankly too long to come back are expedited so that we can get appropriate care in Ontario. Thank you. The next question is for Eglinton Lawrence. My question is for the extraordinary Attorney General of Ontario. Ensuring our courts and justice system are up to date and modern is essential for a properly functioning justice system. Our government and the Attorney General in particular has overseen a tremendous transformation in how courts function in Ontario. There are many modernisation achievements. Last week our government announced the long-awaited opening of a new courthouse in downtown Toronto. The project has been in development for over nine years and replaces six justice buildings. Individuals are interested in how this new consolidated building will impact the delivery of judicial and court services. Mr. Speaker, can the Attorney General please elaborate on how this new courthouse will provide improved justice services going forward? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank the excellent member from Eglinton Lawrence and although I'm just the regular Attorney General, I'll answer the question nonetheless. Mr. Speaker, by building, upgrading and modernising our infrastructure, including the ways we deliver justice, we're ensuring that Ontario is built to last. Today and for the future, I'm honoured to talk about the new Toronto Courthouse, a modern accessible state-of-the-art building. It brings together criminal courts from throughout Toronto, 73 judicial hearing rooms, modern technology that allows for virtual and hybrid hearings in every courtroom, and an upgraded security feature throughout the building. It's truly a courthouse of the future, Mr. Speaker. The new Toronto Courthouse is designed to support victims and accommodate the unique needs of drug treatment, Ladoo, and youth and mental health courts. Mr. Speaker, it was our government, it was this infrastructure minister, it was this premier that got the courthouse of the future built. I'm very proud to stand with my colleagues at this moment. The supplementary question. Thank you to the Attorney General for his response, although I am very impressed with the transformation we've seen in our court system and that's why I'm such a big fan. Unfortunately, the previous Liberal government did little really to improve and modernise our court system that was outdated, bureaucratic and frankly inconvenient. It is essential that our government provide leadership and implement a new strategy that brings Ontario's justice system into the 21st century. Our government must focus on creating modern court services for Ontarians that work for them, especially in an increasingly digital and accessible world. Speaker, could the Attorney General please explain how this new courthouse is accessible and better serves all Ontarians? The Attorney General. Mr. Speaker, our government rose to the challenge of modernising Ontario's courts, breaking down barriers, transforming access to the justice system in Ontario, and it's all part of our plan to change the culture of the system, to identify the best path forward and to fix the problems that affect Ontarians and how they access justice in Ontario. We call this strategy justice accelerated and it has informed our work in the last few years as we deliver a better justice system for everyone in Ontario. Whether it was tens of millions invested in virtual and hybrid hearings or the new Toronto Courthouse, it has been our government delivering for this province through transformation of the justice system. Mr. Speaker, the new Toronto Courthouse is an embodiment of this strategy. We are harnessing the power of technology, accessibility and state-of-the-art design. We are providing justice while housing essential social services and providing supports to protect victims. Mr. Speaker. Response? When the opening of the new Toronto Courthouse, we are once again showing that Ontario will simply not let the justice system remain status quo. We are getting it done. The next question is for the Premier. Every day, women in this province are expected to step up and fill a gap left by this government. A mother recently reached out to my office because she had to leave her job as a teacher to care for her child with autism. She was forced to switch careers, take on financial barriers and become a behavioural therapist so she could actually give her child the services that she could not get in Ontario. A parent should be able to be a parent. They should not have to become a service provider that this government is not providing. The Premier and his government seem to be okay with mothers having to step up and run their own program. Can the Premier tell us if this is the new expectation for mothers in Ontario? Mr. Children, Community and Social Services. Thank you, Speaker, and happy International Women's Day to the member opposite. Our government doubled the Ontario Autism Program budget. Nearly five times as many children are receiving services than under the previous government. That's approximately 40,000 children receiving services. The reality is we are in constant communication with families, with people across Ontario about autism. And the fact that we are improving this system from what it was before. About 75 to 66% of families and youth and children with autism were not going to get any service under the previous government's efforts. And that was supported by the NDP. So I'm questioning why you didn't speak up earlier. This is something that our government, under the previous government, you did not take the action necessary to create a better program. Our government is doing that and will continue to do it. Supplementary question, Member for Parkdale High Park. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Ontario has a serious problem in recruiting and retaining staff in licensed childcare centres. The wages of childcare educators who are overwhelmingly women are not competitive with other occupations that require college education. To have enough educators to offer good quality care, there is no real alternative to raising the wages. Simple as that. The Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario has urged the Conservative Government to develop and implement a province-wide salary scale for registered ECEs and childcare staff to address recruitment and retention issues. On International Women's Day, will the Premier commit to that? Thank you very much, Speaker. I appreciate the question from the member, because as the member knows, and as all colleagues will know, that since the start, since 2018, we knew that we had to rebuild the province of Ontario, and that, of course, included childcare. The member will know that we were left with a system that was completely unaffordable, that people could not access. Across the province, it was unequal. We couldn't bring people into the system. And what we did, Mr. Speaker, is that we worked with our partners at the federal level to ensure that Ontario had made an Ontario program that brought fees down for all of the people of the province of Ontario, so that parents, families could afford childcare. What does that mean? It means that families have options. More people can get back into the workforce, including women, Mr. Speaker. But we went a step further, Speaker. We are consulting with childcare ECE workers across the province of Ontario because we know how important they are. We can't succeed if they don't succeed, Mr. Speaker. And that's why we're also making sure that the program that we fought for in the province of Ontario, that this Premier, this Minister of Education, ensure that we had a better program than anywhere else in the country, Mr. Speaker. Unfortunately, we voted against it, but we're getting... Thank you. Next question. The member for Beaches East York. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. The Greater Toronto Hockey League is a non-profit organization comprised of many hockey teams providing youth with the opportunity to participate in Canada's official winter sport. The GTHL is part of the Ontario Hockey Federation, the governing body of amateur hockey in Ontario, and a provincial sports organization that receives operational funding from the province. Parents teach their kids that team sports are a great way to have fun and learn important skills that last a lifetime. And that's what parents buy into when they invest in their kids, these teams and the league financially. However, we are seeing... What we are seeing is that non-profit teams within the GTHL are quietly being sold and bought under the cover of darkness for millions of dollars. Mr. Speaker, can the Premier tell us what kind of financial oversights are in place for the provincial sports organization they govern, including the GTHL? Respond, Mr. Tourism, Culture and Sport. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the question and I couldn't agree with you more with respect when it comes to our youth in sport. One of the biggest drivers for the development of young people is sport. Wondering how to deal with people, teammates, understanding the direction, understanding that things aren't easy and they've got to work through things. Now, when we talk about the funding of the PSOs, which we do in a very successful way in Ontario, we allow them to get better at the levels they want to, that they need to provide the services that they provide. You asked about oversight. We don't feel a need at this point to go into the books to find out what every minor hockey, football, soccer organization does. But if there's a problem, we will look into it. But at this point, it's only speculation, so I can't get into that right now with specifics. But I will tell you, our ministry supports minor sport with all the right reasons and will continue to do so in the province of Ontario. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. These transactions should be publicly available so that parents and players can understand where the proceeds are going and who is benefiting. The finances for the OHF and GTHL can be found on their websites. But unfortunately, this is not the case for the not-profit organizations within the GTHL. The largest minor hockey league in the world with 500 teams and over 40,000 players. It's a huge part of my community in Beaches East York. Even my husband was a coach and my son a player. Parents want their children to be healthy, happy, safe and active. They trust when they provide them with an opportunity to participate in Canada's game that there will be transparency and accountability. Will the Premier show Ontario taxpayers, parents and kids the respect they deserve and shed light on these significant transactions because it's not clear who is benefiting and parents want to know? Will the Premier help us follow the money trail? Minister of Tourism and Culture and Sport. Speaker, again, thanks for the question. It's an interesting one as a parent and as a guy who coached in the Burlington Rapp Hockey System for about 20 years and other associations around Ontario in minor sports. And I found that when I had meetings with parents on all fronts, whether it was with the organization or about how we were teaching and directing our young people in regards of the sport and they wanted to take it past the ice surface or the field that questions should be directed at the organization if there are concerns on how the organization is being run. So I'd suggest to those parents, as I would do myself as a parent, that if I have concerns, I'd be calling to the office of the GTHL. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Infrastructure. Under the leadership of the Premier and this Minister, our government continues to deliver on our commitment to actively build infrastructure projects in communities across the province. The essential work being done by the provinces' construction sector is critically important. Yet they are encouraging, encountering some challenges. Within the current economic climate, it is all but certain the project cost could escalate due to a number of external factors. Nevertheless, it is essential that our government continues to prioritize projects that modernize our province's public assets. For the good of Ontario's economic prosperity, job creation and the health and well-being of Ontarians, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how our government investing in infrastructure projects while navigating the effect of the global economic uncertainty? The Minister of Infrastructure. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the member for the question. Challenges such as inflation, rising costs of products, materials, supply chain disruptions are all real challenges that we're facing here in Ontario, but also across the world. Our government as a team made a decision to face these challenges head on and forge ahead and continue to build Ontario. Last week, we updated the P3 pipeline, which includes 38 major infrastructure projects, which include an estimated value of $35 billion. Mr. Speaker, there's some good news here. Two projects previously in pre-procurement now have gone to the market where builders can make their submissions to infrastructure Ontario. The Garden City Skyway Twinning in Niagara Project as well as the Ottawa Civic Hospital, one of our largest, our larger hospital expansion projects. Mr. Speaker, this is not a time to hesitate or delay. It is a time to build Ontario. That's your question. Thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, as the population continues to grow in my riding, it is critical that we build the necessary services to support their needs. Transit, highways, schools and long-term care projects are important to the families and the people of my community. Under the previous liberal government, investments in expanding transit and improving healthcare facilities were not a priority. Sadly, the communities in my riding of the Scarborough Aging Court were left behind, as were many other across the province. People deserve better, and they are counting on our government to strengthen Ontario's communities by investing in critical infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how our government is delivering on the promise of building public infrastructure that supports the local needs of communities? Thank you to the member, but Mr. Speaker, can I take a second to wish my parliamentary assistant, the MPP, from Scarborough Rouge Park a very happy birthday today? Very close to his heart, Mr. Speaker. Another P3 pipeline update is the Scarborough Subway extension. We are now taking that contract off the pipeline because it has been awarded the stations, rail and systems contract. And this will now go into the partnership phase where there will be a 12 to 18 month period where the contract owner, the province of Ontario, as well as the selected builder will work collaboratively to address risk and price. And I know how excited the people of Scarborough were when Minister Mulroney, the Minister of Transportation was there in the new year to turn on that tunnel boring machine which is drilling below the ground in Scarborough. Mr. Speaker, we have a lot to celebrate and we will continue to build Ontario. Next question, Member for Toronto, Senator. Thank you, Speaker. Since June 2022, frontline advocates have reached out to this government about the Renfrew recommendations. This is arising from the 2015 triple femicide, which included an implementation committee to make sure that all recommendations there would actually be carried forward to end intimate partner violence. Those requests have gone unanswered. Speaker, again to the Premier, yes or no, will this government use its political voice and commit to today the number one recommendation from that inquest and declare intimate partner violence an epidemic? Thank you, Minister of Women's Social and Economic. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I really do feel for the community of Renfrew and their families and friends who were impacted by the loss of those three souls. And in particular, the member from Renfrew has been actively working with the community to ensure that things are progressing. And I do want to thank the members who participated in the inquest. It was not an easy inquest to participate in, but they persevered and provided our government with some valuable recommendations that we are reviewing. On February 10th, we provided part one of our response to the recommendations and that response was quite comprehensive. It gave a full overview of what the government has been doing so far. Mr. Speaker, I have been working across different levels of government, across government to make sure we're implementing programs to keep women safe. For example, we had the opportunity to announce the pilot project in the Peel region with the Solicitor General. That pairs police officers with social workers to respond to intimate partner violence calls and de-escalate the situation and connect individuals to resources and supports. There are many things we're doing and we're going to keep pushing forward to ensure women are safe. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. If women are to leave their abusers, we need investment in shelters, in safe, non-ghettoized housing. And we need to double social assistance rates. When women don't have access to enough money to live on or safe places to go, they can't escape their abusers. Will this government increase funding to shelters, increase safe, affordable housing? And here I want to digress a little bit because the kind of housing that's available right now is ghettoized. And that means that women in those places are targeted by gangs and their places are taken over. They are not safe spaces. They are not safe. So to continue, we need that safe housing and we need to double social assistance rates. So will the government commit to increasing funding? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I agree completely with the member opposite that we need safe housing for women. But Mr. Speaker, women are not feeling safe because they are left to go back to their abusive homes when they go to a shelter and they're full. Mr. Speaker, women are staying in shelters longer because there's no housing stock and the transitional supportive housing workers that our government funded are all saying the same thing to us. There's no place to move women. So we need to build more homes in Ontario. So Mr. Speaker, if we're really going to put women's safety and make it a priority, we need to support the initiatives, our governance making, the Minister for Municipal Affairs of Housing and the Associate Minister of Housing, our premier government to build more homes faster. Will they support Bill 23 so we can get this done to get women into safe houses? The next question. The member for Sault Ste. Marie. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And my question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development. There's so much to enjoy and discover in our communities across all of Northern Ontario, Speaker. Unfortunately, the previous government propped up by the NDP failed to recognize the North for the importance of its vast resources as well as the ways in which Northern communities contribute to our economic and cultural well-being here in Ontario. In short, they ignored opportunities to build infrastructure, to create jobs and to show the North the respect that it deserved. This week, the Developers Association of Canada held their annual conference here in Toronto. This mineral exploration and mining convention draws large attendance from across the sector for the purposes of information sharing and networking. Speaker, can the Minister please provide information about how our government is partnering and supporting Northern Ontario businesses as part of this conference and all the opportunities that will stem from that? Mr. Northern Development Minister of Indigenous Affairs. Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank the member from Sault Ste. Marie for the great work he does there. It's steel manufacturing capital of Northern Ontario and increasingly for mining. Thanks for your work, Ross. I appreciate it. Mr. Speaker, the prospectors and developers Association of Canada hosts the largest global mining conference the world over, Mr. Speaker. And no doubt, for sure, our Minister of Mines has been very busy. But there's an important narrative developing on the floor of PDAC, Mr. Speaker. The Northern Ontario Mining Showcase and it narrates a story about what's really happening on the ground in Northern Ontario. The need for Northern Ontario development investments, Mr. Speaker, that are targeted at companies in the service and supply sector, Mr. Speaker. They don't just work in mining. They work across resources, Mr. Speaker. But they tell a story an exciting one at that about how our businesses are transforming our communities and our economic support, Mr. Speaker, promoting Ontario's Northern development. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that response. It is encouraging to learn about all the positive outcomes and collaboration between our government and Northern leaders that came as a result of this conference. In fact, the Minister and I were just present with the great member for Thunder Bay Atticoke yesterday and we're really seeing how the mining industry is really a catalyst to emerging research, job creation and economic development throughout Northern Ontario. And while mineral exploration and mining are a key focus when it comes to opportunities in Northern Ontario, our government must continue to ensure that our communities remain strong. Our Northern communities deserve support in order to build capacity that is needed to deal with the growth that comes from new and emerging mineral extractions. Please explain how the prospectors and developers Association Convention was an opportunity to better showcase the central role and importance for Northern Ontario. Mr. Northern Development. Mr. Speaker, at the Northern Ontario Mining Showcase floor there's a lot of exciting activities going on, but what's important is that 80% of the booths at this showcase, Mr. Speaker, are supported by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund. These are Indigenous and non-operated businesses. Very small family businesses and in some instances some of the largest mining companies in the world. And since it's International Women's Day, maybe I'll take this opportunity to highlight and showcase an announcement I made where the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, Valais and Laurentian University joined together to support the Mining Innovation Rehabilitation Applied Research Coordinator under the leadership of Dr. Nadia Mr. Speaker, they're going to be engaging in biotech, bio-mining and bioremediation. This is exciting technology, Mr. Speaker, being done in Sudbury for the benefit of mining across the Northern Ontario. We're excited to support it, and I hope one day the member from Sudbury will actually get up and support the investments that we make in Northern Ontario, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. The next question is for London West. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The next question is to the Premier. The London Coordinating Committee to End Woman Abuse released a snapshot yesterday, showing that there were more than 10,000 domestic and sexual violence crisis calls in the London area in 2022. An increase of 54% from the year before. The vast majority of those calls were from women. Over the same period women were turned away 2,166 times from ANOVA's women's shelter because of a shortage of beds. A 62% increase from 2021. ANOVA is also seeing more severe cases of gender-based violence than ever before. Speaker, will this year's budget include the increased and stable funding that organizations like ANOVA, ATLOSA, and London Abused Women's Centre need to keep women and children safe? Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. All women deserve security and safety, and particularly that is on our thoughts on International Women's Day. Our government is constantly working to ensure that women, children, and all Ontarians can live free from fear of threats, exploitation, and violence. And we're working to prevent and address violence against women in all forms. We've made investments. We've launched programs. We've launched a new legislation aimed at ending violence against women in its many forms. And we'll continue to do that important work standing up against gender-based violence and supporting those affected by these crimes. A supplementary question. The member for Waterloo. Thank you. Back to the premier. Women's Crisis Services of Waterloo region provides life-saving, safe, and compassionate shelter and transitional housing to women and children experiencing domestic violence. In addition, they detailed the desperate need for core operational funding. Provincially that number is 60 million noting the rise in domestic violence across the province. A key ask involves transitional housing which is foundational for survivors to move out of the shelter while they're maintaining support and safety before living independently. It is crucial to addressing the bottleneck on housing wait lists and emergency shelters. Will the government to providing organizations like Women's Crisis Services with operational funding for VAW transitional housing programs in the 2023 budget because I hope that we can all agree that we should not have to fundraise in the province of Ontario to keep women and children safe. Thank you. Our government understands the importance of housing and that's why my ministry and other ministries are working across the board to understand how we can improve the lives for women and their dependents. That's why we're increasing working to increase access to safe and affordable housing, provide supports to people who have experienced homelessness during COVID-19. It's why we're investing 18.5 million dollars over three years in the transitional housing support program to support victims of domestic violence and survivors of human trafficking and find a maintained housing and it's helping them transition to independence. It also connects them to socially and culturally responsive wraparound community support like safety planning, counseling, health and wellness, education, legal and immigration services, financial resources and child care services. Our investments also include holistic, culturally responsive services for Indigenous women. We will continue this important work with the member for... Thank you very much. And the next question, the member for Thorne Hill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. I agree. Everyone can play a role in protecting our environment which is why it's so especially inspiring to see elementary students in my riding take action in cleaning up their community. Recently, the minister visited the Anthony Catholic Elementary School, a wonderful school in my riding of Thorne Hill. While there, the minister in partnership with Culter Recycle and the Earth Rangers helped launch Ontario's Battery Blitz Collection Contest. The Battery Blitz Collection Project represents a major initiative in educating consumers in Ontario and is part of a larger plan to drive battery recycling and I know because I brought them the batteries myself. Mr. Speaker, can the minister please elaborate on the initiative that are underway across our province to help keep Ontario clean and protect the environment? See the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you for the question. I was honoured to visit Thorne Hill with our incredible member from Thorne Hill and the amazing students at St. Anthony's University of Thorne Hill. Mr. Speaker, this is a challenge first of its kind across the province of Ontario where students are recycling batteries in this province. Thanks to the leadership of this Premier, this government, we're recycling more in the province of Ontario. You know the saying, recycle, reuse, reduce? Well, it's inspiring to look in the faces of our next generation for them to go home, to talk about all the things that we've done and listen about kids who are recycling. Like, come on. Speaker, I don't want to clip this. I just want kids to recycle and thanks to Premier Ford and this government we're recycling more. Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the minister's response and for all the positive work that he does. So it's encouraging that programs such as the Battery Blitz Collection contest can help students to form lifelong habits and play positive roles in managing the environment. It is also commendable that the minister actively supports initiatives that focus on waste management and environmental protection. The previous Liberal government talked a good game about the importance of recycling programs but their words were not backed up by a realistic plan and tangible actions. In fact, under the previous Liberal government, only 30% of waste was diverted from landfills. Our government must continue to deliver in our commitment to protect the environment. Mr. Speaker can the minister please explain specific action that our government is taking to enhance recycling programs across our province. Minister of the Environment. Thank you Speaker and I'm going to send some AA batteries over to the opposition that keep the energy into their constituencies to talk to students across Ontario to participate in the Battery Blitz so that Ontario could be a national leader in recycling batteries. Again, thanks to Premier Ford's leadership we're recycling more in the province of Ontario. We've launched among the highest targets in Ontario to recycle with extended producer responsibility in the blue box. We're finding new and innovative ways to recycle more. We're recycling hazardous waste and recycling plants that create fertilizer from end-of-life batteries and innovation that would not be possible if it wasn't for our government's leadership in promoting and investing in recycling alternatives. We're standardizing what goes into the blue box and expanding its services to more communities across Ontario than ever before. Partner municipalities have been asking this for years. We're saving them hundreds of millions of dollars speaker and I'm proud to see our next generation getting so active and recycling across. Thank you very much. The next question to Member Ford, Nicol Bell. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. In 1994 the NDP brought midwifery to Ontario. We gave Ontario families access to midwives for free and we paid the midwives respectfully. After 16 years of Conservative and Liberal Government the 100,000 pay equity gap no matter the analysis that the midwives presented the Liberal and the Conservative Government refused to listen to these women. So the midwives launched multiple appeals in the courts in the Human Rights Tribunal and you know what Speaker they won each and every one of those appeals. The tribunal sided with the midwife and ordered the Government to pay. Yet, we are now in 2023 it is International Women's Day will this Conservative Government do the right thing respect the tribunal respect midwives and give them pay equity. Thank you very much. Speaker of course will allow the process to continue on and you can on the one hand ask for the Government to stay out of the lives of people and on the other hand legislate so we'll wait and see how that process unfolds but at the same time I think what you're seeing across the province of Ontario look I was in Blythe and Gauderich just last week and I was there doing the groundbreaking for another 160 long term care beds in that community it is a wonderful opportunity in that community to see more health care coming to different parts of Ontario that have never had it before and that builds on top of the things that we're doing in health care when you talk about midwives when you talk about building Ontario health teams it's about building a blanket of care regardless whether you need a midwife whether you need a long term care home whether you need a primary care doctor you'll be covered in the province of Ontario through these new Ontario health teams thank you the supplementary question for Windsor West as you know today is International Women's Day and I just listened to the Minister of Environment tell one of my women colleagues to pipe down when she was standing up for the environment so maybe the Minister actually needs to understand what international women stop the clock order restart the clock thank you my questions to the Premier health care workers, developmental services workers education workers I wish the man on the conservative side would stop trying to clap over me talking education workers social workers clerical staff all largely women led professions have been attacked by this conservative government time and time again the government would rather spend tax dollars dragging those workers to court than give them the pay and respect they deserve with bill 28 the lowest paid education workers were attacked by the conservatives using the notwithstanding clause to take away their right to free and fair collective bargaining bill 124 which was deemed unconstitutional by the courts has done the same to workers in health care developmental services and education again largely women led professions will the Premier commit today on International Women's Day to stop his government's appeal of bill 124 pay the women workers the wages they deserve deserve and respect their collective bargaining rights you know what this government since day one has been focusing on all Ontarians including women when you look at this caucus when you look at the leadership of this team the Deputy Premier has been a woman the person in charge of health care has been a woman our minister of transportation responsible for ensuring the largest outbuilding of transportation public transportation in the country's history led by a woman the infrastructure ministry led by a woman Mr. Speaker the most diverse caucus that this government this province has ever seen Mr. Speaker goes beyond that the minister of labour has been working hard since the beginning and they voted against it every single time they voted against those opportunities that we put in place to have more women in the trade they voted against it when we have brought measures in front of this parliament to have thousands of more people paid in the health care system they voted against it when we brought in $3 more for our PS7 they voted against it when we brought hope and opportunity to families with a better day care they voted against it it's not just on International Women's Day it's every day that concludes our question period for this morning the Associate Minister of Housing is informing me he has a point of order thank you very much Mr. Speaker on a point of order I missed when I was introducing people Marcus Battaglia and David DuVegas thank you very much for all you do and welcome to the legislation the member for Newmarket Aurora has informed me she has a point of order thank you Speaker I'd like to I'd like to introduce the Association Francontaine of Catholic School Boards Welcome to Yves Levec, Melinda Chartron Susan Le Turille and Emily Tomory Welcome to Your House Order The Government House Leader will come to order Member for Niagara Centre will come to order Minister the Environment has a point of order Speaker my apologies I forgot to introduce Wenda Rod and Mike Sharp who are here today for a young page White Sharp from our constituency of Northumberland Peterborough South and I just wanted to welcome them to the floor Thank you