 It is now time for all questions, and I recognize the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Well, good morning, Speaker. My first question is to the Premier. Yesterday, the Premier expressed shock that many of Ontario's long-term care homes keep residents in rooms without air conditioning and acted as though he was completely unaware that his government gives licenses to long-term care homes without any requirement that they provide air conditioning. It's all the more amazing because the Premier has been told that this is the case by families who have been pleading with his government to take action and heard it directly here in the legislature over two years ago from MPPs who were doing their jobs telling the Premier what was happening in long-term care. Every time there are public reports of appalling conditions in long-term care, the Premier feigns shock. Is the Premier truly unaware of what's happening in long-term care? The Minister of Long-Term Care to reply. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the opposition for the question. Let me reiterate, the health and well-being and the safety of our long-term care residents and staff is a priority for our government. It is a commitment of our government. And operators of our long-term care homes have a clearly stated responsibility to provide a safe environment for residents. It is an obligation for homes, and this is non-negotiable. There is no change made by our government during this pandemic that has detracted from that requirement. But the lack of air conditioning speaks to the neglect that this sector has had over 15 years and as a family physician for almost 30 years, I can tell you that this problem dates back many, many years. Our government created a new ministry in the summer of 2019 to address the issues in long-term care. This is one of them that we will address, and you've heard the Premier say he is committed to addressing this issue of heat-related problems in our long-term care homes. Really, if you look at the design standards, the design manual in 2015, it requires homes to have an air-cooling system. And some of the issues surrounding COVID-19 have limited fan use. We're looking at this. Our Premier is committed. Our government is committed. We will address this. Thank you. And the supplementary question. Unfortunately, this government has been all talk and no action. The Premier knew over two years ago that there was no air conditioning in many of the homes. So for him to stand at a podium yesterday and suggest that he had no idea and had all the sympathy in the world for those poor residents who are sweltering in long-term care, it just defies probability, Speaker. The most important issue here is making sure that no more of our seniors are left to swelter in their rooms in long-term care. The Premier promised yesterday, as the Minister just repeated, to take action. We want to see the action desperately, Speaker, as do families with loved ones in long-term care. So on this side of the House, we're ready to pass legislation today that will ensure air conditioning in every room is a requirement of long-term care homes. Government's putting a bill forward today. Will it have this provision inside of it, Speaker? Minister of Long-term Care. Thank you, Speaker. And thanks again for the question. Under our regulations, every long-term care home in Ontario must ensure that there is a written plan. Dealing with preventing and managing hot weather-related illness in the home. It must meet the needs of residents. And we respond immediately to any reports of serious harm or concern or risk to a resident. But I want to mention, since becoming the leader of the NDP in 2009, so that means for over nine years the leader of the official opposition has not once raised the issue and has never asked the question. Instead, she was content to prop up the liberal government as they neglected Ontario's long-term care sector. I ask, did you just learn about this too? I ask. Thank you. And the final supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. You know, written plans do nothing for... Order. ...seniors that are sweltering in long-term care. The bottom line is people are sick and tired of watching the Premier yell about this crisis in long-term care for the cameras only to turn around and do nothing at all about it. A month ago the CBC reported the quote, sweltering temperatures in residents' rooms at VistaCare in Woodbridge due to a lack of proper air conditioning. Another VistaCare resident without air conditioning was found dehydrated from the heat and yesterday we received this letter from Jeanette Alaska Page to send it over to the minister whose mother Rosa Mary Abrams lives at Midland Gardens. There's no air conditioning at this place and my mum and I dare say other residents are left to swelter. I cry every day. I just bought a fan and a mini AC that uses ice cubes. I can only hope and pray that those will be allowed in for her. We are ready to make this law today, Speaker. Is the Premier prepared to act today and back up his words of yesterday? Minister of long-term care. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you once again. I will say it again. Our government is committed to addressing the shortcomings of long-term care left behind by the previous Liberal government and the opposition, now an opposition, who supported that government. That is a sad statement that it has taken so long for a government to come to power like our government, like our Premier, to address these long-standing issues. There is no question that there are shortcomings. And I look at members sitting across, one of them a parliamentary assistant during the McGinty era for the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. What was done during that time? I ask where were you for the last 15 years? Our government, our Premier, is committed to addressing these issues and we will do exactly that. The next question, once again, the Leader of the Opposition. So much, Speaker. My next question is also to the Premier, but I would remind the Minister that it was her government that actually cut funding to long-term care and rolled back resident quality inspections. So they're taking us backwards, Speaker, making things worse instead of better. But look, this question to the Premier is about the economic recovery. And it's really clear that without a concrete plan to reopen schools, there will be no economic recovery. Without a concrete plan to make sure childcare spaces are affordable and available to all who need them, it's what parents, teachers, workers, employers, new Democrats, and everyone else in between have been saying since this pandemic began. Tonight, trustees at the Toronto District School Board will be debating an emergency resolution calling on this province to craft a school year that works better for families and looks at innovative solutions to get students back into classrooms full-time. Will the Premier work with them? The Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Speaker, and thank you to the member opposite for the question. Mr. Speaker, contrary to the pessimism of the member opposite, we do have a plan. We have a plan to get students in class each and every day in September. The commitment, Speaker, has been from the beginning to ensure that safety is the guiding prerequisite. And I don't think that should be an issue of debate in this House. We must ensure that our youngest learners, the most vulnerable within our families and our communities, remain safe. And this likewise for our staff. I mean, this is an issue that I think, yes, the government has been seized with for months. It is why as a lesson learned from this COVID experience, we have made a determination to be prepared for each circumstance. Yes, an in-class day-to-day delivery with health and safety protocols. Yes, an online option should, God forbid, that be required. And a blended option if public health requires us to have a quantum of no more than 15 children. It is a prudent way forward on an investment speaker. Every single student in this province has been funded more, $250 more per people funding is up in Toronto District, $55 million more in September to ensure they're safe in a positive restart this September, Speaker. Supplementary question. Well, Speaker, parents have already been struggling during this pandemic to balance homeschooling their kids while trying to work at home at the same time. And the Premier's plan to have no plan is not working for parents. As one business owner told the Aurora Banner and I quote, I think the whole part-time plan, it's going to turn people's lives upside down, including teachers' lives. I would like to actually reopen our office, but it all depends on schools being back, end quote. Now, without a clear plan for the return to school, a plan that supports childcare, parents will not be able to balance going back to their offices and job sites when our economy fully reopens again. So, does the Premier just expect some parents to stay home forever, Speaker? Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is this government that understands fully the relationship between childcare and schooling and the importance of getting people back to work. It's why, Speaker, over the past weeks we've unveiled a plan for childcare that does two things. One, it creates a backstop to ensure that operators in every hamlet and village and town in our province remain sustainable and viable for the coming months and years ahead. But two, in addition to providing funding, additional and certainly funding for operating costs to let these operators continue to operate in the province, what it also does is it protects consumers. It ensures that fees cannot go up and spaces cannot be given away as a condition for the province's funding. We're leveraging federal support. We're working with all levels of government to do this. We're seeing childcare operators reopen province-wide each and every day. It's our commitment to support and recovery that ensures parents are able to get back to work with the province of Ontario. And the final supplement. Well, Speaker, if schools remain closed part-time and childcare remains unavailable or unaffordable, it is unfortunately women who are going to be hurt the most. But whether it's firing teachers, nurses and healthcare workers or rolling back the wages of the lowest-paid workers, or whether it's refusing to step up with direct financial supports and rent relief to the millions of women who lost their jobs because of the pandemic, women get the message that this government just doesn't care about them. Is the Premier prepared to explore increased investments and innovative solutions to ensure that every available space that can be used is being put to use and that more teachers and more early childhood educators and more education workers can be hired so we can fully reopen in September? Thanks for your patience. Thank you, Speaker. We obviously agree that we need to have a strong childcare sector in order to enable parents and particularly women as noted to get them back to work. We agree. We absolutely agree with that premise. It's why, Speaker, working in conjunction with the Minister of Finance with the Minister of Children and Youth and many others, we are building a plan to ensure childcare operators are sustainable. When it comes to schooling and funding, $730 million more dollars this September as a decision point by this government to ensure the safe restart is successful. $250 more per child. Every single board in the province of Ontario is receiving more funding, more funding for cleaning, more funding for technology, $15 million more dollars to procure upwards of 37,000 tablets and computers, $10 million more dollars for mental health. In addition to the doubling, the historic doubling by the Premier of mental health funding in the province of Ontario. Speaker, these are real investments. They're going to make a difference. You're going to keep kids safe in September. Next question, the Leader of the Opposition. Thanks so much, Speaker. My next question is also for the Premier. You know, for decades governments of all stripes have recognized that any plans for emergency management require broad political support. For an obvious reason, in a democracy, we need to balance the need to respond quickly and effectively with the need for transparency and to protect democracy. Democratic rights. Yesterday in an unprecedented move, the government tabled unnecessary legislation to dramatically change emergency management law in this province. Does the Premier really think that less transparency is a responsible way to handle such fundamental issues during such a critical time? Mr. Speaker, General? Thank you, Speaker. You know, the member opposite and I can agree on one thing, and that is that the health and safety of all Ontario residents is our foremost and number one concern. What we are doing with tabling the legislation yesterday, if supported by the legislature, we will be transitioning. We will be bridging the gap, if you may, from taking Ontario away from a declaration of emergency into very targeted areas where we need to continue to protect the residents of Ontario. And those, frankly, include our most vulnerable, our seniors, our young people. So the legislation does have the protections in place, and frankly, the accountability in place. There is a proposal within the legislation that says every 30 days the Premier or the Minister designate and must appear in front of a select committee. We have question period in July. When was the last time we had question period three days a week in this legislature? That is accountability. That is what Premier Ford is doing, and that is what our government is doing. Thank you. Thank you. And the supplementary question. Well, Speaker, I can say that the Minister is talking about bridging the gap high and closed doors. Bridging the gap behind closed doors, completely out of sight of any scrutiny or accountability to the people of Ontario. And that is a very dangerous thing to do, Speaker. The Premier promised to work collaboratively. Does anybody remember that? Collaboratively and transparently to combat the pandemic. But over its course, we have seen this Premier repeatedly refuse to share basic information about what this government is doing. He literally refuses to tell the public who's making the decisions at the COVID-19 command table. Even to this day, he hasn't given that information out. Now he wants new legislation that grants the government considerable new powers and makes them less accountable to the people of this province. Why does the Premier believe he needs the power to make decisions behind closed doors without scrutiny and without debate? That's a lesson, General. Accountability, Speaker. Question period in July. Unprecedented. Every single day. The Premier stands in front of the podium and answers questions from the media. Every single day since the pandemic began. What we are trying to do, and I wish that the member opposite would understand and listen, is we are transitioning away from declaration of emergency to very targeted protections that need to be in place to ensure the safety of Ontario residents. I'm happy to stand with the Premier and ensure that that continues. What is the member opposite suggesting? That we should stop everything and we should go back? You only have to look to certain jurisdictions to the south to understand what happens when you move too quickly. You end up closing down things and there is no one in the province of Ontario who wants to do that because, frankly, 15 million people have worked very hard to get us this far. The next question, the member for Whitby. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Transportation. Ontario's economic recovery speaker is a key priority for the government in the weeks and months ahead. The investments we make today are key to ensuring a prosperous future for Ontario families. Our government's efforts to streamline highway construction and accelerate the delivery of major transit projects are critical. Our proposed changes will stimulate the economy and build up Ontario's infrastructure to ensure the quick and seamless movement of goods and people. Can the Minister tell us about the announcement she made earlier this week? The Minister of Transportation. Thank you, Speaker. Our government has been clear in our commitment to invest in transportation infrastructure. We're not only building faster, we're also building better. And I'd like to acknowledge my colleague, the Associate Minister of Transportation, for advancing the Transit-Oriented Communities Program. Our plan for developing transit-oriented communities will allow us to develop complete communities focused on connecting people to transit and housing that is safe and affordable. We're engaging closely with our stakeholders, Mr. Speaker, and we will continue to move forward with this plan in close partnership with municipal and local input. A supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you, Minister, for that answer. Transit-oriented communities is a key part of our government's plan to build a modern, integrated transit system for the Greater Toronto Area. Speaker, I understand that this legislation also touches on highway construction. And you'll know, Speaker, the highways are critical to keeping people connected and goods moving across the province. As the Minister of Transportation is working hard to speed up public transit projects, I also understand she's looking to accelerate highway construction. Can the Minister tell us about how she intends to do that? Thank you, Speaker. Thank you again to the member for the question. Transportation-related construction is vital to Ontario's recovery. As a major driver of economic activity and a significant source of job creation. As the member from Whitby stated, our government is looking to speed up the construction of major highway projects. Construction on these projects will drive job creation and it will build the critical infrastructure that Ontario needs to keep people and goods moving. Our plan aims to shorten the timeframes related to land assembly. We will always treat people fairly and appropriately compensate owners, tenants, and others impacted by these projects. This will never change. Delivering these critical projects sooner will spur economic growth and create countless Ontario jobs. Mr. Speaker, this is what Ontario needs as we pull together during these unprecedented times. And before I close, Mr. Speaker, I would just like to wish the Associate Minister of Transportation a very happy birthday. Thank you. The next question, member for Hamilton Mountain. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Loretta lives in my riding surgery since before this pandemic started. Now she is in severe distress and has visited the emergency room three times in the past week alone due to unbearable pain. Her doctor is very sympathetic but wasn't able to get the operating room that he needed to schedule her eight-hour surgery. Loretta is suffering and has had to fight hard for the healthcare that she needs. Speaker, when will hospitals be able to help constituents like Loretta get the surgeries they need in order for them to go on living their lives? Mr. Long-term care. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you for the question. I cannot stress enough, Mr. Speaker, that nothing is more important than protecting the health and well-being of Ontarians. And to ensure that the province was prepared to respond to a number of outbreak scenarios, we followed the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. We requested that hospitals take a careful, planned approach to ramping down elective surgeries and other non-emergent clinical activities. As we emerge from this pandemic and the pandemic is still evolving, we are still in a state of emergency in Ontario and we must be vigilant. We must be aware of potential for second phases and second waves and we follow the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. Looking at the capacity of our hospitals before, including long-term care and understanding that that plays a role, but we are moving forward with our planned reopening of the economy and we've since provided guidance to hospitals to begin the process of resuming scheduled care. Thank you. Thank you, and the supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. When Loretta reached out to my office, she was desperate for help. Each time she rushed herself to the emergency room, she asked Loretta for help to ease her pain but they told her they could not provide the operation that she needs and they sent her home. Over and over she was told that she couldn't get the surgery she needed. Loretta had to advocate for herself for weeks to finally be able to book a surgery date and with some help from my office and people shouldn't have to go to their MPPs to be able to get the emergency surgery they need, I'm pleased to say that she will finally but my question is simple. Will the Premier tell us why patients in Ontario should have to fight and contact their MPPs to get the surgeries that they need? Minister Lankham, care. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker and thank you again for the question. Resuming scheduled elective surgeries, hospital based care for patients requires tremendous organization and many different pieces of the puzzle to understand how that can be coordinated and integrated. This was advice followed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health. It is related to understanding hospital capacity and I'm very glad to hear that the individual you mentioned is able to get the care that she needs. People should be able to get the care they need when they need it. These are extraordinary times that we're in and certainly COVID has wreaked havoc for many people and caused hardship but we are in making progress in resuming elective surgeries following the best expert advice and the scientific advice balancing the risk between capacity in the hospital and surge capacity that's necessary for a second wave. So all of these must be balanced and we are making progress and I'm glad to hear that the individual you mentioned is receiving her care. Thank you. Thank you. My question is to the Minister of Finance. Later today the federal government will be releasing their economic snapshot which demonstrates the extent of their support for Canadians during the pandemic. The Premier seems to think that the federal government should foot the entire bill for moving our country and our province through this pandemic. The federal government has stepped up but the Premier has not committed the province to doing its part. Now that the pandemic is subsiding it is time for Ontario to invest in its own economic recovery. But tens of billions of dollars of this government's spending is in the form of tax deferrals which they plan to eventually collect from businesses. Mr. Speaker in August when the government intends to share its economic update more small businesses will have closed and parents will be facing possible choices and decisions about either their children's safety or their schooling. Speaker, will this minister release an economic update this month as the federal government has already done not in the dog days of summer? Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker and I thank the member for her question. She will remember no doubt as all the members of the House will that this government and this legislature produced a document and was the first government in Canada produce a document that responded to COVID. $17 billion Mr. Speaker that this member supported Mr. Speaker voted for Mr. Speaker this member and the rest of the members of this legislature supported those early moves to make sure that this government and in fact this legislature were supporting health, businesses and communities. Mr. Speaker the Ontario government has been at the forefront in 2019 that is why we've seen the results that we have. We have taken a safe and responsible approach. We do look forward to the federal government's update it's a one year or a fiscal update not a full one year that we provided. We look forward to that we look forward to continuing to work with them and we look forward to working with the member opposite and continuing to work with her to provide the supports that Ontarians need. And the supplementary question. Thank you Speaker and Minister I try to look forward to working with you to respond to the needs in a manner in which is timely Speaker I have heard from organizations in my writing that they are worried that when they are reopening they will not be insurable. Tam Heather Tennyson Curling Club in Scarborough Guildwood remains closed in part due to the uncertainty regarding their insurance. Voluntary associations and organizations that follow pandemic guidelines should be protected from litigation as a result of COVID-19 or else they may have no other option but to close forever because they are simply being deemed uninsurable. Minister does the government have a plan to protect the public and also the countless of cultural sports and other organizations that are facing issues of insurability right now. Minister Finance to reply. So again I appreciate and the member has raised an important question. Our government is looking comprehensively at what is required and as I mentioned have already made significant investments. In fact historic investments in terms of support the largest funding for healthcare in history the Minister of Education has touched on the historic investments we are making in the space in both childcare and education and we are looking broadly and comprehensively at what is required for the economy to recover and that includes the issues that you have raised and we will look forward to reporting back to the legislature as those plans come forward and I say again to the legislature we do look forward to Minister Mourno's update today the federal government has been an important partner of the government of Ontario and we look forward to that continued partnership. The next question the member for Mississauga streets film. Good morning Speaker and thank you. My question is to the Minister of Education Speaker. Parents in my riding have been frustrated for years with the decline in the quality of math in our schools. Their kids are struggling with basic concepts and have not yet been supported by a strong curriculum. They know and our government knows how important math is for students not just for their chosen post secondary pathway but for everyday life. Can the minister please share some details of how our new elementary math curriculum is a special improvement on the previous curriculum. Thank you. Minister of Education. Thank you very much and thank you very much to the member for Mississauga streets for her advocacy for financial literacy and an updated math curriculum in the province of Ontario. It has been 15 years since the last time the elementary math curriculum was updated and for a decade under the former government we saw stagnation of scores in fact roughly half of students could not meet the provincial math standard we have a challenge when it comes it's why the government is fulfilling a commitment we made to the people of Ontario to go back to basics with a new improved and modernized curriculum that actually for the first time build understanding of the value of money by codifying financial literacy through grade 1 through 8. We are also for the first time teaching coding and computational skills to make sure there are young people the next generation are set up for the jobs of the future. We have a focus on fundamental math concepts with our speaker so that young people know those fundamentals through life. We want them to succeed it's why we have a four year math strategy 200 million dollars allocated to lift those math scores up improve financial literacy coding as well as numeracy in the province of Ontario for the next generation. And the supplementary. Thank you speaker and thank you to the minister for the answer. These changes were desperately needed it's exciting that we finally see an updated and strengthened math curriculum after 15 years. Parents and students across my writing have shared overwhelmingly positive feedback on these changes. Improving math is a critical component to our plan to equip students with the skills they need to succeed in the classroom in post-secondary education and in the workplace. Going back to basics is key but so is learning how to adapt to the jobs of today and tomorrow. Can the minister please describe how our new curriculum will help set our students up for success in a changing world. Thank you. Thank you again to the member opposite for the question I mean speaker what we've seen through the COVID-19 reality is great disruption to the economy and to sectors of the workforce and we know that in order to give our young people competitive advantage in order to ensure that they have the skills they will need now more than ever in a very competitive global marketplace we need to ensure our math curriculum is aligned with labour market needs that disconnect is perhaps one of the significant impediments to their ability to get jobs. It is not a coincidence speaker that we have twice the rate of youth unemployment in this country that we have a 200% ratio of income to debt for millennials we've got to do better and the time is now to do it and the premier has been absolutely clear we need financial literacy and coding and these types of life skills that they can apply for taxes to understand debt and that's why we're doing that it's why we're starting this September it's why we've unveiled a 200 million dollar four-year math plan it's why we're asking educators to meet new educators to meet a grade nine math standard we are going to lift scores up we're going to give hope to these young people to succeed in the marketplace Next question the member for Brampton North Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the premier people in Brampton and Mississauga are devastated by the deaths of Dondre Campbell and Jeza Choudhury their deaths are part of a long-standing and unacceptable pattern of violence against black indigenous and racialized Ontarians and they are tired of governments wringing their hands extending condolences and then doing nothing to address the deadly impacts of systemic racism in our communities this week the mayors of Brampton and Mississauga made clear that they also want to see fundamental change in our policing they have backed community and they are backed by us the NDP calling for full implementation of the Tullock report on street checks and police oversight will the premier listen to the people of Brampton and Mississauga and commit to implementing these reports today Mr. Minister General Thank you Mr. Speaker I was actually pleased to see the opinion piece from Mayor Brown and Mayor Cromby because the first recommendation they called for was that we pass the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act and we are doing that now we are doing the due diligence we are doing the consultation with police associations with chiefs of police to make sure we get this right I understand that there is a strong need to bring forward the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act and give it royal assent but in all consciousness I cannot do that without consulting first and making sure that the many regulatory pieces that are included with that COPS Act are embedded to ensure that we get it right we are doing that consultation we've been doing it now for over a year and I have to say that the associations, the communities the police services boards have been very very helpful in those consultations and the regulations are coming down shortly we are getting the due diligence right we are doing thank you very much and the supplementary question thank you Mr. Speaker people in Brampton, Mississauga are calling for fundamental change to policing and to government to meaningfully invest in our communities they don't want armed police responding to mental health crisis they do not want what happened to Don D'Andre Campbell whatever happened again the mayors of Brampton and Mississauga agree and so does the NDP the mayors said quote these are the calls that should be handled by mental health professionals trained in de-escalation techniques and counseling not police end quote returning to the status quo simply is not acceptable will the Premier join us in advocating a new response to mental health crisis that will actually keep people in need of support safe and Mississauga general well respectfully 3.8 billion dollar investment commitment that our government made when we came into office we are a government that has said consistently mental health and addictions is an issue we intend to deal with in this term and we've done that with the very first minister responsible for mental health and addictions appointed by Premier Ford if that doesn't send a clear message speaker that we are serious about dealing with mental health in all its forms so it's not just a solicitor general issue it's not just a ministry of health issue we've made investments in education we've made investments in health we've made investments in policing and corrections it is a cross government a cross ministry if the member opposite has other ideas that he would like to share bring them on because the one thing that we are passionate about and we believe in strongly is mental health is not just when you call 911 however I will say when the people of Ontario die on 911 they expect help and we will ensure that our police have the services that they need to make that help provided thank you the next question member for Glen Gary Prescott Russell thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the minister of health over the past two weeks I've had the opportunity to meet several optometrists in my constituency who are not only healthcare providers and very important ones in our communities but they're also SMEs owners who are facing great challenges that are now made worse due to the current pandemic I was quite taken aback when I heard that no adjustments were made to the fees covered by OHIP since 2009 that was 11 years ago and that so far there are no negotiations with the government to this effect Mr. Speaker could the minister of health confirm if her government is currently negotiating or plans to negotiate with Ontario optometrists for a problematic situation regarding fees covered by OHIP thank you very much for the question thank you for the question our government is actively working to make sure that any negotiations that need to be done are being done I cannot comment specifically on the optometry situation but I can tell you that COVID has certainly put a dent in some of our activities all the efforts will be ongoing to make sure that whatever needs to be done in these processes is completed and carried on I know that the minister of health has been working very hard with a number of groups to address their concerns and proceed with the negotiations that are current and I know in the ministry of long-term care very much the same situation COVID has taken a little bit of steam we're back on track now and making sure that the measures that we need to take care of are being addressed so I appreciate your concern about that and I can raise that with the minister of health thank you and the supplementary question thank you Mr. Speaker again to the minister of health in addition to this challenge the straw that will break the camel's back for these health care professionals and business owners is the current pandemic COVID-19 took an already precarious system to make it even more fragile optometrists have had to significantly lower their fees to ensure they were following the rules in place and ensure the health and safety of their patients they've also spent thousands of dollars in items they hadn't planned for in their budget they are using money out of their own pocket they are also absorbing the cost of loss caused by the inappropriate OHIP coverage this status quo cannot go on when will the government start negotiating with optometrists to ensure a review and update to fees covered by OHIP and redress the situation that will certainly push too many optometrists to stop seeing patients covered by OHIP thank you for the question so we as a government will have to take into account the health values, the role of optometrists the work that they do for Ontarians is very much appreciated we have to gradually reopen the economy and we will have asked regulatory colleges to develop guidance to ensure the high quality and safe clinical care of patients before services begin and this guidance includes personal protective equipment and staffing issues our government relies on regulatory colleges to govern their respective professions in public interest and ensure its members provide healthcare services in a professional safe and ethical manner so in recent years the cost of OHIP insured optometry services has risen in line with utilisation and I know the Ministry of Health will continue to work with the Ontario Association of Optometrists to understand their concerns and I will relay your question to her thank you the next question the member for Mississauga East Cuxville thank you very much Mr. Speaker my question is to the Minister of Transportation Speaker now more than ever it's crucial that we make the right investments as Ontario recovers from COVID-19 our government has always had a clear mandate to build better public transit and we are keeping that promise we have made more progress on public transit infrastructure in two years than the last 15 years combined under the previous Liberal government the Building Transit Faster Act is a key piece of legislation to ensure we get shovels in the ground quickly for our four priority projects with the passage of this bill we are in good shape to finally deliver the integrated and modern transit network the GTA needs can the Minister please tell us what the passing of the Building Transit Faster Act means for us moving forward thank you the Minister of Transportation thank you Speaker and thank you to the member from Mississauga East Cuxville for the question COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on all of our lives and Ontarians have all done their part to stop the spread despite the challenges that the pandemic has brought it is critical that we remain focused on long-term transit planning that's why our government is committed to ending the culture of delays and getting shovels in the ground to build a better brighter future in the GTA the opposition agrees that the GTA needs a more robust transit network but they have no plan to get this done the Building Transit Faster Act will eliminate the barriers that have held us in the past Speaker it's a shame that the NDP voted against this critical bill but I have good news for them you still have an opportunity to work constructively with us and I look forward to sharing more in the supplementary the supplementary question thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank you to the Minister for her response the debate on this bill in this legislature has shed light on our shared objective of building better public transit the opposition agrees that the GTA is in dire need of a modern integrated transit network they agree that investing in transit is the smart thing to do yet in voting against the Building Transit Act the NDP have contributed to the political grid log that has prevented big projects from getting built can the Minister tell us what our next steps are following this bill's passage thank you Mr. Transportation thank you to the member for the question our government is focused on smart transportation planning this is about connecting more people to more opportunities in ways that improve the overall quality of life of Ontarians the Building Transit Faster Act is the means to do that Mr. Speaker the issue of public transit is the need for the government to work collaboratively to get this done Ontario and Toronto need our four priority projects we continue to call on the federal government to come to the table and fund at least 40% of these critical projects and so Mr. Speaker I urge the members opposite to get off the sidelines and join us in calling on the federal government to fund their fair share thank you thank you the next question member for Algoma Manitoulou thank you Speaker my question is to the Premier this government has praised frontline workers for being heroes however we know that actions don't always match their words family funded PSWs have been excluded from the pandemic one of my constituents Nancy Riley from Blind River has been raising this issue and has written to the Premier hoping to get an answer as to why she couldn't and is not receiving the top up family funded PSWs have to spend out of pocket to get their PPE and their needs on top of having to travel from house to house risking exposures to themselves and their patients why has this government excluded family funded PSWs to get their PPE thank you Speaker and thank you for the question and first I want to emphasize the important role that personal support workers play all across Ontario for our most vulnerable people not only in long term care but in hospitals and other settings and in family settings as well so they are truly frontline heroes and I know the Ministry of Health has been working very hard to make sure that the pandemic is going to flow and we certainly were looking at a wide range of frontline workers to be covered by that the reality is that that pandemic pay is coming it is in the process of being channeled not everyone has been part of that program we know that the personal support response are often underpaid and we've seen that in long term care we understand and acknowledge and address that issue particularly in long term care thank you and the supplementary again to the Premier frontline workers have been putting their lives at risk for the well being of others if someone believes they have been exposed to COVID-19 Ontario Public Health recommends they self-isolate however in a dispute between the Ontario Nurses Association workers and arbitrator ruled that long term care workers voluntarily isolating aren't eligible to receive the paid leave when someone believes they have been exposed to COVID-19 they need to self-isolate they cannot put at risk their colleagues or their patients will this government ensure that all workers and most particularly healthcare and long term care workers are guaranteed to have 10 paid 6 days a year thank you thank you speaker thank you for the question in terms of the pandemic pay over 375,000 of Ontario's frontline and support workers across several sectors will receive pandemic pay it is the largest of its kind in the country and is unprecedented in the province's history and I'll say it again our government values the commitment that our frontline workers showed day in, day out they were there for patients in hospital there for residents in long term care absolutely critical and we acknowledge their significance and importance, important role and we authorize the temporary $4 an hour pandemic premium for the next 4 months our long term care personal support workers supported in that regard and it will be provided rectoactively for work performed from April 24th, 2020 to August 13th, 2020 and employees working over 100 hours per month will receive some payments of $250 per month for each of the next 4 months we value our frontline workers thank you for the question the next question, the member for Mrs. Agamal the next question I want to thank the minister for his commitment to fix these serious problems through you Mr. Speaker can the minister please tell us to this house why it is so important to stamp out racism and what action the government is taking to help eradicate racism from our schools thank you Mr. Speaker I would like to thank the minister for his commitment to fix these serious from our schools. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member from Miss Saga Malton for his leadership in the area of combating racism in schools and peeling across the province. Speaker, when 47% of black students are enrolled and applied to courses, yet less than 20% of non-black students are enrolled in those courses. When they are four and a half times more likely not to graduate, when only one-third is to seek post-secondary education. In the context of suspensions, when black kids are more than twice the rate suspended than non-white kids according to Toronto Public School Board data that has been released, it is so obvious, Speaker, we have a problem in this province. Systemic racism is real and it must take all of us to be courageous and to confront it. It's why, Speaker, we will be bringing forth a plan that challenges the status quo, that gives hope and opportunity to these children that for too long have felt isolated and ignored by government and they expect better. As the Parliamentary Assistant Minister and I have been conducting roundtables we've heard, a need for action in suspensions, a need for action to deal with streaming in Grade 9 and better training of our educators, of our trustees, of our staff. We endeavor to do that, Speaker, in this province. And the supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for the answer. The data speaks volume. I'm thrilled to hear our government is taking decisive action to stamp out systemic racism in our schools and I know more need to be done. Over the past few years various incidents have shown at the highest echelon of the school system racism is still apparent and pervasive. I have been dismayed by the instances at the Peel District School Board and it is sad to see the actions of a trustee at the Orwa Catholic District School Board as well. I know my Orwa area colleague like the MPP from Colton has been following this affair at the board closely through you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister please share our government's response to these types of incidents and what further action we are taking to make sure all and I mean all students are respected. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Minister of Education. Well, thank you again, Speaker. You know, Speaker, I too am disturbed by the comments of that trustee in question and I've spoken very closely of the member from the MPP and the Minister of Heritage, Sports, Tourism and Culture Industries and like her I share deep concern related to the comments and the impact those comments and words have on this young man's life. I've spoken to the father of this young man and it is so obvious that they expect better and accountability and justice for this type of bad judgment demonstrated by trustee Blackburn and as stated by members of the community it was shameful, it was racist, it was abusive or privileged. It is clear that this trustee must do the right thing and step down. Our government is committed to eliminating all forms of racism within our school, improving behavior and ultimately codifying the element of respect within our schools and the coming days we will announce our plan to implement real change within our system and to give hope and opportunity to these children. Accountability, justice and economic opportunity they deserve for the coming year, Speaker. Next we have the member for Ottawa Centre. Thank you, Speaker. My questions for the Premier. Speaker, students with disabilities and their families are wondering when this government will announce something anything to make sure their learning needs are going to be supported this fall. COVID-19 is at people with disabilities particularly hard in many ways including the move to distance learning. Online platforms are not always accessible for all students and in-class resources are more difficult or even impossible to access from home. Without new support, Speaker, there's a real risk that students who are already being struggling before COVID and during COVID will continue to struggle this fall when schools reopen in whatever form the government decides they can. Premier, will you release a plan to ensure that all learners particularly those with disabilities will be supported? Mr. Education. I want to thank the member opposite for the question and we do agree that these particular children will need continued support and heightened levels of support given the challenge that they would have faced over the past months while being at home. Speaker, what I have directed school board to do for this summer is to continue provide a continuity of access to special education mental health supports that normally would end at the end of school in June. We've asked them to continue funding those to create continuity. We've asked them for support in September for their IEPs and IEPRCs to continue unimpeded. We've asked for a check-in of every parent by the school board to ensure they've got the needs, they've got the tools they will need to succeed. We've added additional funding and special education this year in the GSN, the highest contribution ever made. We've also added an additional 10 million dollars to hire more psychologists, more psychotherapists, as well as other important social workers to assist these students. We know there's more to do in this respect. We've added additional funding in the support for students funds. There's more support specifically tailored for SPACCAD educators because we know they're going to be important to the restart and to the success of these young people in September. Supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. I heard earlier the minister talking about a four-year math plan. I have a simple proposition to the government. Given this phone that the people of Ontario have given to me, they pay for it. Why not a four-minute phone plan, Minister? Why not pick up the phone and call David Lepofsky from the Accessibility with Ontario Disabilities Act Alliance, who have given your government a brief to which they've heard no response yet about how they can help students with disabilities this fall. They've made appeals to this government, Speaker. Their appeals have not been answered. Their brief is supported by 10 disability rights organizations and a major teachers union. Speaker, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. All this government and all this minister needs to do is answer the voice mails, answer the multiple emails, answer the appeals. And in all sincerity, Speaker, after the break of question period, I'm happy to sanitize my phone, walk across the aisle and get the minister gave to Lepofsky's phone. I want to look at the first time, but you can't use props in question period or in the house. Response? Minister of Education. Thank you, Speaker. You know, Speaker, I actually speak to Mr. Lepofsky quite often. I spoke to him just two weeks ago in advance of our reopening plan. It was spoken to AODA Alliance. And likewise, I've spoken to the minister's advisory cancelled special education on a biweekly basis throughout the throughout this pandemic. So you don't need to share your phone. I am contact with him and I care deeply about it. In fact, it was his opinion and his recommendation to me that there's a check in of every student by the school boards before September. We adopted that recommendation. I thought that was prudent. Speaker, in addition, what he's also called for is additional access to support and funding. What we've done is increase the GSN, the largest investment in special education because we recognize most especially on those families, they face challenges. We're going to continue to invest in them. We're going to continue to provide professional development, mandatory development for all educators in the area of mental health. And we're going to continue to ensure that there's staffing in place to help these kids succeed in September. Thank you very much. Next question, the member for Markham Unionville. Thank you, Mrs. Speaker. Speaker, my question this morning is for the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. Minister, COVID-19 has affected so many Ontarians across the province in many different ways. Our government know that this unprecedented time has been especially hard on Ontarians, including on their mental health. Across Ontario, we have seen an increase in those experiencing stress, anxiety and other mental health challenges as people and families has been supporting our shared goal of stopping the spread of COVID-19 and moving forward with the reopening of our province. Minister, constituents in my writing knows that our government is committed to ensuring Ontarians are able to assess services and supports when they question when and where they need them. Minister, could you please explain to the member of this legislature what our government has done to address mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak? Thank you. Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the member from Markham Unionville for that question. Mr. Speaker, our province, in fact, our whole world has been affected by an outbreak almost unprecedented in our provinces and our country's history. We know that when people are experiencing something new and unfamiliar to them, that can cause many people to experience stress and anxiety, among other mental health challenges. That's why I'm so proud. I was proud to stand with Premier Ford to announce our $12 million investment commitment to mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak here in Ontario. And this commitment will be soon expanded. At ontario.ca forward slash coronavirus, Ontarians and their families can now easily find information about the many available mental health care options to help meet their unique needs, including online therapy options, among other services and supports. Mr. Speaker, we are here as a government to support and help all the people of Ontarians when and where they need mental health supports. And the supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you, Minister, for the excellent answer. I know my constituents will be pleased to hear that our government has taken immediate action to address the mental health challenges of all Ontarians during this difficult time. Minister, I know that you have been meeting with mental health and addiction services providers and many other organizations over the past few months to hear directly from them about the challenges they have been facing due to COVID-19 pandemic. There are several organizations in my writing who have been affected in some way by the COVID-19 outbreak in Ontario. Minister, could you please explain to the members of this House how our government has responded to the various challenges affecting mental health and addiction service providers during this COVID-19 outbreak in Ontario? Thank you. Minister. Thank you, Speaker. As part of our commitment to addressing the mental health of all Ontarians, our government established a mental health and addictions COVID-19 response table chaired by the Mental Health and Addiction Centre of Excellence within Ontario Health. Members of this response table represent organizations from across the sector and since day one have been focused on ensuring that available services and supports are maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic. Every week since this table was first established, I've been hearing from every member present at the table about the challenges being faced by service providers across the province. Each member, Mr. Speaker, of this table has been connected with provincial and regional COVID-19 tables to ensure any issues impacting our mental health and addiction system are quickly resolved. This government's overriding priority has always been to ensure that every Ontarian has access to high quality services and supports when and where they need them. We'll continue listening, Mr. Thank you. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Oshawa. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. It was reported last week that as we careened into COVID-19, the Minister of Long-Term Care went to Treasury Board for support and funds to address the problems they already knew about in long-term care homes but were refused. Folks in Pickering now know the awful history of complaints and non-compliance at Orchard Villa and that those complaints were well known to the government as CBC reported. So what happened exactly? Did the Minister of Long-Term Care ask for support and get denied by the President of the Treasury Board, the MPP for Pickering, Pickering where Orchard Villa has been known to be a home at risk for years and 78 people have died? This government won't allow an inquiry. They haven't pulled the license of Orchard Villa. They want to give private for-profit homes indemnity. Bill 161, now law, will restrict class action lawsuits like the families of Orchard Villa are pursuing. Their former PC staff and party brass are suiting up as lobbyists in the private senior care sector. Over 1,800 deaths have been in long-term care and the government is doubling down on profit protection and playing politics. So, Speaker, I'm not playing. I stand with the families and seniors and ask when will this self-serving government start serving seniors and their loved ones. Thank you, Speaker. And I appreciate that question. I want to make it really clear and correct some misinformation that was mentioned earlier. Our government is spending more than any previous government on long-term care. There have been no cuts to long-term care despite the narrative. In fact, the Treasury Board has provided $1.75 billion to address capacity issues. And our government has made long-term care a priority. We invested $23 million for a minor capital fund. In last year's budget, we committed $72 million more to long-term care than the year before. In the economic update this spring, we invested an additional $80 million to improve and maintain quality of care and overall resident experience. On top of that, we provided $243 million in emergency funding for surge capacity, infection control and more staffing. Our government has not only demonstrated concern for long-term care, but it's put money behind it. That is more than any other previous government. So, please. Thank you. Thank you. That concludes our question period for this morning. We have a defer-