 Next, we will have oral questions. I recognize the leader of Her Majesty's Law and Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, my first question this morning is for the Premier. Over the last year, seniors in long-term care and the families that love them have been forced to endure horror after horror inside a broken long-term care system, largely controlled by for-profit corporations. At every turn, the Premier has promised, I'm holding these people accountable. Really? The Premier has promised that over and over again. I'm holding these people accountable, he has said. Yesterday, he actually exempted these for-profit chains from legal liability and also exempted himself. Families are looking for accountability and justice, rightfully so. They deserve accountability and justice. So my question to the Premier is, why is his first instinct to ensure he won't be legally responsible? The Attorney General to reply. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I welcome the chance to give some context and to clarify. Because I don't think that the member opposite has actually read the bill, Mr. Speaker, because what the bill does not do, the bill does not protect bad actors, the bill does not prohibit anything to do with failure to provide necessities of life or deliberate failure for standard of care or fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation or assault or battery or any number of things that are being alleged out there in the public sphere, Mr. Speaker. What the bill does do is protect those who in good faith are making best efforts to do their job. What we're talking about, Mr. Speaker, are the PSWs on the front line. We're talking about the paramedics, we're talking about the hockey coaches, the charities, the non-profits, the volunteers. We are talking about the people who are contributing to our community and keeping our loved ones safe, Mr. Speaker, and we will let the bad actors pay their price. But we are protecting those who are acting in good faith. A supplementary question. Well, Speaker, as a lawyer, the member opposite should know better. And it's shameful that he would suggest that they are not doing exactly what it is that they are doing. Families who have lost loved ones in long-term care, who learned that their mother or father choked to death from being force-fed or left in a bed with soiled diapers for days, in fact, for a week on ends. It's not acceptable, Speaker. Those folks have turned to the courts, as we all know. They have turned to the courts to get answers, to get accountability, to get justice for their loved ones. So why is the Premier promising that they can get that justice, that accountability, but not delivering on that promise, Speaker? The Premier, instead, is changing the law to protect for-profit homes and himself by denying families the accountability they're taking in court. He's denying their... Stop the clock. I apologize to the Leader of the Opposition for interrupting her. Minister of Education will come to order. Start the clock. Leader of the Opposition, please. When the government prevents people from getting their day in court, why is this the Premier's top priority? Order. So the Leader of the General will come to order. The Attorney General will reply. If the Leader of the Opposition doesn't like my legal opinion, she can perhaps talk to the Attorney General of B.C. who brought in very similar legislation. The NDP government brought in very similar legislation, Mr. Speaker. Order. We are not protecting bad actors beware. Bad actors need to be on guard because they are still in breach and they are still in danger, Mr. Speaker. We are protecting the frontline workers. We are protecting the hockey coaches, the dance instructors, those who are putting themselves out there for our communities to make our places better to live in. And we are all doing this together, Mr. Speaker. This is the spirit of Ontario. We are hanging together and we are going to make sure that we get through COVID as a team, Mr. Speaker. The final supplementary. Well, Speaker, I think it's shameful that the government is trying to shield their bad actions with calling out folks like hockey coaches or sports coaches or PSWs. That is absolutely shameful to try to shield themselves with these folks who do their best to make our communities great places. We know that several families have already filed statements of claim detailing horrific levels of neglect and carelessness against for-profit facilities. We know that these for-profit chains have been actually frantically working the back rooms to protect their interests. We remember an executive at the for-profit chain, Sienna, who mocked the concerns of families at Woodbridge Fisticare and referred to their concerns as blood-sucking lawsuits. That's what has been said. And now we can see that these are the folks that the Premier is getting prepared to protect, to defend. Why is he rewriting the law to protect himself and the for-profit chains that are making millions in profit and not ensuring justice for families? Why? The Attorney General's reply. Mr. Speaker, the leader of the opposition is doing a disservice to the frontline workers and the volunteers and the charities and the nonprofits in this province. What we are doing is making space in the system so those bad actors can be held to account. We do not want people who are doing their honest best and good faith to be put in harm's way. When they're every day going into those facilities as PSW workers, they're going into their communities to do the work at food banks through charities, through nonprofits. Mr. Speaker, the critic for health asked me to do this, Mr. Speaker. The member from Humber River Black Creek asked me to do this. I have several letters from the opposition and from Liberal members who have said our communities need this kind of protection, Mr. Speaker, and we are delivering. I was during question period or any other time. Leader of the opposition. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My next question is also for the Premier, but I have to say what PSWs needed was more staff on the front lines of COVID-19. That's what they needed. Not a government that's protecting their for-profit chains that are cutting their hours and keeping them in low-paid, part-time work. That's what they needed. Last April, families of residents at Camilla Care filed a statement of claim, and we all know this, including sworn affidavits detailing residents not being cleaned after soiling themselves, being denied testing when exhibiting signs of COVID-19. One of the plaintiffs, Ines Imgram, which folks might remember, was so desperate that he actually chained himself to a tree to try to get the kind of resources and supports that his mother needed. And I have to say, sadly, he lost his mother about a week ago, so my condolences go out to Ines. But he believed that the lawsuit was the only way, the only way that he could get accountability, that people would be held to account, a lawsuit. And now the Premier is changing the law to prevent Ines from getting the justice he deserves why. Mr. Speaker, if we want justice to be served, then justice has to be delivered. And the system has to be able to accommodate those hearings, Mr. Speaker. Yes, sorry, Mr. Speaker, I was watching for your cue. We need to make sure that those people get their day in court for those bad actors, for those people who are doing things beyond and gross negligent level, Mr. Speaker. We need to make sure that there's room in the system so that those pieces can get hurt, not the people who are doing the front lines who are putting themselves out there, not the grocery clerks who through honest effort and honest belief were doing the right things or taking public health advice, they were putting themselves out there. They're on the front lines, Mr. Speaker. Those people should not be put in jeopardy, nor should they gum up our system so that the bad actors can't get hurt. Supplementary question. Well, Mr. Speaker, to have the Attorney General suggest that people attempting to get justice is gumming up our justice system, it's shameful, it's disgraceful. The bottom line is you can't change the law to try to deny people justice or you shouldn't. That's not democratic. At Pickering's Orchard Villa, the Canadian Armed Forces found horrifying scenes of cockroaches and patients left in beds with soil diapers. Sylvia Lyon decided to take Orchard Villa to court after her mother died and this is what she said at the time and the government should listen to this. My mother was a good, decent individual. We entrusted her care to the owners of Orchard Villa. They received over 11 million in funding each and every year from the government and each year the care provided was less and less. Those that are responsible for this state of affairs must be held accountable. I agree with Sylvia. So why is the Premier changing the law to protect Orchard Villa when he failed to protect Sylvia and failed to protect her mother? Remind members to make their comments through the chair. Attorney General, true reply. Mr. Speaker, the question that the Leader of the Opposition needs to ask herself is very simple. Were those people following public health advice? Were they taking advice? Were they implementing the advice? Were they doing it in good faith? Were they making an honest effort? Were all those things true? Were the people working in that system? Should the PSWs, should the health care workers, should the grocery store clerk, should the hockey coaches who are putting themselves out there, the dance instructors who are working with our kids so that they can get physical exercise so that there's mental health components. This feeds all the way through, Mr. Speaker. Should those people who are making an honest effort in good faith be thrown into harm's way? I would submit to the member opposite that those are questions for the courts to decide. Those are questions for the courts to decide, not for the government to protect its own friends and corporate corporations. That's what's happening here. Families have heard hollow promises from this Premier over and over again. Yet at every stage, even while the Premier talked about change, he has been working with connected, conservative lobbyists in the back rooms to ensure that for-profit companies making millions in long-term care, making millions from long-term care, I should say, will be protected and that there will be no accountability for residents and their families. Why is the Premier rewriting the law to protect for-profit corporations making millions in profits and not the seniors who lost their lives in long-term care and not their family members that have experienced such horrors over this last several months? The Attorney General? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We've finally found common ground. I totally agree. These are issues the courts should decide. But to stand here and prejudge is a little sanctimonious, Mr. Speaker. Did the opposition come to order? Mr. Speaker, it is exactly for the courts to decide. It is for the courts to decide if people were acting with honest belief. For the opposition to come to order. If they were doing everything they thought they could do, if they took public health advice, they implemented public health advice, they put themselves out there in their communities, should they have a level of protection? Yes, the courts should decide that. And Mr. Speaker, to stand here and rhyme off case after case after case without really having much depth of what people did or tried to do or where they took their public health advice a little bit rich, Mr. Speaker. The next question, the member for Oshawa. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And my question is to the Premier. My colleagues and I have had the honour of working with Kathy Parks, a daughter who tragically lost her father, Paul, to the devastating COVID outbreak at the Orchard Villa long-term care home in Pickering earlier this year. Upon hearing the news of this government's decision to protect the very people who put her father's life in jeopardy, my family and others like us have been through a living hell in the past six months. We watched our loved ones suffer and die while our hands were tied and the only people who could help didn't move fast enough. This tragedy will be etched in history as a time when those in power failed to protect our vulnerable citizens and this new step shows the corruption of power at its absolute worst end quote. What does the government have to say to Kathy and her family? Mr. Speaker, I do want to start by saying we acknowledge that there are tragic circumstances and people are struggling through COVID-19. They absolutely are. And I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that we are doing everything possible as a government to help our communities through this period. And I was quickly checking my various letters from the opposition asking me to bring in this legislation. I don't see one from the member who asked the question, but several of her colleagues have expressed concern for people in their communities who want to contribute to the communities, who want to come forward and want to feel security if they make an honest effort and they do it in good faith and they get public health advice and they implement that advice that they have a level of protection that they can engage in their communities and that we can reach out and help in every way possible. Mr. Speaker, there are tragedies and my heart goes out to them. We need to make sure that we can get them back together. And the supplement here. Again, to the premier, and I will submit that I have been standing alongside the families as all of my colleagues have in our communities demanding justice and trying to get them the support that they need during this difficult time. And across Ontario, those families who have lost loved ones to COVID in long-term care are seeking justice. We have heard countless reports from families, residents, PSWs and even the Armed Forces who all detail the horrific conditions over 1,900 lives in the first wave. First, this government hid from accountability by refusing an independent public judicial inquiry. Now they're making laws to evade responsibility and duck liability. Speaker, private for-profit homes like Southbridge's Orchard Villa Long-Term Care with a long record of orders, complaints and non-compliance should not be allowed to operate with impunity. Why is the government trying to stand in the way of Ontarians like Cathy from holding these homes accountable? The Attorney General. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We're doing exactly that. We're making the system so that those who are the bad actors, those who are part of failure to provide necessities of life, those individuals or companies or nonprofits or any group who is not acting in good faith and is not providing a level of service that is appropriate. Mr. Speaker, they are in harm's way and we will let them stay in harm's way but who we will not let go into harm's way are our volunteers and our communities and our frontline workers who are acting with an honest belief and acting in good faith and taking public health advice and implementing that advice, Mr. Speaker. We will not throw them in front of the bus, Mr. Speaker. It is important that we protect our communities and those who contribute to our communities and that's exactly what we're doing. Next question, the member for Hastings Lennox in Addington. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to direct my question to the government house leader. When I woke up this morning, I turned the TV on and normally watched the 6 o'clock news and sure enough I was rather shocked, of course, in one way and when we learned that there is going to be a confidence vote this afternoon and the federal legislature that could plunge this country into a general election. Two weeks ago, the Ontario Liberal Leader said that calling a snap election in the middle of a pandemic would be bad for the people of Ontario. We agreed then and we agreed now. Absolutely. Mr. Speaker, Ontario, as we all know, we're involved in a number of joint initiatives and ventures with the federal government including support for small businesses and families. With the government house leader now, please indicate how a federal election would impact the ongoing partnership we have between the federal government and if these pandemic supports we have right now could be adversely affected. I recognize the government house leader. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member for that question. It's a very, very important question. Obviously, as the member noted today, the federal house is going to be seized with a confidence motion that could plunge the country into an election. He's quite correct. There are a number of initiatives that we are working on together that an election would obviously cause on, Mr. Speaker. So I do encourage my friends at the federal level all parties to work together the way this house has been working together for months, Mr. Speaker. In fact, just two weeks ago the leader of the Liberal Party, Mr. Stephen Del Duca, took the unprecedented step of bringing forward Ontario and Canada's first ever motion of confidence in a government, which I'm proud to say passed unanimously all members of this legislation, the official opposition, voted in favor of this government continuing to do the good work that it has done over the last two years, Mr. Speaker. So I hope that my friends at the federal level would take their lead from us, Mr. Speaker, so that we continue working together for the benefit of all Ontarians. A supplementary question. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, given the critical importance that an election poses to all these joint support programs that we're able to participate in in order to help guide the people of Ontario in this country out of this dastardly pandemic circumstance, a cooperation is absolutely needed. But of course should we have an election many, many things then fall by the wayside. I wonder if the government house leader could expand upon some of the possible impacts of this federal election should it be called? Again, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, Mr. Speaker, across various ministries in the government there are a number of initiatives that we are working together on, whether it's the Minister of Education who has been working to protect students, the Minister of Finance who has been working very closely with his counterpart in Ottawa to ensure that protections for small businesses are expanded with the Minister of Health, the Minister of Long-Term Care. So across government there are a number of initiatives that we have been working on together, Mr. Speaker, that would all be put in jeopardy if an election was held today. The member is quite right a week ago, he said he was going to have an election next week. We need political leaders to actually show up for work, roll up their sleeves and do the job that they were elected to do and not worry about their own crass interests. That's what led to a motion of confidence in this government with unanimous support across all party lines, Mr. Speaker. That's the type of spirit we hope we could see by our federal cousins in Ottawa, Mr. Speaker. At the same time I would remind all members of the government that we have been working on this. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Last year the Premier and his government claimed that they would respect mayors and municipal councillors after attacking local democracy when they first got to office. A year ago the Minister of Municipal Affairs said and I quote, our government stands firm in its commitment to partnering with municipalities without pursuing an approach. Yesterday we saw that commitment dissolve into mush when the Premier slipped a provision into a bill that would take away the option of ranked balloting from municipalities. Can the Premier tell us which municipalities asked for this assault on their local decision making? The Parliamentary Assistant Member for... Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to say it's my first experience and it's an honour as a PA to be able to answer a question in this House. I want to thank the member opposite for that question, Mr. Speaker. I can assure this House that we're committed to enhancing consistencies in election process. Our government believes that it is important that the way people vote in a federal and provincial election is the same way that they vote in the municipal election. That's why earlier this time the electoral officer of Ontario made changes to create a single voter's list for both municipal and provincial elections, reducing the need to make correction on election day, shorten wait times and save municipalities money, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. The supplementary question. Clearly not a single municipality asked for this change to be made. In London where a historic and successful election was held with ranked ballots in 2018, councillors have denounced this interference. In the words of Councillor Morgan allowing local communities to choose the way they elect their governments is a good thing for local democracy. A Kingston referendum saw 63% support for ranked ballots in the 2022 municipal election. A Cambridge referendum was supported by 56%. The City of Toronto voted overwhelmingly in favour of ranked ballots for the 2026 elections. In fact, one of the only objections came from the Premier's nephew. We are in a pandemic speaker. Can the Premier explain why he felt it was so urgent to undermine local democracy yet again and meddle in municipal politics? The member for Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We know that these changes would better respect taxpayers' dollars. Four hundred and forty three out of the four hundred and forty four municipalities, Mr. Speaker, voted using the first pass the Pope system in 2018 election. The City of London was the only municipality in Ontario to have used a ranked ballot in Ontario and their municipal election cost taxpayers, Mr. Speaker, additional $515,000. That is 40% than what it cost them in the previous election, Mr. Speaker. And guess what, Mr. Speaker? They got the exact same... Member for Timmins, come to order. The Minister of Education, come to order. The Minister of Labour, come to order. The member for Milton, please wind up. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As I was saying, and London got the exact same erection result that they would have under the first pass the Pope system, Mr. Speaker, used the best of Ontario. So, the only thing this would do is bring consistency and save municipalities money, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Simcoe Gray. Speaker, I rise this morning to ask the Minister of Finance about the insanity that has become rampant in Ontario's commercial insurance industry. I hear regularly from constituents about out-of-control premium increases being demanded by the tax with condominium corporations that have had few or no claims. In the case of the Greenbrier community in Alliston, they saw modest annual rate increases in the period leading up to 2018. Then out of nowhere and with no claims, they were shocked to learn of their premium doubling to almost $16,000 in 2019. Incredibly it doubled again in 2020 to almost $30,000. Now as a new year approaches, Greenbrier is looking at another potential doubling to $60,000 and that's if they can get the insurance at all. The story at the neighbouring Briar Hill condominium corporations is similar. Most of these people are retired seniors, many unfixed incomes. In light of the near criminal behaviour of commercial insurance companies, isn't it time that the Ontario government regulate this industry? Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Simcoe Gray for raising this important matter. Since we've been elected as this legislature knows, we've been keeping a close watch on all aspects of insurance, whether it's automotive or the sort of insurance that the member is talking about today. Certainly since the beginning of this pandemic, our message has been clear to the insurance industry which is that they need to understand their customers today better than fair treatment from them. We are aware in particular of the difficult matters with regards to the condominium corporation insurance and I'd be happy to get more details from the member specifically about those issues. I have been actively meeting with effective consumers, with the insurance industry, with Brian Davies who is the chair of FISRA which is the regulator and the government will continue to work and look for solutions, particularly as relates to the publishers of open insurance for Ontarians in all situations. And the supplementary question. Thank you and back to the minister. I've written the minister three times in the last year and I haven't received a response. My constituents are extremely frustrated. The industry says it's studying a problem. They make up the excuses that it's due to COVID-19 claims. Well, they haven't had COVID-19 claims yet. They also say it's due to severe weather events. I grew up knowing about Hurricane Hazel of 1954 and I don't think we've had anything like Hurricane Hazel since 1954 so I don't really accept their severe weather excuses and I suggest the government get on the ball with respect to this issue. It's across the province. It's not just Greenbrier or Breyer Hill in my writing. It's not just the seniors that are affected. It's condominium corporations. It's turning into a crisis. People can't get insurance. They need insurance and the excuses from the government. Again, I ask the minister, what is the government going to do to protect these seniors and to protect these condominium corporations? Minister of finance. Mr. Speaker, let me say and I'll take as a given that if we did not reply to those letters to the member, we will. I'll take that up immediately when I get back. That's not acceptable so my apologies for that. Mr. Speaker, with regards to the issue, the initiatives that the Attorney General put forward in terms of the civil liability components of this, it is one of the factors but only one of the factors that's affecting the insurance industry. As I've said, we are working with the industry. We are working with the affected parties. We are working with FISRA, which is the regulator and as the member knows elements of conduct are currently regulated by the government, not elements of price which are more specifically what he's referring to. But we'll continue to work with all the affected parties to make sure that insurance is available. The next question would be the kind of insurers that would deal with this sort of matter. 19,000 insurance brokers and one of the things that competitive market allows for individuals, corporations, seniors, businesses to make sure that they're getting the best deal they can from a broadly based market. Thank you. Next question, the member for Eglinton, Lawrence. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education. After the Liberals disastrous record of enormous repair backlog, our government is investing in our students and their learning environments. Yesterday, I was pleased to join the Minister and the Premier to announce funding for Loretto Abbey secondary school in my riding of Eglinton Lawrence as part of our government's historic investment in new schools, additions and child care spaces across the province. Can the Minister please outline what this funding will achieve, how it will help our students and more importantly will he commit to continuing to reverse the disastrous legacy of cuts and closures that mark the Liberals time in office. Minister of Education. Well, thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I want to thank the member for Eglinton Lawrence for being an unapologetic defender for public education, the City of Toronto and across this province and for standing strongly to deliver a historic investment in new schools, older than Confederation of Loretto Abbey, a project that will help ensure a future generation of women continue to make a difference in our country. Under the former government for 15 consecutive years, the Liberals closed the most schools in provincial history. In sharp contrast, in the midst of a pandemic, the Premier of this province has allocated and invested $1 billion on historic school projects and to expand 1,700 plus affordable child care spaces for working parents. This is an investment in our future in our children and we will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure our learning facilities are at the high standard and state of the art. Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education. Mr Speaker, since 2018, I have been fighting to reverse the damaging impact of school closures and lack of investment in new schools across my riding of Carleton because that was the legacy of the previous Liberal government. Shutting down Munster Elementary School was their legacy and Minister, I have been working hard to secure funding for new schools in my riding and yesterday, Mr Speaker, I was thrilled to announce the approval of over $42 million for a brand new and the first secondary school in Riverside South. My question to the Minister Thank you. My question to the Minister is simple, Mr Speaker. Will the Minister commit to continue working on rebuilding an education system that was shamefully left in shambles by the previous Liberal government and can you provide more detail on the new school coming to Riverside South? Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I am very grateful for the advocacy and the leadership of the member of Carleton who has worked so hard to ensure the people of Riverside South and Carleton. Finally, after a decade of advocacy being ignored by the former Liberal government, finally a government and a premier is delivering for this fast-going suburban community delivering a school, a $42 million investment, 1,500 size new high school that includes childcare for working parents. Mr Speaker, part of our broader lens of technology have the accessibility, air conditioning and all the necessities to ensure our kids are safe and learning and save the art spaces. Mr Speaker, it is why just yesterday the premier, the member for Magneton Lawrence and I announced another $500 million investment, a renewal in our schools, a sharp contrast to the devastating legacy of the former Liberals who really hurt suburban rural communities in this province. We will continue to ensure that those communities get the voice, get the advocacy that they deserve. Thank you. The next question, the member for Kingston and the I. Thank you Speaker. My question is to the acting premier. The government recently announced its so-called Keeping Ontario Safe Plan and its six pillars, the first of which was the largest flu immunization campaign in the province's history which unfortunately has already stumbled. Folks in every part of the province are being turned away because pharmacies don't have enough vaccines to meet the needs of taxpayers. How did the government go so terribly wrong on their first pillar? How can they ask Ontarians to do their part and get the vaccines and then force pharmacies to turn them away because of inadequate government preparations? Minister of Health. Well, the member is absolutely right in the comment that this is an essential part of our Keeping Ontario Safe Plan to have the most effective flu campaign in Ontario's history to get as many vaccinations as possible. In fact, we ordered over 700,000 more doses this year than last year and we have already shipped over 3.4 million doses of the flu vaccine across Ontario compared to last year at this time where we had shipped over 2.7 million. So we're already ahead of where we were last year. I would remind the member that this is something that happens every year because the shipments come in at different times from global manufacturers. There is no shortage of the flu vaccine. It is coming in on regular basis. We will receive shipments shortly and I'm pleased that so many Ontarians are taking this seriously and want to have the flu vaccine but please rest assured everyone in Ontario if you want the flu vaccine if you want the flu shot there will be one ready for you. And the supplementary question. Speaker, in any other year this rollout might have been acceptable but it's not acceptable when this is the first pillar of the plan against the second wave of COVID. A constituent in Kingston the islands Bruce Bursey is in need of a high dose vaccine but has been told he will have to wait well into November to get one. It's not just him and it's not just in Kingston. Flu season is here in Ontario but the vaccines we need to slow it simply aren't. Will the government acknowledge that the rushed out use of an existing plan for its first pillar is because they simply didn't have a second wave strategy in place at the time and will the government acknowledge they've already let Ontarians down on that first pillar and immediately move to acquire the vaccines and distribute them so that we can keep Ontarians safe. Minister Hill. Thank you Speaker and what I will say to the member is we have a very well developed plan that was developed months ago to distribute the flu vaccine. We ordered 700,000 more doses this year than last year. They are being distributed according to the schedules that have been arranged with the global manufacturers and with the assistance of the federal government. We have no delays in shipment. They are proceeding as they were meant to be proceeded with. This happens every year where in some locations there are short term situations where they may not have enough flu vaccines in a particular pharmacy. I would suggest that your constituent may be able to find it somewhere else. But in any event, every pharmacy that is carrying the flu vaccine will have enough to make sure that every Ontarian that wants to have the flu shot will have the flu shot. Thank you Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Yesterday your government introduced Bill 218 under the cover of a COVID response bill. Yet it would bar local municipal governments from using ranked ballot in their local elections. This omnibus legislation comes at a time when municipalities across Ontario are moving toward ranked ballots and the Premier himself was chosen as his party's leader under this system. My question is who did the Premier consult with? Who asked for this provision? Why is it so urgent that it merits inclusion in a good response bill? Did anyone actually ask for this to be done? Or is the Premier steamrolling once again over the independence of Ontario's local municipalities? Thank you, Mr Speaker. I find it a bit ironic coming from the Liberal member. May I remind the member about the promise that their federal leader made in terms of the election reform? Mr Speaker, our proposed changes would bring predictability to municipal elections at a time when Ontarians are focused on their health and safety. Make the electoral process consistent across municipal, provincial and federal elections. A consistent municipal election process would also ensure municipalities avoid unnecessary higher costs when they are associated with ranked ballots. This is not about unnecessary higher costs. Let me tell you the benefits of ranked ballot. Introducing this measure during a health crisis is unconscionable. It goes against the spirit of democracy. Rank ballots produces fairer elections. The results reflect public health. They make democracy better. In the first municipality to use ranked ballots in Canada, London elected its first black woman as a city councillor. To this physician, the system is having great success. The procedural fairness of ranked ballot tends to work against groups like this government who benefit from and perhaps prefer the status quo. This government won a majority in an election with first past the folks with just 40% of the popular vote. Speaker, how can the premier justify overturning democratically elected and deliberated decisions in Toronto, in Kingston, in Cambridge, in the city of London? Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the member opposite that first post-apost system is a system that is used federally. It is a system that is used provincially. I am proud to be in this legislature and I think using the system, I don't think anybody can deny the representation in this legislature is very, very important. The member pointed out in terms of the London being the city to use it. I would like to remind everyone in this legislature, the cost associated with the system that was only used by the city of London, it cost the taxpayers of London $515,000 additional. That is 40% higher ultimately, they would have gotten the exact same result from the city of London. So it would not have a difference, Mr. Speaker. We're bringing consistency right across this problem. The next question, the member for Flamborough. My question is for the Minister of Education. For nearly a decade Ontario has hired educators based on seniority and it has not served our students well and in fact it has served the students well. The legislation 274 was first brought in by the former Liberal government and it was and continues to be supported by the current opposition. Even the former premier who brought in this regulation is on the record saying it was quote over correction. Speaker, can the Minister of Education please share with us why this egregious regulation brought in by the former Liberal government has been relegated to history where it belongs after a decade of ensuring that hiring in this province is being given preference to seniority. It is this government and this premier who took the decisive step to ensure that hiring and promotions reverts to a system of meritocracy. I think that is profoundly in the interest of students and parents. The question for the members opposite for my colleagues Liberal Party and Democrats is will you stand with parents, with students in saying that this regulation should never see the light of day. We have to defend the interests of students who demand quality learning now in this pandemic and every day thereafter. We believe now more than ever while children are facing the difficulty, the learning loss and the struggle and the latitude to hire quickly and hire the very best person for the job. Thank you Mr. Speaker and Minister it's clear that an education system built around quality diversity and innovation is one that benefits everyone involved. It's also clear that currently our education system does not adequately reflect our province's rich diversity in part due to previous hiring practices. Ontario is a beautiful mosaic of cultures and peoples and this should be represented in our educational system. Speaker can the Minister please share with us how the revocation of regulation 274 will better reflect our communities in our educational system. Thank you very much Speaker I think this the member raises a very important point in the debate. I think the question is what is the point of the debate in boards across the province. Earlier one of the remarks was that the status quo is indefensible. The concept that we should not sit here and defend a system that is not ensuring that merited people of diversity are in our schools. In Peel where I commissioned and called for a review the report was quite clear. In schools in 2020 we need to ensure our communities reflect their educators reflect the communities in which they serve. Principles, school board associations, parents, students themselves have called for it. The only audience, the only constituency calling for the status quo are union partners respectfully and the members of the Liberal Party and I think that is absolutely inconsistent with the interests of quality with the interests of our students and you can see that we have a lot of equity, more diversity, more mobility for the next generation of educators. The next question, the member for Scarborough southwest. Thank you, Speaker. Tomorrow is early childhood educator appreciation day. A way we can show appreciation for early childhood educators and the kids and the families they serve is by supporting the community. We need to make sure that we have the opportunity to be counting on day care spaces to be there when they go back to work or as they are going back to work. Ontarians need to know that affordable, high quality, not for profit public day care spaces will be there when they need them. But closures and low enrollment are taking their toll on centres, families, childcare workers and our community are closed. Thank you, Speaker. As of last week in this province, 95% of child care operators are open helping, supporting, working parents in the province of Ontario. 95% are open in this province because they have the guidance supported by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, they have the funding supported by the province and the feds providing an historic investment. And not only that, Speaker, in the midst of this pandemic, we have announced a one year extension to provide stability of the federal provincial child care agreement, early child care agreement to ensure the sector knows with absolute clarity we will be there for them as we have from the very early days of this pandemic ensuring that they have the operating support while they had fewer children within their care. We are doing everything possible recognising as the members are open to support our economic recovery. And the supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, any working family with young kids know how essential day care is to ensuring parents can work and kids can get high quality affordable care. That is why new democrats have fought for licensed high quality affordable not-for-profit child care for decades. This pandemic has thrown this into sharp relief. It's been a long time since the pandemic began. It's been a long time since the pandemic began. In September, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce highlighted the fact that a recovery will require ensuring child care can and I quote whether the pandemic. So I ask again how many spaces not centres, how many spaces have closed since the pandemic because we are hearing otherwise and what will the minister do if he doesn't acknowledge the supply and demand of our child care sectors is an important element that needs to be acknowledged if there are fewer parents requesting the service therefore there will be fewer children within child care centres and while we accept the parents especially while they work from home may have arrangements and requirements for the care of their children. Child care centres overwhelmingly provide additional $230 million to our child care operators. When it comes to the affordability of child care for the end user for the parent we introduce in this house a child care tax credit because after 15 years respecting the former government we had the most expensive child care in Ontario and yet the opposition when having an opportunity to support 200,000 working parents they voted no and I would hope that they will continue to reflect in the forthcoming budget on how we can make child care more affordable and accessible for parents. Thank you very much. My questions for the minister of long-term care today there are 86 homes in Ontario in outbreak seven with double digit resident cases yesterday the globe reported that Ontario's testing backlogs are preventing long-term care homes from quickly identifying COVID positive 19 residents therefore increasing the risk of the spread of COVID-19 in the home so the last two days it was 24,000 30,000 tests well below our capacity also with a backlog that was about the same as the tests that were done that day so those are the facts so a fast turnaround of tests is critical to preventing and managing outbreaks in long-term care homes so after seven months of being in this pandemic why has the minister of long-term care failed to ensure failed to prioritize testing for residents in long-term care homes thank you speaker Minister of Health thank you very much for the question I can certainly assure the member that we recognize how important testing is that's why we're investing over a billion dollars in increasing our testing ability our contact tracing with people who have been testing positive we are placing a priority on our residents and staff in long-term care homes because those are the most vulnerable residents that need to be protected as we do with hospitals and retirement homes and other places of congregate settings but we also have to remember that testing is driven by the number of people who show up for tests so the testing has gone down in the last few days because not as many people showed up for tests that doesn't mean we can't test more we are at the stage now where we can easily test more than 40,000 people per day but if 40,000 people don't show up to be tested we test who's there the important point is that anybody who wants to have a test will get a test and will get a timely response order supplementary question thank you speaker fewer people are getting tests but we have the same kind of backlog that doesn't sound right to me but I'll let the minister maybe explain that to me so yesterday in a late show the member from Eglinton Lawrence in response to a similar question it just sound like in Ottawa there were zero resident cases that everything was okay what she failed to mention was in the minister's own backyard at Ottawa's West End Villa we did have a case where there were double digit cases they're just not there anymore 20 residents died 20 families I could barely contain my anger and now in Hawkesbury there's 31 residents double digit and we all know what's going to happen the minister knows what's going to happen so what is the minister going to do to ensure we have the testing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 amongst residents in Ontario's long-term care homes Mr Bell thank you very much speaker I think it's very important to set the record straight here there is no backlog in testing there had been for a period of time but it is caught up when you hear about a backlog of 25,000 tests that's not a backlog we can test those people the very next day there is not a delay of 2 or 3 or 4 days in testing we can test that number easily and more so any suggestion that any outbreaks in long-term care homes directly related to a backlog in testing is simply not true we are caught up with our testing we are able to test people within a reasonable period of time in fact the vast majority of our cases are turned around within 24 to 48 hours so there are no backlogs in testing right now we are testing everyone who comes in a timely manner thank you the next question the member for Brampton East my question is to the Premier when is he going to start and he and the Conservative Government are going to start taking Brampton's healthcare crisis seriously the Conservative Government has chosen to ignore the fact that Brampton is one of Canada's fastest growing cities it is a city of over 600,000 people yet we only have one single hospital we have a continued shortage of beds we only have two Covid testing centres this is what a healthcare crisis looks like it was made bad under the past Liberal government and is being made worse under the current Conservative Government we don't want Conservatives and Liberals to come around every year during an election just to have them continue to under fund our healthcare system when will the Premier and this Conservative Government start taking Brampton's healthcare crisis seriously thanks for the help thank you I just want to say that there are many parts of Ontario that don't have the new hospital that Brampton is asking for in fact probably almost every one of you in this chamber wants to have a new hospital in their area there is a way that these determinations are made based on need based on the condition of the existing hospitals but any suggestion that the spread of Covid in Brampton and appeal regions is because you don't have a new hospital it's totally ridiculous however we are cognizant of the needs in Brampton as we are cognizant of the needs across Ontario and we are working in appeal and Ottawa and Toronto to make sure that there are significant assessment centres available whether it's through the existing centres whether it's through pharmacies in some areas where there are significant needs we're also providing pop-up centres in mobile testing centres so we are addressing the needs in appeal region as we are addressing the needs of people across the province and the supplementary if the Conservative Government is so confident in their handling of Brampton's health care then why are they allowing patients in the one hospital that Brampton has to be kicked out during a pandemic right now in Brampton families of patients in Brampton Civic Hospitals complex continuing care unit are being told that their loved ones need to leave to make room for 19 patients I spoke with these families the patients in this unit are often non-verbal they're immobile they're being victimised by an underfunded health care system in Brampton and are now being kicked out as their continuing care unit is being shut down with no clear answers from this Government they have written to the Premier with no response will the Premier stop underfunding Brampton's health care system and give these families the health care funding that we deserve thank you speaker again it's important to understand the facts in the situation no one who is in a hospital that needs to be in a hospital is going to be kicked out we are making sure that we are expanding our capacity in Brampton and appeal region and across the province for an increase in COVID-19 patients for an increase in patients who may come to the hospital with the flu and to be able to continue to do the surgeries and procedures that had to be postponed during wave 1 we are making that capacity we are not kicking anyone out of a hospital that needs to be there what we are doing is increasing capacity so that as we more and more people are admitted to surgery and are admitted to hospital because of COVID-19 because we know that's happening that we will have the facilities available for anyone who needs to be in hospital thank you thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the premier in May of this year over five months ago I asked the government to cap food delivery service commission fees at 15% to help restaurant owners during government imposed restrictions that have forced them to rely entirely on take out orders for their operation and survival other jurisdictions have already cap these commission fees at 15% and they did so months ago our restaurants need our support and they need it now real support Mr. Speaker not photo ops of MPP's ordering take out or the premier asking delivery companies to please please please reduce their fees will the premier finally do the right thing and cap food delivery commission fees at 15% during these restrictions yes or no Mr. Finance my question and appreciate as I said yesterday all the suggestions that we can get including this one she notes as you did that the premier did from the podium with some effect suggest that these companies reduce their fees and in fact some did as a result Mr. Speaker we have a broader based approach to supporting our restaurants to supporting our small businesses the minister of small business and red tape production introduced a program $60 million Mr. Speaker to cover electricity bills and other bills and Mr. Speaker I do think that the member may call them photo ops but that it is important as well that we send the message through our actions as well as through our words that we should all be supporting local restaurants whether it's by take out in the areas that are affected and no longer have been room dining or in the other areas of the province by enjoying a good meal with your favorite restaurant thank you supplement your question thank you Mr. Speaker and I thank the minister for his answer Mr. Speaker back to the premier we're now well into the second wave of this pandemic and still the government is slow to respond delays in decision making coupled with contradictory and confusing messaging from this government is costing people and businesses big time the recent lockdowns in Toronto, Peel and Ottawa came into effect the night the announcement was made costing restaurants tens of thousands of dollars worth of food and labor there was absolutely no time for businesses to prepare whatsoever zero it was one thing to scramble in the spring when this was new but now seven months in completely unacceptable when will this government start respecting small business owners and give them at least some notice to ensure they can prepare, organize and mitigate loss their survival depends on it Mr. Finance Mr. Speaker I don't see how the members of the Liberal Party can simultaneously be saying this government needs to follow public health advice and then criticize the government when it follows public health advice we've always said that we will take the steps that are necessary to make sure that the health and safety of Ontarians are and we will do that in a way that balances economic interest that's why with the recent announcement with regards to York Region some additional time was allowed and I think that was an important modification Mr. Speaker some other things that we've allowed very popular in fact the leader of the members party suggested the delivery of alcohol support for patios Mr. Speaker there are many many measures and we will continue to take those measures to support our small businesses and I'll look to the members across the aisle to support those measures when this government brings forward in our upcoming budget and when we bring them forward otherwise thank you the next question the member for Nickelbelt my question is for the Premier the Court decision to find Southlake Regional Health Centre $100,000 after the hospital pleaded guilty to two of seven charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act the hospital did not keep their workers safe and now a registered nurse has had her life change forever according to the Ontario Nurses Association this is one of many acts of violence that have resulted in devastating injury for staff at Southlake does the minister feel that the system worked that the two charges against Southlake hospital will result in safer workplace for healthcare workers Mr. Labour well thank you very much and I thank the member opposite for this question first Mr. Speaker let me begin by thanking all of those healthcare workers across this province who have been fighting every single day to protect families and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic furthermore I also extend our condolences to any worker who has been injured on the job or who have suffered violence or harassment in the workplace Mr. Speaker the laws are crystal clear in this province and as a government we will not tolerate any violence any harassment in the workplace and one injury is one too many for me as minister the supplementary question because the minister has to connect the dots on this issue union professional association representing nurses and other frontline healthcare workers have been ringing the alarm bells for years SCIU was here last year trying to get the government to pay attention to those horrific events Speaker did you know 80% of all nurses will be assaulted at work during their career 80% violence against nurses have been normalized in our hospital in our long-term care home while this government, this minister of labour this minister of health and this premier do nothing minister what concrete action will you take to keep healthcare workers safe Mr. Labour well thank you very much Mr. Speaker the health and safety of every single worker in the province is our top priority Mr. Speaker that's why during the pandemic our ministry of labour inspectors have done nearly 24,000 investigations since the beginning of March related to COVID-19 Mr. Speaker we've issued over 22,000 orders to improve work sites and job sites across the province to protect all workers in every type of business Mr. Speaker during the pandemic since March we've actually shut down nearly 40 workplaces gained to protect the health and safety of every worker and I'm extremely proud that I was able to join the premier just two weeks ago to announce that our government is moving forward with hiring nearly 100 new ministry of labour training and skills development inspectors and I'm also proud to say Mr. Speaker that that will be a record number of labour inspectors in Ontario's history that concludes the time for question period this morning this house stands in recess until 3pm