 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Oppositions. Thanks so very much, Speaker. Thanks so very much, Speaker. My first question is for the Premier. Apparently, the Premier has admitted that his low-wage policies don't even fly with him. He admitted he couldn't live on $15 an hour, yet he expects literally hundreds of thousands of Ontario workers to do just that. His low-wage policy took $5,300 out of those very workers' pockets, Speaker. For three years, this Premier kept that low-wage policy in place. It was one of his many, many bad ideas, Speaker. So why is he now refusing to put that $5,300 back into the pockets of the people that he took it from? Thank you for the question through you, Mr. Speaker. During this pandemic, Ontario relied on more than ever our frontline workers. The people that were working in the factories, people working in the retail and grocery stores checking people out. But I'll tell you, Mr. Speaker, they deserve the $15 an hour. And I find it ironic, coming from the leader of the NDP, one day she's okay with the $15 and bingo! The next day, it's $17. People don't know where the leader of the NDP stands. She flip flops back and forth, not knowing where she stands on any single issue. It's no, no, no, no to $15, no to building transit, no to building subways, no to building LTC. It's always no. Vote for the NDP and there's a party of no. No, no, no, no, no. That's what the NDP are all about. Supplementary question. Oh, $15 was so 2016, 2017, it should have come in in 2019. And instead this Premier stole, took $1,500. And he asked you to withdraw? Draw. $5,300 in the pockets of working people. And he's the one that cancelled the subway or rather an LRT in my own writing. So I don't know what he's talking about. But nonetheless, the low wage policies of this government are absolutely hurting people. Everything is going up, Speaker. The cost of housing is up. The cost of electricity is up. The cost of gas is up. The cost of food is up. The cost of insurance is up. The cost of milk and butter is up, Speaker. The Premier knows his new minimum wage isn't enough for hardworking families to make ends meet. So my question is, will he do the right thing and return that $5,300 that he took out of the pockets of minimum wage workers? Premier. Mr. Speaker, there's 760,000 people that are doing cartwheels today. They ended up getting an increase. They ended up getting an increase to $15 an hour, well, well deserved. And I know what really ticks off the NDP when we are the party of the frontline workers, our workers. When we stood there with some of the top labour leaders in all of Ontario, they were going crazy, the NDP. Matter of fact, our friend Smokey Thomas from Opsu said we actually have a government that is listening and doing some things for the working people of this province. And Jerry Diaz from Unifor, one of the largest labour unions in the entire country, this is his quote. But at any time that we can see an increase, the minimum wage of $15 an hour, which we know the majority of minimum wage workers in this province are women, it's a day in which we recognize that things are moving in the right direction. Jerry Diaz from Unifor, again, we're the party of the working people. You're the party of null. Final supplementary. Speaker, what the Premier needs to acknowledge is he did take that $5,300 out of the pockets of these hardworking workers. And I can tell him hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people, are at food banks today. They're doing cartwheels. They're at food banks because of this Premier's low wage policies and his bad choices. Everything is going up. We all know it. And in fact, the dollar isn't stretching as far as it has in the past because inflation is also eroding its speaker. These low wage policies hurt everybody. It hurts the workers and it hurts the economy, it hurts the entire province speaker. Will the Premier do the right thing? Put that $5,300 back in people's pockets and give all the money back that folks deserve and actually help Ontarians to build a decent life in this province. Premier. Mr. Speaker, one of the major reasons the prices are going up is because something called the carbon tax that the NDP voted for. I call it the big green scam instead of the big green deal. They love going after the little guy, Engel. They love putting pressure on people that have to drive from point A to point B to drop their kids off to go to work. They want to increase taxes. They voted no to lowering taxes. They voted yes to the carbon tax, 10 cents a liter. So every time you pump that gas in your car, just take a look at the leader of the NDP and know it's 10 cents more. And it's going to continue going up. That is the cost when the NDP voted no to absolutely everything that you have. Is there one thing that you stand for? They'll stand for one thing one day, the next day, knowing it changes. On their website it was $15 two days ago. Now all of a sudden it's $17. They got to make up their mind. And I'll remind members to make the comments through the chair. The next question, the leader of the opposition. My next question is also for the Premier. Maybe he will take this one seriously. Yesterday the member for St. Catherine's asked a straightforward question. A very straightforward question to get justice for veterans with disabilities. But the Premier Ford had no answers for her. The Canadian Legion has asked the government to solve an unfair policy that literally results in injured veterans becoming homeless. The Premier is clawing back money from their pockets. Veterans have served this country with valor and with honour. If they receive a disability award from Veterans Affairs Canada, Premier Ford, claws it back and he shouldn't be doing that. So my question is will he immediately end rather this unfair clawback of benefits that our veterans with disabilities rightfully should be getting? Thank you so much Speaker and I appreciate the opportunity to speak about the commitment that our government has for veterans. And that commitment was on firm display yesterday when our government introduced legislation to ensure that nobody can be denied the right to wear the poppy. Because our government believes that it is so crucial for us to demonstrate our firm support to our veterans. And that's why Speaker, our government took action last year to expand the mandate of the Soldiers Aid Commission. A program that is here in Ontario, a unique program across the confederation that demonstrates Ontario's commitment to supporting veterans. And prior to last year's Speaker, there were many servicemen and women that couldn't access these vital supports. And our government took action to change that. We expanded the Soldiers Aid Commission so that every man and woman who has served this country valiantly could access those supports that the Government of Ontario provides. We're going to keep being there for veterans going forward. Thank you very much. The supplementary question. Well, Speaker, thanks. The Legion Ontario Command penned a letter to Minister Tobolo. I'll actually send it by this page. A phraser over to the Premier in case he hasn't seen it. And in that letter, President Gary Pond said, and I quote, We have numerous veterans who are fearful of even applying for compensation, knowing the Ontario provincial government will claw back their basic needs and shelter until that disability award is spent. The Legion says some veterans have literally ended up homeless after they unknowingly had their shelter allowance clawed back by this Premier. So it has to stop. This absolutely must stop. Why hasn't the Premier done the right thing and stopped clawing back the disability award from our country's proud veterans? Thank you, Speaker, and I'm pleased to speak a little bit further to our government's reforms to the Soldiers Aid Commission. Along with expanding the Soldiers Aid Commission's supports to all servicemen and women, our government also understood that this program had been underfunded by previous governments. And so we took action, and I'm pleased to say that we supported the expanded mandate and expanded the commission's funding by about 600% to $1.55 million per year. Speaker, the Soldiers Aid Commission provides financial assistance for veterans and their families of up to $2,000 over a 12-month period per household, and this can go to cover a number of different items, including health-related items like hearing aids, glasses, prescription, dental needs, home-related items like home repairs, specialized equipment like assistive devices, wheelchairs and prosthetics, personal items, and, for the first time in Ontario's history, employment-related supports. So this program is here for veterans. We're expanding its mandate and we're increasing its funding because our government... Thank you very much. And the final supplement, please. Speaker, the Legion Ontario Command Provincial President Gary Pond has asked the Premier to stop this cruel and disrespectful policy. And I agree with him. New Democrats agree. It has to stop. We should be able to afford the basics like food and shelter, not get their shelter and food allowances clawed back by this Ford government. Life is unaffordable under this Premier. We've already established that, Speaker. We simply must ensure that veterans don't become homeless because of their Ontario government's policies of clawing back their benefits. It should have been included, Speaker. I don't disagree with the member that a great bill was passed yesterday. This clawback ending should have been included in that bill that this House passed yesterday. That's what should have happened. But now the member for St. Catherine's has put a motion on the table. We need to do the right thing. We need to get this done and get this done now. Will this government pass that motion and commit to clawing back, or to ending that clawback of benefits immediately? Give the veterans the respect that they deserve. To apply on behalf of the Government Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to tell the House and let all the MPPs know that because of the leadership of Premier Ford, we announced a partnership with a great organization called Helmets to Hardhats, where we are working with the largest skilled trades unions in Ontario to help veterans when they come back from serving Canadians overseas to get mental health supports, to get housing supports, to get full training and shelter and food to get into these meaningful careers in the skilled trades. Mr. Speaker, because of the leadership of Premier Ford and our government, we've partnered to the tune of millions of dollars with Helmets to Hardhats. I'm proud to say that a thousand veterans are now on a pathway into a skilled trades job, making six figures with pensions and benefits. That's how we're making a difference. I'm going to ask the official opposition to come to order. The next question, the member for Waterloo. Very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Yesterday, the Minister of Transportation dodged questions about her visit to the Silver Lakes Country Club in March. The visit occurred just one month before the Bradford Bypass Route was altered. We now know the member from Willa Day's family co-owns this property. The province's proposed route originally sliced through the second, third and eleventh holes of the golf course. After this visit, the Ministry revised this plan, one that avoids the golf course and instead runs through residential properties. No rationale for the change was provided. If the Minister has nothing to hide, then she should be able to answer this basic question. And I want the Premier to answer this question. Does he really expect Ontarians to believe that while the Minister and the member from Willa Day toured the golf property, the Bypass project was never discussed. It never came up. Will you tell the people of this province what happened at that golf course? Again, I'll ask members to make their comments through the chair. The Premier. We're a party that builds infrastructure, that builds highways, builds transit. By building the Bradford Bypass, we're saving commuters one way, 35 minutes, two ways over an hour, that they can spend time with their family, Mr. Speaker. Everyone in the region wants it. The only person and people that don't want it are the folks on the other aisle. People from York Region, Simcoe County, Bradford West, Gwillembury and East Gwillembury. Not only that, the most important people are the Holland Marsh Growers Association. Those are the people it matters to because those are hardworking farmers. The hardworking farmers that know they want to get their goods to market as soon as possible, they don't want to be stuck in gridlock. If it was up to the NDP and Liberals, they had 15 years to build this Bypass, they didn't do it. They didn't do it because they do not believe in infrastructure. They don't even believe in a cart and buggy going down the roads. They are against absolutely everything. They're a party of no, no, no. Thank you. The next supplementary question. The issue here is ethics and its transparency. And I understand that this Premier doesn't get that. At the time of their meeting at Silver Lakes, the member for Willowdale had not yet been promoted to cabinet. And as the Toronto Star revealed on Sunday, he only declared a conflict of interest when he was promoted in June. Two months after the Bypass route was changed, three months after his meeting with the Minister on the golf course. The Bypass and Highway 413 are already very problematic. The City of Berry has requested a new environmental assessment, for instance. Speaker, no one in Ontario believes the story that the Minister just happened to show up at the precise location of the new Bradford Bypass on this golf course. Why won't the government release the data about why the route was changed? If you have a case for it, make it and share it with the people of this province who are going to pay for the Bypass and the Highway just to save 30 seconds of their transport. Once again, I'll ask the members to make their comments to the Chair and serve transportation to respond. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to tell the opposition member that the issue for the Ontarians is traffic. It's important for the people of the York Region and for the Simcoe County and Waterloo. Because in this House in 2019, the Waterloo member said that the Ford government has to commit to a concrete plan and finish the Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph. So it's clear when it comes to highway constructions in her riding, she's in favour. But when it comes to the rest of the province, she's against it. Next question, the member for Eglinton, Lawrence. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Honourable Minister of Labour Training and Skills Development. For too long in Ontario, underground operators have put workers at risk and disadvantaged those that follow the rules. Under our government, we have closed a loophole that the Liberals knew about four years. They had a majority government for a while and then were supported by the NDP, but no action was taken to protect workers from these bad apples. Speaker, workers and advocates agree that there is more to be done to eliminate underground temporary help agency operators. So will the Minister please explain what his plan is to increase workplace health and safety for vulnerable workers in Ontario? Mr. Labour Training and Skills Development. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. And I want to thank the Honourable Member from Eglinton, Lawrence for her leadership on this issue. Speaker, I know that the member and I share the same goals as everyone else here in this chamber. We want to make sure every worker in Ontario comes home safe after a hard day's work. And that begins with ending the exploitation of workers. I'm pleased to say we recently announced the most comprehensive plan in the country to protect vulnerable workers and honest employers. Our plan, if passed, would require agencies and recruiters to get a licence, pay a security bond and be listed on a public online database. This will send a clear signal that we will spare no expense to protect the health and safety of every single worker in the province, regardless of their passport status. Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I look forward to the supplementary questions. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that response. I've heard firsthand from the hardworking residents of my riding of Eglinton, Lawrence, about the need to support strong actions, and our government needs to take strong actions to protect these vulnerable workers. As a government, I think we need to be decisive to stop these bad apples from flourishing while breaking the law. So, Speaker, through you to the Minister, what actions will our government take if a business does not properly register or if a business tries to use a non-registered temporary help agency? Thank you, the Member again, for that very important question. Through you, Mr Speaker, I can assure all of her constituents and the people of Ontario that we are taking decisive action to help vulnerable workers under the leadership of Premier Ford and our government. These workers are mostly young people, women and newcomers who are being exploited by unscrupulous agencies. Those who fail to get a license or choose to use an unlicensed agency will face the highest fines in the country and possible jail time. We're shining a light on lawbreakers and sending a clear message, breaking the law is not a cost of doing business here in Ontario. If we're not following the rules, we can and we will shut you down. Again, Mr Speaker, everything that we're doing under the leadership of Premier Ford is ensuring that our workers have more take-home pay, that we protect workers and create more opportunities for every worker in this province. The next question, the number for Subway. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. It's been a lot of conversation about the $1.5 billion Ford 6 lane Bradford bypass highway that the Premier is rushing through the green bell to reward his developer buddies. However, Speaker, that highway wasn't even a topic for debate when the house rose last June. Three years ago in 2018, the Premier did promise the good people of Subway that he complete the four-lane highway 69. Over three years later, the same 68 kilometres is still in tender. That's the same 68 kilometres as intended with the Liberal leader, Stephen Deluca, who was the transportation minister. Surely to goodness, if the Premier can snap his fingers to push through the Bradford bypass for his buddies, he can keep his promise to Subway and finish the four-lane highway 69. Speaker, Premier commit to tendering the final 68 kilometres of highway 69 and when will he finally get this done? Thank you, Mr Speaker. Well, it's hard to know where the opposition stands as the Premier has said repeatedly today. Are they four highways or are they against highways? Mr Speaker, we are working very hard on behalf of people across Ontario to expand our highway system in the south and in the north. And I want to assure the member opposite that we're working to widen highway 69 between Perry Sound and Sudbury to four lanes to improve the safety and the operations of that highway. The widening of a 14 kilometre stretch of highway 69 south of Albany and the realignment of the Canadian National Rail Line at highway 522, it is still ongoing. This is a $200 million investment, Mr Speaker, in highway 69. And so, Mr Speaker, we're continuing to do the important work on behalf of all Ontarians, but in particular people in the north. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the Premier. Speaker, Sudbury is tired of broken promises. In 2003, the Liberals promised to complete the four lanes of highway 69 by 2007. During the 2007 election, they promised they'd completed by 2013. Then during the 2011 election, the Liberals promised they'd complete highway 69 by 2018. Then during the 2018 election, the Conservative Party promised they'd finally complete with the Liberal Party and their Transportation Minister Stephen Deluca failed to get done, complete the four-laning of highway 69. The good people of Sudbury have been incredibly patient, Speaker, over its now 2021. When it comes to broken promises, it's been Liberal Tory's same old story for nearly two decades. Speaker, my question is, will the Premier finally keep his promise to the people of Sudbury and tender the last 68 kilometres needed to complete the four-laning of highway 69? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I'd like to thank the opposition member for listing the broken promises made by the Liberal government. The list is very long, and this is why our government is committed to do the job for the people of Ontario. The work that is necessary in the north and in the south for the 68 kilometres remaining for highway 69, our ministry is working hard on this. We have a lot of work to do, and we need to acquire a few properties for this. Our government is committed to expand our highway system across the province, and the previous government was not able to do that. My question is to the Premier. We've watched this government continue to flip-flop, but now you're starting to do some of the right things. You have reversed your position on electric vehicles, you have finally agreed to the minimum wage. You're actually adopting some very important Liberal policies. Some might say it's never too late to do the right thing. The same is true when it comes to providing Ontarians with affordable childcare. A $1 invested in childcare will get a $1.50 to $2 return. It will increase Labour Force participation, especially amongst women, increase the GDP, and ultimately revenues to the province. But more importantly, it's the right thing to do. Speaker, my question to this Premier. Tomorrow, this Chamber will hear his fall economic statement, and it's not too late to include affordable childcare. Will the Premier announce tomorrow that he is signing the federal agreement on the $10 day childcare? First on, the Minister for Education. Well, thank you, Speaker. The government is going to continue to invest in affordable childcare, really cleaning up the mess under the former Liberal government, where childcare rose by 40% for working parents. I mean, that's just absolutely unacceptable by any measurement, and yet the member opposite champions the legacy of neglect when it comes to building schools, when it comes to childcare affordability. I mean, this Premier, in his first budget, allocated $2 billion every single year to build new childcare spaces, $30,000 spaces, a billion dollars of capital investment, a taxpayer to make life more affordable for working parents. But we do agree there's a role for the federal government to step up their investment. They currently pay 2.5% of Ontario's share of childcare. We think they could do much more. But unlike the provincial Liberals who would have caved to the federal Liberal government on childcare deal, this Premier standing strong for the best possible deal, a sustainable long-term agreement that ensures childcare is affordable for families now and well into the future. A supplementary question. Speaker, back to the Premier. Women and families in my riding of Scarborough-Gildwood are facing tough choices as they struggle to find childcare and to keep and hold on to their jobs. Participation rates among women in the core age group is falling in this province. Speaker, the YMCA across our province and our country have written to the Premier calling for concrete steps to tackle the she-session and to promote a she-covering. The letter that they sent to the Premier quotes, this economic crisis requires transformative intervention, task forces and tax credits are not enough. If the Premier wants to do the right thing for women in this province, then it is time for him to join the seven other provinces and one territory and sign on to the federal government's $10 a day childcare in Ontario so families can feel that relief. I've been working with the East Scarborough Girls' Club in my riding of Scarborough-Gildwood to find solutions of closing this gap. Speaker, women in Scarborough cannot fight this inequity and the she-session alone. They need their help from their government. Will the Premier sign this agreement today and stop delaying? Well, thank you Speaker and thank you to the member opposite for the question again. She noted that other provinces have signed deals overwhelmingly all of those provinces. The vast majority do not have a full-day kindergarten programme providing full-time subsidised care for four and five-year-olds. So for the $3.6 billion of investment that the provincial Liberals would have left on the table, our government, our Premier and this progressive Conservative Party saying to the federal government, we want a better deal that actually acknowledges the unique investments this province makes when it comes to quality childcare. We want a long-term deal, not a five-year commitment that then ends with a massive spiking cost for the parents we all represent. We want a sustainable programme, a long-term investment and more investment from the feds who are short-changing the people of this province. Thank you. The next question, the member for Whitby. Thank you Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Children, Community and Social Services. Our veterans have made a tremendous sacrifice to make Canada and province what it is today. As we go back to the Senate tasks and legions and our writings, we all see what a veteran looks like has changed. World War II veterans are mostly in their 90s and Korean War vets are mostly in their 80s. And now Speaker, most veterans you see on the 11th are from peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan. I know that I speak for all members when they say we're grateful, absolutely grateful to all veterans for their service. So Speaker, my question is after veterans have done so much for us, what is this government doing to support our veterans to show that our province is thankful for their service? Thank you Speaker and thank you to the member from Whitby for this question. And I want to start Speaker by really commending the member for Whitby. All of us here know that he has been a tremendously fierce advocate for veterans throughout his career in public service. And we thank him for his continued advocacy. You know our veterans have put so much on the line to ensure that our country and our province are free and secure. That's why our government passed a new law last year to expand the Soldiers Aid Commission's program to include all Ontario veterans and their families regardless of when and where they served. Previously, the mandate extended only to veterans of the Korean War and before. This was the first meaningful change in their mandate after years of neglect by the previous government which saw the Commission's financial assistance constrain to a very limited group of former service men and women. I'm pleased to add that to support the expanded mandate the Commission's funding has been increased by about 600% to $1.5 million each year resulting in up to $2,000 a year per household and I'm pleased to speak further in the supplementary. Supplementary question? Thank you Speaker and thank you to the Parliamentary Assistant for his answer and for explaining the government's action in supporting our veterans. This increase in funding is so well deserved and needed for Ontario's veterans. And Speaker, expanding the Commission's mandate to younger veterans who fought for our country is so long overdue. Connecting veterans to financial assistance is a clear way. We can show that we will never forget their sacrifice, Speaker. Never forget. Can the Minister tell us what the increased support through the Soldiers Aid Commission's program will look like for Ontario's veterans? Well, thank you Speaker and thank you to the member from Whitby for that supplemental question. The Soldiers Aid Commission program provides financial assistance for veterans and their families of up to $2,000 over a 12-month period per household for health-related items like hearing aids, glasses, prescription and dental needs, home-related items like repairs, moving costs, furniture, replacement repair of roof and furnace, specialized equipment like assistive devices, wheelchairs and prosthetics, personal items and employment-related supports for the first time in Ontario history. Knowing the importance of this work, our government expanded the Soldiers Aid Commission's mandate to apply to all Ontario's veterans. While we will never forget the bravery and sacrifice of veterans of our two world wars and of Korea, it is time that we honour a new generation of servicemen and women. Our government is committed to continuing to support our veterans and look forward to continuing to do that moving forward. Thank you Speaker. Thank you. Next question, Member for Kiwitno. My question is with the PM. We may not think of Ajax as treaty territory but it is. Without treaties, there would be no Ontario, no Canada. The Carrether Creek Headwaters forms a vital ecosystem that supports Ajax with clean air and water and provides flood protection in a time of increased flood risk due to climate change. Jeff Forbes, Councillor for Mississauga's Skogog Island First Nations, has said it's important to protect the headwaters. What changes now will have a devastating consequences for our future generations. What is Ontario doing to ensure this area is protected for future generations? To apply on behalf of the government, Member for Barry Yenestel in Parliamentary Assistance. Thank you Speaker. I think that member for raising that issue and I appreciate his advocacy every step of the way when he does bring up these issues and with all due respect to that member he knows that we in the province of Ontario we do constantly collaborate with our federal counterparts when it comes to supporting resolutions and long-term solutions for drinking water especially drinking water advisories and support long sustainable solutions for these communities across Ontario so we can build that infrastructure. In terms of Ontario and the Ontario Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks we've been working with and through the Indigenous Drinking Water Projects Office and we've worked with the Ontario Clean Water Agency and the Water Curtain Clean Water Centre to provide First Nations communities with access to provincial expertise and the design, construction, operation and maintenance of drinking water systems. I also met with Water First who's doing a lot of great work throughout this province and supported this government. The duty to consult Indigenous peoples on Crown Conduct that may affect them is essential in protecting Aboriginal treaty and treaty rights. This is recognized and affirmed by the Constitution. The Mississaugas of Skogog Island First Nations have stated that there is a need for proper consultation here. They want a balanced approach that respects Indigenous peoples and the lands as well as the environment. Without proper consultation we ignore the legal and the democratic process and we destroy what little undeveloped land is left in this area leaving none for future generations. Well, Ontario honour its treaty the duty to consult and listen to the Indigenous people who are trying to protect the headwaters. Thank you, Speaker. I'll reiterate our government's commitment to working and partnering with the First Nations communities to resolve any issues regarding water quality drinking water on reserves and calling on the federal government to fully take responsibility for water drinking water. And we've been, as I mentioned earlier, working with our First Nations partners and other agencies like, for example, the Ontario Clean Water Agency that has worked over the past 10 years with many First Nations communities. For instance, we have the Chippewa of Nashwash who've been on this committee and who've been helping Dorcas First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, Henvey and Leth First Nation, Anishinaabe First Nation, Agonquin of Golden Lake First Nation. I could go on, Speaker. We also have others who served and we've consulted with in terms of the Clean Water Agencies as well and many First Nations, for example, Vaigrassi, Friends of the House, Cape Crocker and many more. Thank you. Next question, a member for York Centre. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Health. Two weeks ago I asked the Minister if she will dispel the false and hateful proposition that the unvaccinated put any lives at risk. The Minister said that in fact the unvaccinated do put lives at risk. Now I submit that such statement may lead to detestation of an unditifiable group of people and should be avoided in this House. Speaker, the daily new case numbers are now approaching 50-50. But now we learn that by memo of August 31st the Chief Medical Officer told Ontario's medical officers and the Assistant Deputy Minister about the details of infectiousness as the unvaccinated and recommended additional measures. I note that the memo predates Ontario's announcement of vaccine passports which means they aren't based in science. So I'll ask the Minister again, will she concede that the vaccinated transmit just as easily as the unvaccinated and will she apologize for the discrimination promoted by this Government? To reply, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. Here and there is a lot there to deal with but what I would say is the Chief Medical Officer of Health and our Government has always said from the beginning as soon as the vaccination became available that the best way to protect yourself your loved ones and your communities is to be vaccinated. Absolutely and the numbers are showing that that's the case. We had high levels during wave 3 but as more and more Ontarians are vaccinated we're finding that the numbers are dropping. Currently today we have 88.2% of all Ontarians age 12 years and older having received a first dose of the vaccine and 84.6% having received the second dose that's one of the highest rates in the world and in addition to that the numbers in ICU today are 137 which are 112 from Ontario and 25 people from Saskatchewan who Ontario is helping out because they're going through a very difficult time so the facts state the case what is happening is more and more people are being vaccinated our numbers are going down and the numbers in our ICU are going down as well. And the supplementary Sure fails to make the distinction yes the vaccine is good at protecting oneself but it doesn't mean that a person who is unvaccinated is putting anyone else at risk that's what more so than a vaccinated person that's what the August 31st memo from the chief medical officer states in which he proposes additional measures against those that are vaccinated but speaker for 20 months the government denied science by refusing to acknowledge natural immunity this is despite giving government members a pass from vaccination if they can show antibodies by memo of August 18 and while the government insisted that the earth is flat thousands of Ontarians lost their jobs and thousands are about to lose their job or having COVID antibodies well finally last Thursday the chief medical officer stopped denying science and admitted that one can build immunity to the virus through natural exposure my question to the minister of health will she acknowledge the existence of natural immunity on behalf of the government and why should Ontarians who had COVID or have antibodies to COVID lose their job because of their medical choice minister of health making decisions based on science and clinical evidence at the beginning of this pandemic and Dr. Moore has also indicated that this pandemic is now a pandemic of the unvaccinated it is absolutely essential for people to receive the vaccination sure if someone has had COVID there are some antibodies but they're not sufficient to protect that person and to protect others vaccination is the key as well as the other public health and precautionary measures that we've been taking including ventilation, social distancing and all those other mechanisms but essentially this comes down to the need for as many people as possible to be vaccinated and I urge everyone in Ontario who has not yet been vaccinated please do so it will save your life and it will protect your loved ones and it will protect your community next question, the member for Mississauga, Erin May Mr. Speaker some jurisdictions have committed to providing digital solutions and offer government services available online when it comes to Ontario repetition there is no question how important it is that we continue to lead the world when it comes to healthcare protecting workers and building infrastructure it is now more important than ever to make sure we are leader in digital government so speaker to the first ever associate minister of digital government to ensure that Ontario lights the path for future generations to come the associate minister for digital government thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member of Mississauga Erin Mills for the question and his great work with his constituents Mr. Speaker we are committed to be a digital leader in Canada and the world for example we have shown we are up to the task with the successful roll out of the verify Ontario app for businesses the app has been downloaded more than 1.3 million times and seen over 3.2 million scans of the official QR code and not only that Mr. Speaker but over 7 million Ontarians have already downloaded the QR code and by offering the app code on open source we have given other jurisdictions the opportunity to model their own technology after the great work completed by the Ontario digital services and we are just getting started Mr. Speaker thank you supplementary thank you speaker thank you to the minister for the answer it is great to hear that our government had such a successful roll out of the verify Ontario app for businesses and vaccine certificate with official QR code during the COVID-19 pandemic Ontarians called on our government for solutions my connoisseurs and all Ontarians need innovations through digital government that work for the people and businesses of Ontario so speaker what is the government and the minister doing to lay the ground work to build a digital Ontario technology thank you thank you to the member for the question the member is correct our government has a plan to make sure that Ontario is a digital leader one way to achieve this ambitious goal is through the digital ID project in September we published the technology roadmap for Ontario's digital ID program a game changer Mr. Speaker for the provinces economy soon Ontarians will be able to prove their ID safely and conveniently when required privacy and security are of the utmost importance speaker Ontarians will have their IDs on a secure platform and they will control what information they share and when digital ID speaker will help us combat ID fraud while protecting privacy and it will make Ontario one of the most digitally advanced jurisdictions thank you the next question the member for Mr. Speaker my question is for the president for the minister of health CEO Bloor rehab announced their vaccine mandate policy their policies are in line with the recommendations from the Ontario medical associations from registered nurses associations from the science table by comparison the government announced this Monday November 1st that it had received the information it had requested to make a decision on vaccine mandates for healthcare workers in Ontario's hospital how much longer will the good people of Ontario have to wait to get clear directions from the government is this government ready to take its responsibility to mandate vaccination or will you continue to lead from behind I think the member very much for the question this is something that has been under discussion for a period of time it's not a simple situation as the member will also know some hospitals have already made their own decisions with respect to mandatory vaccination principally children's age 5 to 11 cannot be vaccinated as yet however it is also an issue of health human resources we know that our health human resources have been through a very difficult time caring for COVID patients over the last 20 months and so we need to determine with the response from the letter that the premier sent out how many people will be left will not be able to continue to work if we do bring forward the vaccination policy it's really important looking at other jurisdictions looking at what's happened in British Columbia where they've had to cancel some of the surgeries that have been postponed because of COVID because they don't have enough health human resources so that is what we are taking into consideration as a final decision is close to being made supplementary we all want this pandemic to be over the sooner the better the better the better the better the better we're going to be able to address the most stress and anxiety in our communities are through the roof we need relief we need relief now but right now what we have in Ontario is 142 hospital making their own policies why speaker because the government is more worried about public opinion than patient safety than putting The science table is clear. It said and I quote requiring that hospital worker be vaccinated is an evidence based policy that protects Ontarians end of quote. But this government refuses to listen to science, refuses to take its responsibility, refuses to lead this province. Speaker of frontline heroes are anxious. They are tired. When is this government going to step up and be a leader on vaccine mandates in our hospitals? Minister pop what our government has been concerned about since the beginning of this pandemic is the health and well being of all Ontarians, all Ontarians are coming, whether they're in home and community care, whether in long term care, whether they're in hospitals. And that is why this is not an easy issue to determine because we need to make sure that should a mandatory vaccine policy be brought in that we would still have sufficient health human resources to care for all of the people who are in hospital with COVID and for other issues and to be able to deal with all of the patients who've been waiting for a very long period of time to have hip or knee replacements or cataract surgeries, all of the other things that we need to catch up on. So we need to make sure that we take the needs of all Ontarians into consideration. And that's what we are doing in making this determination. Thank you. The next question. The member for that. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions for the Premier. Mr. Speaker, this government came to power in 2018 like a wrecking ball and his back bench cheered and as they stripped away protections for workers as as the Premier stripped away the $15 minimum wage, his fellow Conservatives cheered him on. They cheered as Ontario's hardworking families were losing out on money that would have helped them survive. They cheered him on as the Premier stripped away paid sick days. They cheered him on as the Premier stripped away equal pay for equal work. After after three years of cheering on the attack on workers, why should anyone believe that the government's recent attempts to rewrite history and win votes is anything but that. And to apply the Minister of Labor training and skills development. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I was proud to stand with Premier Ford yesterday, Finance Minister, Bethan Falvey, as well as two of the largest labor leaders in this province representing hundreds of thousands of workers. Mr. Speaker, everything we're doing is about ensuring that workers have more take home pay and bigger paychecks. We are introduced in our working for workers legislation, Mr. Speaker, historic workplace reforms to better protect those women and men who are going to work every single day. And Mr. Speaker, our government under the leadership of Premier Ford is spending hundreds of millions of dollars in upskilling and retraining and training workers for better paychecks. Mr. Speaker, we will always have the backs of every single worker in this province. I hope the opposition says yes to our working for workers legislation and the supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The supplement is also for the Premier. The Premier's Calis attack on workers has cost them $6,700 in the minimum wage change alone, Mr. Speaker, with the stroke of a pen, with the stroke of a pen, $6,700 taken away from some of Ontario's hardest workers. $6,700 may not be a lot to the Premier and his buddies, but it's a lot to the hardworking mom who was working two jobs just trying to keep a roof over their family's head and food on the table, Mr. Speaker. Now, a few months ago, the Premier said that he now appreciates the member for Don Welley West as he's walked a mile in her shoes. He's walked so far in her shoes, Mr. Speaker, that he's adopting her minimum wage plan, albeit three years too late. So now that he's walked a mile in the former Premier's shoes, what other liberal policies is he planning to announce before next year's election, and how can we help? Mr. Labour. Well, again, Mr. Speaker, thanks to the leadership of Premier Ford and our government, 760,000 workers in Ontario are getting a pay increase on January 1st. But, Mr. Speaker, let's talk about what happened under the former Liberal government, that that member is a part of that caucus. You raised hydro bills. You tripled hydro bills in this province, Mr. Speaker, through you to the member's opposite. Order. They fired 300,000 people in manufacturing, Mr. Speaker. These were great paying jobs. They increase taxes, Mr. Speaker, on every individual in this province through their health tax. Mr. Speaker, we could go on and on and on. They destroyed the lives of many workers in this province, Mr. Speaker, but I'm proud of the leadership of Premier Ford. Proud to be on his team. We'll continue working for workers every day to ensure that bigger paychecks, better jobs and more opportunities in every community. And that's the question the member for Hamilton wrote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health. I'm going to send some over with the pages. I've had constituents call my office demanding answers of when their children will be able to get an eye exam as their kids are struggling in schools. There are seniors who can't leave their homes because they can't get an eye exam that is required for the 80-plus drivers test. Speaker, it's not fair that people's lives are being negatively impacted by this government's inaction. When will the government reach out to Ontario optometrists about getting back to the negotiating table so that children and seniors can get the eye care that they need? Minister Powell. Thank you very much, Speaker. Well, there's one thing that I can agree with the member on with respect to her question. And that is it is very disappointing that the Ontario Association of Optometrists has decided to withdraw publicly provided services for children and seniors. That is done at their urging. The government continues to fund these options. The Ontario Association of Optometrists has decided to withdraw publicly provided services for children and seniors. That is done at their urging. The government continues to fund these OHIP covered services for children and seniors. However, this is a decision that's been made by the Ontario Association of Optometrists. We have made a payment to them already. We've already made a $39 million payment into their accounts to indicate that we want to work with them. We want for them to come back to the table. This is to cover some of the losses they've had in the last 10 years since their agreement expired in 2011. Nothing was done about it by the previous government. But we want to sit down with the Ontario Association of Optometrists and find a result to this issue that's been going on for some years. Any other questions? The Ontarians need eye exams and they need them now. There is no legal mandate for the government to negotiate with the optometrists. So it's not surprising that the government has used this to their advantage to ignore the optometrist's demands. The government's proposal of a one-time catch-up payment would only be 8.48% increase, which would only cover approximately $48 of the $75 exam. This would leave Ontario behind every province in the country. Just to catch up to the lowest funded province next, which is Manitoba, there would need to be a 65% increase to funding in Ontario. So will the government commit to negotiating with optometrists in good faith, or are they just going to leave optometrists and their patients in a state of limbo forever? Minister of Health. Thank you. First, I think it's important to correct some of the misconceptions contained in this statement made by the member. First is the comparisons have been made with respect to comparisons with other province. That is not an apples-to-apples comparison. In fact, the payments in Manitoba are made every other year, not every year. Secondly, we have already... I'm going to withdraw the unparliamentary remark and conclude her answer. In addition, we have already indicated that we want to sit down, go back to mediation with the Ontario Association of Optometrists. We've already offered a payment with respect to past payments that they have not received since 2011. We want to continue with an 8.48% increase at this point. Now retroactive actually to April 1st, and we want to discuss the overhead issues that they've told us and told many of you are really important to them. We are prepared to sit down at mediation and continue these discussions with the Association, but they are not willing to come back. So that you can't negotiate by yourself. We ask... Thank you. Next question from the members of York Center. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education. Last year, this minister and this premier subjected Ontario's kids to the longest school shutdown in the world. Ontario's kids are in crisis. They've regressed and many are depressed. Yet the minister pats himself on the back, despite plexiglass and cohorts. The no talking during lunch, boxes at recess drawn on asphalt and the occasional physical distancing stick. And to add to that the hybrid learning system where the teacher splits their attention between the students on the screen and students in class and a modified semester system that subjects students to two and a half hours of lecture. For shame. Speaker, on Tuesday, the Ontario Public School Board Association wrote to the Minister of Education and asked to put an end to modified semesters. Will the minister listen to students, listen to parents, and listen to the school boards and put an end to the disaster that is the modified semester? To reply. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, our government followed the best medical expertise of not just the Ontario Sunsable, the Chief Medical Officer, Falkwood of Sick Kids and CHEO. I think the member opposite would agree are incredible, reputable, global, pediatric hospitals. All of whom have supported the actions the layered approach we've taken. Now with that said, we agree we need to ensure we incrementally and consistently move to more normal learning experience for children. It's why this September kids were permitted under provincial guidance to participate in sports and extracurriculars and clubs. Things that are important to the development of a child. I agree we need to continue to move towards a more normal learning experience so long as it is safe. We're working with the Chief Medical Officer of Health to understand when and if we can make further adaptations to the learning experience especially for our high school kids. Realising that the Quad Master System while it ensures cohort. We appreciate it's a long period of time for a child to learn. We're working with the CMOH to pivot back to a more normal learning experience when it is safe, knowing that we've increased mental health funding as well for children right across Ontario four times out of the former Liberal government. Supplementary. The minister and the government aren't listening. We need to put an end to the modified semester system which is wreaking havoc on Ontario's children. The greatest victims of the government's pandemic response are children. Children who are statistically at almost zero risk of a severe outcome from COVID. Children who are made to suffer most in the flat off theatre of the absurd created by this government. This government closed schools longer than anywhere on the planet despite seeking and getting unanimous advice to open the schools. Now one of the most common complaints of teachers is hybrid learning. The teacher has to split their attention between the students in class and students on screen. Teachers and students are suffering because teachers can't keep up and can't engage students on both mediums. Will the minister of education and his shameful legacy listen to teachers and put an end to hybrid learning? And minister of education. You know there's two million children learning in class today. One of our youth have one of the lowest case rates for COVID-19 in Canada. We have one of the highest vaccine rates in the country for our young people. That's not a coincidence. It's because we put in place a plan with the full support of medical experts across Ontario including in Toronto to make sure our kids and staff remain safe. We've increased mental health funding by 400% from the former liberal government. We know that there's more we can do to support the community as well as to benefit the physical mental health of children. We've worked hard through this past year to strengthen ventilation improvements to make sure every school is safer for kids to return to which they are today and as a result of that two million children are in schools benefiting from that experience. We're going to continue to work with the chief medical officer to continue to invest, continue to improve air ventilation and continue to make quality learning our priority to ensure the learning gaps are mediated with a made in Ontario learning recovery plan with $85 million of investment to teachers. Next question. Member for London North Centre. My question is to the premier. Small businesses have been desperate for any provincial support throughout this pandemic. When this government finally listened to the NDP and provided provincial grants constituents of mine like Jeannie breed the sigh of relief. Jeannie has six separate businesses each with her own HSD number, Jeannie, she only received support for one of her businesses. We hear this government talk over and again about supporting businesses, but when the rubber hits the road conservatives stall out. But guess what speaker, Jeannie's got the receipts. Jeannie made numerous calls and ministry officials promised her each application would be looked at separately and deposits would come through at different times. She's got the receipts. She recorded the conversations. When will this government support Jeannie? Will you honour your minister's promises and open up the OSBSG to new rounds of grants so all other hard working Ontario can get the support that they deserve? The associate minister of small business and red tape production. Thank you speaker. I'd like to thank the minister for the member for his question. Our government has made a number of supports available to employers beyond the program. The Ontario small business support grant has delivered nearly $3 billion in urgent and unprecedented support to over 110,000 small businesses right across our great province. Over 110,000 businesses reserved the first grant and over 95,000 businesses reserved both first and second grants. About 14,500 small businesses read the first payment and the first grant read the first payment were actually ineligible but we still let them keep that funding. Speaker, I really want to just reiterate on the businesses that I've met right across this province who are very, very thankful for the support that we've been giving them. But not only that, to be able to use those funds in any way that they saw fit for their business, whether it was paying wages whether it was paying for rent or other utilities we let them use it as they saw fit. Thank you very much speaker. Thank you that concludes our question period for this morning.