 It is now time for oral questions and I recognize the member for Brampton Centre. Thank you. Good morning speaker. My question is to the Premier. On Friday, thousands of teachers, parents and students came from across Ontario to send a clear message to this government. Stop the cuts to our classrooms and stop attacking the people who make our schools work. The Premier claims he gets text messages of supports from parents and teachers. But when he's asked to produce them, they simply can't be found. And he spent the weekend talking with PC insiders while hiding behind a wall of security speaker. That's really not leadership. Why is the Premier refusing to listen to parents? Questions to the Premier? I recognize the Premier. Through you Mr. Speaker, I talk to parents every single day like each and every one of us and I'm just saying what I hear. Keep going. Do not back down. There has to be a accountability for the first time in 15 years. That's what I'm hearing Mr. Speaker. I'm also hearing that these strikes are hurting families. They're hurting families when thousands and thousands of parents that couldn't afford a day off, like some people take days off, they couldn't afford it. They get thought pay. That's what they're frustrated. It's hurting our kids that should be in school. Our great Minister of Education is doing everything he can to make sure we strike a fair deal. That's going to be fair to the parents and the students and the teachers Mr. Speaker. The supplementary question. Speaker, I'd like the Premier to hear from a few parents who've reached out to share their stories with us. Like Cassandra, a single mother of a teenager who lives in my riding of Brampton Center. She says, my daughter Mariana has always struggled with school and relied on the support of teachers and quality face-to-face education. I really worry about her falling further behind because she's forced to take these e-courses. She needs the in-person supports to succeed and these cuts would actually have the opposite effect. Mariana needs to be in a classroom with proper support so that she can succeed, Speaker. What does the Premier have to say to parents like Cassandra? Well, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate what Cassandra said, but I heard another story from a father actually, Mr. Speaker, that said my great 12 son wants to take online courses. If they have a choice of doing online or they had a choice between doing online or staying in the classroom, they'll take the online because guess what, Mr. Speaker? As she said, his son gets an additional 70 minutes to study for his other courses. That's what we're focused on, making sure that we keep the students in the classroom. We want to make sure we look at merit, pay, not based on seniority, that the NDP believe that we should be doing, but who's the most qualified to teach our kids math? That's what people are focused on. Final supplementary. Speaker, it's pretty clear that the Conservatives' cuts are actually keeping kids out of classrooms, and it's clear that they don't care what parents have to say, so maybe they'll start listening to what students have to say. Another student in the Riding of Brampton Centre reached out to say thanks to these Conservative cuts, they don't have access to the courses they need to graduate, Speaker. They told me that unfortunately, due to teachers being laid off and the increase in class sizes, I may not be able to complete the requirements to be considered into the program of my choice when I applied to college or university. Speaker, let's be real. Conservative cuts are hurting students, plain and simple. Is the Premier going to start listening to people in Ontario and reverse these cuts to education? Premier. Through you, Mr. Speaker, again, I don't know where to get the cuts from when we're increasing 1.2 billion of funding into education. We increase 1.6 billion to make sure no teachers lost their jobs, but do you know what's hurting? The children, Mr. Speaker, is when the teachers go on strike. They go on strike and then they pull back their services. Who are they hurting? They're hurting the parents, they're hurting the students that should be back in the classroom. That's the people that they're hurting. The next question, the member for Davenport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. So despite months of chaos, this government still to this day is refusing to accept that their attack on education isn't just unpopular. It's hurting families all across this province. In fact, the Toronto Star reports that over the weekend, behind closed doors, one of the Premier's top advisors claimed that the education workers inside come to order. Testing outside had, quote, grown fat from largesse. How ironic, coming from a government spending millions hiring insiders and relatives. Mr. Speaker, that's pretty rich. Does the Premier think that sort of attack is going to improve education in our schools? Mr. Speaker, it is time for a deal that keeps kids in class in this province. That is why today we are negotiating in good faith with the Catholic teachers, because this has gone on for too long. Mr. Speaker, this negotiation, we want a good deal for students, and we are affirming that we want to protect full-day kindergarten. We are committed to maintaining historic investments in special education. We are keeping class sizes low, and we are ensuring the hiring of new teachers is premised on qualification, not seniority in a union. Mr. Speaker, political actors have to make choices, and we choose investment schools, in students, in curriculum, not in higher compensation for the second highest paid teacher in this nation. Mr. Speaker, I'm set up across it again. A cut to a cut is still a cut. Both ways, Mr. Speaker, they want to make deep cuts to our education system, and then claim they're enhancing it. They want to rip resources away from kids, and say they're preparing them for the future. And they want to replace in-person learning with isolating online courses, and claim they care about student mental health. Mr. Speaker, this government can't even get their vanity license plates right, and they expect us to trust them with the future of education in this province. Will the Premier finally read the writing on the wall and reverse these cuts? What parents want in this province is accountability for their hard-earned tax dollars actually helping their children succeed in life. And that's why, when 80 cents the dollar speaker is spent on compensation, we know in this party that we can do better for the students of this province. It's why in the negotiation we believe, unlike the other parties, that merit must guide the hiring of new educators in this province. That is a consequential position that we believe on a matter of principle we must advance. We believe that investments ought to go towards our students, not towards heightening compensation for wage and benefits for individuals, for workers, though we value but, Mr. Speaker, we pay them the second highest in the nation. After a decade of service, they are the highest paying the nation. We want a fair deal that works for our kids. That's what we're fighting for, and it starts, Mr. Speaker, with keeping kids in class. The final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, you're darn right that you're darn right people in this province. Okay, the excessive clapping is not helpful. I apologize to the member. Please restart the clock. Member for Davenport, Mr. Speaker. You know, the minister is darn right that people in this province care about the quality of their children's education, and that's why tens of thousands of them came out here on Friday to protest this government unilaterally cut classrooms. They can unilaterally reverse them now. There is nothing to stop the Premier from doing that today. It is unacceptable to be using our children as pawns. So instead of twisting themselves, twisting themselves into a pretzel to make it seem like they've invested in education, they could actually invest in our kids' future and stop balancing the budget on their backs. So, Mr. Speaker, through you to the Premier or the Education Minister or any one of these members, willing to pull their head out of the sand for a minute and face the facts, when will they listen and reverse their cuts? Minister. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a government that is investing more in public education than any government in the history of Ontario. It is this government, under the leadership of this Premier, that more money is being spent and being given to school boards in this province to ensure public education is approved for the next generation. It is this government that is investing the highest levels ever recorded in special education, $3.1 billion, to support the most vulnerable kids within our schools. It is this government that more than doubled the mental health portfolio to support those in need in our schools. It is this government that has a... I apologize to the Minister. The official opposition will come to order to allow the Minister to respond to the question that you've asked. Minister of Education, please. Mr. Speaker, it is this government that is investing in a $200 million for your math strategy to improve math scores after a decade of stagnation. We are investing historic amounts in the skilled trades. The Minister, the Minister, McNaughton and I both believe is so important to the future prosperity of this province. We are investing more, Speaker. We expect more for our kids. We are going to stand up for that every day in this negotiation. The next question, the member for Kiwetnau. Good morning, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Last night, the OPP gave an ultimatum to the Atlanta defenders at Titanega. That, as of midnight last night, they would arrest anyone who had not cleared the camp. Now, as we speak, the OPP have moved in and made arrests to the Atlanta defenders there. When was the Premier made aware of this police action by the OPP? And what role did he, his office, and the cabinet play? Questions addressed to the government? Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Minds to reply. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. From the outset of this blockade, our government, the Titanega Police, the Ontario Provincial Police, Regional Chief Roseanne Archibald, have facilitated, supported and leveraged, Mr. Speaker, a respectful dialogue with the activists at the site of the blockade. Over the past couple of weeks, Mr. Speaker, we have continued to be patient, as we believe that an indigenous-led solution was the best scenario that we could all hope for. Mr. Speaker, we appreciate the leadership, in particular, of the Titanega Chief and Council and, as I said earlier, Grand Chief, Regional Chief Roseanne Archibald, who facilitated discussions, Mr. Speaker, that have protected, Mr. Speaker, and respected the recommendations from Mr. Mirpawash. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Just an supplementary question. Last week, when I asked the Premier about his government's commitment to reconciliation, that the Minister of Ingenious Affairs replied to say that, with respect to Titanega blockade, we moved quickly to leverage, support and facilitate indigenous leadership to bring a resolution to that blockade. Now that the OPP have arrested Mohawk land defenders, potentially creating a flashpoint, not just here, but across the country, what exactly did this government do to facilitate a resolution in this protest? Mr. Speaker, over the past couple of weeks at every turn, the Premier of this province, myself, the Solicitor General, the member from Bay of Quinty have worked closely, Mr. Speaker, with folks from that community. We've communicated frequently with our Indigenous Minister counterparts across the province to come up with a peaceful plan to move forward. We continue to challenge the federal government and spoke with them frequently, including the Prime Minister, Mr. Speaker, to take leadership on a matter that asked profound questions, Mr. Speaker, the scope and power of hereditary chiefs, the duty to consult hereditary chiefs, Mr. Speaker. The ability and the application of Indigenous law to be considered in the context of resource projects, Mr. Speaker. These were all questions that demanded leadership from the federal government. Fortunately, here in the province of Ontario, Mr. Speaker, we all work together towards a peaceful resolution of this challenge, Mr. Speaker, and we look forward to working with Indigenous communities across this province moving forward so that this doesn't happen again. Thank you. Thank you. The next question, the member for Ottawa, West Napien. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Our government inherited a fiscal and economic mass from the previous government. The Liberals were spending $40 million a day more than they brought in. And what did the people of this province have to show for it? Historic job losses throughout the entire province, companies being forced to close shop and relocate to other places in Canada and the United States, and the highest energy rates in all of North America, which forced people to choose between heating and eating in this province. Premier, since our election two years ago, can you share with the legislature how the actions of our government that our government have taken have helped to turn this province around? Questions to the Premier? Well, first of all, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our All-Star MPP from Ottawa, West Napien. They love them up there. Mr. Speaker, our plan... Opposition come to order. Mr. Speaker, our plan to build Ontario together is working. Our economy is firing on all cylinders right now. Over 307,000 jobs, new jobs, Mr. Speaker. We created since we've taken office. Mr. Speaker, that's 307,000 new opportunities. That's 307,000 new paychecks that people can go out and put food on their table, pay rent, pay a mortgage, and get moving forward. That's 307,000 more people giving back to the economy, Mr. Speaker. That's over 500 new jobs each and every day since we've been elected. We're leading the country's operation 76% of every job created in Ontario. Thank you very much. A supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back to the Premier. Premier, those are incredible numbers and show why people are referring to the economic miracle that is happening in our province. Premier, you said it best that when you trust in the people of this province, when you embrace our spirit of ingenuity, entrepreneurship, and decency, this province will always come out on top. When you have a government that understands the workers and business leaders of this province and supports them instead of working against them, the potential for success is unlimited. Premier, can you share with the House what initiatives our government is introducing to support the people of this province and build up its potential once again? Premier? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member. Mr. Speaker, we've created more jobs than the Liberals in just 18 months than the Liberals in the NDP have chased out of this province. They chased out 300,000 jobs in a decade. We created 307,000. We're creating more opportunities than ever before. More opportunities for those forgotten by the previous government. We stopped taxing minimum wage workers, low-income workers, saving them up to $850 a year. And do you know how many people were saving $850 a year, Mr. Speaker? 1.1 million people, lowest income folks in the entire province. They're paying zero percent tax. We're promoting the skilled trades. We're connecting our young people with rewarding careers, Mr. Speaker. We're providing 1,800 placements for students this year and pre-apprenticeship programs alone. That is up 14 percent since we've taken office, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. The next question, member for Oshawa. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Ontario's license plate fiasco has been a glaring example of what can go wrong when a government is in a hurry to make a name for itself but not to make responsible decisions. The plates reflect too much and are unreadable. Under some conditions, the letters and numbers disappear and can't be read. Toronto photo radar can't read the small letters in the word Ontario. And, Speaker, I received a letter with a photo highlighting yet another issue. The plates can't be read, clearly in broad daylight. Bright sun makes them over-reflect. If sunshine wasn't a part of your exhaustive testing, what was a cell phone flash at your photo ops? All of this is absurd, but more than it is ridiculous, it is about safety. So how will you fix this and keep us safe? Minister of Government and Consumer Services. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I'm pleased to stand in this house today and assure everyone, the members opposite, the Ontarians from across one end of this province to another, that safety is a number one concern. I can also share with you, Speaker, that I'm 100% committed to reviewing concerns. I'm committed to continuing to listen. And I'm committed to getting this right. And I'm very pleased to share with you that we're working collaboratively with all of our key stakeholders, as well as 3M, to deliver an enhanced product in the coming weeks. And, Speaker, I want everyone in Ontario to know that we have been assured by 3M that they stand by their products and will deliver our enhanced license plate to Ontarians as quickly as possible. Speaker, again, we've heard we continue to listen and we continually work collaboratively with not only our key stakeholders, but with 3M to get this right. Thank you very much. Thank you, Speaker. And again to the Premier, this morning, CTV reported that these shiny new blue license plates cannot be read by automated license plate readers at our Canadian borders. Border officials are forced to input the plates manually. What is next? We haven't had a good rain yet. Are the plates going to dissolve? Stop putting more of these unsafe plates on the road. First, we understood the government had destroyed the leftover white plates, but reporters were told that you do have inventory, but just don't want to use them. Responsible government means responsible decision making, and this government makes mistakes. Big branded and blue mistakes. One thing is clear, Speaker, and it isn't the plates. We should not be putting more stealth plates out onto the roads. Why can't this minister and Premier see that this is a glaring safety issue? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Unlike the member opposite, who stands up to position herself based on one report, we're actually working collaboratively with all of our opposition. Come to order. In regards to our enhanced plates, safety is a number one concern. And, Speaker, I can tell you that I am really, really proud of the team and how hard they're working to make sure that as we move forward with our enhanced license plate that we're collaborating, we're listening, we're hearing, and we're working very well with 3M because they stand by their product, and we're standing with them to deliver an enhanced plate in the coming weeks. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Don Dolly West. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Education in Ontario is in a state of crisis, the likes of which we have not seen since the last Conservative government in the 90s under Premier Mike Harris. The current government is intent on imposing policies on schools including reducing per pupil funding, disregarding the experience and knowledge of teachers, the best interests of students and their families, and evidence from other jurisdictions. Today is fetal alcohol spectrum disorder awareness day at Queen's Park, and I know that members of the government will be expressing their concern for young people suffering from FASD. Can the Premier tell this House and the people of Ontario how the policies they are implementing will benefit the children in our 5,000 publicly funded schools, and particularly how their cuts will support vulnerable children like those with FASD? Minister of Children, Community and Social Services to reply. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member opposite for that question this morning, and I know there are members from the FASD community who are here with us today. We want to continue to raise awareness for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and the expert research that has been done in this area, Mr. Speaker, that shows that there is no known amount of alcohol that's safe to consume during pregnancy. And I think that's important that we emphasize that fact, Mr. Speaker. Our ministry, our government, is continuing to provide services to families dealing with FASD, and we will continue to improve on those services every day. But our ministry continues to offer a range of services to families and caregivers and individuals, community-based fetal alcohol spectrum disorder workers, the Indigenous fetal alcohol spectrum disorder child nutrition program, as well as family and caregiver support groups across the province. This includes improving outcomes for children, youth and families affected by FASD. There's more that we can do, Mr. Speaker, and I look forward to the supplementary in answering that question. The supplementary question. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And the more that could be done is that the government could actually implement the FASD strategy that is on the books, because we put it on the books, Mr. Speaker, but it has not been fully implemented. And in fact, there is much more needed in terms of support in communities, support in schools. And I introduced a private member's bill last week that would go a long way. But, Mr. Speaker, instead of doing that, what's happening is the government is in pitched battle with teachers, with support staff across the province, Mr. Speaker. And it almost seems as though the government wants to have a full-out war so that they can then have the Education Relations Commission declare that students' year is at risk and then they can bring in back-to-work legislation, which should be a last resort. Mr. Speaker, is that the plan that the government has put in place, the plan to support students, including kids with FASD, that the government wants... Stop the clock. I stopped the clock. Both sides of the house were interrupting the member for Don Valley West, so they couldn't hear her question. So I'm going to start the clock again and allow the member to restate her question if she chooses to do so. My question was, in light of the fact that students across the province need support, particularly vulnerable kids like kids with FASD, is it the plan of the government to wait until the Education Relations Commission declares that students' year is at risk and then legislate teachers back-to-work? Is that the plan that the government has put in place? Thank you very much. Order. Minister of Education, your reply. Thank you, Speaker. There is a little bit of irony in the question from the member opposite. However, Speaker, let me tell you what our plan is. It's to get a deal that keeps kids in this province and class. That's what we're negotiating at the table. And what we seek to do, unlike the former Liberal government who consented to provide 100% of hiring predicated on seniority union, we are fighting to ensure qualification, merit, and diversity leads the way. In this negotiation, Speaker, we're protecting full-day kindergarten. We are committed to keeping classroom sizes low. In this negotiation, we are also ensuring historic investments for special education. Speaker, we have to make choices, and this government, every day, will choose investments in students over heightened compensation. That's the mission of the government. We want to be able to keep skits in class. Thank you. The next question, the member for Barrie, in a spill. Thank you. My question is for the Minister of Health. Minister, people in the communities all across Ontario have been struggling to navigate Ontario's mental health and addiction system for years. Previous governments have simply failed to address the lack of coordination and best practices that have led to differences in quality and availability of services across this province. But, Mr. Speaker, there is hope. Ontarians elected a government that fully recognizes that mental health is health. We have made historic investments, and I wanted to ask the Minister if she could update this House and this Legislature on the actions our government has taken to help those struggling with mental health and addictions. Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member from Barrie, in a spill, for her question. Last week, we formally established the new Mental Health and Addiction Centre of Excellence within Ontario Health. The centre will play a key role in supporting our efforts to build a mental health and addiction system that all Ontarians can be proud of and can use. It will act as a central point of oversight for mental health and addictions care, monitoring the quality and delivery of evidence-based services. The centre will also provide support and resources to Ontario health teams as they fulfill their role in delivering care and helping patients navigate the health care system. This is the first time that any government has undertaken the hard work necessary to transform Ontario's health care system so that mental health and addiction services are considered as being as important as physical health services. Working with the new centre of excellence, we will continue to improve the quality and delivery of mental health and addiction services across Ontario as we roll out our mental health and addictions plan. The supplementary question. Thank you, Minister, for your response to your leadership on the file. Mr Speaker, it is clear that our government has worked to make clear, historic, real actions on mental health and addiction services all across our province to help those who face challenges. From Francophone communities to those living in rural and remote communities to First Nations to Indigenous communities and many communities that have diverse needs that when it comes to health care, our government is taking action. I am proud to be part of a government that has a clear commitment to help those in challenged communities when it comes to the investment in mental health and addiction services. I want to ask the Minister if they can continuously update this House on the investments we have made to mental health and addictions and how we are consulting with all key communities to consult on the next steps of approving our services and mental health. Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I want to thank the member for that excellent question as well. As we develop our mental health and addictions plan, we're consulting with a wide variety of communities and stakeholders. No government has ever attempted this kind of comprehensive reform before and as we listen to those struggling with mental health and addictions, we want to make sure that we get this right. We're also taking action now to improve services for communities across the province. Recently, I was proud to stand alongside the Minister of Health and the Minister of Colleges and Universities to announce an investment of $1.2 million to improve access to culturally appropriate mental health and addiction services across several Indigenous communities. Our government, Mr Speaker, is committed to improving services and making sure that every Ontarian gets the care they need, where and when they need it. We know that more work needs to be done, Mr Speaker, but it's absolutely critical to make these investments as we continue working to needfully improve these services as we finalize our mental health and addiction strategy. Thank you. The next question, the member for Essex. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is about freedom of the press and the ethical and democratic standards set forth by the Premier. People from across the country were appalled this weekend as they watched security guards literally block CBC's Mike Crowley while he was filing a report about the Progressive Conservative Convention. The Premier's party scrambled to distance them themselves from the incident, but the security company was clear. Their orders came directly from the PC party. Speaker, why? I'm going to interrupt the member. I'm going to give the member an opportunity to rephrase the question. So far, I haven't heard a question about government policy. Why exactly is the Premier and his party sending security forces out to harass reporters when they're trying to file their report? I appreciate that, but the question does not satisfy the test of being a question about government policy. There's no point of order. The member will take a seat. The next question, the member for Guelph. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And my question is for the Premier. The Premier likes to criticize the math of other opposition parties. So I want to take a moment to look at the Premier's math. Speaker, this might be the first government in Ontario history to actually spend more on education while students actually get less. The Premier and the Education Minister talk about a $1.2 billion increase to funding for education that they say is going into classrooms, but public estimates confirm that per student funding is actually going down in Ontario. Speaker, can the Premier explain how on earth his government can spend more money on education while students are getting less? Mr. Speaker, what the public accounts confirms is that this government is spending more and providing more for school boards in this province, over $24 billion to school boards in Ontario. What the record will show is that we more than doubled mental health funding and increased transportation, special education, indigenous education to the highest levels ever recorded in Ontario history. But it's not just about investment, because we increased investment by 60% since 2003-2004, and yet we still have more than half of our kids filling math in this province in grade six. We not only have to invest more, we need a commitment to improve the system, to deliver accountability, and to ensure results for hard-earned taxpayers in this province. That's what we're trying to achieve in a negotiation, a good deal for kids to see more money flowing into them, not into the 80 cents of the dollar in compensation, but more in their schools, in their curriculum, and in their future, Speaker. Supplementary question. Speaker, no one is buying the minister's spin on this, because there is clearly a disconnect between what the minister is saying and what the estimates say. And parents get it. On Friday I spoke with a number of parents who are here at Queen's Park supporting educators. They told me they do not want to see class size increases. They do not want to see mandatory e-learning, and they especially do not want to see per student funding go down. They oppose this cut. So Speaker, will the Premier, will the education minister listen to parents, listen to students, and reverse their cut to per student funding? Minister. Mr. Speaker, our government is investing more in public education, in healthcare, and the social services that are consequential to the lives of everyday working people in this province. That is what we're doing, and we're doing that speaker while keeping taxes low. We're doing that while ensuring affordability is the cornerstone of this government's political mandate. But most importantly, when it comes to our kids, it's giving them the skills to be job ready, to actually unleash the full potential of the incredible ingenuity of our young people and diversity in this province. It's about ensuring a greater return on investment. We are spending more in education, but we're not getting more in education. And I think parents want the government of the day to stand firm for a higher return on investment that sees their child succeeding in life and getting jobs of the future, Speaker. The next question is for the members of Brantford Grant. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Attorney General. I hear from constituents all the time who have interacted with the system and asked why their experience could not have been easier, faster, and more affordable. They often wonder why they need to hire someone just to manage matters that seem simple, only to find out just how complex and outdated our court system is. Mr. Speaker, can the Attorney General tell us what our government is doing to improve and modernize the way our justice system operates, to make it simpler, to make it faster, and to make it more affordable for people to access justice in this province? Thank you. The Attorney General. Thank you to the phenomenal member from Brantford Grant, a man of great stature. Thank you for the question. And Mr. Speaker, there is no question that we have inherited a badly neglected and very complicated justice system. We've heard loud and clear from people across Ontario that the justice system is growing too complex, it's outdated, and needs to better support the growth of our communities, make our communities safer, while standing up for victims of crime and law-abiding citizens. That's why I was proud to table the Smarter and Stronger Justice Act in this House, a bill that proposes 20 smart and sensible reforms that will make Ontario's justice system more available, more affordable, and better for consumers, businesses, and it'll make our communities safer, Mr. Speaker, all while we're getting tougher on crime to ensure the criminals are not profiting from their illegal activities. Supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the Attorney General for that answer, and I think that we can all agree that crime should not pay. When the Civil Remedies Act was first created in 2001 by the Progressive Conservative Government of the Day, it was an innovative crime fighting piece of legislation intended to and successful in deterring unlawful activity. This act allows police to seize property and funds used in or gained from illegal and criminal activity and redirected into the hands of victims and police programs that fight crime. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, while Ontario was once at the forefront of civil forfeiture rules, our province now lags far behind other jurisdictions that have updated their forfeiture laws. Criminals have taken notice, Mr. Speaker. Can the Attorney General tell this House what he is doing to address this growing problem? The Attorney General. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The member is absolutely right. Our province's civil forfeiture laws, along with our entire justice system, were neglected for 15 years by the Liberal Government before us. They were more focused on helping their Liberal friends than they were on fixing the system. They let it decay and they let it rot, Mr. Speaker, and we're here to fix this. This is the first government, Mr. Speaker, to take on the important work of modernizing our laws around civil forfeiture so Ontario can support the victims and the frontline police officers who do the hard work, Mr. Speaker. We're going to make it harder for criminals to hold on to their proceeds from crime and doing things to make our communities feel unsafe and victimizing our young people. The Smarter and Stronger Justice Act, if passed, will simplify the procedure to seize the proceeds of crime, allow the funds to be redirected faster and more efficiently to the victims and support programs that they need, when and where they need it the most. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Next question, the member for Nickel Belt. Thank you, Speaker. Today, we learned that the Human Rights Tribunal has issued an historic win for the midwives. They have ordered the Conservative Government to end its gender discrimination policy against midwives. It is shameful that midwives, the profession dominated by women, are not fairly compensated, therefore, despite the fact that they are primary care provider, they expertly guide people through their pregnancy, labour, delivery and first six weeks of a newborn. Speaker, it is the 21st century. Women should not have to fight to prove that they deserve equal pay. But that's exactly what the midwives have had to do under the Liberal Government for close to a decade. It's time to end gender discrimination and it's long overdue. Will the Premier implement the Human Rights Tribunal order to fairly compensate all our midwives? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I thank you for the question from the member from Nickel Belt, who I know is an advocate for all things health. Our government values the contributions of Ontario's midwives and providing safe and accessible 24-7 care for all Ontario families. We are reviewing the decision. Ontario has applied for judicial review of the tribunal's decision. And as the matter is now before the tribunal, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The supplementary question, the member for London West. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, for years the Liberals made a show about closing the gender wage gap while at the same time battling with midwives in court so they could avoid paying them fairly. Midwives had to fight the Liberal Government tooth and nail to win the right to fair compensation. Now, rather than awarding these vital health care professionals the compensation they deserve, this Conservative Government is planning more unnecessary and costly legal proceedings against midwives. Speaker, instead of compensating midwives fairly by immediately implementing the Human Rights Tribunal order, why is this Conservative Government so determined to do exactly what the Liberals did? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And since day one our government has been absolutely clear and we won't apologize for this. So we're doing everything we can to make life affordable for Ontarians while at the same time respecting the fantastic work that midwives do across Ontario to protect our families and promote good health. But as I mentioned it is in front of the tribunal, Mr. Speaker, and we're reviewing our decision and I hope to have more to say in the days to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The next question, the members from Mississauga streetsville. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Long-Term Care. Last summer, the Honourable Eileen E. Gilles, Commissioner of the Public Inquiry into the Safety and Security of Residents in the Long-Term Care Home System released her final report. The report included a number of recommendations across several ministries to ensure the safety of long-term home residents. At the time you committed to reviewing the recommendations thoroughly and working across ministries to take swift action. Could the Minister please share the actions our government has taken to address Justice Gilles' recommendations to strengthen long-term care? Minister of Long-Term Care. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the member from Mississauga streetsville for that important question and for their great work on behalf of the constituents in the riding. I'm pleased to report that our government has completed 18 of Justice Gilles' recommendations with 40 others underway. Acting on several key recommendations on medication safety, I have issued a directive to the sector on glucagon and hypoglycemia. It puts in place best practices for safe insulin policies, including clear expectations for staff training and the reporting of insulin-related medication incidents. Long-term care homes will be required to follow clear proactive guidelines for tracking medication incidents and identifying recurring staff compliance issues. Addressing the public inquiry has given our government an opportunity to take account of Ontario's long-term care system so that we can ensure that it meets the standard Ontarians deserve. Thank you, Speaker. A supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that encouraging update. I think all of us on both sides of the aisle can see the benefit of these changes to the safety and well-being of loved ones. Proper long-term care staffing is also crucial to ensuring their safety and meeting their health care needs. But the sector is facing real challenges when it comes to recruiting and retaining personal support workers, nurses, and other care staff. It was acknowledged in the public inquiry that there is a shortage province-wide of people to fill these rewarding, in-demand jobs. Could the Minister please speak to the steps she is taking to address Justice Galicia's recommendations on staffing? Minister. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you again to the member for the question. As a family doctor for almost 30 years, I know firsthand that personal support workers, registered nurses, and other front-line staff are the backbone of long-term care. So recently I was happy to announce the launch of a long-term care staffing study led by an expert external advisory group. It will help inform a comprehensive staffing strategy that we will be developing and implementing by the end of 2020. Part of the study will fulfill Justice Galicia's recommendation to determine adequate levels of registered staff. The study will also identify how we can help the sector to improve staffing and recruitment and retention. This important step will give our government the insight that we need to ensure the sustainability, safety, and high-quality care for our growing and aging population in Ontario. Thank you, Speaker. The next question, the member for University Rosedale. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, I want to talk today about parents in my writing, like Nicole, whose eight-year-old daughter is medically fragile. Nicole's daughter attends the Beverly School in my writing, where children with developmental and physical disabilities work with skilled educators. But Nicole is terrified that due to this government's cuts, children like her daughter won't be able to get the attention they need to learn and thrive. In her words, learning is difficult for everyone. If teachers don't have the resources and training they need to support children like my daughter, kids with special needs will lose their right to education. Speaker, how can the Premier justify his education cuts and its impact on families like Nicole? The Minister of Education replied. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to Member Opposition for the question. Obviously, for Nicole and for all parents and children in this province, we are committed to ensuring investments continue to flow in the front of class when it comes to special education, for the support of the most vulnerable kids in our schools. Speaker, how are we doing that? In the most recent negotiated settlement with QP, where we negotiated a deal of voluntary agreement ratified by the union, hundreds of new EAs are being hired in classrooms right across Ontario that's going to help improve support of those children in every region of Ontario. We are investing more, $3.1 billion in special education. That's the highest investment ever recorded in the history of Ontario. We have doubled the mental health portfolio. We have hired 180 psychologists and psychotherapists in high schools. We're making mental health and special education an important central part of the physical health and education curriculum. We're absolutely committed to ensuring those kids have dignity, respect and the resources to succeed. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. I want to also share comments from another parent. Carly has a daughter at Kensington Community School in University of Rosedale. Because of this government's cuts, the school has had to lay off several educators and was forced to cancel their Mandarin language program. Carly's daughter loved learning the language. When it comes to this government's cuts to education, Carly says, I'm heartbroken and furious. Speaker, how can the Premier defend taking opportunities away from children who want to learn? Mr Speaker, in fact, in the context of our official languages in this nation, it's this government and the leadership of this Premier that is investing more in French language education than any government in the history of Ontario. We are proud of ensuring that young people have the competencies of language to apply in the marketplace. Mr Speaker, putting the negotiation more broadly, we are fighting and committing to protecting full-day kindergarten. We are ensuring that we're maintaining historic investments in spec ed. We are keeping class sizes low, and we're ensuring the hiring of educators is premised on merit. Those are our guiding principles in this negotiation, and it starts speaking with ensuring the kids remain in a positive and safe learning environment. Next question, the member for Perry Sound, Moscow County. Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question today is for the Minister of Health. Minister Ipsos recently conducted a poll on the importance of mental health services for children and youth. Not surprisingly, Ontarians firmly believe, as does this government, that more should be done to improve the access that children and youth have to mental health services. This includes reducing wait times across the province. Minister, we have acted to establish the Mental Health and Addiction Centre of Excellence within Ontario Health, and a Mental Health and Addictions Plan is also on the way. Could you please explain to the members of this legislature how the Centre of Excellence can address the barriers that youth face when trying to access mental health services? Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. Thank you, Perry Sound, Moscow County for his question. Through our new Mental Health and Addictions Plan, supported by the Centre of Excellence, we will make sure that the people of Ontario can get the mental health care and services they need, including our children and youth. The Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence will break down barriers in accessing care, ensuring a more consistent patient experience across the province. The Centre will work with experts, providers in the community, people with lived experience, researchers and families to create a consistent set of services and standards for care. This will ensure that children and youth will not only be able to access mental health services, but also ensure that the care that they receive is high quality and based on best practices. There is a clear need to expand and improve existing programs and invest in innovative solutions to tackle the gaps that have persisted for so long. Our Mental Health and Addictions Plan will be another very important step. Thank you, Speaker. This supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Minister for her leadership on this important issue. Speaker, Ontario governments have known for many years that our mental health system was insufficient. The select committee on mental health and addictions of which the Minister was a member was set up in 2009 and made its recommendations in September 2010, almost 10 years ago. But until now, little has been done to improve mental health services. Finally, through our continued investment in mental health and addiction services, it is clear that our government is on the right track to deliver meaningful change to mental health and addiction system. Minister, can you please update the members of this legislature on the investments we have made in child and youth mental health services? The Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I want to thank the member for that excellent question. This year, our government under the leadership of Premier Ford invested $174 million more in community-based mental health and addiction services across the province. Included in this investment is nearly $30 million for child and youth mental health services and programs across the province, as well as more than $27 million to fund mental health supports in Ontario's education system, which will directly benefit schools, teachers, and most importantly, our students and their parents. We will follow through on these investments, Mr. Speaker, with $3.8 billion in total funding over the next 10 years through our comprehensive mental health and addictions plan that meaningfully improves our system and helps to build healthier communities. And we look forward, Mr. Speaker, to sharing more of our new plan in the coming weeks. Together, we can and we will create a connected, integrated mental health system that works for Ontario and Zavali. Thank you very much. Next question, member for York, South West. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Over the past weeks and months, I have gotten so many letters and messages from parents concerned about cuts to education. Like Anne, who wrote to me and said, the government does not have a mandate to cut funding to our schools, especially when they are using those cuts to fund corporate tax breaks. They never campaigned on removing adults from our schools, on increasing class sizes, on cutting supports for students with special needs. When is this government going to start listening to parents? Do the right thing and reverse these heartless cuts? Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member opposite for the question. Mr. Speaker, we are listening to parents and taxpayers who want accountability for their investments. It's why we are asking our union partners who we are negotiating with today to accept the premise that hiring in this province must be based on qualification. If you want to improve the outcomes of our children, then every member of this legislature will accept that qualification, merit, and diversity must be the cornerstone of hiring new educators in this province. That requires political courage to say it and to negotiate the table. It also requires a result to say that if we are going to be putting more money in those children's schools and their pockets in New York Southwestern communities, it ought to go in schools, not in the compensation regime of the second highest paid educator in Canada. That is our goal. It starts with keeping kids in class with a good deal, keeps classroom sizes low, protects full-day kindergarten, and, most importantly, continues to invest in our most vulnerable kids in our schools. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, my question is to the Premier. This is exactly what we have come to expect from the Minister and his colleagues, plain-teachers, deflect responsibility. On this side of the House, we are proud to listen to the parents and stand with kids. I have gotten notes of encouragement from parents thanking me for standing up for their kids. These parents, no teachers, are on their side of their kids, too. Like Vanja, from here in Toronto, who told me there is too much at stake for families to sit back and accept the unprecedented and unnecessary changes and cuts that Conservatives are proposing. Again, to the Minister of Education, if parents are thanking me for being on their kids' side, whose side are the Conservatives on? Mr. Speaker, this progressive Conservative government is squarely on the side of students fighting to ensure that the best teacher is in the front of class. We are on the side of students, ensuring that more money flows in classrooms, not in compensation. We are on the side of our youngest kids in class by protecting in writing full-day kindergarten. We are on the side of our most vulnerable by continuing to invest more in special education than any government in Ontario history. We will continue to do so as we have demonstrated in the QP deal months ago, where hundreds of new EAs are being hired to help those very children in our school. Speaker, in this negotiation we want to deal. Our kids deserve it. Let's get it done. Next question from the member for Brantford Grant. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. After 15 years of successive Liberal governments, we saw Ontario's justice system become outdated and overgrown with unnecessary complexities. And with this continued neglect, the needs of Ontario's law-abiding citizens and victims of crime also fell to the wayside. And they've had to endure a system that is unresponsive to their needs and is difficult to access. Mr. Speaker, back to the Attorney General. Can the Attorney General please tell us what he is doing to right these Liberal wrongs and ensure our justice system is working every day for law-abiding citizens and is supporting victims of crime? Thank you. Thank you to the member from Brantford Grant for the question and Mr. Speaker, the member is absolutely right again. Our justice system has grown complex and it's outdated and we are the first government 15 years to take on the vitally important role of fixing it. That's why we are proposing changes as part of the Smarter and Stronger Justice Act that would update so many important areas of Ontario's outdated justice system. This bill looks, to many, the changes will stand up for law-abiding citizens. It stands up for victims of crime. It stands up for the frontline police officers, Mr. Speaker. And one regulatory change we've announced, it will make it easier for victims to sue offenders who have been convicted of distributing an intimate image against their will. It should not be very difficult for anyone to understand that this crime can and has shattered lives. Whether it be youth, whether it be people going through difficult divorces, Mr. Speaker, anybody who has had an intimate image is sent. We've responded to provide victims with more tools to access justice and to send a strong message that cyberbullying will not be tolerated. I'll have more to say on my supplementary, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Attorney General for his answer. Mr. Speaker, standing up for victims of crime is a driving force of our government's efforts to grow healthier and safer communities across Ontario. We know that many victims of cyberbullying, including those who have had their intimate images shared without consent, can suffer emotional, mental, and physical pain and feel powerless. Can the Attorney General tell us more about how our government is making it easier for victims of this crime to get the justice they deserve? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Many of Ontario's laws and rules were established before the internet and mobile devices became staples in the lives of Ontarians. I mean, Google registered as a company only 20 years ago, Mr. Speaker, and man, things have changed. We want to make sure that the internet is a safe and accessible place for everyone to connect, learn, and grow. Those who choose to use digital technology to exploit victims or to deliberately and repeatedly harm somebody or a group, they need to be held accountable for their serious actions, Mr. Speaker. That's why we've taken action to amend Regulation 456-96 under the Victims' Bill of Rights that would make it easier for victims to obtain damages and civil proceedings against offenders convicted of these crimes. This is protection and a peace of mind that in today's world, Mr. Speaker, is necessary and an important part of keeping everyone, including our children, safe online. The next question, the Member for Algoma, Manitoulou. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Thanks to years of underfunding and neglect from the Liberals, rural communities across the province were already struggling with school closures, dilapidating school buildings, and teacher shortages. The conservative cuts to education are only making life worse. On Friday, tens of thousands of parents, students, and teachers raised their voices against these government's cuts to education. Speaker, unlike the Liberals and conservatives, new Democrats are fighting for what matters, good schools for our kids, and strong public education systems, so no matter where you live in this problem. And so are thousands of families across my writing, from Manitouache, to Wawa, to Shablo, from Debra to Blind River, Elliott Lake to Espinola, and on St. Joseph Island to Manitoulin Island. Why isn't this government doing the same? The Minister of Education. Thank you, Speaker. I thank the member opposite for the question. I would agree that under the former Liberal government, there was a decade of stagnation in school and performance. We saw more monies being spent in education than ever before, 60 percent net increase since 2003-4, 12 percent more teachers since then, less than 1 percent more students. And yet, even still, we saw literacy tests stagnate, we saw math numbers and math performance decline. And the question is, what was the result for that dramatic expenditure in education? And we expect better. We want to see our students succeed. We want to see graduation rates rise. We want to see more students entering the skilled trades and STEM education. We are going to do that, Speaker. We are going to do that, Speaker, by getting a good deal that protects the interests of rural education after the largest school closure program that devastated rural Ontario under the former Liberal government. Rural Ontario has an ally in this government. We will maintain the moratorium until we can ensure the economic impacts are totally considered in the park outlines under our review. Thank you. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. Once again to the Premier. Schools in my writing in rural and northern communities across the province were closed down under the Liberals. Students are being bussed long distances to get to and from school, preventing them from joining after school activities and getting the full school experience. Students, parents and teachers hope that this Conservative government would be different and would actually recognize the unique situation in rural, remote, northerners face. But this government cuts to education are hurting kids. Will this government listen to students and stop these cuts? Well, Speaker, thank you again to the member opposite for the question. You know, I just want to draw a contrast of what the former government did and their impacts on schools and what this government is doing. Under the former government, they made a decision to close more schools under one political party than every single government combined. No government closed more schools in the former Liberal government. That is their legacy in rural Ontario. Our legacy is a 550 million dollar annual capital commitment to build new schools in rural, remote and northern Ontario to renew the spirit of rural communities who felt abandoned by the former government. We are listening to them. We are working with them to ensure that those kids feel equal, that they're not second-class citizens when it comes to their experience in education. We're going to continue to invest in new schools. We're going to continue to support rural Ontario. And obviously, Speaker, we're going to ensure that every student irrespective of the locality succeeds in this province.