 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the member for Davenport. Thank you. Good morning, Mr. Speaker. To the Premier, on this side of the house, we know there's power in a union. Last week, the government belatedly learned that too when they were forced to make a major retreat on the use of the notwithstanding clause in a bill that not only banned strikes, but outrageously imposed a contract on our very lowest paid education workers. My question this morning is very simple. Will the Premier vow today to never again use the notwithstanding clause in a labour dispute? Member opposite for the question. All along, Speaker, we have advocated for children to be in stable classrooms. We know that the threat of strikes, pandemics, have a great deal of impact on children's mental, physical and social emotional health and their academic success, Speaker. That's why we are at the table today and we will remain at the table, designed to get a deal that is fair for our workers that preserves the in-person learning experience that our children deserve, Speaker. The plan to catch up, as announced, was premised on a belief the kids have to be in school. $650 million more dollars are allocated this year compared to last year. Nearly 7,000 more staff are hired since we came to power. Almost 1,000 more frontline teachers. A 420% increase in mental health. All of this is because we are committed to publicly funded schools we're committed to getting a deal and keeping these kids in school, Speaker. Well, Mr. Speaker, that's very rich coming from a minister whose threats have led to some of the greatest disruption I think we've seen in decades. The use of the notwithstanding clause and I'm going to go back to the Premier on this was an unprecedented failure of your government. This was completely avoidable but it seems like you were getting some pretty bad advice, Premier. A few weeks ago, the Premier's campaign manager Corey tonight said this about possible future labour disruptions at our schools. He said it, I'm going to quote, you're going to get legislated back including the use of the notwithstanding clause and you can take that to the bank because it's going to happen. After last week's debacle, I think we all hope that this Premier has learned a thing or two. I ask again, will the Premier stand here today and vow never again to use the notwithstanding clause to shut down the charter rights of Ontario workers? Fine members, make a comment to the chair to apply for the government, the Minister of Education. Mr Speaker, we're going to stay at the table to get a deal that keeps kids in the classroom. That is our commitment, it's what we're guided by, it's what the people of Ontario sent us here to do. We are committed to ensuring stability for children. I would urge the members opposite to consider the very real impacts of union-driven strikes on children. They are real, they have learning loss, mental, physical, health impacts that we can quantify. And these are not abstractions, these are the children of our province. They have an obligation to them, we have an obligation to them, which is why we're increasing funding in publicly funded schools, increasing staffing over $3 billion more than when the Liberals were in power in 2017 to 2018. 7,000 more staff when compared to when we started. A thousand more frontline teachers. We are committed to our children and we're committed to keeping kids in school. The final supplement. I can tell you, we're not going to take advice from a government whose actions shut down our schools. The Notwithstanding Clause to take away bargaining rights did not just target CUPI education workers, it put the bargaining rights of all workers at risk. Whether you're a union member in a school, a factory or on a construction site, the Premier's actions sent a clear message. Your rights end when he no longer feels like recognizing them. So I'd like to ask the Minister of Labor this time, what did he do to stand up for the rights of workers that he claims to work for? And will he at least commit to never voting for this again? Speaker, we are standing up for the rights of children to be in school so they can stay in a stable classroom where they belong. We know these kids deserve to be in the classroom with more funding and more staffing and more opportunities for them to get ahead. It has been an extraordinary time in this province. This is not a normative period. Kids have a global pandemic caused learning loss in every region of the western world to the member from Davenport who seems to believe we are an island of ourselves. We are part of a global challenge, but we have a plan in this province designed to help these kids get back on track. $650 million more dollars, a specific tutoring program, the first and only if it's kind in the country. Number for Davenport, come to our door. $175 million helping 100,000 kids today get ahead. That's how we help support them, get them back on track. But Speaker, it all starts with keeping them in the classroom in the first place. And next question, the leader and his Majesty's moral opposition. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker to the Premier, for months, for months health care professionals have raised concerns about hospitals' capacity to respond to early respiratory illness season that we're seeing this year. Despite the alarm bells, this government sat on their hands and did nothing. Today, ER wait times at children's hospitals are unseasonably high. Pediatric ICUs are over capacity and children are being transferred to adult hospitals. Why has the government ignored the growing crisis in Ontario's children's hospitals? Minister Hill. Chair, and with the greatest of respect, we haven't been ignoring it. In fact, our government has made unprecedented investments to ensure that our hospital partners have the resources they need to make sure that they can deal with, which is what is undoubtedly a bit of a triple threat of RSV influenza and COVID-19. In particular, with COVID, with emergency departments, we have invested $90 million in ED to pay for result programs that provide funding incentives for 74 high-volume emergency departments to make improvements in areas such as length of stay. We've implemented 49 models of care for select 9-1-1 patients where patients can receive timely and appropriate care in a setting outside of an emergency department. We funded Orange's virtual medical doctor trial for Northern hospitals at risk of closure. And the emergency department locum program and the COVID-19 temporary summer locum program expansion have provided supports for eligible hospitals in rural and northern Ontario to maintain 12. Thank you. Thank you very much. A supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, back to the Premier. So even with repeated warnings, it seems like the government somehow didn't see this coming. Children's surgeries are now being cancelled so that staff can be redeployed. Over the weekend, sick kids pediatric ICU was at 132 percent. McMaster Children's was at 140 percent capacity. One pediatric ER described the situation right now as, quote, scary and, quote, unsafe. We all have a role to play in protecting children from severe illness, especially the government. Why hasn't this government responded effectively to the acute pressures on our children's hospitals and increasing demand for pediatric ICU beds? And it should help. So again, I would say respectfully, we have responded and we are responding with our partners. You know, the COVID-19 influenza and respiratory RSV, our triple threat threats that our hospitals and our pediatric patients in particular are dealing with. The most vulnerable, the most senior, and the youngest in our populations are definitely a risk, which is why earlier today, Dr. Moore did as the Chief Medical Officer of Health, strongly recommend Ontarians of all areas add a layer of protection when appropriate. And that includes a strong recommendation to mask when indoors, when interacting with our most vulnerable, certainly with our youngest foreigner who cannot mask, and making sure that if and when you have the opportunity and you are in a time and place that is appropriate for your timing, that you get your flu shot, which is free of charge and available across Ontario in pharmacists and at primary care. And of course, keep all of your vaccines up to date. We need to make sure that all of the tools... Thank you. Thank you very much. The final supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. The government has been completely ineffective at sick kids, children going to the hospital are very sick. More than half the kids in their ICU are on ventilators. Over the weekend, the CEO of sick kids said, quote, so far none have died. Thank God. Speaker, I have a really hard time understanding how this government allowed the situation to get so bad that the CEO of this province's Premier Children's Hospital is thanking God that no kid has died. To the Premier, why didn't the government act sooner effectively to avert the crisis? You know, Speaker, last week I was at the, in Vancouver for the FTP and at the federal provincial territorial meetings, every Minister of Health from across Canada shared with the group what they are doing to protect their citizens. They talked about vaccine roll-outs. They talked about how they were protecting the most vulnerable. They talked about how they were training additional health human resources staff. And as the group went around the table and shared all of the initiatives, I turned to my officials and said, what are we not doing in Ontario that others are doing and we could emulate? And the answer, sir, was nothing because Ontario has already implemented those. We are giving individuals who want to practice nursing in the province of Ontario a process that is expedited through the College of Nurses in Ontario and it is working. We have more historically now getting through the licensing process with the College of Nurses and the CPSO, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, in a faster way because we understand people who want to practice in health care. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next question, remember for Mr. Minn-Cockburn. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Agriculture. Ontario is losing 320 acres a day every day of farmland to development. 320 acres of the best farmland in the world every day under the Minister's watch. Farmland that we will need to feed our cities. Do you think food is expensive now? Wait if we keep going at this rate. Now the government has announced that it will also want to pave over 7,000 acres of farmland in our greenbelt, including a Duffin Rouge Agriculture Preserve. Another 7,000 acres gone forever. Why is the Minister so eager to pave over our food security? Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I just want to thank the opposition for their question. Mr. Speaker, we have a housing crisis. We have a housing crisis that the majority of our kids can't afford to buy a home. They can't afford to live in Toronto or GTA because the previous government didn't have the backbone to make the changes. Mr. Speaker, we're increasing the green belt more than 2,000 acres. Unlike the previous government that changed the green belt 17 times and you voted for it for 17 times. You supported them changing the green belt to suit their buddies to change it 17 times. We're creating 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years and I'd like to ask this chamber, where are we going to put the 1.5 million people just over the next five years that are going to show up right here in Ontario and in Canada, 1.5 million people the next three years. We need homes. We're going to build homes, affordable homes. Thank you, Mr. Buston. I would like to thank the Premier but for his answer but in response how are we going to feed those people? And the Premier's own task force stated that the land isn't the problem and we need to protect the green belt. So we know the land isn't the problem but we also know the Premier made a promise to speculators a long time ago and then recanted but obviously this is a promise he intends to keep. So now why, why are you continuing to allow the best farmland, the farmland that we need to feed our people, the things that are important to people are shelter, yes, but even more important food and we have the best land in the province and the Minister of Agriculture sits and watches it being paid over, why? You know, Mr. Speaker, last week we had great friends come here from the royal and when they came from the royal I went down there and myself spoke to endless farmers and they're extremely happy how we have their backs, we have the supports we're going to make sure they're well taken care of but Mr. Speaker again I'd like to ask the opposition what are they going to do when 60% of the 500,000 people a year come to Canada and they arrive in Ontario? What are we going to do? Are we just going to stack them up into rooms? No, we're going to build them affordable houses we're going to build them attainable housing something that the opposition would never ever do we need to plan for the future not only for the new Canadians that are coming but the next generation that they can afford and that's the reason we're building transit that extends into areas that we're building and we're building right beside existing developments that are right there and on the other side of the street Mr. Speaker if you won the lottery under the Liberals and you're a farmer you won the lottery 40, 50, 100 million dollars but your next door neighbor the exact same piece of property guess what he'll be struggling for the next hundred Thank you Order Government side come to order Next question the member for Scarborough Agent Court Thank you Mr. Speaker Speaker my question is for the Minister of Finance the ongoing global economic instability and worldwide supply chain disturbance continue to negatively impact the people of Ontario in the face of this economic uncertainty my constituents continue to struggle with rising cost-driven by higher gas prices due to the federal carbon tax many of my constituents express concerns about their household budgets and the unexpected rising cost of their day-to-day necessities Speaker with all these concerns could the minister please tell the House how our government is working to keep Ontario on a sound economic footing and providing continued financial relief for my constituents Thank you The Minister of Finance Well thank you to the hardworking member from Scarborough Agent Court for that question Mr. Speaker we are in uncertain times amid global economic uncertainty and with the cost of living increases reaching levels not seen in decades the road ahead will not be easy and we know that the people of Ontario are under pressure governments will need to be agile with a responsible plan to respond to any challenges while acknowledging the risks of inflation that is why we have a plan that maintains flexibility and continues to invest in building the critical infrastructure and services that the people of Ontario rely on and works to restore our manufacturing capacity while keeping costs down for people and businesses Mr. Speaker we have a strong plan for Ontario and by being flexible and demonstrating restraint we can overcome any challenge that comes our way Stop the question Speaker Rising expenses and continued economic uncertainty are impacting all Ontarians including the people of my riding We have seen news reports about people across Canada saying they are spending less on food due to escalating prices In the recent fall economic statement Canada's Federal Minister of Finance Krista Freeland said Canada cannot avoid the global slowdown end of court Just recently the Governor of Bank of Canada also warned Canadians that we should expect more interest rates hikes and that a mild recession is possible Speaker What is our government doing to ensure that Ontario remains a jurisdiction that is viewed as economically sound and financially robust as we negative navigate these times of uncertainty Thank you Thank you again to the member from Scarborough Agent Court Mr. Speaker over the last couple of years Ontario and the rest of the world faced a once in a generation challenge unlike any in all of our lifetimes The COVID-19 pandemic tested our resolve But we stood together to get through those tough ties and today we are navigating another challenge Mr. Speaker Ontario like the rest of the world is facing challenging economic times But I am confident in our province I am confident in the resilience of the people of Ontario and I am confident in our plan to build Ontario That is why I am proud to be introducing our governments 2022 for all economic statement this afternoon We have a strong plan to build infrastructure We train workers and restore our manufacturing capacity Mr. Speaker While keeping costs down for the people and businesses of Ontario Together let's build Ontario Thank you Speaker Last week CHEO's pediatric unit ICU unit hit 280% capacity Inpatient medicine is at 171% The emergency department which was built to handle 150 kids is seeing on average 229 kids a day Surgeries are being cancelled and children are being transferred to hospitals hours away The government can't blame seniors waiting for long-term care for causing this situation So when will the premier get serious about the crisis in health care, make the necessary investments and repeal bill 124 so our children get the health care they deserve And to reply the government house No Government house leaders Thank you very much Mr. Speaker I appreciate the question from the honorable member The member will know as the minister of health has just outlined that the incredible work that the government is doing to ensure that health and human resources are ever-present and ever-increasing in the province of Ontario That's why the minister of colleges and universities has undertaken a really nationwide leading and successful successful program to encourage more people to get into nursing That is why through the ministry of long-term care we are adding nurse practitioners Not only are we adding nurse practitioners Mr. Speaker But we are also paying for those nurse practitioners in addition to 27,000 additional PSWs across the long-term care sector alone And it goes on the back of the really the nationwide leading investments that we've been making with respect to health care across across the province of Ontario and in all parts we've increased budgets for our small and large hospitals We're building hospitals in Brampton We're increasing capacity in in Mississauga in all parts of the province Mr. Speaker We're doubling down to make sure that the people with the province of Ontario are protected Thank you A supplementary question Member for Nicobals I'm hoping, Speaker, that the minister of health can answer Everyone but members of this government agree that we are witnessing an undeniable and unprecedented health human resources crisis Ontario hospitals are falling further behind Nurses and vacancies in Ontario have increased by 300% since March of 2020 The government says that they've brought thousands of new nurses But where are they, Speaker? We are currently at 14.5% turnover rate among hospital nurses It's clear that the government plan the so-called retention bonuses have done very little to keep workers in the field Will the minister repeal Bill 124 and show some respect to our burnt-out health care workers? Mr. Paul, to the university Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member for that question Let me give you a couple of numbers 11,700 25,000 Over 12,000 Now what do those numbers represent? 11,700 new health care professionals since March of 2020 Applications for nursing programs out on tourist colleges and universities 12,000 nurses Opposition come to order CNO registered more nurses this year than within the record-breaking number and there's still months to go People are clocking to the nursing profession because of the investments that this government has been making in health care and long-term care and we'll continue to see those investments made and the opportunities for students in this province The next question, the member for Barry Innisville My question is to the minister of transportation who's getting people moving and saving them precious time Experts and so many community members have told us time and time again the rapid growth in Simcoe County and New York Region means we need to build roads, highways and bridges today for the transportation that people need tomorrow to save them the precious time so they can spend it with their family and friends and get goods to market But unfortunately, Speaker the places like in Bradford and Simcoe County have seen a stalemate of the Bradford bypass for far too long when the Liberals have time and time again shot it down eliminating the potential for more people to spend time with their families save them time to get to work and get our agricultural products to market So I want to ask the minister's transportation she talks to many people in our community Why is it so important to get shovels in the ground and to brianally bring the Bradford bypass Minister of transportation Thank you Speaker and thank you to the member for Barry and as Phil for the question Speaker as the MPP for York Simcoe and as Minister of Transportation I've heard resounding calls from business owners from farmers and from residents about the need to get the Bradford bypass done And I couldn't be more pleased Speaker that under the leadership of this Premier our government is finally answering the call Last week I joined the Premier and local mayors in Bradford to announce that our government has finally started construction on the Bradford bypass Unlike other governments that came before us our government is actually delivering real progress on the project and fulfilling the commitment that we made to residents across York Region and Simcoe County and beyond to get critical infrastructure built Mr. Speaker we are getting it done Thank you Minister for getting it done and really understanding the needs of our greater community We need to build roads and bridges if we're going to build up this economy and save families time and also embrace our agricultural sector She like myself often talked to Jodi Mote the executive director of the Holland Marsh Growers Association and she said quote Speaker this is an essential piece of infrastructure that farmers require to ship our produce that feeds 55% of Ontarian Speaker so not only is it important to them but we know that gridlock is worsening and we need real-time solutions to get it done so I want to ask the Minister if she could elaborate on the great benefits of the Bradford bypass and what it means to surrounding communities Thank you for the question The benefits of the Bradford bypass go far beyond just providing relief from congestion In addition to helping our farmers get their goods to market faster the project is also attracting new business and creating jobs across the growing communities in York Region and Simcoe County Just a few weeks ago I was pleased to be in Bradford to celebrate the groundbreaking of Torremont Industries new remanufacturing facility Once complete the facility will create nearly 200 new skilled trade jobs for members in the community And Speaker this is only just the beginning Our government is continuing to build Ontario to help boost our economy and create jobs for people in every corner of this province Next question The member for St. Catherine Thank you Speaker My questions to the Premier Niagara is in a unique position because our city councils are still meeting And so your housing bill has been met with considerable concern St. Catherine City Council voted unanimously stating that there is nothing in this bill that advances more homes to be built faster or more affordable There are some big questions around slashing development charges Like who is paying for them? It appears to be a transfer of profits to the development industries at the expense of the community Premier have you read the report from St. Catherine's? And will you guarantee that municipal taxpayers will not be left on the hook for downloaded costs when you slash municipal revenue like development charges? I remember to make a comment through the Chair not working across the floor the House Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to report Thank you Speaker When I listen to that question it just again rings true the desire by some municipalities to delay the reason for change We have a generation There's a generation in St. Catherine that don't realize the dream of ownership And delaying the decision is going to make things worse We need to be sure that we get shovels in the ground faster And you know it's quite interesting that the member talks about development charges when I see that the region of Niagara has 206 million dollars in their DC reserve fund What? Speaker we know there's a severe problem We know we have to build 1.5 million dollars And in fact Members St. Catherine has come to order With the amount of new concerns we're going to be welcoming to Ontario We need to step that up even more Thank you Step to Mr. Question Member for Niagara Falls Thank you Mr. Speaker My question is to the Premier Not only is the city of St. Catherine concerned with Bill 23 so is the Niagara Regional Council Niagara Regional Council sent the minister a letter outlining how promatic Bill 23 is They say it will have significant financial impacts in result in fewer affordable housing units The government plans to pave over the green belt as well as put municipalities under serious financial strain just to help their developer friends make millions of dollars Under Bill 23 we will lose 7,000 acres of prime farmland Some of it is the best in the world We must protect our food security So my question is clear to the Premier Has the Premier consulted with the municipalities affected by this bill and will you meaningfully address the concerns of Niagara To the Chair Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing And another question I know that nimbyism not in my backyard is really strong in Ontario But you know I used a phrase after we tabled Bill 23 The fact that we now transcended from nimbyism to banana Billed absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone You know we consulted mayors The Premier and I had a meeting with big city mayors and regional chairs You know and the NDP can deny this All they want But clearly there are factual studies that show that municipal fees add an average of $116,900 to the cost of a home in the greater gold conversion So if the NDP want to stand up with higher fees and high housing costs they can do it Speaker They can do it all they want We're going to stand up with building more supply providing affordable opportunities Both sides of the House will come to order The next question the member for Ottawa's annual My question is for the Attorney General Mr. Speaker the number of people who face urgent housing situation in my riding as reach new peaks I have both landlords and tenants reaching for help to resolve their issues However, the only help I'm able to provide is to refer these constituents to the landlord and tenant board The problem is that these housing disputes are by nature urgent and pressing which makes the long delays at the board a crisis for families in Ottawa value People have to wait months for a hearing and when they do get one it is a short summary affair with little time to find a just outcome It is clear that the experiment of completely virtual hearing is not working for landlords and it's not working for tenants either So my question is will the Attorney General commit to reopening in-person hearing sites across the province so that we can have an hybrid system that provides landlords and tenants with access to justice in a timely manner Response? The Attorney General Thank you Mr. Speaker and I'm pleased to address some of the investments we made in the landlord and tenant board and I can tell you after no investments by the previous government after no effort we are picking up the pieces Mr. Speaker and they were supported by the NDP before that Mr. Speaker they did nothing but watched the system crumble but our government has invested we have invested 28 million dollars in a state-of-the-art system that is up and running and receiving applications and the tens of thousands Mr. Speaker I'm proud to stand on on the fact that we've appointed more adjudicators than the history of the board Mr. Speaker we put four and a half million dollars into quarter speeding up to the process Mr. Speaker so it's unfortunate that what they left to go follow has resulted in us having to pick up the pieces Mr. Speaker but we will do it we will get the job done Get the job done Can you supplement your question? Mr. Speaker there's clearly not enough resources are located to address the backlog because the crisis is still very much there Mr. President in propria Mr. Speaker a landlord contacted me that she has not received her rent payment from the tenants for six months because they refused to leave the property due to this non-payment the landlord has not been able to pay her own housing and her and her daughter are being chased out of their own homes this has affected so many families and so many people in Ontario especially in terms of the way that these audiences are organized many of them wants to have in-person audiences does the minister has a plan to reduce those backlogs and respond to the problem one of the most important pieces about the landlord tenant board is that it's independent and that it does fair fair and effective hearings Mr. Speaker and so that is happening we have more adjudicators than the history of the board hearing matters moving them along making sure that they're fair and independent and that both sides get heard Mr. Speaker we're also putting resources into making sure that the system helps people navigate there's a new navigation tool that is being accessed in the tens of thousands and the online system that we adopted and changed for Ontario's use that was created by the NDP government of B.C. Mr. Speaker we are working collaboratively with all partners to make sure that we're getting the hearings done that they're independent and that fair and just results are the outcome thank you Mr. Speaker next question a member for Mark and Thorn here thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Labor, Immigration, Training and Skill Development great Minister Ontario is at a critical juncture we must welcome more immigrants into our province to meet our ongoing and our future economic needs we have seen report from all sectors of the economy warning about the low number of immigration welcome into Ontario and it adverse impact on our economy for example nearly 75 percent of businesses in the farming industry say they are suffering because of the current labor shortage Mr. Speaker with the release of the federal government full economic statement can the minister please tell us what effect this will have on how Ontario address our immigration and skill rate deficit thank you thank you Mr. Speaker well thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member from Markham, Thorn Hill for this very important question Speaker welcoming more immigrants is critical to Ontario and Canada's economic success and we need the federal government to make a real commitment to working with us for our province and for our country to succeed Ottawa must dramatically increase the number of skilled newcomers who come to Ontario and give us more of a say Speaker our government is leading the way in Canada and recognizing foreign credentials and breaking down other barriers that newcomers face we need the federal government to join us at the table today and the supplementary question thank you minister for that answer Mr. Speaker the number of job vacancies in our province continuity increase monthly many view of Ontario as a favorable jurisdiction because of our untold economic opportunity and potential as a Ontario and Canada face economic challenges driven by global uncertainty all government must work together to address this issue I understand that in Ontario we can process immigration nominee application in as little as 90 days while the federal government requires up to 46 months for the approval process because of this unnecessary extended time frame Ontario and Canada continue to lose billions in economic productivity Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker can the minister explain what action our government is taking to address this important issue thank you Mr. Speaker I want to thank the member again for that question Speaker Ontario continues to urge the federal government to work with its provincial partners to expand programs that help fill labour gaps through immigration I speak regularly with minister Sean Fraser Canada's Minister of Immigration and I'm hopeful we'll be able to find common ground and make tangible progress on these issues at minimum we expect the federal government to double the number of immigrants Ontario can select and we are ready to offer them our processing capacity it is critical that Ottawa address the ongoing application backlogs and approve applications more quickly so workers who want to come to Ontario can arrive and enter the labour market without unnecessary delays Speaker my message to the federal government is simple let's work together and build a stronger Ontario and a stronger Canada It's crossing the number for Algoma Manitoulin Thank you Speaker The physician shortage in Northern Ontario small town hospitals is facing a crisis with three of six physicians positions soon to be vacant and wall walk the hospital there is desperate for assistance from this government to help to prevent closures and staff burnout we've already seen ERs and primary care affected across the region and the north what is this government doing to ensure that small northern hospitals will not have to close their doors to patients and it's good health No, I have to ask because the member opposite has been in this chamber for many many years where were you when the auditor general talked about the fact that Northern Ontario was facing a physician shortage in their auditor general report when the Liberal Party was in power where were you are you willing to stand and and agree that increasing the number of physician physicians available in Northern Ontario in rural and remote communities across Canada is the appropriate thing to do for us where were you when the Liberal government was cutting those those spots in in Northern Ontario we have made the investments we will continue to make the investments we have a Northern medical school that is expanding the number of residents he positioned we are expanding thank you I would like members to make the comments to the chair not directly across the floor the supplementary question Mr Speaker the Wawa Hospital has been getting by on agreements with this government to ensure locum coverage but at about on August 31st the funding for that agreement was cut unilaterally with no unilaterally with no notice to the hospital when concerns about keeping the doors open were expressed to the ministry of the health officials the ministry suggested well why don't you just divert your primary care support to your emergency support Speaker this is a recipe for disaster without primary care you're setting up the system for failure will this government work with Northern healthcare providers to recruit and retain doctors in the north Mr Hal a recipe for disaster is when the auditor general 10 plus years ago highlighted the need for additional doctors in the north and across Ontario and it was ignored we are making those investments now we will continue to make those investments we are doing it with investments in peer-to-peer programs we are making it with investments in air or orange ambulance to ensure that northern and remote hospitals make sure that they have coverage in their emergency department we will continue to make those changes we will continue work with our hospital corporations and we will make sure that in the future we do not deal with heavy human resources that we're as a result of governments ignoring a pending surge in population and a need to make those investments thank you next question the member for Durham my question my question Mr Speaker is for the minister of energy under our government's watch we have seen a return of the manufacturing sector and an overall improvement in our economic productivity but this success has led to questions about the strength of Ontario's energy grid and the ability to produce the electricity we will require for the future our government recently announced plans to continue the operation of the Pickering Nuclear Generation Station through September 2026 my constituents in Durham know Mr Speaker that the Pickering plant serves a significant function in Ontario's energy grid Speaker could the minister therefore elaborate on the Pickering Nuclear Plant's role in supporting Ontario's energy operations Mr Energy well thanks to the member from Durham for the great question this morning I want to start off by recognizing the amazing job that Ontario's nuclear workers are doing every day to keep the lights on in Pickering at Tarlington and also at Bruce Power Pickering provides Ontario with a source of low cost and reliable zero emissions electricity every day to meet the province's baseload energy needs not like the intermittent wind and solar projects that were brought on 33,000 of them by the previous government our nuclear fleet our world-class facilities they're providing power that's available when we need it every day of the week Mr Speaker and at the same time by supporting the safe continued operation of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station Mr Speaker we are standing shoulder to shoulder with those workers in the Durham region those good paying jobs those hardworking people that are providing the clean power that Ontario needs for the future Mr Speaker I also share our government's appreciation for the dedication and diligence of the workers of the Pickering Nuclear Plant maintaining the Pickering Nuclear Generation Station will protect good paying jobs for thousands of workers in Durham region and across Ontario about 7,500 jobs across Ontario are related to the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station these jobs represent skilled workers who are the backbone of our economy and they help to provide the clean reliable and safe power that Ontarians rely upon unfortunately not everyone in this legislature Mr Speaker shares that view about the workers in my riding and the benefits their labour and sacrifice provide for this province Mr Speaker could the minister please reaffirm his support for the workers of the Pickering Nuclear Station Thanks Speaker it's a great follow-up question from the member from Durham I don't know why anyone in this legislature would oppose this move that is clearly a win not only for electricity generation in the province and future growth in our province but it's also a win for the environment earlier this morning in estimates we heard from the member from Kingston who seems to be opposed to nuclear energy Mr Speaker we heard from the member opposite who's now the leader of the entity Mr Speaker who seems to be opposed to nuclear energy that source of electricity provides 60% of our electricity every day it's a zero emission source of electricity one that is the only pathway to get us to net zero in our province Mr Speaker the member the leader of the NDP in this house Mr Speaker on dozens of occasions has spoke about the lack of support for nuclear in our province Mr Speaker we're standing firmly with the people of Pickering the people in Darlington the people in Bruce that are providing low cost reliable and affordable electricity the member for Hamilton Matt our question is for the Premier McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton has reached a crisis point where occupancy has reached over 140 percent I'm not confident that the Premier or his minister understand the severity of this situation children are critically ill parents are terrified health care professionals are calling for action McMaster is ringing the alarm bells what is the Premier going to do to ensure hospitals have the resources and the capacities to provide hospital care to our children Thank you Speaker and I will reiterate what Dr. Kieran Moore mentioned earlier today which was our most honorable our youngest population people with underlying health conditions need to be protected which is why earlier today Dr. Kieran Moore made the recommendation strongly to mask while in public indoor settings we are taking these actions because we understand there is a percentage of the population who cannot have a vaccine having said that we have done incredibly well in the province of Ontario to have access and make sure that people who have the ability to have that vaccine get their flu shot keep the up to date on their vaccines and their boosters because we know that it does make a difference we know that it keeps our youngest and most vulnerable out of our emergency departments we know that by doing the right thing testing staying home when we're sick we can make a difference and we can take the pressure off those most vulnerable people in our population I would hope that the member Thank you the supplementary question Speaker what the minister is talking about is what the community needs to do to support the hospital I'm asking what the government is going to do to support the hospital and gestures are not good enough the premier has offered no aid to McMaster even though wait times have spiked to 12 plus hours just over this past weekend his government is sitting on 2.1 billion dollars a budget surplus dollars and they're not spending it will the premier commit today to spending surplus dollars to support McMaster's hospital and our pediatric care crisis Speaker the members words do not match our actions you know we have invested 90 million dollars in emergency department pay for result programs which provide funding incentives for 74 emergency departments in high volume eds to make improvements improving including length of stay we've implemented 49 models of care to make sure that people who call 9-1-1 if they soak desire and have the ability to do so can get their care in other places in community we funded orange's virtual care medical doctor trial for northern Ontario at risk of closure and yes speaker we have assisted McMaster and all of the other children's hospitals across Ontario because we know that they are experiencing some incredibly challenging times with influenza with RSV and with COVID-19 we will continue to work with our funding partners to make sure that they have the investments but we also have a collective responsibility to make sure individually we do the right thing and keep our youngest people safe thank you the next question the member for a topical lakeshow thank you Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker investing in post-secondary students is critical to building a highly skilled workforce here in Ontario for our economy to grow and become an economic leader once again we must support our students in obtaining the relevant experience they need to get good jobs after graduation and when I talked to the good people at a topical lakeshow all those employers said we need people with the tens of thousands of well-paying highly skilled jobs going unfulfilled in our province we must act now to connect students and businesses to these new skills and opportunities for advancement Speaker could the Minister of Colleges University update this House on how our government supports students in practical work-integrated learning Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you member for the topical lakeshow for that important and timely question and I say timely because just last week I was excited to announce that our government is providing over $10 million to help my tax an organization that builds research partnerships between post-secondary institutions and industry to create 2,700 paid internships for post-secondary students Speaker we are so pleased to be supporting post-secondary students and partners through experiential learning programs like my tax that prepare students with skills and training needed for jobs in an innovative economy and they will not only help prepare students for the workforce through on-the-job learning but will also help to remove the stress of worrying about financial compensation even further Speaker these internships allow employers to connect with emerging leaders in the fields nurture talent and develop their industry investing in skills training opportunities for students and recent graduates is part of our government's plan to work for workers supporting Ontario's economic growth for positioning students and businesses for success Thank you Supplementary question Thank you Speaker and I want to thank the minister for that update and I also want to thank the minister for taking an interest in our local college Humber College and visiting there with me early last year so thank you for that you know while I'm encouraged to hear that our government is supporting our next generation of workers in this new economy we need to be confident that all Ontario students will be able to participate Many students require more selection and learning opportunities to accommodate their unique circumstances and needs Speaker can the minister elaborate on what our government is doing to support these innovative partnerships and increase flexibility for student learning opportunities across the Ontario's post-secondary landscape Great question Thank you Minister Good question Speaker since 2018 our government has investing in our post-secondary sector to be more responsive flexible and reflective of the changing nature of work It is investments and innovative solutions that will allow the single mother in northern Ontario to attend short-term classes between her work schedule It will allow the young learner with accessibility concerns to go to class online when they physically can't get to class We have made tremendous drives towards connecting students to work online or in person part-time and full-time across disciplines across Ontario Speaker in the last five years Ontario has spent over 57 million dollars to support my tax to create over 14,000 research internships and over the next 10 years we will be investing 500 million dollars to support research opportunities across Ontario We will continue to invest in training our post-secondary students to prepare for the jobs of tomorrow because when students succeed Ontario succeeds Thank you very much Let's start seeing the 11th and 11th branch up Thank you Speaker Speaker this Premier and this Government know that health care is in crisis Can you imagine going into the emergency room and hearing the pleas of a patient in that emergency room asking When am I going to see a doctor? The pain is so horrific please can I see a doctor? When will someone be able to help me? That's what we're hearing an emergency room Speaker In London London Health Sciences has reported a 20 hour wait time in emergency rooms And now Speaker reports are coming from across the province that there's a dire shortage of ambulance services of ambulances available Just last week I heard from constituents who had two incidences where they called the ambulance services last month and they had to wait for hours to arrive to help his wife who had fallen and couldn't get up They had to cancel one of the calls Speaker because repairmen arrived and were able to help My question is what is this government doing to ensure that people have emergency care services when they need them? Speaker we are building capacity and we will continue to build capacity as the member opposite knows ambulance and paramedic services are funded 50-50 between the municipality and the province of Ontario not once Speaker not once have we ever turned down a municipality who wants to expand their ambulance capacity We are offering and expanding the number of ambulance paramedics that are training in the province of Ontario through investments in colleges and universities We are building a health human resources that will be second to none in Canada We will do that We are doing it through the College of Nurses and the College of Physicians and Surgeons We are doing it through our health system through retention pay We are doing it through an expansion of our human resources training in colleges with our response of the assistance of our partners and we will continue to do that work because we understand that as Ontario's population grows we need to make sure that we have the jobs and the resources available for those people who need it really Thank you Supplementary Speaker the middle six running paramedics paramedics are sounding the sirens and paramedics have already proposed a pilot program that would help triage ambulance demands to take the pressure off the system The pilot has already been endorsed by Middlesex County Council When will the Premier and the Minister of Health respond to the proposal and help fix the problem in London and across the province so people have access to ambulance services when they need them the most Minister of Health Speaker I cannot reinforce how pleased I am to hear the member opposite talk about an encouraging innovation in our health care system the number of innovative ideas that have come particularly through the paramedic system include of course the 9-1-1 model of care which allows individuals to get treated outside of an emergency department that idea that idea came from paramedics came from chiefs who understood we have trained health care professionals who can do more and are willing to do more we'll continue to acknowledge accept and review those innovative ideas and approve them when appropriate but again I cannot underlie how pleased I am to hear the members opposite finally talking about embracing innovation in our health care system Member for Sault Ste. Marie Thank you very much Mr Speaker Speaker my question is for our great minister of seniors and accessibility thank you Ontario's older residents and people with disabilities deserve more inclusive opportunities to stay fit active healthily healthy and socially connected in their communities I have heard from residents across all of northern Ontario both the accessibility issues they face when they are out and about they face challenges that many of us have not ever considered Mr Speaker our government must continue demonstrating leadership by ensuring that Ontario is open and inclusive Speaker can the minister please tell us what our government is doing to ensure that people with disabilities in northern Ontario can fully participate in our great province and that's for seniors and accessibility Mr Speaker thank you to the member for asking such an important question the member from Sault Ste. Marie is doing a marvelous job representing northern Ontario it was my pleasure to announce $32,500 in funding as a part of inclusive community grants initiative at Blind River Town Council last week the people of a blind river are top notch they care and want to make their town as accessible as possible I want to congratulate Mayor Sally Hagman and entire council for their leadership in making the town as a shiny example of how any community across Ontario can become more inclusive thank you Thank you That's supplementary Thank you Speaker Oh it's on sorry I didn't know the mic was on there my apologies Mr Speaker I know that the funding received by the people of Blind River was of particular importance to them as it aligns with their broader economic and social development strategy of a barrier free community Northern and rural communities were neglected for far too long under the previous liberal government when it came to addressing these infrastructure needs seniors and people with disabilities experienced this neglect firsthand Speaker can the Minister please explain to the House why the funding for Blind River and across all of Northern Ontario is so critical to our government's overall mission of being open and accessible to everyone and it's for seniors and accessibility Again for the question the town of Blind River is showing leadership in championing when it comes to accessibility with this seat anywhere that make you smile program they are ensuring everyone has access to everyday recreational use Mr. Speaker our inclusive community grants are only in Blind River but all across Ontario Mr. Speaker we are investing to help ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to engage in their communities again congratulations to Mayor Hagman and all the council members of the Town of Blind River thank you we have a question for you for this morning member