 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Good morning, good morning, Speaker. This question is for the Premier. Speaker yesterday, while defending his latest plan to stack the Judicial Appointments Committee with insiders and lobbyists, the Premier launched into a tirade about the state of crime in the province. He said, and I'm going to quote him here, they're kicking indoors in the middle of the night, putting guns to people's heads. Speaker, given the Premier's concern about the risk of handguns in violent crime, why did he give a lobbyist for an American handgun manufacturer the power to choose Ontario's next judges? And to respond, the Attorney General. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, you know, I can understand the confusion the Leader of the Opposition has in terms of how the system works, but, you know, Mr. Speaker, you know, the Committee makes recommendations based on those who apply, and I don't know what else they would have us do, except have people go through, would they prefer the federal system, Mr. Speaker? Would they prefer other systems? This is a good system. There are good people, smart people, people who are looking for individuals that understand victims' issues, individuals that understand cultural perspectives, individuals that understand community service, Mr. Speaker. They are vetting candidates for consideration, but the choice is the government to make at the end of the day, Mr. Speaker. And so I look forward to an alternate model from the member of the opposition. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. There's no confusion here. This government changed the law so they could appoint more lobbyists and conservative insiders on the Committee, and it is not going to solve this problem. Speaker, the tough on crime so-called bluster here in the House is not going to change the fact that it's this government's failures that have left people without access to justice. Victims of crime are seeing their assailants walk free, not because of an insufficiently conservative judge, but because of delays that are the direct result of this Premier's mishandling and underfunding of our court system. So back to the Premier Speaker. How will appointing a handgun lobbyist to the Judicial Appointments Committee help reduce gun crime? Mr. Speaker, please take their seats. The Attorney General. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And so what the NDP would have us do if they were being open to what they're really saying is defund the police so there is not an accused, Mr. Speaker. So there is not an accused to be brought before the court regardless of which judiciary was there, Mr. Speaker. They have an entirely different world view on how this should work, Mr. Speaker. They don't think that the accused should be held to account. They don't think that they should even interact with the police, Mr. Speaker. They think they should have social workers in place of police across the board, Mr. Speaker. That just happens to not be our view. We want our community safe. We want the bad guys to have a sentence that is appropriate for the crime that they make, Mr. Speaker. They didn't even support us on reverse on bail, Mr. Speaker, which are a pre-mortar drove across this country and the federal government eventually passed, Mr. Speaker. And the final supplementary. And I'm not going to take lessons about being tough on crime from a government that is under active investigation by the RCMP. These new patronage appointments for conservative staff, lobby their former employers for a living, but one of them registered to lobby after they were appointed to the committee that selects judges. Judges are not meant to be like-minded with any political party. And they're not meant to be appointed in the interest of private companies seeking to do business with the government. They are meant to serve the people. So, Speaker, yes or no, back to the Premier. Will these insiders continue to lobby for handgun manufacturers while they are appointing our judges? Mr. Speaker, you know, I didn't actually talk about some of this stuff until they got fully on their high horse, Mr. Speaker. You know, in 2017, right before the election, the Liberals appointed 47 judges, 47 judges. And I will tell you, Mr. Speaker, it appears from a very quick look through the database, from the public database that 40% of them were donors to that party, to a conservative or green party member on the sanctity and how the system should work. The next question, once again, the Leader of the Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, the federal government has announced they're finally going to start the process of establishing a national pharmacare program here in Canada. This will bring much needed relief to people who are living with chronic illnesses, to seniors, to all people living with disabilities. And it's something new Democrats at all levels have worked on for many, many years. But, Speaker, much depends on the provincial government to make universal pharmacare a reality. And so far, the Minister of Health has refused to commit to the deal. So my question is to the Premier. Will you commit to ensuring that all Ontarians have access to essential medication and devices through single-payer coverage? Parliamentary Assistant, the Minister of Health, and Member for Eglinton, Lawrence. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Member Opposite, for the question. Our government prefers to wait to see what the federal government is going to propose by way of a pharmacare program before we say what our position will be on that, but we're looking forward to receiving clear description of what they are going to be proceeding with. In the meantime, this government is making it more convenient for people to connect to care closer to home by launching pharmacists prescribing for some of our most common ailments. And that's been so successful. Local pharmacies have become a one-stop shop to get prescriptions for 19 of the most common ailments. And this service makes it more convenient for people to access care, eliminating the need to go to doctors or emergency rooms at no extra cost to Ontarians. Stopping by your local pharmacy is very convenient, and so far, 700,000 Ontarians have been able to do that at pharmacies, 94% of which are participating. Speaker, Ontarians can't afford this government's wait-and-see approach, right? It's pretty straightforward. Universal healthcare must include pharmacare. That was always the intention since it was first introduced by Tommy Douglas. And we've talked about this many times in this room before, and I will remind everyone the room is full of nurses here today. I was talking with them this morning about what a game-changer this universal pharmacare program is going to be for their patients. People should not have to choose between medication and food or transportation. But now, thanks to the NDP, Canadians who are struggling with the cost of prescriptions can finally breathe a sigh of relief. So back to the Premier Speaker. Will you commit today to ensure that Ontarians will have access to publicly funded contraceptives and supplies to manage diabetes? Member for Eglinton Lawrence. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thank you again to the member opposite. In the space of her statement, then question there, the Leader of the Opposition said both that it was a universal pharmacare program and that it was just going to cover diabetes and contraceptives. This highlights the issue, which we don't know exactly what it is we're being asked to agree to. When we have all the details and information, we're certainly happy to look at that. And we're certainly looking forward to seeing what the federal government proposes. And obviously we want to make sure that our Ontario residents have access to all the services they need here in Ontario. And that's why we're bringing care closer to home in so many ways. The pharmacists, like I mentioned, are doing prescribing and treating minor ailments. And 700,000 Ontarians have been able to take advantage of that already. Thank you, Speaker. Look, the truth is, instead of getting to work, expanding prescription coverage and bringing in a universal public health care system, this government is moving to sell off our public health care piece by piece by piece. Big corporations are seizing the opportunity to turn a profit, exactly what we were warning of. This week, we learned that employees at Shoppers Drug Mart were being pushed to bill for consultations that patients do not need. That company can then bill the province up to $75 per call. That's double what family doctors can bill for patient visits. Speaker, I want to know what this Premier is doing to protect patients from this outrageous and unnecessary overbilling. Members, please take their seats. Again, the member for Eglinton Mourns. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Are your health plan, a plan for connected and convenient care, puts people at its heart by adding and expanding health care services closer to home? Metzchak started under the previous government, and just this morning the member from Hamilton West Lancaster Dundas in your member's statement said that it was a great service. It's a one-to-one consultation between pharmacists and eligible patients to help comply with their prescription medications and explore how medications interact with each other. But what is really important, as I said earlier, is the expanded role for pharmacists that are the role that they are now playing in our health care system, which is expanded. Local pharmacies have become one-stop shops for people to be able to get their prescriptions filled for 19 of the most common ailments, such as yeast infections and pink eye acne, urinary tract infections. And that just requires a health care. Pharmacists have now assessed over 700,000 patients with common ailments. Those patients don't have to go to primary care doctors and don't have to go to emergency rooms. This is a great innovation for our health care system. We're going to keep working with pharmacists. The next question. Once again, Leader of the Opposition. This government is allowing big corporations to overbill, and it's the people of Ontario that are going to pay the price. 10,000 people in the Perth area are at risk of losing their family doctors and nurse practitioners because the government arbitrarily decided not to fund one of their local clinics. There are only 10 doctors, and this government rejected their application for teen-based care. Each of those 10 doctors wrote letters to the province, asking them to reconsider the application to keep their doors open. If they don't get the funding support, they expect to close within three years. So my question is for the Minister of Health. Are you going to fund the Tay River Health Centre in Perth? The Member for Eglinton Lawrence. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. You know, through our recent historic investment of $110 million into 78 new and expanded primary care teams, our government is connecting 328,000 more Ontarians to an interprofessional primary care team, including $4 billion in investments to the Kingston periwinkle model, for example, and that will connect over 10,000 people in that region to the primary care they need. The new and expanded teams include family health teams, nurse practitioner-led clinics, community health centres, Indigenous primary care or health care organisations, and will add over 400 new primary care providers. While the Liberals and the NDP cut residency school spots, limited the number of physicians practising in interdisciplinary teams, our government has added over 10,400 physicians since 2018, and our plan has invested nearly a billion dollars annually into interdisciplinary primary care teams. In addition to these historic investments, we've expanded medical school spots, we're breaking down barriers for international... Thank you. Thank you. Supplementary question. Speaker, the government is spending millions and millions of dollars on ads to try to spin that kind of thing, and you know what? People in Ontario, they're not buying it. Speaker, Perth is just one of the many communities that are being left behind by this government. 10,000 people in Sioux-Saint-Marie are losing their family doctors in May, and another 6,000 patients there are on the brink in total. And I will remind the government last week I brought in retirees from Sioux-Saint-Marie patients who are going to lose that care. In total, the number of patients that are losing access to primary care in Sioux-Saint-Marie represents more than a quarter of the population of that city. That is shameful. Speaker, when will this premier finally invest in the health care that people need in rural and northern Ontario instead of just serving them up his vanity ads? The Member for Eglinton, Lawrence. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. You know, our government has made this historic investment into interprofessional primary care teams. Our expansion, plus our education programs, as mentioned, means that Ontario is forecasting 98% of Ontarians will have regular primary care over the next several years, but 90% already have regular primary care. The investment we made triples the $30 billion we earmarked just a year ago to expand interprofessional primary care teams and we're funding over four times as many initiatives as outlined in our Your Health Plan a year ago. Ontario is the first province to have publicly funded a nurse practitioner-led clinic program, which I know the RNAO would support. And this is in addition to the new practice-ready Ontario program that's adding 50 new physicians this year. This government is making the investments that the other parties in this legislature never made. We're going to make sure primary care is there. Well done. Thank you. The next question, the Member for Brantford Brandt. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development. The carbon tax is making everything more expensive for everyone in this province, especially in northern and indigenous communities. The cost of transporting goods in northern Ontario is already much higher than in any other part of the province. Individuals in these communities often travel by car and in many cases larger vehicles for safety due to the many back roads and unpredictable weather conditions. But Speaker, the federal government is ignoring these concerns. We know that the people of northern Ontario deserve better. Speaker, can the Minister please explain more about the negative impact that the federal carbon tax is having on the quality of life for the people in northern Ontario? Thank you. The Parliamentary Assistant Member for Thunder Bay, Attacoca. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member from Brantford Brandt for that question. Mr. Speaker, the Member from Kiwit Nong often discusses the price difference in groceries between more populated communities in the north, and the price of groceries in Sandy Lake First Nation. He notes that the price of chicken is often six times higher in Sandy Lake than it is in Sioux Lookout. A 2022 report from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada concluded that indigenous groups are disproportionately burdened by carbon pricing. This is before you factor in the harsh impacts of inflation that are disproportionately felt in remote communities and only being made worse by the carbon tax. Mr. Speaker, we know that the carbon tax is affecting the price of groceries and the supply chain. We continue to call on the members of the Liberals and NDP to support our government's call to axe the carbon tax once and for all for all of Canadians. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the Parliamentary Assistant for that response. Unlike other parts of the province, the North faces unique barriers regarding fuel costs that need to be understood and respected. But, Speaker, it's clear that neither the federal government nor the NDP or the Liberals care about the dire economic impact the carbon tax has on individuals and families in Northern Ontario. Our government recognizes that this regressive and punitive tax is negatively affecting people in these communities as they are hit hardest at the gas pumps and at the grocery stores. That's why we will continue to support them and call on the federal government to eliminate the costly carbon tax. Speaker, can the Parliamentary Assistant elaborate on the detrimental effects that the carbon tax is having on the people, communities, and businesses in the North? Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. The member from Orleans often talks about how if everyone just got a heat pump and used electricity to power their homes, they would be better off. Is the member from Orleans and the Liberal Party not aware that the dozens of remote and isolated communities rely on diesel fuel and that heat pumps will not work in communities in Northern Ontario as temperatures exceed minus 20? Our government is hard at work to get Indigenous communities off diesel and onto our clean provincial power grid. But in the meantime, Northerners and Indigenous communities are forced to pay more to heat their homes and to gas up their vehicles because of the burdensome Trudeau carbon tax. Members in my writing have routinely called me to say that it's an additional $450 just in carbon tax to heat their homes. We continue to call on the member's opposite to support us in calling on the federal government to act the carbon tax to make more life more affordable for Northerners and First Nations people so that we don't need to choose between heating and eating. The next question, the member for Waterloo. Thank you. My question is for the Minister of Health. Speaker, my constituent, Kirsten, has experienced great challenges accessing take-home cancer drugs. Kirsten was weeks away from losing access to life-saving medication all because Ontario does not automatically cover the cost of take-home cancer drugs. While on medication to help prevent a recurrence of breast cancer, Kirsten lost her job due to downsizing. Along with her income, she lost benefits. She was shocked to learn that Ontario does not automatically cover take-home cancer drugs. This is a long-standing broken promise of this government. To quote Kirsten to know that there's this treatment that was so important to be on and the stress of not being able to potentially have it is near debilitating. Speaker, can the Minister of Health tell Kirsten when will Ontario cover the cost of take-home cancer drugs? Take your seats. The member for Eglinton Lawrence. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Cancer is a debilitating disease. A lot of us have personal experiences with it. I do empathize with the patient. Our government will continue to work to ensure Ontarians have access to the care they need when they need it. In Ontario, take-home cancer drugs are funded both by the New Drug Funding Program and the Ontario Drug Benefit Program. In 2022, our government spent over $1.7 billion on cancer drugs, 58% of which went toward take-home cancer drugs. According to a recent report, Ontario has the second highest incident rate of new cancer cases compared to other provinces and territories. We're doing a good job on treating them because we have the third lowest mortality rate for cancer in Canada and that's thanks to our great healthcare providers. As part of Budget 2223, an advisory table is struck with a mandate to explore improvements to access new drugs. We've already taken action expanding the use of safe and effective biosimilar drugs while allowing our government to reinvest in new drug therapies to support more people receiving more accessible care. Thank you, Speaker. British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, they all cover take-home cancer drugs, some of them for decades. But in Ontario, good people like Kristen are on their already difficult health recovery journey from cancer. In 2022, your government said it would look at covering take-home cancer drug. Speaker, today the Canadian Cancer Society is calling out this government. Access to take-home cancer drugs saves lives. Ask any member of RNAO here today. Minister, how much longer are we going to have to wait until Ontario covers take-home cancer drugs? Member for Eglinton Lawrence. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. And again, thank you to the member opposite for the question. As I indicated in my answer in 2022, for example, our government spent over $1.7 billion on cancer drugs, 58% of which went toward take-home cancer drugs. So we're continuing to work with our stakeholders and partners on further discussions and we'll continue to look at that. But our government is also making healthcare more accessible for everybody closer to home and I know this is welcomed by cancer patients. For example, we funded 49 MRI operations in hospitals in small and rural communities which is very much appreciated so people can get diagnosis easier. And we're also funding community paramedicine. As I mentioned earlier, we have the pharmacist funding with 700,000 assessments in the pharmacies happening response. Just this year alone. So we're doing everything we can in addition to our primary care expansion at $110 million to make sure care is closer to home for everyone. Thank you. The next question, the member for Agents. My question is to the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism. Throughout Black History Month, we celebrate the rich history and many contributions of Canada's black community that has made to our province from the very beginning. As we approach the end of Black History Month we are reminded that just because February has come to an end, the work doesn't stop. That is why I'm proud to support this government implementation of mandatory black history in grades 7, 8 and 10 as black children and youth need to understand that blacks are not newcomers but are part of the fabric of Canada as a nation since 1600. Yet there are still more than 1,000 black people in Canada in the United States. So I'm proud to support this government and continue to face barriers that impact their future and success. Speaker, could the Minister please tell this House what actions our government has taken to dismantle systemic barriers and empower the next generation of black leaders with necessary skills to succeed? Minister of Citizenship and Education has an ally, advocate and leader for Ontario's black communities. Speaker, I am proud to say that earlier this month my ministry announced a further investment of $16.5 million into the economic stream of the Black Youth Action Plan. Speaker, while previous Liberal governments stood by with the NDP and is our government that took real action by increasing of BAP to over 500% from 2018 to dismantle barriers and improve outcomes and empower black children, young professionals and families. Speaker that work does not stop when Black History Month does. Our government will continue to take action and make critical investments needed to ensure all Ontarians no matter their race, religion or background have all the tools and opportunities they need. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you to the minister for that response. It is reassuring to hear, unlike the previous Liberal government, our government is beginning meaningful action and taking critical investments to empower black youth and young professionals across Ontario. Speaker, community grassroots organizations play an important role in helping youth find meaningful employment and develop critical sales and unlock a brighter future for themselves and their communities. Black youth and communities are not looking for special treatment but due to historical barriers need meaningful opportunities to succeed. Our government must remain focused on creating these opportunities where all Ontarians can achieve their dreams and reach their full potential. Speaker, could the minister please share with this House some of the ways in which investments are creating and driving success for the black community? Minister of citizenship and multiculturalism. Thank you, Speaker. And again, I'd like to thank the member for Ajax for such an important question. Speaker, throughout Black History Month I've had the pleasure to meet with many black youth action plan program participants and see firsthand how BAP supported programming is driving positive change in communities across our great province. Since 2018, Mr. Speaker, our government has supported over 70 black-like community organizations which in turn has improved the outcomes of over 60,000 black children, youth and families. And since launching our economic empowerment stream in 2020, we have helped over 5,000 black youth and young professionals launch meaningful careers in high demand sectors like STEM, health care and the skill trade. Mr. Speaker, while liberal support by the NDP stood by, our government will continue building a stronger Ontario where all have the tools and opportunities to achieve their dreams and reach their full potential. Thank you. Next question, the member for Niagara Falls. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Speaker, a recent report by the Ontario Health Coalition noted that funding for private clinics in the province has increased by 300% in the last year. And for private hospitals it has been increased by 300%. Meanwhile, we have operating rooms in public hospitals across Ontario that are not used because public hospitals do not have the funding to recruit and retain staff or pay for the surgeries. Speaker, why is the Premier choosing to cut public health care and give money to private for profit care? Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It took Ontario years of neglect by previous governments to get into this situation that we're in now but our government has been taking action and delivering results for Ontarians. Our government is very proud to have one of the largest publicly funded health care systems in the world. A system that we're investing over $80 billion in this year alone. And with our Your Health Plan we're reducing wait times for surgeries and procedures across the province by connecting Ontarians to the care they need when they need it. Just yesterday there was an article in the Ottawa Sun February 28th with patients, Deb Patterson who had knee replacement surgery at the Riverside Hospital last year and she said she had an excellent experience. Five months after being told she didn't have to wait for a couple of years she received a call asking if she wanted to have the surgery through this new program. She had surgery four months later after being assured it was covered by OHIB and she summarized her review of the service with this and I quote this sure went well for me. Unquote. Please talk about your question. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker and I want to say to that member those same surgeries could be done in a publicly funded hospital right here in the province of Ontario with the very nurses that are here today. Speaker we also know that private clinics are receiving more money per surgery from the government that our public hospitals receive and we know that private surgeries are more expensive than public ones. This government privatization scheme is making wait times longer making the staffing crisis worse and costing taxpayers more not less. Why doesn't the premier drop the expensive unfair two-tier privatization attempts and instead properly fund publicly funded publicly delivered healthcare in the province of Ontario and respect the nurses that are here today. Thank you very much. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank the member opposite for the question why we're doing this. The reason we're doing this is to make sure we have more access to surgeries for patients. I remember another story from the Thunder Bay Superior North where a man had his surgery done much quicker and what we're doing is seeing patients are getting back to their lives to living a fulfilling life much more quickly because they have these surgeries much more quickly. There are countless stories of life changing impacts across this province. Some people have had cataract surgery already because of the clinics that we opened they wouldn't have had that surgery had we not opened those clinics we're delivering for patients in Ontario so they get the care they need when they need it. The next question the member for Ottawa Vanier. Thank you Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker this government continues to award contracts without a competitive bidding process make legislation without consultation process and has given away $1.3 billion in Greenbelt land to their rich insiders without any evaluation process at all. All these examples are evidence of an extremely flawed decision making process and what has been the result walk back after walk back and flip flop after flip flop. They have wasted years of precious time that should have been used to help Ontario's. Order. Now we've just learned that the Attorney General made the decision to appoint a former conservative staffer and gun lobbyist to be chair of the judicial appointment advisory committee is appointing a gun lobbyist who will lobby against gun control what the Attorney General and the Premier meant by appointing like minded candidates. The Attorney General Mr. Speaker and I welcome the Liberals to the discussion about how they ran their judicial appointments Mr. Speaker. Not only did their former chair and their former members multiple year party donors Mr. Speaker I can tell you Mr. Speaker when I went back and looked because I wasn't looking through this lens as I was appointing judges but I went back and looked because the Liberals joined the NDP in their sanctimonious by horse rhetoric Mr. Speaker right before an election they appointed 27 judges Mr. Speaker in 2014 27, 2 years before 3 years before it was 3 people Mr. Speaker then in 2017 47 more judges 40% of whom were donors to that party and that party and not one donor to this party or the Green Party Mr. Speaker so I'll take no lessons from them on how the system should work Order the supplementary question Mr. Speaker as a lawyer and having worked with the courts I'm very proud of the independence of our judiciary I never thought I would have had to defend the fundamental principle of our justice systems against the attacks of our own Premier we know that even the perception of political interference can undermine the public confidence in our justice system so how can the Attorney General proudly say over and over again that he is only interested in appointing judges that are like-minded conservatives the Attorney General said in this House that he has an obligation to the public to make appointments in the interest of the public and the Attorney General believed that it isn't the best interest of the public to bring American style political appointments to our Ontario courts Attorney General Mr. Speaker let's talk about the day the Dalton McGinty stepped down Mr. Speaker because you know what happened that day Mr. Speaker he filled two positions Associate Chief Justice positions two of them that very day Mr. Speaker and guess what they weren't open yet they weren't to be open for over six months in the future and that night he announced he was stepping down I will take no lessons from these people on how the system should work Mr. Speaker they abused the system we are treating it with the respect that Mr. Speaker shouldn't the member for Brampton North thank you Mr. Speaker my question's for the transportation minister he's a fellow Brampton boy he's made me the run around today well actually Mr. Speaker getting around Brampton takes a heck of a lot longer than he used to thanks to 15 years of dithering delays and neglect from the previous liberal government and now we have a federal liberal government who decided that the first provincial highway that they ever wanted to declare a federal impact assessment on just so happens to be Brampton's bypass highway the highway 413 I wish I was joking about this next part Mr. Speaker but could you believe that the federal liberal environment minister Stephen Gebo actually said that Canada should get out of the road building business all together I wish I was joking can you believe that a minister of the crown Speaker could our transportation minister please highlight our government's approach on whether or not the Ontario government should be in the business of building roads and highways the minister of transportation thank you very much Mr. Speaker now there's a member that gets it Mr. Speaker there's a member that listens to his community that drives on the roads that those families are driving on every single day trying to get to and from work and the gridlock that has been created because of previous liberal government refused to invest in roads and bridges and highways Mr. Speaker and I'm equally shocked at the comments from the federal environment minister saying that he won't build and more bridges and highways we're seeing explosive growth in Ontario a million people over the next two years Mr. Speaker and the federal government doesn't want to invest in infrastructure that's crazy Mr. Speaker but thankfully we've got good members like the member for Brampton North fighting for their residents fighting for the people of this province who are going to invest $28 billion over the next 10 years in building highways and roads and we will take no lessons from the previous absolutely nothing Thank you Mr. Speaker and the member for Brampton North Thank you Speaker and thank you to the minister for that response I mean it's clear that the federal liberal environment minister Stephen Gibbo never drives on Brampton roads and I'm betting that he never fills up at Brampton gas pumps either now the federal carbon tax is making life more expensive for everyone in this province and I've heard from many people in my riding at Brampton North they're not up with the rising costs of living they're paying more for everything from buying groceries to gassing up their cars to heating their homes people in our province should not be experiencing financial hardship for the simple act of buying groceries taking their kids to school or going to work and we need to stand up for Ontarians all across the board and ensure their concerns are heard loud and clear for many residents in Brampton and across our province heating your home is not a luxury it's a necessity driving is not a luxury it's a necessity Speaker can the minister highlight what our government is doing to keep cost downs for drivers families and individuals across Ontario the minister of transportation Mr. Speaker the member is absolutely right driving is not a luxury it's a necessity for the people of Ontario and if the federal environment minister actually ever came to Ontario and spoke to the people of Peel Toronto the GTA actually drove on these roads he would know that but not only do they not want to invest in highways and infrastructure they want to increase the carbon tax Mr. Speaker they want to put more burden on families you know there's families every single day that are taking their children to soccer practice to hockey practice and they got to fill up at the gas tank and who does the carbon tax punish it's those families Mr. Speaker that's why that member our government has been consistent in our fight against the carbon tax to make sure that we make life more affordable and in fact Mr. Speaker we put forward legislation that will force a provincial referendum in the future that's the next question Mr. Speaker thank you very much Mr. Speakerjustice for the Premier over sixty thousand children and youth have been waiting for years without assessments, supports or funding for core autism services funding that is calculated by an annual determination of needs meeting done virtually it is about four hours long and is intense and if that isn't stressful enough the funding is allocated far than it has been in years past with absolutely no explanation is uncontested. An appeal is the only option left, some that takes over a year and laps over the next dawn. Premier, how could you possibly call this a world-class program? To reply, the Minister of Children, Community and Social Service. I can tell you it's world-class, Mr. Speaker, because this program was developed by the autism community, for the autism community, and I thank them for the great work that they do and continuous support that they're providing. Mr. Speaker, the member across and the previous government may have been okay with families languishing on a waitlist where only 8,000 families were being served. It wasn't enough for us, Mr. Speaker. It wasn't good enough, which is why we worked with the communities, clinicians, to put a program that is designed by the community for the community. Mr. Speaker, thousands of families are now accessing programs and supports that were provided, not again by the community. Even the implementation team that supported us in putting this program together was done by the community. Once again, taking lessons from the NDP on a failed program by the previous government where they sat on their hands, did nothing, is not something that I'm going to answer. Speaker, Lisa is a mother of 10-year-old Jackson, who completed her son's dawn in January. Last year, her funding was $65,000, and she worked hard to find services and programs and supports based on his needs. At $85 an hour for some providers, and over 25 kilometers away, the funding was stretched to the maximum for the year. This year, Lisa has been told by Access to OEP that, starting March, they will be receiving $8,900, over a $56,000 cut. Her care coordinator has no explanation and tells her to file a dispute, a process that could take over a year and will absolutely interfere with Jackson's process. I call that a black hole, not progress. Premier, is this acceptable to you? Let me make a comment through the chair to reply to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. I really appreciate it. Again, I thank the member for the question, Mr Speaker. What is not acceptable for Jackson and the many families across this province where they were failed by the previous government? And you know, Mr Speaker, I repeat it this many times, you've been in this legislature for many years to know what it means to hold the balance of power. The NDP had an opportunity during that time to force the previous government to stand up for families. Did they do that? No, Mr Speaker. They didn't listen to families. 8,000 families were getting support under the old autism program. It wasn't enough. Today, more than 40,000 families are getting support and services under the world-class autism service, and we're not there. There's still more work to be done. We will not leave anyone behind like the previous government did with the support of the NDP. The next question. The member for Sault Ste. Marie. Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Mines, the previous liberal government, all but ignored the importance of the North, failing to invest in Northern Ontario's mineral exploration and development sector. Their inaction had dire effects on the economy of Northern Ontario. Speaker, even the NDP, after being given the opportunity to build the stronger mining sector and vote in favour of investment and development, chose to say no and do nothing. Unlike the opposition members, our government understands that exploration and development of critical minerals is essential for the economic prosperity of our province. Speaker, can the minister please tell the House what our government is doing to support the mining sector while attracting game-changing critical mineral investments in Ontario? Good question. The Minister of Mines. Mr Speaker, thank you to the member from Sault Ste. Marie for the question. Speaker, I've said many times we have what the world needs right now to fuel the EV revolution right here in Northern Ontario, especially in Timmins. Under Premier Ford's leadership, the critical mineral investment strategy was announced back by $45 million in innovation and exploration investments. These investments were not supported by the NDP, but it's clear our efforts are working. I recently joined Canada Nickel's announcement that they are looking at Timmins to build two new mineral processing facilities here in Timmins. Our $500,000 critical minerals innovation fund investment helped Canada Nickel research and develop innovative processing techniques that will be used at these facilities to produce clean nickel and clean steel. Thanks to our government's sound strategy and investments, we are securing major investments from battery plants in the south to processing plants in the north. Thank you. Thank you. The supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank the Minister for his answer. This is amazing news, Speaker, not just for Timmins in Northern Ontario, but for all of Ontario. These facilities will ensure that the minerals from Timmins are getting processed in Timmins and are boosting local employment opportunities and creating sources of nickel for the North American electric vehicle supply chain. Speaker, the opposition has made it clear, based on their voting record, that they do not believe in the potential of the mining industry in Northern Ontario. They would rather rely on minerals from overseas to fuel the electric vehicle revolution. On this side of the House, Speaker, we believe it is our obligation to ensure critical minerals are developed and processed right here in our wonderful province of Ontario. Speaker, will the Minister please tell us more about how these processing facilities are going to help us build a made in Ontario chain for electric vehicles? Thank you again to the members of St. Mary for the question. Speaker, these facilities will bring more jobs, increase Ontario's processing capacity, and make Timmins a pillar of the supply chain we are building to fuel the EV revolution. One facility is going to be the largest nickel processing centre in North America, while the other will be the largest stainless steel and alloy production facility in all of Canada. When asked why he chose Timmins, CEO Mark Selby said it would be very hard to find anywhere else in the world that has a unique combination of advantages we can find right here in Timmins. I couldn't agree more, but these projects aren't just about a better future for Timmins. They'll create a better future for everybody in Ontario, especially Indigenous communities. Canada Nickel has been working with the First Nations from the start, and Chief Bruce Archbold of TTN proudly voiced his continued support for these superb projects. We have the opportunity to lifetime in our province, and thanks to Canada Nickel we are turning opportunities to reality. Improving again, there's no better place to invest and to do business than right here in Ontario. Thank you very much. The next question, the member of course, Padama. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Attorney General. In 2022 we found out that the Attorney General was personally interviewing candidates to be Ontario's next Chief Justice. Now the government is openly admitting that they are seeking conservative candidates. So in interviewing Chief Justice candidates, what questions did the Attorney General ask? Did he ask the candidates who they vote for? Did he ask how the candidate would rule in certain cases? Did he give the candidates instructions on the political agenda that they'd be expected to carry out? And does the Attorney General think it's appropriate for government under criminal investigation by the RCMP to be so involved in the selection of judges? Fine, the Attorney General. Speaker, and there were four candidates that had applied to become the Chief Justice, and as I'm charged with making that decision, you know, the establishment thought that maybe they should make the decision for me and give me a recommendation. I thought that wasn't really the appropriate way to go forward, and I sat down with each candidate for an hour, with each one of them, Mr. Speaker. Politics never came up, Mr. Speaker. It's not appropriate. The opposition may not understand. Judges don't take direction, Mr. Speaker. Judges don't take direction. It would be foolish to try. It would be crossing a line, Mr. Speaker. Now, look, Mr. Speaker, what I was interested in in those interviews was their understanding of the court system across the province, because it's very unique. We get connected with the Northwestern and Northeastern. Ottawa is different than Windsor, and look, Mr. Speaker, it's a very complex system. I wanted to hear their plans to help keep the courts moving properly, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary question. The Attorney General just said that the Liberals were crossing the line, and he also accused the Liberals of abusing the system by appointing liberal judges. But this government's appointing conservative judges. Are you not also abusing the system? Judges are required to make impartial decisions based on the evidence and the law. In interviewing candidates and assessing their conservative credentials, is the minister asking judicial candidates to override their constitutional responsibility to provide people with a fair and impartial hearing, or is he asking them to make judicial decisions based on political bias? The Attorney General. Mr. Speaker, the naivete is staggering about how the system works, Mr. Speaker. I do not give any direction to any judge at any time. That is ridiculous. We are charged with running the administration of the system, and I want people who understand how the system works, have ideas, and will work with their colleagues to do exactly that, Mr. Speaker. I would challenge the member opposite to go through the 89 judges that I have appointed so far and tell me that it is not a balanced list, Mr. Speaker. I have appointed excellent judges. They are cream of the crop, right across the board, and I couldn't tell you who donated or voted conservative. I really could not tell you. Thank you. The next question, the member for Oxford. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. With the forest fire season around the corner, we can't help but reflect on last year's fire season. In 2023, Ontario and Canada experienced one of the most challenging fire seasons in recent memory. That's why our government must not lose our focus on the importance of keeping Ontarians and our natural resources safe. It is essential that we do all we can to protect communities across the province and supporting the brave men and women who are on the front lines responding to wildland fires. Speaker, can the minister please tell the House what actions our government has taken to strengthen Ontario's fire ranger workforce? The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member for the question. I'm always thrilled to be able to talk about our great fire rangers here in Ontario and how we are supporting them. We're going to play a little game called, Did You Know? Did you know that the previous government's base funding for firefighting was $69.8 million and we raised that to $134.9 million? Did you know that last fall we invested an additional $20.5 million to support our fire rangers, support new aerial suppression technologies, support science and innovation, including entering into collaborative research agreements with universities and building capacity to work with Indigenous communities in wildland fire management? Did you know that? Because that's what this government is doing to support our fire rangers every fire season since we've taken over. Mr. Speaker, we have their backs. We have the backs of the communities in Northern Ontario, the individuals, the infrastructure that Ontario needs to continue to grow and we're going to keep everybody safe. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for his response. It's great to see our government standing behind our fire rangers and ensuring continued preparedness and resiliency when facing forest fires. However, Speaker, the number of active wildland fires has increased in Ontario over the last decade. These fires have devastating impacts on our communities, putting people, property and livestock in danger. And it is our fire rangers who put their lives on the line to protect natural resources and public safety. We must continue to ensure our fire ranger crew is properly equipped, compensated and attract as many people as possible to join the field. Speaker, can the Minister please explain what actions our government is taking to improve fire range and recruitment and retention? Mr. Natural Resources and Forestry. Speaker, and I'll say one thing right now, we have the very, very best fire rangers right here in Ontario. In fact, they are internationally recognized and help out both domestically and internationally when there are challenges, not only in this jurisdiction, but in other jurisdictions. And we're helping, Mr. Speaker, helping to recruit more. In fact, recruitment is open right now for the upcoming fire season. And what are we doing to help more people come into the Fire Ranger Network, reimbursing them for tuition costs to help remove that barrier, providing more equipment, bonuses for them to make sure that what they need is covered, providing for the first time, standby pay and on-call pay. This is a tough job, Mr. Speaker. We recognize that we celebrate the men and women that answer the call and do this on behalf of Ontarians. We will always have their back. We are always looking for new ways to support them, and we've got more good announcements coming up to support our fire rangers right here in Ontario. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. The newly appointed Chair of the Judicial Appointments Committee is a registered lobbyist for an American gun manufacturer. The Premier then claimed that he wanted to quadruple down on violent offenders, but it's actually on his watch over the last six years that we've seen offenders going free because the criminal justice system is literally collapsing under this government's neglect. Chronic underfunding has led to the critical understaffing, which has led to the critical courtrooms being closed, which is also meaning that serious cases are being thrown out because they have missed their basic administrative delays. Will the Premier explain to victims of crime in Ontario why his focus is naming gun lobbyists to the Judicial Appointments Committee as opposed to being laser focused on funding and fixing the broken court system? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Budget after budget, we've made investments in the judicial system in terms of the administration. We've finished the courthouse with 73 more courtrooms, 63 plus 10 meeting rooms, Mr. Speaker. We have done a ton of work to modernize this system, more work than has been done in decades, Mr. Speaker. And the member opposite and her party and the Liberal Party voted against every single step forward and keep talking about defunding police and yanking supports out of the system, Mr. Speaker. Redirecting those supports, Mr. Speaker. I can tell you, let's just talk about any part of the system and the investments that we're making, they are historic, Mr. Speaker. We have moved the system forward decades in a matter of years, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much, Speaker. Back to the Premier. He needs to be honest, and the government needs to be honest. Ontario now has the worst track record for court hearings across the country. The wait time is now five years long. How can the Premier be tough on crime when he isn't even smart on crime? Under this government, court delays have exploded, forcing judges to release violent and gun-related offenders because they have not had their trials completed in a constitutionally allowable timeframe. Now, what I think Ontarians want to understand is how can we have a Premier that has no respect for the charter rights of Ontarians? Speaker, will the Premier own up to his track record and let Ontarians know how many sexual assault charges, how many impaired driving charges, and how many gun-related charges have been thrown out because of the dysfunctional court system, because they can't get their trials done in time, because they refuse to fund the court's property, they refuse to fix the system? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not entirely sure what the question was in there, so I'm going to talk about the investments we've made in the court system. We have revolutionized the way that the courts work. We are seen across the country as leaders, and a former federal Attorney General said to me, he said, you know, with the COVID money that you got, you are the only province that is deploying it the way it was meant to be done. I am very proud of that fact. Mr. Speaker, we are doing things that couldn't be done for decades, that wouldn't be done for decades, because the Liberals weren't paying attention, and the NDP were focused on the social worker side of everything, Mr. Speaker. We're focused on the offenders, we're focused on the victims, we're focused on making sure the administration runs exactly the way Ontarians expect it to, and we're going to keep that up, Mr. Speaker. The next question is a member for Hastings, Lennox and Addington. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Finance. When I vote speaking with my residents across Hastings, Lennox and Addington, one thing keeps on becoming very, very clear. I hear constantly about affordability, specifically how unaffordable it is to fill up the gas tank to heat their homes to light their stoves. Speaker, the federal carbon tax is raising the price of everything. Families in my riding and across Ontario can't afford higher taxes that the opposition Liberals and NDP seem to want to impose. And the members opposite are failing, failing to recognize that the rising cost of consumer goods is quickly becoming unsustainable. So, Speaker, can the Minister please tell this House how our government is fighting for the people of Ontario to make their lives more affordable? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the terrific member from Hastings, Lennox and Addington. Mr. Speaker, you know, questioningly high interest rates are hurting families right across the province. You know, we've called on the back end of Canada to do the right thing and stop raising interest rates. In fact, start lowering those interest rates. And when the price of gas is making life harder and less affordable for the millions of Ontario drivers, we stepped in and we cut the gas tax, providing savings right across the province, Mr. Speaker. Now, Mr. Speaker, we all know that the carbon tax unnecessarily is driving up inflation and harming the pocketbooks of Ontarians. We continue to call on the federal Liberals to do the right thing, listen to the people, and end the carbon tax. Thank you. That concludes our question period for this morning. I recognize the Government House Leader understanding Order 59. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank colleagues for a scintillating week here at the Legislature this week and for all of your hard work. Next week on Monday, March the 4th, and the morning as the Speaker announced, we will be coming back at 9 a.m. We will begin with third reading of Bill 157, enhancing access to justice. In the afternoon, there will be an opposition day motion number one, and then we will continue on with third reading of Bill 157. On Tuesday, March the 5th, in the morning, there will be third reading of Bill 157. And then that will continue in the afternoon. For private members' business that day, it will be motion number 77 from the member for Mississauga Centre, which is a lung cancer screening expansion. On Wednesday, March the 6th, in the morning, Bill 166, Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act 2024. In the afternoon, there will be a debate on concurrence of supply. At 6 a.m., there will be private members' business, Bill 158, standing in the name of the member for Cambridge, which is the Group of Seven-Day Act. On Thursday, March 7th, in the morning, Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act. In the afternoon, there will be a ministerial statement on International Women's Day. In the afternoon, we will return to Bill 166. And at private members' business that day, standing in the name of the member for Mississauga Lakeshore, it is motion number 81, halting the alcohol escalator tax. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Thank you very much. I understand the member for Scarborough-Gildwood has a point of order. I seek unanimous consent that none would stand in standing order 40E, five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group to respond to the ministerial statement today on Black History Month. I am seeking the unanimous consent of the House that notwithstanding standing order 40E, that five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group to respond to the ministerial statement today on Black History Month. Agreed? Agreed. I understand the member for Ottawa-Vanier has a point of order. Yes, thank you, Mr Speaker. I seek unanimous consent that none would stand in standing order 40E, five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group during the private members' public business today. Madam Collard is seeking unanimous consent of the House that notwithstanding standing order 100A4, that five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group to speak during private members' public business today. Agreed? I heard a no. There being no further business this morning, this House stands in recess until 1pm.