 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. And I will take one second as a member of the class of 2006 to welcome back the member for an opinion. Welcome back, Sister. Courage. Courage. Speaker, since the beginning of this year, Ontario's ERs have been closed more than 100 times. Those closures are happening in rural areas, places like Chesley. The ER is closed until the end of November because of a shortage of nurses. Just a few weeks ago, most of Chesley's residents packed into a meeting to fight for their community hospital. This government has left Ontarians with no credible plan of action to address the crisis in our health care system. For the Premier, why has the Minister of Health neglected her duty during this difficult period? The Minister of Health. Thank you, Speaker. After decades of underfunding, this government has made unprecedented investments in our health care system. Health care funding has increased 6.2% year over year, the largest increase on record, including an over $5 billion in base funding, which is an 8.9% increase. No previous government has increased base funding by such a high amount year over year. We have added over 3,500 new hospital beds, and we are adding an additional 3,000. We're in the process of building and upgrading 58,000 long-term care beds. And we've got a $40 billion investment in 52 new hospitals and additions and $1 billion for home and community care expansions. We're investing in our health care system. We're going to make sure that Ontarians have the resources that they need in hospitals and other health care facilities so Ontarians get the care that they deserve. The supplementary question. Well, Speaker, I hear the announcements, but I don't see the results. There are consequences when health care isn't there when people need it. Recently, Eleanor wrote to me about the passing of her daughter, Amelia. Amelia was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and she was diagnosed late, with her screening pushed from November to February. By then, her cancer was so advanced, the only thing doctors could do was to get all of the chemotherapy. Eleanor's a retired nurse. She knew that Amelia's diagnosis was likely fatal. But with earlier screening and better access to care, Eleanor believes Amelia would have lived more than the five short months from diagnosis. Speaker, these are real-life impacts of the government's inaction on health care. Will the Premier and Minister commit to meaningfully invest in our health care workers like Amelia? Thank you very much. Well, if you want to talk about real results, I just want to mention that the College of Nurses of Ontario has registered more nurses because of programs that we've put in place in one year than ever in history. A record. 12,000 new nurses have been registered and there's still two months left to go this year. So that is an improvement, a record improvement. Our government has been focused on ensuring that Ontarians have the care that they need where they need it. And Ontario Health Cancer Care Ontario is the government's advisor on cancer and renal system and flows more than $2 billion to hospitals to support direct patient care every year. We're working very hard with Ontario Health which oversees our overall cancer strategy to make sure that we have the critical programs that we need and the services we need to make sure that Ontarians like Amelia get the care that they need in a timely way. Final supplementary. Again, I hear the announcements people don't see the results. In September, a 4-year-old child with a broken arm was left waiting more than 4 days for minor surgery at McMaster Children's Hospital. These types of delays can have dramatic impacts on growing kids. Speaker, these tragic stories are driven by staffing shortages that are now commonplace. How much worse does the crisis in our health care system have to get and the Premier give nurses and front line health care workers the support that they need? Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member opposite. Nothing is more important than protecting the health and well-being of Ontarians, especially our children. I saw the interview with the mother I understand that the young man had to wait a few days for an operation on his elbow which is not fair and we would like to change that but that doesn't happen again. However, the mother did say in the interview that once the child got care the care provided was exceptional and that the child is now recovering. Certainly we're making significant investments to address the province of surgical backlog and we've also dedicated $6.5 million to pediatric hospitals to support them to ramp up the surgeries and we've also provided $4.6 million more funding for hospitals to add additional acute care beds and 9 at CHEO and 10 acute care beds there as well and 3 ICU beds at Sick Children's Hospital. Thank you. Next question, the member for Ottawa South. My question is for the Premier. Good morning Premier. On September 19th the Federal Public Order Emergency Commission requested an interview with the Premier and Minister Jones on the use of the Federal Emergencies Act this past winter. But the Premier and Minister refused the commission's request and all subsequent requests to be interviewed or testified before the commission. Speaker, why did the Premier and Minister refuse the commission's request? Government House Leader. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. I think the member obviously would agree that this is certainly a policing matter and not a political matter. This is a federal commission which is looking into the federal government's invocation at the Federal Emergencies Act. Now we are providing assistance to the commission by submitting key cabinet documents and of course ensuring that witnesses are available to the commission. Thank you. The supplementary. Speaker, back to the Premier I hope at least. That's not leadership. Speaker, we had a crisis in our community. The Federal Emergencies Act was declared and this government's content to shunt this as a policing matter to the senior public officials to testify. The Premier and the minister responsible then Solicitor General are absent. So left with no other choice yesterday the commission issued the Premier and the Health Minister an official summons to testify. I'm going to quote from the summons speaker. The commission believes that Premier Ford and Minister Jones would have evidence particularly within their knowledge that would be relevant from that point of view. That's the end of the quote speaker. But this Premier and that minister are intent instead on refusing to testify before the commission calling instead for a judicial review of their summons. I have a simple question through you. What are you trying to hide? From the House Leader. Again, as speakers I just said I guess we disagree opposite this is a policing matter. It's not a political one. This is a federal reviewing the federal government's decision to evoke the emergencies act. At the same time we are assisting by providing key cabinet documents and ensuring that key witnesses who can answer specifics are made available to the commission. And the final supplementary. Well Speaker there we have it. The government apparently knows how this matter is. More than the commission's lawyers. Oh my what a tangled web we weave. I want to remind this House Speaker that this House this House is responsible and they need to be aware of what happened to people in our community in Ottawa last time. Decaution member? Please continue with your question. We were subjected to weeks of unrelenting harassment by convoy organisers and opportunistic hate groups and in our time of need this Premier and that minister made promises that were not honoured. In fact Speaker in three weeks to seize until 39 trucks and they gave those trucks and the keys back to those truck owners without a fine a week later. So it is in the public interest for this Premier and that minister to appear before the commission. We have a lot of healing to do as a country to make sure we can prevent anything like this from ever happening again. But accountability starts at the top. So will the Premier and the minister stop hiding and testify before the commission? Government House Leader? Again thank you Mr. Speaker. Again I suppose it's a difference of opinion on this Mr. Speaker. We believe that this is a policing matter and not a political matter Mr. Speaker. Again to the member office this of course is a federal commission of inquiry into the federal government's decision to invoke the emergency, the Federal Emergencies Act. At the same time we are providing assistance to the commission and ensuring that witnesses are available to speak to certain specifics Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Next we have the member for University of Rosedale. Thank you. My question is to the Minister of Health. In August I asked your government to help Sick Kids Hospital address their staffing shortages their $45 million funding shortfall and their growing surgery waitlist. Sick Kids has a surgery waitlist that has over 3400 children waiting for clinically acceptable time for their necessary surgery putting their long term health at risk. Minister, three months later the crisis is getting worse. On Thanksgiving weekend, Sick Kids ICUs were at full capacity. My question is why is your government failing to help Sick Kids meet the demand for care? Again I'll ask the members to make their comments to the chair. Parliamentary Assistant Minister of Health to reply. Thanks very much Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member opposite for the question. As I said before, nothing is more important than protecting the health and well being of all Ontarians, especially our children and that's why as part of our significant investment to address the province's surgical backlog of $180 million we also dedicated $6.5 million to pediatric hospitals to support them in the ramp up of surgeries and we've also provided $4.6 million more in funding to hospitals to add 9 additional acute care beds at CHEO and 10 acute care beds as well as 3 ICU beds at 6 Children's Hospital. This government will spare no expense to make sure the people of this province, especially our children continue to have access to the high quality care that they need and expect. Supplementary question. Minister, whatever it is that you're doing it's not good enough. Sick Kids is the reporting that they have not been able to accept some children from the Toronto region into their ICU wards, forcing them to other pediatric hospitals further from home. This shouldn't be happening in Ontario and it certainly shouldn't be happening at one of the top children's hospitals in the world. Minister, this is my question. What is your government going to do? To ensure that all departments including the ER and the ICUs have the funding to fully staff their departments so that the health care needs of children can be brought to the chair and not directly across the floor. Member for Eglinton Lawrence to reply. Thank you, Speaker. While the volumes in our pediatric ICUs are high we continue to mobilize all resources to meet the critical clinical needs of these very ill patients. And I just want to quote from a Toronto Star article by Megan Ogilvy. Dr. Ronnie Cohn, the CEO of Sick Children's Hospital said and I quote we always have the capacity for the most critically ill children in the province who need the specialized care that only Sick Children's Hospital can offer. So according to Dr. Cohn the resources are there. We're going to make sure the resources are there because we want to make sure that our children in Ontario and all other Ontarians have the support they need. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of International Investment, Job Creation and Trade. The Minister was recently in Japan and South Korea to meet with international investors in the automotive and EV battery sector. Ontario already has a number of Japanese and Korean manufacturers employing thousands of people across the province. Speaker two of these manufacturers are in the riding of Simcoe Gray, Honda and Nippon sheet glass employing hundreds of residents. Speaker can the Minister please provide us an opportunity? Minister of economic development, job creation and trade. Thank you, Speaker. This mission was an opportunity to re-engage with trusted partners in South Korea and Japan. It was great to meet with LG Energy solution in Korea to personally thank them for their $5 billion investment in Windsor. In fact, we were in Windsor last week and saw the massive site as their 4.5 million square foot building is underway. Thousands are working there during construction and 2,500 men and women will go to work there for the very first time at that plant. We also use the opportunity to engage with a number of other Korean suppliers for the historic LG investment in Japan. We met with Toyota and Honda where we personally thanked Honda for their $1.4 billion investment in Alliston. Speaker, we're continuing to build on the $16 billion in Ontario auto investments in the last 20 months and now even more companies know that if they're in the EV business they need to be in Ontario. Mr. Supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that update on his recent trade mission to Japan and South Korea. Speaker, during this time of global uncertainty and while the world shifts towards electrification, Ontario needs to secure further investments to support the further future of auto and EV battery manufacturing in this province. Speaker, can the Minister please tell us more about what these Japanese and South Korean companies had to say about investing in Ontario? Thank you. We heard from the EV sector in Japan and Korea they told us that in this world filled with turmoil they view Ontario as a sea of calm, a stable a reliable, a trusted jurisdiction. They also said Ontario is viewed as a safe place, safe for their employees safe for their families and they know that Ontario has everything they need for success. A full EV value chain and that includes critical minerals in refining, resources traditionally they rely on from China and Russia 94% clean energy very different than making a battery in Kentucky where there's 6% clean energy. We have skilled trades, 65,000 STEM grads, AI, computing, public health end-to-end, everything an EV company needs to be successful, that's the reputation Ontario now has around the world. The next question, the member for Kiwetnaw. My question is to the PMIR. Speaker, we learned on September 30th that the council of the municipality of Sulikok unanimously passed a resolution to support the petitioning for this government to suspend bill 7 within the Sulikot's catchment boundaries. This was done because the reality is that this bill does not work for the people served by the health care system in the Sulikot area. Will this government undertake a meaningful consultation on this bill with health care providers in Sulikot? I appreciate the question from the member. As the member will know in particular with respect to bill 7, we had had acute care facilities across this country for many, many, many years frankly, asking that in particular long-term care become a partner in helping to address ALC issues and obviously for many years we could not do that because the investments just were not made in long-term care but that changed in 2018 when the government made significant over $13 billion investments in long-term care and we're doing them across the province speaker in urban, rural, remote communities. I was up in Kenora with the minister of Indigenous Affairs in Northern Development. We were at reviewing the potential allocation of a new long-term care. But at the same time bill 7 helps ensure better care for people speaker closer to home and I think the honourable member would agree that it is in our best interest to work to ensure that people who are in hospital get the best quality of care possible. Thank you. And the supplementary question. Mr. Speaker in First Nation country bill 7 is colonial. I ask this government to stop your concerns in many ways because last week I attended the gathering of Indian residential school survivors from the north and they shared their worries about bill 7. They say that bill 7 traumatizes residential institution survivors again. Survivors will again be moved forcefully because of the lack of long-term care facilities in our communities. And the government to leave to spend their last years far away from home. They are asking for more home and long-term care closer to home. When will this government finally get around to honouring this request from the minister of health. We remain committed to working collaboratively with indigenous partners and communities that will improve access to safe and effective health services. And we acknowledge that programs and services must be designed, delivered and evaluated in collaboration with indigenous partners to effectively meet the needs of indigenous peoples, families and communities. For example, the all nations health partners Ontario health team is an Ontario health team with indigenous leadership that serves people living in and around Canora and Sue Nero's Nester Falls Ontario, including indigenous and first nation peoples. Similarly, the Rainy River district Ontario health team has indigenous leadership that will serve people living in and around that area. And most recently, the mom was saying Ontario health team has indigenous leadership that will serve indigenous people living in 11 nearby first nations and we're also providing $41 million in base funding to indigenous organizations and communities to support culturally safe health and wellness services. We'll continue to work with indigenous partners and communities to make sure we have the right services. Thank you. The next question for the member for Flamborow Thank you and good morning speaker. People in my riding of Flamborow Glanbrook rely on transit to get where they need to go every single day and it's not uncommon for me to hear about their frustrations with the lack of reliable transit options available in our communities. The members opposite had over a decade to address the transit gap that exists in Hamilton and while they talked a lot about building they never got it done. Speaker can the minister of transportation please tell this house what our government is doing to build the transit connections the people of Hamilton deserve. Minister of transportation Thank you speaker and thank you to the member from Flamborow Glanbrook for the question. Speaker under Premier Ford's leadership, our government is getting shovels in the ground to build more transit in Hamilton and across the province. I had the pleasure of joining the premier and my colleagues from Hamilton to announce that we are moving ahead with building the new confederation GO station. The new station will connect Hamilton with the GO train network eventually offering two way all day GO service along the lake shore west line to Toronto and Niagara falls. It will also provide better connections to existing transit and GO bus services in these communities. Speaker with projects like the confederation GO station and the Hamilton LRT already underway our PC government has a plan to get the people of Hamilton connected and we are getting it done. Thank you Thank you and thank you to the minister for the work that you are doing to improve transit right across the GTHA. Speaker Hamilton has seen significant growth as a destination to live, work and play and by 2046 the city of Hamilton could see its population grow by up to 35% if you consider this growth the need to invest in and build public transit is clear but it's not just about accommodating this growth it's also about protecting our economy. Speaker could the minister of transportation please speak about the economic significance of this project? The minister of transportation Thank you again to the member for the question Speaker this government is focused on an agenda of prosperity and we are moving full steam ahead with our historic plans to build and expand public transit because now is not the time for an action. Our unprecedented investments to get critical infrastructure projects like the confederation GO station built will stimulate future growth and job creation by 2041 over 100,000 people and 63,000 jobs will be located within 5 kilometres of this new station under Premier Ford's leadership we are connecting more people to jobs housing and transit in one of the fastest growing regions of the province this will unlock access to Ontario's full potential and set the foundation for long-term economic growth in our province Thank you speaker Thank you the next question the member for Ottawa West and Appian Ontario students are struggling but this government's cuts to public education mean they aren't getting the support they need classrooms with more than 30 kids EA is trying to support 6 kids at once not enough mental health supports or public health nurses and now instead of investing in our schools this government is abdicating its responsibility telling parents it's up to them to try to track down an hour or two of tutoring why is this government refusing to invest in public education so that our kids get the supports they deserve in the classroom Thank you very much Mr. Speaker I want to thank the member opposite and welcome her as the new education critic for the official opposition Mr. Speaker our government will not waver from keeping kids in class we believe that is the most consequential action we can take to support the very children the member opposite speaks of today that speaker is through Ontario's plan to catch up a $600 million net investment this year compared to last year of increased spending to support publicly funded schools the largest tutoring expansion of its con which our government just extended into the next year of $175 million benefiting over 170,000 students in this province as we speak we recognize as every parent knows that there's been real learning laws a phenomena that's been seen in every region of the western world and that's why we feel so strongly that we need to increase investments in public education part of the hiring of 5,000 more staff this year in addition to helping parents through this economic difficulty Mr. Speaker our premier and our government will do both invest in families and invest in our publicly funded educations Parents are strapped speaker they're already having to leave work to pick up their kids because of bus shortages they don't want to also have to hunt for an hour or two of support outside the classroom they want to support in schools with $365 million the government could have added one more EA to every single school in Ontario they could have put public health nurses and social workers in every school to address mental health challenges they could have paid education workers a living wage so they could stop using food banks and we could fill worker shortages why is this government pushing ahead with its poorly designed voucher system instead of giving our schools the resources they need to help our kids and the Minister of Education Mr. Speaker at a time of historic inflation high inflation and economic challenge affecting all of our constituents I find it incredibly offensive that the NDP and Liberals would oppose an investment directly into the pockets of parents because only a new democrat and liberal would believe they know better a politician, a union president or a public servant than a parent of this province there is a reason why our government hasn't enhanced mandate from the people of Montreal because they can counter us to invest in them to provide direct support in parents of this province to support their kids because we know they play a critical role in the life of their child but in addition to providing $200 for every child and $250 for every child with special education needs now I could confirm Mr. Speaker 800,000 applicants as of this morning we know Mr. Speaker we could also step up support 1,000 more staff including Mr. Speaker 1,000 more educators in our classroom better training of our staff and a modern curriculum focus on skills this is going to get kids back on track the member for Ottawa or Leanne thank you very much Mr. Speaker good morning my question is for the Premier Ontario families are facing rising prices on every front rising housing prices rising energy prices Mr. Speaker we can all agree that eating is no luxury ensuring your children have breakfast before school is no luxury but for many families families right across this province the grocery bill at the end of the week is becoming harder and harder to afford in these challenging times in these challenging times instead of competing for customers Mr. Speaker Ontario's largest grocery chains all but admitted that they collude with the plan to keep prices at these inflated rates through the holidays this is unacceptable at any time Mr. Speaker but as we consider rising inflation as we consider the approaching holidays this becomes that much harder to bear with rising food prices what is this Premier's government going to do to ensure that Ontario consumers our friends and family and neighbours are not taken advantage of by some of the biggest companies in this province the minister of finance well thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member opposite for that question of course the federal government and all parties have launched the committee and the process for that and will let them do their work but while we're at it Mr. Speaker what about that carbon tax that the federal government that this party supports put on the backs of the people of Ontario that Mr. Speaker is causing rising costs and food prices in Ontario let me tell you what Ontario has done let me take you back to when we reduced the gas tax by 5.7 cents a litre Mr. Speaker let me take you back when we took license place fees off the backs of Ontario drivers Mr. Speaker let me take you to today when we just increased the minimum wage the second highest in the country Mr. Speaker let me tell you what we're doing tomorrow we're at the staycation tax credit the seniors tax credit the childcare tax credit Mr. Speaker we recalled the legislature this summer to get things going for the people of Ontario support us make your comments through the chair the supplementary question thank you Mr. Speaker and my supplementaries for the premier again food prices are on the rise and we've just heard that this government has no plan to protect Ontario consumers from price gouging and while major grocers collude to keep food prices artificially high during the holidays they are considering charging their loyal customers just to use their credit card grocery stores some of whom offer credit card based loyalty programs want to now charge their customers for the privilege of using their credit card to buy food so Ontario consumers will be paying higher food prices fixed in part by collusion they're going to be paying credit card fees and now the grocers and other businesses want to take a little bit of skim off the credit card purchase Mr. Speaker I suppose everyone needs to wet their beak a little bit but that's going a little bit too far so Mr. Speaker my question Quebec has passed legislation to prohibit charging consumers a fee to use their credit cards will Ontario do the same Mr. Finance well Mr. Speaker again I don't know if the member opposite was actually listening and in fact when we recall the legislature this past summer Mr. Speaker the member opposite had an opportunity to vote to bring cost down for the people of Ontario what did the member opposite do they voted against the measures that we put in the budget bill Mr. Speaker they had an opportunity but let me tell you Mr. Speaker we have a plan for Ontarians with that plan to the people of Ontario it was roundly endorsed by the people of Ontario as witnessed by all the people on both sides Mr. Speaker that plan is to get shovels in the ground to build hospitals to build highways to build long-term care to support labour to get more workers retrain workers for the jobs of today and for tomorrow and to help people cost down for the people of Ontario Mr. Speaker we are delivering the people of Ontario next question the member for Ontario Mr. Speaker this government is committed to unlocking Ontario's full economic potential by bringing jobs back to this province Ontarians need opportunities to participate in our growing economy and ensure a prosperous future for themselves and their families we know that the Indigenous businesses have a lot to offer and can support critical supply chains across different sectors Speaker can the minister of Indigenous please inform the House on how our government plans to increase economic prosperity for Indigenous people in Ontario Minister of Indigenous Affairs Speaker and I want to thank the member from Thunder Bay out of Cokin he makes one heck of a neighbour out there in Northwestern Ontario he's right Mr. Speaker Indigenous businesses have an incredible opportunity this is an Indigenous led inspired funds for the chiefs of Ontario and our wealth creation and prosperity table I had a chance to be with the member from Durham also a fantastic advocate for his riding and the Indigenous communities there as we attended at the Mississaugas of Skogog Island First Nation our announcement to commit 25 million dollars Mr. Speaker to this Indigenous economic development fund that creates access to business capital Mr. Speaker much needed through loans and grants support digitization and e-commerce supply chain mapping building on the existing opportunities and understanding where the new opportunities are economic development training for business capacity and Mr. Speaker finally and most importantly perhaps focusing on access to Indigenous apprentices thank you Mr. Speaker and the supplementary question Speaker Ontario regional chief Glenn here called this investment opportunity to create long-term solutions rooted in mutual respect and collaboration it is imperative that the provincial government recognize the unique challenges that Indigenous communities in Ontario face we should be partnering with these communities as they are vital to our government's economic growth agenda Speaker can the minister please explain to this House why it is so important for the role of this critical funding to be an Indigenous led process thank you Mr. Speaker in fact the member for Keyweight introduced a group of people from Northern Ontario some of my friends most notably Frank McKay I'm not sure if he's still here Mr. Speaker but he and a couple of other folks I work closely with started the Watte Power project Mr. Speaker which will electrify remote Indigenous communities across Northwestern Ontario now I can't help but think that there's an opportunity as those businesses Indigenous people finish the work there Mr. Speaker to start contracting businesses mining, forestry energy infrastructure Mr. Speaker they're all on the table and you know what they have in common they cannot succeed unless we have a robust Indigenous business economic opportunity trained skilled workers Mr. Speaker and apprentices getting out there getting the work done Mr. Speaker we're proud of the work we're doing with our Indigenous businesses Mr. Speaker we're going to get this done and Indigenous communities are going to be the benefit of it Mr. Speaker Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Premier it has been a heavy and long journey for the families of those who died at Orchard Villa long-term care home Ontario remembers the horrors exposed when the military had to be called to the home 70 lives were lost families are still forced to fight for justice and now instead of grieving and healing they are fighting to keep Orchard Villa and the for-profit operator Southbridge from being awarded an unfathomable 30-year license extension and more beds does the Premier think this long-term care home with such a terrible record deserves a free pass and a generation-long reward to apply to Minister of Long-term Care Mr. Speaker I appreciate the question from the member opposite the member will know of course that the license extension was up for review it has consultations and community input closed I believe it was on October 18th the ministry is currently undertaking a review of of those comments Speaker and we will come back to the House when the decision has been made Mr. Premier question Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Premier this government is fully aware of the horrific and in many cases deadly failures of Orchard Villa during COVID-19 pandemic because it's public knowledge but they're happy to issue another 30-year license to this private for-profit long-term care home the willingness of this government to grant such a long-term care home owner and operator another 30-year license is unjust, disturbing and frankly dismissive and disrespectful to the residents and families who continue to suffer Mr. Speaker 70 people lost their lives at Orchard Villa some because of dehydration starvation and neglect Will this government tell the grieving families of Orchard Villa today that they will not issue a 30-year license Mr. Speaker I will Thank you Mr. Speaker I will do what the legislation requires me to do Mr. Speaker I'm certainly hoping that the member opposite isn't suggesting that should they ever get the opportunity to form government which we all know is unlikely that he himself and his government itself would decide absence of any public consultation absence of any regulation absence of any oversight who or what should be the status of licenses it should be his friends instead for the families because that is what matters in long-term care we are going to review the comments that came in through October 18th to the extended public consultation period but ultimately Mr. Speaker what we're doing is building a long-term care system in the province of Ontario that we can be proud of that is why we have four hours of care per resident per day the highest number of inspectors per home ratio in the country and over 58,000 new and upgraded beds across the province so that we can be proud of that thank you Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker my question is the minister of colleges and universities our healthcare workforce faces challenges after difficult full years starting with the policies of the past liberal government and now due to the COVID-19 pandemic the healthcare system neglected by the previous liberal government was stretched to the limits this resulted in many nurses unfortunately leaving the profession when we needed them the most Speaker we need additional healthcare professionals now more than ever to support the workforce and ensure patients continue receiving the care they need Speaker can the minister of colleges and universities explain how our government plans to address the nursing shortage and alleviate pressure on our healthcare system to respond minister of colleges and universities thank you Mr. Speaker I would like to thank Mr. Speaker Minister of Health and Human Services for raising this important question this government understands that investments in college and university hospital research not only strengthens Ontario's existing innovation and commercialization capacity but also grows our province's skilled workforce and positions us as a global leader that is why our government is committed to supporting research and are developing new techniques to detect illnesses faster, finding new ways to understand the human brain, or working on the latest AI technology. Ontario's colleges and universities and research institutes are at the forefront. To help further the great work being done in this sector, our government has invested more than $198 million in 2022 into research projects at colleges, universities, and research hospitals across the province. This funding supports 241 research projects across the province and will be integral in building, renovating, and equipping research facilities with updated technology as well as attract new research talent. We will continue to work hard to strengthen Ontario's college and universities hospital research initiatives and thus provide them with the ability to adopt advanced technologies to remain competitive and continue moving Ontario forward. Thank you, Mr Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that update. While it's good to hear more nurses are enrolling, Ontario still has a major discrepancy in where those nurses are located. We know that Toronto, Peel and Ottawa have a nursing shortage, but smaller regions and those in the north are often in desperate need of health care staff. We've all heard our government talk about the importance of the people of Ontario being able to receive health care in their home communities, and yet these sorts of disparities still exist across the province. Speaker, can the Minister explain how our government will start addressing the regional gaps in our health care system and not just open up more seats at schools? Minister of Colleges and Universities. Thank you again to the member from Halliburton, Quartha, sorry, Halliburton, Quartha Lakes, Brock for raising the important issue. Ontario has incredible research potential and we are working to realise this through investments in organisations like the Ontario Health Data Platform and our new agency, Intellectual Property Ontario. Just last week, I announced that the esteemed Peter Cowan has joined IAPON as a CEO and will be working hand in hand with our Chair, Karima Bauma, and the Board to strengthen intellectual property development and commercialisation within Ontario. Ontario has always been a leader in research and cultivation of life changing and enhancing products. From the latest in technology to life-saving medication, our researchers are at the forefront. With Peter and IAPON, Ontario will take the next step and ensure that the benefits of the research go on to support future Ontario-based research and that Ontario is the first to benefit. When tax dollars help fund research, taxpayers deserve to see the benefits from it. Thank you. The next question, the member for Niagara Centre. Thank you, Speaker. Through you to the Premier. Since 2018, I have been sounding the alarm about the horrific conditions faced by so many of our most vulnerable citizens living in supportive living accommodations. Last week, the Toronto Star released an investigative report into SLA Homes. They found food with black mould, soiled mattresses and furniture, bedbugs and rats the size of footballs. Residents and former employees report that senior management refused to address these issues, instead telling residents with nowhere else to go to, quote, feel free to move out. I appreciate the fact this government supported my private members bill to regulate these homes back in 2020, but Speaker, it was not prioritized and it was never passed. Through you, Speaker, what action has this government taken since then to protect these vulnerable residents? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thank the member for that question. Of course, as reported recently by the media, that what we saw was completely and absolutely unacceptable, Speaker. We make investments into the community in the anticipation that our partners will work closely with us. When that is not the case, Mr. Speaker, we of course will take action to ensure that the health and safety of those residents that in all of our institutions are at the height of what Ontarians expect. The ultimate goal of our systems, whether it is in long-term care, whether it is in community and congregate care settings, is to provide the utmost level of care to ensure that residents or people who are committed into our care are treated respectfully. And when that is not the case, like we do in long-term care, we take action and we will do that. And again, thank the honorable member for that very important question. The supplementary question. Speaker, many people have complex needs, but you don't qualify for and can't get into long-term care, end up in these supportive living homes. And these homes claim to offer supportive services and amenities typically provided in full-service retirement care. Many of them have dementia, suffer severe mental health and addiction challenges, and are disabled. At Walnut Manor in St. Thomas, health inspectors went into a supportive living accommodation that wreaked of urine and had piles of garbage and rotting food everywhere. The conditions were so horrifying, these seasoned inspectors gagged. Speaker, members of this Premier's current cabinet have supported this bill in the past, including the current Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. Will the government commit today to support, prioritize, and as quickly as possible pass my private member's bill to protect vulnerable residents of supportive living accommodations in Ontario? Minister of Long-Term Care. Again, I think the member for the question, look, as I've said on a number of occasions, I am not going to stray from that. The private member's business is the domain of the members of this House, and the members will make the decision and determination on whether they will support a bill or not. Having said that, Mr. Speaker, I think we have been very clear in everything that we are doing, whether it is the Minister of Labor ensuring safe workplaces, whether it is long-term care, having the highest inspector-to-home ratio in North America, frankly, Mr. Speaker, whether it is the Minister of Health, the Minister of Education, we are putting the people that we serve, the people of Ontario, first in all instances. And when people let us down, let the people of the province of Ontario down, we will take action to ensure that, ultimately, Mr. Speaker, the people of Ontario and the people that we are in charge to care for are put first. In the instances that the member raised, I think we can all agree on all sides of the House. Response? It is completely unacceptable. It is not what the people of the province of Ontario expect, and we will take action to ensure that the people under our care are taken care of in an appropriate manner. Next question, the member for Bruce Gray, Owen Sound. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Speaker, when it comes to experiencing the great outdoors, we know that Ontarians from all walks of life enjoy various activities in our provinces, forests and wilderness. There's plenty to enjoy, such as fishing, hiking, bird watching, biking and camping. In particular, hunting is a much beloved pastime in Ontario and continues countless years of tradition. With hunting season occurring now, the safety of all participants must be properly addressed. Speaker, my question is the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. What is our government doing to ensure that all Ontarians can experience our great outdoors safely? The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member from Bruce Gray, Owen Sound, for that important question. Mr. Speaker, the safety of Ontarians is something our government takes very seriously. In Ontario's forests provide a world-class backdrop for many outdoor activities. At the same time, we know hunting plays an important role in the cultural and economic fabric of our province, and that's why hunters need to make sure safety is their top priority every hunting season. All hunters must wear solid orange clothing and a hunter-orange head cover during seasons for deer, moose and elk. Hunters must handle firearms responsibly and never shoot unless they're absolutely sure of their target and what lies beyond it. It's illegal to shoot from a vehicle or carry a loaded firearm in or on a vehicle. Mr. Speaker, we're fortunate to have high response and dedicated conservation officers all across the province, and we made good on our promise to hire 25 additional officers across Ontario. Thank you very much. The supplementary question. Speaker, I want to thank the minister for that answer. Hiring more conservation officers across the province is important, but this comes at a time when taxpayers want certainty regarding how programs are funded. I know that the province collects revenue generated through fees and licenses to support fish and wildlife management. Speaker, can the minister explain what is being done to ensure that funds collected through fishing and hunting license fees, fines, and royalties are protecting our ecosystems and supporting our communities? Mr. Natchez, yours is important. Well, thank you, Speaker, and I want to again thank the member for the thoughtful question. Speaker, my ministry is ensuring the responsible management of fish and wildlife in Ontario, and through the province's Fish and Wildlife Special Purpose Account, the province spends 100% of hunting and fishing revenue on fish and wildlife management programs. The funds collected are used for programs like fish culture stocking, wildlife population studies, research, and enforcement. Mr. Speaker, our governments also made life more affordable by putting a stop to hunting license fee increases for all Ontario residents and removing the government also waive fees for resource-based tourism operators during the tough times that we've seen in the last couple of years. Baitfish operator fees, commercial outpost camp land use fees for 20 and 21 waived, and I know the people of Ontario have seen relief by making it easier and faster to buy response licenses online. Mr. Speaker, there's more work ahead, but the people of Ontario can rest if you're sure annoying. We're getting it done. Well, the next question, the member for Sudbury. Thank you very much, Speaker. Questions for the Premier. Speaker, Zoe Rive is an eight-year-old girl from Sudbury. She has Kabuki syndrome. It's a rare congenital disorder. Zoe has a dislocated knee and has been on a weight list at CHEEL for three years. Waiting for three years has caused Zoe's condition to worsen. She struggles to walk, and because she's unable to bear the weight on her dislocated knee, she relies heavily on her wheelchair. This is causing stress on the rest of her body, and Zoe's quality of life has been steadily declining. Her mother, Danielle, tells me that Zoe spends many days in tears because of the pain, Speaker. My question to the Premier is, can the Premier tell Danielle why her eight-year-old daughter, Zoe, has been waiting three years for this necessary surgery? Thanks very much, Speaker, and thank you to the member opposite for telling us about Zoe and her mother. As the member opposite knows, we've made significant investments to try to clear the surgical back log across the board as part of our $3.3 billion investment in the hospital sector. We've also dedicated $300 million to reduce surgical back logs, part of the broader investment of $880 million to reduce surgical back logs. And specifically, we've made investments at pediatric hospitals like CHEEL, as I said before, because nothing is more important than the well-being of our children. So I'm sorry to hear about Zoe's weight, and certainly we should make sure that Zoe gets care as quickly as possible, but that's why we're investing significantly to address the back log that has come out as a result of COVID and why we've also had dedicated funding of $6.5 billion for pediatric hospitals, specifically to address these types of concerns. Thank you. Speaker and back to the Premier. The stats don't mean anything. If you're a mother waiting for a five-year-old for three years, having to wait three years for surgery is causing other medical problems for Zoe, and Danielle, her mother, says Zoe is gaining weight in alarming speed due to her inability to walk, Speaker. It's causing worry of diabetes, and Zoe's been waiting for far too long already, and she continues to be bumped farther and farther back. Speaker, what eight-year-old girl do you know that is wishing for knee surgery? Zoe does, every single day for the last three years. My question, Speaker, when will the Premier finally admit that his government is failing to properly address weight, times, and surgery backlogs in our healthcare system? Member for Eglinton, Lawrence. Thank you, Speaker. As I said before, we know that the volumes in our ICUs in pediatric hospitals are high, and we're continuing to mobilize resources to meet critical needs of very ill patients. The Premier, myself, and others were at CHEO just recently to look at the children's treatment centres there and to meet with some of the providers to learn more about the needs of CHEO and other pediatric hospitals. But as I said before, we've provided 4.6 million more in funding for those hospitals to add an additional nine acute care beds at CHEO and 10 acute care beds and three ICU beds at Sick Kids Hospital. And our government, as we work on addressing short-term stresses on the system, continues to advance meaningful reforms to build a more resilient, patient-centred and integrated system. And we really want to make sure that patients like Zoe do not have to wait in the future. Thank you. Next question, a member for Markham Unionville. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The long-term healthcare sector is facing increased capacity pressures. As of April 2022, there were approximately 39,000 people on the wait list for a long-term care bed. While seniors wait to be placed in the long-term care home, their healthcare needs often falls to their spouses, children and other loved ones. Speaker, families and friends are excellent at providing love and support, but most are not healthcare practitioners and they cannot provide the same level of care as one. Speaker, what's the Minister of Long-term Care doing to ensure our seniors receive the care they need right now? And to reply on behalf of the government, the Minister of Long-term Care. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I want to thank the member from our community for this question. It's actually a very important one. He raises a good point. There are still a number of people who are on the long-term care wait list. And while it is a very positive step that we are building 58,000 new and upgraded beds across every part of the province, urban, rural, remote communities, it is also very true that a lot of people want to stay in their home as long as possible and they need assistance in order to do that. And so do the family members who care for them. That is why I was very happy that we returned the respite care program to our long-term care homes. But also, Mr Speaker, the community paramedicine program, which was launched, frankly, by my predecessor, Speaker, which is available throughout the province of Ontario, is a very significant way. It leverages the resources of paramedics who we all thank for the incredible response that they do. But it leverages their services when not on an emergency call to assist our seniors in their homes, Mr Speaker. And it has proven to be a very popular and very effective way of keeping our seniors in their home as long as we possibly can. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The supplementary question. Speaker, as Ontarians age, their health care needs grow and the impact of this need has ripple effect that can be felt throughout the community. My family's reach a point where they can no longer provide a full care need for a loved one. They turn to hospital, long-term care and emergency services. Globally, health care systems are facing unprecedented challenges. Due in large part to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and ours is no exception. The minister mentioned the community paramedicine is a cooperative effort with the Ministry of Health to address cross-sectoral challenges. Speaker, could the Minister of Long-term Care please explain how community paramedicine addresses the stream of these sectors. Thank you. Mr. Long-term Care. Thank you again, Mr Speaker. And again, actually a really good question from the member. The community paramedicine program, as I referenced in the first question, is now available. I'm very happy to say it's available throughout the province of Ontario with our partners. And it's not just about visiting homes or visiting individuals in their homes, seniors in their homes, but it also allows us the ability to partner with our seniors who need the extra care to monitor them. Often, Speaker, through electronic monitoring, we're able to see if a senior is in distress or a whole host of issues that the paramedics can monitor, which helps avoid 911 calls and emergency runs to the hospitals because the paramedics are engaged. They understand in advance what is happening to a senior that they've been helping to stay in their home and avoid early respondents into a long-term care or to avoid unnecessarily going to a hospital emergency room. So it is a program that is working very well, very pleased with our partners across the province of Ontario, municipal partners across the province of Ontario. And of course, just another great reason why we all support our frontline workers like paramedics across the province of Ontario who are helping seniors stay in their home longer, Mr. Speaker. The next question, a member for Parkdale Hot Hots. Thank you, Speaker. My question's to the Premier. Recently, Sam wrote to me to share that her father who was admitted to St. Joseph's Health Centre in my riding had no room from Monday evening to Friday night. He had to stay in a hallway for four days straight because there was no staffed room available. Sam said that the workers at St. Joseph's were professional and pleasant but they were short staffed. Speaker, frontline staff have been very clear. They have asked the Premier to repeal Bill 124 and urgently recognize the credentials of tens of thousands of internationally trained health care workers. Why does the Premier continue to say no to our health care workers and leave Ontarians in hospital hallways? To apply, the member for Eglity Morris. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic our government has been making unprecedented investments into the largest health and human resource recruitment, health human resource recruitment initiative and training initiative in Ontario's history. Already we've added 11,700 new health care workers since March 2020 and we've invested $4.9 billion to hire 27,000 long-term care staff. We've also got the largest enrollment of new medical students in 10 years and two new medical schools in Brampton and Scarborough. And we're working, as I said, on short-term stressors while also trying to plan for the future and fix the system long-term. But we've made significant investments in our health care workers. You've heard about some of the nursing investments we've made already today but let me give you a couple more. $35 million to increase enrollment in nursing education in publicly assisted colleges and universities. These new spaces will add 1,130 new practical nurses and 870 registered nurses and up to $100 million to add 2,000 nurses and personal support workers who want to advance their careers in long-term care. Thank you, sir. Thank you. That concludes our question period for this morning.