 Time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of his Majesty's oil opposition. Good morning, good morning speaker. It was 18 years ago today that the Greenbelt was established in law. The Greenbelt Act protected 2 million acres of remarkably productive farmland and environmentally sensitive areas and it was a hard fought victory, something that all Ontarians are very proud of. But today's anniversary is a solemn one because as we know now, this Premier is in the process of carving up our Greenbelt. What we don't know is who knew about the plan in advance and how select insiders came to benefit from these land deals. Will the Premier reverse his decision to bulldoze the Greenbelt and release the details of his dealings with the developers involved? I think the Premier has responded to that as has the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. But what we're doing with the Greenbelt in fact, what we're doing across the province of Ontario is ensuring that we have more than enough housing so that people can have their very first home in many instances. Mr. Speaker, there are 350,000 people, think of that, 350,000 people who are coming to Ontario each and every year. That's the city, the size of Markham. You know why they're coming to Ontario? Because we're bringing back economic prosperity to the province of Ontario. We're creating thousands of jobs, Mr. Speaker. And in order to ensure that they also can have the same dream that generations of others who have come and helped build this province, we have to ensure that they have homes, that they have the best schools, that they have good hospitals. We are building a bigger, better, stronger province of Ontario and that includes utilizing resources that this province has so that everybody can participate in the dream that is the province of Ontario under this government. The supplementary question. Thank you and I'm going to go back to the Premier with this question and I want to say first of all, I think everybody in this room and people across this province know that the green belt and carving up of the green belt is nothing to do with housing or new commerce. We do know that the green belt matters to everyone no matter where they live in this province and I can tell you that because I've been travelling around this province and let me tell you it doesn't take long to hear that people are struggling. People are struggling to pay rent, to find a doctor, to get their kids the support they need in school. People are looking for help and a government that's willing to give it. But what they're getting is one that refuses to spend the billions earmarked for health and education. Speaker, how can Ontarians trust this Premier's upcoming budget will deliver for their communities when last year's budget hasn't even reached them? And to reply, the Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, I'm happy to address the question from the leader of the opposition. Mr. Speaker, you know, when I think about why I got into government for 15 years, we saw a high record amount of spending and supported for three years by the NDP, I would submit, 2011 to 2014. As I've mentioned many times, in the history of Confederation up to $2,330 billion of debt, the next 15 years, almost $200 billion of debt. Mr. Speaker, did those spending dollars go into healthcare, Mr. Speaker? Did they go into building highways so people could move goods and people to market? Did the spending going to go into building more subways to connect the hundreds of thousands of people that move to Ontario every single year? And Mr. Speaker, where are they going to live? Where are they going to live? They have to live in housing, and that's what this government is accelerating, and make sure we get done. Speaker, that is just typical. That is just typical of this government. When people need help, all they get from this government is rhetoric. Rhetoric. Right? They're tired of it. The fact is things are far from normal in a lot of places in this province, Speaker. The services and supports that build strong and caring communities have been watered down, whittled away, or just allowed to collapse altogether. And now the Finance Minister is warning them to prepare for, and I want to quote, more restraint in this budget. I would love to hear from the Premier on this question. I would really like to hear from the Premier on this question. Will the Premier tell Ontarians which services they rely on will bear the brunt of this so-called restraint? And again, Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, you know it's great being in this house because I'm learning new words, a new definition for the word rhetoric. But that being said, Mr. Speaker, let me also think about when almost a year ago when we tabled our budget for the people of Ontario and we took that budget to the people of Ontario. It included gas tax relief because the cost of gas and the cost of everything was going up, Mr. Speaker. It included a doubling of the low-income individual and family tax credits so that the lowest income workers in this province got a break. Mr. Speaker, it helped seniors with the seniors' home affordability tax credit, Mr. Speaker, but did we stop there? No. In the fall economic statement, what did we do? We increased ODSP funding by 5%. We indebted inflation for the first time ever. And we didn't stop there. We increased the earnings exemption. We provided the gains, the doubling of support for seniors and the guaranteed annual income. And also, we continued the gas tax relief for another year. Thank you. The next question. Once again, the Leader of the Opposition. I don't know what alternate universe this minister is living in, that he thinks that life is more affordable in Ontario today than it was four years ago. My goodness. Back to the Premier of this province, who I hope will answer our questions. At pre-budget consultations, MPPs heard ideas that would make a real difference in people's lives. So many people in this province don't have a family doctor. MPPs heard from the Ontario College of Family Physicians that Ontario could add the equivalent of 2,000 family doctors to our healthcare system and serve 2 million, 2 million more patients simply by providing funding for around 19 hours a week of administrative support. Will the government include administrative support for family doctors in the next budget? Member for Eglinton Lawrence and Parliament and the Minister of Health. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member opposite for the question. Our government is always listening to good ideas from all of our healthcare stakeholders and we certainly will look at all of the ideas being brought forward. As I said yesterday, Ontario is actually leading the country in access to family health providers and primary practitioners with 90% of people having access, but we know we must do more and we will do more. And that is why we are taking the steps we can, including currently adding 720 positions in 22, 23 for family health organizations, for doctors in those family health organizations, another 480 in 23, 24. We're taking the steps necessary to make sure that we have family health primary care for all Ontarians. And the supplementary question. On what planet? There are 2 million people in this province who don't have access to a family doctor. Speaker, the committee heard a proposal to create a Peterborough Community Health Centre. Very specific proposal to ensure that people receive the wraparound healthcare they need to achieve their goals. That means people can keep their jobs. Kids can focus on learning in school. Families can spend more quality time together. Access to this kind of comprehensive healthcare is a priority for Ontarians. Is it a priority for this government? Will you be funding the proposed Peterborough Community Health Centre in the upcoming budget? My question is to the Premier. To apply to the Premier. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 2018, the government came to power. I can tell you, there was hallway healthcare. The healthcare system was broken. Since 2018, we have 60,000 new nurses, 8,000 new doctors that registered to work here in Ontario. In fact, Mr. Speaker, last year we had over 12,000 new nurses registered ready to work. And Mr. Speaker, in the college and universities, there's 30,000 new nurses ready to come on board. We're putting, these are staggering numbers, $50 billion into building new hospitals on 50 sites right across this province. We'll be sitting on the infrastructure. We're going to make sure we have the best healthcare system anywhere in North America, Mr. Speaker. And the final supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. You know why there's no hallway medicine? Because the hallways are closed. Poor thing! There were enclosures in the last year alone. Speaker, the committee heard from the Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre who told us that they are serving the Owen Sound community along with two sizable Indigenous communities with only one physician working part-time. They have over 100 people on their wait list, which is 12 to 24 months long. They are severely backlogged for cancer screenings and 45% of their diabetic clients have not seen a doctor in two years. They are doing the hard work. And all they're asking for is an increase from half a doctor to two. Will you fund Indigenous health services in the upcoming budget, including the proposals from Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre to the Premier? Member for Eglinton Lawrence. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you again to Member Opposite for the question. Our government is working collaboratively with our Indigenous partners and communities to co-develop programs 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. And that's why we've invested, amongst other things, over $41 million in Indigenous organizations and communities to support culturally safe mental health and wellness services for children, youth, families and communities in Ontario. And our government has made clear that we will do everything we can to protect our most vulnerable, which includes our Ontario's Indigenous populations. Thank you. Thank you. The next question, the Member for Waterloo. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question to the Minister of Finance. I spent much of this winter travelling across the province, listening to Ontarians tell us what should be in the budget to create a stronger and more caring province. The Canadian Cancer Society told us about the need to expand access to take home cancer drugs, since that's what over half of the new oncology medications are actually developed for. Currently, OHIP doesn't cover these medications, which are costly and difficult to access without private insurance or employment benefits. Increasing access to take home cancer drugs frees up valuable hospital resources, and makes life a little bit easier for everyone who is battling cancer, no matter their income. Will the government do the right thing in this budget? Do the compassionate thing, and do the fiscally responsible thing, and provide OHIP coverage for these life-saving medications in this year's budget? Mr. Speaker, thank you to the Member opposite for that question. Last week, I highlighted that the budget date would be March 23rd, so I would encourage the Member opposite to join us on March 23rd, where she will find out the historic and the unprecedented investments that we're making, not only in health care, but in infrastructure, in jobs, in terms of labour, and right across the board, Mr. Speaker. This is a good point in time to highlight a very, very important point. Something that happened last week on Thursday. And you know what happened last Thursday? Under the Premier's leadership and the Deputy Premier, Ontario was the first government in Canada to sign the Canada Health Chancellor Agreement. The Premier grossed the log time in this country, and that allowed for us to get it done, because people don't want to hear governments just yapping and yapping. They want actual results. They want backlogs and surgeries. They want better health care. They want access. They want where they want. Thank you. The supplementary question. The Member for London, North Centre. Back to the Minister of Finance. I had the opportunity to travel across the province with the Finance Committee hearing from people about what this government's priorities should be in this budget. Many of the proposals we heard were small investments that would produce significant long-term savings. The Canadian Celiac Association brought to our attention that celiac testing is not covered by OHIP, which contributes to a high rate of late diagnosis. Better access to this test would increase the quality of life for thousands and save millions on health care dollars by reducing unnecessary x-rays, ultrasounds, iron infusions, and hospitalizations. Will the government do the right thing and the smart thing by covering celiac testing under OHIP? Mr. Finance. Well, thank you again to the Member opposite for that question, and I think the Member's opposite are acknowledging that we crisscross the province, not just with the Standing Committee on Economics and Finance, of which they are members, and we went to many communities right across the province, including Canora, including Sudbury, Sue St. Marie, Timmins, Kingston, the GTA, Mississauga, Brampton, Durham, London, all over Ontario. And do you know what we heard? Order. We heard that, Mr. Speaker, that our investments, that our plan to build, we heard, keep going, keep making those critical investments in subway, in highways, in hospitals, in long-term care, in human health resources, Mr. Speaker. This government is listening, and that's why most of us are on this side, because we listen to the people of Ontario, and we're going to get that job done. The next question, the Member for Mississauga Streetsville. Thank you and good morning, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Mississauga is home to a large, knowledge-based industries, including a robust life sciences sector that employs thousands of Ontarians. But we know that Mississauga needs to remain competitive if we are going to continue attracting these critical, life-saving investments. Speaker, will the Minister please provide an update on what our government is doing to continue creating highly skilled, well-paying jobs and attracting investments in life sciences? Thank you. Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Speaker, yesterday, Premier Ford welcomed Astra Zeneca's latest investment. They were thrilled to announce the establishment of their Canadian Research and Development Hub. Astra Zeneca's investment in Mississauga will create 500 new well-paying jobs here in Ontario. This will enhance Ontario's competitiveness and leadership in our booming life sciences sector. Speaker, Ontario has attracted record investments in jobs with nearly $3 billion in life sciences alone in just two years. And we now have more than 70,000 life sciences employees working in Ontario. This is all the result of reducing the cost of doing business by $7 billion annually. And, Speaker, this is what we're doing to attract investment to Mississauga. Thank you very much. A supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for his answer. Mississauga's economic prosperity has been made possible by these important investments in life sciences. But beyond that, the prosperity of healthcare innovation and bio-manufacturing is a result in the faith that global companies have in Ontario and in my writing of Mississauga Streetsville. Speaker, will the Minister please elaborate on what our government is doing to secure Ontario standing as a global pinnacle of innovation in the life and health sciences sector? Thank you. Minister of economic development, job creation and trade. It's important to note that years of previous government policies chased companies away. They left us dependent on others for critical goods. They left us unable to innovate in healthcare. And that's why we released our government's life sciences strategy. This is the first of its kind in over a decade. And it includes $15 million in life sciences innovation fund that will help our new start-ups. And a commitment to attract five or more investments of over $100 million by 2030. Yesterday's announcement, Speaker, demonstrates that we're well on our way to achieving that goal. Ontario now has everything we need in the global life sciences sector to help them innovate and succeed. A thriving research ecosystem, one of the most highly sought-after workforces in the world. Speaker, this is where medical breakthroughs are discovered. During pre-budget hearings in Ottawa, we heard from the Ottawa Carlton District School Board about the resources they need for a strong education system that meets the needs of Ontario students. In particular, we heard that schools are unlikely to meet the 2025 deadline for full accessibility set out by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act that has fallen short over the last 25 years. Making sure that every student has equal access to education is a priority for Ontarians. Will this government provide the necessary funding to make schools accessible in this year's budget? The Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I want to thank the member opposite for the question. We do believe we need to build new schools and build these schools faster in the province of Ontario. It's why the Premier has allocated two years to finally build modern schools that are accessible, internet connected with the high standards of ventilation in Ontario. This investment has helped us deliver over 100 capital projects under way today, 200 approved in the pipeline and there's more to go. The Auditor General recommended to this province and government to allocate 2.5% on renewal to make sure schools remain operationally sound for all children of all abilities and we have done so allocating every year in our budget. In addition, the special education budget to help the most vulnerable children in our province is up to the highest levels ever. 3.2 billion dollars. 90 million dollars more today than just last year. We appreciate the needs are rising and our government and our province will be there for these kids. So that was a note to making existing schools accessible then. The Finance Committee also heard about the importance of ensuring children can access mental health programming through their schools. Unfortunately, a new report has shown that less than one in ten schools have access to a regularly scheduled mental health specialist or nurse. Ensuring that children have the support they need to succeed in the classroom and that teachers and education workers have the support they need to do their jobs is a priority for the people of Ontario. Is it a priority for this government? Will they include funding for mental health supports in schools in this budget? Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. That question. Mr. Speaker children and youth have the highest mental health care needs of any age demographic. This informs every investment that we've made as a government that will continue to make. In fact, in 2022, in addition to the investments made in the Ministry of Education we invested another 31 million dollars through annual funding to reduce weightless and support the mental health and well-being of children and youth. These investments are in the community sector. We're innovating on new ways to also treat children and youth and use new means for them to access care. We invested $3.5 million in step up, step down, live in treatment program, helping move kids through levels of intensive treatment. $2.1 million virtual walk-in counseling connecting to a clinician by phone, text or video chat. We invested 22 youth wellness hubs in the province of Ontario. We're going to continue making investments because this government is more prepared than any other government to ensure that our children and youth get the mental health supports they need where and when they need them. Thank you very much. The next question. The member from Niagara West. A government that respects their tax dollars and works hard to be good strong and our government continues to demonstrate strong leadership by cutting red tape implementing projects that boost good jobs in our economy and show overall respect for the taxpayer. Our government must continue to do all that we can to be prudent fiscal managers, especially during this time of global economic challenge and rising cost. Speaker, my question to the minister. Could the minister please explain to this house what actions our government is taking to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely to apply the minister of infrastructure? Thank you very much and thank you to the member for the question the people of Ontario expect us to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. That is why yesterday I have introduced bill 69 the reducing inefficiencies act 2023 that if passed would allow the province to improve the management of real estate which will reduce red tape, optimize office space, enhance fiscal management and save taxpayer dollars. Currently, Ontario has one of the largest and most complex real estate portfolios in Canada and we have been working towards establishing a more holistic approach to managing provincial agency properties. As part of this legislation a framework would be established to modify the real estate authority of 14 entities under eight ministries to just the ministry of infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, we have an obligation to be fiscally prudent when managing government assets. It is my hope that the members opposite will support this legislation. The supplementary question My thanks to the minister and my thanks for her sharing with the House the important work that has brought forward in this legislation. We saw that until our government came to office the hardworking tax dollars were not respected and unfortunately bureaucracy and red tape grew we saw that this resulted in barriers delays and setbacks to the implementation and management of vital infrastructure projects. But as a government we are making the strategic investments necessary to build community infrastructure and ensure that these crucial projects are completed. We are responsible to ensure that we are delivering effective and resilient infrastructure that serves the needs of our communities the needs of our constituents and protects the things that matter most to the people. Mr. Speaker, could the minister please elaborate further about how this proposed legislation will ensure that crucial infrastructure projects can move ahead quickly and efficiently. Thank you for the question. Ontario is developing sensible practical changes to ensure continued environmental oversight while reducing delay on a project specific basis. Projects as routine as municipal roads undergo a class environmental assessment with a mandatory 30-day waiting period. The mandatory 30-day waiting period can cause delays in building infrastructure. This is inefficient for the taxpayer and municipalities. Through the reducing inefficiencies act 2023 if passed it will modernize an almost 50-year-old environmental assessment process that is outdated, slow and costly. Mr. Speaker we are living in a world with cost escalations. We need to be nimble, responsible and we need to do everything we can to continue to build up this project. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, at the pre-budget consultations Red Lake came to ask the government once again for funding to build a new multi-purpose recreation and cultural center. This is a request that they have been making for more than 10 years. Red Lake generates over $4 million in provincial and federal income taxed with the municipal tax base of 5,000 people. This government, I mean this project is a priority for Red Lake residents but Red Lake needs this government support to start building. Speaker, will there be funding for this multi-purpose center in this budget? Thank you Mr. Speaker. The member for the question the answer is yes. The answer has been yes for some time now. I have spoken to the mayor of Red Lake on a number of occasions and we stand ready with the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund as we have demonstrated across the province making investments in recreational infrastructure to improve and ensure the quality of life is there for the families that not just live in those communities but that it serves, in particular in the instance of Red Lake during the winter through winter road access Mr. Speaker. We have made those offers to the mayor of Red Lake. We stand ready to support his application Mr. Speaker as long as it fits within the parameters of a very generous Northern Ontario Heritage Fund which is responding Mr. Speaker to the surge in incredible economic growth including mining across Northern Ontario. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Supplementary question? Mr. Speaker, that yes is actually a no because there's parameters within the funding frame itself. This multi-purpose recreation and cultural centre will benefit existing residents but it will help the community grow. While many people come to Red Lake to work in mining they often take the money they earn back to the south. The area struggles to attract workers who need to support our population including healthcare workers. Recreation and cultural centre centres are important to families when they've decided where to live which makes this centre important to the future of Red Lake. Again, I know the answer is yes but there is a no in there. Will this government commit to providing funding for this project in this budget? Mr. Northern Development There's no no and yes Mr. Speaker. The response to the mayor persistently has been that we stand ready to support. One of the nice things about the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is its ability to stack Mr. Speaker. This is widely known for communities across the province but particularly in Northern Ontario to leverage local investments to leverage private sector investments from mining operations local there Mr. Speaker and as well for the federal government to be involved in that. Many instances we work on larger scale projects with FedNorm a portfolio that I was the minister of in my federal days Mr. Speaker it's easily done. The mayor of Red Lake is well aware of that. We stand ready to support him and his community as they've set out to build this important piece of recreational infrastructure. Mr. Speaker there are countless examples across Northern Ontario of where we've had this kind of success we're going to continue to invest in the quality of life of the community across Northern Ontario Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you very much. The next question the member for Ottawa Sir. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker my question is to the premier. First off I'd like to say it's good to be back and I did get a chance to see yesterday's question period. So scandal, accusation of racial bias I had to check to make sure I wasn't watching CPAC so we don't need a big show just a fact Speaker in 2018 the premier was caught on video telling friends he was going to crack open the green belt and then for the next four years he swore up and down that he wasn't going to do it now he's cracked open the green belt and he's giving it away to be fair no I have to be fair to the premier it was hard to decide which promise to keep the one to his friends or the ones to the people of Ontario so Speaker just why did the premier break his promise to the people of Ontario you know first of all I want to thank the leader of the opposition for that lob ball considering you changed it 17 times 17 17 times who were you taking care of 17 times when you changed the green belt you didn't have a housing crisis I can tell you what we're doing we're going to build that 1.5 million homes there's going to be long-term care there's going to be hospitals there's going to be houses for people that can't afford houses but again Mr. Speaker we're doing it to make sure that we build homes for people that can't afford it we aren't changing it 17 times like the opposition has changed by the NDP throughout the whole process yep they did and the members to make their comments through the chair the supplementary question case the premier forgot I'm the midi van guy okay so the fact is too many people who benefited from the premier's decision to crack open the green belt whereby the premier's own admissions is close friends more facts the premier hosted a private fundraiser at his home and directly benefited a member of his family developers their lobbyists people doing business with the Ontario government were invited invited were asked to buy tickets and reportedly donated up to $1,000 all to benefit a family member the premier has confirmed the tickets were $150 thank you premier and then when he was asked about who was invited he said well the boys took care of that not sure who the boys are simple straightforward question will the premier admit that this was indeed a conflict and to disclose the list of developers and people doing business with the government who were invited stop the clock for a second just going to remind the house that it's against the rules of the house to ascribe impute motives and to refrain as much as we can from personal attacks start the clock to reply for the government government house leader thank you mr. speaker the liberals things are so bad for the liberals that the leader of the green party took one look and said I don't even want to read wanted to support the green leader to take over the leadership of the party their house leader actually wrote a letter supporting the green leader to please take over for our party mr. speaker he wants facts i'll give him facts under the liberals 300,000 jobs gone under the liberals manufacturing in this province decimated under the liberals hydrate through the roof mr. speaker under the liberals people had to decide whether to keep their homes or eat mr. speaker under the liberals long-term care decimated under the liberals schools closed under the liberals healthcare brought to its knees mr. speaker and under conservatives massive investments in healthcare investments in education transit and transportation back on track house will come to order start the clock the next question the member for mississauga streetsville other critical infrastructure are vital to ensuring our economy remains strong and productive unfortunately under the previous liberal government ontario's transportation networks were neglected especially in growing regions like my riding of mississauga streetsville highway 401 is north america's busiest and most congested highway in fact approximately 180,000 vehicles use this highway daily just from mississauga to milton alone our government needs to take action today to make sure highways are less congested and more convenient to keep ontario moving and this will ensure that we're helping individuals and families get to where they need to go together let's build the transportation infrastructure needed to keep ontario's strong and prosperous speaker can the associate minister of transportation please share with our government what we are doing to improve our highway network thank you the associate minister of transportation thank you speaker my in-laws live in that members riding and every time I see them they tell me what a great job she's doing for her constituents speaker I'm glad to inform that member on December 12th just before the holidays we announced that our government finished expanding highway 401 with 18 kilometers of spacious new lanes now open from credit river in mississauga to regional road 25 in milton to break it down speaker our government has taken the previous six lanes along this portion of the 401 and practically doubled it to include 10 to 12 lanes in fact speaker this includes one new median high occupancy vehicle lane in each direction a huge game changer for drivers speaker a multi lane expansion that will help fight gridlock and keep goods and people moving across the GTA speaker widening highway 401 just goes to show that unlike the NDP and the Liberals our government is building ontario and getting it done for drivers the supplementary question thank you speaker and thank you to the associate minister for the response as part of my daily commute has made a world of difference building highways for the people of mississauga streets and other areas needs to be a priority of our government roads highways and other critical infrastructure help get goods and services to market faster clogged roads and gridlock highways impact families and their quality of life by preventing busy moms and dads from getting home to their children on time road congestion traps transportation trucks from getting goods to business costing more than 11 billion dollars annually across economy speaker can the associate minister of transportation elaborate on how our government will deliver on a promise plan for highway improvements thank you the associate minister of transportation thank you speaker and the members absolutely right after 15 years of no action from the NDP and Liberals ontario's highway system is simply not where it needs to be and speaker from awarding contracts to widen highway 11 and 17 to announcing successful bidders on highway 3's expansion later this year and of course building the highway 413 our government is getting highways built throughout the entire province in fact across the 2022 2023 fiscal year we have dedicated over 2 billion dollars to expand and repair highways and bridges across the north and the south of ontario what's more speaker this vital infrastructure upgrades will support the creation of 15,700 jobs in northern and southern ontario combined while ultimately connecting the province like never before speaker the people of this province elect our government under the leadership of premier forward to get critical infrastructure built and grow ontario's economy that's exactly what we're going to do thank you the next question the member for Windsor west speaker my questions to the premier when pre-budget consultations came to Windsor we had the opportunity to hear from hiatus house about the life saving and life changing work of shelters for women and children escaping domestic violence these shelters are grossly negligently underfunded and all they're asking for is some stability in their funding and the ability to focus on the work they do for the community instead of needing to fundraise or apply or beg this government for money applied for grants will this government finally break the cycle of violence against women by providing stable long term funding to organizations like hiatus house in this budget great question minister of children community and social services thank you speaker sadly gender based violence domestic violence and human trafficking have been more present during and since the pandemic and it is crucial to ensure that those affected by violence and exploitation receive the supports that they need while offenders are held accountable through the justice system and that's why we're investing in violence prevention and community services that support women and their dependence and it's why we've launched programs and passed legislation to support our efforts to end violence against women no woman should be subjected to violence and our government is working to prevent violence against women and supporting women to escape it and investing in the programs that are necessary to stop gender based violence supplementary question St. Paul speaker this is to the premier advocates for survivors of intimate partner violence have echoed at this year's pre-budget hearings the same recommendations following the Renfrew County inquest Ontario needs a plan for housing survivors of intimate partner violence shelters are overflowing women have to stay in shelters longer and longer because of the challenges in finding their own safe and real affordable housing and this conservative government speaker does not have a plan this is a priority for Ontarians is housing survivors of gender based violence a priority for this government will the conservative government provide adequate stable long term funding for women's shelters for real affordable housing for transitional housing in this year's budget I don't want to hear about five years from now in this budget minister of children community and social services thank you speaker first of all our thoughts go out to the victims and the friends affected by the events in Renfrew our government understands the importance of ending gender based violence and we have programs we pass legislation we're making investments and this is an ongoing effort the pandemic certainly had an effect on Ontario's most vulnerable and that's why we're working to increase access to safe and affordable housing and providing supports to people who experienced homelessness during COVID-19 we're investing 18.5 million dollars over three years in transitional housing support program to support victims of domestic violence and survivors of human trafficking and maintain housing and help transition to independence we are connecting them to socially cultural responsive wraparound services like safety planning, counselling health and wellness, education legal and immigration services financial services thank you very much thank you next question the next question the next question the next question the next question the next question today is the 17th anniversary of the land occupation at Douglas Creek Estates in Caledonia 17 years later, two governments later and not much has changed other than a second occupied site and no leadership or clarity in terms of how to have productive indigenous relations on development matters on February 10th members of this government were at Six Nations to announce an energy project a project on lands in Haldeman County not one member addressed the mayor nor was any member of Haldeman County invited by this government to attend the minister was part of that entourage and he was asked by a reporter who the government consulted with on this project was it the elected council the Haudenosaunee Development Institute or both the minister didn't answer the question so speaker through you I'm asking the minister to answer the question today minister of indigenous affairs minister speaker member for the question I also want to thank my colleagues who have been involved in one of the most exciting energy sector projects I think that have come along in a long time most notably involve the participation of an indigenous communities economic development corporation we see this Mr. Speaker is the future in our energy sector working with indigenous communities and we're going to continue down that path supporting not just that project for example in northern Ontario where they have and where they will continue to exist with respect Mr. Speaker to the the duty to consult with the people of six nations of the Grand River Mr. Speaker we've made tremendous strides in meeting with mayors from the Haldeman tract Mr. Speaker including the mayor that you're referencing we see clear uncertainty as our top priorities moving forward so that any and all projects can be done on a consensus basis Mr. Speaker and focus on the priorities of those respective communities supplementary question thank you speaker I'm a bit disappointed because that was not an answer to my question and as the minister should know six nations chief Mark Hill has made a very clear he believes his elected government is with whom consultations must occur speaker would be investors and developers are scared away from Haldeman County because they aren't sure what the rules are and this minister we hear again today refuses to state clear and consistent policy in terms of who represents six nations Haldeman County asked the minister for clarification at Roma and no answer was given the crown has a duty to consult and the province has handed that duty down to the county in the absence of a framework municipalities are told by this province to engage indigenous communities but are attempting to meet a non-defined standard through you again speaker will the minister please indicate who is to be consulted with at six nations minister of indigenous affairs Mr. Speaker I don't accept that characterization at all in fact we've been working with the elected leadership of six nations on the grants on a plan moving forward Mr. Speaker that will bring that kind of clarity and certainty of this member knew really understood the dynamics Mr. Speaker and the responsibilities of different levels of government it would be perfectly clear to her that the most important thing that the province can do is work with the elected council of six nations of the grant and as the chief has explicitly requested Mr. Speaker to have many of these issues many of these opportunities settled at the community level Mr. Speaker to that end we've made significant progress we're meeting regularly with the mayors of the Haldeman track including the mayor that you spoke of other big city mayors and Hamilton and such Mr. Speaker we're very encouraged that in the not too distant future a policy position Mr. Speaker will respect consensus Mr. Speaker cooperation and a desire to move on the important projects thank you very much next question the member thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development the opportunities in Northern Ontario are endless and we are hearing accounts of Northern Ontario ingenuity daily our government recognizes and appreciates and values Northern Ontario investments made by our government continue to provide support to improve the quality of life and promote economic development in our communities but there's more that needs to be done in order to further advance the successes we have achieved Mr. Speaker can the Minister please explain how our government is increasing economic prosperity for people across Northern Ontario Northern Development Minister of Indigenous Affairs Mr. Speaker as I had mentioned to the member across the way earlier we're working with our Northern Ontario caucus and in particular with my friendly neighbour here in Thunder Bay out of Koken to ensure that our communities are able to respond to the incredible opportunities across our vast region filming Mr. Speaker production, steel manufacturing mining forestry reinventing itself Mr. Speaker all across our region of Northern Ontario there are many examples of the need to continue to invest in businesses, invest in communities and invest in Indigenous communities as well through community enhancements, cultural support programs Mr. Speaker investing in innovation and research and investing in businesses, their launches their growth and expansion Mr. Speaker relocation into Northern Ontario as we build out a capacity for supply chains and forestry mining and filming and other examples Mr. Speaker we're ready and we're going to continue to respond to the Northern Opportunity Thank you supplementary question Thank you Speaker and thank you to the Minister for that response Mr. Speaker it's very positive and reassuring that our government is committed to supporting the hardworking people in Northern Ontario numerous success stories have emerged as a result of the excellent creative and professional work by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation Northern communities are unique and not just geographically these communities have specific needs when it comes to infrastructure supply chains and supporting businesses our government must continue to invest in initiatives that bring local and resourceful solutions to enhance the lives of individuals families and communities in rural and remote areas of our province Speaker can the Minister please elaborate on how our government's investment in the NOHFC is supporting communities across the North Mr. Northern Development Thank you Mr. Speaker I'd like to give a specific example and it's in Geraldton or Greenstone as we refer to it now and this is a particularly important location it's very well become the new centre of gravity for mining in Northern Ontario as we see the incredible opportunities in the ring of fire just north of it the opportunity for a corridor that could supply energy Mr. Speaker and access for communities leveraging health, economic and social benefits and of course for the world class mining deposits that are located there Greenstone itself is under tremendous growth with a base metal gold mine Mr. Speaker there is an incredible need there to support economic development in that community that's why I visited there spoke with Minister James McPherson and made announcements in upgrading the wastewater system so that services can be extended for industrial and commercial capacity supporting the rehabilitation of the local ring at the Longlack Sportsplex Mr. Speaker refurbishing their boat launch and their golf course including Mr. Speaker the clubhouse which hosts many important business events Mr. Speaker we're responding to the opportunity in Northern Ontario, thank you very much next question the member for Timiskum in Cochrane at the pre-budget consultation hearings in Timmins we heard from the Cochrane public library about some of the services they provide for to build a stronger and more caring community services like internet access for people who can't afford it or don't have a home to link it to do you know in the district of Cochrane the rate of homelessness per thousand people is higher than anywhere else in the province services like printing and faxing documents to help apply for jobs all services that people need people from all walks of life libraries are often the great social equalizers they have been through history and they will be in the future but they're also the first in the chopping block from municipalities who are also having a tough time a tough time balancing their budgets but they're incredibly important will this government ensure that Ontario's libraries receive the direct stable funding they need in this budget Mr. Speaker and thank you very much to the member opposite for raising a really important issue in the province of Ontario one that our government has tackled with a very significant investment of $1 billion Mr. Speaker I agree with the member I think it's absolutely critical in order for every single person in the province of Ontario to be connected to high speed internet no matter where they live Mr. Speaker we have worked with the federal government we have established a partnership to the tune of $1.3 billion Mr. Speaker we are now focusing all of our energies to connect the remaining 40 to 60 thousand premises Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Premier access to information is essential for the success of Ontario businesses students and residents yet there is an incredible inequity in access to information that libraries across the province raised during the pre-budget hearings library systems in big cities can afford to buy licenses for online resources but towns villages and remote communities that Ontarians of rural communities cannot access up-to-date research videos and other online resources that are available to residents in bigger cities in this budget will your government be investing in the Ontario digital library so that Ontarians in every part of the province have equitable access to these licensed online resources Mr. Speaker thank you very much Mr. Speaker I'm actually quite excited the NDP want to make investments here's a thing Mr. Speaker we know that they've talked a lot about investments they want to make right now we know that when we make these investments historically since 2018 they voted against every single one of those investments right when we put more money into the arts in the culture they have voted against it when we put four billion dollars in infrastructure they have voted against it Mr. Speaker now of course of course we need to do more to ensure that all parts of the province have access to information so that we can continue to grow the economy it's not just the hard work of the minister of economic development, job creation and trade who has seen 18 billion dollars worth of investment come back to the province of Ontario it is why we're making so many investments in small communities across the province so that our small business partners as he referenced can ensure that they participate in the amazing growth that we are seeing across the province of Ontario Mr. Speaker that is why thousands of jobs are being created welcome to the party. Thank you the member for Hengstings, Lennox and Addington Thank you very much Mr. Speaker my question is for the minister of public and business service delivery as we all know under the previous Liberal government access to vital services for drivers licenses health cards, birth certificates was not provided in an easy and convenient manner this process made wait lines at service Ontario access longer and more burdensome and in my writing as in many others across this province it can require many miles of travel to get to service Ontario it should have been more efficient and respectful to our individuals, families and our frontline employees more needs to be done to create a system that better serves and effectively supports individual needs accessing government services online is preferred by many and should not be complicated Speaker can the minister please explain what our government is doing to make improvements to service Ontario business and consumer service delivery Thank you very much Mr. Speaker I would like to thank my colleague from Hengstings, Lennox and Addington for the question about the hard work he is doing in his writing. First I would like to thank the amazing service Ontario staff across the province for their hard work many of whom I have had the privilege to meet in person since taking over this role I have seen first hand the incredible work they are doing across the province providing services to Ontario as one of our frontline individuals so thank you to our team members the service Ontario staff Speaker this government has been able to launch new options and improve our services for all Ontarians both in person and online I'm happy to inform the members across in this house that Ontarians can now use an improved appointment booking system available at many of service Ontario's business. Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the minister for informing us of the new services my constituents in Hengstings, Lennox and Addington increasingly expect their access to services online from the comfort of their own homes as I noted in rural areas this is vitally important we must keep pace with technology so that individuals can access information book appointments at service Ontario from a digital device so that they can access their own choosing we can't afford to be an offline government in an online world we've heard the minister say that our government supports modernization and innovation to improve the services that we offer Speaker will the minister please elaborate on how this recent announcement will make life easier for the people of Ontario for public and business services. I would like to thank all the Ontario's first by giving them more choices to access critical government services we are using data and leveraging new technologies to design programs that work together seamlessly and cut red tape furthermore speaker those who wish are now able to identify accessibility needs ahead of their appointments as part of our mandate to ensure that our services are accessible to all Ontarians and we are just getting started speaker with new services being added online regularly led by our premier we are building the service Ontario for tomorrow as I always say this Mr. Speaker every transaction online is one less person in line this means that Ontarians can now book multiple services in a single appointment or conveniently book a single appointment. Thank you speaker during pre-budget consultations we heard from the Ontario community support association about the difficult decisions this government is forcing them to make they are looking at a 36% reduction in transportation services which is a reduction of 200,000 rides to medical appointments they are also looking at a 35% reduction of meals on wheels which will result in 640,000 meals not being delivered these vital services are important to Ontarians but they don't seem important to this government will the government ensure these programs are fully funded in this budget. Thank you speaker we know that the economic effects of the pandemic are still affecting people now more than ever and that's why we have numerous parts and we are working across ministries across governments to make life better for people with the impacts of COVID-19 still having an effect we have launched the micro credential strategy we are improving mental health the road map to wellness the $3.8 billion over 10 years for mental health supports we are committed $1 billion to build the $1.2 billion last year for the Ontario child benefit we are investing $90 million to provide dental care to low income seniors we have the care tax credit which will provide about 300,000 families with up to 75% of their eligible child care expenses we have the low income individuals and family tax credit the Ontario jobs training tax credit the Ontario energy and property tax credit we have the minimum wage increase but we are working to be successful in this in the future we are taking on minister Thank you my question my question for the premier be nice the premier answered instead of enrolling in the minister protection program but I will hold my breath with draw speaker consultation that this government is asking them to do more with less and what that means is they're going to have to cut one to two staff positions which will mean 500 to a thousand patients will no longer be able to access services. Speaker the Center Town Community Health Center is integral to a caring and strong community in Ottawa Center. Will this government ensure that their budget is not cut? Order. Order. That concludes our question period for this morning. This host stands in recess until 3 p.m.