 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the Leader for Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Thank you very much, Speaker. As has already been mentioned, there are hundreds of families and residents of long-term care watching across Ontario today, and they're demanding answers from the Ford government. And so we've offered to put their questions to the government today and hoping on their behalf and our own that the Premier and the Minister of Long-Term Care will answer those questions. And the first one is from Sherry Coulson Hutchinson in Wyrton and Sherry says this, I've been watching with horror how this government has ignored conditions in long-term care homes even after the military said that residents were dying not just with COVID, but because they were dehydrated, starving and lying in their own urine and feces. So on behalf of Sherry and so many other speaker, why did the Premier break his promise of justice and a full investigation of those deaths from neglect and dehydration? Very much, Mr. Speaker. As I've said on a number of occasions, not only for Sherry, but for all the people of the province of Ontario, Mr. Speaker, we certainly were put on the defence during the first phase of this battle with COVID, Mr. Speaker. That is of course why even prior to the pandemic we began to reform the long-term care system in the province of Ontario. We began renovating those outdated homes that still had ward beds. We put in additional thousands of additional spaces throughout the province of Ontario. We knew that there was also an issue with staffing in the sector, Mr. Speaker. That's why we began a study into the staffing. What were the issues that were being faced? Of course, we increased pay. We knew that pay was an issue that we increased pay for the PSWs through pandemic pay, Mr. Speaker. That work continues not only before but during and after. Obviously when we had vaccines despite the the shortfall in the early months we had vaccines, the very first people that we vaccinated were those people in our long-term care homes. There is a lot of work left to be done, Mr. Speaker, and we will continue that work for future generations of the province of Ontario. Supplementary question? Just would like the members of the government side to look around these galleries and imagine these people actually here because I can tell you for sure that if they were able to be here they would be here. Here's what Pamela says. Pamela lost both of her parents to a COVID-19 outbreak in Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bob Cajun. Her dad, Ted, was a resident there. Her mom was a frequent visitor and volunteer and she says this and I quote, my elderly mother felt compelled to volunteer her time daily so my dad had the care he needed. She became a frontline volunteer for a for-profit home. Her emphasis, not mine. After losing both of them, the Premier passed a bill that has made it significantly difficult for us to seek compensation from these multi-million dollar corporations. So on behalf of Pamela and so many others, why was it this Premier's first act to protect for-profit owners and operators of these homes and himself from legal liability? The opposition will know that that's actually not the case, Mr. Speaker. We the Premier undertook a commission of inquiry to undertake to understand what it was that happened. Look, we knew in advance of the pandemic that there were significant issues in long-term care. I just mentioned that, Mr. Speaker. There needed to be a build out of long-term care. We needed renovations in some of the older homes, including that in Bob Cajun. So we put thousands of millions of dollars, frankly, hundreds of millions of dollars into doing that in advance of the pandemic. We want to know why staffing wasn't staying within in long-term care homes, Speaker. So we started that work before the pandemic. But we've gone further, Mr. Speaker. We said there has to be four hours of care. We're hiring 27,000 additional PSWs, 2,000 additional nurses, building out thousands of beds, Mr. Speaker. We've engaged the coroner so that we can respond from the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry, Mr. Speaker. Those families that want justice will be guaranteed that justice, Mr. Speaker. And we will get to the bottom of this and make sure that these long-term care homes are working for the people of Ontario for decades to come. Thank you. The final supplement, please. Well, Speaker, on the contrary, it actually did happen and it was bill 218 in case the government members forgot. But this is from Joyce Maxwell and Barry, Speaker. And I quote, I live in Barry, just blocks from the from Roberta Place where my mom was a resident and tell her passing. It's also the place where all but one of the 129 residents entrusted to its care were infected by COVID-19 and where 71 residents subsequently died. I am here to demand justice and accountability for the residents of this home and of the other homes in Ontario that failed our senior citizens so miserably. So my question on behalf of Joyce, Speaker and many, many others is why has the government not provided justice? Why have they not provided accountability to the residents and to their family members in long-term care? I think the other leader of the opposition would expect that first and foremost, what we have to do is ensure that as we are still in the midst of a pandemic that we had to make sure that our homes and the people within those homes have the highest level of service and protection that they can get. So that is why one of the first groups of people that we we vaccinated in phase one, Mr. Speaker, when we finally started to get vaccines from the federal government were the residents of long-term care homes and the impact of that has been dramatic. But also at the same time, Mr. Speaker, we undertook a commission of inquire. We knew that there was that we had to get to the bottom of what it was that happened and the commission of inquire has helped us identify historical and systemic problems in long-term care that had not been addressed in the many years prior to this government taking office. That's not an excuse, Mr. Speaker, for not taking action. That's why we took 27,000 additional PSWs that are going to be hired. Four hours of care, Mr. Speaker, thousands of homes being built, older homes being renovated. There's a lot of work to do. We will get it done, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. The next question. You do the opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is to the Premier. But I can tell you those hundreds of family members and residents watching are probably insulted and disgusted by the fact that the Premier and the Minister of Long-term Care refused to answer their questions. But I'm going to put another one forward. This is from a frontline hero in long-term care from Peterborough area who says, and I quote, I sat in full PPE with a 92-year-old Navy veteran of World War II who survived his ship being bombed twice. He cried, telling me he would rather die than live in isolation because this wasn't living. This was what they used to do to punish people in the war. This was worse than jail. Melody McCullough from Peterborough says this, and I quote, why did you make it so ordinary people can't sue long-term care homes? Why was there no investigation into the deaths that were caused by neglect? Does the Premier have an answer to Melody's question? Mr. Speaker, I think I would hope anyway that the leader of the opposition would agree that the very first thing that the government should do in the midst of a pandemic is make sure that the people of the province of Ontario, including the residents of long-term care, are taken care of. That is why the vaccination efforts started with long-term care. We also understand, Mr. Speaker, that there are a significant amount of investments that had not been made in the years leading up to the pandemic. That's why before the pandemic we started making those investments. During the pandemic, we continued to make those investments. And after Mr. Speaker, we're budgeting for 27,000 additional PSWs, over 2,000 new nurses for the system, thousands of beds to build new homes and to fix and renovate those old, outdated homes, Mr. Speaker. At the same time, we've engaged the coroner, the coroner on this, Mr. Speaker. We're the first province to have a commission of inquiry into long-term care. Those are the first steps, Mr. Speaker, not one person who wants to seek justice will be stopped from seeking that justice, Mr. Speaker, not by this government. Supplementary? Mr. Speaker, does the government house leader hear his own drivel? 4,000 people died in long-term care because they waited over a year for this government to do anything, anything at all to take care of them. Here's another quote from somebody who's watching June Castleman of Markham Speaker. And I quote, our 90-year-old mother is in long-term care in Unionville. Her home was in lockdown from December 2020 to present with the exception of approximately 12 days when the residents were able to leave their rooms. I can see the light in my mom's eyes dimming. It is worse than jail for these residents. Speaker, my question on behalf of June and many others is why are these residents still being kept separate from their families and loved ones? Obviously, Mr. Speaker, our first priority, as I've said on a number of occasions, and I appreciate that the leader of the opposition might not agree, but our first priority obviously is the safety and security of the people in long-term care and their families. Mr. Speaker, we are in the midst of a third wave in the province of Ontario, and despite the fact that our vaccination efforts have been very, very successful with over 7 million Ontarians receiving their first dose. And I'm not mistaken, close to 90 percent of those in our long-term care homes of Mr. Speaker, there is still work to be done. But our main and our first priority is to keep those people safe, Mr. Speaker. That is what we are trying to do. That is also why we are making historic investments in the long-term care sector, Mr. Speaker. I have been there with the people who have suffered. I have had homes in my own writing that required the attention of the Markham Stovall Hospital, Mr. Speaker. I do not need the leader of the opposition to suggest that I don't care about people, Mr. Speaker, in our long-term care homes. It is why we're fighting so hard to increase investments in that sector, Mr. Speaker, so that the devastation of the last 15 years is not the hallmark of the next 50 years. And the final supplementary. Well, Speaker, this government utterly failed residents in long-term care and their loved ones. They should have, in fact, made them their first priority. But they didn't. They should have moved heaven and earth to protect those seniors in long-term care. They should have provided the justice and accountability for those folks when the homes failed them. Instead, they protected the for-profit owners and themselves from legal liability. Instead, they left residents abandoned. Instead, they've broken their promises time and time again. And to this very moment, they have still not committed. They have not committed to implementing all of the recommendations of the long-term care commission. So, Speaker, on behalf of all of the families watching today and so many others, I want to ask this government when will they take the profits out of long-term care? When will they stop protecting the for-profit owners and operators and themselves from legal liability, Speaker? And when will this premier finally show some commitment to change and fire his minister of long-term care? Government House Leader. Mr. Speaker, this is an opposition leader who between 2011 and 2014 held the balance of power in this legislative assembly. She could have focused on long-term care. She could have focused on health care. Instead, she chose to focus on a stretch goal for insurance, accomplishing nothing. When we took office in 2018 and even before, we understood that there was a problem in long-term care, Mr. Speaker. That is why we moved immediately to build thousands of new spaces for long-term care so that we could bring down the waiting list. That is why the Minister of Health moved towards the creation of Ontario health teams. That is why we started to increase ICU capacity. That is why we looked at the staffing strategy and right now we're hiring 27,000 additional PSWs. That is why we announced last Friday the hiring of 2,000 new nurses. That is why we have said that we're going to build 30,000 beds or 30,000 spaces over the next 10 years, Mr. Speaker. Our priority is making sure that we get it right, that we put the past, the 15 years of the past behind us and that the next 15 years, the next 20, 30 years are the best in long-term care. We'll get the job done for those families. Member for Brampton Centre. Thank you, Gidea Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Speaker, thousands of Ontarians are watching today and every single one of them deserves answers from Conservatives and this Premier. Susan Barrell is one of those speakers and here's what she has to say. I'm raising my voice in memory of my mom, Vivian Barrell. My mom passed away on April 15th, 2020. She was alone for a month before her passing. I was at my mom's side for 12 years, except for the last month. My mom was a registered nurse who provided exemplary care to her patients. She did not deserve to die the way she did. I fought for 12 years bringing issues within the long-term care sector to the attention of management. I was lied to repeatedly and promised that these things would change. It only got worse. Please be responsible and fix the long-term care system. End quote. Speaker, after decades of liberal neglect, Conservatives have only made the crisis in long-term care even worse. When will this government listen to people like Suzanne and take responsibility and start fixing Ontario's broken long-term care system? Well, I think the member for that question, Mr. Speaker, because it highlights what we have been talking about for weeks in this place. And Suzanne, in her in her email, I suspect to the to the member, highlights it very much more effectively than I ever could have. For 12 years, she had been working in expressing some of the problems that we found when we took over when the people gave us the awesome responsibility and the privilege of governing in 2018. And exactly what Susan has talked about is what we found, Mr. Speaker, that there was not enough staff. There had to be a staffing strategy. There were not enough homes. So we moved very quickly to build 30,000 new spaces. I had a 118 year waiting list in my writing, Mr. Speaker, for long-term care, unacceptable in one of the richest provinces in the country, if not North America, Mr. Speaker, we could do better. But that's what these reports highlight for us, whether it was the auditor general or the commission of inquiry, that for decades leading up to this, Mr. Speaker, in particular over the last 15 years, the lack of investments, the lack of attention by the previous liberal government made it even more difficult to address the pandemic. But we won't stop, Mr. Speaker. We'll get the job done for future generations. Well, Speaker, liberals neglected long-term care. I think we all understand that. But this government has only made the situation worse and their inaction throughout this pandemic has cost us precious lives in the province of Ontario. And that's why Sharon Robbins is also joining us today in the gallery. And she's listening from Cork the Lakes. She says to the Premier, and I'll quote, you keep calling us friends. You keep talking about an iron ring around long term care, but you didn't do anything. You almost eliminated in person inspections of homes and those homes where there have been disastrous outcomes during COVID and where the military identified abysmal conditions have faced no consequences. End quote. So Speaker, Sharon has a question for the Premier. When is he going to hold for profit companies who run these long term care homes accountable? And when is he going to start protecting the citizens of Ontario instead of protecting his friends on the boards of those long term care homes? Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Of course, the very first step in accountability was a commission of inquiry, Mr Speaker. A number of recommendations that were seen through the Commission Enquirer, many of which are already being have already started to be taken care of by the government, Mr Speaker. Also, the Auditor General's report, very, very important. At the same time, we've engaged the corner. I think these are steps that people would expect their government to take, Mr Speaker. At the same time, we understand the challenges in the system. Not enough staff, Mr Speaker. Not enough time spent with with patients or with residents of long term care. That is why we have a North American leading four hours of care for long term care. That is why we are hiring 27,000 additional PSWs, Mr Speaker. That is why we're building 30,000 new spaces. That is why we're hiring 2000 new nurses. It is a great first step. There is more work to be done, Mr Speaker, as we come out of the pandemic. That is why we vaccinated our seniors in long term care home for more work to be done. Absolutely. But for the first time in decades, this is a government that's committed to getting it done. The next question. Member for Sarnia Lampton. Thank you. Thank you, Mr Speaker, and it's a privileged rise in the House today. My question is to the Solicitor General. We know that, Mr Speaker, that stricter border measures stop the spread of COVID-19. The reality is, backed up by hard evidence, countries from around the world have implemented strict border policies to stop the entry of COVID-19 with great success. But we also know that this just isn't about international travelers from overseas. COVID-19 can enter Ontario from the United States as well. I read today that the Prime Minister is considering opening our borders with our southern cousins. Can the Solicitor General remind the House what our government position is on opening our borders so soon? Thank you. To apply the Solicitor General. Well, thank you, Speaker, and thank you for the question from Sarnia Lampton. He's absolutely right, and he has every right to be concerned. You know, I think it's really important for the members opposite to understand that it was one individual who traveled into Ontario and devastated the long-term care home in Barrie. I would hope that the members opposite would join us in asking or demanding that our federal government keep border restrictions in place while these variants of concerns continue to put our friends and families at risk. And I would plead with the members opposite, please join us in our fight to ask the federal government to keep their borders closed until we can deal with COVID-19 and shut down the variants traveling. Thank you. Compliment your question. Well, thank you, Speaker, and I, too, was shocked reading in the National Post of Plans Being Devised and Minister Bill Blair's Ministry. Although we all look forward to our American friends being able to visit once again, now is not the time. Back to the ministry, can she provide any examples of why she has concerns about a return of our American travelers? We do know that, in fact, mobility is a factor in the spread of COVID, which is why now is not the time to open our borders. According to the Centre for Disease Control, only 47.3% of the US citizens have received one dose of the vaccine. We are over 56% here in Ontario, and we really are not ready to open up yet. As of May 10, the Centre for Disease Control forecasted between 84,000 to 406,000 new COVID cases will likely be reported during the week of June 5. On May 17, just one day, the US ordered for 16,000 new cases of COVID-19, and some of the hardest hit states, according to the John Hopkins Centre, are right on our border. Michigan, New York, Illinois, and Wisconsin, it's not the time for the federal government to open our borders. Response? We need to do the right thing. They need to do the right thing and keep the variants out of Ontario. Thank you. Next question, a member for Oshawa. Thank you, Speaker. And my question is to the Premier, this past April 20th marked one year since Mary Walsh died from COVID-19 at Orchard Villa Long-Term Care Home and Pickering. And her daughter, Mary Tripp, says she is, quote, sure she was dehydrated and starving, end quote. Mary has video proof of PSW is not wearing full PPE during the outbreak and she believes that if management had provided personal protective equipment and proper training, that things would have been different. Mary wants to know who is at fault. She wants to know which ministers in this province will take responsibility for the circumstances at Orchard Villa. Speaker, I want to know why this government looked away for so long. We've all read the reports and families know that more should have been done. And Mary's message to the government is, quote, we the families of deceased loved ones need answers, clarification and justice. Will we get answers? Will there be justice? End quote. Speaker, will this government take any responsibility for its failure to keep people safe? And I see. Yes, of course, Mr. Speaker, that is why the Premier launched a commission of inquiry before any other province had. There's a significant number of recommendations in there that are already well underway in the province of Ontario. Look, we understood how difficult the first phase of this pandemic was. And we were left as is highlighted by the auditor general and by the commission of inquire. We were left in a very challenging circumstance, excuse me, during the first part of this battle because the previous government had left us so underprepared. But we're making a difference, Mr. Speaker. We've added nursing care. We're adding 27,000 PSWs. We're adding thousands of beds, Mr. Speaker. And we're well on our way to ensuring that the next generations of Ontarians have the best long-term care system in the world, Mr. Speaker. That does not alleviate, that does not alleviate anybody from what has happened during the first wave, Mr. Speaker. But that is why we had a commission of inquiry and we will get to the bottom of it. Thank you. And the supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. Peter Morris in Oshawa lost his mother to COVID in the second wave in November of 2020. She had been living in long-term care in Peterborough and Peter believes COVID was brought into the ward by staff and his message to the government is this, her death was preventable. No restrictions on long-term care employees working in multiple settings were in place. No paid sick leave was available to long-term care workers who could avoid work if they experienced COVID symptoms. I blame my mother's death on a government which failed to act with foresight and common sense in the face of predictable outcomes. There was no iron ring, end quote. Speaker, the Premier promised an iron ring to protect vulnerable seniors, but instead what he delivered was an iron ring around for-profit operators. So I will echo Peter Morris's words and asking whether or not this government will indeed take responsibility for their failure to protect seniors and if they will indeed take the profits out of long-term care. And Mr. Speaker, thank you. And the government housekeeper to respond. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And as I said, the initial response, of course, was to ensure that there was a commission of inquiry so that we could understand what happened during the first wave. The Auditor General concluded a report as well. And what was significant in both of these reports is the highlighting of the fact that the previous government over 15 years failed to make the important investments in the long-term care system, Mr. Speaker. That's what we understood and that's why we moved very quickly, even before the pandemic, to address some of the shortfalls in the system. I understand, Peter. I understand that the fact that we're adding thousands of nurses and PSWs to the system does not diminish the pain that he feels right now. It doesn't diminish the pain that anybody feels who lost a loved one, Mr. Speaker. But what we can do is make sure that we have the best system in place with the best quality of care. That means four hours of care. That means new homes. That means refurbishing the old homes and the wards that have been left unrefurbished for years, Mr. Speaker. That means adding thousands of nurses will get the job done for future generations without sacrificing our understanding of the past. And that's the question you remember for York Center. Thank you, Speaker, to the government house leader. The Canadian Pediatric Society quoted a student yesterday saying that kids are depressed, suicidal, and lonely. They need school and they need sports. But yesterday, government MPPs were whipped to vote with the government against the motion to open outdoor sports. For those watching at home, whip means the MPPs were forced by the house leader under the direction of the premier to vote with the government against the motion to open the outdoors. Every doctor is telling them that the outdoors are safe and they actually want to open the outdoors. But to avoid admitting they were wrong, they vote against the opening. So they force MPPs to vote against the motion or else they'll have a seat for them right here next to me. So my question to the government house leader, without telling us that they're listening to the experts or reciting the months of the year again, was yesterday's vote in which the government refused to open outdoor sports, was it the right thing to do for our kids and was it good for our democracy? Question to reply, the government house leader. Actually, Mr. Speaker, that gentleman will know quite well what it feels like voting with the government because he did so on every occasion, Mr. Speaker. When we initially brought in the state of emergency, that member was very happy to vote in support of that state of emergency. All of the measures that we have brought in to keep the people of the province of Ontario safe, that member was very happy to vote in favor of. He stood in his place, went through the lobby in a very safe way, Mr. Speaker, wearing a mask to ensure that we could continue working on behalf of the people of Ontario in a safe, effective way. He was supportive of every single one of those measures. So he would know how important it is to keep the people of the province of Ontario safe because on so many occasions, he did the very same thing. Now he's changed his mind, Mr. Speaker, but one thing that will remain consistent with this government is that we will put the people of the province of Ontario first, we will put the safety, the health and safety of the people of the province of Ontario first, Mr. Speaker, that I can guarantee. Can you stop the next question? I'm not sure for the government house leaders the reasoning behind that, he knows full well that I've opposed the lockdown since May. He knows why I'm sitting on the side of the house. He failed to kick me out. He threatened to kick me out when I opposed the lockdown in June. The response by the government house leader is exactly what you'd expect from the government by now. They keep pretending that they're told, that they're not told that the outdoors are safe. They keep pretending that they don't hear anything or read anything and they stick to their ground until it becomes impossible and then he recites the months of the year. Then they roll over and they pretend like it's a victory of some sort, like with sick days. They will open the outdoors on their terms and then they'll have their MPPs do photo ops about how much they enjoy the outdoors or how great it is for mental health. Now all of this would be funny if it weren't tragic for our kids. So my question is, the doctors already told them that the outdoors are safe, they don't need to wait for that. So when will you capitulate, own your failure and open the outdoors? Minister of Health. Thank you very much, Speaker. Well, as I indicated yesterday, yesterday was not the day to open the outdoors for all of the recreational amenities. But we encourage everyone to go outdoors to enjoy this warm weather. To go outdoors, the parks are open, please use them. Please go for a walk or run, walk your dog, take your children or grandchildren out. We want people to go outside and enjoy the outdoors. So this is not, but what we still, as you know, still have high levels of hospitalizations, high numbers of people in our ICUs. But we want to make sure that when people do go out, that they use the proper public safety measures that we've asked people to do and they have been doing for over the last year. But please go outside and enjoy the outdoors. Sure, sure. Thank you. The next question, the member for Sarnia Lam. Thank you, Speaker. And my question today is to the Associate Minister of Energy. Mr. Speaker, my constituents remain very concerned with the Michigan government's ongoing efforts to close Line 5 and endanger their well-being and livelihoods. In the United States, a ransomware attack recently shut down the Colonial Pipeline. It's an 8,800-kilometer pipeline that carries 2.5 million barrels per day from Texas right through to Pennsylvania. The unexpected shutdown of this major pipeline led to shortages in price hikes of diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel in the United States. It's created an absolute mess with several states declaring a state of emergency. Mr. Speaker, can the Associate Minister of Energy tell this house? Is the aftermath of the Colonial Pipeline attack a sign of what awaits Ontarians if Michigan's governor's actions to shutter Enbridge's Line 5 are successful? We recognize and apply the Associate Minister of Energy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And through you, I want to thank sincerely the member from Sarnia Lampton for his question. And for all of his tireless advocacy on behalf of his constituents, they are extremely fortunate to have him represent them and work on their behalf for many, many years. Mr. Speaker, I share the member from Sarnia Lampton's concern. We were all troubled by the news of the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline on May 7. It definitely speaks to the importance of keeping Line 5 open and to the key role in our energy and economic security. In fact, it serves as a real-life example of what happens when a major pipeline is taken out of commission. A shutdown of Line 5 would have serious consequences and impact each and every one of us, Mr. Speaker. A host of Commons multi-party committee in Ottawa confirmed that it would cause energy shortages, transportation bottlenecks, and job losses, none of which we can afford. Mr. Speaker, I want to assure this House and the great people of Ontario that we will support every effort to ensure that Line 5 continues to operate safely as it has for over 60 years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'd like to thank the Minister for his assurance that our government will continue its advocacy for Line 5 to keep it open. There's so much at stake for my constituents and frankly for all of Ontario and Canadians as a whole. The massive surges and price hikes caused by the Colonial Pipeline hack have not been seen since 2014. In fact, Mr. Speaker, not in my question, but just a comment that this morning I seen there were advocating 19 governors in the United States who are advocating for the reopening and take another look at Keystone, the Keystone Pipeline. But anyway, we must continue to do whatever it takes to ensure Canadians and Ontarians do not face a similar fate if Line 5 is to be shut down. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please update this House on the latest developments in the effort to keep Line 5 operating safely? The Associate Minister, I agree. Thank you again for another great question and I agree with the member of Sarnie-Lampton. The Colonial Pipeline attack highlights the consequences of suddenly losing one-third of your fuel supply. Just imagine, Mr. Speaker, the chaos that would ensue if you decommissioned 50% of your supply of fuel needs permanently. Mr. Speaker, Ontario needs Line 5. Canada needs Line 5. Michigan and the United States needs Line 5. From the outset, our government has worked with the other provinces to urge the federal government to use all means at its disposal to keep Line 5 open. We were pleased to see the government of Canada file an amicus brief in court last Wednesday, underscoring the importance of Line 5 to the energy and economic security of our province and our country. I can assure the member from Sarnie-Lampton that our government will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the energy workers, families, and the communities in his writing and across the province. On both sides of the border, frankly, Mr. Speaker, that have had their lives put in jeopardy as a result of the decision of the Michigan governor. Our government remains steadfast in our support of keeping this critical infrastructure available. Thank you, Speaker. Question, the member for Kitchener Centre. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In September 2020, I tabled a private member's bill calling on this government to create an independent seniors advocate in Ontario. Kitchener Centre residents supported it and so did this government because people understood that it's the government's responsibility to protect us, especially during an unanticipated crisis like our current COVID-19 pandemic. And that includes creating ways to raise concerns about how older adults are being treated before, during, and after the pandemic. Mr. Speaker, Beverly Summerfield, a Kitchener resident who's joining us virtually today in the gallery with the OHC, could have asked her question to the seniors advocate, but the government refuses to call it in committee and make it law. So, Beverly writes, and I quote, why after learning from the military of the abhorrent conditions in which our seniors suffered, did you proceed to do nothing other than pass legislation to protect yourself and those in a position of authority from legal culpability or any ramifications? Question. Where was the iron ring that you promised? So on behalf of Beverly and in the memory of those we have lost, where was the iron ring and who's going to take responsibility for this chaos? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, we take responsibility for ensuring that we have the best long-term care system in North America. We understand the challenges that were faced during the first wave of this pandemic, Mr. Speaker, and even into the second wave. It's one of the reasons why the very first people to get vaccinated were residents of long-term care. But setting that aside, Mr. Speaker, we knew in advance that we had to make some serious changes in our long-term care system. We knew that there was a problem with staffing. In fact, one of the very first meetings I had after getting the privilege of being elected as the MPP was a PSW in my writing, RuPaul, who continues to text me on occasion and let me know what's happening. One of the things she said is we have to be organized. There's a bill before this legislature with allow them to be organized. She also said to me, we need more PSWs, Mr. Speaker. That's why I'm so proud of the fact that we are hiring 27,000 additional PSWs so we can get to the level of care that is needed in long-term care homes. That's four hours of care. There is nothing that I can say or do that will diminish the loss that Beverly, Peter, and others are facing when it comes to the loss of their loved ones. Nothing, but what I can make sure that I do is work with this government, make sure we work with all legislators to give people the best long-term care in North America. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and back to the premier. Mr. Speaker, Beverly is not the only person with questions. Bruce Thompson, who's also joining us virtually today, is the acting chair, family council, for Almonte Country Haven, a 96-bed, for-profit long-term care home in Almonte, Ontario. And Bruce writes, and I quote, during the first wave, we lost over 30% of our residents due to understaffing, PSWs working in more than one home, little or no PPE, no testing capabilities, no infectious disease specialties, and no direction from the government. Mr. Speaker, Bruce has one ask, and I quote, we want the Ford government to implement all recommendations of the COVID-19 Commission on long-term care, end quote. And so through you, Mr. Speaker, and back to the premier, on behalf of the residents, the staff, the caregivers, and the hundreds of family members of this home, will the government immediately implement all recommendations of the COVID-19 Commission on long-term care? If you'll apply, the government will see you. Mr. Speaker, we are well on our way to doing just that, Mr. Speaker. But Bruce raised a very good point in his email to the member. He highlighted the fact that testing was woefully inadequate in the province of Ontario. And this is what we faced during the first initial phases of this pandemic. We inherited a system that could do 5,000 tests a day. We knew we had to increase that. So we brought that up to 75,000 tests a day, Mr. Speaker. We knew that ICU capacity was a major part of the problem with hallway health care. That is why we increased the capacity in our ICUs, Mr. Speaker, from 1,800 to a little over 2,300. We increased critical care beds across the province of Ontario, Mr. Speaker, because we knew that this was inadequate and this is what had been gifted, given to us by the previous Liberal government, Mr. Speaker. But we also knew there was a capacity issue. So that's why we're building thousands of more spaces. That's why we're hiring 27,000 additional nurses, 2,000 additional nurses. Bruce is quite correct. There were a lot of things that we inherited that have to be fixed and we will fix those, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Scarborough Gildwin. Thank you, Speaker. I, too, want to welcome those from the Ontario Health Coalition who are packing the galleries today, including Michelle Jones from Scarborough. Michelle's grandmother is in long-term care and both Michelle and her grandmother acquired COVID-19 in November. They believe from a resident who had visited the hospital for dialysis during an outbreak at the hospital, so much for the iron ring, says Michelle. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Health. This government rolled out a vaccination plan that is not easy to use or accessible to all. The vaccine keen are finding their way, but we cannot over-rely on back hunters to pick up the government's slack. There are people in Ontario who face systemic barriers to health every day. Where is the plan for the Ontarians who have systemic barriers to vaccination? Speaker, not everyone has a computer. They certainly cannot use a library computer during lockdown. Some people are vaccine hesitant or lack confidence in vaccines, and they certainly lack confidence in this government. What is the Minister's plan to reach the people in Ontario who are eligible to get the vaccine but face systemic barriers to getting it? How will you track individuals and provide socioeconomic data? Thank you. Thank you. Minister of Health. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you very much to the member for the question. We do have a comprehensive three-phase plan for a vaccine rollout. We are now in phase two of the plan, and I can advise that to date over 7.2 million vaccines have been delivered. We have over 5.3 million bookings for vaccines in the future. So clearly many people are finding their way through the system and aren't finding it that difficult to negotiate. But for those people who don't have a computer, we also can, they can also make calls to our online call centre and book their vaccines that way. And we also have numerous pharmacies that are offering vaccines, both Moderna and the Pfizer vaccines. People can make their own appointments through their own vaccine clinics at their pharmacies. So there are many ways for people to access these vaccines. We are making sure that anyone in Ontario who wants a vaccine will be able to get one. And the supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. And back to the minister. As your government just said, it just takes one to ignite an outbreak. The Ontario Science Table said to prioritize hot spots for four weeks to save more lives. You said no. Hot spots have some of the most vulnerable people in our communities that have a high proportion of essential workers and they have not seen three waves. They've actually just seen a tsunami of one wave continuously since the virus started last year. If the minister in this government is so confident in their plan, why not accept my request to collect socio-demographic data, including race, ethnicity, disabilities, languages spoken so that we can better track who and where the vaccine is getting to. Tomorrow, I will provide amendments to a bill 283 at committee that will require the collection of race-based data and other important information collected when someone gets a vaccine. While protecting, of course, their privacy, which you require. And this will allow the government to see that this life-saving vaccine is truly equitably distributed. Speaker, will the minister fix her bill today and support these amendments so we can better track who is receiving the vaccine? The minister of health. Well, thank you. As a member, we'll certainly know we are tracking this socio-demographic information by asking people if they wish to disclose it or not. We are making the receipt of the vaccine subject to the person's individual choice. And I believe that the disclosure of this information should also be according to their own wishes and not be mandatory. Most people are providing it. Some people don't wish to. However, I can also speak to the issue about the hotspot areas. We did designate 50% of all of our vaccines going into hotspot areas for a two-week period with the result that we now have a 7.9% increase, a higher increase in people receiving the vaccines in the hotspot areas than in the non-hotspot areas. So clearly that's working. But I can also advise that the Ontario Science Table recommendations presented in April assumed a rate of 100,000 vaccines administered per day and a 50% hotspot 50% per population basis for 30 days. However, in the month of May, the province will receive approximately double the number of vaccines than were originally estimated by the Science Advisory Table. And we are confident that we will be able to roll out those vaccines in those hotspot areas to make sure that everyone who needs to be covered will be covered. Thank you. The next question, the member for Sonia Lampden. Thank you, Speaker. And this question today is to the minister of colleges and universities. Speaker, we know that the previous liberal government did not make the necessary investments in our healthcare system. This included not making the right investments in the education of future generation of nursing students here in Ontario. We all heard stories of the many Ontarians who wanted to become nurses who were unable to find a program close to home or were not able to get into a program even though they were qualified because of the lack of increased enrollment opportunities. Speaker, I'm proud that our government has taken the right steps to ensure that prospective nursing students have more choices and improved access to excellent post-secondary training. Can the minister of colleges and universities tell us what actions this government is taking to provide greater choice and access to prospective nursing students in Ontario? The member for Northumberland, Peterborough South, and Parliamentary Assistant. Thank you, Speaker. And I'd like to thank the member for that question. You know, Speaker, yesterday when I rose in the house, I spoke a bit about how previous governments failed to think outside the box and equip us with the health, human resource capacity to meet not only today's needs, but tomorrow's needs. So I thank the member for that question and I'm pleased to rise to talk about standalone nursing. So what is standalone nursing? Previously, colleges had to partner with universities to offer nursing degrees and I'm pleased to say that our government launched standalone nursing for our colleges without the need to partner with a university. Perspective students now have greater access to excellent post-secondary training in high-demand jobs closer to home. Speaker, I'm pleased to say that to date, two colleges are preparing to offer the first standalone bachelor of science nursing programs in the fall of 2021. Speaker, this will ensure that we are truly meeting the needs not only of Ontarians today, but that we're training a well-trained workforce to meet the needs of Ontarians tomorrow. And I'm proud to be part of a government thinking outside the box and doing just that. Thank you, Speaker. Supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. And it's great news that this government is making the necessary investments today in the education of Ontario's future nurses. I know that nursing students in my community value being able to study close to home and look forward to continuing to care for our community and our loved ones. This is the first increase in the number of nursing seats in nearly 20 years, Speaker. While it is welcome news that students will be able to access high-quality education close to home, can the minister please explain what investments our government is also making to increase the number of nursing students in Ontario? Thank you. Member for Northumberland, beautiful. Yeah, thank you, Speaker. And the member's absolutely right, and I'd like to thank him for his leadership and championing this issue. Mr. Speaker, we do need to take consistent action to train a well-trained next generation of healthcare professionals. That's why I'm proud to say that last week, under the leadership of Ministry of Colleges and Universities, Ministry of Long-Term Care and Premier Ford, the government announced a $35 million investment to expand the number of nursing seats in the province of Ontario. Speaker, what that means? That means we're gonna see over 2,000 additional nurses brought into the system. 1,130 new practical nurses and 870 registered nurses. Speaker, this was the first expansion of nursing seats in the province of Ontario, the first in over 20 years. 20 years, Speaker. We know that this was so much needed, but it's not just that. It's about the free tuition for over 16,000 PSWs now in the pipeline to meet our Herculean effort to hire 27,000 more healthcare professionals. Be it Mike. Thank you. Thank you very much. The next question, member for Humber River Black Creek. Thank you, Speaker. And I wanna welcome the members of the Ontario Health Coalition that are here in the virtual gallery today and thank them for their advocacy. Speaker, my question's for the Premier. Dorit Paul was a mother of seven, a grandmother of 12, and a great grandmother of 11. On Mother's Day of last year, Dorit fell into a coma at Western Terrace. The private long-term care home operated by Sienna Senior Living where she was a resident. Her family only learned that Dorit had tested positive for COVID-19 two days later. On March 16th, 2020, Dorit passed away alone without any of her loved ones to comfort her. Dorit's granddaughter, Tara Barrows said Sienna tried to hide the fact that the home had been experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak and had a critical shortage of staff to look after residents. Tara explained that her grandmother experienced many neglectful conditions that are tragically so common in many for-profit long-term care facilities. Tara wants to know why this government did not send Canadian Armed Forces into Western Terrace where 31 residents died when it was sent into other homes experiencing similar outbreaks. Great question. And to reply, Government House Leader. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And obviously the Canadian Armed Forces were sent in to a number of homes, Mr. Speaker. I also mentioned a bit earlier how the concept of Ontario Health Teams that was championed by the Minister of Health, in order to help transform the system, we saw in a number of homes, including two in my right, Mr. Speaker, where the local health facility, Markham Stola Hospital, was able to come in and help whether it was participation house or a long-term care facility that needed assistance. There is no doubt, there is no doubt that we were on the defense in the first part of this pandemic, Mr. Speaker. And I'm under no illusion that I'm going to provide any comfort in one minute answer to Tara, Mr. Speaker. I wish I could. I wish what she heard in a minute would give her some solace, but I know it isn't. I know it doesn't take away the anger and the frustration and the sadness that they feel at the loss of a loved one. But what I can do, Mr. Speaker, what this government can do, what we can all do is make sure that we fix the problems that we inherited and that we give people the best long-term care in all of North America and New York. Supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. Grace Hope's mother is a resident of a long-term care home. She's fully vaccinated and is mobile with the aid of a walker. Yet, for the past year, she has been confined to her room with none of her loved ones able to visit. Like many other seniors during the pandemic, Grace says that her mother's mental health has been declining and that even the warmer weather has done nothing to improve her spirits. Grace said, and I quote, her mother does not deserve to spend her last days, months or years in prison. Grace is watching today. Can the minister tell Grace and other families who are patiently waiting to see their loved ones in long-term care when this government will make the more than a visitor act into law to give essential caregivers and congregate care settings access to their loved ones so that residents like Grace's mother don't have to continue to suffer in isolation. Great question. And now, Peter. Yes, Mr. Speaker, I certainly understand that. And that's why the initial phase, phase one of the vaccination was to ensure that all residents of long-term care homes received their vaccinations, Mr. Speaker. And we're well on our way to ensuring that we do that. In addition, there's over 7 million Ontarians who have been vaccinated. This is very good. This is a very good effort, Mr. Speaker, but we did see a question was raised earlier with respect to Roberta Place and we saw what a variant introduced into a home can do to a population of a home, even if they have been vaccinated. It is why we've been calling on the federal government to help us, help us begging, in fact, the federal government to help us to close down our airports so that these international variants do not make their way into Ontario and into our long-term care homes. I know how difficult it is, Mr. Speaker. Believe me, I do understand how difficult it is. The members opposite are not the only ones who have friends, relatives, and family in long-term care homes. We all do, but, Mr. Speaker, my primary responsibility, our primary responsibility is to keep people safe and that's what we'll continue to do. Thank you. The next question, the member for Orléans. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Long-term Care who happens to also represent a riding in Ottawa. I'd like to thank Betty Yakimenko for coming this morning, Mr. Speaker. Betty's from Ottawa and her mother lives at the Madonna Care Community Long-term Care Home in Orléans and she's also the chair of the Homes Family Council. Now, Madonna was one of the hardest hit homes by COVID-19, Mr. Speaker. 47 residents and two PSWs died. This morning on the front page of the Ottawa Citizen, we learned that the home operator allowed a manager who tested positive for COVID-19 to come into work last April. The manager had tested positive for COVID-19 and the operator allowed them to come to work, Mr. Speaker. An inspection report from October revealed other violations, including managers not being screened before entering the home, staff not always wearing PPE and one volunteer being encouraged to reuse their PPE. Families have lost loved ones and they deserve justice, Mr. Speaker. Why is the Premier resisting implementing his own commission's recommendations and will he commit to publicly reporting on the government's progress on implementing them? To reply on behalf of the government, government house leader. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, we called the commission of inquiry so that we could understand what some of the challenges were in the first wave with respect to our long-term care homes, Mr. Speaker. And what we found both through the commission of inquiry and through an unauthored general's report is a significant lack of funding by the previous government which left us unprepared to deal with the pandemic when it hits so forcefully, Mr. Speaker. Having said that, Mr. Speaker, that is why we moved very quickly even before the pandemic to ensure that our long-term care system received the attention that it required. It was unacceptable to have multi-year decades waiting lists to get into homes, Mr. Speaker. That is why we committed to building 30,000 new homes, Mr. Speaker. That is why we committed to four hours of care. That is why we're hiring 27,000 additional PSWs. That is why as the parliamentary assistant to the minister of training colleges and universities just mentioned the fact, Mr. Speaker, that we're hiring 2,000 new nurses. It doesn't take away from the pain and suffering that people are feeling, Mr. Speaker. But what it does is make sure that the next generation do not feel the exact same pain that this one went through, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary question. The member for Ottawa, Senator. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I'd like to welcome Helen Lee from Oakville, who's here seeking justice for her mother, Foon He-Hum, who passed away at Monchong Home. She's here with other families seeking justice, families who've lost a loved one. Justice that was denied when the Premier refused to enact provisions of Bill 160 that would have held homes more accountable and then passed legislation to make them less accountable. Justice that was denied when residents, more residents died in the second wave than in the first. And justice that was denied when an investigation into deaths from dehydration that the Premier promised didn't happen. And justice that was denied when the Premier refused to commit to implementing the recommendations of his own long-term care commission. Speaker, families deserve justice. Question. So through you, will the Premier commit to recommendation 85 and publicly report on the progress into the recommendations of his own long-term care commission report? And to respond, Governor Noselear. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Of course, we are acting on the recommendations, Mr. Speaker, but look, we have made it very clear what we want to accomplish in long-term care. Even before we were elected, Mr. Speaker, we said we had to end hallway health care. Why do we have hallway health care? Because the previous Liberal government left us with the lowest ICU capacity in North America, Mr. Speaker. That is a legacy of this member and his leader. Why do we have to build 30,000-year long-term care spaces in the province of Ontario? Because when he was in government in the previous 15 years that the Liberals were in government, they didn't build any, Mr. Speaker. 600 long-term care spaces is the legacy of the previous Liberal government, compared to 30,000 being built by this government. 5,000 tests a day they left us with. We've increased that to 75,000. We've increased critical care capacity by 3,000 beds. We're hiring 27,000 additional PSWs. We're bringing on 2,000 additional nurses, Mr. Speaker. We are getting the job done, a job that should have started 15 years ago and for previous Liberal administrations in between. We will get the job done for the people in the province of Ontario, unlike that member and his leader. Thank you. A member for London fans. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. So families from every corner of the province have had horror stories about long-term care under this Conservative government. Heather McMichael from London wants the Premier to hear hers. And she says, quote, although my mom did not die from COVID, I am convinced that the isolation contributed to her death in 2020. She was used to having her two daughters visit her two to three times a week and helping her with things that staff didn't have time to help her with, such as cleaning her humidifier and helping her with mail and banking. Then she was confined to her room with no visitors allowed for months, end quote. Speaker, my question through you to the Premier. No family should have to go through the heartbreak of watching their loved ones suffer in isolation and loneliness and not being able to do anything about it. Question. What are you doing to ensure that this never happens again? To respond to Governor Husser. Let me just say to the honourable member, excuse me, and her constituent, look, I understand, Mr. Speaker. I can tell you, look, not that it matters, but for a year going to my father-in-law's house every Saturday and then leaving him, a 90-year-old man giving him his groceries and leaving, it's not easy to do. It's not easy to do. And it's not just the member's opposite. It's not just people, we feel this, we understand this, Mr. Speaker. We get how hard it is. That's why we're trying so hard to get vaccines into people's arms, Mr. Speaker. When it comes to long-term care, that is why we're fighting so hard to get 30,000 spaces, 27,000 new nurses, new PSWs, Mr. Speaker, 2,000 new nurses, we have to solve this problem. We have to solve this problem. This is something that should have been addressed in the decades before the pandemic, Mr. Speaker. It wasn't. Response? And nothing I say now is going to solve or make people feel better. I get it, Mr. Speaker. But 15 years from now, when people look back, I want them to say that this government, this legislature, did something about it, and we are and we will, Mr. Speaker. Speaker, we learned from the first wave, the horrible isolation, and we have a bill called Bill 203 for more than a visitor that's just languishing in committee. That's something this government could do. Heather and her family didn't deserve to go through this. And she says this about the mom, quote, she was a very social person and enjoyed meals in the dining room with other residents, going outside to enjoy the nice weather and seeing the gardens. I understand that she was safer in her room than eating in the dining room, but I think going outside, outside would have been safe for her. Because she was confined to a wheelchair, she couldn't go outside by herself, and staff were short staffed and overwhelmed with COVID procedures and didn't have time to take her outdoors, end quote. Again, Speaker, my question to the premier, what is this government doing to ensure that homes not only have enough staff, but they have the supports they need to ensure that no family member ever again has to worry about whether or not their loved ones are isolated and are not being allowed to enjoy the outdoors? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Look, Mr. Speaker, I get it. I understand how frustrating it is that a year after there is still a global health and economic pandemic that we have to tackle. I know the theme this week seems to be that the opposition would like to declare victory and move on. But it is not time yet for us to do that. We have to ensure that the people of this province, including those seniors in long-term care, are kept safe, Mr. Speaker. I implore the members opposite to help us. Help us, Mr. Speaker, help us convince the federal government, first and foremost, to close down our international airports so that these variants of concern don't make their way back into the province of Ontario. It's not too late. If they help us, we can stop that, Mr. Speaker. We've got to get more vaccines into people's arms. We've done an incredible job so far that people of this province, over 7 million people have received their vaccine, Mr. Speaker. There is more work to do. We will get the job done for seniors and for those in long-term care, Mr. Speaker. I am confident of it, and we will not stop until we do. And please, our question period for this morning. There being no further business this morning. This House stands in recess until 3 p.m.