2023-05-31 Question Period

it is now time for oral questions and I recognize the leader of his Majesty's loyal opposition tonight this government will oversee the closure of the emergency room in Minden against the outcry from more than 24 000 people who signed petitions to keep it open against local families seniors kids summer camps against the local businesses the business owners who feel let down ignored by this conservative government and who are understandably worried about what this means when a loved one has a heart attack a stroke or an injury that requires Emergency Care distressed Furious residents shuttered emergency rooms no health care when you need it speaker I want to ask the premier is this the kind of Legacy the conservatives want to leave thank you you know I will reiterate again that it is incredibly challenging for local leadership to make these decisions because they want to ensure that there is capacity within the system The Halliburton Highlands leadership have made a determination that it is safer for the community to have Consolidated two emergency departments into one of the Halliburton site but you know the member opposite talks about Legacy and I want to talk about the Legacy that we are leading future ontarians when we expand two new medical schools in the province of Ontario I want to talk about a legacy for the first time ever we have worked with the College of Physicians and surgeons of Ontario to ensure that individuals who practice medicine in UK in Ireland in Australia in the U.S are getting their licenses expedited because of the work that we're doing I want to talk about thank you thank you the supplementary question speaker in a statement to local media yesterday the minister of Health insisted that the closure of the Minden emergency room is and I want to quote her here not a closure speaker I was in Minden on Thursday where the local hospital board has stationed a giant sign that reads emergency department closed on June 1st let me tell you the closure of the emergency department is effectively the closure of the hospital the people of mind didn't know that and so does this Minister the same government statement goes on to say that the conservative MPP for Minden has been in touch with a local hospital board but residents and local business owners here yesterday says she hasn't met with them and when they were here yesterday she didn't even raise her head to look at them speaker why is this government trying to play people for fools instead of taking some responsibility minister of Health you know speaker I choose to believe that the leader of the NDP understands that hospitals are more than just an emergency department that Minden hospital will continue to offer services to their communities the consolidation of the emergency department while challenging for that leadership is part of these determinations that the leadership have made and again I will go back to Legacy you know we talk about Bill 60 and as of right first in Canada speaker that ensures that clinicians who have licenses in other Canadian jurisdictions can today begin working in the province of Ontario as they go through that license process here in Ontario those are the legacies that will ensure that we have health care capacity and health human resource capacity in decades and future Generations thank you final supplementary that's cold comfort for the people of Minden I'll tell you another thing a diagnostic machine and a doctor's office does not a hospital make County Guelph Hamilton Perth Grand River and Kitchener Windsor Alexandria Wingham Thessalon kempville Seaforth Ottawa Bowmanville Clinton Orangeville Carlton Place Essex County Kingston Waterloo Credit Valley Minden Smith Falls London Chesley Port Colburn Fort Erie all communities that have seen either no ambulances available or the closure of services at some point in the last year because of this government's Staffing crisis expert after expert have warned the conservative plan is only going to make it worse 380 000 ontarians just made their voices clear in the OMC citizen referendum back to the premier will he listen to experts and ontarians and keep the hospital open and stop their plan for two-tier Health Care in this province I think minister of Health thank you I want to remind the member opposite that the president of the Ontario Hospital Association said and I quote we're rushing to make up for lost time and the government has implemented a wide range of well-designed and very constructive programs to recruit and retain and some of those programs of course include the 9-1-1 models of care that ensure paramedics have the ability to quickly assess and make sure that individuals go to the most appropriate place the dedicated offload nursing program that is in hospitals today in emergency rooms to make sure again paramedics can release their patients and get back out on the road the emergency department peer-to-peer the emergency department local program the extern program the nurse preceptors program all of these programs are available to Ontario hospitals and we have ordered very closely to ensure that when it is appropriate we will be there and we will keep making those programs available [Applause] and the leader of the opposition thank you speaker Ontario is a place that celebrates and draws strength from our diversity but across the client The Province climate of fear is taking hold among 2s lgbtq plus people as they face increasing threats and hostility from increasingly organized extremist groups this is manifesting in local municipalities who are Banning Pride flags and events and in school boards like the York Catholic District School Board who decided this week to not allow the flag to be flown outside of schools yesterday when the premier was asked whether or not he agreed with the board's decision he said and I quote I have no comment on that because given the very real and growing hate facing Ontario's lgbtq communities does this Premier really have nothing to say on this figure Mr Speaker pride is a special time for us to recognize and celebrate Ontario's lgptq plus community and I've proved it by going into the York pride parade and I'm going to be going again this year school boards have a responsibility to ensure each and every school in Ontario is a safe and inclusive space for all children and I'll always support Ontario's lgbtq plus community and I look forward again for my third or fourth year going down to the York pride parade and we're going to go down there we're going to celebrate we're going to have fun and that's where I stand and I think the leader of the opposition knows that foreign [Applause] but only effective when followed by real action during pride month rainbow flags were raised across Queens Park City Halls and many other public buildings but not at the York Catholic District School Board as six trustees voted against the rainbow flag yesterday the minister of Education offered empty words when asked about how he would keep students safe hours later he issued a memo to school boards without even mentioning the rainbow flag speaker what will this conservative government actually do to protect students I would offer him one suggestion he can issue a ministerial directive to the school board to ensure that the rainbow flags are flown at every single publicly funded school in Ontario thank you please reply the minister of Education well thank you very much Mr Speaker we believe that all children in Ontario irrespective of their faith or Heritage sexual orientation or gender their color of skin they deserve to feel safe in a publicly funded school and Mr Speaker yes we've expressed disappointment decision and we have affirmed through a memo just yesterday setting out a clear expectation that all publicly funded schools English and French Catholic and Public that they will find meaningful positive ways to celebrate Pride that is our expectation and we will be as a government led by our Premier visible active present at York's Pride Parade as we have done for now three or four years standing in solidarity with the community that yes has faced disproportionate levels of violence and bullying we stand with these kids we know they exist and we are going to ensure they are safe with Ontario's publicly funded schools final speaker thank you the minister talks about Marching In One Pride there's 60 Pride parades happening in Ontario with the largest one actually in the city of border the largest one being in the city [Applause] you want me to create member for Toronto Center made a statement it was completely parliamentary start the clock member for Toronto Center thank you speaker the largest pride parade in the world is actually in the city of Toronto and where this is where we actually see security Insurance costs for this organization and Prides across Ontario going up largely due to the risk of of violence and threats from right wing ring extremists yet the government is cutting cutting funding to Pride organizations Pride Toronto received 250 000 in 2020 in 2021 170 thousand dollars Less in 2022 and this year they were capped at 125 000 with half the money that they received just two years ago ipsos has reported that prior Toronto contributes 580 89 million dollars to Ontario's GDP and 37 million dollars in direct provincial tax revenues just last year alone questions couldn't have come at the worst time if you want to show up to march in the pride parade I suggest you show up with a check will the premier reinstate their funding this year there's a we remind members to make their comments through the chair to apply for the government the minister of Tourism culture and Sport uh thank you Mr Speaker as mentioned earlier in a number of times we're proud to support Pride Toronto and work towards that celebration to support a 2s lbt2tqi plus community and support what they are attempting to do and this pride festival is so very important now we have had we've had two meetings with organizing committee at the pride festival about a month ago this is the first time we've really heard of a problem with financing so I would like to offer when this event is over and we can settle down and sit down and talk about exactly what the concerns are if if Insurance costs have come up and and they've other things are happening we'd be nice if we could know about it to show how we could show our support versus a couple of days before the festival is about to start Mr Speaker we take this seriously and we do show support through reconnect Festival event program Ontario cultural attraction funds so it's not as if we've been dis we take your suit the government house later will withdraw his unparliamentary comment John thank you start the clock the next question member for Ottawa center speaker for profit Health Care staffing agencies are hurting our hospitals one of these firms is Canadian Health Labs this company is convinced hundreds of burned out nurses and psws to leave their workplaces offering them double the salaries they normally earn their head lobbyist is former Prime Minister Paul Martin the company made 154 million dollars from 500 nurses and psws they've hired out of our Public Health Care Systems and public workplaces their plan speakers to hire as many as 5 000 people can the minister of Health confirm if she has met with this company and contracted Canadian Health Labs to work in Ontario to apply the deputy Premier and minister of Health well I just need some confirmation from the member opposite he is suggesting that registered nurses in the province of Ontario should not have a choice in where they work or where in which areas they work you know we have as a government made a commitment and put money on the table to ensure that we have the largest expansion of nurses in the province of Ontario you know when the minister of colleges and universities and myself visited member for Kitchener Conestoga will come to order member for Hamilton Mountain will come to work the member for Kitchener Conestoga is warned who had the floor okay okay thank you start the clock minister of Health 12 000 new nurses our registered just last year why because we are making the investment because we have directed the College of nurses of Ontario to say when those internationally educated practitioners want to work in practice in the province of Ontario you need to expedite the review and ultimately license when appropriate we've done that work to ensure that we have removed every red tape barrier that is ensuring people get to practice and work wherever [Applause] supplementary member for nickel belt thank you speaker let me help the minister she has met with the staffing agency Canadian Health lab six times since becoming Minister fly-by-night staffing agency are hurting our hospital they are hurting the patient in our hospital they exist for one reason to make money for the investor they take health care workers from our public system and sell them back at huge profit how big speaker a whistled blower showed us a hundred and fifty four million profit off of the back of 500 Ontarian health care workers let that sink in speaker let that sink in that's this is sickening why is this Minister letting this happen it would be helpful for the member opposite to also list the number of hospitals that I have visited since becoming the minister of Health you know we learn from what is happening in the field directly with the people impacted and I can tell you when I talk to nurses when I talk to Physicians when I talk to hospital CEOs they are very very happy that we are actually making Investments to ensure that we have programs like the learning stakeholder a program that actually means if you are ready and wanting to stay in an under-serviced area we will cover your tuition and your book costs and in fact in Owen Sound when we when together the minister of college and university and I spoke to that hospital every single one of those Georgian College nursing students have applied and are part of that program it is working speaker and we will continue to the next question the member for Brantford brand thank you speaker my question is for the minister of Economic Development job creation and trade Ontario holds immense potential for entrepreneurs and businesses in the advanced manufacturing sector our Province offers a highly skilled Workforce and abundant opportunities making it an ideal location to establish and expand business operations yet to stay ahead of their competition our businesses and entrepreneurs want to know that our government is committed to helping their businesses invest in the latest Technologies and the best talent speaker can the minister please elaborate on how our government is supporting businesses particularly manufacturers in the province of Ontario thank you minister of Economic Development job creation and trade the cost of Business by eight billion dollars every single year we have made Ontario the most competitive place to invest and grow this is the case all across the province including in our Rural and Regional communities SBS Drive Tech and Barry recently announced a 2 million dollar investment in their auto parts manufacturing plant now their facility makes components for both combustion and EVs and with a 300 000 investment from our government they will fully automate their manufacturing process on their assembly line and create new jobs speaker SBS Drive Tech adds to the over one billion dollar Investments and the 1800 jobs created through our regional development programs and it builds on the 25 billion dollars in EV Investments we've attracted to Ontario complimentary question speaker and thank you Minister for that response it's encouraging to hear that our government is not overlooking workers and businesses unlike the previous liberal government undoubtedly programs like the regional Regional development program are vital in driving our province's economy by empowering businesses to invest however in addition to attracting International Investments it is crucial that we create favorable conditions for our local businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive within our communities speaker can the minister please provide further details on how our government is supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs to expand their Ventures thank you minister of Economic Development job creation and trade our government has reversed Decades of economic harm caused by the Liberals and the ndps their policies cost the province hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs and speaker at stifled investment here in Ontario instead we listen to the businesses and to the entrepreneurs who told us exactly what they needed to succeed lower Hydro costs lower taxes less red tape that's what they needed speaker and that's exactly what we did it simply changed the trajectory of the previous government and now our world-class Innovation sector is making Investments and have created 660 000 jobs since we are elected speaker so now more than ever entrepreneurs are turning their dreams into success stories the next question the member for Scarborough Southwest thank you very much speaker my question is to the minister of Labor speaker earlier this month the no Joanne support network a worker support network in Brampton wrote to the minister to highlight how investigations and enforcement of wage theft complaints the ministry are dramatically Down Under This government they have asked the minister to reply by June 1st to set up a meeting to discuss this important issue will the minister agree to meet with the network to learn of their concerns Mr Labor Training immigration skills development well Mr Speaker the laws are are clear in this province and we expect every employer a speaker to abide by those laws that's why Mr Speaker I've been very clear that breaking the law in Ontario can never be the cost of doing business that's why in our working for workers legislation we've increased health and safety fines for companies that break the rules we're cracking down on temporary help agencies Mr Speaker to be the first government in the province to set up licensing for companies in the province that use temp help workers Mr Speaker I'm really proud that we announced last week that for the first time we're recognizing International credentials here in the province of Ontario for those newcomers that come to our province that have been educated elsewhere around the world that we're moving recognize those credentials by eliminating the Canadian worker experience requirements so Mr Speaker we're going to continue every single day working for all workers in this province supplements questions Riverside and enforcement by this ministry is the problem this this information comes directly from the ministry the result of a freedom of information request in 2014 there were 18 000 employment standards investigation in 2021 that number dropped to 8 000. and speaker I want to quote the letter actually which does workers who whose way wages are being stolen regard the ministry as weak and ineffective an institution that cannot enforce the orders IT issues and that will prosecute employers who ignore the orders some employers are so Carefree towards the ministry that they mockingly encourage their workers to file employment standards claims believing they will never face serious consequences even if those claims are successful speaker does the minister think it's acceptable that millions of dollars actually nine million dollars owed to workers in Brampton and elsewhere in the last year had been pocketed by greedy employers for labor Mr Speaker again employers know the laws in this province in the ministry of labor will ensure that those laws are upheld but it was under a progressive conservative government under Premier Ford that we increased the number of inspectors in this province to the highest in Ontario History Mr Speaker we now have over 500 inspectors we're expecting thousands of businesses including 200 employment standards offices officers Mr Speaker in fact in the last five years alone we've recuperated over 110 million dollars in lost wages for workers across this province we're going to continue to work every single day for all workers in this province the member for Markham Thornhill thank you thank you thank you Mr Speaker my question is for the minister of Transportation as we approach the summer season many people are looking forward to visiting some of our Province top tourism destination such as Niagara Falls however connecting to the Niagara region by car from the other areas in Ontario can be challenging traffic congestion and gridlock on Highway can lead to delay and frustration with so much to see do and enjoy in the Niagara region there are need to be more options for convenient travel to this part of our province tourism is a vital to Ontario economy and our government must do all that we can to encourage more people to visit Niagara Mr Speaker can the minister please explain what step our government is taking to make it easier to travel to the Niagara region thank you to apply for minister of Transportation thank you speaker and I thank you the member I thank the member for the question after over a decade of liberal inaction it is our Progressive conservative government that is investing in the Niagara region to unlock its full potential earlier this month I joined Premier Ford and my colleagues to announce more GO train service between Union Station and Niagara Falls the expansion of GO train service will connect more people to jobs housing and to Canada's top tours tourist destination and families across the GTA now have more options to get to the Niagara region as GO train service has increased by two daily round trips and an additional round trip on weekends speaker that's a total of 21 round trips per week so whether you're heading to a winery in Niagara on the Lake or seeing the Falls up close families have more access to go transit to explore the beautiful region thank you the supplementary questions thank you Mr speaker thank you Minister for that response the expansion of gold train service between downtown Toronto and the Niagara region not only support tourism it also increases travel option for people that live in areas such as Hamilton and Burlington it is encouraging to see that our government is taking action to increase Transit options that will make travel more convenient and will increase opportunity for job and economic growth it is a vital that our government is continued to focus on measures that will help to advance economic prosperity for Ontario Mr Speaker can the minister please explain how our government is expanding public transit across our Province thank you minister of Transportation thank you speaker my colleague is correct Ontario's population is rapidly growing and unlike the previous liberal government we are taking action by 2055 go rail will become one of the busiest Railways anywhere in North America with more than 200 million annual Riders and that's why we're taking steps that will support our future speaker the additional GO train service means trains will also resume service to Saint Catherine's via station our government is also funding four additional weekday Express trains during the busiest hours trains will travel in both directions on Lakeshore West and offer more express service between Hamilton Burlington and Toronto speaker this investment will not only shorten travel times for everyday commuters but it also supports tourism and economic growth and with the 15 weekend travel pass families can enjoy unlimited travel anywhere on the GO train Network speaker our government is making it easier to get where you need to go and we will continue [Applause] my question is to the premier May 29th marked the start of national accessibility week the week is ending and there's little to celebrate by way of accessibility here in the province over the last few years we've seen announcements ideas and ideas around accessibility but no real change to meet the markers around physical infrastructure on top of this disabled people can't find accessible places to live are excluded from schools and are being kicked off of specialized transit services like wheel trans and are disproportionately criminalized they're also still living on social assistance rates below the poverty line when will this government stop treating disabled people in this province like second-class citizens and get back to making Ontario accessible by 2025. respond the Parliamentary assistant member for Richmond Hill for the member opposite or asking this very important question National accessibility awareness week is very important to this government and to me personally Mr Speaker there is no better advocate for accessibility than this Premier and Minister for accessibility they understand and disability and inclusion requires long-term vision every dollar on infrastructure is a dollar being invested for people with disabilities and I would also like to thank the leadership of minister of Labor just this morning we announced over 4 million dollars in the skills Development Fund wow this marvelous fund will support local organization like Canadian National Institute for blind and the Geneva autism response this makes sure people with disabilities have the right programs and right services to find meaningful training jobs when we break down barriers in our Province we're helping all ontarians live in a better supplementary questions again to the premier this government's focus on employment for disabled people ignores the fact that 23 percent of the province is disabled and many disabled people will never be able to work speaker the worth of a person exists outside of their ability to produce and in this province disabled people can't access public transit free and fully funded Health Care accessible housing or live lives free of discrimination as sitting MPP I also have struggled with getting trapped in places in Toronto due to inaccessible Subways and not is enough and we are people too when will this government honor the legacy of David only and get back to making Ontario accessible by 2025.

as we say we are working on this and we are having special fun to do the training for them as well every dollar of the historic 60 billion dollar investment into Transit is being invested for people with disabilities every dollar that a premium and this government is spending on building Ontario is a star spending on making this province more accessible Mr Speaker project by project Community by Community we are making Ontario more accessible every day thank you thank you the next question the member for Ottawa menu thank you speaker this question is for the minister of children community and Social Services access to healthcare professional has been has become increasingly challenging for many ontarians which is also impacting people on the Ontario Disability Support Program ODSP recipients have been contacting my office consistently seeking assistance in finding a doctor to fill out essential forms these forms are necessary for their special diet needs and to review their eligibility for benefits the inability to obtain these forms puts them at risk of losing income support and benefits is the minister willing to commit to a temporary pause on medical eligibility reviews and provide extension to recipients who are unable to find a health care professional to fill out their medical forms until more Health Care Professionals become available Deputy Premier and minister of Health thank you speaker and thank you for the in question because it is a very important one to make sure that we have Primary Care access across Ontario which is why in our your health plan and under Bill 60 we've actually set aside an expansion of 18 new Primary Care practitioners clinics today right now of course as an MPP and an advocate I would hope that you are also encouraging individuals to seek out those community health centers that are cited in communities across Ontario to make sure that individuals who need those very important paperwork filled out by their primary care practitioner have that option there are a number of Investments that we have made but I would hope that as an advocate you would make sure that you talk about and share what is already there and and primarily community health centers are a perfect example of that service thank you supplementary question thank you I appreciate the answer but in my writing there's not sufficient access to health care professional that's a fact speaker The Province recently announced that it is investing to help people with disabilities find meaningful jobs with businesses in their communities that's undoubtedly great however it is important to consider that many of these individuals will likely need accommodations to successfully integrate into the labor market the duty to accommodate under the Ontario Human Rights Code speaks specifically requires that the person with disability provides to the employer information about relevant restrictions or limitations including information from Healthcare professionals given this requirements how are they supposed to meet this application without access to a medical professional what is The Minister's plan to effectively remove barriers to employment for people with disabilities minister of children community and Social Services thanks very much speaker I want to thank vulnerable colleague for the very important question Mr Speaker my colleague alluded to the Investments that we're making to making sure that every single Ontarian succeeds and thrives in the province Mr Speaker that means every single person across the province Mr Speaker I can tell you through journey to belonging or long-term vision for a province where every single person those with disabilities have a chance to not just succeed and Thrive but contributions in their communities Mr Speaker that means access to unemployment thanks to the minister of Labor Training Mr Speaker doing a great work to making sure we connect those with disabilities across the province to employment why Mr Speaker because they belong in their communities they're contributing members and we want to make sure not only they do that but they they help us with the jobs that are not being filled and as a result have a higher income across the province so I urge the member across and my colleagues at the NDP to support us in initiatives where we say help us so that not a single person is Left Behind in this problem that's our vision thank you very much Lenox and Addington thank you speaker my questions for the minister of Northern development and Indigenous affairs speaker the ongoing impact of global High interest rates and inflation continues to create challenges for all ontarians unfortunately the economic the current economic climate is impacting people of rural remote and Northern Communities at far greater than other parts of the province communities in Northern Ontario are facing unique barriers for job creation and business development sadly the previous level of government ignored the economic potential in rural remote and Indigenous communities and drove many jobs out of the North it is vitally important that our government takes action to keep the north competitive and improve the quality of life for Northern Ontario residents speaker can the minister please explain how our government is supporting prosperity and opportunity in the North minister of Northern development Minister indigenous Sports Mr Speaker and I want to thank the member for Hastings Linux and Addington for his work here in the legislature on behalf of his constituents it was a beautiful sunny Bright Day in Northwestern Ontario Mr Speaker Business Leaders indigenous Business Leaders gathered to discuss the opportunities in the morning we talked about supporting and unlocking communities in transition and surging Mr Speaker as a result of resource-based activities and tourism we also talked about opening Northern Ontario for International Business Mr Speaker we talked about the need for the province to maintain it and and stay focused on reducing red tape for businesses the modernized Northern Ontario Heritage fund and the Northern Energy Assistance Program Mr Speaker to make sure we had that competitive advantage to compete uh globally Mr Speaker the good news is is that we were very well received by these Business Leaders we're looking forward to building out the kinds of projects Mr Speaker that can complete an exciting supply chain that very much Inc includes Northern Ontario thank you the supplementary [Applause] sir it is encouraging to hear about the programs that are being delivered through the Northern Ontario Heritage fund Corporation and that these are translating into real world results for people and businesses across the North while it is clear that many Northern Communities that were forgotten under the previous liberal government are now quite optimistic because of the meaningful Investments made by our government right our government must continue to do all that we can to work with our Northern Partners to Foster innovation in order to build stronger and more prosperous communities speaker can the minister please explain how our government is continuing to support economic development in communities across the north minister of Northern development well thank you Mr Speaker the second part of our day uh evolved around more focused discussion I was delighted to be joined by the ministry of natural resources and Forestry my very capable parliamentary assistant the member for Thunder Bay atticoke and Mr Speaker we talked about Forest sector growth the changing landscape new owners of some of the major assets and an increasing ownership by indigenous communities and or their business in the forest sector I mentioned it was a bright sunny day it turned partly cloudy Mr Speaker because I chaired this SEC the the discussion on processing and refining of our critical minerals in Northern Ontario and I had to tell the folks at the table Mr speaker about the recent vote here in the legislature and the lack of support from the NDP for mining which means processing in in Northern Ontario Northwestern Ontario Mr Speaker one thing that NDP stands for not doing processing Mr Speaker what an incredible opportunity is done order [Applause] order the next question the member for Hamilton Mountain thank you speaker my question is for the premier our communities are searching every day for missing vulnerable loved ones here in Ontario children youth adults and seniors who when they go missing do not need the Amber Alert criteria including Nathan a 37 year old man with Down Syndrome who has now been missing for 19 days from Toronto over two months ago my private members Bill Bill 74 missing persons Amendment Act was discharged and referred to committee speaker through you I asked the premier why are you not bringing back Bill 74 and providing another resource for police to use while searching for a missing and vulnerable loved one who may still be close to home the member frankly knows that the bill was discharged directly to committee so that we could make improvements to the bill the member also knows because the member was in the house that we passed a motion earlier this week that authorized committees to do their work over the summer which would include the numbers bill thank you speaker Bill 74 fills a gap in our current emergency alert system a solution that several Municipal councils stakeholders and groups who support vulnerable persons have agreed to a tool for the police to use that is local and Regional a missing person may be the last person you rode the bus with or passed on the sidewalk they're scared confused and not far from home these same missing persons who if a local alert was sounded you may recognize immediately and Report speaker again will the premier do the right thing and bring Bill 74 Back to the table speak it and the member opposite is a whip in the NDP and knows full well that emotion was brought to this chamber which was passed unanimously by everybody in the chamber including the member operative which explained that committees would be meeting over the sum over the summer specifically the committee that that bill was referred to and that it would be dealing with the bill over the summer the members aware of that or in fact I spoke to the family when they were here the member is aware of that we have talked directly about it that we would be dealing with this bill because of the importance and because of the flaws that were in the bill the member to my understanding agrees with that the whole house agrees with it I'm uncertain what confusion there is so again the whole house voted unanimously respond back committees over the summer because as you know on this side of the house we are constantly working on behalf of the people of province of Ontario and we'll continue to do that over the summer [Applause] the next question [Applause] the member for Carlton thank you Mr Speaker my question is for the minister of Agriculture food and Rural Affairs the agri-food sector in Ontario employs 750 000 people and is vital to our province's economic prosperity in order for the agri-food sector to continue to grow and expand its markets there must be a stable Workforce to meet both current and future demands for services and products that's why our government must continue to make investments that will strengthen competitiveness Innovation and resiliency within the Agriculture agri-food and agribase industries speaker through you can the minister please explain what actions our government is taking to build up the workforce in the agri-food sector thank you Mr agriculture food and oil Affairs thank you very much Mr Speaker and I appreciate the the question from the member from Carleton because I I'm very proudly standing in this house to say that our government is planning today for the future jobs of tomorrow and that includes our agri-food sector and through our grow Ontario strategy over the next 10 years we have set a Target to grow employment in our agri-food sector by 10 percent and a key to attracting people is pulling them in and making them aware of the amazing jobs our sector has at a young age and that's why the 4-H program in Ontario is so so important and I had the pleasure just last week to to share with people across this province how our government is continuing to invest in agricultural leadership development and one way is through the sustainable Canadian agricultural partnership program whereby we're investing 2.3 million over the next three years in Ontario 4-H and that is continuity and uncertainty for this program as they expose young people to the amazing opportunities in careers in the agri-food sector supplementary Mr Speaker and take you to the minister for her response since funding announcement demonstrates our government's commitment to fostering the conditions for continued growth in this vital sector which is also great news for Ontario's Youth and for 4-H Ontario I've had the pleasure of meeting my local 4-H Ambassador Rihanna and learning about the opportunities that 4-H provides to youth across our province in promoting the many aspects of Agriculture programs through 4-H Ontario are designed to help young people like Rihanna Gallagher find a place they can be involved accepted valued and heard while developing valuable leadership skills speaker can the minister please elaborate on how this investment made by our government will help young people in Ontario prepare for careers in the agri-food sector thank you and shoulder cut your food and roll affairs [Applause] Houston Carlton that the member opposite hosted earlier this year and she's a Shawnee example of how young people graduating through the 4-H program truly learn to do by doing and they apply their head heart health and hands to everything they do and the funding that we announced last week is our renewed commitment to making sure that a youth program that is valued so much and I know with confidence the Dairy Farmers of Ontario can attest to the quality of people that come through this program uh will and they'll see the return on the investment because we're going to be supporting local initiatives that increase awareness of careers in agriculture we're engaging diverse communities through this program and we are ensuring that the four jobs that are waiting for every one individual graduating from extra water or a food service program will have jobs available to them this funding will benefit the already 6 000 4-H members and young people wanting to work in the agri-food sector in Ontario thank you a member for Thunder Bay Superior north thank you speaker a year ago the minister of Labor promised to raise wsib income replacement rates to 90 percent of pre-injury wages this increase has not taken place then the wsib cut the cost of living allowance for Injured Workers by a further two percent while cutting benefits and creating new red tape for Injured Workers to Wade through the government then took a 1.2 billion dollars out of the fund and gave it back to their corporate buddies and now they've commissioned a report to say that the time to appeal wsib decisions should be cut to one month an injury at work has thrown your life completely upside down and now the government is telling you that if you want the compensation to which you're entitled and which your family needs you're going to have a month to appeal a bad wsib decision the Ontario NDP believes that no worker should ever be unjustly denied access to wsib does the minister share that commitment or will he be cutting the time to appeal wsib claims of Labor immigration training and skills development Mr Speaker first I want to thank all of those hard-working men and women that work for the wsib that are there every single day helping those Injured Workers across the province they do uh great work everywhere in all of our communities but Mr Speaker it was only a decade ago that the wsib was on the brink of bankruptcy under the leadership of Premier Ford in this government we've brought in new leadership a new board of directors a new chair of the board a new leadership at the wsib to build a better system for workers and employers and Mr Speaker I'm proud of the changes that we've made in our recent working for workers three legislation truly historic legislation we're expanding pancreatic and thyroid cancer to presumptive coverage to Firefighters across the province Mr Speaker John is going to help every firefighter whether they're full-time volunteer First Nations firefighters and Mr Speaker we're making it retroactive to January 1st 1960. the supplementary question this government continues to do everything it possibly can to undermine the well-being of Injured Workers Ontario's tribunal system is broken there are huge delays it's difficult to navigate and it's hard to find legal assistance and yet when workers make it through the system a lot of them are finding Justice claims that have previously been denied are being approved on appeal and it's completely life-changing while it seems that the government wants to take even that hope away from people by cutting the time for appeals workers deserve justice it's the right thing to do but when wsib is not there for workers guess who pays the public that's right will the minister do the right thing and commit not to cut the appeal time for wsib claims minister of Labor uh Mr Speaker I'm proud to say that this year Injured Workers in Ontario got a historic uh pay increase and we're going to continue to build a better system for Injured Workers and employers Mr Speaker that's why we brought in new leadership at the wsib to fix the mess that the former liberal government left and as I said Mr Speaker it wasn't that many years ago the full system was on the brink of bankruptcy we need a system that's going to be there for Injured Workers and Mr Speaker there is no government in literally a generation that's done more for workers across this province and Premier Ford in the PC government we brought forward three historic game-changing pieces of legislation working for workers one working for workers too and working for workers three and Mr Speaker we're not done yet more to come great answer the next question the member for Brantford brand thank you speaker my question is for the minister of citizenship and multiculturalism Ontario's diversity is one of our greatest strengths with people from all backgrounds faiths and walks of life all people in Ontario deserve to be respected no matter where they come from what they believe or how they worship unfortunately we are not immune to the rise of incidents of hate and intolerance that are we are witnessing across Canada and indeed around the world acts of discrimination hatred and violence have no place in our communities and that is why our government must take action to implement measures that will combat hate and will protect the people of our Province speaker can the minister please explain how our government is building safer stronger and more inclusive communities thank you minister of citizenship and multiculturalism well thank you very much Mr Speaker and I'd like to thank the member from Branford brand for the question and it is a very important question Mr Speaker I think it's important for all of us in this house to be very clear that hate and intolerance has no place here in Ontario speaker every every Ontarian no matter their ethnicity or nationality how they worship or who they love deserves to live in safe communities and without fear that they may be targeted because of who they are Mr Speaker that is why our government over the last two years has invested over a hundred million dollars to combat hate and help Foster inclusive communities recently Mr Speaker our government has announced 25.5 million dollars to help protect

Ontario's religious diverse and other marginalized communities this Fundy will help ensure that they have safe and secure prices to practice their faith showcase culture and express who they are our government will always be a champion for all ontarians we will continue working to build a stronger safer and more inclusive for all people from all walks of life supplementary questions [Applause] waiting for the light there it is thank you speaker it's reassuring that our government is taking meaningful action to protect our communities and to combat hate wherever it exists all ontarians deserve to feel safe in their communities and should be able to live and worship without fear that they will be targeted communities in my home region of Brantford Branch are similar to other places across Ontario where there are people from a wide variety of faiths beliefs and backgrounds the people of Ontario expect that our government will continue to put measures in place that will protect their Safety and Security speaker can the minister please elaborate on the scope of the anti-hate security and prevention Grant and how this will benefit organizations across Ontario thank you Minister's citizenship and multiculturalism well again I'd like to thank the member for the follow-up question I think building on our investment team bat racism and hate the new 25.5 million dollar anti-hate security and prevention Grant will help create stronger safer and more inclusive communities Mr Speaker we have expanded eligibility after much consultation to include more groups and organizations because speaker everyone deserves to feel safe in the environment to practice their faith and express their cultures and beliefs this investment will make a difference in helping thousands of more organizations across the province better protect their facilities from hate motivated incidents vandalism and other acts when tolerance Mr Speaker this includes religious organizations such as churches mosques synagogues as well as cultural organizations that serve black indigenous Asian 2s lgbtqi communities who are all they can benefit from these funds how they would like to invest it most uh that will hand the most thank you thank you the next question number for Hamilton West and Castor Dundas uh thank you speaker this government's plan to build on the green belt is very alarming in a letter I received from the federal minister of the environment Minister gebo concerning your actions on the Green Belt he writes in part there are portions of Ontario's Green Belt that contain critical habitat for species listed under the federal species at risk murder environment and climate change candidate officials have reached out to the government of Ontario officials to ensure that the provincial and federal laws designed to support the identification protection and mitigation of harm to species at risk and their habitats of concern are respected in the provincial approach to housing so my question is very simple and I ask on behalf of so many ontarians that are very concerned with your government's approach to housing what steps are you actually taking to protect species at risk as you rush to pave over Wetlands agricultural lands and the green belt remind the members to the chair minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing can replace uh speaker that uh just just like there is in the federal house it appears there's a bit of a liberal NDP Alliance here in question period this morning provincially um you know we've been Crystal Clear we we took a a plan to the people uh last June under the leadership of Premier Ford that our government would build Upon Our Success with our housing Supply action plans and not only have a housing Supply action plan each and every year under a re-elected government under premium reports leadership but that we would build 1.5 million homes by 2031 and every measure we put forward whether it was more homes more choice in 2019 more homes for everyone more homes built faster and now we have the helping home buyers protecting tenants new Democrats have not supported it so you know we've said many times we we want to work with the federal government we've got a great relationship with the with the minister Hussein and the housing Minister uh not I don't have a relationship with Mr gebo so I I can't I can't speak to that but but we want to move forward and I know what our upcoming provincial territorial meeting we'll have more to say about how the federal government can support our government and the supplement your question the minister may not have a relationship now with Minister gebo but I predict he will shortly given their actions because your government is opening up the difference Rouge agricultural preserve for development and in response to the removal of the protection status in this ecologically sensitive area the federal government has initiated a Rouge National Urban Park impact study in an area that the premier described as a field Full Of Weeds there are 33 federally listed species at risk including the much beloved monarch butterfly 49 bird species listed under the migratory Birds convention and 14 streams with fish bearing species so with so much at stake why are you risking Federal intervention and why are you further endangering our already vulnerable species biodiversity and our green spaces in this province first you know you know speaker the NDP talk a good game but as I said in my opening uh answer to the question they they don't put their voting record alongside of it we're going to continue to stand up for ontarians we earlier today we had a young group a young class group up there this is what motivates our government to ensure that those young people who want to have an opportunity to have Housing close to where they grow up for that senior who decides that at their stage of Life they want to downsize but there's nothing that's available in their price range where they've grown up and where they've raised their family these are the people that's what we're building our government under the leadership of Premier Ford are standing up to this these are the people that we're going to ensure that by 2031 we're going to hit our housing targets we're going to ensure that we have a plan and place that we build upon speaker we've had for the last two years we've had 30-year highs in terms of housing rates um it comes to rental starts the one consistent measure is NDP opposition thank you very much the next question the member for Brampton North thank you uh thank you speaker my my questions for the Attorney General uh and crime doesn't just affect victims immediately following an incident trauma can negatively impact them for the rest of their lives often requiring long-term support the effects of traumatic events can have lifelong implications as well as a possibility of negatively affecting their families in larger communities it's imperative that our government stands up for victims of crime not only through promoting Public Safety but also by providing them with the support that they need there are many heroic individuals and organizations throughout Ontario that provide support to those who have been victimized their dedication advocacy and Leadership make a positive difference in the lives of those that they're helping speaker can the Attorney General uh the Attorney General please share with us how we recognize these individuals and organizations that support people who have faced victimization due to crime General thank you Mr Speaker and I want to thank my friend and colleague from Brampton North for his support of victims and organization victim services and organizations from around Ontario we recently had an event and we had colleagues from all parties there to celebrate the individuals and and the groups that are supporting victims of crime uh people have their own personal experiences and sometimes that motivates them to increase awareness and I want to focus on just one today who happens to be in the gallery I introduced them earlier Season Center for grieving children they're for over 25 years Mr Speaker for over 25 years with no Government funding they have provided services for children between the ages of 5 to 24 who have experienced the death of a parent or a sibling Mr Speaker it's exactly those type of people and those types of organizations that deserve the victims awards that they've been bestowed with thank you Mr Speaker thank you that concludes our question period this morning

2023-06-08 14:12

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