Hansard Transcript 2021-May-06 | Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Bill 251, An Act to enact, amend and repeal various Acts in respect of human trafficking matters / Projet de loi 251, Loi édictant, modifiant et abrogeant diverses lois en ce qui concerne les questions de traite des personnes.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Further debate? Further debate?

Ms. Jones has moved second reading of Bill 251, An Act to enact, amend and repeal various Acts in respect of human trafficking matters. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Second reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Shall the bill be ordered for third reading? Government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I’m pleased to have it referred to the standing committee on justice.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The bill will be referred to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy.

Orders of the day?

Hon. Paul Calandra: No further business.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): No further business. This House stands in recess until 10:15.

The House recessed from 0902 to 1015.

Members’ Statements

Road safety

Ms. Jessica Bell: At 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, at Hurontario and Elm in Mississauga, a five-year-old boy began crossing the intersection with his father when he was hit by a woman driving a Jeep. He was dragged, taken to hospital, and he died.

As a parent of a five-year-old, I can only imagine what this boy’s parents will have to endure, but this boy’s parents will endure it. And I ask, will there be justice?

Do you know what’s likely to happen to the person who killed this boy? If they were breaking a road rule, they will be charged, the media will move on and time will pass. The driver will likely have the option to plead down and walk away with just a fine, because that is what happens. The vast majority of people who kill and injure someone on our roads are never convicted. They never take a driver re-education course; they never have to listen to victim impact statements.

As legislators, we have a responsibility to ensure that tragedies like this never happen again. We can change the rules to make our roads safer; bring in tougher penalties for drivers who break the rules, who speed and injure and kill others; redesign our roads and intersections and our road rules so they are safer. It is a system-wide issue.

We cannot bring this precious boy back, but we can stop these tragedies from happening again and again. We have Bill 282 on the docket right now. We can make an okay bill into a good one, and I urge this government to work with us to make this happen.

Métis Nation of Ontario Legacy Preservation Project

Mr. Dave Smith: Normally I would stand and talk about something great that’s going on in my riding, but today I’m going to take a little twist, and I’m going to talk about something that is going to be a great initiative for all of our ridings. The Métis Nation of Ontario is launching their legacy preservation project and they’re inviting everybody in Ontario to be part of it.

What they’re doing is they’re creating a time capsule to show the Métis spirit during COVID-19, and we’re inviting everybody in Ontario to take part in this. This gives a great opportunity for all of us, as members, to reach out to the Métis communities in our ridings and build that friendship, build that relationship with them.

What this project will do is it will create a time capsule that is going to be buried on November 16, and it will re-emerge November 16, 2085, the 200th anniversary of Louis Riel Day. Submissions for this project can be mailed to MNO Legacy Preservation Project, Post Office Box 1410, North Bay, Ontario, P1B 8K6. The deadline for submissions is October 16.

I want to give a huge, huge thank you to the North Bay women’s representative for MNO, Lise Hughson, and the youth representative for North Bay, Ish Van Der Rassel, for their leadership on this project.

Insurance rates

Ms. Suze Morrison: The pandemic has been especially hard for the local bars and restaurants in the Church and Wellesley Village in my riding of Toronto Centre. Many have been closed for more than six months now, and quite frankly, they’re struggling to stay afloat. To make matters worse, local bars are being dropped by mainstream insurance providers and left to pay sky-high commercial insurance rates.

When it came time to renew their liability insurance, the owners of Pegasus as well as Crews and Tangos were both told by their insurance providers that they would no longer cover their businesses. These bars are beloved cultural landmarks for the queer and trans community. Right now, these communities are hanging on by a thread.

They’re not alone, Speaker. Large-scale insurance providers are refusing to renew liability insurance for local bars that are community hubs that serve the 2SLGBTQ2+ community and other cultural communities all across the province. They are being forced to pay rates that are significantly higher than what they would have paid in the past, all while they’ve been closed for months and months on end because of the lockdowns.

These are not big corporate chains. They are small local businesses focused on serving their communities. This is putting the very survival of the Village at risk, which is a living, breathing part of queer and trans history in Toronto.

Last fall, the Premier said he would step in if the commercial insurance industry didn’t do their part to support local small businesses through the pandemic, but since then it’s been radio silence. Why is this government refusing to protect small businesses from commercial insurance gouging, and when is the Premier going to step up to the plate and finally support the small businesses of this province?

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Border security

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: I am alarmed by the presence of many new variants of the COVID-19 virus here in Ontario that keep showing up in our communities at a very high pace. We got the B117 variant, detected in the UK, which has infected over 60,000 Ontarians since being detected in December 2020. Studies show that it accelerated the spread of COVID-19 by about tenfold during the month of January. The B1351 variant in South Africa was first detected in February in Ontario, and a little over a week ago, the B1617 variant in India was also reported here. So, Ontario is fighting four different variants of COVID-19 so far.

These variants are threatening our public health care system that was underfunded for more than 14 years. They risk the extraordinary efforts of our health care professionals who work tirelessly, saving people’s lives. They threaten our economy, our small businesses and all the work we continue to do to ensure the recovery of Ontario. In other words, these variants are a grave threat to every aspect of our province.

Mr. Speaker, these variants are here due to the lack of strong response from the federal government and its failure to secure our borders to prevent new variants from entering, despite our request to tighten the borders, place PCR testing and the lockdown. In the last three weeks alone, the government has sent three letters to the federal government. We are requesting immediate action on our borders, and no action is taken.

Student Nutrition Program

Ms. Peggy Sattler: Last week, I met with Benjamin Hill of the Middlesex-London Food Policy Council. About one in seven Middlesex-London households struggle to put food on the table, a number that has grown during COVID-19. The food policy council works with the Ontario school nutrition program to provide breakfast and snacks to over 16,000 children per day in 88 local schools.

Current provincial funding for the program amounts to 13 cents per child per day, which is grossly inadequate to cover a healthy snack, much less breakfast or lunch. The Ministry of Education’s own guidelines estimate a cost of $2.25 per meal, which means a school of 200 children would need $2,250 a week to feed each student daily, far more than the $130 they receive.

There are many reasons, Speaker, why kids miss meals, but one thing is for sure: Students can’t learn if they are hungry. The pandemic has been especially hard for students who rely on schools for access to nutritious food. In the face of rising food prices, the school nutrition program has negotiated bulk purchases and new procurement arrangements to reduce the cost of items such as apples and carrots. But delivering food to students learning at home has caused transportation costs to soar, and school fundraising can’t come close to the real costs of running the program.

Speaker, will this government commit the funding necessary to ensure that all Ontario students have access to healthy, nutritious meals daily in school?

Freedom of speech

Mr. Roman Baber: Freedom of speech is becoming a casualty of COVID, a charter right that forms the basis of democracy now under attack by professional associations, social media, cancel culture, political correctness, COVID bullies and this government. Freedom of speech is the holy grail of all rights, because if a regime sought to deprive us of rights, the very first right it would attack is our freedom of speech, because it’s through speech that we defend all other rights.

COVID and its purveyors are trying to change that. Doctors, nurses, teachers are afraid to speak. People are being demonized for disagreement, politicians gagged; that’s why I now sit on this side of the House. George Orwell said that freedom means the right to tell people what they don’t want to hear. So why are Canadians afraid to speak, and how can anyone allow for this? Remember, we can disagree with each other, but we’ll defend each other’s right to say it.

People have the right to be wrong. Only dictatorial regimes prohibit speech in the name of safety. Is this what we want our legacy to be? Is this the Canada we want for our children? Absolutely not. My family and so many Canadians are here for this very reason, and we’re not letting it go.

Prime Minister Diefenbaker said, “I am a Canadian ... free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong.... This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.”

To anyone watching, have no fear. As long as there is rule of law, the truth will prevail. Don’t be afraid. We are Canadian. Speak your voice and let it be heard.

Border security

Mr. Amarjot Sandhu: Since last year, the Ontario government and the Premier have been calling on the federal government to take real action to secure our borders. Unfortunately, previous measures have not worked to keep the variants out, and now Ontario has the four main variants of concern. This includes the UK variant, which has become the dominant strain in Ontario. According to new modelling, variants will soon make up 90% of daily cases.

Weak border measures allowed these dangerous variants into Ontario. As nothing is more important than protecting the health and safety of all Ontarians, the Ontario government has also restricted travel by land and water into Ontario from Manitoba and Quebec, but air travel and international borders are a federal responsibility, so we need the federal government to take further action. We’re asking for a ban on all non-essential travel, mandatory pre-departure PCR testing for everyone entering Ontario and for the federal government to close the land border loophole.

In the past two weeks, there have been 23 domestic flights and 35 international flights into Toronto with possible COVID-19 exposures. Also, over 150,000 people, not including essential truckers, have crossed Canada’s land border. We cannot afford to let a vaccine-resistant variant into our country. More can and must be done to ensure the health and safety of all Ontarians and prevent the fourth wave from entering our borders.

Employment standards

Ms. Marit Stiles: It’s an honour, as always, to rise on behalf of my constituents in Davenport. This week, I visited the picket line at the Nestlé chocolate factory in my riding, where 470 Unifor members are on strike. These workers have been on the job 24/7 throughout the pandemic, and today, they are fighting for equal pay for equal work and to ensure new workers are made permanent and treated fairly. They’re standing up to a multi-national corporation that has profited throughout this pandemic because of the very hard work and sacrifice of those same employees.

These systemic injustices have really been laid bare during this pandemic, and they demand strong legislative protections: permanent paid sick days; decent wages; decent hours; an end to racism and bullying in the workplace; an end to the exploitation of migrant workers, the abuse and misclassification of gig workers and real protection for temp agency workers.

Speaker, I want to take a moment to recognize the extraordinary Decent Work and Health Network—formerly Fight for $15 and Fairness—the Workers’ Action Centre and all the people in my community who are fighting for change, including employers who are making a difference, like the great people at Pause Beauty on Bloor Street West who are committed to changing the personal care industry and leading by example; and the owners of Bernhardt’s and Dreyfus, who support the Canadian Restaurant Workers Coalition and the fight for decent work in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

This pandemic has shown us that working conditions can literally make the difference between life and death. It’s time this government started to listen.

COVID-19 in India

Mrs. Nina Tangri: Today, I would like to talk about the dire COVID situation in India. Each day, I have conversations with friends and relatives, all who know someone who has succumbed to this horrible virus.

As you may have seen on the news, record numbers of the population are testing positive. The situation with the shortage of oxygen and other supplies has the whole world stepping up. I am so proud of our Premier and the people of Ontario, who swiftly came to the forefront and are sending 3,000 ventilators to the Indian Red Cross.

Even Punjab has seen massive spread of COVID. On Tuesday, I spoke to the health minister of Punjab, the Honourable Balbir Sidhu, who himself recently recovered from COVID. He was very worried, telling us about the overwhelmed hospitals, staff and the general public, who are desperate.

As our Premier said, “We stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of India during these difficult times. Our government will keep working closely with His Excellency, Ajay Bisaria, High Commissioner of India” and the consul general of Toronto “and stand ready to assist further with India’s urgent needs, for as long as we are able to. We are all in this together and we will all overcome this together.”

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Speaker, COVID-19 is deadly and we cannot be complacent. We need to continue to physically distance, wear a mask and, most importantly, only go out for the essentials.

COVID-19 came to Canada through our borders, which is why we are asking—no, pleading with the federal government to restrict travel and close our borders.

Although we are facing tremendous challenges here in Ontario, with more patients requiring intensive care, our government is taking swift and decisive action.

I want to thank the Premier for his leadership during these difficult times and for his assistance with supporting India in their true time of need.

Services for persons with disabilities

Mr. Jeremy Roberts: This previous year has been a difficult one for everyone across Ontario, but it has been particularly difficult for those with developmental disabilities.

I am particularly proud that Ontario was the first province in Canada to prioritize individuals with developmental disabilities to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in phase 2. This group has become eligible effective today.

Members in this House know that this is a community near and dear to my heart.

Near the beginning of the pandemic, I started hosting monthly virtual meetings with representatives from the developmental services sector. Over the course of many months, we have tackled dozens of issues, including ensuring adequate supply of PPE, expanding emergency daycare to our incredible developmental services workers, DSWs, or ensuring that they were included in our pandemic pay.

DSWs, like PSWs, provide an invaluable service in our communities. They work tirelessly with a unique and complex population of kids and adults. I have seen first-hand at my brother’s home the dedication that these men and women bring to the job every day.

While we’ve often taken the time throughout the pandemic to thank our PSWs for their incredible work, today I want to take a moment, on behalf of everyone in this House, to sincerely thank all of our passionate and devoted DSWs. You certainly rank highly in the pantheon of our COVID-19 heroes. Thanks for all you do to provide incredible care to my brother and to all the special guys and gals right across this province.

COVID-19 deaths

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ve been informed that the Leader of the Opposition has a point of order that she wishes to raise at this time.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, I seek unanimous consent for the House to observe a moment of silence for the 199 Ontarians who have succumbed to COVID-19 over the past week.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Leader of the Opposition is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to observe a moment’s silence at this time in memory of the 199 Ontarians who have succumbed to COVID-19 in the past week. Agreed? Agreed.

Members will please rise.

The House observed a moment’s silence.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much. Please take your seats.

It is now time for oral questions.

Question Period

Long-term care

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My first question this morning is to the Premier. Following the Armed Forces report back around the end of May last year, the Premier pledged this: “As soon as we received this report on Monday, we launched a full investigation.... And the results of our investigation will be turned over to the police.”

Yesterday, it was made clear by the Solicitor General in her media scrum that there was no investigation launched. The investigation he promised never, in fact, took place. Why not?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. The Patient Ombudsman, the Auditor General and the long-term-care commissioners have scrutinized the events of the COVID-19 pandemic in long-term care, and the Ontario Ombudsman is currently examining and investigating as well. All deaths in long-term-care homes are required to be reported to the coroner and, where appropriate, he also investigates.

The Premier promised an investigation in the wake of the Canadian Armed Forces report and that investigation took place. Each home was inspected by two or more inspectors, some of those lasting over a month. Those reports were posted publicly. Had inspectors found potentially criminal conduct, they would have passed that information on to the police.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Leader of the Opposition, supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, there’s just no evidence that the Premier actually followed through on his promise for an investigation. There was no investigation. There were no police charges. The commission, we all know, found that 26 people in long-term care died not of COVID-19 but of dehydration and neglect. In fact, for the last several days the Premier and the minister have refused to tell Ontarians when they learned of this horrifying fact—what they knew, and when.

The Premier promised the people of Ontario, he promised grieving families, that there would be an investigation, that there would be accountability, that there would be justice. Why, at the time of these families’ greatest pain, did the Premier decide to lie to them?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Leader of the Opposition will withdraw the unparliamentary remark.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I withdraw, Speaker.

Why did the Premier make the promise to families that he had no intention of keeping?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Once again, I reject the premise of this statement that’s been included in a question.

The virus moved faster than any government could have. In April of last year we were being updated daily with the situation in long-term-care homes across the province. A whole structure had been created to address this issue. What we did know is that several homes were in very dire circumstances. Their staffing was collapsing. They had critical problems in the delivery of care to residents. We moved quickly to activate the request for the Canadian Armed Forces.

These homes had a large number of staff that were either sick, off because of potential contact with COVID, or afraid. The remaining staff were overwhelmed and the homes were spiralling down. We knew these homes were in a dire situation and that’s why we called in the Canadian Armed Forces. The Armed Forces did their preparation and were in the homes by April 26. We knew it was needed and that’s why we stepped up, along with all the other measures that we had taken.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Final supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Sadly, families have learned that the Premier’s words are meaningless. There was no investigation, as he promised. There were no criminal charges laid. The second wave of COVID-19 took more lives than the first wave because there was no plan to protect seniors.

After breaking the promise about the iron ring around long-term care, after breaking the promise of an investigation after the Canadian Armed Forces report was released, why would anybody in Ontario believe a word this Premier says about fixing long-term care?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Long before the pandemic hit, our government was addressing the long-standing issues that both the Auditor General’s report has pointed to as well as the commission into long-term care—long-standing structural issues both with the capacity, the staffing and the crowding in long-term care that the governments preceding for 30 years did not address.

What we did during the pandemic was absolutely put every resource possible, whether it was the integration with the acute care sector; getting the public health units into the homes immediately; monitoring these homes in a structure that was intended to note in detail what these homes were going through; integrating with the acute care sector; using the staffing like the Ontario resident support aides; also the pandemic pay, the temporary wage increases; making sure that we were getting the IPAC teams into the homes, including the expertise; and really looking at our commitment to an unprecedented four hours of direct care, with billions of dollars to develop the capacity and the staffing—27,000 staff to be hired.

There is a plan, we’re acting on it and we’ve been doing this all along, even through the pandemic.

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Long-term care

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also to the Premier. The commission report that was released last Friday was horrific in its detailing of the situation in long-term care: neglect, dehydration, COVID-19 running rampant. Yesterday, the Premier said, “The buck stops with me,” but it looks like the only thing that this Premier is taking responsibility for is passing that buck.

In fact, back in April of last year, on April 23 of last year, he said pretty much the same thing: “At the end of the day, the buck stops with me.” He’s not here to get that buck, but it stops with him—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Leader of the Opposition knows full well she can’t make reference to the absence of any member. Please don’t do it again. And conclude your question.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Since that day when he made that claim last year, 3,136 seniors died from COVID-19 in long-term care. So the question is: Is it really meaningful at all when the Premier claims that the buck stops with him? Because the commission said, “There was no plan to protect residents in long-term care.” Does the Premier take responsibility for that?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Again, I’ve said repeatedly that I take full responsibility for the well-being of residents, staff and their families. I was doing this long before I became Minister of Long-Term Care as a family doctor, serving the vulnerable, serving our community and providing, in some instances, life-saving care.

Every government for over 30 years has failed our seniors: the Rae government, Harris, Eves, McGuinty and Wynne. It is this government that began as soon as we were elected to understand the need—the overcrowding, the capacity issues in long-term care—and to understand what could be done; creating a stand-alone ministry; making sure that we had a focus on the needs of residents, putting them at the centre; addressing these issues with a monumental commitment, with dollars behind it for four hours of daily direct care, which no previous government had ever done, which would put us leaders in the country; the 27,000 staff needed to do that; rebuilding the homes, rebuilding the staff—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. The Leader of the Opposition.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: As I’ve already said, the families in this province have learned the hard way that the Premier’s words are meaningless. On March 30, 2020, the Premier said that there was “an iron ring of protection” around long-term care. The commission report says clearly that there was no iron ring. It was a fallacy. The majority of those who died in the first wave of COVID-19 died between March 22 and April 22, when this supposed iron ring was supposed to be in place.

In fact, the commission said this: “no plan to provide a surge of workers to replace those who inevitably could not or would not come to work in a pandemic”; and “no plan for infection control.” Does the Premier take responsibility for that?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Despite the remarks from the member opposite, there was a plan. There was a plan even before the pandemic, as I’ve mentioned. And during the pandemic, we were taking every measure to shore up the staffing: Ontario resident support aides, the pandemic pay, the temporary wage increase. We were able to hire into long-term care over 8,600 staff members. We were also making sure that we were integrating with the acute care sector to get that expertise into the home—the infection prevention and control expertise, the public health expertise. And we were making emergency orders and amending regulations as quickly as was possible to address these issues. And then we also maintained during this the imperative of making sure that we could redevelop and modernize the sector, with a plan to rebuild the staffing that had been so long neglected and rebuild the capacity, create the integration into the community, and create the integration into public health.

The Premier said that we stand here and point to all the problems we inherited. We can point to 30 years of underinvestment from government, Liberal, Conservative and NDP. None of that matters because we are the government today and we do not want them to look back in 20 years and say what more we could—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. The final supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, shockingly, tragically—in fact, avoidably—the second wave was worse than the first wave. On September 24, this minister said this: “We have a comprehensive plan that will address the issues in long-term care to stabilize homes ... to stabilize the staffing. There is a robust plan. There are dollars behind it.” Then she went on to say, “99.7% of our long-term-care homes in Ontario are managing very well.” I think she was taking lessons from the Minister of Education when she said that.

But Speaker, 1,902 seniors lost their lives to COVID-19 in long-term care after the minister made those claims. The commission was clear: There was no staffing plan; there was no infection control plan; there was no iron ring.

Will the Premier of this province take responsibility for that, and if he won’t, will he stop saying that he’s taking responsibility?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for allowing me the time to clarify that statement. There definitely was a plan. The pandemic pay was able to achieve over 8,600 people into long-term care at a critical time. The long-standing staffing crisis that preceded the pandemic was certainly a stumbling block and certainly put us behind where we would have liked to have been.

We were working with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the public health units, Ontario Health, Public Health Ontario, and our medical officers of health. All of this was a coordinated effort.

And really, the IPAC, the infection prevention and control—we got dollars to our homes and supported the IPAC hubs, the training for the staff, and the infection prevention and control leads in the homes, making sure that we integrated with the expertise that was available. This was being done rapidly because of the long-standing issues that had been left behind by the previous governments. The commission and the Auditor General reports are very clear on that. These were structural deficits.

The magnitude of the second wave was so enormous that it was very difficult to overcome, and we worked—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much. The next question.

Long-term care

Ms. Sara Singh: My question is for the Premier. Ontarians are sick and tired of empty words and broken promises. They’re sick and tired of Liberal governments and Conservative governments promising the moon to get elected, but when it comes time to actually delivering—nothing.

Speaker, we can’t let another report on long-term care sit on the shelf and gather dust. Too many Ontarians have already paid the price because Liberals and Conservatives spent years doing just that.

So my question to the Premier is, will he commit to implementing the recommendations in the long-term-care report and will he commit to doing so immediately?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply for the government, the Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: I thank you for the question. We take the recommendations from the commission on long-term care extremely seriously and we thank the commissioners for their insights and their good work. As I said, there are 85 recommendations. Some of those are already being acted on—and also with their interim recommendations.

After many, many years of neglect, the commissioner’s report is a guide to help us move forward to help us understand objectively what happened in the past, the long-standing issues, what we’re doing that is effective, and what we can do in the future. They’ve made very important recommendations in terms of staffing and capacity issues and infection prevention and control. We will continue to address the recommendations. We will have very public reporting on this to make sure that the public is aware of our progress as we move through these recommendations to understand more fully how we can implement them.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): And the supplementary question?

Ms. Sara Singh: Taking those recommendations seriously means implementing them immediately, Speaker. Conservatives can flip-flop all they want, but the reality is that no one in the province of Ontario believes a word that they are saying. They promised an iron ring—never delivered on that. They promised to investigate the horrors in long-term care and make sure that neglect never happened; they didn’t deliver on that either, Speaker. And they voted against every single motion in this House that we, on this side of the House, presented. Why? We’re all unsure of that.

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Speaker, my question, again, to the Minister of Long-Term Care and the Premier: Will the Premier and the Minister of Long-Term Care commit to implementing the recommendations in the long-term-care commission’s report? No more delays—they need to fix long-term care, hire more PSWs and make sure that permanent pandemic pay is made available.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Once again, I appreciate the comments from the opposition because it gives me the opportunity to say what we have done and will do. During the pandemic, there was no doubt that we were moving to address all the issues that were creating the problems—the staffing, the overcrowding—creating the specialized care centre that would allow us to create capacity in the long-term-care homes. I thank the Grace hospital for being involved in that.

We have made sure to get dollars, over $2 billion, to our homes for infection prevention and control, the staffing needs, the capacity issues and measures that would help shore up these homes during the attack by COVID. After that, we made sure to have the dollars behind our commitment to four hours, on average, of daily care per resident.

The 27,000 staff that we’re hiring into our long-term-care homes as they graduate through our college programs across Ontario, through the career colleges and through the district school boards—this will be more than 10,000 people.

I ask the opposition, consider why you voted against our $2 billion into long-term care to fight the pandemic, why you voted against the measures that we were taking to shore up these homes. You should ask yourself that.

Border security

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: Our government has maintained an unwavering commitment to protecting the health and safety of all Ontarians, and yet the people of this province continue to be placed at an unnecessarily higher risk of the introduction and spread of COVID variants due to a failure of the federal government to protect our borders.

Can the Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction tell this House what steps the government has taken to urge Ottawa to finally get serious about protecting our borders?

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: Thank you to the member from Mississauga East–Cooksville for that question. Since December, our government, led by Premier Ford, has been urging the Prime Minister to take stronger actions at our border. We have sent three official letters to Minister Blair and the federal government asking them to take action to protect Ontarians. Unfortunately, we have received no response.

We know that since February, over 5,000 air travel passengers have tested positive for COVID-19. We need to ensure that the people of Ontario are protected from these variants. We now have confirmation of the B1617 variant in Quebec. In Ontario, we have it in Ottawa now, as of yesterday, as the chief medical officer for Ottawa had mentioned.

We need to ensure that we do everything we can to get through this third wave, and for that, we need the Prime Minister to step up and secure our borders.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question?

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: Clearly, these variants are not swimming into Ontario. We know that these variants of concern coming from other countries are now the dominant forms of the virus in Canada. When it comes to international travel, border protection is a federal duty, and they have a responsibility to protect Ontarians.

Speaker, can the minister please explain why strict measures at our borders, including a ban on non-essential travel, would help protect Ontarians from variants of concern?

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: We know that 90% of cases today are variants of concern. We know that Premier Ford was first Premier in all of Canada to implement the testing at our borders after the federal government refused to do so.

Mr. Speaker, we have three simple asks: Ban all non-essential travel into the province of Ontario and the country, close the loopholes at the borders, and ensure that that there is pre-departure PCR testing before landing in Ontario for domestic flights as well. We know that people are flying into the United States in Buffalo or Windsor and walking across our borders so they can circumvent mandatory requirements for border crossings. This is unacceptable. As we face the third wave here in the province of Ontario, we need stronger measures and we need the federal government to act now.

Education funding

Ms. Marit Stiles: After a very difficult year, parents were looking for a bit of hope this week. They hoped to hear about a fully funded plan to safely reopen schools, to get our kids off screens and back in classrooms. What they got instead was a minister who seems to have given up on safe schools and who introduced a plan to make painful online learning permanent.

Why is this government using the cover of the pandemic to try to force this radical change on our public education system—now, of all times—instead of supporting our kids, our educators and our families where they need it most: back face to face in smaller, safer classrooms?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Minister of Education.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I am proud that under our Progressive Conservative government, we are investing more than any government in the history of this province, $1.6 billion, specifically in COVID-19 resources. After months of the members opposite and the teacher unions asserting that there would be a reduction, I’m proud that there is a $2-billion enhancement for next year to ensure we continue to have public health nurses in our schools, asymptomatic testing, access to PPE, more staffing, more cleaning and enhanced screening. These are the investments that the medical community have called for that our Premier is delivering—in fact, Speaker, a targeted plan of $85 million to help support learning recovery.

Yes, we believe, on this side of the House, that choice for parents at a time of—it’s still unknown where this pandemic will take us in the coming months. Giving parents the choice of remote learning is a strength, knowing full well that we’ve invested $40 million more in our most recent budget to hire more staff, to expand our infrastructure and to build upon the nearly 200,000 more tablets and Internet connections supporting families. We’re going to be there for students and make sure schools reopen in September safely while maintaining excellence within our classrooms.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Mr. Speaker, I’ll tell you what’s historic: What’s historic is this minister’s exaggeration. Ontarians across this province are just tired of it.

A closer look at school board funding shows an actual increase of just 0.28% over last year’s grants. I want to point out that that is way below inflation. The Pupil Foundation Grant is down, despite a projected increase in enrolment, and boards are going to be forced to dip into their depleted reserves once again. This flatlining of funding means real cuts to classrooms, and parents know that this absurd plan for permanent online learning is about moving more dollars out of schools into private companies and undermining public education. That’s no choice at all.

Our kids need care, not cuts; safe schools, not more screen time. How can this Premier and this minister possibly justify this?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Mr. Speaker, let’s hear from some of the stakeholders who have commented on the matter. The head of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association said that they are “pleased that the government will continue to provide funding for many pandemic-related items, including personal protective equipment, public health nurses, and renewal of technology and devices.”

In the words of Lawrence Barns, the president and CEO of the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario: “By resourcing educators to better meet the needs of all students, Ontario is advancing more accessible, caring, inclusive learning in our education system.”

In the words of Katherine Hay, the president and CEO of Kids Help Phone: “We are grateful to the government and to the Ministry of Education for continuing to provide critical funds to support the mental health of youth in” this province.

Our commitment is to ensure schools reopen in September safely, with a $1.6-billion plan that has been designed following the best medical expert advice, giving choice to parents, in-class and online, and maintaining the high standards within our schools. That’s our commitment and that’s what we’re going to continue to focus on for September.

Long-term care

Mr. John Fraser: My question is for the Premier. There are two ongoing investigations connected to the Premier’s friends: Vaughan Working Families and his pick for OLG chair. There is, however, one investigation that hasn’t happened yet.

Last May, after the Canadian Armed Forces filed their final report into the conditions in long-term care, the Premier told all of us a full investigation had been launched and the results would be turned over to police—never happened. The Solicitor General confirmed that yesterday. Despite 26 residents dying from dehydration and malnourishment and other horrific findings in the report, no investigation was launched.

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Speaker, through you: Will the Premier explain to families who lost a loved one why the investigation he said he launched never happened?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply on behalf of the government, the Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: I certainly refute the accusations of the member opposite. The Patient Ombudsman, the Auditor General and the commissioners have all scrutinized the events of the COVID-19 pandemic in long-term care. The Ontario Ombudsman is still investigating. All deaths in long-term-care homes are required to be reported to the coroner and, where appropriate, the coroner investigates. The Premier promised an investigation in the wake of the Canadian Armed Forces report, and that investigation took place. Each home was also inspected by two or more inspectors, some of those lasting over a month. Those reports were posted publicly. Had inspectors found potentially criminal conduct, they would have passed that information on to the police.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary question.

Mr. John Fraser: Perhaps the minister should speak to the Solicitor General, because it hasn’t happened, and if she actually read the commission’s report and saw some of the things that were in there and also understood the commission’s lawyers’ remarks afterwards, the failure to provide the necessities of life or death from negligence could trigger criminal charges against home operators or the corporate directors of the people who own it.

In November of last year, the government passed legislation that would shield itself and long-term-care-home operators from COVID-19-related lawsuits. The government also failed to enact provisions in Bill 160 that would have made it easier to take over a home or to suspend a licence. It also would have increased fines for home operators and directors and corporations that were found to be in non-compliance.

Speaker, can the Premier explain why it’s more important to protect his friends in large long-term-care-home for-profit operations than it is to find justice for families who lost a loved one?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: I want to be clear that this has been devastating for families, residents, staff and for many long-term-care homes. Getting the Canadian Armed Forces into the homes, using the hospitals, the local public health units, Ontario Health and working across government and the sector to shore up these homes—no one will deny the tragedy that occurred, but it does not automatically mean that someone broke the law. The appropriate people to determine whether a crime has taken place are the police and the courts, not politicians. I don’t think it’s appropriate for the opposition to politicize our courts, our police services or this tragedy.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: The member for Guelph said the other day that taking responsibility is taking action, and that’s exactly what we’ve done throughout this pandemic, and that’s what we’re doing as we move forward with our plans to modernize long-term care and bring it into the 21st century. We have a plan, and we will commit to that plan.

Border security

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: Stricter border measures stop and slow the spread of COVID-19. This is a fact backed by the science and data, and our respected allies around the world have implemented them with great success.

While our government continues to ask for real action to secure our borders, this is not a priority for the Prime Minister. It is even more disappointing to see Steven Del Duca and the provincial Liberals resort to ugly attacks in order to score cheap political points.

Speaker, I was offended by the Liberal leader’s racial remarks. Can the Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction tell this House if the government’s policy on securing our borders are somehow xenophobic or an attack on Ontarians, as Mr. Del Duca suggests?

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: I agree with the member from Mississauga East–Cooksville. I don’t understand why certain members of the opposition are making light of serious concerns about our safety and engaging in this divisive and hurtful rhetoric.

Over a two-week period, we know that at Pearson International Airport, 35 international flights and 23 domestic flights have landed. We know that over 150,000 people in that same two-week period have crossed our land borders. In April, the region of Peel and the city of Brampton passed unanimous motions asking for the federal government to secure or restrict flights into Pearson international, given that Peel is a hot spot and is suffering from many of these variants.

Is the leader of the Liberal Party suggesting that the region of Peel or the city of Brampton councillors are racist? This is absurd.

We will continue to call on the federal government to have stronger actions at our borders to protect—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. The supplementary.

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: I know many of my constituents and people around Ontario continue to follow the rules and make sacrifices in order to help defeat COVID within their community. Can the minister share what he is hearing from his constituents in Brampton, one of the most diverse and fastest-growing parts of Ontario?

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: We know that these new variants are not originating in Ontario or in Canada. They’re not swimming across the ocean. And people continue to use loopholes to circumvent the rules that have been put in place to protect Ontarians and secure the safety of all, especially in Brampton and Peel region.

My constituents are frustrated. They are doing their part. They are following the public health advice that has been put forward. But the federal government, after three official requests, has refused to take actions that the Premier of this province has put forward and put to the federal government.

We need to ensure that our borders are secure. We have three simple asks: Ban all non-essential travel into Ontario and Canada, close the loopholes at our land borders, and implement PCR testing to fly, even domestically, into the province of Ontario. We must secure our borders.

Employment standards

Ms. Peggy Sattler: My question is to the Premier. Yesterday, the Premier emerged from a 14-day quarantine after a close contact in his office tested positive for COVID-19. Unlike the thousands of essential workers in Ontario who can’t work from home and who don’t have paid sick days, the Premier collected his full salary while he was in self-isolation. Thank goodness he didn’t develop COVID, but if he had, he would still have collected his full salary. He wouldn’t have had to rely on three paid sick days capped at $200 a day, then apply to the federal program and wait to see if he qualified for a weekly benefit of $500.

Why does the Premier think that he deserves 14 days of full pay while following public health advice, but the essential workers he likes to call heroes don’t?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members will please take their seats.

To reply, the parliamentary assistant, member for Burlington.

Ms. Jane McKenna: Let me remind the member opposite that we announced that we want to double the federal program to $1,000 per week for four weeks, plus three paid sick days. This is the most comprehensive plan in Canada.

If a worker needs to take time off to get vaccinated, they can be paid. If a worker needs to take time off to recover from a vaccination, they can be paid. If a mom or dad has a sick child at home or symptoms related to COVID-19, they can stay home and be paid. If a worker in Ontario is suffering from mental health challenges related to COVID-19, they can stay home and get paid. This is the most generous, open and flexible plan, and balanced, because we’re reimbursing all small businesses and employers.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary question.

Ms. Peggy Sattler: Not only did the Premier ignore the experts calling for 14 paid sick days, but he has also made things worse for the lowest-paid Ontario workers. If low-wage workers are sick and need a full week off to recover, this government’s program only pays them for three days, which is $300 at minimum wage.

Under the federal program, they would have received $500 for the week, but to access the federal program workers must notify their employer in writing that they will be taking unpaid sick days, apply for CRSB and hope they qualify: more barriers to prevent workers from staying home if they are sick.

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Why won’t this government give all workers the ability to stay home if they are sick without losing their pay?

Ms. Jane McKenna: Just to be clear, without any help from you helping us at all, we worked diligently with the minister and our government to go from 12 to 14 days, down to three to five days and from 10 to 20 days. Right now, we have three paid sick days. You keep talking about 14. The math is, we have three paid sick days, and coupled with 20 on top of that, it’s 23 days. It’s the most comprehensive plan in Canada.

Places of religious worship

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: My question is for the Premier. Freedom of religion, religious liberty, is a fundamental principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community in public or private to manifest its beliefs in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

This is a principle that the current government professes to support when looking for votes at campaign time, but last Sunday, Trinity Bible Chapel in Woolwich township had its religious liberty attacked, its doors locked—no service, no prayer, no congregation—as a result of the Attorney General going to court to get an injunction to take over the property and the building and shut the church down.

What is the government’s justification for being the first government in Ontario’s history to attack religious liberty by taking control and shutting down a church from congregating and meeting in prayer?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): And to reply, the member for Durham and parliamentary assistant.

Ms. Lindsey Park: Everyone in this House respects freedom of religion. That’s never a question. In this particular case, I understand church services were held at Trinity Bible Chapel on Sunday, April 4, April 11 and April 25, 2021, despite an injunction order. As this matter is before the courts, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this time.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary question?

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: In addition to the injunction, the church potentially faces millions in fines and possible jail time for the church, as well as the pastors and elders. It is my understanding that the government, this week, is attempting to ask the courts to also grant its injunction request that would give the Attorney General control of the church building and property as long as this government keeps emergency orders in place.

My question: Does this government plan on taking control of any and all church buildings of any church that congregates with more than 10 individuals while emergency orders are in place?

Ms. Lindsey Park: The court granted interim relief in the form of an order directing the sheriff to lock the doors of the church on a time-limited basis. The doors were ordered to be locked before midnight, May 1, 2021, for one week. On May 1, the sheriff locked the doors of the church. On May 6, the parties will attend court—actually, this morning—for a hearing to determine whether the order of April 30, 2021, should continue or be varied. Of course, because this is an ongoing court matter, it’s really inappropriate for me to comment further.

Tuition

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: Students and their families are dealing with great social and financial uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I know our government has always put students at the centre of our education policies, and that was why I was so pleased to hear that our government is continuing with our pre-pandemic plan to help increase access to post-secondary education by ensuring its affordability for all Ontario residents.

Speaker, would the Minister of Colleges and Universities please tell the House what the government is doing to help students with more financial certainty during these difficult times?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the member for Northumberland–Peterborough South and parliamentary assistant.

Mr. David Piccini: Thank you to the member for that great question. We understand that students and their families make great sacrifices to pursue higher education in our post-secondary institutes across this province. That’s why we’re extending the tuition freeze for all post-secondary students in Ontario. This builds on the historic 10% tuition cut that this government introduced when we first took office.

Under the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, as we navigate this together, when it comes to the tuition for students across this province, we understand that in these uncertain times you need a government that’s here for you and that’s working with you. That’s why, Mr. Speaker, my message to the students of Ontario is, as you embark on the 2021-22 student year, your tuition will not change.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question.

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: I know that our government has always put students first, and that has not changed with this pandemic. I’m glad that our government is ensuring the affordability of post-secondary education in our province for another year. I know that this is welcome news for students and their families in my riding because clear commitments like these will help increase predictability and ease the financial strain on family pocketbooks.

Speaker, would the minister please elaborate on why this important announcement is so needed for students in Ontario?

Mr. David Piccini: Again, thank you to the member for that question. After a decade in which Ontario students and their families saw the largest tuition increase in Canadian history under the previous Liberal government, our government took historic steps to lower tuition by 10% across the board for all students in this province. This was the first of its kind in Ontario, saving students and families an estimated $450 million. Mr. Speaker, after 15 years of unchecked tuition growth that made summers all the more hard for the hard-working students of this province, our government stepped up.

In 2019-20, StatsCan shows Ontario was the only province in this federation to introduce a tuition decrease, while tuition concurrently grew in eight other provinces and one other territory. Before I was elected, tuition was the highest in Ontario across this country. Well, Mr. Speaker, that’s no longer the case. Students in this province can understand that this government—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. The next question.

Small business

Ms. Suze Morrison: My question is for the Premier. Small businesses in Toronto Centre are fed up. They’ve been closed for more than six months. Many have had to permanently close because they can’t hold out any longer. Our once-vibrant main streets have been replaced with empty, boarded-up storefronts.

The supports that this government promised have not materialized. Some business owners in my riding who applied for the small business grant have yet to see the money actually arrive, and many have been denied without any explanation. Even those who are accepted are telling me that the grants don’t cover the tens of thousands of dollars it costs to pay their rent, hydro and insurance.

Why isn’t this government fixing the flawed grant program that is leaving so many of our small businesses behind?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction.

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: We recognize that this is a significantly difficult time for many small businesses across the province. That is why we’ve put forward the largest program in all of Canada to help support small businesses through very this difficult time.

To date, for over 108,000 businesses, a total of over $1.5 billion of direct payments have been made from the first Ontario business support grant as we continue to work through many applications. There have also been over 73,000 second automatic payments that have been made to small business owners automatically into their accounts, because we recognize that this is a significantly difficult time for them. That’s another $1.1 billion that has flowed into the accounts of small business owners. That’s a total of $2.6 billion for small businesses.

That does also recognize that we have programs in place to cover 100% of their energy costs, 100% of their property tax costs, and then they can also access Digital Main Street grants of up to $2,500 to help them pivot digitally, because we know that during this time, strong e-commerce platforms are needed to support businesses. We’ll continue to do whatever we can to get that money flowing into businesses as quickly as possible.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary question?

Ms. Suze Morrison: Back to the minister: Andrew is a small business owner in my riding and told me he was hopeful when the government announced the business support grant program. He runs a store, and during COVID, it has been incredibly difficult. He desperately, desperately needs the help, but for weeks, he heard nothing back from your program and then was denied with no explanation. Despite making several calls and sending emails to ask why his application for the only lifeline this government is willing to offer him was rejected, he has yet to receive a reply. The stress of having absolutely no safety net after two lockdowns is getting too hard to carry.

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Why is this government refusing to help small business owners like Andrew, and how do you expect these businesses to have a fighting chance of making it through this third wave?

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: We have tripled the support staff behind this program to ensure that business owners get responses as quickly as possible. I would love to ask the member to provide some more information to me afterwards so we can look into this case.

All eligible businesses that can apply to this program will receive the funding. As we have noted, over 180,000 first payments, totalling over $1.5 billion, have been paid out. Over 73,000 second payments, totalling another $1.1 billion, have been paid out. That’s $2.6 billion in direct supports to small businesses to date. We will do anything and everything we can to support these small businesses, including the 100% property tax relief, the 100% energy costs relief that are still out there for these businesses to access.

I will ask the member afterwards to alert me to the application, and I will take it back and ensure that we get a response for Andrew and his business.

Physicians

Mr. Roman Baber: My question is for the Minister of Health. Last Thursday, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario issued a notice and warning to the medical profession regarding the alleged spread of misinformation: “Physicians hold a unique position of trust with the public and have a professional responsibility to not communicate anti-vaccine, anti-masking, anti-distancing and anti-lockdown statements....” Further, “Physicians who put the public at risk may face an investigation by the CPSO and disciplinary action, when warranted.”

This is frightening and unacceptable. It carries the risk of vitiating informed consent. It dangerously infringes on the doctor-patient relationship. The CPSO is governed by the Regulated Health Professions Act, provincial legislation.

Will the minister support Ontario’s doctors speaking their conscience, and publicly disavow the statement by the CPSO?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Speaker, as you know, the CPSO is the regulator for physicians. They are simply indicating that they want physicians to be informed and to answer any questions that people have and to provide people with accurate advice. I don’t see anything wrong with that.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary question?

Mr. Roman Baber: There is no room for ambiguity here. The statement of the CPSO speaks for itself, and it shocked many doctors in the medical profession. COVID or no COVID, we’re still a Western democracy. This government, this minister have a responsibility to defend speech. We’re talking about doctors duly licensed in the province of Ontario, not rogue dissidents who are threatening the regime. A doctor should be able to say that a lockdown is harmful. A doctor should be able to say that masks outside make no sense even if public health recommends them in some outdoor situations. Censoring medical speech because it’s dangerous to people’s safety is something you would expect from a totalitarian regime. Is there a line that we will not cross?

I ask the minister again: Will she stand up for Ontario’s doctors and disavow the threat they made against Ontario’s doctors last Thursday?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Well, I would say to the member, through you, Mr. Speaker, I don’t understand what your significant concern here is. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario is simply advising the doctors to rely on their own medical information and knowledge and experience, and speak to anybody asking questions of them and provide them with accurate medical advice. That’s what the college should advise the physicians to do, and that is what they are doing now, so I don’t believe that there’s any concern with this whatsoever.

Small business

Ms. Jessica Bell: My question is to the Premier. I have surveyed local businesses to find out how the Ontario Small Business Support Grant program is helping the business community of University–Rosedale. Many businesses aren’t even eligible for the program, but for those who are eligible and who have applied for aid, 85% of the businesses have not received their money—85% of eligible businesses that have applied to the government’s small business program have not received their money.

Premier, I have a list of over 150 eligible businesses that have applied for the program and have been approved that have not received their money. Can the Premier commit to helping them?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction.

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: Yes, we will definitely—if the member opposite could pass over that list.

Every eligible business that has applied to this program will definitely get the supports they need.

As I have noted, over 108,000 businesses to date have received their first payment. That’s $1.5 billion in direct payments and support to small businesses. On top of that, we have done an automatic doubling of those first payments, and of those, 73,000 businesses have received the support; that’s another $1.1 billion. That is $2.6 billion that has been paid out by this government to support small businesses that we recognize have had significant challenges during this time.

We also encourage those business owners to apply for the property tax rebate of 100%, the energy costs rebate of 100%, and to apply to other programs so they can get 90% of their rent covered and get their wage subsidy covered up to 75%.

Mr. Speaker, we will definitely work with the member opposite to look into the concerns that she has raised on those specific applications.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Ms. Jessica Bell: I have the list of all the businesses with their contact names, emails and phone numbers. They have requested that I give this letter to you, with the information to follow up, so I will be handing this to you after question period.

Back to the Premier: There is no question that this government is failing to help the small business community in my riding. It has taken 11 months and two province-wide shutdowns for this government to finally offer support. We’re now in the third state of emergency and, quite frankly, there’s not enough money flowing into University–Rosedale to help these businesses get by.

There’s no money for Maria Galipo of Sicilian Sidewalk Cafe, who said that her application process was incredibly stressful. The staff in the program were uninformed and unable to help.

There is no money for people like Emile, a medical equipment manufacturer, who told me that they are at a complete breaking point and worried about paying the rent.

There is no money for Jason of One Plant in Kensington Market. He has applied, he has been approved, and he just wants to know when the money is going to arrive.

Premier, when will you fix the small business grant program so businesses can get the support they need?

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: Since the start of this pandemic, we have put forward significant resources to help support small businesses that we know have been struggling during this time. That started with the first month and ensuring that they got rent relief in March, April and May, and that program has continued to date.

We have ensured that we put forward the main street relief grant. That was a $60-million program to support the PPE costs that businesses were facing.

We have ensured that those in red zones and those in lockdown zones have always had their property tax covered to 100%, that they have had their energy costs covered to 100%.

The small business support grant—the largest support grant program for businesses anywhere in Canada—has already put forward $2.6 billion of direct supports into the accounts of small business owners. We recognize that there are some business owners who haven’t received it. We will work with the member opposite and others and ensure that those small businesses that need the support get the support and direct payments into their account.

Child care

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: My question is to the Premier. This past year, the pandemic has been difficult for Ontario families to navigate. The uncertainty of businesses opening and closing has been an unpredictable experience shared by schools and child care facilities. Not everyone can work from home. It is even more challenging for parents if their children are at home, as well. It is mostly women who bear the burden of caring for and educating their children at home, and it is their careers that suffer. This has been established as a major characteristic of the she-cession, and yet we hear nothing from the government about a she-covery.

Speaker, the federal government has budgeted for a $10-a-day daycare plan, and today Steven Del Duca and the Ontario Liberals have promised to do the same.

Will the Premier work with the Liberals, the federal government and the women of Ontario to provide the economic infrastructure of affordable daycare and quality early learning so everyone in Ontario can build back better?

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The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Minister of Education.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: The Del Duca Liberals announced, within their first hundred days, action, but for 15 years, for 5,000 days, the legacy they left is income stagnation, the highest child care costs in the nation as well as rising costs of living. It was one of the most expensive child care systems in the world under your watch. It really is regrettable, with 800 child care centres closing over a four-year period under your watch.

I think the sharp contrast is under our Premier where we have a $2-billion investment on an annualized basis, creating 30,000 new spaces within our schools—last year alone, 16,000 more spaces were created—and in our most recent budget, a top-up to the child care tax credit, providing up to $1,500 per child in the pockets of parents, with maximum flexibility, recognizing that a one-size-fits-all system does not work for moms and dads in all parts of this province. Yes, we’re going to work with the federal government in collaboration to make life affordable, but we’ll take no lessons from the Del Duca-Wynne Liberals—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. The supplementary question.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Speaker, I urge this government to take lessons from the experience of parents. I just talked to a mom of three, who has two toddlers under her arm and one school-aged child outside working online on his own. It is so unfortunate that this government cannot look past their own partisan agenda and govern, invest and support women in Ontario.

My riding of Scarborough–Guildwood faces an affordable child care crisis and a before- and after-school deficit. There simply aren’t enough programs available in the riding. Without an expansion of child care and early learning and before- and after-school care, women cannot break the cycle of having to take lower-paying, part-time jobs.

The Ontario Liberal Party has committed to cutting the costs of before- and after-school care by 50%, which could help inject $7 billion every year into our economy and increase women’s participation in the labour market. Does the Premier want to invest in these programs or will he continue to transfer those costs to women in Ontario?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Through our government, we’re going to continue to make life affordable for working moms and dads in this province, but we will not follow the approach and the policy program of the former Liberal government, under Steven Del Duca, where under their leadership child care became almost the most expensive program in the nation. That is not a metric you should be or any one of us should be proud of.

And so, what did we do in our first budget? We introduced a child care tax credit where up to 75% of eligible expenses are supporting 300,000 parents. We topped it up in the most recent budget under the Minister of Finance’s leadership, a 20% top-up, now covering 90% of eligible costs. Last year, 16,000 more spaces were created, in contrast to their government, where we had 800 child care centres close over the last four years of their government and the most expensive child care system. It’s obviously something most distressing. What parents deserve is choice, affordability and access, and our Premier will deliver it.

Health care

Ms. Sandy Shaw: My question is for the Minister of Long-Term Care. The Auditor General’s damning report on the government’s COVID response illustrated a serious concern that long-term care and retirement homes are being used to warehouse alternative-level-of-care patients—patients like my constituent Jon, who was in hospital recovering from his second leg amputation.

When the minister gave the edict to clear patients out to create room for COVID patients, Jon was sent to a new ALC wing in a long-term-care home and his family was assured that he would have access to the same level of care that he received in the hospital. But he’s been stuck in the ALC wing since August 2020. He is being billed $1,034 a day. I have a bill here for nearly a quarter of a million dollars; $241,956, to be exact.

This minister keeps saying that she takes full responsibility, but my question to the minister, through you, Mr. Speaker, is: Can the minister explain how she has allowed this to happen to Jon and the tens of thousands of people who are waiting for a long-term-care bed in the province of Ontario?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I thank the honourable member for her question. I’m, of course, not familiar with the specifics of the case that she raises, but if she would like to send it over after question period, we’ll certainly take a look.

Birth of member’s nephew

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Point of order.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Point of order, the member for Scarborough–Guildwood.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Thank you, Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate my brother Andrew Hunter and his wife, Ildiko Horvath, on the birth of Jordan Isaac Oscar Hunter, who is five months old today.

Private members’ public business

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that, pursuant to standing order 98(c), a change has been made to the order of precedence on the ballot list for private members’ public business, such that on the ballot list draw of November 4, 2019, Mr. Smith, Peterborough–Kawartha, assumes ballot item number 83, and on the ballot list draw of May 5, 2021, Ms. Fee assumes ballot item number 85.

Notice of dissatisfaction

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Pursuant to standing order 36(a), the member for Ottawa South has given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to his question given by the Minister of Long-Term Care concerning the investigation into the Canadian Armed Forces report. This matter will be debated Tuesday, May 11, 2021, following private members’ public business.

There being no further business at this time, the House stands in recess until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1136 to 1300.

Royal assent / Sanction royale

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that in the name of Her Majesty the Queen, Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor has been pleased to assent to a certain bill in her office.

The Clerk-at-the-Table (Mr. William Wong): The following is the title of the bill to which Her Honour did assent:

An Act to amend the Executive Council Act in respect of attendance at Question Period / Loi modifiant la Loi sur le Conseil exécutif à l’égard de la présence à la période des questions.

Introduction of Bills

Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 ouvrant des perspectives dans les métiers spécialisés

Mr. McNaughton moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 288, An Act to enact the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021 / Projet de loi 288, Loi édictant la Loi de 2021 ouvrant des perspectives dans les métiers spécialisés.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Would the Minister of Labour care to briefly explain his bill?

Hon. Monte McNaughton: Sure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our government’s mission is to get more people into the skilled trades. The Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021, will help us accomplish our mission.

Petitions

Education funding

Ms. Marit Stiles: Hi. Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to present this petition on behalf of Fatima Islam. It reads as follows:

“Petition to the Ontario Legislative Assembly:

“Don’t Increase Class Sizes or Cancel Full-Day Kindergarten.

“Whereas the vast majority of parents, students, and educators support smaller class sizes and the current model of full-day kindergarten and want the best education possible for the students of Ontario; and

“Whereas larger class sizes negatively impacts the quality of education, reduces access to teaching resources, and significantly diminishes teacher-student interactions; and

“Whereas the impact of larger class sizes will be particularly detrimental to students who need additional support; and

“Whereas Ontario has an internationally recognized public education system that requires careful attention and the investment to ensure all of our students can succeed;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to commit to reducing class sizes, maintain the current model of full-day kindergarten, and make the necessary investments in public education to build the schools our students deserve.”

I’m very happy to support this petition. I’m going to affix my signature and table it with the Clerks.

Injured workers

Mr. Jeff Burch: “Workers’ Comp is a Right....

“Whereas about 200,000 to 300,000 people in Ontario are injured on the job every year;

“Whereas over a century ago, workers in Ontario who were injured on the job gave up the right to sue their employers, in exchange for a system that would provide them with just compensation;

“Whereas decades of cost-cutting have pushed injured workers into poverty and onto publicly funded social assistance programs, and have gradually curtailed the rights of injured workers;

“Whereas injured workers have the right to quality and timely medical care, compensation for lost wages and protection from discrimination;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to change the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act to accomplish the following for injured workers in Ontario:

“Eliminate the practice of ‘deeming’ or ‘determining,’ which bases compensation on phantom jobs that injured workers do not actually have;

“Ensure that the WSIB prioritizes and respects the medical opinions of the health care providers who treat the injured worker directly;

“Prevent compensation from being reduced or denied based on ‘pre-existing conditions’ that never affected the worker’s ability to function prior to the work injury.”

I affix my signature.

Water extraction

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I have a petition signed by the good people of London West, and it is entitled “Protect Water as a Public Good.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas groundwater is a public good, not a commodity; and

“Whereas the United Nations recognizes access to clean drinking water as a human right; and

“Whereas local ecosystems must be preserved for the well-being of future generations; and

“Whereas the duty to consult Indigenous communities regarding water-taking within traditional territories is often neglected, resulting in a disproportionate burden on systemically marginalized communities during a period of reconciliation; and

“Whereas a poll commissioned by the Wellington Water Watchers found that two thirds of respondents support phasing out bottled water in Ontario over the course of a decade; and

“Whereas a trend towards prioritizing the expansion of for-profit water bottling corporations over the needs of municipalities will negatively impact Ontario’s growing communities;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to prioritize public ownership and control of water over corporate interests.”

I fully support this petition, affix my signature and will send it to the table.

Soins de longue durée

M. Michael Mantha: J’ai une pétition ici à titre « Interdire les frais d’EPP dans les maisons de retraite.

« À l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario :

« Attendu que les maisons de retraite de l’Ontario sont en grande partie des entreprises privées; et

« Attendu que ces entreprises ont la responsabilité de fournir l’équipement de protection personnelle (EPP) à leurs employé(e)s; et

« Attendu que de nombreuses maisons de retraite ajoutent des frais d’EPP à la facture mensuelle des résident(e)s, mais l’EPP n’est pas pour les résident(e)s, mais pour les employé(e)s de la maison de retraite; et

« Attendu que les résident(e)s de certaines maisons de retraite de Sudbury ont organisé des campagnes de lettres pour que l’augmentation des frais pour les EPP ne soit pas refilée aux résident(e)s mais payée par les propriétaires des maisons de retraite;

« Nous, soussignés, pétitionnons l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario de traiter les aîné(e)s de notre province avec respect et d’interdire les frais supplémentaires liés à la COVID, y compris l’EPP, aux résident(e)s des maisons de retraite. »

Je suis complètement d’accord avec cette pétition. Je mets ma signature et je la présente à la table des greffiers.

Long-term care

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontario’s retirement homes are largely privately owned corporations; and

“Whereas these businesses have a responsibility to provide personal protective equipment ... to their employees; and

“Whereas many retirement homes are adding PPE charges to the residents’ monthly bill, but the PPE is not for the residents but for the employees of the retirement home; and

“Whereas residents of some Sudbury retirement homes have effectively organized letter-writing campaigns and actions to have the PPE charges to residents cancelled and recognized as a retirement home’s cost of doing business;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Treat our province’s seniors with respect and ban any additional COVID-related fees, including PPE, to retirement home residents.”

I certainly support this, will be affixing my signature and giving it to the Clerk.

Soins de longue durée

M^me Marit Stiles: C’est un plaisir d’introduire cette pétition intitulée « Interdire les frais d’EPP dans les maisons de retraite.

« À l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario :

« Attendu que les maisons de retraite de l’Ontario sont en grande partie des entreprises privées; et

« Attendu que ces entreprises ont la responsabilité de fournir l’équipement de protection personnelle (EPP) à leurs employé(e)s; et

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Merci, et je vais affixer ma signature et prendre la—

The Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): Merci. Très bien.

Water extraction

Ms. Sandy Shaw: I have a petition entitled “Protect water as a public good.”

“Whereas groundwater is a public good, not a commodity; and

“Whereas the United Nations recognizes access to clean drinking water as a human right; and

“Whereas local ecosystems must be preserved for the well-being of future generations; and

“Whereas a poll commissioned by the Wellington Water Watchers found that two thirds of respondents support phasing out bottled water in Ontario over the course of a decade; and

“Whereas a trend towards prioritizing the expansion of for-profit water bottling corporations over the needs of municipalities will negatively impact Ontario’s growing communities;

I wholeheartedly agree with this petition and will affix my name.

Injured workers

Ms. Peggy Sattler: This is a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario entitled “Workers’ Comp is a Right.”