Legislative Assembly of Ontario

The House met at 0900.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Good morning. Let us pray.

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

The Noble House Corporation Act, 2023

Ms. Smith moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr19, An Act to revive The Noble House Corporation.

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

Second reading agreed to.

The Noble House Corporation Act, 2023

Ms. Smith moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr19, An Act to revive The Noble House Corporation.

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

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

1000067464 Ontario Inc. Act, 2023

Ms. Smith moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr33, An Act to revive 1000067464 Ontario Inc.

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

Second reading agreed to.

1000067464 Ontario Inc. Act, 2023

Ms. Smith moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr33, An Act to revive 1000067464 Ontario Inc.

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

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

592605 Ontario Limited Act, 2023

Mr. Bresee moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr26, An Act to revive 592605 Ontario Limited.

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

Second reading agreed to.

592605 Ontario Limited Act, 2023

Mr. Bresee moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr26, An Act to revive 592605 Ontario Limited.

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

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

1376122 Ontario Ltd. Act, 2023

Mr. Shamji moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr27, An Act to revive 1376122 Ontario Ltd.

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

Second reading agreed to.

1376122 Ontario Ltd. Act, 2023

Mr. Shamji moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr27, An Act to revive 1376122 Ontario Ltd.

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

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

South Simcoe Developments Inc. Act, 2023

Mr. Saunderson moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr28, An Act to revive South Simcoe Developments Inc.

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

Second reading agreed to.

South Simcoe Developments Inc. Act, 2023

Mr. Saunderson moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr28, An Act to revive South Simcoe Developments Inc.

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

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

Hillsdale Land Corp. Act, 2023

Mr. Saunderson moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr29, An Act to revive Hillsdale Land Corp.

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

Second reading agreed to.

Hillsdale Land Corp. Act, 2023

Mr. Saunderson moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr29, An Act to revive Hillsdale Land Corp.

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

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

Rapati Design and Construction Ltd. Act, 2023

Mr. Dave Smith moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr30, An Act to revive Rapati Design and Construction Ltd.

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

Second reading agreed to.

Rapati Design and Construction Ltd. Act, 2023

Mr. Dave Smith moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr30, An Act to revive Rapati Design and Construction Ltd.

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

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

Geranium (Hillsdale) Limited Act, 2023

Mr. Saunderson moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr31, An Act to revive Geranium (Hillsdale) Limited.

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

Second reading agreed to.

Geranium (Hillsdale) Limited Act, 2023

Mr. Saunderson moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr31, An Act to revive Geranium (Hillsdale) Limited.

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

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

Annual report, Auditor General

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that the following document has been tabled: the 2023 annual report from the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario.

House sittings

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I recognize the member for Chatham-Kent–Leamington.

Mr. Trevor Jones: On a point of order, Speaker: Pursuant to standing order 7(e), I wish to inform the House that tonight’s evening meeting is cancelled.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I don’t think that’s going to be debated at all. Thank you for the information.

Orders of the day? The member for Chatham-Kent–Leamington.

Mr. Trevor Jones: No further business.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): There being no further business, this House stands in recess until 10:15.

The House recessed from 0914 to 1015.

Members’ Statements

Homelessness

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: The homelessness crisis is worsening, encampments are growing, and it’s taking a devastating toll on people in communities across this province. It has gotten so bad that in Toronto hospitals, cold-weather ER visits by people experiencing homelessness skyrocketed by nearly 70% in the last few years. These are people who are in the waiting area of emergency departments. They don’t need medical attention, but they’re there because they need a safe place to stay warm. There’s nowhere else for them to go. Hospitals are becoming shelters. What is also worrisome is that there are thousands more who are just a few hundred dollars away from losing their home and ending up on the streets.

There is such an urgency on this issue, and yet this government is so consumed with things like delivering a luxury spa. You’ve completely lost touch with reality. Your priorities are not what people need you to be working on.

As we recess the House for the winter, I ask Conservative members to reflect on this and ask yourselves, are you up to the task? This is not a partisan statement. You have the opportunity. You have the power. You have the majority votes. You have everything it takes to solve this problem.

We know the solutions. Stop wasting time and energy on things that are not helping people, and just do the right thing.

Ian Laing

M^me Dawn Gallagher Murphy: This morning, I am dedicating my member’s statement to the life and service of Fire Chief Ian Laing of Central York Fire Services, who passed away last week.

After serving more than 34 years of service with Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services, Chief Laing joined Central York Fire Services in 2009 and was the fire chief right up to his very last day on this earth. For 48 years, the chief worked for the safety and well-being of our Newmarket and Aurora communities.

I met Chief Laing in 2018. He always had that big smile—and what a sense of humour. I recall chatting with the chief on a tour of the new headquarters in Aurora shortly after its opening in 2022. He told me, “Back in the day, we did not have all the equipment they have today, Dawn.” That always stuck with me as I thought of the chief as a brave firefighter, a well-respected leader.

He fostered a culture of courage and camaraderie among the firefighters. During the service recognition and recruit ceremonies, he would look upon each of the firefighters with great pride, like a father would for his child.

I extend my sincere condolences to his wife, Deb. Thank you for sharing your firefighter with our community members. Without your support, Deb, the chief would not have been able to make the difference he made in serving Ontarians for a near half century.

To the entire Central York Fire Services family: My condolences go out to each and every one of you. I believe his spirit will live on with you all.

Chief, thank you for your service.

Conflict in Middle East

Ms. Doly Begum: Since October 7, Israeli forces have dropped 50,000 tonnes of explosives on homes, hospitals and schools in Gaza. And yet, we’re always asked, “Did you condemn Hamas?”

Netanyahu says the war will continue until he achieves his goals. What goals can you achieve by bombing thousands of children, by starving and freezing people to death, by depriving innocent people of water and fuel? Babies in incubators died because their electricity was cut off. And yet, we are still asked, “Did you condemn Hamas?”

So let me make it very clear. Yes, we did.

But where is the condemnation for killing over 15,000 innocent Palestinians, for forcing 1.8 million Palestinians out of their own homes, and for the torture and humiliation of people in the West Bank, where there is no Hamas? Have we lost our conscience? How can we condone the killing of innocent people?

Canada must call for an immediate ceasefire.

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As Secretary-General Agnès Callamard of Amnesty International said, “For 16 years, Israel’s illegal blockade has made Gaza the world’s biggest open-air prison—the international community must act now to prevent it from becoming a giant graveyard.”

Let’s call for a ceasefire now.

Jan Westcott

Mr. Mike Harris: I rise today to pay tribute to a friend of the Legislature. Jan Westcott will be stepping away from his role as president and CEO of Spirits Canada at the end of the year.

Jan was here on Monday along with the Grain Farmers of Ontario. It was a wonderful event, as always. I know that members from all sides of the House are proud to support Spirits Canada.

Jan has been a champion for everyone involved in the grain-to-glass process, showing the importance of the spirits sector to our economy. Prior to these roles, he worked in advertising, the mining industry and government. Through the 1980s, he served as president of the Canadian Wine Institute. In 1989, he became the founding CEO of the Brewers of Ontario. He is a founding director of Smart Serve. He has served on the boards of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Earth Day Canada, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., the Recycling Council of Ontario, and the Canada Safety Council.

Jan currently serves on the boards of the Empire Club of Canada, and he chairs the board of directors of Halton region Crime Stoppers.

Jan, it has always been a pleasure to raise a glass with you, so let’s raise one to your retirement. Cheers!

Food drive

Miss Monique Taylor: A special good morning to everyone here and in Hamilton Mountain.

This Saturday, December 9, I am honoured to join Santa, his elves and other special guests for our annual Santa food drive parade. We will be in the Sunning Hill and Highview school neighbourhoods on the east mountain, between Upper Ottawa and Upper Gage.

Leading the parade will be a fire truck from the Hamilton Fire Department. I am always so grateful for their participation and holiday spirit at every parade. Special guests will include mascots: the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ Stripes, Forge FC’s Sparx, and the Hamilton Cardinals’ very own Bernie R. Bird.

Children of all ages will want to enjoy the entertainment, and all are welcome to join us on the route and spread good cheer. The parade will start at 11 a.m., and the route can be found on my social media pages.

Now, more than ever, our local food banks are seeing more and more families visiting and needing support. Food insecurity is at an all-time high. Unfortunately, donations are dropping drastically as food prices soar. So whether you live in the neighbourhood or are simply out and about, please consider dropping off a non-perishable food item. Together, we will show our giving spirit to many families in Hamilton. Every donation truly counts and will make a difference in the lives of our neighbours and bring joy and hope during the holiday season.

Wishing you and your family a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Yonge North subway extension

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: Last week, we reached a major milestone on the Yonge North subway extension. I was happy to attend the launch of the proposal process, alongside the Minister of Transportation and my York region colleagues. This extension is a critical infrastructure investment that will deliver much-needed rapid transit to cities across the GTA—cities like Markham, and my riding of Markham–Thornhill.

When the Yonge North subway extension is complete, it will provide over 94,000 daily trips and will put nearly 30,000 more people within a 10-minute walk to transit. It will create thousands of jobs during construction and generate nearly $4 billion in economic benefits to the province.

Improving infrastructure is a key part of our government’s promise to the people of Ontario. Our government has focused on creating and promoting transit-oriented development within communities like the Langstaff development in Markham.

People in my riding have been waiting for decades for this extension to be built. We are delivering on that promise, we are getting shovels in the ground, and we are building the infrastructure that the residents of Ontario and our economy need for the future.

Speaker, I would like to thank you for your hard work.

I wish everyone a happy holiday.

Road safety

Mr. Michael Mantha: From my seat, over the course of the last couple of weeks, I’ve listened to the Minister of Transportation talk about how safe our roads are in northern Ontario. I want to give him some reality as far as what people are facing in northern Ontario.

We see extensive shutdowns—Highway 17 between Heyden and Wawa shut down and closed for 12 hours; Highway 17 closure between Sault Ste. Marie and Batchawana. And just a couple of weeks ago, over in Jones Landing on Highway 17, a transport was within mere feet of hitting a home, and hydro was lost in that area for 12 hours.

“White River Resident Killed in Highway 17 Crash....”

“Overnight Highway 17 Crash Claims Lives of Two Teens.”

That’s the reality of what we’re facing in northern Ontario.

Speaker, Good Roads were here and have provided reasonable prescription, treatment and remedy to improve the state of our roads across the province, and it’s time for this government to take the medicine. The medicine is road safety audits. It’s a basic principle of good health care. Our roads were built 30 to 50 years ago, and we need to consider the designs, the width, the shoulders, the ditching and much, much more. Acting on the recommendation and implementing road safety audits is just good medicine.

Here’s another headline: “Highway 17 Reopened After Crash Near Iron Bridge.”

And the headline—a 29-year-old horse-and-buggy driver was involved in a collision with a transport at Birchland Camp Road. He succumbed to his injury. My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to the family and the community.

Speaker, we can do better. We have to do better.

Thunder Bay Youth Wellness Hub

Mr. Kevin Holland: I’m very proud to rise today in celebration of our community leaders, who have been hard at work to establish a youth wellness hub in Thunder Bay. Our community partners have worked together for many years to better support youth in navigating service pathways, especially during the challenging transitional period from child to adult.

This August, parent advocates and service provider representatives participated in Associate Minister Tibollo’s round-table visit to Thunder Bay, where the concept of a youth wellness hub re-emerged. Following that meeting, I was privileged to meet with Diane Walker, Jennifer Lawrance, and Rob Dueck, a parent advocate for the Jaida Project. Since that meeting, this incredible group of people have mobilized our youth and community partners in a way that has impressed me significantly. A steering committee was immediately formed, and the group set out engaging necessary stakeholders.

On November 3, a youth wellness hub community forum was held in Thunder Bay, where 150 participants, including 50 youth, participated. Topics brought forward included the need for such things as integrated one-stop mental health and addiction services and education support. The importance of peer mentorship was highlighted by youth, caregivers and service providers.

It is important to take a moment to recognize Carolyn Karle and Rob and MaryLouise Dueck. These parents have suffered the unthinkable loss of losing their child. Despite that pain and heartache, they have chosen to be active ambassadors for the youth and families in our community, and we honour them.

I would like to wish everybody in the House a very merry Christmas and happy holidays.

Centre for Skills Development

Ms. Natalie Pierre: Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to attend the Centre for Skills Development in Burlington, alongside Minister Williams, Minister Tangri and PA David Smith, to launch a call for applications for the Women’s Economic Security Program. Thanks to the Women’s Economic Security Program, more women have access to skills training, gaining the experience to embark on a career to good-paying jobs in the trades.

The Centre for Skills Development has provided their Enhanced General Carpentry program to women for over 20 years and has seen great success, with over 300 participants securing sustainable, financially rewarding and meaningful employment in the construction sector. Their 22-week program prepares participants to work in a variety of skilled trades within the construction industry, from residential builds to high-end renovations. Other services at the centre include one-on-one job search coaching, settlement services, LINC and ELT classes, academic upgrading and fully funded pre-apprenticeship skilled trade programs. Collectively, the centres serve around 20,000 people in Halton region and Mississauga.

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Thank you to the Centre for Skills Development for delivering the programs that continue breaking down barriers for women, giving them the tools they need to earn bigger paycheques for themselves and their families.

Local business

Mr. Ric Bresee: As I planned my member’s statement for today, I intended to deliver a message encouraging everyone to shop locally and support their local economies. But I was inspired by some of my colleagues on both sides of the House to take a slightly more artistic approach. So, with the help of my amazing staff, may I present some advice from St. Nicholas:

‘Twas the weeks before Christmas, and all through the town

The parents were shopping as flurries came down.

Getting gifts for their children from local shopkeepers,

Then shopping online as the snow just got deeper.

But a local business supports so many things

From hockey to splash pads, and much in between.

From the shirts and the jerseys on local sports teams,

To the new park equipment—just look at it gleam!

While enjoying the stores, seeing people they know,

They are laughing and smiling with their faces aglow.

These local shopkeepers, so friendly and warm,

Also employ people, with kids of their own.

So we ask you to choose them and choose your home city

While enjoying the street scenes decorated so pretty.

With the many supporters, our stores are successful

So merry Christmas to all, and to all we are grateful!

I just need to take a moment to wish the very best of the season to all the residents of Hastings–Lennox and Addington, to all my colleagues here in the House and the staff. I wish you a very happy holiday season. Joy, peace, laughter and rest.

Introduction of Visitors

Hon. Michael Parsa: I’d like to introduce board members from the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses—Marlene Ham, Amber Wardell, Carla Neto—and Susan Wells from Family Service Ontario. Thank you very much for your advocacy, and thank you for joining me this morning. Welcome to the House.

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I am delighted this morning to welcome Sofia Olaya, who is a high school co-op student working in my constituency office, and my executive assistant, Amanda Stratton. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: I would like to recognize the delegates from the Canada-Nigeria Trade Expo who are here in the House today: Bose Odueke, Bola Oduyale, Festus Adebayo, Umar Abdullahi, Osobase Omo, Dr. Hayatuddeen Awwal, Chikodi Onyegbula—and all the other guests from Nigeria. Thank you for coming to this wonderful province. Welcome to the Legislature of Ontario.

Applause.

M^me Dawn Gallagher Murphy: I would like to welcome the Newmarket Huron Heights Warriors football team to Queen’s Park, who will actually be arriving later this afternoon. The Warriors won 37-2 in the Golden Horseshoe Bowl on November 28, and this game marks the team as top in this great province. Congratulations to the Warriors.

Mr. Chris Glover: From Ontario Place for All, we have Nicholas Jennings, Sheila Toller, Abdulkadir Celik, Marybeth McTeague, Beth Kapusta, Thomas Varey, Janine Miedzik, and Michelle Smith. Welcome to your House.

Mr. Ric Bresee: I want to introduce and acknowledge the amazing page captain for today, Henry Hasler. I hope he has had a wonderful time as our page.

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: Also in the members’ gallery are other members of Ontario Place for All: Peggy Leake, Caroline Haddad, Catherine Bruce, Janet Summers, Anne Pedersen, Emily Switzer, Sue Holland, Julia Louise Pereira, and Heather Johnston.

And since today is the last sitting day, I want to give a special shout-out and thank you to my OLIP intern, Olivia Collver.

Hon. David Piccini: I’d like to extend a warm welcome. I think they’re up in the members’ gallery. I’m looking forward to having lunch with them—the incredible team from Campbellford Memorial Hospital. They do so much work.

John Russell and Erik Kowal, I’m looking forward to having lunch with you gentlemen. Thanks for all you do for our community.

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: I’d like to welcome to the House, also from Ontario Place for All, Ric Amis, Tim Maguire, Kendall Savage, Kathleen Hearn, Anastasia Listsova, Lisa Latimer, Gehna Banga, and Monica Tap. Thank you for all your hard work and advocacy.

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: This morning, I’d like to welcome Jasmine De Fina and Maggie Beatie from SafeHope Home, which helps victims of human trafficking. Welcome.

Mr. Joel Harden: Tuning in from Ottawa Centre is Megan Mick. This is Megan’s last day working in her short-term placement with us in Ottawa Centre.

Thank you, Megan, for tuning in this morning and for all you did for the great people of Ottawa Centre.

Mr. Matthew Rae: I want to introduce Dave and Maria Hartney, who are in the gallery, from the beautiful riding of Perth–Wellington.

Ms. Jennifer K. French: I know there are lots of folks here from Ontario Place for All. I would also like to welcome Rebecca Diedrichs, Jonathan Robinson, John Russell, Eric Cowell, Alie Rutty, and Margie Zeidler. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Doly Begum: I would like to introduce and thank my first and wonderful OLIP intern, Razan Akiba, who has been a wonderful addition to our team. Thank you so much for all your hard work.

Ms. Marit Stiles: I’d like to take a moment to welcome and thank all of the good folks from Ontario Place for All for joining us here today. Thank you for all of your hard work and advocacy.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members please take their seats. There are no political statements associated with introduction of visitors.

Ms. Marit Stiles: I would like to also take this opportunity to welcome some representatives from the National Council of Canadian Muslims who are here with us today, as well as Mohamad Almadhoun, a Palestinian Ontarian with family in Gaza right now. Thank you very much for being here with us.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That concludes our introduction of visitors for this morning.

Wearing of ribbons

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): A number of members have informed me that they have points of order they would wish to raise before question period.

I’ll first recognize the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

Hon. Michael Parsa: Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to wear white ribbons in recognition of today being the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister Parsa is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to allow members to wear white ribbons in recognition of today being the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Agreed? Agreed.

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Conflict in Middle East

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Next, I’ll recognize the leader of His Majesty’s loyal opposition.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Thank you, Speaker. I stand today and seek unanimous consent for the House to call upon the federal government to immediately enact special immigration measures to facilitate the evacuation and reunification of extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents from Gaza.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Ms. Stiles is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to call upon the federal government to immediately enact special immigration measures to facilitate the evacuation and reunification of extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents from Gaza. Agreed? Agreed.

Independent members

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Next, I’ll recognize the member for Ottawa–Vanier.

M^me Lucille Collard: I seek unanimous consent that, notwithstanding standing order 40(e), five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group to respond during statements by the ministry and responses today.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Ms. Collard is seeking the unanimous consent of the House that, notwithstanding standing order 40(e), five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group to respond during statements by the ministry and responses today. Agreed? Agreed.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I once again recognize the member for Ottawa–Vanier.

M^me Lucille Collard: I also seek unanimous consent that, notwithstanding standing order 100(a)(iv), five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group to speak during private members’ public business today.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Ms. Collard is seeking unanimous consent of the House that, notwithstanding standing order 100(a)(iv), five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group to speak during private members’ public business today. Agreed? Agreed.

Question Period

Government accountability

Ms. Marit Stiles: This question is for the Premier.

As we head into the holiday season, Ontarians are stretching every single penny to try to provide for their families.

When I talk with people, their frustrations are very clear. They’re frustrated that they have a government that isn’t putting their needs first on housing, on health care, or on the rising cost of living. They see a government captured by insiders and too mired in scandals and an RCMP criminal investigation to help them.

To the Premier: People expect so much more from their government. When will he start to deliver for them?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the government House leader and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I think it will come as no surprise to the Leader of the Opposition that I look at things a lot differently.

When I look back at this past year, I see over 700,000 people who have the dignity of a job, who didn’t have that before. I see billions of dollars worth of investments that have come to the province of Ontario because of the policies of this government—the policies that have reduced red tape, cut taxes. We are investing in infrastructure to support the investments that are coming into this province. We’re investing in transit, transportation.

I look at our students, and for the first time, this Minister of Education has delivered peace in our school system. I say that quite sincerely. Probably for the first time in my life, there is peace in our school system.

I look at the work that the Minister of Labour has done to ensure that we improve access to skilled trades. I look at the amount of women who are coming into the skilled trades.

When I look back, I see a really good year and much to look forward to in the years ahead.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, after all the investigations and reports, even an ongoing RCMP criminal investigation, the government hasn’t learned a single lesson and working people are no further ahead.

A new report by the Auditor General that was just released leaves absolutely no doubt about the utter failure of this government to live up to what they were elected to do on health care, on public infrastructure, on support for northern Ontario. The auditor’s report shows that people are being left behind while this government is being run out of the backrooms.

My question is again to the Premier: How many times does he have to get caught? How many policies will he have to reverse before he starts to put real people ahead of his own ambitions?

Interjections.

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

The government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: What we are doing across the province of Ontario is, we’re rebuilding a health care system—thanks to the Minister of Health—that was for far too long ignored by the previous Liberal government, which was supported by the NDP. We are building or renovating or upgrading over 50 hospitals in the province of Ontario, despite the fact that we had a global, economic and health care pandemic. We are making historic investments in health care. We are seeing people come back into the health care system.

Moreover, we are making significant progress on our commitment to build 58,000 new and upgraded long-term-care-home beds—which are homes for seniors. We’re making progress on that.

We are bringing economic development to parts of the province of Ontario that have never had it before. I look at the people in Loyalist township, who will have one of the largest investments ever made in their community—jobs and opportunity for them.

I look at the Minister of Northern Development and the Minister of Mines—the fact that we are opening up the resources of the north to support investments that are coming in the south.

Good news for all.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: They can’t repeal their bad decisions fast enough. My gosh. In the last year, this government has spent more time flip-flopping on those bad policy decisions than anything else.

The only thing that the Premier and his cabinet have done in this last year is manufacture a housing crisis, a health care system on its deathbed, and a cost-of-living crisis that has Ontarians on the brink. What a shameful moment in—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Stop the clock.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. I couldn’t hear the Leader of the Opposition—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. The Associate Minister of Small Business will come to order. The member for Waterloo will come to order.

Restart the clock.

The Leader of the Opposition still has some time.

Ms. Marit Stiles: My goodness, Speaker. Let me repeat that: The only thing the Premier and his cabinet have gotten done in this last year is manufacturing a housing crisis—yes—a health care system that is on its deathbed, and a cost-of-living crisis that has Ontarians on the brink.

What a shameful moment in Ontario’s history that this Premier has put us in. And what for? His insider friends?

Back to the Premier—I hope he will answer: Was it worth it?

Interjections.

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

The Premier can respond.

Hon. Doug Ford: First of all, I can’t believe what’s coming out of the leader’s mouth across the aisle about housing, when the NDP and the Liberals and the Greens have voted against every single housing initiative that we’ve ever put forward.

We could go back five and a half years, when people were leaving the province, 300,000 jobs were leaving.

But the good news is, we’ve created the climate and the conditions for 715,000 people to be working today who weren’t working under their government. There are over 300,000 jobs available. We had over 800,000 immigrants show up to Ontario last year alone. That’s what’s causing the housing crisis. But do you know why they’re coming here? This is the engine of Canada. This is the engine of North America. Everyone in North America knows we’re the hottest place anywhere in North America to open a business, to start a family, to buy a home. That’s what the real solution is—by creating that environment.

Thank you for the question from the Leader of the Opposition.

Government accountability

Ms. Marit Stiles: Since the 2022 election, this government has had to roll back almost all of its major policy initiatives because they got caught rigging the system for their insiders.

Now we have reports that show the dissolution of Peel region is going to be another extremely costly boondoggle for the people of Brampton and Caledon and Mississauga—and as I pointed out yesterday, tax hikes as high as 256%.

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To the Premier: Are you going to reverse this decision too?

Hon. Doug Ford: Sometimes I sit back and I look across the aisle and I’m thinking, how do these people get elected? I really ask myself, how do they get elected? If their constituents actually were here and saw how they vote—and they vote to make sure we have the highest carbon tax, vote against every housing policy, vote against $180 billion of infrastructure, vote against all our great health care initiatives—they would never be voted in.

As a matter of fact—I know this is a little fantasy—imagine we stuck them in one part of the province, and the rest of us there. They’d go bankrupt. The businesses would leave. People would be moving out. They’d have tent cities all around their little region there. It would be an absolute disaster. That’s the reason they will never get elected to be running the government.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to ask the opposition to come to order so that I can hear the responses. I think the opposition wants to hear them too.

Supplementary question.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, they’re folding faster than a deck of cards over there.

Just like the greenbelt grab, the decision to dissolve Peel region was also rushed to advance the Premier’s personal and political interests.

Well, the people have caught on to this government’s pattern of preferential treatment and decision-making that puts their own interests over and over again ahead of real Ontarians.

So I’m going to ask the Premier again: Will he admit that the dissolution of Peel region is a $1.3-billion political game?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government side will come to order.

The government House leader can reply.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I think the questions from the Leader of the Opposition really highlight the dramatic difference between the NDP and the Progressive Conservative government. She calls the historic investments that we’ve made in Windsor a waste of time. She calls the historic investments in Loyalist a waste of time. We have the largest investment probably in Canadian history in St. Thomas—thousands of jobs coming to the province of Ontario.

This is a leader who, in the last election, brought her and her party’s disagreement with the 413, an important piece of infrastructure to support the people of that region—voted against it. The result of that was that the entire caucus that was elected from the NDP was wiped out and Progressive Conservatives replaced them.

We’re going to double down over the next year to improve on all of the things that we’ve brought forward to the province: affordability, infrastructure, jobs, opportunity—a bigger, better, bolder Ontario.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Well, I sure hope for the people of Peel region that includes a reversal of that terrible policy decision.

Both the mayor of Brampton and the mayor of Caledon have spoken out against the dissolution of Peel region. They, too, are calling for this government to reverse their decision.

The reality is, this backroom deal that was concocted by the Premier and the new Liberal leader has left people in Peel so distressed about how this will impact their public services—everything from garbage collection and sewers to children’s programs and, in fact, shelter services.

Back to the Premier of this province: Why should the people of Peel trust him when he has continued to use them as a pawn in his 4-D chess game?

Interjections.

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

To reply, the Premier.

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, why would the people in Peel trust us? Well, I’ll tell you a couple reasons why they could trust us. We’ve saved the Stellantis plant. The people of Brampton now get a university that they never had before to create more doctors in the system. The people of Mississauga are seeing the great Hazel McCallion Line right across the Peel region. They’ve seen tremendous growth they’ve never seen before in Peel region. We’re supporting them, making sure that they have more commercial, industrial and housing for people in Peel. I could go on and on—not to mention that we’re building the largest hospital in Canada, Trillium. We’re building the largest long-term-care homes in Peel. So the list could go on and on and on. If I had a half an hour, I’d keep going, listing them all off, the great things that we do—

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

Affordable housing

Ms. Doly Begum: Speaker, my constituent Tracy Christoforou is currently being evicted from her building that is getting demolished, forcing her out in the bitter cold this winter. Tracy pays $1,076 for a two-bedroom apartment, but rental rates in the current market are about three times higher. Her son suffers from severe mental health issues which have only deteriorated severely since the eviction notice.

Despite relentless searching, as a part-time PSW and single mother Tracy is denied housing due to her low income. Some landlords even demanded applicants earn $100,000 just to rent. This is the alarming reality of Ontario’s housing crisis. Ontarians are unimaginably struggling right now due to the rising costs of living, Speaker.

How is this government going to address this so that Tracy and others don’t end up on the street in this bitter cold winter?

Hon. Doug Ford: I really like the member from Scarborough. She’s a very nice person. She works hard, but why do you vote against all our housing initiatives? Why? If you want people in Scarborough to have a better life, vote for housing initiatives. You voted no every single time.

You voted no against the subway that the people wanted in Scarborough. They voted no for the new hospital that people wanted. They voted no to the long-term-care homes.

So please, I beg you, you’re such a nice person, start getting onside with the people of Scarborough and start supporting them, and start voting for the housing initiatives that we put forward.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I remind members to please make their comments through the Chair.

The supplementary question?

Ms. Doly Begum: Speaker, Tracy might lose her home and be on the streets.

I have another tenant in that building who might also be evicted: Karen Azucar shared that the offered rent-gap compensation runs $1,000 low if we look at the current rental market. For a low-income renter like her, it’s pretty much impossible to rent an apartment.

Speaker, 32 units in that building in my riding—and I welcome the Premier to come and see what’s happening, because these buildings are getting demolished. These are the only affordable places people have left right now. They are being demolished and all these families are asked to find new homes while demands of the current housing markets are completely unreachable for these families.

Is this government and the Premier going to prioritize Ontarians’ desperate need for affordable homes or are they too preoccupied with evading accountability in an ongoing RCMP investigation right now?

Interjections.

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

Government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Mr. Speaker, I think we will agree on one thing, that there is a need to build more homes faster across the province of Ontario, and more homes at all levels, including affordable housing. That is why we’ve introduced legislation to expand the definition of affordable housing and make it consistent—not consistent, but allow each market to drive what affordable housing is.

I am excited by the fact that we have 15,000—the highest level of purpose-built rental starts in the history of this province.

But more than that, Mr. Speaker, it is why I am continuously calling in this House for the federal government to come on board with us so that we can put more infrastructure in the ground. The federal government has a $15-billion program across the country right now. That program is estimated to bring about 200,000 homes online; $15 billion worth of infrastructure across this country would build millions of homes.

So I need the member opposite’s support to help us get the federal government to make those investments in infrastructure so that we can build millions of homes, so there are more opportunities for the people of the province of Ontario.

Automotive industry / Manufacturing jobs

Mr. Will Bouma: My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Speaker, when the Liberals were in office, they actively implemented policies that were intended to cripple our auto sector. They knew the electric vehicle revolution was under way, but they didn’t believe our auto sector could compete with China and other US states. As a result, they looked on, with the NDP, as automakers and good-paying jobs fled our province.

Thankfully, our government quickly reversed course as soon as we took office. We know Ontario has everything to be the leader in electric vehicle production, and that’s why we have worked to secure more than $27 billion in EV investments over the past three years.

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Speaker, can the minister please highlight any recent auto investments that are strengthening Ontario’s position as a leader in electric vehicle production?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: We are building an end-to-end electric vehicle supply chain here in Ontario. We are certainly a complete difference from what we saw with the NDP-backed Liberals.

We now have Dana in Cambridge investing $60 million, hiring 105 new people with $2.5 million in support. They are making components for EV batteries and electronics. We have the Ontario Automotive Modernization Program: 26 Ontario companies are investing $10 million, with 111 new jobs being created by those companies with $3.5 million in support. With investments like these, we’re making sure that Ontario continues to be the global leader in electric vehicle and parts productions.

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

Mr. Will Bouma: Thank you to the minister for his response. It’s always great to hear about investments that are creating good-paying jobs across the province of Ontario.

Under the previous Liberal government’s watch, 300,000 manufacturing jobs left Ontario. Now, the new Liberal leader wants to do it all over again. The Liberals and the NDP want to put up mountains of red tape, raise taxes and crush our manufacturing sector. Under our government’s watch, that will never happen. By reducing costs for businesses and for workers, Ontario is once again a manufacturing powerhouse.

Speaker, can the minister highlight manufacturing investments that have created good-paying jobs in the province of Ontario?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Well, Speaker, the member is absolutely correct. Under the Liberal government, we lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs. Under our government, we created the climate for 700,000 jobs to return. I will say that this year alone, 30,000 new manufacturing jobs were created in Ontario; that’s 65% of all manufacturing jobs that were created in the country.

We are, as the Premier said earlier, the economic powerhouse. TNR Doors in Oro-Medonte: a $40-million investment, 30 new jobs and $5 million in support from the province. German manufacturer PWO: a $10-million investment in Kitchener, 27 new jobs, a $1.5-million investment from the province of Ontario.

Speaker, we will always support Ontario’s manufacturers, and that’s why we are leading the EV revolution.

Municipal restructuring

Ms. Catherine Fife: Just days ago, Brampton mayor Patrick Brown released new numbers that showed that this government’s plan to dissolve Peel region could cost local taxpayers an extra $1.3 billion over 10 years. This updated report noted that the added cost would require taxes to increase by 17% in Mississauga, 34% in Brampton and 256% in Caledon. This is the equivalent of a 38% one-time tax increase across the region.

Speaker, the mayor himself says that they “never asked for the Region of Peel to be dissolved.” Previous independent financial analysis “clearly shows the net result would be a financial disaster.” It would result in the largest tax increase in Peel region’s history. This is just another one of this government’s billion-dollar boondoggles that will cost taxpayers and citizens.

Can the Premier explain why, despite these numbers and the financial analysis that all point to his plan being a “financial train wreck,” he insists on pushing through with the dissolution of Peel region?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I can assure the honourable member that this government will not allow any municipality to raise their taxes to a point where it is unaffordable to the people who are living there. Just the opposite, what we are trying to do across the province of Ontario is ensure that people have more money in their pockets.

With respect to Peel, as you know, Speaker, the transition in Peel is not scheduled to take place until 2025, so that we can undertake a thorough review of what the consequences of any change in Peel region would be. When there’s more to say, I’ll let the honourable member know.

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

Ms. Catherine Fife: We do know that this government is now contemplating another park-and-reverse on the dissolution of Peel. You’ll remember that the Premier himself made this promise to the former mayor of Mississauga. In fact, he named the legislation after her, the Hazel McCallion Act. Now we know that the government has seen the numbers, perhaps for the first time, and are looking to reverse this decision.

This is a pattern of this government. They lurch from crisis to crisis, from bad decision to bad decision. We saw the greenbelt scandal and the forced reversal. Then all the MZOs came under fire. And now we have the potential for backtracking on the plan to split up Peel. Actions have consequences, and they have costs, and this Premier lurching from crisis to crisis—self-made crisis, I may add—is a costly endeavour for the people of this province.

So my question is to the Premier: Which promise was true, the one that he made to Mayor McCallion as she was dying or the decision to dissolve Peel region?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. Order.

Is there a response?

Interjections.

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

Taxation

Mr. Will Bouma: My question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Minister of Northern Development. The carbon tax is making life more expensive for everyone and especially, Speaker, for those living in northern Ontario. Unlike other parts of the province, the north faces unique barriers when it comes to fuel costs. Clearly, neither the federal government nor the NDP or the Liberals understand, respect or care about its negative impact on individuals and families. In rural and remote areas in the north, running any kind of errand, a trip to the grocery store or attending a medical appointment can be a half day’s drive or more away.

Speaker, can the minister please explain more about the negative impact that increasing taxes, high interest rates and burdensome red tape is having on the quality of life of the people of northern Ontario?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Thunder Bay–Atikokan and parliamentary assistant.

Mr. Kevin Holland: Thank you to the member from Brantford–Brant for that question. Our government is working hard to make life more affordable for Ontarians, including northerners like my constituents in Thunder Bay–Atikokan. We are taking action to help hard-working families keep more of their paycheques by keeping taxes low to make life more affordable, like removing our portion of the gasoline tax.

We understand that northerners are affected greatly by the carbon tax, and we echo the calls of governments of all stripes across the country and from groups like Chiefs of Ontario to scrap the carbon tax.

Our government recognizes the enormous opportunities in the north in places like my riding of Thunder Bay–Atikokan. We are taking action across the board to ensure that we are well positioned to capitalize on those opportunities. More than $288 million has been provided to improve the health, economic and social well-being of hard-working families in Thunder Bay–Atikokan in 2023 alone. We have made record investments in supportive, transitional and affordable housing, tripling the HPP funding for Thunder Bay DSSAB.

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to invest in the north because we recognize its potential, and we will continue to fight to keep life more affordable.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Will Bouma: Thank you to the parliamentary assistant for that response. Speaker, the previous Liberal government, supported by the NDP, drove jobs out of our province and failed to unlock Ontario’s full economic potential. As a result, many opportunities were lost to foster economic growth across northern Ontario because of high taxes and burdensome red tape.

In contrast, our government recognizes the value and potential that are present in rural, remote and Indigenous communities. However, the sad reality is that businesses and community organizations are struggling because of the negative impacts of the carbon tax. That is why our government must focus on addressing opportunities that will advance prosperity in northern communities, create jobs and contribute to the overall quality of life.

Speaker, can the parliamentary assistant please explain how our government is building a stronger province by supporting northern Ontario?

Mr. Kevin Holland: Mr. Speaker, I’m proud of our government’s commitment to northern Ontario, including my riding of Thunder Bay–Atikokan. While members of the opposition question the value of the numerous ministers’ visits to Thunder Bay, our government knows that, given the complexities of issues in communities where previous government approaches have been ineffective, unmeasured and lacked credible vision, our community engagement enables better understanding of our needs and aspirations, thereby leading to more desired outcomes and driving social capital transformation. This mindset has enabled increased awareness of our community’s capacity to advance solutions in building resilience, and moreover, stimulated how we may tap into the underutilized potential of our people and our natural resources.

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Overwhelmingly, I’m hearing from my constituents at round tables and out in the community that affordability and inflation is a top issue. I’ve heard members of the opposition state several times during QP and debate that they don’t understand. Well, Mr. Speaker, fortunately this government has a deep understanding of what Ontarians need, and we will continue to get it done for—

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

Government accountability

Ms. Jennifer K. French: My question is to the Premier. This government has fast-tracked three important bills at once, limiting debate and excluding the public. The luxury spa act has flown through, making sure the minister gets her legacy mega-spa, the power to issue fast-pass MZOs, and all this with impunity while they wreck Ontario Place. No one trusts anything this government is doing, and why should they?

In her recent Empire Club speech, the Minister of Infrastructure referred to the CEO of Infrastructure Ontario as her “partner in crime.” It is a weird thing to say, especially when they are literally passing legislation to put themselves above the law and when this government is under active criminal investigation by the RCMP.

So I want to know, who does this minister think she is, and why does she think she’s above the law?

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

Hon. Kinga Surma: I enjoyed myself at the Empire Club yesterday. We had close to 400 people attending in person and thousands of people viewing our government’s update on our P3 pipeline, which is $185 billion worth of investment. It was an important day for the Ministry of Infrastructure, and it was a really important day for Infrastructure Ontario, who helps us execute all of those contracts for the most complicated projects in the province. We’re talking transit, Yonge North; we’re talking hospital expansions, highway expansions.

But you’re right: We’ve have had a very successful fall session. We have a deal with the city of Toronto in terms of making sure we provide supports for operational funding for the TTC, to keep riders on the TTC safe, for more trains on the TTC, and of course, a brand new science centre at Ontario Place.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question, the member for Spadina–Fort York.

Mr. Chris Glover: Thank you to the Minister of Infrastructure. I don’t know why you call it a successful fall session when you’ve had to repeal the greenbelt act and you may have to repeal the Peel dissolution as well.

We have advocates in the House today who are strong advocates for Ontario Place, and they are deeply concerned about the project’s environmental destruction, the waste of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars. It’s even more alarming now that the government has passed the luxury spa act, which allows the minister to commit misfeasance, breach of trust, breach of fiduciary obligations and to act in bad faith.

On the same day that the Conservative government jammed through the bill with no public hearings, no amendments and no third reading debate, the Minister of Infrastructure appeared at the Empire Club and introduced the CEO of Infrastructure Ontario as her “partner in crime.” To the minister: What laws has she broken or is she planning to break which made it necessary to pass the extreme luxury spa act?

Hon. Kinga Surma: Well, what I’d like to say is just to express my complete gratitude to Michael Lindsay, the president and CEO of Infrastructure Ontario, who I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the last five years, whether it was to negotiate and work with the Minister of Transportation at the time, negotiate the subway expansion plan deal—again, a great benefit to the GTA and the city of Toronto—and then when he came on board as the president and CEO of Infrastructure Ontario and I the Minister of Infrastructure. I’ve had a very productive working relationship with him.

But when we’re talking about the work that has been done at Ontario Place from an environmental perspective, we’ve completed two environmental assessments, one class C. We’ve completed over 40 different studies, an arborist report, a heritage impact assessment, a stormwater report—all in compliance with the city of Toronto development application process.

Health care / Soins de santé

M^me Lucille Collard: My question is for the Minister of Health. I cannot stress enough how importantly my riding needs solutions for access to primary care. Multiple groups of health care professionals have responded to the minister’s call for interest and submitted proposals to open more primary care clinics in Ottawa–Vanier. That was six months ago. People feel abandoned as they remain without proper health care services, and yet there is no response from the ministry.

Speaker, I showed the minister a map showing the void that exists in my riding when it comes to health care services. I’ve also written, providing evidence as to the need for help to fill that void in Ottawa–Vanier. We have professionals ready to help relieve the strain on our local hospitals. All they need is for this government to step up.

Can the minister please tell these health care professionals when they can expect a response so they can get to work providing much needed health care services to the people of Ottawa–Vanier?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Well, I’m pleased that the Liberal member is finally interested in expanding primary care, because, respectfully, this is the first expansion of primary care teams since multidisciplinary primary care teams were formed in the province of Ontario. So clearly, there is a great deal of interest, and the member is right. We have had expression-of-interest proposals come in from literally across Ontario, hundreds of proposals that we are now assessing, reviewing, making sure that the investments we have committed to through our budget—and the member opposite and the other members of the NDP and the Liberals voted against—are going to happen in this term under our leadership.

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

M^me Lucille Collard: Monsieur le Président, la santé n’est pas seulement une question médicale. Il y a plusieurs facteurs qui ont un impact sur la santé des gens, et surtout sur celle de nos enfants.

Le Carrefour de pédiatrie sociale de Vanier, avec son équipe multidisciplinaire, dessert les enfants et les jeunes vulnérables d’Ottawa–Vanier en leur offrant un soutien dont ils ont besoin pour leur bien-être physique, mental, social et émotionnel. Le CAP, dans ma circonscription, offre également des services en français de la petite enfance à l’âge adulte, pour ceux qui font face à des défis de santé mentale ou de dépendances. Ces deux organismes nécessitent un financement qui leur permet d’assurer l’offre continu de leurs services, ce qui n’est pas le cas dans le moment.

Ce gouvernement a récemment annoncé des millions de dollars supplémentaires pour élargir les services pédiatriques à Hamilton et à Toronto. Quand la ville d’Ottawa verra-t-elle un tel engagement de la part du gouvernement pour soutenir les organismes comme le Carrefour de pédiatrie sociale de Vanier et le CAP, qui offrent à nos enfants des services essentiels?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Thank you for allowing me to highlight some of the excellent work that we’ve been able to do, in particular, in pediatrics. You will remember last year we had the triple threat with pediatrics, with COVID-19, with RSV and with the flu season all impacting our pediatric hospitals at the same time. What did we do, Speaker? We invested $330 million in pediatric funding in the province of Ontario, and the Ottawa hospital, CHEO, has actually reached out and communicated how those investments have already made a difference. They are seeing the same number of patients as they saw last year. The difference, Speaker: There is no decrease in the surgeries, and access in the emergency department for our most vulnerable pediatric patients is happening on the ground. Those are the investments that are making a difference in Ottawa and across Ontario.

Forest industry

Mr. Dave Smith: My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. The forestry industry is a major driver of our economy and generates billions in revenue every year, and if it wasn’t for the Ontario forestry industry, we wouldn’t be able to build the 1.5 million homes that we need over the next decade.

The forestry industry in Ontario is one of the biggest drivers in our housing industry. With an abundant supply of forest biomass products in our province, it is of critical importance that we support this emerging industry and its innovators. Our government must continue to explore all options to address untapped economic growth in the north and unlock the full benefits from Ontario’s biomass potential.

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Can the minister please share how our government is doing everything we can to support job growth, attract investment, and secure the long-term future of our forest industry?

Hon. Graydon Smith: Thank you to the member for the question and the great work he does for his constituents every day. I was in the great riding of Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke on Friday with the great member from that area. If anyone saw the pictures, we were standing in front of a giant pile of wood chips. We were at Lavern Heideman and Sons, a great mill operator in the Eganville area, and that was to announce multiple projects being supported by our biomass action plan.

Also in the valley: Ben Hokum and Son receiving dollars, Roseburg Forest Products receiving dollars, but companies all throughout Ontario receiving dollars through this program to make sure that we are growing the forestry industry and the forestry sector. We’re looking towards the future of what forestry can be.

The previous government didn’t know what to with the forestry industry. We know exactly what to do with it: grow it, create jobs and use biomass as the future to make chemicals and other things that we need, energy here in Ontario, fertilizer projects. The potential of biomass is unlimited, and these projects and these investments will support our forestry sector, support our forest sector strategy. We know that forestry is important in Ontario. We’re moving forward—

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

Mr. Dave Smith: Thank you to the minister for his response. It’s reassuring to hear that our government is working to put the forestry sector at the forefront of new economic opportunities.

Under the previous Liberal government supported by the NDP, the valuable contribution of Ontario’s forest was neglected. They actually referred to the north as “no man’s land.” They wasted billions of dollars between scandals and called it a “wasteland.”

Unlike the previous Liberal-NDP coalition, our government continues to secure forestry jobs across the north and drive the industry towards sustainable growth. Can the minister please share what our government is doing to support a strong forestry sector for future generations?

Hon. Graydon Smith: Thank you for the question. It certainly isn’t a wasteland or a no man’s land. It is a land of opportunity in northern Ontario, and this government recognizes that opportunity. This government is creating jobs and opportunities in northern Ontario, and I’m very, very excited about that.

One of those opportunities is working with an Indigenous-led company called Infinite Carbon Corp. They said they’re committed to sustainability. Infinite Carbon is immensely grateful for the essential support from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. The funding through our biomass action plan has been key in laying the necessary groundwork for meaningful ecological change within our forest sector.

We do not want to find solutions elsewhere for the challenges we have in Ontario. We want to use our forestry sector to continue to grow northern Ontario. Again, previous governments didn’t know what to do with the forestry sector. We know exactly what to do with the forestry sector: grow it every single day.

Hospital funding

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: My question is to the Minister of Health. After Niagara lost access to two of their urgent care centres after 8 p.m., I looked at the ER wait times at St. Catharines general. It was five hours—the longest wait times across all Niagara, Hamilton and Brant. With Niagara’s significant senior population, chronic conditions, doctor shortages and staffing crises worsening with Bill 124, it is deeply problematic to see continual defence of regional service cuts reported by the Ontario Health Coalition.

Minster, you hold the purse strings to adequately fund hospitals. Why not put a stop to these closures and increase funding to hospitals for the seniors in Niagara that need them the most, right now?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Just a gentle reminder to the member opposite that in fact hospital base budgets were increased by an average of 4% in our last budget. We invested $44 million in every single hospital. This is unheard-of, never happened before. We invested $44 million to make sure that those hospitals, including smaller hospitals across Ontario, had sufficient resources to ensure that their emergency departments remained open.

We have invested in our paramedic services, with dedicated off-load nursing programs that ensure paramedics can quickly be able to transfer their patients to a nurse, a respiratory therapist or a paramedic who is stationed in the emergency department to make sure that those paramedics get back out into community quickly.

We have so many programs that have made an impact in hospitals across Ontario and we will continue to work with our hospital partners.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question: the member for Ottawa West–Nepean.

Ms. Chandra Pasma: Let’s talk about the minister’s record. There have been 20 emergency room closures in eastern Ontario so far this year, some of them for multiple days. Every time this happens it means chaos and long drives for patients in need of urgent care and it means longer wait-times for Ottawa emergency rooms, contributing to off-load delays for paramedics in Ottawa and over 1,400 level zeroes for Ottawa ambulances this year alone.

Why is the Minister of Health breaking our public health care system, with no regard to the patients who are paying the price?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Respectfully, I’m not sure how you can say an $80-billion annual investment is breaking anything, other than ensuring that we have a robust public health system in the province of Ontario. Fifty new capital builds, including South Niagara: We are talking about investing not only in people, but in the infrastructure that they need—49 new MRI machines since our government was elected in 2018.

What does that mean, Speaker? It means that people who had to wait, who had to be transferred to other hospitals, now have an MRI machine in their community. That allows those physicians to get that diagnostic piece that is so important to make sure that we have health care close to home. We’ll continue to make those investments. Unfortunately, if your history is any indication, you will continue to vote against it.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll remind the members to make their comments through the Chair.

Municipal planning

Mr. Stephen Blais: Good morning, everyone, and Merry Christmas. Christmas is, of course, the season of love and hope. Last week the Premier professed his hope for Toronto, the city he grew up and the city he loves.

I grew up in Ottawa and I love my city, and our city has problems just like Toronto. We have problems with homelessness. We have problems with transportation. We have problems with our city running deficits. In recognition of the season of love and hope, when will this government show some love for the city of Ottawa?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I can assure the honourable member that I’ve actually been meeting with the mayor of Ottawa on a weekly basis since I became Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. We are working with him to address some of the challenges that he is indeed facing in the city of Ottawa. So I can assure the honourable member that we are working very closely with the mayor and his team to address some of those challenges that they’re facing.

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

Mr. Stephen Blais: I appreciate that, Mr. Speaker. Of course, one of the major concerns in the city of Ottawa is the cost of Highway 174. Since being downloaded by the province, this regional, trans-jurisdictional urban expressway has cost taxpayers tens and tens of millions of dollars. It has been the political promise of every party in this House—except for the NDP, because, as we know, they’re against everything—to upload Highway 174 back to provincial responsibility.

Now that there is a precedent to upload highways to the province, will the government commit to uploading Highway 174 back to provincial responsibility so the city can spend that money improving local roads, investing in public transit and reducing commute times for Orléans residents?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Let me just defend my colleagues in the NDP against that vicious attack by the member of the Liberal Party. They’re not just against everything now; they’ve been consistently against everything, right?

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But let me just say this: I am working very closely with the mayor of Ottawa, and also with the members of provincial Parliament from that area on our side. We are meeting very closely with them. We’re identifying some of the challenges that they’re having. We’ll continue those discussions with them, and we will make sure that we continue to support the city of Ottawa. We know how important it is not only to Ontario’s economy, but it is a very, very important tourist jurisdiction.

I had the opportunity to live in Ottawa for a number of years, Mr. Speaker. It’s an important university town. It is so important to the economic development and growth to build a bigger, better, bolder, stronger Ontario. We need Ottawa, and we’ll make sure that we’re there for them.

Grey Cup

Ms. Natalie Pierre: My question is for the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Just recently, many of my constituents from Burlington joined fans from across the country to watch Canada’s biggest sporting and cultural event. This year’s Grey Cup did not disappoint, including the lively festivities following the game. Multiple outlets have reported it was a Grey Cup for the ages.

The Grey Cup is more than just a football game; it plays a critical role in fuelling Hamilton’s local economy and tourism sector, drawing over 28,000 people in attendance.

Speaker, can the minister please share how events like the Grey Cup unite communities and bring Ontario economic prosperity?

Hon. Neil Lumsden: I would like to thank the member for the question and all the work that she does, and her friendship.

I’d also like to wish everyone a healthy and happy new year and holiday season—and Christmas, by the way.

This year’s 110th Grey Cup—and no, Mr. Speaker, I have not been around for all of them—

Interjection: That’s debatable.

Hon. Neil Lumsden: —was a weeklong experience.

Well, you know, the occasional quip from either side also helps.

Interjection: You’ve been around for lots of them.

Hon. Neil Lumsden: A few of them, yes, I have.

I’d like to identify the Hamilton Sports Group, because they took the Grey Cup, which is a game and activities, and turned it into a regional festival. The Grey Cup isn’t just about a party and a pregame party; it started in Hamilton on Wednesday night, and that experience went all the way through to game time.

There were player awards, and that regional piece meant we went to Niagara and Niagara hosted a sport tourism summit that I’ll talk about in a minute. But player awards, a concert afterwards, free shuttle service for people back and forth from Hamilton: Mr. Speaker, it was a great experience, and I’ll tell you a bit more—

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

Supplementary?

Ms. Natalie Pierre: Thank you to the minister for his response. I understand that our minister has some experience winning Grey Cups.

It’s encouraging to see the positive effects sporting events have on Ontario’s tourism sector. Our tourism sector attracts visitors to the area, boosts local businesses and creates jobs. Many people in my riding of Burlington rely on tourism for their jobs, and they have appreciated the various investments that saw them through times of lower attendance at their venues and activities.

As we see the ongoing strength in Ontario’s tourism, our government must continue to take the lead in supporting its development to unlock our province’s true economic potential.

Speaker, can the minister please elaborate on our government’s efforts in building the tourism industry?

Hon. Neil Lumsden: Again, thanks for the question—

Interjections.

Hon. Neil Lumsden: People are still talking about the 110 years around here. I just don’t know.

Mr. Speaker, it can’t go without saying, thanking the mayor of Hamilton and the chambers of commerce for both Niagara and Hamilton for really stepping up and supporting sport tourism—because it was about a game, but it was about bringing people together.

I think most people know—certainly football fans know—that CFL fans travel really well to the Grey Cup, across the country: not just a couple hundred, but thousands and thousands from every market. Because of our support, CFL fans had a better experience this time—again, thanks to Hamilton Sports Group and the chambers and everyone who were part of staging the Grey Cup in Hamilton.

Mr. Speaker, I can’t tell you how important it was to make a massive impact in the city, not about the game, not about just the day before, but the full week. The people of Hamilton benefited. The people of the region benefited.

Sport tourism is a big driver of our economy, especially on a national level. But let’s not forget about the local hockey and football tournaments that travel around, that support all our ridings.

Éducation en français / French-language education

M. Guy Bourgouin: Ma question est pour la ministre des Collèges et Universités.

Madame la Ministre, la seule personne franco-ontarienne sur votre panel d’experts, appelé le « Blue Ribbon » en anglais, s’est retirée du rapport dans la section sur l’éducation supérieure et postcollégiale en français.

L’Assemblée de la francophonie, l’Université de Hearst et l’Université de l’Ontario français se sont exprimées en désaccord avec les solutions amenées par le rapport du groupe d’experts anglophones. Elles réitèrent leur demande initiale : des institutions pour, par et avec les Franco-Ontariens.

Ma question pour la ministre : Ça veut dire quoi pour vous le « pour, par et avec »?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member for that question. Might I remind the member that this government, under the leadership of this Premier, has done more for francophone education in Ontario than any other government? We established not only one but two stand-alone francophone universities governed by and for francophones: the Université de l’Ontario français and the Université de Hearst. This year alone, we provided $73 million in dedicated funding that supported more than 320,000 post-secondary students enrolled in 381 French-language and bilingual-language programs across the province.

In fact, this fall, with my colleagues the President of the Treasury Board as well as the Minister of Education, we were thrilled to announce an additional 110 French-language education spaces for the 2023-24 academic year, as well as stand-alone nursing programs for Boréal college in Sudbury as well as Toronto.

We are standing up for francophone education in this province.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question? The member for Nickel Belt.

M^me France Gélinas: On n’a pas entendu de réponse par rapport à « pour, par et avec », mais j’ai une autre question.

Dans les années 1960, un groupe d’experts anglophones nous disait qu’on ne pouvait pas avoir d’écoles secondaires francophones; ça coûterait trop cher—mais on les a. Dans les années 1980, un groupe d’experts anglophones nous ont dit qu’on ne pouvait pas avoir de collèges francophones; ça coûterait trop cher—mais on les a. Dans les années 1990, un autre groupe d’experts anglophones nous ont dit qu’on ne pouvait pas avoir de conseils scolaires francophones; ça coûterait trop cher—mais on les a.

Puis, il y a quelques semaines, un groupe d’experts anglophones ont écrit à la ministre pour lui dire qu’on ne pouvait pas avoir d’universités francophones; ça coûterait trop cher. Qu’est-ce que la ministre en pense?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member again for that question. I have been clear, and the report also confirms that the focus today needs to be on addressing existing institutions and programs and not on creating further duplication in the sector. The long-term financial sustainability for our post-secondary institutions is a top priority moving forward. But as I mentioned before, the sustainability and viability of our sector is a shared responsibility, as was also stated in the report, and I have been clear that institutions need to review their spending and operations for any increases in funding to be considered.

We need to ensure that money is being spent wisely. My job as the minister is to ensure that post-secondary is viable for generations to come. That is what we are doing, and we are reviewing the recommendations and working with the sector currently. I look forward to those continued conversations.

Long-term care

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: Mr. Speaker, let me start by wishing everyone a merry Christmas and happy, safe holidays.

My question is for the Minister of Long-Term Care. For far too long, seniors in Ontario were neglected by the previous Liberal government. More than 40,000 Ontarians, including my residents of Mississauga–Erin Mills, were left waiting for a bed, and they needed to wait an average of 123 days to be placed in a long-term-care home. That’s unacceptable, Speaker. Our seniors deserve a government that works for them and helps them live comfortably and with dignity. We must do all that we can to build more homes and more beds across all communities to create a better future for our elderly residents.

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Speaker, can the minister please share with the House how our government is ensuring that seniors in Ontario are getting the quantity of care and the quality of life they need and deserve?

Hon. Stan Cho: The member highlights several important problems that our government inherited. When you have a problem, you have to look at where that problem originated from and take steps towards fixing it. That’s what this government did in 2018, Speaker.

One of the problems the member highlights is a capacity issue. Under the last government, over 15 years, 611 net new long-term-care spaces were built—not nearly enough for a growing population, an aging population, with record immigration and seniors moving to this province.

This government decided to do things differently: a $10-billion investment—the largest capital investment in this country’s history—to build and upgrade 58,000 new spaces for our seniors. That plan is bearing fruit, Speaker.

In fact, I was just last month with that member in his riding to announce 160 new spaces in the Ivan Franko home, part of 18,000 spaces we have built, or have shovels in the ground, since 2018. We’re going to continue to invest in our seniors.

I want to thank that member, and merry Christmas to you.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: Thanks to the minister for this response. It is great to see our government deliver on the commitment to add more beds and upgrade existing homes for our elderly residents.

Speaker, seniors currently compose 17.6% of Ontario’s population, and their share of the province’s population will continue to grow. The Canadian Institute for Health Information reveals that over the next 20 years, the seniors’ population in Canada is expected to grow by 68%. Our government must continue to address the growing numbers of aging Ontarians and their additional care needs.

Speaker, can the minister please share how our government is ensuring that every senior in Ontario has fast and convenient access to the services they need?

Hon. Stan Cho: You know, Speaker, I heard it from the Premier for the first time and I agree. I said it yesterday and I’ll repeat it: Beds are furniture. We are building homes for our great seniors in this province. In fact, we are building 58,000 of them.

But to make those homes, it has to be more than just a physical space. We have to talk about the health human resources. That’s why this government is investing up to $1.25 billion for long-term-care homes this year to hire, to retain thousands of hard-working front-line health care workers who do the job for our seniors that, frankly, many of us cannot do—part of a larger plan of $4.9 billion to make sure we hire 27,000 PSWs, to hire thousands of nurses, to provide programs for those PSWs, for those nurses to scale up and to stay within the sector because we know that our seniors need them. In fact, by 2025, we’re establishing a nation-leading standard of four hours of daily care per resident in our homes for our great seniors.

Seniors built our country. We have to take care of them.

Child care

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: My question is to the Premier. Speaker, families across this province are languishing on child care wait-lists because this government has, at every turn, refused to take steps required to address the workforce crisis.

The YMCA of Greater Toronto area has just 16,000 kids enrolled in its 35,000 spaces because they don’t have the workers to staff them. Reports indicate that wait-lists can be up to two years to get access to a space in the $10-a-day child care program.

The government’s own experts say that Ontario could be short 8,500 ECEs by 2026. Workers say they can’t afford to make a living working in child care.

Will the minister finally admit he needs to listen to experts, commit to a salary scale starting at $25 per hour for all child care workers and $30 for RECEs to ensure the government can deliver on the promises for the spaces that the parents are waiting for their child care programs to access?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Education.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Speaker, I want to thank the Minister of Long-Term Care for this opportunity to speak today.

Let’s just take stock of where we’re at.

When we came to office in 2018, child care was prohibitive for so many families—it increased by 400% under the former Liberal Party. This government came to power, and we cut fees by 50%. We committed to build 86,000 spaces. We committed to a historic increase of salary for our hard-working ECEs. And, yes, we committed to go even further—down to $10 a day. That is a record that is leaving a legacy of affordability for the working parents of this province that we all, as parliamentarians, should be proud of.

We worked across party lines to do what’s right, to enable higher rates of women’s economic participation, under the strong leadership of the minister of women’s economic opportunities.

We’re working together to make life affordable, to cut fees, increase spaces, and give hope to parents that they do not have to make a choice of raising their kids or working—no longer in this province.

Ontario Greenhouse Alliance reception

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has informed me that she has a point of order she wishes to raise.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I want to wish everyone happy holidays and remind people that tomorrow the Ontario Greenhouse Alliance is here—they’re known as TOGA. In the spirit of the holiday season, they’ll be bringing poinsettias and celebrating with you. So if you’re available from mid-morning to noon tomorrow, please pop by room 247 to visit with the people who belong to the Ontario Greenhouse Alliance. That’s an invitation for all of you.

Visitor

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to introduce a special guest who’s with us in the public gallery: the former member for Halton Centre in the 36th Parliament, Terence Young.

Welcome back. It’s good to have you here.

Legislative pages

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Next, I’m going to ask our pages to assemble.

It is my sad duty now to have to say a word of thanks to our legislative pages as they depart. Our pages are smart, trustworthy and hard-working. They’re indispensable to the effective functioning of this chamber, and we are indeed fortunate to have had them here.

To our pages: You depart having made some new friends, with a greater understanding of parliamentary democracy and memories that will last a lifetime. Each of you will go home now and continue your studies, and no doubt you will contribute to your communities in important ways. We expect great things from all of you. Who knows? Maybe some of you someday will take your seats in this House as members or work here as staff. But no matter where your path leads you, we wish you well.

I would ask the members now to join me in thanking this group of legislative pages.

Applause.

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Speaker, Her Honour awaits.

Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario entered the chamber of the Legislative Assembly and took her seat upon the throne.

Royal assent / Sanction royale

Hon. Edith Dumont (Lieutenant Governor): Pray be seated.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): May it please Your Honour, the Legislative Assembly of the province has, at its present meetings thereof, passed certain bills to which, in the name of and on behalf of the said Legislative Assembly, I respectfully request Your Honour’s assent.

The Deputy Clerk (Ms. Valerie Quioc Lim): The following are the titles of the bills to which Your Honour’s assent is prayed:

An Act to amend the Greenbelt Act, 2005 and certain other Acts, to enact the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Act, 2023, to repeal an Act and to revoke various regulations / Loi modifiant la Loi de 2005 sur la ceinture de verdure et d’autres lois, édictant la Loi de 2023 sur la Réserve agricole de Duffins-Rouge et abrogeant une loi et divers règlements.

An Act to enact the Consumer Protection Act, 2023, to amend the Consumer Reporting Act and to amend or repeal various other Acts / Loi visant à édicter la Loi de 2023 sur la protection du consommateur, à modifier la Loi sur les renseignements concernant le consommateur et à modifier ou abroger diverses autres lois.

An Act to enact the Official Plan Adjustments Act, 2023 and to amend the Planning Act with respect to remedies / Loi édictant la Loi de 2023 sur les modifications apportées aux plans officiels et modifiant la Loi sur l’aménagement du territoire en ce qui concerne les recours.

An Act to enact the Recovery Through Growth Act (City of Toronto), 2023 and the Rebuilding Ontario Place Act, 2023 / Loi édictant la Loi de 2023 sur la relance portée par la croissance (cité de Toronto) et la Loi de 2023 sur la reconstruction de la Place de l’Ontario.

An Act to revive The Noble House Corporation.

An Act to revive 592605 Ontario Limited.

An Act to revive 1376122 Ontario Ltd.

An Act to revive South Simcoe Developments Inc.

An Act to revive Hillsdale Land Corp.

An Act to revive Rapati Design and Construction Ltd.

An Act to revive Geranium (Hillsdale) Limited.

An Act to revive 1000067464 Ontario Inc.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Trevor Day): In His Majesty’s name, Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor doth assent to these bills.

Au nom de Sa Majesté, Son Honneur la lieutenante-gouverneure sanctionne ces projets de loi.

Hon. Edith Dumont (Lieutenant Governor): Would Mr. Speaker permit me to say a few words? I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for the generosity of your presence the day of my installation. Thank you for your smiles, your nods, your eye contact. It gave me strength and provided the necessary anchor to deliver my speech with a certain confidence. Thank you.

Before I leave, I would also like to wish you all happy holidays and warm gatherings with your children, grandchildren, family and friends. Beyond your essential parliamentary work, please sachez que votre santé et votre bien-être sont absolument essentiels pour être dévoués et être auprès de vos communautés. Alors, profitez pleinement des vacances bien méritées qui s’en viennent sous peu. Thank you.

Her Honour was then pleased to retire.

Holiday messages

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I recognize the Premier on a point of order.

Hon. Doug Ford: I just want to sincerely wish everyone happy holidays, a very merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah.

We may disagree back and forth; people see this on television, and they don’t see the interaction after, when we go over and we talk to the members over there or you come over here.

I have a personal New Year’s resolution: Let’s not get personal. I do it sometimes, too. I really do. Let’s just be kinder to each other. We can have healthy debates back and forth, but we can respect each other, because we’re all here for the same reason: We’re here to serve our constituents. Obviously, all of us want to make our constituents proud of us, our family proud of us. Let’s leave the family out of it going into 2024 and just have great parliamentary debates, because when we work together, we get so much more done than working separately.

I want to wish everyone the very best. God bless each and every one of you.

Mr. John Fraser: Point of order.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Point of order: the member for Ottawa South.

Mr. John Fraser: I just want to echo the Premier’s wishes. Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Happy Kwanza. I hope everybody has a great holiday.

The Premier is right; we are one big family—a dysfunctional family, a weird family. And if the Premier will commit to not getting personal, I’ll try that, too.

Interjection.

Mr. John Fraser: We’ll see what happens, right? It’s not easy. But he’s right; when we do work together, we’re better. Sometimes it’s super hard. That’s all I want to say.

Merry Christmas.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Timiskaming–Cochrane on the same point of order.

Mr. John Vanthof: On behalf of the official opposition—this isn’t the time to be oppositional—happy holidays to everyone. Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah—whatever faith, colour or creed.

We play a crucial role in this province, all of us—the government, us holding the government to account. But I would like to especially thank the people who allow us to play our role: the people at the table; the people behind, where no one but us knows what goes on; the security; the people who clean our offices; anyone else that I’ve forgotten—but the one group that I can’t forget: the folks in the cafeteria.

We all serve the people of Ontario, and whatever we do, we all play a crucial role—a role that none of us could function without each other.

Merry Christmas. Happy new year.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Guelph on the same point of order.

Mr. Mike Schreiner: On behalf of the smallest but growing caucus over in this corner of the Legislature, I want to wish everyone a merry Christmas, happy holidays, happy Hanukkah.

I, too, want to thank everyone for your service to the people of Ontario.

Aislinn wanted me to pass on just how much she appreciated the warm welcome she received when she was here the other day. She’s looking forward to taking her seat and joining all of you.

Like the member from Timiskaming–Cochrane, I want to thank everybody who serves us in this Legislature and in this building, including the people who clean my office each and every evening, and wish you all the best in the new year.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I want to thank the members who participated in the point of order for their kind words.

This House stands in recess until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1203 to 1300.

Report continues in volume B.