My question is for the Minister of Colleges and Universities.

Ontario’s labour shortage is at a crisis point, particularly in the skilled trades. The impact that the shortage of workers is having on our province is reflected in the number of job vacancies, as well as in the supply chain challenges and higher prices for services.

We know that building a stronger Ontario where people and businesses can thrive starts with our youth. By strengthening and investing in our skilled trades and apprenticeship system, we can ensure that Ontario’s younger generation will be best prepared for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

Can the minister please explain what our government is doing to increase the number of skilled trade workers?

While it’s great to hear how our government is prioritizing the skilled trades, it’s important to recognize that opportunities have not been equal for all Ontarians who are interested in this sector. The stigma that has developed around being a tradesperson remains a barrier that many individuals, particularly young women, have encountered in trying to pursue a career in this field. In 2021, women represented less than 4% of workers in automotive and construction skilled trades.

Our government must address the ongoing labour shortage across our province by recognizing and supporting the vital role that women have in building a stronger Ontario.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is creating better conditions for women to enter and succeed in the trades?

Paul, a tenant in my riding, was saved from homelessness thanks to the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit. This subsidy was supposed to last until spring 2024, but after the government slashed funds to this program, the funds are now set to run out by the end of the month in Toronto.

Will this government properly fund this program to keep individuals and families from ending up on the streets?

The government must take responsibility for the out-of-control cost of rent right now. There is an immediate solution, and it’s called rent control. Tenants don’t have time to wait for a market adjustment. They need relief right now.

Will this government support the NDP’s call to bring back rent control right now?

Thank you very much. The supplementary question.

Thank you to the member for that great question.

Growing up in a family of plumbers, I witnessed first-hand the importance of tradespeople and the value that they contribute to the local community.

Our government is committed to addressing labour shortages head-on, and that starts with post-secondary education. That is why we continue to advocate and promote our Ontario colleges’ skilled trades and apprenticeship programs across the province. To further enhance opportunities for college students to enter the workforce with job-ready skills, our government expanded the degrees that colleges can offer to now include new, three-year degrees and more four-year degrees in applied areas of study. Our government also invested $60 million of funding to support Ontario’s first micro-credentials strategy and expanded OSAP to ensure that they are eligible, to help workers retain and upgrade their skills.

As Ontario faces a growing labour shortage in the skilled trades, we are making the necessary adjustments for students to enter skilled trades programs, because when you have a job in the trades, you have a reliable career for life.

My question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development.

For so long under the previous Liberal government, so many opportunities to foster economic growth across northern Ontario were lost or ignored. The strengths, the assets and the abilities found in so many of our rural, remote and Indigenous communities were ignored. As a result, their full potential has never been realized.

Our government must respect the people of northern Ontario, and we must implement solutions that will allow all Ontarians to have more opportunities to create and expand their economic potential. Our government must continue to invest in programs and projects that will help keep northern Ontario competitive and current.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is supporting prosperity and opportunities in northern Ontario?

It’s encouraging that our government is supporting common sense measures that will continue to build prosperity across northern Ontario. Many communities across the north are eager to take advantage of these opportunities that will help create jobs and expand business operations.

Our government must continue to work with our northern partners to build a stronger Ontario. The people across the north are counting on our government to deliver on our commitment to invest in key priorities that are relevant and important to their communities.

Can the minister please expand on how our government is continuing to invest in projects that will strengthen communities in northern Ontario?

I’m pleased to introduce these petitions that are signed from people in my riding of Hamilton Mountain.

“Petition for Better Staffing, Better Wages and Better Care in Ontario’s Public Hospitals.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario,

“Whereas registered nurses and health care professionals are the backbone of Ontario’s public health care system; and

“Whereas nurses and health care professionals are fighting for better staffing, better wages and better care in Ontario’s public hospitals; and

“Whereas the government has the power to direct the funding and priorities for the Ontario Hospital Association in this bargaining process;

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

“Support nurses and health care professionals represented by the Ontario Nurses’ Association in their collective bargaining with the Ontario Hospital Association … by demanding the OHA reach a negotiated agreement with nurses that results in better staffing, better wages and better care in Ontario’s public hospitals.”

I wholeheartedly support this petition, will affix my name to it and give it to page Randall to bring to the Clerk.

I will just, first off, note that we brought forth legislation to this House, the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, and in that bill, responding to the concerns cited by the members opposite, we have required the Ontario College of Teachers to certify educators from the Francophonie, for example, by at least 50% faster. We are requiring better processing times at the college; one of the principle concerns are French-language-education stakeholders. In addition to that, we are requiring new educators to be better trained on literacy, on math, on special education, on leadership and on literacy promotion. If the members opposite want to work with Government on this, they will vote for that bill. We just brought forth a budget—a commitment to hire 2,000 more teachers to benefit our public, our Catholic, our English and French school systems.

But those measures, those investments, that additional staff have been opposed systematically by the NDP.

I really do hope, in good faith, you will vote for this bill so we can work together to resolve the long-standing national issue of a French-teacher shortage in this country.

We understand the need to continue to work together and resolve this issue. We brought forth legislation designed to certify those teachers faster. We brought forth a plan to better train them and support them. In addition, we have a plan to help hire over 350 certified French-language educators. We’ve increased the budget for French-language education to the highest levels ever in Ontario history.

We’ll continue to invest and work together to help French students succeed.

We are working together to make sure that we have a talented next generation of young people prepared to enter the skilled trades, to get good jobs and create good lives and opportunities for themselves.

It’s why we followed the advice of skilled trade professionals, for the first time, in the legislation before the House, to allow more mid-career certified professionals who work in the skilled trades space to work within our schools to leverage that experience that you just can’t duplicate in an academic space. We need these hands-on workers. We’re doing that in the bill. We’re allowing new skilled trade graduation coaches for the first time—leveraging people in the private sector and in the trenches working to build this country and this province—to work with kids to give them meaningful pathways to employment and to professional development.

We also, most recently, required every student in Ontario to take at least one technological education course—for the third of girls who take that course—creating pathways for all of them to succeed.

We know this is going to make a difference to build the economy of the future.

In the new curriculum in math, students now, as a requirement, learn how to build a robot. Every grade, starting in grade 1, is required to learn how to code the robot. We are giving young people a competitive advantage.

When you compare Ontario to the rest of this country, we’re leading, and we’re investing with a modern curriculum relevant to the job market, giving young people the life and the job skills they need to succeed. We’re going to continue to increase investment—over 690 million more dollars—continue to modernize the curriculum and continue to stand up for these young people to have success in our economy.

Thank you very much. The next question?

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

The House recessed from 1141 to 1500.

Speaker, I’d like to invite all members and guests to tonight’s reception hosted by the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies and the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada. I want to specifically thank CEO Nicole Bonnie and CEO Valerie McMurtry. Their reception starts at 5:30 in room 228. I hope everyone joins us.

I hope everyone will join me in welcoming more community members from Scarborough here with us today: Fazela Wedemire, Kareem Wedemire, Neallos Wedemire, Jayden Wedemire, and Amreek Wedemire.

Welcome to your House.

I beg leave to present a report from the Standing Committee on Social Policy on the estimates selected by the standing committee for consideration.

“Petition for Better Staffing, Better Wages and Better Care in Ontario’s Public Hospitals.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario,

“Whereas registered nurses and health care professionals are the backbone of Ontario’s public health care system; and

“Whereas nurses and health care professionals are fighting for better staffing, better wages and better care in Ontario’s public hospitals; and

“Whereas the government has the power to direct the funding and priorities for the Ontario Hospital Association in this bargaining process;”

They petition the Legislative Assembly as follows:

“Support nurses and health care professionals represented by the Ontario Nurses’ Association in their collective bargaining with the Ontario Hospital Association … by demanding the OHA reach a negotiated agreement with nurses that results in better staffing, better wages and better care in Ontario’s public hospitals.”

I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask Maya to bring it to the Clerk.

Le système scolaire en Ontario est en pénurie de personnel enseignant. La réussite et la qualité de l’éducation dépend des enseignants qualifiés. Comment peut-on assurer un succès académique en langue française quand on fait face aux facteurs suivants : une augmentation de 450 % des lettres de permission d’enseignants non qualifiés, les conseils qui sont forcés à puiser dans leurs réserves pour couvrir les dépenses reliées à la pandémie, et aucune institution postsecondaire qui offre la formation en enseignements dans le nord de l’Ontario depuis 2021, suite à la situation de l’Université Laurentienne?

Ma question est pour le premier ministre. Le besoin est maintenant. Quand allez-vous mettre sur pied les 37 recommandations du comité, tel que promis en 2021?

À la suite d’une annonce en juin 2021, le gouvernement était censé d’agir immédiatement sur une stratégie suite aux recommandations proposés par le comité d’experts—exactement les personnes que j’ai nommées, les associations que j’ai nommées—visant à remédier à la pénurie de personnel en langue française.

Deux ans plus tard aucune action n’a été mise sur pied, et le comité attend toujours l’implémentation de leurs recommandations.

Alors, monsieur le Président, je redemande la même question. Quand est-ce que ce gouvernement va mettre en action les recommandations données par le comité d’experts pour mettre fin à cette pénurie et assurer la continuité et l’équité de nos écoles en langue française?

Pursuant to standing order 63, your committee has selected the 2023-24 estimates of the following ministries and offices for consideration: Ministry of Finance; Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade; Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development; Treasury Board Secretariat; Office of the Premier; Cabinet Office.

Report presented.

Pursuant to standing order 63, your committee has selected the 2023-24 estimates of the following ministries for consideration: Ministry of Health; Ministry of Education; Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services; Ministry of Long-Term Care; Ministry of Colleges and Universities; Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility.

Report presented.

Madame Gélinas moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 106, An Act to amend the Tobacco Tax Act to authorize police officers to undertake certain enforcement actions / Projet de loi 106, Loi modifiant la Loi de la taxe sur le tabac afin d’autoriser les agents de police à exercer certaines activités d’exécution.

It’s a motion that the Standing Committee on the Interior be authorized to meet on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 3:30 p.m.

Shall the report be received and adopted? Agreed? Agreed.

Report adopted.

First reading agreed to.

Motion agreed to.

I have a petition here signed by Donna Vanden Hoven. She has signed the petition.

“Health Care: Not for Sale.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario: ...

“Whereas the Ford government wants to privatize our health care system;

“Whereas privatization will bleed nurses, doctors and PSWs out of our public hospitals and will download costs to patients;”

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to immediately stop all plans to privatize Ontario’s health care system, and fix the crisis in health care by:

“—repealing Bill 124 to help recruit, retain, return and respect health care workers with better pay and better working conditions;

“—licensing tens of thousands of internationally educated nurses and other health care professionals already in Ontario;

“—incentivizing health care professionals to choose to live and work in northern Ontario.”

I fully support this petition, sign it and ask page Frederick to deliver it to the table.

I have a few hundred petitions from Dr. Sally Palmer.

“To Raise Social Assistance Rates.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontario’s social assistance rates are well below Canada’s official Market Basket Measure poverty line and far from adequate to cover the rising costs of food and rent: $733 for ... OW and $1,227 for ODSP;

“Whereas an open letter to the Premier and two cabinet ministers, signed by over 230 organizations, recommends that social assistance rates be doubled for both Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP);

“Whereas the recent budget increase” last fall “of 5% for ODSP, with nothing for OW, could be experienced as an insult to recipients, who have been living since 2018 with frozen social assistance rates and a Canadian inflation rate that reached 12%;

“Whereas the government of Canada recognized in its CERB program that a ‘basic income’ of $2,000 per month was the standard support required by individuals who lost their employment during the pandemic;”

“We, the undersigned citizens of Ontario, petition the Legislative Assembly to double social assistance rates for OW and ODSP.”

I fully support this petition, will sign it and ask page Nicholas to bring it to the table.

My question is for the Minister of Education.

Today, my son is working in a trade. He’s 18 years old, and he’s learning how to be an electrician. That’s so exciting to me.

But Ontario continues to experience the largest labour shortage in a generation. There is a tremendous need for skilled trade workers across Ontario, including in my communities in Brantford–Brant.

Unfortunately, for 15 years, the previous Liberal government ignored the importance of equipping students for the jobs of the future. As a result, Ontario has seen a decline in the completion of apprenticeship certification and trades diplomas. That is why our government must do all that we can to encourage students who are interested in pursuing a career in this vital industry.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is empowering students with early exposure to technology and the skilled trades?

In fact, it was about a year ago that the minister came to Brantford–Brant and we announced a new Catholic high school. I’m working with the Catholic board to make sure that’s a trades-focused high school. But we need to do more.

In my riding of Brantford–Brant, Patriot Forge is a leading employer that needs more skilled trade workers so they can meet their growing demands, expand operations and provide financial opportunities to their employees. It is outstanding companies like Patriot Forge that are helping Ontario remain competitive and further our economic prosperity. Their success as a local business and our success as a province depend on a highly skilled workforce. This starts with students getting interested in the skilled trades from a young age.

Speaker, can the minister please elaborate on the actions our government is taking to ensure that employers in Ontario can attract and retain the workers that they need to succeed and thrive?

I beg leave to present a report from the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs on the estimates selected by the standing committee for consideration.

I beg leave to present a report from the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs and move its adoption.