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.

The member is absolutely right; for years, we have seen a real stigma around having a career in the trades, especially directed towards women. This has to end. Not only are trades a great way to get into an in-demand and high-paying career, but trades are essential to ensuring Ontario’s future economic prosperity.

Having grown up in skilled trades family, I know first-hand that the best way to get someone interested in the trades is to expose them to it at a young age.

That is why I was proud to attend the Jill of All Trades event at Centennial College last year and to see all of the young women who attend similar events across the province. This is a one-day event at various college campuses, where high school girls are able to experience rewarding career options in the trades, and it teaches them that the trades are an option for them.

Speaker, it is projected that one in five new job openings in Ontario are likely to be in skilled trades occupations by 2025.

I’m proud that our government will continue to give women and all learners flexible—

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.

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.

I have a whole whack of petitions here sent in by folks around Oshawa and Scarborough-Barrie, but I’ll say thank to the Ancheta family for signing this “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.”

Of course I support this petition wholeheartedly, will affix my signature and send it to the table with page Dominic.

I continue to receive hundreds and hundreds of petitions. I’d like to thank Hariette and Joe Reynolds from Alban in my riding for these petitions.

“Keep the Noëlville OPP Detachment Open

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas insufficient communications and consultations have taken place with communities and relevant stakeholders concerning the OPP Noëlville detachment’s continuing operations; and

“Whereas the residents and visitors in the municipalities of French River, Markstay-Warren, St.-Charles, Killarney and Britt-Byng Inlet as well as the First Nations of Dokis and Henvey Inlet deserve equitable access to a reliable, timely and efficient police response;”

They petition the Legislative Assembly as follows: “to direct the Ministry of the Solicitor General and the Ontario Provincial Police to continue having Ontario Provincial Police officers reporting to an operational detachment location in Noëlville.”

I support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask my good page Kate to bring it to the Clerk.

« Investir dans les arts et la culture de l’Ontario.

« À l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario :

« Alors que le secteur des arts et de la culture contribue 28,7 milliards de dollars au PIB de l’Ontario et crée plus de 300 000 emplois; et

« Alors que le budget du Conseil des arts n’a pas été augmenté au taux d’inflation de l’Ontario, ce qui exacerbe la précarité du revenu des artistes et des travailleurs culturels, dont certains gagnent moins de 25 000 $ par année, et encore moins pour ceux qui appartiennent à des groupes méritant l’équité; et

« Alors que la précarité des revenus a été aggravée pendant la pandémie par des problèmes d’injustice réglementaire dans le secteur des arts et de la culture, ce qui a eu un impact disproportionné sur le secteur des arts de la scène et sur les groupes prioritaires déterminés par le CAO, notamment les artistes et travailleurs culturels BIPOC, autochtones, femmes, personnes handicapées et LGBTQIA2S+; »

Ils et elles demandent à l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario « de maintenir le budget de 65 millions de dollars du Conseil des arts de l’Ontario dans le budget provincial ... et d’investir adéquatement dans le secteur des arts et de la culture, notamment en soutenant les groupes qui méritent l’équité, les petits et moyens collectifs dans nos communautés, ainsi que les artistes individuels afin d’assurer leur survie personnelle et économique. »

J’appuie cette pétition, madame la Présidente. Je vais la signer et je la donne à Kate pour l’amener à la table des greffiers.

“Saving Organs to Save Lives....

“Whereas there are currently 1,600 people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant in Ontario;

“Whereas every three days someone in Ontario dies because they can’t get a transplant in time;

“Whereas donating organs and tissues can save up to eight lives and improve the lives of up to 75 people;

“Whereas 90% of Ontarians support organ donation, but only 36%” of us “are registered;

“Whereas Nova Scotia has seen increases in organs and tissue for transplant after implementing a presumed consent legislation in January 2020;”

They “petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Change the legislation to allow a donor system based on presumed consent as set out in ... Peter Kormos Memorial Act....”

I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and again ask my very patient page Kate to bring it to the Clerk.

“Protect Kids from Vaping....

“Whereas very little is known about the long-term effects of vaping on youth; and

“Whereas aggressive marketing of vaping products by the tobacco industry is causing more and more kids to become addicted to nicotine through the use of e-cigarettes; and

“Whereas the hard lessons learned about the health impacts of smoking, should not be repeated with vaping, and the precautionary principle must be applied to protect youth from vaping; and

“Whereas many health agencies and Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada” and others “fully endorse the concrete proposals aimed at reducing youth vaping included in” my bill;

They “petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario ...

“To call on the Ford government to immediately pass” the bill, “Vaping is not for Kids Act, in order to protect the health of Ontario’s youth.”

I support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask my good page Kate to bring it to the Clerk.

“Enact Anti-Scab Labour Law....

“Whereas strikes and lockouts are rare: on average, 97% of collective agreements are negotiated without work disruption; and

“Whereas anti-replacement workers laws have existed in Quebec since 1978, in British Columbia since 1993, and in Ontario under the NDP government, it was repealed by the Harris conservative government;

“Whereas anti-scab legislation has reduced the length and divisiveness of labour disputes; and

“Whereas the use of scab labour during a strike or lockout is damaging to the social fabric of a community in the short and long term, as well as, the well-being of its residents;”

They “petition the Legislative Assembly ... as follows:

“To pass the anti-scab labour bill to ban the use of replacement workers during a strike or lockout.”

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

“MS Specialized Clinic in Sudbury....

“Whereas northeastern Ontario has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Ontario;

“Whereas specialized MS clinics provide essential health care services to those living with multiple sclerosis, their caregiver and their family;

“Whereas the city of Greater Sudbury is recognized as a hub for health care in northeastern Ontario;”

They “petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Immediately set up a ... MS clinic in the Sudbury area that is staffed by a neurologist who specializes in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, a physiotherapist and a social worker at a minimum.”

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

Resuming the debate adjourned on May 9, 2023, on the motion for third reading of the following bill:

Bill 71, An Act to amend the Mining Act / Projet de loi 71, Loi modifiant la Loi sur les mines.

I have a petition entitled “Petition for Better Staffing, Better Wages and Better Care in Ontario’s Public Hospitals,” and it’s signed by many, many of the residents in my riding of Ancaster and Dundas.

“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 (OHA) 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’m going to add my name to those of the people in my riding, and I’m going to give it to page Mridul to take to the table.

I rise to speak to third reading of Bill 71. I want to begin by saying the climate crisis is here: people in Alberta right now, the tragic wildfires they’re facing, the flooding we’re seeing once again in the Ottawa Valley, and so many other ways around the world. We know that mining is going to play a critical role as we electrify transportation, ramp up renewable energy and electrify home heating.

For over a decade now, I’ve been calling for a mining-to-manufacturing strategy to be able to make Ontario a leader in the new climate economy. We’re playing catch-up now. Other jurisdictions are ahead of us. We’re finally starting to see some investment in electric vehicles, and that’s absolutely welcome. We are going to have to mine the minerals that are going to be a part of those supply chains, but we’re going to need to do it right.

I voted in favour of this bill at second reading, hoping it would go to committee and be amended in some ways that address some, I think, important concerns that people have brought forward, one of which is defining what a qualified person is in addressing potential conflicts of interest in approving closure plans for mines. That would be a way to expedite the mining approval process while addressing legitimate concerns people have around the independence of oversight of mine closures.

I also talked about the need to make mine rehabilitation—to leave it better than it was in the past, which just seems to only make sense. When I go camping with my daughter every summer. I always say, “We’ve got to clean this campsite up and leave it better than we found it.” I think we can ask mining companies to do the same. Unfortunately, those amendments were voted down by the government.

But I think the issue that concerns me the most about where this bill sits right now is the concerns that have been raised by Indigenous leaders. The Matawa Chiefs Council has said that they believe this bill is exploitive and aggressive and runs contrary to the principles of reconciliation and the spirit of Treaty 9. The Chiefs of Ontario support them.

I would like to reach out to the government members, in the very limited time I have, in the interests of non-partisanship, and say: I want more mining in the north. I want that mining to be done faster, but it also has to be done within the spirit of reconciliation, where we have free, informed and prior consent from Indigenous nations. I believe the government should address that before moving forward with the bill.

From a broader perspective, I would say one of the things I’ve learned in this House over the past five years of being an MPP is that I think the province needs a consultation framework for how Indigenous consultation is going to work in this province, because in the absence of that, there’s a lot of confusion around what is meaningful consultation.