While the housing crisis worsens every single day in every single city across the province, my constituent is staying in a shelter. His name is Fred. He’s facing transphobic violence. He’s living with bedbugs. Fred desperately wants out of the shelter. He wants to find affordable and safe housing, he wants work, and he wants to complete his master’s degree, but the stress of shelter life is really eroding his mental health.

When will the Premier finally answer the call from cities begging for help and produce a real plan to build real affordable housing for constituents like Fred?

The supplementary question?

I’ve given this matter serious consideration, and even though the standing orders are silent on this matter, I would strongly advise the Minister of Natural Resources, the next time he’s home, to visit his mother.

Laughter.

The next question.

Thank you to the member for Chatham-Kent–Leamington. The member so nicely gets to ask questions twice today.

Speaker, Ontario is one of the most biodiverse provinces in Canada. That rich biodiversity includes more than 30,000 species, over a million hectares of forest, and more than 250,000 lakes, representing over one fifth of the world’s fresh water.

Last week, I joined the Invasive Species Centre in Port Sydney, my hometown, to learn about their boat-cleaning unit used to protect our lakes and rivers—Speaker, don’t tell my mother I was in town; I didn’t get by for a visit. The unit is equipped with a series of tools designed to help boaters quickly and easily clean their boat of any invasive plants or small invasive like zebra or quagga mussels.

At the start of the boating season, we’re encouraging boaters to do three simple things: clean, drain, and dry their boat to prevent invasive species from travelling from one lake to another.

Working together, we’re protecting our natural resources, mitigating damage to our economy and keeping Ontario’s natural resources safe for future generations.

We work collaboratively with organizations and experts dedicated to protecting our province from harmful invaders. That’s why Ontario is investing an additional $1 million this year with the Invasive Species Centre and the Nature Conservancy of Canada to help combat the threat of invasive species. Half of that funding will support the implementation of a comprehensive plan to fight phragmites in Ontario. That plan, developed by the Green Shovels Collaborative, will enable stakeholder and partner engagement, multi-year planning and site assessment as well as Indigenous and public engagement in preparation for the broader management of phragmites in the province. The rest of the funding will be used to support projects led by community partners that will respond and reduce the current harm caused by invasive species.

Our long-term partnership with ISC has been central to the ministry’s efforts to prevent and reduce the harm caused by invasives in Ontario affecting our environment and impacting our economy.

Speaker, it’s hard to comprehend the New Democrats and some of the questions.

Over the last two weeks, we have had municipal councils from all across the province celebrate our Homelessness Prevention Program and the fact that our government recognizes the fact that we are adding an additional $202 million to make our commitment almost $700 million; the fact that under the leadership of Premier Ford, we negotiated a historic agreement with the federal government during the pandemic and provided $4 billion to our municipal partners for a variety of measures, but most importantly, the $1.2 billion we provided them under the social services relief fund. Literally, our municipal partners saved lives in the middle of the pandemic because of their quick action with the dollars that we provided them.

Do we have additional work to do with municipalities? Absolutely. All of our service managers now have a by-name list in effect, and we want to continue to work with them so that we can move people—

My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

Aquatic invasive species can have a devastating impact on Ontario’s lakes, rivers and fisheries. We must protect Ontario’s biodiversity and maintain our ability for recreational activities in the water, like fishing, swimming and boating.

Unfortunately, when watercraft move between lakes and rivers, they can spread invasive species. Without taking proper steps, these invasive species can introduce and spread disease into our waterways, costing us millions to repair the damage. It’s vital that our government takes the necessary action to help stop the spread of invasive species and protect our environment.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is protecting Ontario’s waterways?

In my beautiful community of Chatham-Kent–Leamington, we’re literally surrounded by the Great Lakes. We also enjoy fishing, one of our most important recreational summer activities.

We know that even bait for fishing can pose significant risks and lead to the spread of invasive species and fish diseases. For this reason, it’s critical that our government partners with agencies like the Invasive Species Centre to address major areas of concern. Our government must do all we can do to help reduce the harm caused by invasive species to Ontario’s environment and our economy.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how the ministry works with the Invasive Species Centre and other organizations to protect Ontario’s natural resources and our precious environment?

My question is for the Premier.

The homelessness crisis is escalating across Ontario, with municipalities now declaring a state of emergency on homelessness—Niagara, Hamilton—and with over 10,000 people who are unhoused right now in Toronto, city council is poised to declare a state of emergency of homelessness this week. Cities across the province are in crisis, and the Ford Conservative government is abandoning them.

Will this government enact a homelessness strategy and work with municipalities to improve the lives of unhoused people in Ontario?

My question is for the great Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. We should all be proud of the robust agri-food sector that Ontario has worked so hard to create. Because of the hard work and dedication of so many farmers, the production of chickens, turkeys and eggs contributes over $1.8 billion to our province’s economy. Ontario’s poultry industry is integral to our agri-food sector and provides food products to our province’s growing population.

However, in order to remain prosperous and competitive, it is vital that our government continues to prioritize investments into industries that are part of our province’s agri-food and rural sectors.

Speaker, can the minister explain how our government is continuing to support the expansion of Ontario’s poultry sector?

I do want to thank the member for her question.

Speaker, it is this Premier and it’s this government that recognized the desperate need for more housing supply. The previous Liberals, supported by the NDP, never, ever made housing a priority—on the contrary, they were closing schools, they fired nurses, and they let our hospitals crumble. Well, no more. It’s this PC government that will get housing built for everyone.

Our plan is working. Record purpose-built rentals in the past two years; record housing starts; record funding for the Homelessness Prevention Program, the highest going to the city of Toronto; protection for tenants and landlords; providing those wraparound services for those in supportive housing; and doubling the adjudicators on the Landlord and Tenant Board—all while reducing red tape to get more housing built. It’s this Premier and this government that will get it done for everyone in Ontario.

Supplementary question?

The member for Brantford–Brant.

This investment absolutely demonstrates our commitment to our Grow Ontario Strategy. We have three pillars in that strategy whereby we’re looking to enhance a secure and stable supply chain, we’re looking to continue to invest in research and innovation, all the while attracting the best talent. When we’re investing in research, we’re going to be attracting interested talent from around this world.

That research centre near Elora that the poultry industry will be building on behalf of so many will look to drive new advancements in animal health, nutrition, best practices when it comes to biosecurity and housing, and also address consumer-oriented research. This is going to be a state-of-the-art facility that people around the world will look to.

Again, Ontario is leading by example. We’re growing confidence and enabling our farmers to be the very best in the world as well.

Speaker, this is great news for Ontario’s poultry sector and for farmers in communities across Ontario. Investments made by our government into infrastructure and programs that will improve practices in the poultry sector are vital to increasing food production and expanding business operations.

Ontario has a long history as a leader in agriculture and food production. We must continue to support this growth. The people of Ontario expect that our government will advocate for farmers and for food producers. This work is essential for the health and well-being of all residents and for growing a stronger Ontario.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how investments by our government will support agri-food businesses across Ontario?

There is tremendous potential in northern and Indigenous communities to create jobs and to promote economic prosperity for their regions and, indeed, for the entire province. Unlike the opposition and the previous Liberal government, our government cannot let this once-in-a-lifetime and once-in-a-generation opportunity slip away.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is taking action to advance Ontario’s mining sector?

Unfortunately, I think it’s obvious to everyone in here today that the NDP don’t care about what’s important to the people of their ridings. The NDP are still the party of no—no to jobs; no to economic investments for rural, remote and northern communities; no to electric vehicle production and supporting our manufacturing sector; and no to creating a stronger economic future for all Ontarians.

The important work by our government in launching the Critical Minerals Strategy is because we believe in making investments to support the made-in-Ontario supply chain for electric vehicles.

Can the minister please expand on what actions our government is taking to secure the critical minerals that are needed to produce electric vehicles?

Thank you to the member for the question.

Speaker, first of all, I would like to take the time to thank the staff at amazing ServiceOntario for the incredible work they do each and every day.

I’ve said this many, many times in the House: We are modernizing our system. Thank you to the Minister of Transportation for her great support.

We are now offering renewal reminders online as well. Individuals can go to ontario.ca/serviceontario or ontario.ca/renewals as we continue to modernize our system and make sure that everyone is able to get their renewals done on time.

I would also suggest to the member opposite that, once in a while, when they are sending out their notices or their information to their constituents, they can also remind them that there are renewal options available. Just try one time and you will see. You will get a better experience as well.

We have heard from Ontarians that they want more options when accessing government services, and that is why the changes we have implemented are just the beginning of government services and our commitment to building the ServiceOntario of the future and, honestly, to make life easy for the people of this province. That’s what we are doing as a government. I know you don’t like to do that, as an opposition. You want to make their lives more difficult. But as a government, we continue to make their lives easy, and we will continue to do it.

At the end of the day, the people of this province always—

I want to thank the member from Brantford–Brant for the question.

The people of Ontario, including the great riding of Timmins, a mining community, voted in a historic PC majority because they wanted action. They know we have a generational opportunity to build the supply chain from mining critical minerals in the north to manufacturing electrical vehicles in the south, but we can’t take 15 years to build a mine if we’re going to get it done. The NDP and the Liberals think it’s acceptable to take 15 years to build a mine, but I’ll tell you who won’t accept these timelines. It’s not acceptable for our government or for mining companies, and it’s not acceptable for the people living in northern NDP ridings who rely on this sector to put food on their tables.

The members opposite had a chance to support their constituents by voting in favour of the Building More Mines Act, but they chose to vote no.

The Building More Mines Act is all about keeping pace with business so we can build a supply chain that connects critical minerals in the north with manufacturing in the south. The EV revolution has already begun, and this bill will ensure Ontario continues to lead the charge—but the opposition still voted no; I’m not surprised, because they also voted no to our Critical Minerals Strategy investments, include $35 million for exploration to find the mines of the future and $5 million to solve the supply chain challenges through innovation.

Speaker, the people of Ontario, especially in the north, will always be supported by this government, despite the party of no.

Our government, under the leadership of this Premier, will secure the critical minerals we need to realize this opportunity of a lifetime.

My question is for the Premier.

A year and a half ago, this government decided that it would no longer be sending mailed reminders to Ontarians when their driver’s licence, health card or licence plate was in need of renewal. The communication on this initiative has been abysmal. This out-of-touch decision means that many Ontarians with busy lives to lead are only discovering these important documents are expired when they arrive at an emergency room or have already been pulled over by the police, facing a $110 fine.

Why is it that this government can’t maintain a simple service we’ve had for decades or, at the very least, have a strategy to transition into a new program which makes the lives of Ontarians better?

Mr. Speaker, this government likes to talk about how it’s saving Ontarians money, but this is an example of how they’re costing good Ontarians money. A ticket for an expired licence plate is $110. One person said they may be eliminating one fee, but they’re certainly making up that difference in fines.

In February of this year, the police in Waterloo region, for instance, issued 47 tickets for expired licence plates in a six-hour period.

A parent who needs health care for their child is asked to pay $75 if their health card has expired.

These aren’t bad people; these are hard-working Ontarians; they’re people who need a reminder. Why is this government choosing to penalize them?

It’s my honour to present the following petitions on behalf of the Alzheimer Society Southwest Partners. It’s titled, “Develop an Ontario Dementia Strategy.” It reads:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas it currently takes on average 18 months for people in Ontario to get an official dementia diagnosis, with some patients often waiting years to complete diagnostic testing;

“Whereas more than half of patients suspected of having dementia in Ontario never get a full diagnosis; research confirms that early diagnosis saves lives and reduces care-partner stress;

“Whereas a PET scan test approved in Ontario in 2017 which can be key to detecting Alzheimer’s early, is still not covered under OHIP in 2022;

“Whereas the Ontario government must work together with the federal government to prepare for the approval and rollout of future disease-modifying therapies and research;

“Whereas the Alzheimer Society projects that one million Canadians will be caregivers for people with dementia, with families providing approximately 1.4 billion hours of care per year by 2050;

“Whereas research findings show that Ontario will spend $27.8 billion between 2023 and 2043 on alternate-level-of-care (ALC) and long-term-care (LTC) costs associated with people living with dementia;

“Whereas the government must follow through with its commitment to ensure Ontario’s health care system has the capacity to meet the current and future needs of people living with dementia and their care partners;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, call on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to develop, commit and fund a comprehensive Ontario dementia strategy.”

I fully support this petition, will affix my signature and deliver it with page Liam to the Clerks.

Shall the report be received and adopted? Agreed.

Report adopted.

Report deemed adopted.

Thank you to the fantastic member for Hastings–Lennox and Addington for the important question.

He’s right; for many Indigenous communities across the province, the consequences of addiction and mental illness are far too real.

Last week, I had the privilege to spend time in Middlesex county to meet with the chiefs of the Chippewas of the Thames, the Oneida of the Thames and Munsee-Delaware First Nations to talk about investments we’re making to improve mental health and addictions services for Indigenous communities across the province.

I announced recently that our government has provided $33 million in additional investments for important capital projects, as well as for culturally safe and appropriate services in Indigenous communities—investments, for instance, like the $1 million going to my hosts last week, the Chippewas of the Thames, to build a mental health and addictions crisis management centre. This is how we’re going to plug Indigenous communities into the recovery-oriented continuum of care that our government is building to ensure that everyone gets the supports they need, where and when they need them.

Point of order, Speaker: I would like to wish my mother a happy 90th birthday.

Thank you for the question.

I get excited when we start talking about the Ontario Science Centre and what it means. It has been a beacon for not only Ontario but across Canada for the tourism industry for a lot of years—for over half a century, actually.

When you talk about space, you’ve got to talk about workable space. We won’t get to that—because you were speculating.

But what we will talk about is what the Ontario Science Centre represents to Ontario and the rest of the country, and the upcoming move to a world-class situation down in Ontario Place. When we talk about that move—that beacon that I spoke of is going to get even brighter for tourism.

Tourism supports almost 400,000 jobs, and when we talk about what’s going to go on in Ontario Place—that raises the bar for everybody. I get really concerned and almost take it—not quite—personally when we talk about not developing tourism in this province, because it drives industry, it drives the GDP, and it’s important. It lands in every riding that we represent—every one—so let’s not keep saying no—

When we talk about the Ontario Science Centre as it stands right now—which is, by the way, still opening and doing a great business. The people there are doing a fantastic job, whether they’re building the exhibits or they’re opening the doors for spectators. Let’s make that clear.

The other side of it is usable space—having opportunities for more exhibits, better-placed exhibits, the next generation of exhibits, and building them on-site. Just because something gets a little bit smaller doesn’t mean we’re taking away usable space to either display or build. Don’t make those assumptions. That’s the wrong road to go down.