This question is to the Minister of Community and Social Services. The Galbraiths have been waiting for an assisted living space for their son since 2014. Imagine, day after day, year after year, writing letters and emails, making phone calls and hearing nothing but crickets.

Can the minister tell this family when they will be offered an assisted living space for their son?

Can the government tell us, really, when people can expect to have the services delivered? Eight years is far too long for a family to be waiting to receive supports.

I would like to thank Lorraine Rocheleau from Alba in my riding for this petition.

“911 Everywhere in Ontario....

“Whereas when we face an emergency we all know to dial 911 for help; and

“Whereas access to emergency services through 911 is not available in all regions of Ontario but most Ontarians believe that it is; and

“Whereas many Ontarians have discovered that 911 was not available while they faced an emergency; and

“Whereas all Ontarians expect and deserve access to 911 service, throughout our province;

They “petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To provide 911 emergency response everywhere in Ontario by land line or cellphone.”

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

And the supplementary question.

The next question.

There being no further business this morning, this House stands in recess until 3 p.m.

The House recessed from 1141 to 1500.

Mr. Hsu moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 108, An Act in relation to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) / Projet de loi 108, Loi concernant l’ensemble des troubles causés par l’alcoolisation foetale.

First reading agreed to.

First reading agreed to.

Mr. Schreiner moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 109, An Act to amend the Greenbelt Act, 2005 to impose limitations on the exercise of powers conferred by the Act / Projet de loi 109, Loi modifiant la Loi de 2005 sur la ceinture de verdure pour imposer des restrictions à l’exercice des pouvoirs conférés par la Loi.

First reading agreed to.

First reading agreed to.

First reading agreed to.

I’m happy to say that, starting this September, students from the member’s riding of Chatham-Kent–Leamington will be eligible to apply for the grant. This grant will touch every corner of the province and that includes ridings held by members of the opposition, with 49 eligible programs at institutions in those ridings currently included in the program.

Where, specifically, do you ask? Ottawa West–Nepean, Mushkegowuk–James Bay, Timiskaming–Cochrane, Thunder Bay–Superior North, Kiiwetinoong, Algoma–Manitoulin, Ottawa–Vanier, Windsor West, Kingston and the Islands, London North Centre and Sudbury. With a constituency week coming up, I hope that each of the members representing the ridings I just mentioned, as well as the other members, will continue to talk about this grant in their ridings, because Premier Ford and the PC government are delivering for their communities.

Mr. Speaker. I’d just like to take a moment to wish the Minister of Red Tape Reduction a very happy birthday.

I just wanted to introduce a very special person from the city of Ottawa. A 21-year veteran of the Ottawa Police Service, deputy police chief Steve Bell, has joined us here in the Ontario Legislature today. Welcome.

Thank you, Speaker. I would like to welcome Lorne Brooker, host of the Lorne Brooker Show on 800 CJBQ, and his very capable assistant, Jim Gibbs. I thank all of the members of the Legislature who joined us for his broadcast this morning in the government House leader’s office. And thank you to the government House leader for letting us use your boardroom this morning.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to remind everybody about the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs reception that’s happening in rooms 228 and 230 just following these proceedings.

It’s so encouraging to hear the grant application process is now open. This is welcome news to my constituents and for communities across Ontario. Financial supports available through this grant program are a positive step in building up this precious workforce. However, there are some regions in our province still in need of health care professionals, and that’s more urgent. It’s up to our government to implement solutions to respond to local health care needs.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how investments made by our government into the Learn and Stay grant will benefit communities that are currently underserved?

This bill, which was first introduced by my predecessor, the former MPP for Kingston and the Islands, Sophie Kiwala, and also introduced by the former Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, requires boards of education to develop policies and guidelines with respect to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, FASD. Teachers’ colleges and early childhood education programs shall be required to provide training with respect to FASD.

Ms. Bowman moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr22, An Act to revive League Technique Inc.

Mr. Speaker, this petition is entitled “Petition in Support of Ontario Getting More Boots on the Ground by Making It Easier to Recruit and Train Police Officers.

“To the Solicitor General:

“Whereas the government of Ontario is committed to ensuring the safety of Ontario communities; and

“Whereas the government of Ontario is committed to supporting our hard-working women and men in blue, who put their lives on the line every day in police forces across the province of Ontario to keep our communities safe;

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

“To support the passage of Bill 102, the Strengthening Safety and Modernizing Justice Act, 2023, to ensure the following:

“(1) Make it easier for police services across the province to recruit and train more police officers by removing tuition fees for the basic constable training program at the Ontario Police College, also known as OPC, and immediately expand the number of recruits that can be trained each year;

“(2) To expand the Basic Constable Training Program at the Ontario Police College immediately to accommodate an additional 70 recruits per cohort from 480 to 550;

“(3) Starting in 2024, expand the Basic Constable Training Program to four cohorts per year instead of three cohorts;

“(4) Additionally, to support recruitment efforts at a time when local police officers have signalled challenges in doing so, and introduce legislation that, if passed, will eliminate the post-secondary education requirement to become a police officer as set out in the Community Safety and Policing Act, also known as the CSPA, and if passed, the act would amend the CSPA to provide that a secondary school diploma or equivalent is sufficient education for the purposes of being appointed as a police officer; and

“(5) To make the elimination of the tuition fee for the Basic Constable Training Program at the Ontario Police College retroactive to January 1, 2023, and recruits who paid for their 12-week basic constable training earlier this year to be reimbursed.”

I proudly affix my signature to this petition, and I will be giving it to page Sophie.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the government of Ontario is committed to ensuring the safety of Ontario communities; and

“Whereas the government of Ontario is committed to supporting our hard-working women and men in blue, who put their lives on the line every day in police forces across the province of Ontario to keep our communities safe;

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

“To support the passage of Bill 102, Strengthening Safety and Modernizing Justice Act, 2023, to ensure the following:

“(1) Make it easier for police services across the province to recruit and train more police officers by removing tuition fees for the Basic Constable Training Program at the Ontario Police College, also known as OPC, and immediately expand the number of recruits that could be trained each year;

“(2) To expand the Basic Constable Training Program at the Ontario Police College immediately to accommodate an additional 70 recruits per cohort from 480 to 550;

“(3) Starting in 2024, expand the Basic Constable Training Program to four cohorts per year instead of three;

“(4) Additionally, to support recruitment efforts at a time when police officers have signalled challenges in doing so, introduce legislation that, if passed, will eliminate the post-secondary education requirement to become a police officer as set out in the Community Safety and Policing Act, also known as the CSPA, and if passed, the act would amend the CSPA to provide that a secondary school diploma or equivalent is sufficient education for the purposes of being appointed as a police officer; and

“(5) To make the elimination of the tuition fee for the Basic Constable Training Program at the Ontario Police College retroactive to January 1, 2023, and recruits who paid for their 12-week basic constable training earlier this year to be reimbursed.”

I’ll proudly affix my signature to this petition and give it to page Mridul. Thank you.

I want to thank my constituents who’ve been collecting these petitions at the Guelph Farmers’ Market. It’s a petition to protect the greenbelt.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Premier has persistently promised over the past four years not to develop the greenbelt; and

“Whereas the Premier has plans to build the Highway 413 that would pave over 400 acres of the greenbelt, and over 2,000 acres of class 1 and class 2 farmland; and

“Whereas the government refuses to repeal Bill 23 and halt their destructive pro-sprawl agenda; and

“Whereas the government now has plans to open up over 7,400 acres of the greenbelt to pro-sprawl developers;

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

“To instruct the Ontario government to immediately halt all plans to develop the greenbelt and commit to cancelling Highway 413, and to instead invest in livable and affordable communities connected by transit that protect the nature that protects us, the farmland that feeds us and mitigates climate pollution.”

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

I want to thank the students at the McMaster faculty of social sciences for this petition 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 individuals on 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 small increase of 5% for ODSP still leaves these citizens below the poverty line, both they and those receiving the frozen OW rates are struggling to survive at this time of alarming inflation;

“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 will affix my signature and send it to the Clerk.

I have a petition here.

“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 individuals on 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 small budget increase of 5% for ODSP still leaves these citizens below the poverty line, both they and those receiving the frozen OW rates are struggling to live in this time of alarming inflation;

“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 agree with this petition, will affix my name and give it to page Mackenzie to bring to the table.

It’s my honour to present the following petition. It reads:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Haliburton Highlands Health Services board of directors has, without consultation with the affected stakeholders, announced the permanent closure of the emergency department located in the municipality of Minden Hills, Ontario, effective June 1, 2023;

“We, the undersigned, petition that a moratorium of this decision be implemented by the Ministries of Health and Long-Term Care immediately for a period of a minimum of one year to allow for consultations with all affected stakeholders to occur.”

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

I’m very pleased, as the critic for infrastructure for the party, to read this petition.

“911 Everywhere in Ontario.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas when we face an emergency we all know to dial 911 for help; and

“Whereas access to emergency services through 911 is not available in all regions of Ontario but most Ontarians believe that it is; and

“Whereas many Ontarians have discovered that 911 was not available while they faced an emergency; and

“Whereas all Ontarians expect and deserve access to 911 service, throughout our province;

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

“To provide 911 emergency response everywhere in Ontario by land line or cellphone.”

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

This petition is entitled “Protect the Greenbelt: Repeal Bill 23.” I want to thank the people from Kitchener and Elmira for collecting the signatures.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Bill 23 will remove protected land from the greenbelt, allowing wealthy developers to profit by bulldozing over 7,000 acres of farmland;

“Whereas green spaces and farmland are what we rely on to grow food, support natural habitats, prevent flooding, and mitigate future climate disasters;

“Whereas Ontario loses” 319 “acres of farmland daily to development;

“Whereas the government’s Housing Affordability Task Force found there are plenty of places to build homes without destroying the greenbelt, showcasing that Bill 23 was never about housing but about making the rich richer;

“Whereas the power of conservation authorities will be taken away, weakening environmental protections, and preventing future development;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to immediately repeal Bill 23, stop all plans to further remove protected land from the greenbelt....”

I fully support this petition, will affix my signature and give it to page Leonard.

Further debate?

J’aimerais remercier Andréane Chénier de Hanmer dans mon comté pour cette pétition.

« Soutenez le système d’éducation francophone en Ontario...

« Attendu que les enfants francophones ont un droit constitutionnel à une éducation de haute qualité, financée par les fonds publics, dans leur ... langue;

« Attendu que l’augmentation des inscriptions dans le système d’éducation en langue française signifie que plus de 1 000 nouveaux enseignants et enseignantes de langue française sont nécessaires chaque année pour les cinq prochaines années;

« Attendu que les changements apportés au modèle de financement du gouvernement provincial pour la formation des enseignantes et enseignants de langue française signifient que l’Ontario n’en forme que 500 par an;

« Attendu que le nombre de personnes qui enseignent sans certification complète dans le système d’éducation en langue française a augmenté de plus de 450 % au cours de la dernière décennie; »

Ils et elles demandent à l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario « de fournir immédiatement le financement demandé » dans « le rapport du groupe de travail sur la pénurie des enseignantes et des enseignants dans le système d’éducation en langue française ... et de travailler avec des partenaires pour mettre pleinement en oeuvre » ces « recommandations. »

J’appuie cette pétition, monsieur le Président. J’affixe mon nom et je demande à Dominic de l’amener à la table des greffiers.

Resuming the debate adjourned on May 17, 2023, on the motion for third reading of the following bill:

Bill 85, An Act to implement Budget measures and to amend various statutes / Projet de loi 85, Loi visant à mettre en oeuvre les mesures budgétaires et à modifier diverses lois.