Thank you to the member opposite for the question.

Our government knows that the status quo is not working. That is why we’ve been making all the changes we have, why we introduced the Your Health Act, and why we’ve got the largest health human resources recruitment, retention and training initiative in Ontario’s history to address any concerns, such as the ones the member opposite has mentioned.

This Tuesday, our Minister of Health and our Minister of Colleges and Universities were in Owen Sound to announce training programs, Learn and Stay programs, to ensure 2,500 post-secondary students in nursing, paramedics and medical laboratory technology would get training covered by the government. What we’re doing is making sure that those programs are available.

This is building on programs that we announced in March 2022. We think that this is part of the solution to make sure that we have the health human resource and make sure that the emergency rooms are operating.

When it comes to the ambulance off-load delays, we have a many-step process we’ve put in place. We’re returning ambulances to communities faster through the dedicated off-load nursing program. We’ve increased ambulance availability by about 600,000 hours with that program. We’re providing timely and appropriate care in community through the expansion of our 911 options. And we’re investing in new technologies through the central ambulance communication centre. We’re also helping with the transport of medically stable patients so they don’t have to use ambulances. And we’re maximizing, as I’ve said, our health human resource capacity.

This year, we’ve increased dedicated off-load funding to over $23 million for 27 municipalities; that’s seven additional municipalities receiving that funding for the first time.

We’re going to continue to make sure that our ambulances can be in the community, not waiting in hospitals, and that our emergency rooms are well staffed.

Speaker, let’s be clear: This government is taking the biggest transit expansion plan in history, at $70.5 billion, and making it a reality for the commuters in this province. This includes the GO expansion program.

Interjection.

Interjections.

Despite the heckling of the opposition, who opposes transit even in their own ridings, we’re getting it done.

For example, Milliken GO train station has a fine new east platform and a south tunnel for riders. That’s not the only enhancement we’re bringing. We’re also bringing enhancements such as a second track and platform; canopies and integrated shelters; a renovated existing platform; and two brand new pedestrian tunnels with elevators.

It’s not just about expanding the grid. It’s about making it more affordable. It’s about making the rider experience more enjoyable.

Speaker, this government is getting it done for commuters in this province.

Ma question est pour la ministre de la Santé.

Chesley and District Memorial Hospital has a very hard time meeting its 24-hour-a-day, seven-days-a-week obligation to their emergency department. They serve many seniors and many Amish and Mennonite families who do not drive. They know vulnerable people are dependent upon them. Chesley’s hospital faces human resource shortages. They need more resources. They need this minister’s help.

Hospitals are the biggest responsibility of a Minister of Health. We all know that the minister is all in when it comes to helping investors build private clinics that we don’t need. But the people of Chesley who are here today want to know what this minister is going to do to help public hospitals like Chesley that are struggling right now.

Interjections.

Thank you to the member for the question.

It’s very interesting; every day, you’re all talk, talk, talk about more doctors and nurses, but every time you get up to vote, it’s no, no, no. Bill 60—every one of you voted last week against adding additional nurses, PSWs, doctors to the system.

This week, I was with the Minister of Health when we kicked off the announcement for the Learn and Stay grant—which will actually affect your community—through Cambrian College and through Laurentian University. We’ve already seen 1,300 students register for this program. It’s amazing to see the nurses.

You voted against Bill 60. But you have a chance today to stand up and vote for the budget, which will, again, include more doctors and nurses. So I ask you today to stand up and vote and support the budget, so we can see more health human resources added to the system.

We’re talking about health human resources, including adding more additional health human resources, more—

Interjection.

Today, we vote for budget 2023, and I hope that all members in this House stand and support adding additional health human resources—

Well, they’re slow learners over there, Speaker.

My question is for the Premier.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, the emergency room in Chesley, Ontario had its hours limited from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Chesley residents who have emergencies outside of bankers’ hours, according to this government, are just out of luck. Coupled with our family doctor shortage, Ontarians are left with fewer and fewer options, and residents of Chesley are understandably angry.

Last month, hundreds of Chesley residents protested the ER’s extended closures, even organizing the petition that will be read into the record later today. The people of Chesley have had enough of this government’s inaction as the province’s health care crisis sweeps through their community.

Will the Premier drop his appeal of Bill 124, address the staffing crisis, adequately fund our hospitals, and keep emergency rooms open across Ontario?

The health care crisis in Chesley is not a one-off; it’s merely the tip of the iceberg. Unless this government changes course, it will happen again and again and again.

For the people in Chesley without a family doctor, who can’t drive half an hour when they’re having a heart attack and need emergency room access, what does the Premier recommend they do in a medical emergency?

Honestly, it’s bad enough when the NDP asks questions, because they held the balance of power, but the Liberals were actually in power for 15 years across the province of Ontario. And what did they do? Absolutely nothing.

When the NDP were in power, they reduced the acute-care beds in our hospitals down to 18,000. They took thousands of beds off-line.

The Liberals then doubled down, but then they went even further. They actually cut health care spending across the province of Ontario while they were in power and while there was a federal government, a Conservative government, that was increasing funding by 6% a year to health care.

That is the record of the Liberals. The Liberals helped bring this province to its knees. They underfunded small hospitals across the province of Ontario, and now this member has the nerve to get up and say, “Do something about it.” Well, we are. We started on day one by making investments, not only in our small and medium hospitals, but by rebuilding them and by bringing thousands of additional health care workers—

Interjections.

How dare this member get up and talk about small-town Ontario? This is a member whose government closed schools in small-town Ontario. This is a member whose government starved small-town Ontario hospitals to death, so that they could take funding from small-town Ontario and put it into hospitals in their own ridings. They closed down acute-care beds. They laid off nurses. They didn’t build long-term care. That is the record of the Liberal Party.

Do you want to know what we’ve done? We’re building 50 brand new hospitals across the province of Ontario. We’re expanding them. We’ve said to our small hospitals and hospitals in small-town Ontario, “It is absolutely incredible that, for 15 years, they starved you.” We took their budgets and we equalled them to what is happening in big Ontario urban communities. We’re hiring more doctors with more medical schools—

Interjections.

Back to the health minister: One of two operating rooms at the general campus of the Ottawa Hospital was closed last Saturday when a nurse had to call in sick. That meant one less OR for major trauma incidents in our city. But do you know what was open last Saturday? The for-profit corporation that has been operating at the Riverside campus of the Ottawa Hospital and poaching nurses from our existing hospital infrastructure. This minister and this government, I’m going to assume, are going to insist there’s no link between these things, but I believe the president of the nurses at the Ottawa Hospital, Rachel Muir, who says there is.

Speaker, will today be the day, finally, that this government comes to grips with this obsession with for-profit health care and how it is hurting our hospitals?

Interjection.

My question is to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Ontario’s greenhouse-grown fruit, vegetables and flowers account for a significant contribution to Ontario’s agri-food sector. Through implementing new technology and innovation within the sector, Ontario’s greenhouses continue to be at the forefront of the agri-food sector.

Consistent, reliable and premium-quality products continue to put Ontario on the map as a global leader and a universally trusted brand of choice.

The economic activity generated by Ontario’s greenhouses alone contributes more than $2.3 billion to Ontario’s GDP and has created over 28,000 jobs.

Can the minister share what the government is doing to support the growth of this important agri-food business?

Order.

Stop the clock.

Interjections.

Start the clock. The next question.

My question is to the Premier.

This week, the FAO report confirmed what experts have been warning the government about for some time. The implementation of the $10-a-day child care program is under threat because of low pay and poor working conditions. The average ECE worker only stays in the child care sector for just three years.

Does the government’s plan include creating not-for-profit spaces with good-paying jobs?

We’ve been urging the government to create an early years and child care workforce advisory commission.

Will the government commit today to prioritizing $10-a-day child care, and make sure child care is a career that workers want to stay in?

I appreciate the question from the MPP from Peterborough, because this is something we need to celebrate.

It’s really important that people across Ontario understand that Ontario’s greenhouse vegetable sector and fresh flowers sector actually represent over 81% of Canada’s total greenhouse vegetable exports. We are a food powerhouse in Canada.

We’re working with the sector in an all-of-government approach to make sure that the right supports are in place. For example, we continue to work with the greenhouse sector and introduce programs like the Grow Ontario Market Initiative to help grow markets not only in Ontario but around the world. We’re working with our colleagues to reduce red tape and introduce research initiatives. And we’re working with greenhouses to ensure that when international workers choose to work in Ontario, they have safe living conditions—for instance, the HEPA filter system that we introduced. The list goes on and on, but the important part is—

I want to thank the member from Scarborough–Agincourt for that important question.

We all know the previous Liberal government, supported by the NDP, spent 15 years creating unnecessary burden for people in the province of Ontario. As a matter of fact, Ontario had the largest regulatory burden in the country when we took over in 2018. But what have we done since 2018? We have brought forward 10 different pieces of legislation in this House to help reduce that regulatory burden—10 pieces of legislation that have helped reduce over 16,000 different red tape requirements that Ontarians and businesses have to face in our province. And we continuously encourage, of course, Ontarians and businesses to bring forward ideas that we can work on and make life easier for everyone. I also want to point out that we have not to date received a single idea from the members of opposite, simply because I don’t think they care about red tape—

I was proud to introduce our 10th red tape reduction bill, the Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act. If passed, it will help get broadband built faster across our province in various communities. It will help businesses and non-profit organizations adopt digital meetings and other virtual practices. It will protect electricity ratepayers from incurring the costs of fines imposed on utility companies. Those are just a few of the highlights from the latest bill that we have before the House. In fact, I am proud to say that this was the largest piece of legislation that our government has brought in so far in this session. Why? Because we understand that unnecessary burden and unnecessary red tape is holding our economy and holding our province back. And we will continue to work hard each and every day to eliminate those unnecessary barriers.

My question is for the Minister of Red Tape Reduction.

After 15 years of the previous Liberal government, Ontario was left with the highest regulatory burden in the country. Companies found themselves tangled up in endless and complicated regulations. What’s worse is that under the watch of the Liberals, more than 300,000 manufacturing jobs packed up and left Ontario. That’s why, in 2018, Ontarians entrusted our government to clean up the mess that was left behind.

The people of our province expect that our government will implement measures that will pave the way for better services and make it easier for businesses to invest in Ontario.

Speaker, can the minister please share some of the steps our government has taken to make businesses more competitive in Ontario?

Our government continues to prove that there are innovative solutions that save people and businesses time and money. To date, the work of the Ministry of Red Tape Reduction has saved businesses nearly $700 million in annual compliance costs.

However, our government must continue to look for more opportunities to reduce regulatory burdens to make it easier for Ontarians to access services.

Speaker, can the minister please share how our government’s latest red tape reduction bill will do more to make life easier for people and businesses in Ontario?

Mr. Speaker, the greatest single threat to affordable child care is the ideological aversion of New Democrats and Liberals that would have opposed 30% of child care operators from being in the deal—because they oppose the inclusion of for-profit child care, because they are so blinded by ideology instead of practical reductions in savings for working people in the province of Ontario.

This Premier got a deal done—not any deal; a better deal—with a billion more dollars on the table and next-year funding guarantees, and yes, a commitment to increase wages for the very workers who make a difference in our child care centres.

Mr. Speaker, we’re increasing wages by $1 per hour per year. We instituted, for the first time, a wage floor, and we made a commitment. The parliamentary assistant has been leading a consultation to go even further.

Let’s work together to make child care affordable. This year, the average rate went from $46 a day to $23 a day—a 50% savings, and a major step forward. Let’s do this for families in Ontario.

To the members opposite: We can agree that ECEs play a critical role. It is a profession that is worth entering, and with great opportunity. Of course, while we’re increasing their wages and strengthening the supports we’re providing for the workers, we’re also putting an emphasis on reduction in fees and increase of access.

Mr. Speaker, under the former Liberal government, one of the legacies—perhaps New Democrats and Progressive Conservatives could agree—was the indefensible increase of 400% in child care fees for working parents. It became a choice of staying home or working. It undermined labour market participation of women in the economy.

We’re finally getting this done. We stood up to the federal government for a better deal that includes more affordability, more spaces, and more federal investment.

We’ll continue to stand with those workers, stand with families, reduce fees, increase access, and increase the wages of the people who make a difference in the life of our kids in Ontario.

Minister of Finance.

My question is to the Premier.

The Fort Erie Race Track will have their 126th opening day next Tuesday. Right now, they’re under attack. After reaching an impasse in their attempts to resolve ongoing issues, the Fort Erie Race Track filed a grievance with the Canadian trade commission for targeted anti-competition behaviour by Woodbine. Woodbine has enforced a strict horse-stabling policy and is routinely running B-level races as an A-level track at the expense of the Fort Erie Race Track. Will the government step in and have Woodbine end this behaviour to ensure the future of the Fort Erie track?

Woodbine refuses to work proactively with Fort Erie in the scheduling of the Prince of Wales Stakes, which would allow both Triple Crown races to be highlighted and well attended in the province.

Thoroughbred tracks in Ontario should be working together. Woodbine is doing the opposite.

Speaker, I ask the government to do the right thing: Support horse racing in this province and rein in this behaviour by Woodbine and Mr. Jim Lawson, the CEO.

I want to touch on the fresh flower market here in Ontario—and thank you to the member opposite from Peterborough for recognizing the TOGA party that was held here.

The Ontario Greenhouse Alliance has so much to celebrate. In fact, I was speaking to one grower who specializes in fresh flowers, and I want to quote something that he shared. They had a really good market leading up to Mother’s Day, and not only did they satisfy demand across the province, but he also stated that $1 million worth of flowers grown in Ontario was sold into the US market. I know the finance minister will appreciate this, because selling into the US market translated into $1.35 million returning to Ontario, so that we can continue to build Ontario, invest in our greenhouse business and, most importantly, continue to grow good Ontario jobs.

Speaker, that’s exactly why we stand with the members of the Ontario Greenhouse Alliance and farmers across this province to meet market challenges and to help them realize growth opportunities.

Thank you to the member opposite for that very important question.

As the member knows, there has been a complaint filed, which he just referenced, in front of the Competition Bureau so I can’t get into specifics and comment in a detailed fashion on that.

But I will say this—and I think the member opposite knows this: The previous government was willing and prepared to allow for the collapse of the horse racing industry, and that would have caused the potential loss of 23,000 jobs and 27,000 dead horses.

We are supporting the horse racing industry. In fact, during the pandemic, we negotiated terms to have a long-term funding agreement to provide additional support through a very challenging time for the industry. This will give the industry time to recover, preserve local employment, and provide support to Ontario’s 15 racetracks until 2026.

Our government really understands the important role that the horse racing industry provides in many of our communities across Ontario. In fact, a few of my colleagues who were around in opposition at the time—you fought for the horse racing industry; you stepped up for all those jobs in many communities around Ontario. In fact, in the member opposite’s own riding, if it weren’t for the tireless advocacy of my colleagues on this side of the House and in the middle over there, that would be countless jobs that were lost, countless communities that would have suffered.

We stand with the horse racing industry. We will continue to support the horse racing industry.

Thank you for your support. That’s all I have to say.