My question is to the Premier. The Conservatives want to open up an area of land as big as the size of Toronto on greenbelt land and farmland, even though experts have been telling you loud and clear—even your own experts have been telling you—that there is more than enough land already available in areas zoned for development.

Well, get this: Land speculators are reading the tea leaves and they are buying up protected farmland. Farm prices have gone up by 20% in the last year alone. New farmers and young farmers can’t compete with these land speculators, and they’re worried they’re never going to get into the housing sector and the farming sector.

To strengthen our farming sector, can the Conservatives commit to not opening up any more greenbelt land to needless development?

It’s amazing how the minister’s record-breaking spending keeps translating into cuts on the ground. It’s like the opposite of magic.

The Lambton Kent District School Board isn’t just losing Indigenous funding. They’re facing a cut of $8 million, or 2.5% of their total budget. This is on top of the fact that the government is only funding one quarter of the actual cost of special education for Lambton Kent. In all parts of the province, kids need more support, not less.

Why is this government forcing school boards like Lambton Kent to implement cuts and take supports away?

Supplementary question: the member for Ottawa West–Nepean.

To reply, the Associate Minister of Housing.

The Associate Minister of Housing.

The government is increasing investments by $590 million more for the coming September. Our Special Education Grant is up across the board—over $3.2 billion. It is dramatically higher than when the former Liberals were in place. We’ve hired over 3,200 EAs. I appreciate the inconvenient truth associated with funding, staffing and support for school boards, but we are increasing the supports across the board in Lambton–Kent–Middlesex and in every single region of Ontario. To suggest otherwise is frankly preposterous.

No one believes the NDP. This is the default. Every year, there’s a narrative from the opposition of the sky is falling.

We are increasing supports to help kids get back on track. Look at the numbers, look at the investments: $590 million more and roughly 8,000 additional staff even though we don’t have additional kids in our schools. We will continue to be there for Ontario kids.

I do want to thank the member opposite for her question. Speaker, yes, it’s very, very important that we have high-employment zones. We have many of them right across this province. But what we also heard from many of these employers is the desperately needed housing in and around those employment zones, so that their employees could get to work much faster, rather than sitting in commutes for hours.

And so, we’re listening and we’re making sure that the people of this province can get to work in a timely manner by still protecting those high-employment zones and getting that building, bringing in this investment, and everybody has a great place to live, to work and to raise their family.

That is also why we’re taking the provincial policy statement, putting it together with A Place to Grow and making it one provincial policy statement, to make the wording so much easier, more easy to understand and easier to follow for all municipalities.

To reply, the Associate Minister of Housing.

The supplementary question.

Speaker, through you to the Minister of Health: Last week, we learned that the urgent cares in Port Colborne and Fort Erie are having their hours reduced by half, permanently. This follows the recent closure of after-hours emergency surgeries at Welland hospital. Welland is where Port Colborne patients go if they cannot access service in Port Colborne.

Does the minister understand that real people don’t plan to need emergency surgery prior to 10 p.m.? That’s why it’s called an emergency. Will the minister stop blaming volunteers on hospital boards for this crisis and finally take responsibility?

Through you, Speaker, what is the alternative to emergency care when you need life-saving emergency surgery and there is no emergency care available at the urgent care or the emergency department? Will this minister act before one of my constituents dies because they cannot get emergency service?

As I have said many times, when hospital leaderships make decisions about how to best serve their communities, it is not in our interest, as local members or government members, to second-guess those locally decided upon decisions.

Having said that, the investments that we are making to ensure that we have, as an example, last August, directed the College of Nurses of Ontario to quickly assess, review and expedite licences for internationally educated nurses, mean that in last year alone we had over 12,000 new nurses licensed in the province of Ontario; over half were internationally trained nurses. We’ve done the same with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

We will continue to make sure that pathways for licensing in the province of Ontario—the red tape is removed so that we can have as many people—

We will continue to invest. We have done that through surgical recovery programs. Hospitals have been able to expand and widen the number of surgeries that they can do with funds from the province of Ontario. We’ve done it to make sure that we have options, in the province of Ontario, including 24/7 health services provided with registered nurses, so individuals can have that conversation and make sure that they are going to the most appropriate level of care in the province of Ontario.

The idea of putting 40,000 people in Ontario’s largest industrial park was supported by the former Haldimand county mayor, who unexpectedly ended up on the ballot for the party of this government last June. It appears something interesting developed between 2019 and last spring, because now we see this government doing away with the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Surely we’re not so desperate to build houses that we would subject newcomers to life in Ontario’s largest industrial park.

Chaos across the Highway 6 corridor and the inability to meet the health care needs of the current population have many people concerned about adding 40,000 people to the area. Two elections have been fought on this issue, and voters feel an industrial park is not the place for a city.

As the MPP for Haldimand–Norfolk, it is my duty to bring forward the public’s opinion, not form it for them. Speaker, if the consultation on the provincial planning statement concludes that the people of Ontario want to see these employment lands protected, will this government uphold that protection, including the employment lands at Nanticoke?

My question is to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. In August 2021, my constituents in Wheatley experienced a terrifying and life-changing event when a gas explosion occurred at the site of an old, abandoned well. This explosion had a devastating impact on our people, our businesses and our community.

Thankfully there was no loss of life, but lasting economic damage remains, as well as legitimate concerns about the potential for similar occurrences throughout other communities.

No community in Ontario should ever have to experience such an event. That is why our government must take urgent action to address this serious issue. Speaker, can the minister please explain what actions our government is taking to address the environmental impact that legacy oil and gas wells have in our province?

The potential for the release of dangerous gases presents a number of genuine safety risks and concerns. This is why it’s essential our government gains a deeper understanding of the extent of the challenges associated with legacy oil and gas wells throughout southwestern Ontario. Speaker, could the minister please elaborate on the scope and design of the strategy to address these risks posed by legacy oil and gas wells?

My question is for the Minister of Red Tape Reduction. Under the leadership of our government and the Premier, Ontario is once again a destination for opportunity, investment and growth. In this competitive economic climate, it is important that we continue to take bold action to continuously drive productivity and innovation. This means eliminating burdensome red tape on people and businesses across our province. While our government has brought forward 11 red tape reduction packages, the people of Ontario are looking to our government to continue to focus on solutions that will make life easier for people and businesses.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is strengthening our economy by reducing red tape?

I thank the member opposite for raising this important question. I strongly believe that all Ontarians should have equal opportunity, regardless of ability.

Ontario follows the AODA and when it comes to local issues, we know that local organizations are the ones that understand the needs of their community. That is why the AODA has, for almost 20 years, ensured communities have accessibility plans. Community by community, they are making sure that project by project the AODA is being followed.

We encourage all local organizations to work with advocates to support the unique needs of their community, and to live up to what the AODA meant for us to do.

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing continues to ensure ongoing support for local governments. The Minister of Transportation has made sure that all municipalities get what they need and are getting more than their fair share when it comes to transit. This past year alone, Toronto received $185 million in gas tax. Since 2018, this government has provided close to $1 billion in gas taxes supporting municipal transit.

When it comes to public transit infrastructure, this government is making transit more accessible every day.

Thank you to the member from Carleton for her question.

For far too long, the previous Liberal government drove up the cost of doing business in this province and drove out good-paying jobs. We are taking a better approach. Through the Building Ontario Business initiative, our government is leveraging Ontario’s buying power to drive demand for made-in-Ontario goods and services.

The recently announced updates to Ontario’s procurement directives will provide Ontario businesses with greater access to public procurement opportunities. For example, a business in Carleton that invests in Ontario and that uses local supply chains and creates good-paying jobs right here in our province will no longer be put at a disadvantage when bidding for government contracts.

Speaker, our government is proud to buy Ontario.

Through Supply Ontario, our government is taking meaningful steps to reduce red tape faced by small businesses in the procurement process by centralizing our government’s supply chain and delivering better value for taxpayers by harmonizing contracts across the Ontario public sector.

Additionally, our government is developing an innovation pathway that, in collaboration with Supply Ontario, will make it easier for health services providers to procure from Ontario’s medtech innovators and will remove barriers to the adoption of promised technologies that improve outcomes for Ontarians.

We will continue to move forward with our plan that buys—

My question is for the President of the Treasury Board. Since being re-elected, our government must remain focused on growing the economy and unlocking new opportunities for businesses in every corner of our province. Our government needs to understand that Ontario’s economic prosperity relies on the success of our local businesses and the strength of our local communities.

The President of the Treasury Board recently announced changes to our government’s procurement directives in order to leverage Ontario’s purchasing power and to strengthen our province’s immense economic potential.

Our government must continue to take the necessary actions in order to ensure that businesses in Ontario can remain competitive.

Speaker, through you: Can the president please explain how these changes to our government’s procurement directives will support Ontario businesses?

However, the Building Ontario Business initiative is just one measure our government must take in order to support Ontario businesses and leverage Ontario’s purchasing power. There is more work that needs to be done to reduce the administrative burden of the procurement process and more ways to support the adoption of Ontario-made innovations.

Speaker, through you: Can the minister please elaborate on what additional steps our government is taking to modernize the procurement system and make it easier to buy from Ontario businesses?

Supplementary?

The next question.

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. Later this afternoon, the grassroots organization TTCriders will be hosting a press conference at Queen’s Park, in the press gallery, about the failures of the Family of Services program. With the unveiling of this program, the TTC’s Wheel-Trans 10-year strategy set a diversion target to restrict 50% of Wheel-Trans users from full door-to-door service by 2025. This essentially means that disabled people will be kicked off of the service.

This government has already made it impossible for disabled people to travel safely in the GTA, with AODA targets that have not been and will not be met by 2025. Kicking disabled people off Wheel-Trans to cut costs is a shame. Will this government repeal this family of services model and get back to meeting AODA targets?

She’s right. Kicking 50% of the folks who use Wheel-Trans off the para-transit system is an unfair attack on disabled people who deserve the right to travel safely just like everyone else, but who won’t be able to use the public transit system.

This government keeps talking about getting disabled people to go to work, but is making it impossible to get to work. It seems like a contradiction.

So I’m asking again: Will this government repeal this Family of Services model and get back to meeting AODA targets, including transit targets?

I want to thank the member from Cambridge for the important question. The people of Ontario gave our government a historic mandate to continue the work that we started in 2018 to reduce red tape, improve access to government and make it easier to invest and build in Ontario. With the passage of our latest red tape bill, that’s exactly what we are doing. It builds on our government’s strong record of ending the frustrations and delays from unnecessary red tape.

The results speak for themselves. We’ve eliminated 16,000 different kinds of pieces of red tape, which has now helped Ontario businesses save over $800 million in annual costs. It has also helped create over 600,000 new jobs. Last year alone, there were 85,000 new businesses that—

Speaker, I’ve got a petition here.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas police provide protection to some of the most vulnerable members of our society; and

“The provincial government has launched the Guns, Gangs and Violence Reduction Strategy; and

“The 2023-24 budget commits an additional $13.4 million to this strategy;

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

“That the Legislative Assembly of Ontario reject the ‘defund the police’ position, and continue funding police, seizing illegal guns, suppressing gangs, and supporting victims of violence through the Guns, Gangs and Violence Reduction Strategy.”

I wholeheartedly endorse the petition. I’ll be putting my name to it and giving it to Ameer.

Thank you.

The supplementary question.

The supplementary question: the member for St. Catharines.

The division bells rang from 1150 to 1155.

On May 31, 2023, Mr. Clark moved third reading of Bill 97, An Act to amend various statutes with respect to housing and development.

On June 1, 2023, Mr. Flack moved that the question be now put.

All those in favour of Mr. Flack’s motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Mr. Clark has moved third reading of Bill 97, An Act to amend various statutes with respect to housing and development. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard some noes.

All those in favour of the motion will please say “aye.”

All those opposed will please say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

Call in the members. This is another five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1159 to 1200.

All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

Call in the members. This is another five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1203 to 1204.

All those in favour of the motion will please rise and remain standing until recognized by the Clerk.

Motion agreed to.

The House recessed from 1207 to 1300.

First reading agreed to.