I just want to say to the good people of Wheatley that you’re never far from our thoughts, and what happened in 2021 continues to shape our actions today.

I was pleased to be joined by the member from Chatham-Kent–Leamington—thank you for the question—and the member from Essex on Friday to make an announcement that’s very important to southwest Ontario. Over the course of the next three years, our government will provide over $26 million to develop a plan to address legacy oil and gas wells in the province. To start, eligible municipalities will be able to apply for funding for specific projects aimed at keeping their communities safe. In addition, this funding will help municipalities address risks and challenges of oil and gas wells, invest in plugging more abandoned oil and gas wells and conduct more science and research.

Speaker, this is the first step in a commitment to the people of southwest Ontario. We’ve heard their concerns, and we’ll continue to provide resources to protect and build a stronger province.

As I mentioned on June 2, in addition to the funding, our government has also announced an action plan that will have three main principles: increasing our understanding of the risks of plugging oil and gas wells, taking actions to reduce and mitigate these risks, and implementing measures that are focused on preventing petroleum-related emergencies and enhancing our emergency preparedness.

We understand our job is not done, which is why we’ll be holding additional consultations as we look toward the next steps. Speaker, we’re just getting started. This side of the House will not rest until we have delivered on our commitment to the great people of southwest Ontario.

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—

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.

It’s my pleasure to welcome Thomas Soliman, a new member of our team in the constituency. He’s here at Queen’s Park for the first time. Welcome.

I would like to welcome my childhood friend Bikram Cheema, who is visiting all the way from India. With him is his cousin Sahib Dhaliwal.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

The people of Ontario strongly support the reduction of duplicative, confusing and burdensome regulations that slow down our province’s long-term economic prosperity. While the previous Liberal government operated under the assumption that more red tape is better for everyone, this is not a reality. Unfortunately for many businesses and entrepreneurs, that meant major difficulties, frustration and unnecessary delays while trying to access government services when starting their operations. Sadly, the opposition Liberals and NDP still hold this mindset of saying no to measures that will improve our government services and make it easier to invest and build in Ontario.

Speaker, can the minister please elaborate on the benefits that have been achieved through the Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act?

Ce rapport démontre clairement l’engagement de notre gouvernement à accroître la transparence et aussi la reddition des comptes. Je suis fière des réalisations de notre gouvernement et de la modernisation de la Loi sur les services en français, contrairement aux députés de l’opposition, monsieur le Président, qui n’ont rien fait pendant 15 ans. Lorsqu’il s’agit d’agir dans les dossiers importants pour la communauté francophone de l’Ontario, seul le gouvernement Ford agit de façon significative.

L’objectif général du rapport est de démontrer comment nos ministères travaillent ensemble pour fournir des services en français accessibles et de qualité aux Ontariens et aux Ontariennes. Les progrès réalisés dans les domaines de la santé de l’éducation et de l’enseignement postsecondaire, ainsi que de la formation et de l’employabilité, témoignent de l’engagement de l’ensemble du gouvernement en faveur de la vitalité de la communauté francophone de l’Ontario.

Je vais continuer à travailler en étroite collaboration avec mes collègues au sein du gouvernement pour faire avancer les dossiers francophones et m’assurer que les voix des francophones et de leur communauté sont entendues.

Deferred vote on the motion that the question now be put on the motion for third reading of the following bill:

Bill 97, An Act to amend various statutes with respect to housing and development / Projet de loi 97, Loi modifiant diverses lois en ce qui concerne le logement et l’aménagement.

I’m delighted to welcome a great leader in our community, Mr. Guidy Mamann, who is with us in the gallery today. I want to congratulate him for the wonderful work he does to keep York Centre great.

It’s an honour for me to present the following petitions on behalf of Peri Ren, Samantha Bolger, Ayma Aqib and the class of 2025 medical students from the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University. The petition is entitled “Support Ontario Families with Autism.” It reads:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas every child with autism deserves access to sufficient treatment and support so that they can live” their life “to their fullest potential;

“Whereas the Ontario Autism Program was badly broken under the Liberals, and the changes introduced by the Conservatives have made it worse;

“Whereas the new funding caps are based on age and income, and not the clinical needs of the child;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to invest in equitable, needs-based autism services for all children who need them.”

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

My question is to the Premier. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has identified London as a child care desert with only enough licensed spaces for 12% of eligible infants. Brenda Feeney told me that her grandson is 150th on the list at one London centre and 60th on the list at another. His family was hopeful about the place where he was 20th on the list, but two infant rooms were just forced to close there because of a shortage of qualified staff.

Speaker, without a child care workforce, you can’t have a child care system. When will this government start paying early childhood educators fairly so that we can attract and retain the workforce we need to provide London families with the child care they deserve?

It is my pleasure to welcome Grant Gonzales, who is a co-chair of Pride Toronto.

It’s wonderful to see you here.

I also recognize Guidy Mamann, someone I have a long history with, going back to the time I was in my twenties. I actually worked in his law firm.

Ms. Smith moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 121, An Act to enact the Improving Dementia Care in Ontario Act, 2023 / Projet de loi 121, Loi édictant la Loi de 2023 sur l’amélioration des soins aux personnes atteintes de démence en Ontario.