Speaker, what we will do is we will continue to prioritize making sure that we eliminate and decrease the wait times. People do not want to wait for their surgeries. How do we do that? We do that through the passage of Bill 60. That means individuals—a physician who practises in British Columbia—can come to Ontario, cut through the red tape and begin serving their communities here in Ontario. How do we do that? We do that through Learn and Stay programs that, as of yesterday, had 4,000 nurses—part of that program to ensure that as they get their tuition and education costs covered, they are prepared to serve in underserved communities. We’re doing the work. We’re making those commitments. And absolutely, Bill 60 will expand the surgical and diagnostic centres across Ontario. Why? Because people are sick and tired of the status quo and are sick and tired of waiting for their surgeries.

Interjections.

In January, it was a great honour to be able to expand surgical diagnostic centres specifically for cataracts in Windsor, Kitchener-Waterloo and Ottawa. That means that individuals who are waiting for cataract surgery in the province of Ontario have their wait times shortened. What does that mean? It means they get back to their families. They get back to their community. They get back to work. It is exactly what your members lobby me for on a weekly basis and what the people of Ontario deserve.

“I’m here to say that Bill 60 is a good start in eliminating Ontario’s surgical backlogs. We are pleased to see this government introduce significant changes to our system that will better serve Ontarians within a publicly funded system. Overall, this bill sets up a good framework to create a system of surgical care that is patient-centred and promotes patient choice.” That comes from the president and CEO of SE Health.

Back to the Premier: In my discussions with Brock University Students’ Union executives, they voiced serious, serious apprehensions about your government’s health care privatization direction, especially concerning accessibility. Reduced health care impacts are evident in Niagara, where two urgent care centres confront diminishing access. When asked, 85% of Brock University students are concerned over Bill 60, a sentiment shared by 400,000 referendum Ontario voters. Health care in Niagara is bearing the staff crisis magnified by Bill 124 and your privatization agenda.

Premier, when will your government stop shrugging responsibility and commit to enhancing health care accessibility in Niagara through public investment?

I’m hoping for a little leadership here. Maybe take a little responsibility? You’re facing one of the—

Interjections.

To the Premier: Will the government prioritize sick Ontarians over their insider friends looking to make a buck?

Speaker, there are new reports about a growing number of registered private health care lobbyists with ties to the Conservative Party—more insiders lobbying their friends and their former colleagues. Case in point: A former staffer for the Premier is now lobbying for “publicly funded, privately delivered” care, only he registered as a lobbyist before this government announced they were starting to issue private surgical contracts. How convenient.

To the Premier: Were these insiders given a heads-up about the expansion of private surgery delivery in Ontario?

Speaker, the Office of the Integrity Commissioner reports that there are nearly 1,200 lobbyists registered to influence this government on health policy; that’s more than on nearly every other issue combined. Many are lobbyists for for-profit, private health care companies that offer nearly identical services to those covered by OHIP, only they let the richest pay out of pocket to cut the line and access services faster. They’re swirling like vultures over what’s left of our health care system, and they’re looking to cash in on Ontarians’ health.

I’m going to ask again: When will this government prioritize sick Ontarians over their insider friends looking to make a buck?

Interjections.

Order.

The next question. The Leader of the Opposition.

Interjections.

Restart the clock.

The Leader of the Opposition.

Supplementary question?

The Minister of Health.

I’ve stopped the clock as our honoured guests have to prepare for a reception and some official photographs, and they may have had enough already. They now need to leave the proceedings at this time. Congratulations and thank you again to Mr. DesRosiers and Ms. Deller for your service to the assembly and the people of Ontario.

We’ll restart the clock. The next question.

The supplementary question.

Supplementary question? The member for Scarborough Southwest.

Premier?

A few reminders: We make our comments through the Chair, not directly across the floor of the House. Secondly, once the Speaker stands, you sit. Your microphone goes off. When I can’t hear whoever has the floor because of a loud ovation, we stop the clock because there’s no point in carrying on.

So, we’ll start the clock. Next question.

I want to thank you for your question. Do the Scarborough residents know you voted against that subway line? Do the Scarborough residents know that you had no interest in delivering the first subway in the history of Scarborough? When I was at city hall, we were fighting for the residents of Scarborough, where you never even existed. You weren’t up there cheering for Scarborough. You didn’t vote against your party. You should have voted against your party.

Do you know something? I’ll tell you, the reason we have the majority of the seats in Scarborough—

Interjections.

Interjections.

Speaker, Ontario is now the innovation and manufacturing gateway to North America, and that is the result of reducing the cost of doing business by $8 billion every year.

Hydrogen Optimized recently announced a $4.6-million investment in Owen Sound. They specialize in the production of green hydrogen through an exciting new manufacturing technology. This will replace fossil fuels in energy-intensive industries like cement and fertilizer production. They’re doing this cutting-edge work while creating new jobs and acquiring state-of-the-art equipment for Ontario. With a $500,000 investment from our government, Speaker, this is how we’re supporting our innovation and manufacturing sectors.

Well, that all changed under Premier Ford. Ontario is now one of the world’s leaders in EVs, with an unprecedented $25 billion in new business, $3 billion in new life sciences, $100 billion in tech, over 660,000 new jobs created. Speaker, that’s the difference when you put in a government that gets it done.

Back to the Premier: Residents in my community have contacted my office to express their frustration, their distress over the incessant overnight construction carried out by Metrolinx. The disruptive noise has become so unbearable that constituents are complaining—just imagine someone drilling in your backyard all night long, for a whole year. The disruptive noise has become so unbearable that constituents are complaining that children and pets are abruptly awakened from their sleep all throughout the night. However, Metrolinx has informed the residents that they possess a permit allowing them to continue these overnight operations until the end of the year because it’s related to the transit system. Whether it’s the Eglinton LRT, Scarborough RT or the Lakeshore East line, Scarborough residents are the ones, always, to suffer.

Speaker, while critical transit work is being done, what will this government do to protect local residents and mitigate the ongoing disruptions to their lives and their well-being?

Interjections.

I hope when you were speaking to those Brock students that you talked about the investments that we are making, increasing the number of student seats for both post-secondary and residency physicians. This means that there are more opportunities for young people who wish to practise medicine in the province of Ontario. They have that opportunity as a result of our government’s investment.

I hope you also highlighted the fact that in the region of Niagara, we are investing and building with that hospital corporation a brand new hospital in the amount of $4.1 billion in your community.

My question is for the Associate Minister of Transportation.

When it comes to communities around the greater Golden Horseshoe, investment is critical. Transportation infrastructure needs to happen now. I’m fortunate to have the GO train station in my riding, but more GO rail services are needed across the region. Unfortunately, the previous Liberal government did not plan ahead to address the future transit needs for people in Ontario. Our government must continue to take action and to do more to provide GO train expansion.

Can the associate minister please explain how our government is expanding GO rail services?

My question is for the Premier. Members of my community are anxiously awaiting the completion and opening of the Finch West LRT line. The construction phase hasn’t been easy, with massive traffic disruptions, vehicular and pedestrian accidents, property damage complaints, a collapsed underground garage of a high-rise condo, a day care flooded with sewage, displacing over 100 children for months, and more. My community has been patient but understandably frustrated.

In light of all of the issues on the Eglinton LRT, what assurances can you provide my community that the Finch West LRT will be completed on budget and on time at this year’s end?

My question is to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. With our government’s policies, Ontario’s reputation as a hub for cutting-edge innovation continues to grow. With its robust manufacturing sector, it’s crucial that our government attract investments to take advantage of this fact as it drives towards creating an end-to-end economy and ending our reliance on other jurisdictions for critical goods.

Speaker, can the minister please highlight a recent investment that showcases the province’s commitment to fostering innovation and simultaneously supporting our manufacturing industry?

Speaker, with this recent announcement from Hydrogen Optimized, can the minister elaborate on why companies like them are increasingly looking to invest in Ontario and grow in Ontario?

Supplementary question.

My question today is for the Minister of Infrastructure. In 1969, the Premier of Ontario at the time, the Honourable John Robarts, spoke at the opening of the Ontario Science Centre and shared the following statement: “I am confident that during the next 100 years, it will have an impact on far more people than any other single centennial project.” One hundred years, and that’s from a Progressive Conservative Premier.

How emblematic of this government’s general approach to doing things that they are choosing to demolish it in less than half that time. First, they take apart health care, then the greenbelt, then the science centre. There’s clearly a theme here.

Yesterday, I was joined by OPSEU and community members to reject the government’s decision to demolish and relocate the science centre, a decision, I want to remind everyone, made without any public consultation. My question is, when will this government commit to genuine consultation with the public on the science centre before making community-destroying decisions like this one?

Instead, as we just heard, what we’re hearing is a series of nonsensical justifications for this decision. For example, while this government argues that the new location will attract more visitors, the new centre will be 50% smaller in size. Many Ontarians won’t be able to afford visiting the new centre, and are only able to visit the one we have now because it is centrally located. Not to mention, the current site is situated at the intersection of the Eglinton Crosstown and Ontario Line, which will open up the science centre to even more of the public.

To the Minister of Infrastructure again: Given this public outcry and these arguments, will they re-evaluate the decision to demolish the science centre?

My question is to the Premier.

A core mandate of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. is to generate revenue for the province. By this metric, the government’s ongoing plan to privatize operation of Ontario’s casinos is a failure. Even before all of the contracts have been awarded, fully one third of the contracts were renegotiated, resulting in an estimated loss of $3.3 billion to the province. These renegotiations were done voluntarily—there was no legal obligation for the province to do this—and they amount to a subsidy. These subsidies have been used in the construction of these private casinos. We are subsidizing the construction of casinos in the province of Ontario.

Why is this government continuing down this path and losing billions of dollars that are needed for health care, education, housing and, yes, the environment? Please tell the people of this province why the finance minister is overseeing and condoning this conduct.

The OLG, with the permission of the finance ministry, was not required to renegotiate these contracts, and they didn’t need our help, either. In one case, a private casino operator, with over $3 billion in assets and a net revenue of nearly $300 million annually, was given a sweetheart deal to reduce their revenue-sharing with the province by 25%. Apparently, this government is more concerned about the financial viability of casino corporations than with the needed revenue for education, health, housing and, yes, fighting forest fires.

Was this renegotiation really intended as a gift to friends? Or is the government truly so out of touch with the needs of Ontarians that they prioritize casinos over housing? This is unethical behaviour. I’m asking the finance minister simply to do his job.

Thank you very much to the member for the question. We made a commitment. We’ve been fully transparent with the public that we will be building a brand new science centre with additional, more exhibition space at Ontario Place. The former science centre lands are an opportunity for the province to continue discussions with the city of Toronto. There are opportunities for community amenities and for housing and we will have those discussions with the city of Toronto. But, Mr. Speaker, we are bringing Ontario Place back to life with a brand new science centre with more exhibition space.

It was the Liberals.

Mr. Speaker, through you to the member opposite: Many in this room are students of history, and let’s go back to when the modernization plan was put together in 2012. Does anyone remember who was in power at that time?

Does anyone remember who supported the Liberals?

Interjection: The NDP.

Interjection: Mess.

I have full confidence in the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. We are in regular contact with them. They are good people there managing the taxpayers’ money. To date, modernization has resulted in about $2 billion in capital investment from the private sector. You know what that means, Mr. Speaker? Good jobs and bigger pay-cheques for the workers of Ontario.

We have an obligation to the workers, to the people of this great province, the jobs that they create, the private sector that—we don’t create the jobs; the private sector creates the jobs. Let me talk about my own riding, Pickering. You know what we have in Pickering now? A new casino, the Pickering casino, which is creating literally hundreds and hundreds of new, good-paying jobs, right next door to Ajax, right next door to Whitby and, yes, right next door to Scarborough.

This is what the government is about. It’s about creating the conditions so that jobs and people can work in this province and support their families.

Thank you to the associate minister for the update on this important project. This is encouraging news for many people across the GTA. Transit infrastructure expansion is vital to help growth in Ontario’s economy so that goods can get to market and so that hard-working Ontarians can get to their jobs. Our government must continue to invest in expansion of transit services. Can the associate minister please explain how our government is delivering on transit services for the people of Ontario?