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.

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?

Speaker, I am very happy to keep talking about Scarborough, and let’s get to it, because there’s a lot happening in that member’s riding.

Let’s talk about crews widening the Sheppard Avenue West bridge between Bakersfield Street and Chesswood Drive, for the increased future service that GO expansion is bringing to the Barrie line. In fact, construction is well under way and slated to continue until September this year, with bridge installation set to begin shortly thereafter. This is another vital infrastructure upgrade for our government that we are delivering: game-changing transit, Speaker, that includes GO expansion that will see riders benefit from more than 6,500 weekly trips on the GO network. When you break it down Speaker, what this really means is that we’re ensuring that more people can connect to local transit, work, health care, education and other critical services across the entire region.

Speaker, the Premier said it best: The members opposite did nothing to build transit in this province. That includes the fine people of Scarborough. We’re doing things differently. We’re getting it done for commuters.

The opposition left a giant transit deficit in this province. We’re filling that gap and we’re building record transit—

The new location at Ontario Place will also be connected by the Ontario Line, which is a brand new subway line that our government is building to provide greater public access to Ontario Place and to make sure that it’s accessible to the public.

Mr. Speaker, we are building a brand new science centre, an innovative place with new and additional exhibition space. We are bringing Ontario Place back to life. We anticipate four to six million visitors a year, and we are all excited for the site-servicing work to start. We will continue working in a collaborative way with the city of Toronto.

The member knows that we did bring in North America-leading standards with the Fixing Long-Term Care Act. The member also knows that he voted against that.

The member should remember that we did increase wages for our PSWs. He will recall that he also voted against that.

The member probably recalls that we also decided that we would hit a North America-leading standard of four hours of care per day. He voted against that.

Moreover, he voted against an additional $25 million for the long-term-care homes in his own riding, to increase the level of care in his own community. He voted against the additional homes that we’re building in his riding and across Niagara. He has talked against the long-term-care expansion that we are doing. He has talked against and voted against the increase in inspections that we’re doing in long-term care.

By every single measure, Ontario has the largest investment in long-term care in North American history—not just in Canada, but in North America—and on every single time he had to support that, he and his party voted against.

I want to thank the member from Brampton East for this really important question. Speaker, giving people with disabilities a hand up to a better life isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also good for the bottom line.

We owe it to all of them to build an Ontario that truly leaves no one behind. That’s why I was pleased to join everyone’s favourite minister, the Minister for Seniors and Accessibility, at Community Living Toronto. We were at Community Living Toronto to announce that our government is investing $6.5 million to support five innovative training projects to help nearly 4,000 people with disabilities find meaningful employment.

Under the leadership of our Premier, our government believes everyone deserves a fair shot at a purpose-driven life.

Through these projects, participants will get tailored supports to learn new skills, set goals and be matched with mentors who can help them succeed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I look forward to talking about these projects more.

Through the projects we announced during National AccessAbility Week, we’re helping those who need us the most get started with paid job placements in in-demand sectors like health care, information technology and hospitality.

By working with all of our partners, and continued investment to help people with disabilities find careers, we are continuing our mission to make Ontario the best place to live, work and raise a family.

My question is to the Premier. In Niagara, I met with unionized front-line workers from long-term-care homes who are concerned about the use of agency employees and the effects on the quality of care for residents. Permanent employees in long-term care are not paid fair wages for their work, which often leads to them leaving the jobs they love, worsening the staffing crisis. Meanwhile, temporary employment agencies are charging $150 an hour or more, and Ontarians are footing the bill.

Will the Premier rein in temporary staffing agencies and ensure permanent employees are paid fairly to address the staffing crisis?

Many of the temporary agency workers have no training or experience in long-term care. This is leading to reduced quality of care for residents and potential concerns around the safety and well-being of the people in our long-term-care facilities. These are our mothers, our fathers, our grandparents, our aunts and our uncles. It’s all about respect and dignity for long-term-care residents and for the permanent employees in these homes.

When is the Premier going to ensure fair standards are in place at every long-term-care home across the province of Ontario for workers and their patients?

Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Colleges and Universities.

Under the leadership of our Premier, this government has made record-setting investments in health care infrastructure, more support for health care workers, and unprecedented supports to accessing care. Our government believes that everyone deserves to have equal access to health care close to home.

We know there’s more that needs to be done when it comes to connecting Ontarians to care in their local communities. This means that more staff are required to better serve our communities with the greatest need for health care professionals. However, filling these critical roles requires educated and skilled health care professionals.

The minister had previously spoken about the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant program, which incentivizes students to pursue careers in the health care sector.

Can the minister please provide an update on the success of the Ontario Learn and Stay grant program?

Supplementary.

Speaker, while the member opposite is going to disparage individuals who are regulated under the same regulated health profession as nurses working in hospitals, in long-term-care homes, we are going to embark on and continue to expand upon the largest health human resource expansion in Ontario’s history.

Last summer, when we directed the College of Nurses to quickly expedite, review and ultimately license appropriate nurses who have been trained in other jurisdictions, they had a historic high: In 2022, over 12,000 nurses—over 6,000 of which were educated outside of Ontario and Canada—have now been given the opportunity to register and practise in the province of Ontario.

Those types of initiatives are going to expand our health human resources so that everyone, whether they are in community, long-term care, hospital, in our surgical and diagnostic centres have appropriate care.

My question is to the great Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. Our government believes that anyone who wants to work should have the opportunity to work; however, individuals with developmental disabilities often face barriers in securing stable and fulfilling employment.

Speaker, the statistics are clear: There are approximately 2.6 million people in Ontario who live with disabilities. Sadly, only 55% of these people are employed.

Individuals with disabilities deserve opportunities to master in-demand skills, gain valuable experiences and build the confidence they need to thrive in their communities. That’s why our government must continue to make investments that would build up Ontario’s workforce.

Speaker, can the minister explain how our government is supporting employment opportunities for all Ontarians?

Ontario continues to face a historic labour shortage, with nearly 300,000 jobs going unfilled every day, costing our economy billions in lost productivity.

While our government is investing in training programs and providing support, there must also be accessible and inclusive employment opportunities. As the minister states, “We need all hands on deck” in order to build a stronger Ontario for the next generation. That means that we must ensure that all Ontarians have access to the skills they need to find rewarding jobs.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how investments by our government will open pathways for more inclusive workplaces?

Thank you to the great member for that question.

Yes, I would love to provide an update on the Learn and Stay program. I’ve had the opportunity to speak about this exciting grant on several occasions in the House and how it will directly address the health care challenges Ontario is facing.

On May 16, at Georgian College in Owen Sound, alongside Minister Jones and MPP Byers, we announced the launch of applications for the new Ontario Learn and Stay Grant. Incentivizing students to study and work in the sector will not only alleviate the health care strain and bring stability to underserved communities, but it will also steer students in the direction of meaningful careers.

Speaker, I am pleased to report that to date, as of 9 a.m. this morning, we have had 4,135 students start or complete the application to the Learn and Stay program. This outstanding number proves that students are eager to begin lifelong careers in the health care sector.

Unlike previous governments, this government is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to supporting students in every way possible, to support our—

My question is for the Associate Minister of Housing. For too many Ontarians, including young people, newcomers and seniors, finding the right home is still too challenging. The housing shortage is affecting all Ontarians, including rural, urban and suburban communities across our province, and it has unfortunately reached crisis levels.

Our government has been working on behalf of the people of Ontario to address the shortage of housing in our province and has passed several pieces of legislation to significantly increase the supply of housing. However, our government must do more to find solutions to address the housing crisis and to speed up the pace of housing construction.

Speaker, can the associate minister please explain how our government is removing barriers to getting more homes built in Ontario?

It is positive to see that several municipalities have committed to achieving our province’s housing targets, and their support is vital to accomplish this goal. The commitment by municipalities to work collaboratively with our government in developing strategies that will provide real and long-term housing solutions is important and essential.

Speaker, can the associate minister please explain how our government is supporting municipalities across our province so they can deliver on their housing commitments?