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?

It’s so encouraging to hear the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant program has been so well received by students looking to pursue meaningful careers in health care. We know that some regions in our province face urgent staffing shortages. This uptake in applications will greatly assist in filling these local health care staffing needs.

While the Learn and Stay grant program is a positive step in addressing staffing shortages across Ontario, our government must continue to be proactive by implementing programs to produce results. People in communities like Chatham-Kent–Leamington and across the province are looking for assurance that when they need access to health care, the professionals will be there to care for them.

Speaker, can the minister please provide an update on how local communities will benefit from students enrolled in programs through the Learn and Stay Grant program?