Good morning, everyone.

Prayers.

Mr. McNaughton moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 79, An Act to amend various statutes with respect to employment and labour and other matters / Projet de loi 79, Loi modifiant diverses lois en ce qui concerne l’emploi, le travail et d’autres questions.

I am really excited and pleased to rise today to debate Bill 79, the Working for Workers Act, 2023.

Before I begin debate in the House today, I want to acknowledge that I’ll be dividing my time with my two parliamentary assistants, the member for Mississauga–Malton and the member for Scarborough Centre. I want to also just say to both of them, thank you so much for your leadership and all the work you’re doing at the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development to train the future workers in our province and to have their backs every single day.

I also want to thank the Premier. From the Premier, to the Premier’s office and his staff—the Premier has led the pathway for our government to ensure that we have the backs of workers we’re working for every day, to bring in truly game-changing opportunities for workers in the province, to ensure that we’re bringing in tough health and safety measures to protect our workers, who are out there every day building the province. So to the Premier, thank you for your leadership. It is truly historic—many of the changes that we’re bringing forward.

I also want to thank my amazing staff, many of whom have been with me since 2018, since we formed government, when I was at the Ministry of Infrastructure. My chief of staff, Josh Workman, has been with me since I was elected, back in 2011. I want to thank my incredible team who have worked so hard in the ministry to introduce, again, game-changing legislation. We have not seen anywhere in North America and, in some cases, around the world a number of these legislative changes that we are bringing in.

I think of past legislation that my team worked on and our government passed—the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act—to get more young people into the skilled trades and of how we’ve worked with our labour partners, labour unions, employers and industry associations to put forward changes to give more people opportunities and pathways into these amazing jobs.

We passed Working for Workers 1 and Working for Workers 2, which I will talk about soon.

We brought in legislation—I think it was since I have been here, in 2011—that passed probably the fastest of any bill, and that was our COVID paid sick days bill that we passed during the pandemic.

My team worked on job-protected leave during the pandemic. It was the first piece of legislation that we brought forward when COVID hit our province. We were the first in the country to bring in job-protected leave to ensure that anyone who was impacted by COVID can’t be fired for staying home.

Then, of course, we brought in legislation to deal with WSIB changes during the pandemic to ensure that we have a sustainable system, to be there for our workers and to be there for small businesses, in particular.

Our government is committed to improving the lives of workers and making Ontario the best place to live, work and raise a family. Everything that we do is about ensuring that Ontario is the best place to live, work and raise a family.

This current bill, which I’ll speak to shortly, builds on the strong success of our two previous Working for Workers bills that this House passed in 2021 and 2022.

In our first bill, we introduced measures to make it easier for workers to spend time with their families and loved ones, by requiring employers to have a “right to disconnect” policy. We were the first jurisdiction in the country to do this. There needs to be a line between work and family time. Every day, our men and women put in an honest shift, and they deserve to unplug when they are off the clock.

We also banned the use of non-compete agreements—the very first in Canada. This ensures fairness for our workers by allowing them the opportunity to advance their careers, and helps smaller and growing businesses find the skilled workers they need.

In our first bill, we also protected and supported vulnerable workers by establishing mandatory licensing of recruiters and temp help agencies, and we established the harshest penalties in the country for lawbreakers.

For truckers and food delivery drivers, who keep our world moving and bring what we need to our doorsteps, we enshrined their right to use washrooms in the businesses and restaurants they serve.

Furthermore, we made it easier for internationally trained workers to practise the professions they trained in when they come here to Ontario so that they can realize the Canadian dream and build our economy for the next generation.

We followed these workplace improvements with our Working for Workers Act, 2022. In this bill, we made Ontario the first province in Canada to establish a minimum wage and other foundational rights for digital-platform workers who provide rideshare delivery and courier services. These rights—like the right to regular pay periods, the right to keep their tips, and the right to resolve work-related disputes here in Ontario—go a long way to levelling the playing field between these workers and the companies they work for.

Building on our work to help those from other countries start their careers here, we took steps to make it easier for those from other provinces to do the same. Effective March 31 of this year, workers from other Canadian provinces or territories who apply to work in their regulated profession must receive a registration decision within 30 business days. In the race for talent, this change is an important part of how we’re taking a customer service approach to those who want to come here to Ontario.

In our second bill, we also took action to reduce overdose deaths by requiring employers to provide a live-saving naloxone kit in workplaces where opioid use may occur. This was also a first in North America.

We also enhanced worker health and safety by increasing maximum fines for directors and officers of businesses who fail to provide a safe work environment.

And in our second bill, Ontario became the first province to protect workers’ privacy by requiring employers to develop an electronic monitoring policy and share it with employees.

Both of these groundbreaking pieces of legislation are already helping the millions of workers here in Ontario, yet there is obviously more we can do to support workers and help them find good jobs.

Ontario is facing a truly historic labour shortage that’s holding back our ambitious plan to build the homes, schools, hospitals, transit and other projects our families need. Whether you’re a gig worker, a pipefitter, a plumber or a health care technician, our government has your back, and we’re only getting started.

That’s why I’m here this morning to proudly talk about our government’s plan to continue our progress with Bill 79, our Workers for Workers Act, 2023. Working with labour leaders and businesses, we’re proposing unprecedented action to keep, attract and equip people to thrive in today’s world of work and power future economic growth.

Let me begin with an issue our province is facing today. Right now, approximately 300,000 jobs are going unfilled. That means nearly 300,000 salaries are not being collected. That’s 300,000 lost opportunities for a worker and their family to get ahead. At the same time, there are many workers looking for a job or chance to get ahead, including over 800,000 people relying on social assistance. Our government knows that something has to be done.

Today, the average age of a skilled tradesperson here in Ontario is over the age of 55, and the average age of an apprentice is 29. In construction alone, we need 100,000 skilled workers over the next 10 years to fill the positions as workers retire and we prepare to build Ontario at an unprecedented speed. To help deliver our province infrastructure plans, including building 1.5 million homes by 2031, we need more people in the skilled trades, especially young people, who have their entire lives ahead of them. The trades are full of exciting careers where workers can earn six figures, work towards a defined pension, and have a job for life that they can be damn proud of.

That’s why, along with the Premier and the Minister of Education, I announced earlier this month that Ontario is help young people prepare for in-demand, well-paying careers in the skilled trades by allowing students in grade 11 to transition to a full-time skilled trades apprenticeship program. As part of this, workers who receive their certificate of apprenticeship could also receive their Ontario secondary school diploma as mature students. At a time when we continue to face historic labour shortages, this change will mean that more students can enter the trades faster than ever before to help build Ontario.

Our government is proud of the work that we’ve done to erase the stigma around skilled trades, to invest in young people’s exploration of these in-demand and purpose-driven careers, and to help end the labour shortage to unlock Ontario’s economic potential. That is how we are getting our province’s skilled trades system back on track for the next generation.

Across Ontario, there were 600,000 people working in construction in 2022. Every one of the workers is a hero, yet the conditions these workers face can be rough.

One of the biggest injustices I’ve seen on construction sites is the condition of washrooms. That is why, last month, in February, my ministry launched the first inspection blitz targeting dirty washrooms in provincial history. Since then, our health and safety inspectors have visited over 1,800 job sites and found over 244 violations. The common issues they found were no toilets being provided, facilities that lacked privacy, and failures to meet basic cleanliness and hygiene standards. That is why we’re taking action to double the number of washrooms on job sites and introduce the toughest standards in North America. Our new rules would require toilets to be completely enclosed and would require washrooms to be adequately lit and to have hand sanitizer where running water is not possible. Furthermore, we’re requiring larger construction sites to have at least one women-only washroom.

In addition to improving washrooms, we’re also making it clear that protective equipment and clothing provided, worn or used by workers in construction are required to be a proper fit. It’s not only the right thing to do, but it’s necessary to keep our workers safe. Everyone should have protective clothing, boots and safety harnesses that fit properly.

Women belong on our job sites, and they should see themselves reflected in the protective equipment and clothing that they wear.

We must ensure that the skilled trades are open to everyone. Our government is proud of the steps we have taken so far, and we’ve seen the results. In the past year, the percentage of new entrants to the skilled trades who are women is up by a historic 28%. However, we’re not satisfied yet. We’re going to continue pursuing measures that will encourage women to join the skilled trades and make sure the doors to these in-demand careers are open to everyone.

I have emphasized that Ontario is facing a historic labour shortage and that this shortage hinders our economic growth. Immigration is a crucial tool we can use strategically to fill labour market needs and spur further job creation. Yet, relative to population, Ontario can select fewer economic immigrants than any other province. When Ontario is able to nominate immigrants for permanent residence who best meet the needs of our communities, everyone wins.

That’s why the Premier and I have been working for months with our federal counterparts to land a better deal, a new deal, for Ontario when it comes to immigration. Last week, on Saturday, I was pleased to join my counterpart and friend, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, for a truly historic announcement. The federal government has answered our calls to double our annual allocation for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program to 18,000 by 2025. This will help ensure that we have the skilled individuals and innovative entrepreneurs Ontario needs to grow and prosper.

Everyone who chooses Ontario should be able to pursue their dreams right here. That’s why we are proposing additional changes to remove even more of the barriers that internationally trained professionals face when seeking to work in regulated professions. In Bill 79, we’re proposing changes that will ensure alternatives to Canadian work experience cannot create new barriers for newcomers, because newcomers wanting to contribute to our communities deserve a chance to do just that.

We also know that the world of work has changed. For many, the daily commute to work is now simply down a flight of stairs or across the room. Automation and the Internet have uncoupled geography from employment. In the fourth quarter of 2022, 1.4 million workers here in Ontario were working exclusively from home, and another 800,000 were working via a hybrid model. And while these remote workers don’t have a desk in the office, their contributions to their employers and to Ontario’s economy are just as valuable. Unfortunately, it is increasingly common for workers, especially in big tech, to find out they’ve been laid off via the media. That’s simply unacceptable. To address this alarming trend, we have proposed provisions to treat those who work remote with the same protections as those who work in-office. If passed, this would mean fully remote employees have the right to more notice that they’re losing their jobs or pay in lieu of notice. In some cases, they would receive up to eight times more notice or pay. That doesn’t make much difference to a billion-dollar tech company’s balance sheet. But a little more time to find the next step in their career can make a huge difference to a worker and their family. It’s also the right thing to do.

On a much happier note, we are requiring employers to provide basic employment information before new workers start their first shift. This written information will outline things like pay, work location and hours of work—things every worker should know before they start a new job. In addition, balancing the scales between new hires and their employers will help attract workers to that business.

Attracting more people to the workplace is the best way to boost our economy and will develop Ontario for the next generation.

Additionally, our government is standing up for our men and women in uniform, reserve force members. Thousands of people in Ontario are active reservists in the Canadian Armed Forces. These courageous men and women are an integral part of Canada’s national defence and the security of our country. They put their full-time careers on hold to join important military missions at home and abroad, and they step up to provide support during search and rescue operations, natural disasters, ice storms, wildfires, conflicts and other major events. We know it isn’t easy for military reservists to pack up and leave on a mission, especially if they’re just starting a new job, and it isn’t always easy for them to immediately return to their job afterwards, especially if their mission is difficult or traumatic.

That is why we have proposed to reduce the length of employment needed before going on reservist leave to just two months of continuous employment, down from the current three months, and there would be no length-of-employment requirement if the leave is for assisting during a domestic emergency. This ensures that when somewhere in Canada is in crisis, our reservists can put on their uniforms and help their neighbours.

Our proposed legislation would also create a new leave to help our reservists recover from injuries after a deployment. This includes physical or mental health treatment and recovery or rehabilitation related to serving Canada.

These proposed changes build on job-protected leave already in place for reservists, including protections we introduced last year. We’re giving those who selflessly serve us the piece of mind they deserve.

With these changes, we are proud to make Ontario’s reservist leave among the most flexible and comprehensive in all of Canada. I am proud to stand up for our men and women in uniform, and our government will continue to do so. It’s the least they deserve for putting their lives on the line for their service to Canada and for all of us.

A key emphasis in our proposed legislation is protecting vulnerable workers. As we know, Ontario relies on foreign workers to help fill labour shortages in our province. Yet despite prohibitions in the Employment Protection for Foreign Nationals Act, some scumbag employers continue to take foreign nationals’ passports and work permits. This is illegal. Bad actors and lawbreakers need to know that if they do this, we will hold them accountable.

You can run, but you can’t hide. We will find you, and we will put you behind bars.

Speaker, our government is strengthening protections for foreign workers. We are proposing to establish the highest maximum fines in Canada for employers and recruiters who are convicted of taking or retaining a foreign national’s passport or work permit. If our proposed amendments are passed, individuals convicted would be liable to either a fine of up to $500,000, up to 12 months in prison, or both. Corporations would be liable to a fine of up to $1 million.

We have no tolerance for labour trafficking in Ontario. No matter a person’s immigration status, you have rights.

Speaker, our government is committed to the health and safety of every worker in Ontario. Workers need to be safe on the job, and employers need to be held accountable when they violate health and safety laws. That is why we are proposing amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act that, if passed, would increase the maximum fine for corporations convicted of an offence under the act from $1.5 million to $2 million. This would give Ontario the highest maximum corporate fine under workplace health and safety legislation in the country. The idea that injuries at the workplace are the cost of doing business is over. We will hold lawbreakers accountable.

I also want to talk for a minute about measures we intend to take for Ontario’s firefighters. These brave men and women are there for us in times of our greatest need; in return, we must be there for them. They do what others won’t do: They put their lives on the line to save others. We all know that and are forever thankful for their courage. What many might not know is that firefighters die of cancer at a rate four times higher than those in the general population: 25 to 30 firefighters die every year in Ontario. We owe it to them and their families to ensure they have easy access to compensation for work-related illnesses. That is why our proposed legislation has provisions to make it easier for firefighters, fire investigators and their survivors to get access to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board compensation. We will be expanding presumptive cancer coverage for firefighters to include primary site thyroid and pancreatic cancers—cancers that can upend the lives of firefighters and their families. By presuming thyroid and pancreatic cancers are work-related, firefighters can get easier access to benefits and easier access to the supports they need to recover. These measures will be retroactive to January 1, 1960, helping to ensure that those who have these cancers or have had them in the past can get the help they need and deserve. This will apply to all firefighters: those who are full-time, part-time and volunteers, as well as firefighters employed by First Nations band councils, and fire investigators. Firefighters look after our families, so we need to do what we can to help them.

Speaker, together we can protect and support our workers to thrive in today’s world of work, find better jobs and earn bigger paycheques. We can address Ontario’s labour shortage by helping workers gain skills for in-demand jobs to help build Ontario for the next generation. Together, we can create a more prosperous and fair society.

Our proposed legislation is one more step in our ongoing efforts to make Ontario the best place in the world to live, work and raise a family.

Now I will yield my time to my parliamentary assistant and the MPP for Mississauga–Malton.

Before I start, I just want to say thank you to the minister for the wonderful remarks and the amount of work he is doing for the workers in the province of Ontario. He is a true champion.

It’s kind of a coordinated effort today.

I’m pleased to rise in the House today for the second reading of Bill 79, the Working for Workers Act, 2023. During my remarks, I’ll be covering the past, present and future of our province, how we look at it.

Remember the time in 2018 when we took over the government—we were part of the government. Before that, 300,000 manufacturing jobs left the province of Ontario. In 2018, Ontario had the highest debt of any subnational government in the world.

Since 2018, the tables have turned. Under the leadership of the Premier, the government has created conditions for prosperity in the province. This is the government that took Ontario’s GDP beyond the $1-trillion mark in 2021. That is incredible. Thanks to each and every Ontarian for your hard work. It was only possible because we all came together, worked hard and were able to deliver this.

It’s no surprise the members of this caucus are continuously interacting and listening to the residents, to make their lives easier and better.

Many times, I have talked about this: I came to Canada on January 15, 2000, and took my first full-time job as a lab technician at Novaquest, an automotive company. Around 2003, and after, we saw a spiral of reduction of the workload. One of the key reasons was that it was becoming difficult for auto manufacturers to keep up with the cost. The formula is simple: If you’re doing business, and your cost is $10 and your revenue is $12, you’re sustainable. But if your revenue is $10 and your cost is $12, what choices do you have? Reduce your cost, move out or close. And that’s what we saw in each one of those categories.

But since 2018, we worked with the industry to reduce the cost and, through job-creating policies, supported increase in revenue. We did this by cutting red tape, reducing the cost of doing business, making workplaces safer and empowering the workforce. We’ve saved $570 million in annual regulatory compliance costs. We made sure that revenue goes up, expenses go down and businesses become sustainable. The result is very simple. We’ve seen investments of close to $17 billion here in the province of Ontario. We talked about the past, with 300,000 manufacturing jobs leaving day to day. Now, we have 300,000 jobs available in the province of Ontario, and that is due to the policies of this government.

To connect job seekers with in-demand jobs, we are working on four pillars:

(1) help workers and job seekers upskill and train;

(2) promote opportunities and connect people with jobs, especially in the trades;

(3) bring in new workers from other provinces and across the globe—we know the province of Ontario is an amazing place to live and raise a family; and

(4) make sure Ontario workplaces are globally attractive to workers.

We are moving all of these levers, under the leadership of Minister Monte McNaughton and Premier Ford, to propel Ontario forward. We’re offering more and better training opportunities to help people prepare for better jobs and bigger paycheques—and it’s not just words; it is what we are delivering here. That is why we invested in the Better Jobs Ontario program. It offers job seekers up to $28,000 to help with short-duration training and in-demand jobs.

Interruption.

Ontario is saying we’re doing a great job.

Through three rounds of the Skills Development Fund to date, Ontario has invested $700 million through 388 projects. The result: 400,000 workers have taken the next step in their careers in in-demand industries. That’s what we’ve done.

We are supporting training specifically for women under-represented in skilled trades, Indigenous people, newcomers, visitors under the emergency travel measures, young people, workers with disabilities, people on social assistance, and people who have been in conflict with the law to get back on track for sustainable employment.

These are the ways we are working to make sure we’re delivering results for the people of Ontario.

Thanks to this government, because of the policies that were created, because of the investments and new employers that came to Ontario, we have more jobs today than we had in 2018.

So what we need to do if there’s a problem is, we need to find a solution.

Our government is transforming the way employment services are delivered. We’re making it easier for job seekers to access the training and support they need, especially those on social assistance. We’re doing this by creating a streamlined, one-stop shop for employment services. This means better access to job matching and career coaching. It also means that we’re working and making it easier for employers to find workers to grow their business. And the result? The result is, we have seen 63,200 people now on a path to a job, including over 23,000 who were on social assistance. That is how we turn the tables. It’s not just giving them a job or just giving them financial independence; it is empowering them. That is the focus of our government—to empower Ontarians so that we can come together and build a better Ontario.

Recently, the minister announced that we are bringing new employment services to Windsor-Sarnia, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Barrie, Durham and the Ottawa region. This includes introducing service system managers—organizations that will design, plan and deliver employment programs in these local areas.

Madam Speaker, I talked about SDF. Our government is also investing $224 million in a new capital stream of the Skills Development Fund, which will provide eligible applicants, including unions, with funding to update or convert their existing facilities into training centres. I always talk about this—simply put, it is common sense. Jobs need people, and people need jobs. What we need to do is to bring them together, help them, upskill them, give them the tools required, and with those, we can help them to get a job. When people get a job, they contribute to society, and employers thrive. But we can’t do it alone—unless we work with everyone.

Immigration is another focus area for the government. While Express Entry is the flagship federal program to immigrate to Canada, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program has been proactively responding to the skills shortages in the target areas. Yet, relative to the population, Ontario can select fewer economic immigrants than any other province; for example, we were only allowed to have 4.5%, compared to Quebec’s 52%. Thanks to this minister, and thanks to each one of you, in fact, we advocated and we worked hard, and the results came—I talked about the problems and the solution and the result. That’s why the Premier and the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development has worked with the federal counterpart to land a better deal for Ontario. Thanks to those efforts, Ontario now gets to double its OINP allocation to 18,000 by 2025—starting from 9,000, to 18,000. This historic increase will help us fill jobs in the skilled trades, technology and health care. In other words, we’ll be able to serve our Ontarians better.

As we invite more people to call Ontario home, we are also creating an enabling environment to help them realize their dreams. In 2020, immigrants made up about 33% of Ontario’s workforce. The vast majority, however, are not working in the fields in which they are educated—75% of internationally educated immigrants are not working in their field. If these immigrants are able to work in the field in which they are educated, it would mean collecting a bigger paycheque; it would mean increased revenue for the employer; it would mean higher contribution to our province and the local economy. So it’s a win-win situation. When we help immigrants get to their dreams faster, we all win. That is why we are making it easier for immigrants to settle and find jobs in their field.

Ontario was the first province in Canada to prohibit regulated professions from requiring internationally trained persons to have Canadian work as a qualification for registration. To further help them work faster, we are making additional changes, through Working for Workers, 2023, to the Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act. The proposed changes in Working for Workers, 2023, will include introducing a new duty for regulated professions to consult with their oversight ministries and to make sure that they’re considering Ontario’s labour market needs—again, a problem followed by a solution. That is what this bill is doing.

We are also going an extra mile in supporting our skilled trades. There are roughly 1.2 million people working in skilled trades as of right now. But at the same time, in 2021 nearly one in three journeypersons with a certificate of qualification in Ontario was aged 55 or older. In the construction sector alone, 72,000 new workers are needed by 2027. We talk about building 1.5 million homes. We talk about having subways. We want to have highways. We want to have 86,000 child care centres. We want to have these places—long-term care for our seniors—but all those would need skilled trades, all those would need more labour.

That’s why we want to make sure, to help deliver the province’s infrastructure plan, we are here to help Ontario.

That is why we introduced Ontario’s Skilled Trades Strategy, investing nearly $1 billion to make it easier than ever to learn a trade, by breaking the stigma and attracting youth, by simplifying the system, and by encouraging employer participation.

We’re doing this by our government launching our first annual trades career fairs, where high school students get to learn about life-changing career opportunities, try trades, and hear directly from the tradespeople.

Under the leadership of Premier Ford, working together, we are seeing the progress—again, a problem followed by a solution and seeing the result of it. As of February 2023, apprenticeship registrations are up by 27% in Ontario compared to last year. And what’s most important—we talk about having more women in construction, in the trades. It’s not just words; we’re delivering it. How? Registrations for women in Ontario are up by 24%. So I just want to say thank you to everyone who has registered. These are fantastic opportunities—the chance to make a six-figure salary, have a job for life, and be proud of what you build.

Starting with students entering grade 9 in September 2024, all students will now be required to earn a grade 9 or 10 technological education credit as part of their Ontario secondary school diploma. The new graduation requirement will introduce Ontario students to at least one technological education course that would guide them to a future career in the highly skilled workforce, including the skilled trades. In addition, our government is also allowing students in grade 11 to transition to a full-time skilled trades apprenticeship program. Upon receiving your certificate of apprenticeship, you can apply for your Ontario secondary school diploma as a mature student.

Madam Speaker, it’s as simple as this: When we talk about having more people in the skilled trades, we need to encourage, we need to make our students—and more than students, I think; we need to make our parents aware of all the opportunities we have in the skilled trades. Think about if we didn’t have people from the skilled trades. Look at this beautiful building—we would not have anything which we have here. So it is important for us to work with the parents and make them aware that through the skilled trades, we’re able to achieve a better Ontario.

We will not stop here. We will also talk to the education stakeholders, and we’ll push forward to get more workers that we need to build a stronger Ontario.

Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we are working tirelessly to inform job seekers of the unlimited opportunities available here in Ontario. Together, we are building a stronger Ontario that leaves no one behind.

The minister briefly talked about the support that we’re getting from our staff. I usually think about an analogy: When you talk about the minister or I—we’re basically like a screen, but there is a big processor behind that screen, and that processor is no one but our wonderful staff.

I want to take a moment to thank my constituency staff and the ministry staff for everything they do for us, so that we can deliver to the province of Ontario.

Madam Speaker, to conclude, this bill is very simple. We heard from the stakeholders, but rather than just listening to what they said, the minister took time, effort and made sure what they told us, as a problem—when we worked with them, consulted them, to provide us a solution, by working with them, we are able to bring the legislation that will give us the results.

Through this bill, we are making sure—for military service, we’re proposing to reduce the service requirement from three months to two months. We are also expanding the reason for taking leave to include physical or mental treatment.

We are expanding cancer coverage for firefighters.

We are making sure we are enhancing fines to protect workers—making sure that, through the Occupational Health and Safety Act, we are increasing the fine from $1.5 million to $2 million. In fact, those employers convicted of taking possession or retaining a foreign national’s passport or work permit—we’re enhancing the fines for them.

We’re making sure we have clean washrooms on construction sites.

We want to make sure that we have our women’s workforce—giving them the support they need by providing that large construction sites with over five washrooms at least have one washroom exclusively for female workers.

We’re providing remote work protection.

We’re preparing students for skilled trades jobs.

We’re helping newcomers start their careers and expanding employment services.

This is a bill which in turn is going to build on our narrative of building a stronger Ontario.

I am going to support this bill, and I’m looking forward to each and every member of our caucus supporting this bill.

The member from Scarborough Centre.

I have to share the compliments of my minister, Monte McNaughton, and PA Anand for working together as a team in making certain that Bill 79 becomes law in Ontario.

I’m pleased to rise in the House today for the second reading of Bill 79, Working for Workers Act, 2023.

I have been working with the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development to further support and protect workers and their families.

I would also like to thank and acknowledge our Premier for his tremendous leadership and support for this bill and our last two pieces of Working for Workers legislation. These acts have been helping millions of people, and we will continue moving Ontario forward. Earlier this week, we announced further changes that would, if passed, expand on those successes.

Ontario is experiencing unprecedented labour shortages. Our proposed changes would help increase labour supply and ensure that workers have the right skills for in-demand jobs. The way we work has been changing and evolving for some time, and the last few years have accelerated these changes. Where we work, how we work and the meaning we find in what we do all need to adapt, because an economy that doesn’t work for workers doesn’t work for all. Our government is planning for the workplaces of the future. We are proposing changes to spread opportunities and give Ontario workers a better deal and employment experience.

Nowadays, it’s possible never to go in to an office in a physical location. Technological advances have uncoupled geography from employment. These changes have resulted in globalized competition for highly skilled workers and revealed gaps in our labour and employment laws.

The legislation we introduced, if passed, would make employees who work solely from home eligible for the same enhanced notice of termination as in-office and other employees in a mass termination situation. Ontario’s Employment Standards Act provides for greater notice or pay in lieu of for employees affected by mass termination. Mass termination provisions generally apply if 50 or more employees are terminated at an employer’s establishment within four weeks. Depending on the number of employees terminated in the case of a mass termination, an employee could be entitled to eight, 12 or 16 weeks of notice. Under the Employment Standards Act, an employee’s private residence is not considered part of the employer’s establishment, so fully remote workers may not be included in the employee count when determining whether the 50-employee threshold for mass termination has been reached. The proposed changes in Working for Workers Act, 2023, would help fix this gap. If passed, the changes would broaden the definition of an employer’s establishment to include employees’ private residences if they solely work remotely. This could entitle employees who exclusively work remotely to a longer notice period or pay in lieu of layoff notices.

We have all read about workers employed by billion-dollar tech companies learning that they have lost their job via the media, and that shouldn’t happen, ever. Mass terminations can make it for difficult for employees to find alternate employment, and by providing these protections, our government is standing up for workers who are terminated.

Putting workers first means giving them the tools they need to stay safe. It also means protecting them from bad employers and recruiters.

Ontario relies on foreign workers to help fill labour shortages in our province. However, despite the Employment Protection for Foreign Nationals Act prohibitions, some employers continue to take foreign nationals’ passports and permits. This increases the possibility of exploitation of vulnerable foreign workers.

That is why our government is proposing to strengthen protections for foreign workers by introducing changes that would, if passed, establish the highest maximum fines in Canada—fines that will apply to employers and recruiters who are convicted of taking or retaining a foreign national’s passport or work permit. If amendments are passed, individuals convicted of taking or retaining a foreign national’s passport or work permit would be liable for either a fine of $500,000 or up to 12 months in prison, or both, and corporations will be liable for a fine of up to $1 million. The proposed increase in maximum fines aims to prevent labour trafficking in Ontario. Anyone can be a target of labour trafficking, but migrant workers and newcomers to Canada looking for work can be at higher risk. Our legislation would support government efforts to protect vulnerable workers essential in building up our province’s economy.

Our government is committed to the health and safety of every worker in Ontario. Employers have significant responsibility for health and safety in the workplace. They must keep a safe and well-maintained workplace. Workers need to feel safe on the job, and businesses must be held accountable when violating the health and safety laws of Ontario.

That is why this legislation would amend the Occupational Health and Safety Act to increase the maximum fine for corporations convicted of an offence under the act from $1.5 million to $2 million. This would give Ontario the highest maximum corporate fine under Canada’s workplace health and safety legislation. Corporate fines under the Occupational Health and Safety Act have not been increased since 2017, when the increase was from $500,000 to $1.5 million. The increased fine proposed in the Working for Workers Act, 2023, would, if passed, deter violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act by corporations. It would reinforce the importance of putting workers’ safety first. Workplace injuries and death should not be a cost of business.

Speaker, our government is proud to protect workers who protect us. This includes military reservists, who put their lives on the line for us. Thousands of people in Ontario are reservists. These courageous men and women are integral to the Canadian Armed Forces. They put their full-time career on hold in their communities to join important military missions at home and abroad.

Yesterday, our government introduced legislation that, if passed, would provide better protection for our reservists and remove barriers to their deployment. The proposed legislation, if passed, would reduce the length of employment needed before going on a reservist leave to just two months of continuous employment, down from the current three months. And there would be no length of employment requirement if the leave is due to deployment to assist during a domestic emergency. The proposed legislation would also expand the reasons for taking the leave, to help our reservists recover from injuries after deployment—reasons that include physical or mental treatment, recovery or rehabilitation related to a military operation or specified activity. These proposed changes build on job-protected leave already in place for reservists, including protections we introduced last year. These changes, if passed, would cover all military reservists in Ontario covered by the Employment Standards Act who participate in Canadian Armed Forces military skills training, are deployed to assist in a domestic emergency, or are deployed abroad. In introducing these changes, we are standing up for our front-line heroes while they protect us. We are trying to give them peace of mind that their job will await them when they return. We are proud to propose changes to make Ontario reservist leave among Canada’s most flexible and comprehensive.

I want to take this moment to talk about another group of heroes, our firefighters, and measures the Ontario government intends to take through regulations to make sure we are leaving no one behind. Firefighters risk their lives to enter smoke-filled buildings to rescue people, battle out-of-control blazes and respond to other emergencies. Their work touches the lives of so many people and communities across Ontario. They are there for us in our greatest need, and we should be there for them.

Firefighters die of cancer at a rate up to four times higher than the general population, with 25 to 30 passing away yearly in Ontario. We owe it to them to ensure they have easy access to compensation for these work-related illnesses. The Ontario government plans to propose a regulatory change to make it easy for firefighters, fire investigators and their survivors to access Workplace Safety and Insurance Board—WSIB—compensation by expanding presumptive cancer coverage for firefighters to include primary site thyroid and pancreatic cancers. By presuming thyroid and pancreatic cancers are work-related, firefighters and fire investigators could get easier access to benefits and the support they need to recover. If approved, they would apply to full-time, part-time and volunteer firefighters, firefighters employed by First Nation band councils, and fire investigators. We want Ontario to know that we have the backs of the brave men and women who protect and serve us daily.

I will conclude by calling for all in this House to support the Working for Workers Act, 2023. The measures we’ve outlined will position Ontario as a front-runner in charting the way forward as workplaces and how we work evolve. By giving workers a better deal, we are not only protecting them, but we are both keeping and attracting more workers to the province and ensuring our economy remains strong.

I hope all members of this House join me in supporting this bill. So please help us vote on Bill 79 as it comes forward.

Questions?

I thank the minister for his presentation today, and the other members who presented today.

I’m very excited about this proposed legislation because it’s something that people in my riding of Essex have been asking for; I know it because I’ve heard their requests. I’m so proud that this legislation has been tabled, and I hope it will pass so that these great measures can be implemented.

My question to the minister is this: Who else is supporting this legislation?

I’m proud that we were the first in the country to bring in job-protected leave to ensure that if there’s a worker out there who is sick, obviously, from COVID, staying home to look after a loved one, having mental health issues—it’s really a flexible job leave—that workers can’t be fired for that. We brought in paid sick days, which the member opposite supported. I think I referenced it; it was probably the fastest bill that ever passed in this chamber since I’ve been here. It has been very successful. Over half a million workers have accessed that, which is good—again, very flexible.

I guess what I don’t understand from the NDP is—I think of our past Working for Workers bills that brought in naloxone kits to workplaces, that improved labour mobility so unionized construction workers could come to Ontario, that brought in foundational rights for gig workers. You opposed those. Why?

The member from Essex is doing such a great job being a champion for folks in his riding, especially around the skilled trades. I’ve been with the member from Essex a number of times, meeting with building trade union leaders from the Windsor-Essex region who are doing a great job. They’re going to be building that new hospital down there, they’re working on the bridge, expanding Highway 3—the list goes on and on and on.

Those men and women who are wearing hard hats every day are heroes. I say that proudly, because for too long in this province, people looked down their noses at people in the skilled trades. They’re heroes. That’s why I’m proud that this government is the first in history to do an inspection blitz to clean up washrooms once and for all for construction workers and to get more women into the skilled trades.

He asked, “Who’s supporting this bill?” I want to pay tribute—and I will do this in the next question—to Joe Maloney, the former head of the international boilermakers union, who is supporting this bill. He now runs Helmets to Hardhats. I’ll speak about him shortly. Unfortunately, he is retiring, but he has gotten men and women who have served the country into the skilled trades.

We will work every day to ensure that the health and safety of every worker is protected.

I do want to get back to my good friend Joe Maloney, who unfortunately is retiring from Helmets to Hardhats. He founded this organization. Joe was the former international vice-president of the boilermakers union, and he did a great job promoting boilermakers as a first career choice for many young people out there. Joe said, “Helmets to Hardhats welcomes the expansion of job-protected leave for military reservists. Reserve force members are a vital component of the Canadian Armed Forces but are also crucial in their civilian careers, including careers within the unionized construction industry. Allowing additional job-protected leave will support retention in the military and the workforce while ensuring Canadian reservists can return to work safely and sustainably.”

Joe, on behalf of the province of Ontario, thank you for your work with the boilermakers’ union and being the founder of Helmets to Hardhats.

The Minister of Labour said he won’t tolerate scumbag employers. What did he do to stop the employer who passed Bill 124 and Bill 28, which trampled on workers’ corrective bargaining rights, forced wage caps, working conditions on largely women-led sectors—the same employer that won’t end deeming for injured workers or won’t pass anti-scab legislation?

My question to the minister is pretty simple: What has the minister done to stop that scumbag employer?

My question is to the minister.

The minister started his remarks by boasting about the temporary and inadequate paid sick days program that his government was forced to introduce, but he has told the media that the program has filled its purpose and it is expiring at the end of the month.

The legislation that we have here today would have been a perfect opportunity to amend the Employment Standards Act and finally bring in a permanent paid sick days program, like they have in BC, to cover all Ontario workers not just for COVID, but for any other illness or infectious disease that means that they have to stay home from work. Why did the minister not include that in this bill today?

I want to thank the Minister of Labour and his whole team for this incredible movement in terms of labour legislation. This is part of a huge series of changes that his team, with our government, is making.

One of the changes that is very vivid for my community—we have Base Borden, close to Barrie. When I speak to reservists—and of course, I speak to our local Legion in Belle Ewart—they talk about the mental health impacts of anyone in the Armed Forces.

So what is this bill doing to show respect and honour to not only our veterans, but everyone in the Canadian Armed Forces, and really move the labour pendulum for those workers?

The Burlington Teen Tour Band is Canada’s oldest and largest youth marching band. For over 75 years, the band has been a symbol of pride for the city of Burlington. They are known for their high-energy performances and their ability to captivate audiences with their intricate formations and synchronized movements.

The Burlington Teen Tour Band has had the privilege of performing at some of the world’s most prestigious events, including the Rose Bowl parade, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, the 75th anniversary of D-Day, and the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbour.

Earlier this week, the band returned from their tour in Ireland, where they were in attendance for the St. Patrick’s Day parade and were named best band overall.

One of the things that sets the band apart is their dedication to excellence. The band spends countless hours perfecting their music and choreography. They are a tight-knit community of young people who share a passion for music and performance. Through their involvement in the band, these young musicians—my daughter was one of them—develop important life skills, such as discipline, teamwork and leadership. These skills will serve them well for the rest of their lives.

First off, I’d like to thank the minister for all his hard work, as well as the parliamentary assistants today for their speeches.

I’d like to give an example of something the minister mentioned today about encouraging women to join the skilled trades. In my community of Newmarket–Aurora—I spoke to this before in a member’s statement—we have a Blue Door enterprise called Construct. I spoke specifically with a young woman who started this program. She was on social assistance—

Question?

A quick response.

Since 1993, March 22 has been observed by all UN member states as World Water Day.

Our province is blessed to be a world leader in fresh water with more than 250,000 lakes—roughly 20% of the world’s fresh water. The word “Ontario” itself is said to derive from portions of the Huron word for “great lake” and the Iroquois word for “beautiful water.” Our government has and will continue to protect Ontario’s waters.

For example, in 2020, Ontario partnered with Pollution Probe to collect plastic waste from the water at marinas around the province using innovative plastic capture technology.

In 2020-21, our government invested almost $11 million in more than 98 projects to help improve the health of the Great Lakes, including cleanup projects which prevented over 250,000 pieces of litter from entering Lake Ontario.

We enhanced Ontario’s water-taking program and issued new guidance on managing water-taking in areas where sustainability is a concern.

Additionally, the Wetlands Conservation Partner Program has invested $15 million to protect, restore and rehabilitate over 2,600 hectares of wetlands across Ontario.

The Great Lakes provide drinking water directly to 60% of Ontarians. Ontarian’s drinking water protection framework received an A rating from Ecojustice Canada’s drinking water report card as it implements “the most ambitious source water protection program in Canada,” with some of the strongest protections available.

On this day and every day, we will work to protect this great resource for future generations.

I invite all members and all Ontarians to raise a glass to toast Ontario’s fresh water. Happy World Water Day.

Constituents in my riding are struggling to make ends meet. More families are accessing food banks because the cost of food has skyrocketed. Many people are living in deep poverty. Seniors are cutting pills in half or skipping doses. They can’t afford their medication and rent or food.

We have a housing crisis in Windsor-Essex and across Ontario. Housing remains unaffordable and unattainable for many. Young people and families are unable to buy a home in the community they grew up in. The cost of rent has increased dramatically because rent control was scrapped by this government.

More people are experiencing homelessness, yet shelters in my community aren’t receiving the funding needed to provide supports. The Welcome Centre Shelter for Women and Families says that 61% of the individuals accessing supports are children and youth. The largest predictor of future shelter use is the children accessing those shelters now, yet this government gives no thought to young people and their future.

The people of Windsor West and across Ontario deserve a government that supports them and takes action to make life better for everyone, not just the wealthy friends and donors of the Conservatives. We need a budget that will bring relief for the rising cost of living.

The Conservatives want the people of Ontario to settle for less, to think that this is normal. We must demand better, because better is possible.

We can double social assistance rates to lift people out of poverty. We can build more affordable housing while protecting green space. We can protect workers’ rights and ensure that good-paying jobs are available to everyone.

Budgets are all about priorities. This upcoming budget is an opportunity for the Conservatives to prioritize the people of Ontario. Maybe they’ll—

Thank you very much.

Members’ statements?

Je vois dans le projet de loi—on ne voit aucune allocution qu’ils vont retirer le projet de loi 124. Le ministre a utilisé le mots « scumbag employers ». Mais, les personnes qui sont assujetties à la loi 124, je peux vous dire qu’elles se posent seulement une question. La question qu’elles aimeraient qu’on pose au ministre : qu’allez-vous faire—pour utiliser encore vos paroles—des « scumbag employers » et pour retirer le projet de loi 124?

Today I’m here to speak about Attawapiskat First Nation and the disappointing neglect they have been facing with the government for over 30 years. I was just up in Attawapiskat last week with my staff to offer a clinic and to meet with chief and council. Chief Sylvia and the council are very discouraged, as were their predecessors. They have been asking for help to address their housing crisis and the development of their community for years. Multiple meetings and emails have been exchanged, with no advancement.

In 2014, a joint task force was established with Attawapiskat First Nation and both federal and provincial governments to address their requirements. In 2018, the joint task force established a memorandum of understanding to govern their meetings. In 2019, a renewed relationship commitment was signed to ensure the advancement of this working relationship—signed by the Honourable Minister Rickford, Minister O’Regan and Chief Ignace Gull. In 2023, here we are, in the same place, with no advancement and nothing to show other than an exchange of words.

The community is currently landlocked given its geographical disposition. There are only two ways for them to expand: option 1, remove the dispute on the road due to the De Beers mine; option 2, relocate the airport.

They’re offering solutions so that they can expand their community and address their issues, yet it’s falling on deaf ears.

They are facing a housing crisis, to the point where they do not have a single piece of land to expand their home and infrastructure on their traditional territory—quite ironic.

It is time to respect the—