Ontario Place was opened in 1971 to showcase and celebrate the beauty of this province and to allow easy access to our waterfront for everyone to enjoy. Now the Ford government wants to hand over this historic and valuable public space to a foreign developer, the Therme Group, who plans to turn it into a private water park and spa. The Premier wants to give the developer 650 million public dollars as a subsidy for this private spa at Ontario Place. This makes zero sense. How does this serve the interests of Ontarians? For less than half the amount, the government could refurbish Ontario Place into a world-class park destination.

The Premier wants to spend 450 million public dollars for a 2,000-spot underground parking lot to support this private spa, when the Ontario Line is going to have a stop right at Ontario Place. How is this value for money for Ontarians? It’s no surprise the Ford government is doing all of this with no public consultation, transparency or regard for heritage. Even the city of Toronto was not included in any discussions about the future of Ontario Place.

By giving away precious public waterfront space, this government is showing total operational incompetence, a complete lack of imagination on how to revitalize these valuable assets and downright disregard for public lands. Ontario Place belongs to the people, not to Premier Ford.

There’s a lot to unpack there, but I want to address the critical piece in this bill. We heard how the members opposite would govern if, God forbid, they ever had the chance to do so in Ontario. They feel that MECP sit on their hands and wait until the class EA process is done, which reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the class EA process. We don’t close our eyes, hold our breath and close our ears and eyes until the end of the six-month process. It’s a constant relationship where we’re back and forth with the proponent on a constant basis, where we’re addressing any challenges and where we’re responsive to the ERO posting and that feedback.

Months later, when this is done and there’s this arbitrary 30-day waiting period, they want us to start reviewing it then. Well, I’ve got news for them: MECP is constantly working with proponents from day one, not closing their eyes and ears, as the members opposite would have them do.

My favourite social media platform is definitely Instagram. It’s a kinder and more gentler place than others. I wanted to shout-out a story that I’ve been following on Instagram. It’s called Project Hope.

Project Hope was started by two Toronto police officers, Farzad Ghotbi and Mustafa Popalzai. Both of them are immigrants to Canada from Iran and from Afghanistan. In August 2021, when Officer Popalzai saw Afghan refugees trying to get on a plane, he started Project Hope to gather supplies for those arriving in Canada. This is a humble beginning. Since its inception, they’ve gathered over $425,000 worth of supplies for Afghan refugees.

On February 10, when the earthquake struck Türkiye and Syria, they again put out a call for donations of brand-new baby supplies, first aid supplies, blankets, clothing, etc. By the last day of the drive, February 28, they had gathered over $120,000 of donations of brand new items. Thanks to their work, their dedication and countless hours spent by Toronto police officers across the city, those donations have been gathered up and are on their way. I want to thank both of those gentlemen for their incredible work.

I’m glad to have an opportunity to ask the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks a few questions about the environment, about public input. He’s referring to this 30-day pause after the class EA process period as being a nonsensical pause, but it’s an opportunity for the ministry to review all comments received and any concerns, and I would say that the voices of communities should matter to this government.

The Auditor General, as I raised yesterday, outlined clearly that ministry after ministry doesn’t seem to be considering public input, and that’s an unfortunate pattern for this government. We also know, according to their affordability task force, we don’t require the land in the greenbelt. I wonder how the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks actually feels about the fact that we’re doing such harm to the greenbelt in the province of Ontario?

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as the saying goes, and yet this government is underfunding vital community supports and services that keep people out of the hospital. Thirty-two organizations that provide community supports in Ottawa and in eastern Ontario are being forced to implement service cuts of up to 40% because of this government’s refusal to provide adequate funding. They are being asked to respond to increased need while still operating on 2012 funding levels.

The Olde Forge Community Resource Centre in my riding of Ottawa West–Nepean is one of these organizations. They provide essential supports and care to seniors and adults with disabilities, allowing them to stay in their own homes longer and keeping them out of hospitals and long-term-care facilities. Yet this government’s refusal to support this important work means the Olde Forge will be forced to cut up to 22% of their services this year.

On Monday, 15 hospital CEOs in eastern Ontario co-signed a letter to the Premier and the Minister of Health requesting adequate funding for the community support sector, because they recognize these services keep people out of hospitals and get them home from the hospital sooner.

An investment of just $7 million would mean these organizations can maintain their level of service. That’s pocket change compared to what we spend on the hospital sector. I hope the Premier and Minister of Health will do the right thing and listen to the call to invest in these vital services.

It’s now time for questions and answers.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

It is with great pleasure today that I rise to recognize two transformative school projects under way right now in Windsor and in Tecumseh.

Two weeks ago, the member for Perth–Wellington travelled to Windsor to celebrate the opening of the new Catholic Central secondary school. When the project is completed, Catholic Central will finally have some of the amenities we all take for granted in school, like having an outdoor sports field. Right now, it doesn’t have one. Seven consecutive funding asks to the province for the project were turned down by the previous Liberal government until funding was conditionally approved in 2016. Our government, in comparison, got the job done by approving an extra $7 million on top of the $26 million for the building, so that the students could learn at a suitable site, steps away from beautiful Jackson Park.

In my own neighbourhood, D.M. Eagle Public School has long served as the pride and joy of St. Clair Beach, where it proudly stands today overlooking the historic Beach Grove Golf and Country Club. Under the previous Liberal government, this school was on track to join the many school closures that we’ve experienced in the town of Tecumseh and was planned to be re-established outside of our municipal limits. But in 2021, Minister Lecce approved additional funding of $3.3 million to keep it just one block west of the existing school, on top of the $25.7 million previously approved. I am proud to say it is our government that finished the job.

I want to recognize and thank the Ontario government for finally ending the roadblocks and delays encountered for these projects and for ensuring that Windsor and Tecumseh students and their families have access to a quality learning environment close to home.

I am pleased to rise in the House today to applaud this government’s efforts to deliver integrated, team-based models of care in Ontario. In these models, a team of health care professionals from various disciplines works together to address the patient’s physical, mental and social well-being. Thanks to the leadership of Premier Ford and our Minister of Health, Aboriginal health access centres, family health teams and community health centres are delivering quality care in an integrated and collaborative way throughout the province of Ontario.

Residents of Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston are benefiting from the services of the Smiths Falls Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic; Rideau Community Health Services—a CHC model; ConnectWell Community Health—another CHC model’ and the Ottawa Valley Family Health Team. Recent provincial funding has enabled the Ottawa Valley Health Team to expand their services to residents of Mississippi Mills, Carleton Place and Beckwith—the fastest-growing community in Canada. This is the kind of efficient, collaborative model that ultimately enhances physician recruitment in a highly competitive market.

Our thanks again to Premier Ford, our Minister of Health and parliamentary assistants, the member from Eglinton–Lawrence and the member from Newmarket–Aurora, for supporting an integrated approach to high-quality care for patients at every level. The people of Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston thank you for getting it done.

This government can’t be trusted to manage the economy. There’s a shortage of MTO ferry crews, service is being disrupted, and yet, with Bill 124, this government has suppressed salaries below prevailing wages, so, naturally, ferries are losing workers.

I’ll start with paramedic service on Wolfe Island, which was recently cut again in favour of paramedic crews based on the mainland. Residents were told that adding the new, second ferry could compensate during emergencies. Now, not only has the new ferry been tied up for a year awaiting crew and not only has the current service been disrupted by the lack of crew, now MTO is saying, not surprisingly, that they have to break their promise of running the new ferry alongside the old ferry because—wait for it—there’s a lack of crew.

What’s making the staffing shortage worse? This government has been suppressing wages with Bill 124. Workers have been sucked away to the private sector. This government has been hiring temporary crew from agencies to fill permanent positions and incurring much higher costs. Regular salaries are $23 an hour for deckhands, $38 an hour for a captain. My order paper question revealed that the Conservatives are paying $86 an hour for temporary workers. That’s salaries, expenses and also agency profits.

This is the exact same pattern we’ve seen with nurses in Ontario. It’s a pattern of economic mismanagement we cannot afford.

Last Saturday, I was pleased to be joined by wife, Vicky, members of my staff and their families to participate in the Coldest Night of the Year walk in Pembroke.

Coldest Night of the Year began in 2011 at two locations and has continued to grow, to the point where 166 locations took part in 2022, with over 31,000 walkers. CNOY was instituted to give people a sense of what it would be like to experience homelessness on the coldest night of the year.

As in the past, the Pembroke walk was in support of the Grind, a non-profit organization that supports youth and adults who are marginalized and struggling to live a normal life. Some 256 walkers participated this year, raising over $105,000. I’ve seen first-hand the tremendous work that the Grind does locally and have been truly moved by the compassionate way in which they operate. It is a faith-based organization that accepts and supports all people, regardless of age, ethnicity, sexual preference or social status, providing non-judgmental support through their client services office and supporting agencies and programs.

Having had the opportunity to visit the Grind myself on multiple occasions has given me a much greater understanding and perspective of the breadth of services it provides to support those who are homeless, marginalized or at risk.

Once again, our team of walkers, known as the Yak Pak, were proud to support this wonderful cause. If you’re in the area, I would encourage be you to drop by the Grind yourself and see what wonderful things are taking place there.

Vannakam. The new year brings hope, optimism and rejuvenation for all of us. As we move into the new year of 2023, we renew our energies for the year with a fresh beginning for the festivities of Thai Pongal, Tamil heritage and the Chinese lunar new year in my ethnically diverse riding of Markham–Thornhill.

Thai Pongal is a harvesting festival which can be considered as the Tamil new year. It is celebrated among the 400,000 Tamil communities in Ontario and around the world. It’s a festival that symbolizes thanksgiving and is truly the emblem of Tamil heritage. It is dedicated to the sun, or Suraya, and livestock.

The Tamil language is one of the oldest classical languages used in modern times, spoken for 5,000 years in South Asia, and now over 100 million people speak Tamil.

I celebrated and organized many Thai Pongal events with my MPP colleagues which rocked Markham–Thornhill. Especially, my constituents thank Minister Stephen Lecce, who graced the occasion with his presence at the Markham theatre. Close to 200 students, our local talents, showcased their vibrant cultural performance. I thank the parents and teachers who trained these young dancers.

I am fortunate to have a huge Asian community in my riding. We organized a lunar new year celebration. Everyone loved the dragon dances and delicious food.

Xiu Xiu. Pongalo Pongal.

It is an honour to rise today to address an important proclamation. In Ontario, the month of March marks Bangladeshi Heritage Month. This month, we pay tribute to and celebrate the thriving, strong and vibrant Bangladeshi community in Ontario.

March is a very special month for our community, as March 26 commemorates Independence Day, the day that Bangladesh, in 1971, declared independence from Pakistan. This declaration led to the beginning of a nine-month-long bloody war where many lives were sacrificed. Youth, intellectuals, men and women fought and sacrificed so much for an independent nation. After this period, known as the liberation war, on December 16 a new nation was born.

Scarborough Southwest is home to an active Bangladeshi community whose contributions to our communities across the province have been extraordinary. This is a community that gives light and hope to Scarborough, with amazing talent, so many local businesses, food, art and performances, as well as community leaders who continue to stand by their neighbours. I’m looking forward to spending this month honouring our culture and heritage, remembering the history and enhancing the work and voices of our community here in our province, as a Bangladeshi Canadian who has the honour of representing our incredible community.

Speaker, I’m honoured to be a member of this amazing community. On behalf of our Legislature, I know that I can wish all the Bangladeshis across Ontario and across Canada a happy Bangladeshi Heritage Month.

I would like to welcome nurse Marketa from St. Paul’s, along with the RNAO president, Dr. Claudette Holloway, and the CEO, Dr. Doris Grinspun.

I’d also like to thank the RNAO’s Black Nurses Task Force. Thank you to the co-chairs, Dr. Angela Cooper Brathwaite and Corsita Garraway, and to all the outstanding nurses who are here. Thank you for your outstanding work.

I would like to introduce a couple of nurse practitioners from my riding—they’ve got an application in for a nurse-practitioner-led clinic—Shayna McLauchlan and Erica Atfield, as well as a couple of my staff members who are here today, Sally Carson and Jenna DePaiva.

To reply, the Minister of Finance.

I would like to welcome page Taylor Moore from my riding of Don Valley North. Welcome, Taylor.

I’d like to offer a warm welcome to Sarah Weaver from my riding of Chatham-Kent–Leamington, a tireless volunteer, young professional and an amazing person. Thank you. Welcome to your House.

I also welcome all members of the RNAO here into your House, but especially, I want to acknowledge Dr. Claudette Holloway, president, and of course, Dr. Doris Grinspun, CEO.

I also want to acknowledge a former member of Parliament for Beaches–East York, Matthew Kellway, who is here in the gallery.

Thank you so much. We look forward to seeing you all today.

Can the Premier explain to Ontarians why he doesn’t deem their communities worthy of the investments his government promised?

Now people from Oshawa to Thunder Bay are facing massive increases in their property taxes as municipalities are scrambling to make up for that lost funding. In Waterloo region alone, taxes are going up 8.55% at a time when people are already hurting.

Go out there and talk to homeowners. Their heating bills are up. Their grocery bills are through the roof. Can this Premier explain why he’s making everyday Ontarians pay his developer friends’ bills?

Ça me fait honneur de saluer mes collègues de la fédération des étudiants de l’Ontario.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome the Canadian Federation of Students, Ontario section. I had the pleasure to meet with Navya, Alistair, Gishleine, Reeon, who are with us in the members’ gallery, and Andrew.

Also, props and thanks to the folks from RNAO. It’s great to see you here this morning.