SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Ontario Assembly

43rd Parl. 1st Sess.
March 1, 2023 09:00AM
  • Mar/1/23 11:10:00 a.m.

Mr. Speaker, I think there’s a reason why there are only a few Liberals in the House, and part of that reason is because they ignored not only Ottawa but so many parts of the province of Ontario for so long.

We have made some very, very significant investments in the nation’s capital—and I hear the members over there groaning because they don’t like to talk about the transit investments we made. I understand why that member doesn’t want to talk about the transit investments we made—because when he was responsible for those transit investments, he couldn’t get it done. The system was broken, so we’ve had to step in and make sure that it works well.

We’ve made investments in health care in Ottawa—the Ottawa Civic Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario—all investments that could have been made under the Liberals, but were not made under the Liberals. We’re making those investments on behalf of the people of the province of Ontario.

We are bringing back the automotive sector in the province of Ontario—in part, do you know who’s going to benefit from that? The high-tech sector in auto will play such an important role—thousands of jobs.

We’re expanding the highway between Toronto and Ottawa.

We’re getting the job—

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  • Mar/1/23 11:20:00 a.m.

Well, I think the honourable member knows that, top line, we are investing over $13.5 billion to improve long-term care across the province of Ontario, and that does include over 27,000 additional health care workers, PSWs, nurses and allied health professionals.

But I do understand the challenges with agency staffing in long-term-care homes. It is something that I’ve been hearing from our stakeholders. That is why, of course, I have asked the deputy minister, and the deputy minister has brought together the technical advisory committee on my orders to ensure that we get input from the Ontario Long Term Care Association, AdvantAge, from staffing agencies themselves, to also review what other jurisdictions are doing on this, but it is also recognition they are an important part of the health care system. But I do understand that there are challenges with the long-term-care homes.

When I speak to some of the individuals who are with staffing agencies, a lot of times they’re telling me they want more flexibility in how they’re staffed, on how their hours are—

The member and his party have voted against the billions of dollars in investments in health care in his own riding. Then the member has the nerve to get up here and claim that care is somehow threatened.

You know what I’m hearing from staff? I’m hearing that they want more flexibility than they are being provided right now under the contracts that they have signed. We’re looking at that. That is why I have ordered the advisory table to give me recommendations to look at what is happening across other jurisdictions, and we will ensure that our seniors are first.

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