My question is to the Premier: $150 an hour—that’s what some staffing agencies are charging not-for-profit long-term-care homes for a registered nurse. That’s what the agency charges, not what the registered nurse is being paid. This government has made working conditions so bad, ignoring our staffing crisis for so long, they’ve created a profitable business model for their friends, taking advantage of a health human resource crisis.

Does the Premier or anybody on that side believe that companies should be charging $150 an hour and taking advantage of a crisis they’ve created in long-term-care homes?

Back to the Premier: The minister can stand up and pretend like this crisis has been resolved, but we all know that in this case, it has not.

We should try listening to health care workers. You created a situation so extreme, with staffing shortages and Bill 124, that one not-for-profit home is spending $3 million on agency employees—10 times what they budgeted for. Agencies are waiting in the parking lot after they finish their shift to approach staff when they leave to join the agency. This will reduce the care in our homes. People will suffer; seniors will continue to die.

At what point will this government wake up, recognize that the long-term-care staff are burnt-out and start showing them some respect?

Mining is the number one employer in the great riding of Timmins. I am proud of what mining means to my community and to the north. Our investments have been hailed by industry. But don’t just take my word for it; listen to how impactful $400,000 can be for a junior mining company.

Dr. Michael Gunning, president and CEO of VR Resources—and VR Resources has a remarkable rare earth discovery just north of Timmins—said, “For a small company like mine, doing the front-end R&D of exploration—funding matters. It takes courage and it takes money to make these discoveries.... OJEP has made a difference to my company and is making a difference to the industry.”

The importance of these investments cannot be overstated, and the industry agrees. With our investments, these companies will find mines in the future while helping us to secure Ontario’s future.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage the opposition to vote for us the next time we make vital investments in this in-demand sector of our economy.

I’d like to thank the member for Sarnia–Lambton for this very important question. Since 2019 we’ve invested over $130 million in mental health and addiction services for children and youth through the Roadmap to Wellness. Last year, we invested an additional $31 million in annual funding to reduce wait-lists and support the mental health and well-being of children and youth, with another $170 million set to be invested over the next three years through the road map.

More tangibly, something which we’re extremely proud to be supporting are our youth wellness hubs, one of which is slated to open in Sarnia just this spring. To date, we’ve provided funding for 22 youth wellness hubs, all of which provide mental health and addiction supports, primary care and early intervention to those aged 12 to 25 on a walk-in basis.

Mr. Speaker, we’re working every day to make sure that children and youth in the province of Ontario can get the care they need when and where they need it.

Thank you to the minister for the response. When a mine opens in northern Ontario, Ontario wins. Think of all the items we use every day: From smart phones to electric vehicles, from steel to diamonds and gold, it all comes from a mine.

Our government is building Ontario, and in order to continue getting it done, we need a strong mining sector and a well-integrated supply chain. Look no further than my home of Sault Ste. Marie, where steel made at Algoma Steel, beams from SIS, concrete pumpers from Apex Cranes, belts from Belterra are all critical to building our mines in northern Ontario. Speaker, I could go on and on and on.

Investments in northern Ontario’s mining sector support so many local businesses and the thousands of people they employ. Can the minister please elaborate on how new businesses in the north are responding to investments that are being made through our Ontario Junior Exploration Program?

The supplementary question?

The supplementary question?

The member is always advocating for Oakville, and once again, he’s doing it with that question this morning. Thank you.

Just last week, Thursday, February 23, our government, in partnership with our municipal and federal counterparts, unveiled the initial batch of Oakville Transit’s first-ever zero-emission, battery electric buses. That’s a major milestone, and it’s part of our $4.4-million investment in 27 electric buses for the town of Oakville. Our efforts will help provide safe, reliable transit service for Oakville riders, all while lowering emissions and producing less noise on local roads.

What’s more, investing in these low-carbon transportation options demonstrates that our government is laser-focused on reaching its goal of reducing Ontario’s emissions by 30% by 2030. Our government is helping transit providers shift to modern, efficient fleets that will improve people’s quality of life and travel, both today and for many—

But to the member’s point, electrification is an important part of that process. We need to reduce emissions and our public transit system is an important part of that. That’s why we trust that the opposition, as we move forward and green our fleet and grow our fleet, will support us. It’s unfortunate that they voted against every single transit expansion measure that this government has taken, but the good news for Ontarians is, there’s a lot more to come. I hope they’ll support it in the future and do the right thing.

My question is to the Associate Minister of Transportation. Our government continues to demonstrate strong leadership by ensuring that our energy system is sound, reliable, affordable and environmentally clean. We should all be proud of the fact that our electricity grid is over 90% emissions-free.

While this is promising news for our energy sector, our public transit must follow this standard. Diesel fuel is one of Oakville’s largest greenhouse gas emission sources. That is why our government needs to take action to move public transit vehicles away from diesel fuel power to a more environmentally friendly source. Can the Associate Minister of Transportation explain what our government is doing to help our local transit agencies become more environmentally sustainable?

Can the Associate Minister of Transportation explain what our government is doing to ensure that our entire GO Transit network will continue to meet the needs of the people of Ontario?

Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

The minister will respond.

The supplementary question?

Supplementary question?

My question is to the Premier. Premier, did you know that, last year in Hamilton, 200 people called for an ambulance and none were available? These frightening incidents are called code zeroes or code reds, and they’re happening all across Ontario, in all of our ridings. Paramedics and front-line workers continue to raise the alarm. When will this government act to ensure that when people call for emergency help, it is there for them?

My question is to the Premier. When this government’s temporary and inadequate program of paid sick days was introduced two years ago, the Minister of Labour famously said that as long as there is COVID, there will be paid sick days for Ontario workers. Well, that flawed program is expiring on March 31, and COVID is still very much with us, along with many other infectious diseases.

Will the minister commit today to providing 10 permanent paid sick days so that workers can stay home if they are sick with COVID or any other illness after March 31?

Almost 60% of Ontario workers do not have paid sick days from their employer, especially if they are racialized or low wage. Instead of supporting their corporate friends, will the government start working for those workers and legislate 10 permanent paid sick days now?

I think this is an appropriate time to remind everyone how much our community paramedics and our paramedical experts have been critical to protecting the citizens of Ontario.

With 911 models of care, we have paramedics in community who are able to serve individuals and not always take them to an emergency department. Where did that come from? That came from paramedics and paramedic chiefs, who said, “We have an innovative model that will make a difference and will improve the outcome for patients.” We’ve done that. We’ve done that with investments in the dedicated nurse off-load program, which has nurses funded by the province of Ontario that are dedicated exclusively in emergency departments to assist those paramedics who come in with a patient and are able to transfer that patient immediately to that dedicated nurse to make sure that they can turn around and continue to serve their province and their community. We will continue to—

The member raises a very important point, which is that it’s crucial to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to mental health, particularly when we’re dealing with young people. That is why we’re constantly innovating and finding new ways to treat children and youth and new ways for them to access services—the care that they need.

For example, those with acute needs can access the Step Up Step Down live-in treatment program which helps more kids through levels of intensive treatment as needed. For those who can’t or don’t want to access in-person services, we’ve invested in telehealth options specifically for children and youth, and just last month, I joined Minister Jones at Ontario Shores for the announcement that we are investing a further $4.5 million in the One Stop Talk program, which provides virtual walk-in counselling services for kids across the province.

We’re increasing access to supports, addressing the demand caused by the pandemic, decreasing wait times and improving the quality of care we provide for the children, who are the future.

Supplementary question?

Deferred vote on the motion that the question now be put on the motion for second reading of the following bill

Bill 60, An Act to amend and enact various Acts with respect to the health system / Projet de loi 60, Loi visant à modifier et à édicter diverses lois en ce qui concerne le système de santé.

Call in the members. This is a five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1145 to 1150.

On February 22, 2023, Ms. Jones, Dufferin–Caledon, moved second reading of Bill 60, An Act to amend and enact various Acts with respect to the health system.

On February 28, 2023, Mr. Smith, Peterborough–Kawartha, moved that the question be now put.

All those in favour of Mr. Smith, Peterborough–Kawartha’s motion, please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Ms. Jones, Dufferin–Caledon, has moved second reading of Bill 60, An Act to amend and enact various Acts with respect to the health system. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard some noes.

All those in favour of the motion will please say “aye.”

All those opposed will please say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

Call in the members. This will be another five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1155 to 1156.

All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Second reading agreed to.

Minister of Health?

Deferred vote on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 50, An Act to amend the Securities Act to require certain issuers to adopt and make publicly available written policies respecting their director nomination process / Projet de loi 50, Loi modifiant la Loi sur les valeurs mobilières afin d’exiger que certains émetteurs adoptent et rendent publiques des politiques écrites concernant leur processus de mise en candidature des administrateurs.

The division bells rang from 1200 to 1201.

All those in favour, please rise and remain standing until recognized by the Clerk.

Second reading negatived.

The House recessed from 1204 to 1500.

I’d like to thank the member from Thunder Bay–Atikokan, and also it was great to have Mr. Miller join us today. We have to do something about that.

Our government is building prosperity everywhere, for everyone, to help grow regional economic opportunities across our great province. Bolstering northern tourism is critical, and northern Ontario is going to get a little more love today—

Interjection.

The north, particularly northwestern Ontario, was significantly impacted by the drop of visitation from the US due to border restrictions. Those have eased, so we are supporting the visitor economy through strategic investments. Specifically, for the northern tourism economy, we’ve invested more than $10 million for regional tourism organizations, supported festivals and events through our Reconnect Ontario Program and targeted northern marketing campaigns through Destination Ontario. Through these partnerships and investments, and great people, we’re going to get it done.

I’d also like to point out that tourism stretches far past what we might be thinking. When I think of tourism, sport jumps into mind. The Canada Games in Niagara, huge impact on the community—

Interjection.

The Ontario Winter Games in Renfrew country—huge; the film festival in Windsor—big time, all of that adds to our tourism.

We will continue to support that and the people behind tourism to make them stronger and better at what they do, because we’ve got the right people in place.

Another program that I’m very pleased to work with the Minister of Colleges and Universities on is, of course, our Learn and Stay program, which has now been expanded beyond nurses to lab techs and to paramedics.

But it’s not just our government that’s making investments in health care in the province of Ontario. Earlier this morning, it was a great honour to thank the Orlando Corp. for a $75-million gift to the Trillium Health Partners. There are literally people who are stepping up, seeing the innovation, seeing the investments that our government is making and saying, “We want to be part of that solution.”

Thank you to Orlando Corp., and congratulations to Trillium Health Partners.

I’ve got a petition here with over 2,000 signatures, and I’ll have another one with another 2,500.

A petition “to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the probation recidivism rate for high-risk offenders is 40% and very high-risk offenders is 57%; and

“Whereas Ontario probation and parole services has the highest number of offenders under community supervision in Canada, and Ontario probation and parole officers have the highest case counts in the country; and

“Whereas Ontario probation and parole officers’ caseloads and workload demands are so high that it is extremely challenging to ensure offender compliance with probation and parole conditions; and

“Whereas the Ministry of the Solicitor General requires probation and parole officers to take on additional initiatives without providing additional resources, adding to chronic and systemic understaffing and under-resourcing; and

“Whereas Ontario’s probation and parole officers issue more than 4,500 warrants each year on offenders who have breached their supervision conditions, and our criminal justice system does not actively seek their whereabouts, posing a significant threat to public safety;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“That the Ontario government hire an additional 200 front-line case-carrying probation and parole officers, hire an additional 50 probation support staff and implement a plan to actively seek and enforce the more than 4,500 outstanding breach warrants issued each year by probation and parole services for absconding offenders in order to reduce Ontario’s high rate of probation and parole recidivism, provide more effective client services, ensure the health and well-being of correctional staff and better protect public safety.”

I wholeheartedly agree with this petition and send it with page Jaden.

This petition is entitled “Health Care: Not for Sale.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontarians should get health care based on need—not the size of your wallet;

“Whereas Premier” Ford and the Minister of Health “say they’re planning to privatize parts of health care;

“Whereas privatization will bleed nurses, doctors and PSWs out of our public hospitals, making the health care crisis worse;

“Whereas privatization always ends with patients getting a bill;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to immediately stop all plans to further privatize Ontario’s health care system, and fix the health care by:

“—repealing Bill 124 and recruiting, retaining and respecting doctors, nurses and PSWs...;

“—licensing tens of thousands of internationally educated nurses and other health care professionals already in Ontario, who wait years and pay thousands to have their credentials certified;

“—10 employer”—government—“paid sick days;

“—making education and training free or low-cost for nurses, doctors and other health care professionals;

“—incentivizing doctors and nurses to choose to live and work in northern Ontario; and

“—funding hospitals to have enough nurses on every shift, on every ward.”

It’s my pleasure to affix my signature and give this to page Rohan.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas in the First and Second World Wars, over 7,000 First Nation members, as well as an unknown number of Métis, Inuit and other Indigenous recruits, voluntarily served in the Canadian Armed Forces; and

“Whereas countless Indigenous peoples bravely and selflessly served Canada at a time of great challenges for Canada; and

“Whereas this spirit of volunteerism and community marked the life of the late Murray Whetung, who volunteered to serve in the Second World War; and

“Whereas many First Nations individuals lost their status after serving in the wars off-reserve for a period of time; and

“Whereas despite this injustice, many continued to recognize the value in continuously giving back to their community; and

“Whereas the values of volunteerism and community are instilled in the army, air, and sea cadets across Ontario; and

“Whereas the Murray Whetung Community Service Award Act establishes an award for the cadets and tells the story of Indigenous veterans’ sacrifice and mistreatment;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To urge all members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to support the passage of the Murray Whetung Community Service Award Act, 2022.”

I wholeheartedly endorse this petition, Speaker, and I’ll present it to page George.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas in the First and Second World Wars, over 7,000 First Nation members, as well as an unknown number of Métis, Inuit and other Indigenous recruits, voluntarily served in the Canadian Armed Forces; and

“Whereas countless Indigenous peoples bravely and selflessly served Canada at a time of great challenges for Canada; and

“Whereas this spirit of volunteerism and community marked the life of the late Murray Whetung, who volunteered to serve in the Second World War; and

“Whereas many First Nations individuals lost their status after serving in the wars off-reserve for a period of time; and

“Whereas despite this injustice, many continued to recognize the value in continuously giving back to their community; and

“Whereas the values of volunteerism and community are instilled in the army, air, and sea cadets across Ontario; and

“Whereas the Murray Whetung Community Service Award Act establishes an award for the cadets and tells the story of Indigenous veterans’ sacrifice and mistreatment;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To urge all members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to support the passage of the Murray Whetung Community Service Award Act, 2022.”

Speaker, I’m going affix my signature to this petition and provide a copy of it to legislative page Charlotte.