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.

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?