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.

I want to thank the member for that question. I want to make it very clear that the EA process is not in any way being compromised. The proposed legislative amendments are minor and will not have any impact on the existing class EAs or environmental protection. The EA process requires proponents to assess potential environmental impacts, identify mitigation measures and consult with Indigenous communities, the public and stakeholders before the project can proceed.

Again, this process is not affected. To be clear, the environmental assessment standards will remain in place.

What we’re doing here today is ensuring that when there’s an approval, there is no 30-day waiting period for municipalities—which are the number one proponents of most of these EAs and are the ones that are most involved in it. So there’s no requirement to wait 30 days while you’re twiddling your thumbs and contractors are waiting to get the job done. We can waive that period. It is now within the purview of the minister—and every situation will be judged by the minister, but the minister will have that opportunity and that authority to waive that 30-day waiting period should they choose, and that is going to move projects ahead more quickly, more effectively and perhaps even avoid the winter season to get a job done.

Madam Speaker, through you, to the member opposite: To be crystal clear, the environmental assessment standards will remain in place. The EA process is not being compromised. The EA process requires the proponents to assess potential environmental impacts, identify mitigation measures, consult with Indigenous communities, the public and stakeholders before the project will proceed.

The 30-day waiver is after the successful completion of the environmental assessment if there is no other concern in the assessment.

That being said, we are almost one step closer to modernizing a 50-year-old burdensome process.

Having said that, the 2017 Auditor General’s report, as well as other third-party reports, has been identifying these opportunities to have an efficient way to manage and oversee the real estate portfolio. Since then, our government has been in consultation with these entities and our stakeholders and, of course, all the oversight ministries to make sure that we come up with a plan that reduces the burdens—

The expected outcome that the member opposite is looking for from this legislation would be a better-managed government office realty portfolio that provides more responsive client service, that has strategic real estate decision-making authority, and reduced red tape, as I mentioned. And, of course, it will optimize existing funds and real estate funds and reinvest these savings into addressing market inflation, capital repairs and rehabilitation.

By doing so, we can, for example, get a municipal road project to speed up—we can make sure that our government can work with municipal partners and stakeholders to get shovels in the ground faster. That way, we can optimize the way our government works with our stakeholders to build Ontario for the future and for generations to come.

For example, when it comes to optimizing the funds in these entities, we can save a lot of funds and reinvest these funds to work on market inflation. We can reinvest the same funds into capital repairs or rehabilitation. So there is space to be efficient, to operate this in an efficient manner, so that definitely is going to cut red tape and save—