Thank you to the member opposite for the question. Our government is always listening to good ideas from all of our health care stakeholders, and we certainly will look at all of the ideas being brought forward.

As I said yesterday, Ontario is actually leading the country in access to family health providers and primary care practitioners, with 90% of people having access. But we know we must do more, and we will do more. That is why we are taking the steps we can, including currently adding 720 positions in 2022-23 for doctors in those family health organizations and another 480 in 2023-24. We’re taking the steps necessary to make ensure that we have family health primary health care for all Ontarians.

That’s why we’ve invested, amongst other things, over $41 million in Indigenous organizations and communities to support culturally safe mental health and wellness services for children, youth, families and communities in Ontario. Our government has made it clear that we will do everything we can to protect our most vulnerable, which includes Ontario’s Indigenous populations.

I want to thank the member for the question. The answer is yes, and the answer has been yes for some time now. I’ve spoken to the mayor of Red Lake on a number of occasions, and we stand ready with the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, as we’ve demonstrated across the province, making investments in recreational infrastructure to improve and ensure the quality of life is there for the families that not just live in those communities, but that it serves—in particular, in the instance of Red Lake, a number of Indigenous communities, particularly during the winter, through winter road access.

We’ve made those offers to the mayor of Red Lake. We stand ready to support his application as long as it fits within the parameters of a very generous Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, which is responding to the surge in incredible economic growth in major sectors, including mining, across northern Ontario.

One of the nice things about the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is its ability to stack. This is widely known for communities across the province, but particularly in northern Ontario, to leverage local investments, to leverage private sector investments, for mining operations—local there—and, as well, for the federal government to be involved in that. In many instances, we work on larger-scale projects with FedNor, a portfolio that I was the minister of in my federal days. It’s easily done.

The mayor of Red Lake is well aware that we stand ready to support him and his community as they set out to build this important piece of recreational infrastructure.

There are countless examples across northern Ontario of where we’ve had this kind of success. We’re going to continue to invest in the quality of life for the communities across northern Ontario.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for the question. I also want to thank my colleagues who have been involved in one of the most exciting energy sector projects that have come along in a long time, and most notably involved the participation of an Indigenous community’s economic development corporation. We see this, Mr. Speaker, as the future in our energy sector, working with Indigenous communities. We’re going to continue down that path, supporting not just that project but other opportunities, for example in northern Ontario, where they have and where they will continue to exist.

With respect to the duty to consult with the people of Six Nations of the Grand River, we’ve made tremendous strides in meeting with mayors from the Haldimand tract, including the mayor who you’re referencing. We see clarity and certainty as our top priorities moving forward so that any and all projects can be done on a consensus basis and focus on the priorities of those respective communities.

If this member really understood the dynamics and the responsibilities of different levels of government, it would be perfectly clear to her that the most important thing that the province can do is work with the elected council of Six Nations of the Grand and, as the chief has explicitly requested, to have many of these issues and many of these opportunities settled at the community level.

To that end, we’ve made significant progress. We’re meeting regularly with the mayors of the Haldimand tract, including the mayor who you spoke of. Other big-city mayors in Brantford and Hamilton and such were very encouraged that in the not-too-distant future, a policy position will respect consensus, co-operation and a desire to move on the important projects—

All across our region of northern Ontario, there are many examples of the need to continue to invest in businesses, invest in communities and invest in Indigenous communities, as well, through community enhancements, cultural support programs, investing in innovation and research and investing in businesses. Their launches, their growth and expansion, relocation into northern Ontario as we build out capacity for supply chains in forestry, mining, filming and other examples: We’re ready, and we’re going to continue to respond to the northern opportunity—

Greenstone itself is under tremendous growth, with a base-metal gold mine, and there’s an incredible need there to support economic development in that community. That’s why I visited there, spoke with Mayor James McPherson and made announcements on upgrading the waste water system, so the services can be extended for industrial and commercial capacity.

Supporting the rehabilitation of the local rink at the Longlac Sportsplex; refurbishing their boat launch and their golf course, including the clubhouse, which hosts many business events and such: Mr. Speaker, we’re responding to the opportunity in—

My question is to the Minister of Indigenous Affairs. Today is the 17th anniversary of the land occupation at Douglas Creek Estates in Caledonia. Seventeen years later, two governments later, not much has changed other than a second occupied site, and no leadership or clarity in terms of how to have productive Indigenous relations on development matters.

On February 10, members of this government were at Six Nations to announce an energy project, a project on lands in Haldimand county. Not one member addressed the mayor who was present that day, nor was any member of Haldimand county invited by this government to attend.

Speaker, the minister was part of that entourage, and he was asked by a reporter who the government consulted with on this project. Was it the elected council, the Haudenosaunee Development Institute or both? The minister didn’t answer the question, so—Speaker, through you—I’m asking the minister to answer the question today.

As the minister should know, Six Nations Chief Mark Hill has made it very clear he believes his elected government is with whom consultations must occur. Would-be investors and developers are scared away from Haldimand county because they aren’t sure what the rules are, and this minister, as we hear again today, refuses to state clear and consistent policy in terms of who represents Six Nations. Haldimand county asked the minister for clarification at ROMA, and no answer was given.

The crown has a duty to consult, and the province has handed that duty down to the county in the absence of a framework. Municipalities are told by this province to engage Indigenous communities but are attempting to meet a non-defined standard. Through you again, Speaker: Will the minister please indicate who is to be consulted with at Six Nations?

Well Speaker, I think the question calls for an answer about all of Ontario. This is mega-site specific. It will have the effect, we believe, of creating directly and indirectly tens of thousands of jobs. But as I’ve indicated, we are in conversation with municipal partners. We are in competition with 40 other potential jurisdictions in the United States. We are having conversations and we’ll continue to have conversations with Indigenous persons and their leadership. We will make sure that we identify properly ready, receptive mega-sites for these kinds of investments everywhere that we can.