I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome Kathy McDonald, school trustee from wards 3 and 4 in Brampton.

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

Bill 23, An Act to amend various statutes, to revoke various regulations and to enact the Supporting Growth and Housing in York and Durham Regions Act, 2022 / Projet de loi 23, Loi modifiant diverses lois, abrogeant divers règlements et édictant la Loi de 2022 visant à soutenir la croissance et la construction de logements dans les régions de York et de Durham.

I just want to take a moment and introduce Donna Danielli, our school trustee for wards 1 and 2 from Milton. Welcome to the Legislature. Thank you for your leadership.

Again, I thank my colleague for the question. The short answer is, yes, we are in a housing crisis, so we have to look at existing homes and structures so that we can provide more relief to Ontarians. Ontario is expected to grow by more than two million people by 2031, so all options are on the table that will help us add more existing housing supply.

We are already looking at options by introducing as-of-right zoning. Ontarians are now able to create and rent up to three units in their existing home. This will not only add to our provincial housing supply, but will also help pay for the high interest rates Ontarians and others around the world are forced to pay.

We will continue to look for other solutions that will help us add more homes to the market and help us build 1.5 million homes across the province. As we’ve said time and time again, letting Ontarians down, on this side and in the middle there, is not an option.

The Minster of Long-Term Care and government House leader.

The division bells rang from 1145 to 1150.

On November 23, 2022, Mr. Clark moved third reading of Bill 23, An Act to amend various statutes, to revoke various regulations and to enact the Supporting Growth and Housing in York and Durham Regions Act, 2022.

On November 24, 2022, Mr. Quinn moved that the question be now put.

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

Mr. Clark has moved third reading of Bill 23, An Act to amend various statutes, to revoke various regulations and to enact the Supporting Growth and Housing in York and Durham Regions Act, 2022.

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.

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.

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

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

Bill 4, An Act to amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000 with respect to paid leave / Projet de loi 4, Loi modifiant la Loi de 2000 sur les normes d’emploi en ce qui concerne les congés payés.

The division bells rang from 1200 to 1201.

All those in favour of the motion will please rise and remain standing until recognized by the Clerk.

Second reading negatived.

The House recessed from 1204 to 1300.

Ms. Karpoche moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 49, An Act respecting the establishment of an Early Years and Child Care Worker Advisory Commission / Projet de loi 49, Loi concernant la création de la Commission consultative des préposés aux services pour la petite enfance et la garde d’enfants.

First reading agreed to.

“Petition to the Ontario Legislative Assembly:

“For Meaningful Climate Action Withdraw Bill 23.

“Whereas our planet is undergoing significant warming with adverse consequences for health, for agriculture, for infrastructure and our children’s future;

“Whereas the costs of inaction are severe, such as extreme weather events causing flooding and drought;

“Whereas Canada has signed the Paris accord which commits us to acting to keep temperature rise under 1.5 degrees Celsius;

“We, the undersigned, call upon the government of Ontario to withdraw Bill 23 and to create a new bill to meet our housing needs that is compatible with protecting the greenbelt, creating affordable housing in the current urban boundaries, and meeting our climate targets.”

Speaker, I’m happy to sign this. I’ll be sending it with page Yusuf to the Clerks’ table.

I have a petition to the Ontario Legislative Assembly for a meaningful climate action plan.

“Whereas our planet is undergoing significant warming with adverse consequences for health, for agriculture, for infrastructure and our children’s future;

“Whereas the costs of inaction are severe, such as extreme weather events causing flooding and drought;

“Whereas Canada has signed the Paris accord which commits us to acting to keep temperature rise under 1.5 degrees Celsius;

“We, the undersigned, call upon the government of Ontario to develop GHC reduction targets based on science that will meet our Paris commitment, an action plan to meet those targets and annual reporting on progress on meeting the targets....”

Speaker, I fully support this petition. I will affix my signature to it and give it to page Mabel to give to the Clerks.

The ayes are 73; the nays are 27.

My question is to the Premier. Health care workers are urging MPPs to support my bill, the Stay Home If You Are Sick Act, to give Ontario workers 10 permanent paid sick days. This government’s temporary three COVID-related days to last over a pandemic that will soon be entering its third year are doing nothing to address the health care crisis that is overwhelming our pediatric hospitals. What would help are 10 permanent sick days to enable low-wage workers to stay home if their child is ill, perhaps with RSV, without losing their paycheques.

Will this government listen to advice from health care workers and vote to pass my bill today?

Ontario is now falling behind other jurisdictions that are implementing permanent paid sick days. British Columbia has legislated five paid sick days. Federally regulated workers will soon have access to 10 paid sick days. Governments are doing this because they know that permanent paid sick days are good for workers, good for the economy and good for public health.

This government could finally show that “working for workers” is more than just an empty slogan by passing my bill to legislate 10 paid sick days. Will this government do that?

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas there is overwhelming evidence to show that paid sick leave significantly reduces the spread of infectious disease, promotes preventive health care and reduces health care system costs; and

“Whereas 60% of Ontario workers do not have access to paid sick days, and therefore must sacrifice income to stay home if they are sick; and

“Whereas low-wage and precarious workers who can least afford to miss pay are the most likely to be denied paid sick days; and

“Whereas employers benefit when sick workers can afford to stay home, limiting the spread of illness to co-workers and customers, and allowing workers to recover faster; and

“Whereas during an infectious disease emergency, it is unreasonable and dangerous to public health to make workers choose between protecting their communities and providing for their families; and

“Whereas mandating employers to provide paid sick leave through the Employment Standards Act ensures that workers have seamless, uninterrupted access to their pay; ...

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to immediately provide workers with 10 annual employer-paid days of personal emergency leave and 14 days of paid leave in the case of an infectious disease emergency.”

I fully support this petition. I will affix my signature and send it to the table with page Mabel.

I’m honoured to be able to present this petition to the House to raise social assistance rates.

“Whereas Ontario’s social assistance rates are well below Canada’s official Market Basket Measure poverty line and far from adequate to cover the rising cost of food and rent: $733 for individuals on OW and soon $1,227 for ODSP;

“Whereas an open letter to the Premier and two cabinet ministers, signed by over 230 organizations, recommends that social assistance rates be doubled for both Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP);

“Whereas the recent small budget increase of 5% for ODSP still leaves these citizens well below the poverty line, both they and those receiving the frozen OW rates continue struggling to live during a period of alarming inflation;

“Whereas the government of Canada recognized in its CERB program that a basic income of $2,000 per month was the standard support required by individuals who lost their employment during the pandemic;

“We, the undersigned citizens of Ontario, petition the Legislative Assembly to double social assistance rates for OW and ODSP.”

I am honoured to affix my name to this. I will send it down to the table with page Kennedy.

I have a petition to stop the health care privatization plan. It reads as follows:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

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

“Whereas” the Premier and the health minister “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 crisis in health care by:

“—repealing Bill 124 and recruiting, retaining and respecting doctors, nurses and PSWs with better pay and better working conditions;

“—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;

“—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;

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

I fully support this petition. I will affix my signature and send it to the table with page Yusuf.

Mr. Gill moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 46, An Act to enact one Act and amend various other Acts / Projet de loi 46, Loi visant à édicter une loi et à modifier diverses autres lois.

This petition is titled “Stop” the “Health Care Privatization Plan.” It reads:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

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

“Whereas” the Conservative government “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 crisis in health care by:

“—repealing Bill 124 and recruiting, retaining and respecting doctors, nurses and PSWs with better pay and better working conditions;

“—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;

“—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;

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

I thank the signatories of this petition, and I’m glad to support it.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontario’s social assistance rates are well below Canada’s official Market Basket Measure poverty line and woefully inadequate to cover the basic costs of food and rent;

“Whereas individuals on the Ontario Works program receive just $733 per month and individuals on the Ontario Disability Support Program receive just $1,169 per month, only 41% and 65% of the poverty line;

“Whereas the Ontario government has not increased social assistance rates” meaningfully “since 2018, and Canada’s inflation rate in January 2022 was 5.1%, the highest rate in 30 years;

“Whereas the government of Canada recognized through the CERB program that a ‘basic income’ of $2,000 per month was the standard support required by individuals who lost their employment during the pandemic;

“We, the undersigned ... petition the Legislative Assembly to increase social assistance rates to a base of $2,000 per month for those on Ontario Works, and to increase other programs accordingly.”

I fully support this petition and will affix my signature to it.

I have a petition here to repeal Bill 124:

“Petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Bill 124 caps salary increases at 1% at a time when inflation and interest rates are at historic highs;

“Whereas the nursing crisis has compromised patient safety and the functioning of our health system;

“Whereas emergency rooms are closing and even more ICUs are now at risk of having to close because of a health care staffing shortage;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to repeal Bill 124 as a step to recruit, retain and return nurses to the health care system, and allow for fair wages for nurses and health care workers.”

I fully support this petition, will affix my signature to it and give it to page Oriana to give to the Clerks.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas very little is known about the long-term effects of vaping on youth; and

“Whereas aggressive marketing of vaping products by the tobacco industry is causing more and more kids to become addicted to nicotine through the use of e-cigarettes; and

“Whereas the hard lessons learned about the health impacts of smoking, should not be repeated with vaping, and the precautionary principle must be applied to protect youth from vaping; and

“Whereas many health agencies and Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada fully endorse the concrete proposals aimed at reducing youth vaping included;

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

“To call on the Ford government to immediately support efforts addressing the dangers of vaping for youth.”

I fully support this petition, will affix my signature to it and give it to page Mabel to give it to the Clerks.

I would like to thank Leadnow for collecting these petitions.

“For Meaningful Climate Action Withdraw Bill 23.

“Whereas our planet is undergoing significant warming with adverse consequences for health, for agriculture, for infrastructure and our children’s future;

“Whereas the costs of inaction are severe, such as extreme weather events causing flooding and drought;

“Whereas Canada has signed the Paris accord which commits us to acting to keep temperature rise under 1.5 degrees Celsius;

“We, the undersigned, call upon the government of Ontario to withdraw Bill 23 and to create a new bill to meet our housing needs that is compatible with protecting the greenbelt, creating affordable housing in the current urban boundaries, and meeting our climate targets.”

I fully support this petition. I will affix my signature and deliver it with page Yusuf to the Clerks.

This is entitled “Stop Ford’s Health Care Privatization Plan.” I would like to thank the community members from St. Paul’s and across Ontario for signing this petition.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

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

“Whereas” the Premier and the health minister “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 crisis in health care by:

“—repealing Bill 124 and recruiting, retaining and respecting doctors, nurses and PSWs with better pay and better working conditions;

“—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;

“—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;

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

I thank our community for this petition. I have affixed my signature and will hand it over to Kennedy for the Clerks.

I recognize the Minister of Red Tape Reduction to lead off the debate.

It’s an honour to lead off the debate on the Less Red Tape, Stronger Ontario Act, 2022. I will be sharing my time with my parliamentary assistant, the member from Niagara West, and also with the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Red tape, of course, is the result of rules, regulations and policies that cause frustration, expense, delays and complications in everyday life. It is something that we are all too familiar with—a barrier to our economic productivity, competitiveness and innovation.

When we formed government in 2018, we inherited a province that was strangled by and drowning in red tape. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said we had the largest regulatory burden of any province in the country. We heard that message loud and clear from people, from businesses, and from a wide range of stakeholders right across this great province.

That’s why one of our government’s key priorities has been to remove unnecessary, redundant and outdated regulations that hold our province back. We’ve made great progress so far. Over the past five years, we’ve reduced Ontario’s total regulatory compliance requirements by 6.5%. This has led to $576 million in annual savings for businesses, not-for-profit organizations, municipalities, school boards, colleges and universities, and hospitals since June 2018. That’s half a billion dollars each year that isn’t being spent on filling out government paperwork, paying fees to remove licence plate stickers, or complying with duplicative regulations that exist across multiple levels of government. It is the result of eight high-impact red tape reduction bills since 2018, and packages containing more than 400 individual burden-reducing actions.

Of course, there is much more work that needs to be done. That’s why we have continued to consult with stakeholders as part of a whole-of-government approach to reducing regulatory burdens.

Together with our partner ministries, we have assembled a package of solutions to address the challenges Ontario is facing today. The package is the Less Red Tape, Stronger Ontario Act and related regulatory and policy changes, adding up to a total of 28 various measures. The intent of this legislation—our ninth red tape reduction bill since 2018—is to strengthen Ontario’s supply chain, support farmers and agribusinesses, grow our labour force, make it easier to interact with government, and ensure Ontario remains competitive in the global marketplace. The bill, if passed, will continue our work to streamline and modernize Ontario’s regulatory system across multiple areas of government and multiple sectors of our province’s economy. It will lead Ontario to more economic certainty, confidence and stability.

With my time today, I am going to briefly discuss the 28 individual items in this proposed red tape package.

A central part of the package is five modernization measures for the agriculture and food industries. I know the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will speak to some of these items in detail shortly, but allow me to offer a brief overview. Earlier today, I was with the minister. We were at the Ontario Food Terminal to release the Grow Ontario strategy. It is the province’s comprehensive plan to build consumer confidence and support farmers and Ontario’s food supply. Our goal with these measures to support Ontario’s local farmers, food processors and agribusinesses is to strengthen our food supply chain and help us attract and grow a strong labour force.

The legislation we are debating today also contains proposals to:

—amend the MAFRA Act to permit co-op members who are part of the feeder cattle loan guarantee program to custom-feed each other’s cattle;

—update the current legislative framework for the veterinary profession to open the door to a new standard of veterinary medicine in Ontario;

—modernize the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario Act to be more relevant to today’s agri-food sector and support its ongoing competitiveness; and

—amend the Animal Health Act to provide authority for the minister to take temporary action to protect the health and well-being of the public and animals when faced with a potential animal health crisis.

These changes will help ensure Ontario has a reliable, safe and stable food supply now and into the future.

The next set of proposed changes support Ontario’s workplace insurance and compensation system. The proposed legislation will make several changes to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act that align with Ontario’s broader red tape reduction efforts. The changes, if passed, would improve the WSIB’s operational efficiency and reduce undue administrative burden, allowing the WSIB to focus on their primary function of supporting injured workers. The proposed changes would:

—ensure injured or ill apprentices receive loss-of-earnings benefits at the same amounts journeypersons employed in the same trade would receive;

—provide more flexibility regarding how often the WSIB board of directors must meet, by changing the requirement that they meet every two months to a required minimum of four times per year;

—update the requirements of WSIB governance documents to ensure they are consistent with and do not duplicate other government directives;

—streamline the requirements for WSIB office lease transactions by excluding them from the requirement for LGIC approval, like other government agencies; and

—ensure the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997, does not reference repealed statutes that are no longer in force.

The WSIB is one of the largest insurance organizations in North America. Reducing red tape will enable them to better meet the needs of Ontario’s workers.

Now I will speak a bit about one of the more exciting initiatives in this legislation. Speaker, our government is working toward creating a framework to enable and responsibly regulate carbon capture and storage technologies right here in the great province of Ontario. As the first step in this process, we are proposing an amendment to the Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Act. We expect this technology will play an important role in managing Ontario’s carbon emissions and producing low-carbon hydrogen. And importantly, this measure will facilitate the alignment of this future regulatory framework with other Ontario and federal initiatives, so businesses can take advantage of existing incentives and funding opportunities that are available to them.

Now I would also like to discuss the ways in which we’re cutting red tape and supporting the competitiveness of Ontario’s energy sector.

If passed, the proposed legislation will make it easier to build electricity transmission lines by exempting customer-funded projects from the Ontario Energy Board’s leave-to-construct process. Proponents of these projects will continue to have the right to apply to the OEB to cross a highway, railway or a utility line in circumstances where an agreement cannot be obtained.

Our government is also proposing changes that would simplify the gasoline volatility regulation, aligning Ontario’s regulations with national standards.

Speaker, the proposed Less Red Tape, Stronger Ontario Act, 2022, also includes several changes that will improve customer service and make it easier for Ontarians to interact with the justice system.

First, our government is proposing to amend the Provincial Offences Act to help reduce the backlog at provincial offences courts by allowing court clerks, rather than a justice, to reopen certain convictions if appropriate conditions are met.

Second, we are proposing to create more judicial capacity and alleviate backlogs in criminal cases at the Ontario Court of Justice by temporarily raising the limit on the number of days that a retired judge can work, helping to address backlogs and ensure faster access to justice for all Ontarians.

Finally, the proposed legislation will also reduce administrative costs and make it easier for prospective jurors to participate in our court system through updates to the Juries Act. The bill, if passed, would introduce a pilot program that makes the jury questionnaires available online. In all cases, recipients will still be able to request a paper version of the questionnaire if they so choose.

Speaker, we’re also proposing new legislation to confirm the continuation of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals so that the charity can continue their work—they do, obviously, very, very important work—and benefit both animals and the public. The legislation would confirm the OSPCA’s corporate status and associated regulation-making authorities, which would support the charity to continue to deliver important community support services across our great province, as it has since first established via government legislation back in 1919.

We have also proposed regulations that will reduce red tape for operators of certain types of hotel spas and hot tubs, such as in-suite hot tubs or tubs on a private balcony or a deck intended for the exclusive use of its guests, by exempting them from the public pools regulation. Signage requirements, of course, will remain in place to ensure the public is aware of any potential risk.

We have also listened to concerns raised by stakeholders and have amended the Mandatory Blood Testing Act and the Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act to speed up application processing for victims of crime, first responders, correctional services staff and others.

We are also proposing to remove the costly and resource-intensive tissue-testing requirement under the Public Hospitals Act regulations—based on scientific evidence and health sector stakeholders’ recommendations, of course.

And we have proposed to provide authority to local medical officers of health to order rabies testing of deceased animals that were under observation after biting a person, and to recognize rabies vaccination status from other jurisdictions that have similar rabies standards to ours. This means a bite victim may no longer have to undergo unnecessary post-exposure rabies vaccinations, since a deceased animal’s rabies status will be known, and animals brought in from other jurisdictions need to be revaccinated in Ontario.

This brings me to the improvements we have been making to some of the essential but often invisible functions of government.

First, we’re bringing many government programs and related IT systems onto the Transfer Payment Ontario system, to reduce paperwork and administrative burden for government-funded organizations.

We’ve also extended certain temporary corporate governance rules to the end of September 2023, while the government continues to analyze consultation results and explore potential permanent changes. These temporary rules were put in under legislation including the Ontario Business Corporations Act, the Not-for-Profit Corporations Act and others, as well as the Condominium Act. Of course, all of this allows meetings, votes and elections to be conducted virtually under certain circumstances. It allows notices to directors, shareholders and members to be sent electronically, and allows a corporation to store records electronically and also have them examined electronically. It’s important that we continue to provide corporations flexibility, while taking the time needed to consider changing these governance rules permanently.

We have also heard from our Indigenous business and economic advisers that information about the full range of government support and services available to them is not widely known and at times is difficult to obtain. That’s why our government will work with Indigenous partners to better understand how we can increase awareness of, and allow them to make sure that they have proper access to, government initiatives.

Finally, I am going to speak a bit about the proposals in this package that help make the transportation sector more competitive.

We are making improvements to Ontario’s Highway Corridor Management System that will provide a seamless and integrated online platform for approvals and permits along provincial highways. Work is ongoing to allow applicants, including home builders and municipalities, to submit, track and receive all of their Ministry of Transportation approvals online, saving time and money. The Highway Corridor Management System has already significantly reduced the burden on Ontario’s businesses and individuals by streamlining the permit application, review, and approval process. These new improvements will further reduce red tape for businesses and organizations interacting with the ministry.

We’re also reducing the weight given to a corporate performance rating when the Ministry of Transportation evaluates bids for engineering services, to improve the fairness and efficiency of the procurement process, ensure value for taxpayer dollars, and make the bidding process more competitive for all participants.

Also, during the spring thaw, some Ontario roads are designated and signed to limit the weight of trucks that can use them. This reduced-load period, of course, helps to limit the damage that might otherwise occur to a roadway weakened by the spring thaw. That’s why MTO is partnering with the Ontario Good Roads Association to improve frost depth prediction models that will allow municipalities to optimize the timing of these periods on our roads. This could include, of course, shortening the period when conditions permit, enhancing our supply chains by allowing more goods to reach more places during the spring months.

Speaker, I am proud to have introduced the Less Red Tape, Stronger Ontario Act, 2022. Through the 28 different initiatives introduced in this legislation, which I’ve just outlined, our government is creating the conditions that let businesses thrive and people prosper. We are making government services easier to access and less expensive. We are growing our labour force, developing a strong supply chain, and increasing Ontario’s competitiveness in the global market.

I am now going to turn things over to my parliamentary assistant, the great member from Niagara West, one of the hardest-working members, who will share more details about our track record of reducing red tape and our plans to move the province forward.

It’s an honour again to be able to stand in the Legislature and speak to important legislation that has come before this House.

I want to thank the Minister of Red Tape Reduction for the incredible work and advocacy that he has put into this legislation today and for leading off the debate in a vigorous manner to ensure that all members in this House hear more about the important work that’s happening.

I also want to start by acknowledging the incredible work of the team at the Ministry of Red Tape Reduction, those who have spent a great deal of time in the past and present and going forward reaching out to community stakeholders, hearing from people, from businesses, and from all those who are involved in ensuring that we are reducing red tape in a responsible and respectful way here in the province of Ontario. And that’s exactly what this legislation intends to do.

I also want to acknowledge and thank my beautiful wife, Keri, who I know is watching the debate this afternoon. I have to say, there are not always people who take the time to tune in to the Legislature on a Monday afternoon to watch a discussion about red tape—but Keri is, so I’m very thankful for her.

I’m also thankful to have the opportunity this afternoon to speak to important legislation that builds on a strong foundation. The foundation that we as a government have worked on over the past four years and are continuing to work on is a foundation that aims to make life better and more affordable for families and for job creators here in the province of Ontario. That’s why I’m proud today to be speaking to Bill 46, the Less Red Tape, Stronger Ontario Act, 2022.

I’m proud to be part of a government that is committed to attracting good jobs and investments right here in Ontario, and they’re doing that by making it less expensive, faster, and easier to do business here.

Since June 2018, when we formed government, we have reduced the total number of regulatory requirements that businesses must comply with by 6.5%, a not insubstantial number, especially when you consider the tendency—as people may have heard—of governments to grow the number of regulations and to increase the amount of red tape, as opposed to reducing it. So it’s no small feat to not only curb the tide against job-killing red tape but in fact to pull back some of those onerous and burdensome regulations that I’m sure we all hear about from our constituents.

Since that 2018 election, when we made a commitment to Ontarians that we were going to take swift action to move forward on this crucial file, to save businesses in the province of Ontario some $400 million by March 2022, we stepped forward and we took action. And we didn’t just meet that goal of a $400-million reduction by March of this year—no, we didn’t just meet it, we didn’t just strive to hit the bar; we strove to go beyond. In fact, we exceeded that goal by well over $170 million—incredible savings for the people and businesses of this province.

Our red tape reduction measures today are saving businesses, they’re saving not-for-profit organizations in each and every one of our communities, they’re saving municipalities where we all live, school boards where our children go to school, colleges and universities, the hospitals—the things that we rely on—the community and social services that each and every one of us as taxpayers and the people who we represent care about. We’re saving them—listen to this number—$576 million, not just once, but in annualized savings. That means, each and every year, as we move forward, hundreds of millions of dollars in savings for the people of this province. Achieving this was no easy task. It took leadership. It took leadership from Premier Ford. It took leadership from Minister Gill. It took leadership from so many others. It took leadership from so many members in this House who came together to support good legislation throughout the past four years that—wait for it—cut red tape, something that we were elected on, as a commitment in the 2018 election.

Going forward, we are continuing to demonstrate our commitment to cutting the burden on businesses, cutting red tape.

When we came to office, there was a broken system here in the province of Ontario. We inherited a broken regulatory system from the previous Liberal government that meant that Ontario had a reputation as one of the most difficult places to do business in North America; frankly, in the world, you could argue. But don’t just take my word for it, Speaker.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business, an organization that advocates for our job creators here in the province of Ontario, estimated that at the time we took government, red tape was costing every business in Ontario $33,000 every single year, $3,000 per year higher than any other province or territory—a 10% cost premium just for doing business here in the province of Ontario. That was absolutely unacceptable.

That’s why our government took action. It’s why, since 2018, Ontario introduced and passed eight red tape reduction bills and nine red tape reduction packages, consisting of more than 400 individual measures to reduce burdens. These changes have included changes to regulations, to legislation, to policies, all with the common goal, as Minister Gill spoke about, of making it easier for people to live, to work and to do business here in the province of Ontario, while simultaneously protecting health, protecting workers, and protecting our vital environment.

And yet, despite all that work, despite all the effort, our province continues to face big challenges. We’re facing continued supply chain disruptions, some of which started during the COVID-19 pandemic and were exacerbated by that pandemic. We have seen seismic shifts in habits as people change their demands and as businesses have had to change to evolving situations. There are ongoing labour force disruptions, and these are beginning to impact both day-to-day life and, frankly, here in Ontario as well, our economy. In fact, nearly two thirds of Ontario businesses reported that their supply challenges got worse in the past year, and more than one third of businesses said that labour-related expenses or obstacles will continue to limit their growth.

Speaker, we know that governments can and must play a supportive role in reducing the red tape that can inhibit supply chains and ensuring that we have a well-oiled economic machine here in the province of Ontario. We need to solve challenges like those seen in the labour market, and one of the best ways we can do that is by continuing the efforts that we’ve already made so far to reduce red tape.

That is why we’ve brought forward this legislation. It’s why Bill 46, the Less Red Tape, Stronger Ontario Act, contains 28 measures that will strengthen Ontario’s supply chain, support farmers and agri-food businesses like those in my riding of Niagara West and in so many ridings across this great province, grow our labour force to ensure we have people who are able to meet the careers of today and tomorrow, make life easier for people and for businesses by making it easier for them to interact with government—ensure that government works for them—and ensure that Ontario also remains competitive in the global economy.

This bill, if passed, will continue our ongoing work to streamline and modernize Ontario’s regulatory system across multiple areas of government and across multiple sectors of our economy. I’m confident that this proposed legislation will lead Ontario to more economic certainty, confidence and stability. It’s going to help ensure that our province continues to be competitive in the global market.

I want to take a few moments, before I delve into some of the specifics of this legislation, to also reflect on some of the past initiatives we’re building on with the Less Red Tape, Stronger Ontario Act.

Our government’s first red tape reduction bill was in the fall of 2018, when we passed the Making Ontario Open For Business Act. It established, for the first time in Ontario’s history, the rights of workers to take up to three days off for personal illness, two for bereavement and three for family responsibilities. This also addressed the backlog in Ontario’s skilled trades—a huge area of concern—by replacing Ontario’s outdated, old-fashioned model with a 1-to-1 journeyperson-to-apprentice ratio for every trade in which ratios apply. This change allowed us to better align Ontario with other provinces and territories.

Then, we continued. We built on that work by introducing, in April 2019, the Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, with 31 actions to cut red tape in 12 different sectors, along with regulatory changes. The legislation cut business costs, harmonized regulatory requirements with other jurisdictions, ended so many unnecessary duplications, and reduced barriers to investment. And we weren’t done that year.

In December 2019, the Legislature passed the Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2019, which was part of a broad suite of changes, with 80 actions to cut red tape and modernize regulations, making life easier for families and businesses.

Interjections.

The member for Niagara West.

Absolutely. This legislation contained support for so many different sectors: agriculture, trucking, construction, forestry, mining. It streamlined and consolidated rules and requirements for quarries, for farming, for waste management, and created a one-stop shop for trucking safety and emissions inspections and hydroelectric dam approvals—the nuts and bolts of those people, those hard-working men and women, who ensure that the goods are able to get from here to there, and those who keep the lights on.

We weren’t done. In July 2020, even in the midst of a challenging pandemic, we were able to bring forward the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act. It was the first step in our government’s plan for growth, renewal and recovery. It was designed to get crucial infrastructure projects built faster, while positioning Ontario as a modern regulator. To help address infrastructure backlogs for businesses and communities, this act cut red tape by also streamlining and modernizing the environmental assessment processes. Through this change alone, approval timelines for some projects that had been as high as six years were cut in half, to three years, and a greater number of important infrastructure projects can move forward because of this legislation. In fact, there are projects that are under way today because of the changes that act made.

To reduce delays for sewage and stormwater projects, crucial in all of our communities, that act was updated to also provide a single consolidated environmental compliance approvals process for low-impact municipal sewage collection and stormwater management projects. This change is allowing simple, routine changes by municipalities, such as alterations, extensions, enlargements or replacement projects, to be preauthorized so that construction can start without needing separate approvals for each and every single project—as there was before.

In addition to helping people and businesses in the construction sector, this act made it easier and faster to update the building code, to ensure that we’re reflecting the changes that are needed. Streamlining the building code development process, supporting harmonization with national construction codes and allowing Ontario to respond faster to the needs of the construction sector helped keep more people working and communities operating safely across this province during what was a very, very difficult time.

In November of the same year, 2020—a year I’m sure few of us will forget—the Legislature passed the Main Street Recovery Act. This was part of Ontario’s Main Street Recovery Plan, which was supporting small businesses and modernizing rules that would help them innovate and pursue new opportunities. The purpose of the bill was to support the small and main street businesses, the ones that are in each and every one of our communities—in Fonthill, in Fenwick, in Campden, in Jordan, in Vineland, in Beamsville, in Grimsby, in Smithville, in my riding of Niagara West—that fuel our economy and bring life to our communities.

One important measure in the Main Street Recovery Act, 2020, was making sure that 24/7 truck deliveries to retailers, restaurants and distribution centres were permanent. There had been temporary changes that had been brought in to keep store shelves full through the first wave of the pandemic, when many retailers were experiencing low supplies.

And you know, Speaker, one of the important changes that we made, as well, was that, from this act, we allowed an increased diversity of products to be sold at the Ontario Food Terminal—a very appropriate mention, given the important announcement that was made there this morning by the Minister of Agriculture and Minister Gill. Of course, thousands of small businesses, including independent shops and restaurants, rely on the terminal for their supplies, so this was a crucial measure to ensure that Ontario’s agri-food economy was supported.

We brought forward three red tape reduction packages to better support small businesses in 2020.

In December 2020, the Legislature passed the Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2020, which strengthened Ontario’s economic recovery and supported businesses. Changes included requiring gas and electric utilities to adopt Green Button technology so utility consumers could better understand their energy consumption and reduce costs. It allowed single traffic studies for an entire specified highway corridor or area to reduce duplication and enable developers to get shovels in the ground faster. It made it easier to get environmental information that home builders needed by moving from a manual paper-based process to a much faster digital delivery platform—as well as cutting red tape for inter-community bus carriers to improve transportation options in rural communities and in northern Ontario, making it easier for workers and families to access more transportation options.

Last year, in June 2021, the Legislature passed the Supporting Recovery and Competitiveness Act. This comprehensive package that contained over 90 legislative and regulatory actions helped position businesses for new opportunities as the economy reopened. The bill launched innovative pilot projects that supported our autonomous vehicle industry, brought more ServiceOntario services online to make life easier for people accessing services, and supported the not-for-profit sector and other corporations by allowing them to hold virtual meetings. It also removed the requirement for high school students to submit paper-based forms on community involvement activities. By allowing students to submit this important diploma requirement activity online, we’ve saved time and frustration for students and administrators alike. It’s a great example of a simple fix that just makes sense, and it shows how regulatory modernization and burden reduction can really benefit all Ontarians.

In December of last year, the Legislature also passed the Supporting People and Businesses Act, 2021, which made it easier for people to become volunteers by providing free police checks. And it laid the groundwork for licensed restaurants and bars to extend their outdoor patio spaces last year, when they needed it most. I heard from many small businesses, especially in the restaurant and service sector, that really appreciated that change. It also enabled additional supports and a simplified application process for the Second Career program—a program that helps those looking for employment train for occupations that are in high demand.

Speaker, the Fewer Fees, Better Services Act, 2022, introduced in February, was our eighth red tape reduction bill. The package brought financial relief to millions of Ontario vehicle owners by removing the requirement for and providing refunds for licence plate stickers and renewal fees. It gave drivers in Durham region a break by removing the unfair tolls on Highway 412 and 418, an issue long advocated for by the member for Whitby—tolls that were unwillingly imposed on those communities by the previous Liberal government. It also began the process of establishing a single window for business, including the development of service standards so businesses will be able to know how long it will take them to get the information they need from government, as well as the Building Ontario Business Initiative, which will strengthen supply chain resiliency and provide Ontario businesses with greater access to public procurement opportunities through the Supply Ontario agency.

Finally, in the 2022 budget, we responded to calls by the CFIB to track burden reduction for citizens by committing to cut more red tape to support individuals—and I know that this is a passion for the Premier and for our whole team at the Ministry of Red Tape Reduction, including Minister Gill. We are starting to track these achievements. Beginning in September 2023, the government will ensure that we are tracking every reduced administration burden for citizens and publicly reporting on this progress, to ensure greater accountability and reduced regulatory and administrative burdens.

Speaker, as I’ve already talked about, the reductions that we’ve brought forward as a government and as a team have saved Ontario businesses, since 2018, over half a billion dollars each and every year. And while we’re proud of these savings and the impact that they will have on Ontario’s competitiveness, we know that there is more work to do.

Smart, modern regulations that can improve how people go about their lives and that can make it easier for them to interact with important public services are important. That’s why, through the Less Red Tape, Stronger Ontario Act, we continue to update regulations and reduce burdens in ways that save people time and money.

Speaker, I can’t stress enough how many people and businesses in Ontario have benefited from our efforts to reduce red tape and administrative burdens since 2018.

Dennis Darby, the president and CEO of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, said, “Unnecessary, duplicative processes and red tape can plague all critical elements of doing business in Ontario—from hiring, to building a new facility or exporting. It has been refreshing to see the government of Ontario set a specific objective for regulatory burden reduction—$576 million over the last four years, and then meet that objective.”

Nadia Todorova, executive director of the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario, said, “RCCAO commends the government of Ontario for continuously working to streamline and modernize regulations and facilitate economic competitiveness in the province.”

Ryan Mallough of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business said, “Great to see” the government’s “continued commitment to reducing red tape! Positive measures in the package on going digital/streamlining processes. Great to see they’re pushing the red tape portal....”

That reminds me of an important point. In recent months, both the Minister of Red Tape Reduction and myself have been consulting with stakeholders. We’ve been trying to help identify and solve the burdens that they face while operating their businesses. I hosted a series of round tables focused specifically on addressing the challenges in Ontario’s supply chain. That work helped inform the important measures in the Less Red Tape, Stronger Ontario Act.

But we’re always looking for new ideas and solutions to make Ontario a better place to live, work and start a business—and we know that people and businesses are those who are best positioned to bring forward lasting solutions. It’s why we’ve relaunched the province’s red tape reduction portal, which can be found online at ontario.ca/redtape. Go there with your ideas. It’s a quick and easy way for people to share their concerns, ideas and, most importantly, solutions directly with our ministry, the Ministry of Red Tape Reduction. I also encourage all members in this House to share this link with their constituents and gain that feedback.

The 28 initiatives in this legislation will bolster Ontario’s competitiveness, build a stronger supply chain, support agri-business, shore up our workforce, and make it easier to interact with government by cutting red tape.

I now look forward to hearing from the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, who will speak about the Grow Ontario strategy within this legislation and the other measures in this package that will build a stronger agri-food supply chain.