To reply, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.

We’ve been very clear on this side of the House. While we embrace innovation, while we want to see those exciting opportunities that will ensure our surgery backlogs and our individuals have access to critical health care in their community—we’re doing that. We have also been very clear that it will continue to be an OHIP-funded system in the province of Ontario.

Supplementary question?

Interjections.

Start the clock. Member for Don Valley East.

The Minister of Health, to reply.

The next question.

My question is for the Premier. During question period, the parliamentary assistant for health said that she was “tired of listening to people trying” to instill fear “by using words and expressions like ‘the worst crisis in generations’....” I’m wondering if she’s including health care workers like Pam. Pam is a CUPE nurse in Oshawa emergency. Pam says that this is the worst crisis in generations. Pam has been a nurse for 36 years and told me that she can’t do this anymore. She said, “This is the worst I’ve ever seen it. I don’t know why we’re still here. I guess it’s because we love the people who need us. It’s not because of how the government treats us.”

My question is, why does the Conservative government think they know better than health care workers like Pam?

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 want to thank my colleague from Waterloo for her excellent presentation this afternoon.

Last week, our hospital in St. Catharines actually announced that there were going to be pediatric surgical delays in order to create space and capacity, because our health care is in crisis right now.

So why are we literally talking about anything else right now when our health care is in crisis—a crisis that has been exacerbated by serious underfunding by this government over the past half a decade?

My question to my colleague from Waterloo is, why are we not talking about how we can improve our health care when it’s in a crisis?