I’ll try, Mr. Speaker. It was great to be in beautiful Smooth Rock Falls last Friday to announce more than $750,000 in investments through the Community Enhancement Program of the modernized, new-look Northern Ontario Heritage Fund: upgrades and repairs to the municipal pools, revamping the community hall, renovating the Reg Lamy Cultural Centre and refurbishing the historic Mattagami Railroad Company steam locomotive.

The member opposite was there. He was all smiles, his Chiclets in full display. I had to remind his constituents that he voted against them, but I was going to give them an opportunity next spring, when we table our budget—with lots of support for northern Ontario—to stand with us and vote for those investments to northern Ontario.

How about that, Mr. Speaker?

My question is to the Premier. Some 5,000 seniors have died in long-term care under this government’s watch. Now, with Bill 7, the Conservatives will rip seniors and people with disabilities away from their families and force them into dangerous, understaffed, mostly private, for-profit long-term-care homes. If a senior refuses to go to one of those homes, the Premier has threatened to financially ruin them.

Our parents, our grandparents, our brothers and sisters will be forced into mostly private, for-profit homes with horrible records of neglect. I’m sure the owners of these homes are excited about even bigger profits, but the people of Ontario deserve better.

Bill 7 is cruel, will tear families apart and put more seniors’ lives at risk. When will the Premier admit that, do the right thing and please repeal Bill 7?

Whether it’s a local cultural centre or the municipal pool, residents, especially those in rural, remote and northern communities, rely on these types of facilities to stay connected to one another. We know that people’s lives are enhanced through community connection and interaction with others.

Unfortunately, under the previous Liberal government, the infrastructure needs of the people in these communities were often overlooked and neglected. That is why our government must take action by providing critical funding support.

Speaker, can my neighbour in the north, the Minister of Northern Development, please share with the House what support we are providing to communities in northern Ontario?

The community infrastructure needs of northern Ontario are just as vital as anywhere else in this province. Local community infrastructure is a critical point of connection for recreation and cultural engagement opportunities.

Speaker, can the minister elaborate further on how local infrastructure support is essential for northern Ontario?

My question is to the Premier. Speaker, Kate recently moved to London and wants to get flu shots for her two kids. She can’t get the shots in a doctor’s office because she can’t find a family doctor. She can’t get the shots in the pharmacy because her youngest is under two. Since our local health unit doesn’t offer flu clinics, she must either wait hours in a crowded walk-in filled with sick people or drive outside the city.

She ended up booking in Guelph and says, “Sad and ironic that it is the pediatric hospitals that are overrun, and this was the only way to get a scheduled appointment for the age group that is filling up the hospitals.”

Speaker, why is this government not pulling out all the stops to help kids get their flu shots?

Speaker, where is this government’s plan to make it easy for parents who want to get flu shots and COVID vaccines for their kids?

Bien sûr, c’est vrai que nous sommes fiers du Programme pour l’amélioration communautaire. Dans les villes comme Smooth Rock Falls, un minimum de 90 % de ces projets sont couverts par le programme. C’est à propos de la qualité de vie, monsieur le Président, dans nos petites villes dans le nord de l’Ontario.

C’est pourquoi nous investissons dans les quatre projets suivants : moderniser la piscine municipale de Smooth Rock Falls, réorganiser la salle communautaire, la rénovation du Centre culturel Reg Lamy, et la remise à neuf de la locomotive à vapeur historique de la compagnie ferroviaire Mattagami.

Les électeurs de Smooth Rock Falls apprécient les contributions de notre gouvernement et ont été surpris que leur membre de la législature ait voté contre ces investissements. J’étais ravi de voir le député de Mushkegowuk–Baie James tout sourires à l’annonce et j’espère qu’il va supporter et voter—

In fact, Speaker, we are. We have the OMA here today. We have family physicians who are offering flu shots to their patients. We have public health units that are putting on clinics. We have local pharmacies that have historically offered flu shots in the province of Ontario and continue to do so. There are many different pathways for individuals who wish to get their flu shot, and I would strongly encourage they do so, to get it depending on what is convenient for them in their community.

Ma question est pour le premier ministre. This morning, the Ontario Health Coalition, the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly and Goldblatt Partners law firm announced that they are launching a charter challenge against Bill 7. As you know, Speaker, Bill 7 takes away the right of frail elderly people to give consent and to keep their personal health information private.

All weekend, health care workers reached out to me—social workers, nurses, physicians. They do not want to have to tell their patients that they will be charged $400 a day if they refuse to be moved to a long-term-care home hundreds of kilometres away. Many of them will quit rather than do something that goes completely against their ethical and moral values.

You see, Speaker, contrary to this government, health care workers do not discriminate against frail elderly people. They care for them. Will the government do the right thing and repeal Bill 7?

I think she just outlined all your bills.

Speaker, in fact, earlier today, I was at a pharmaceutical distribution centre that has been tasked with distributing flu vaccines in the province of Ontario and was assured that almost all of them are out in pharmacies, in family physicians’ offices, in public health units.

We have invested and ensured that in the province of Ontario we have sufficient supplies of flu vaccines. It is now out in community, and I would encourage everyone who has the opportunity to go and get their flu shot as soon as possible.

Today, I will speak about the greenbelt, with a question to the Premier. Yes, we’re in a housing crisis. We all know we’re in a housing crisis, and we wish to do something about it. But why step foot into the greenbelt when there are plenty of other options? We’re talking about building up existing communities. There are plenty of ideas—innovative, creative ideas—to do that.

Building up along the corridors in Toronto: Danforth corridor is in my area and it is on a subway line, so why not add up the two storeys and go up further? You’re talking to the biggest YIMBY you will ever meet. And why not encourage people to put in laneway suites, garden suites and secondary suites? Why not look at vacant properties, which you’re not doing? Why not look at all the great home-share organizations? There are over 2.2 million empty bedrooms in the city of Toronto. There are great programs partnering up students—

Interjections.

My question primarily is: Why bulldoze the greenbelt, destroying precious farmlands and wetlands, when there are plenty of other options available to solve this housing crisis? Why exactly does the government think the greenbelt exists to begin with?

Speaker, the people of my riding are concerned that crime rates are on the rise. Everywhere, from newspapers to social media, we continue to see stories of crime and violence fuelled by smuggled drugs and guns.

Ontarians rely on our local police officers to protect them and their neighbourhoods, and our officers are working hard to ensure that drugs are kept off our streets and out of our communities.

Speaker, can the Solicitor General please detail the progress of Ontario’s police services as they work to keep our communities safe?

Families and individuals in my riding of Scarborough–Rouge Park want our government to make the needed investments to ensure they are protected. Our government has a strong track record on providing millions of dollars in funding to support our police services as they continue to combat gun and gang violence. Speaker, can the Solicitor General elaborate further about the good work that Toronto Police Service is doing to keep communities like mine safe?

The next question.

Interjection.

Start the clock. The member for Beaches–East York.

To reply on behalf of the government, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

The supplementary question?

Start the clock. The member for Beaches–East York has the floor.

I want to thank the member for the question. As I’ve said in this House many times, everyone has a right to feel safe in their own homes and their own communities.

Let me give you a few examples as to how Ontario’s police services are stepping up and making a real difference. A joint force investigation by OPP and LaSalle police seized more than two kilograms of cocaine near Windsor, and just a month ago in Fort Frances, four were charged with drug trafficking following the seizure of $100,000 worth of cocaine and a cache of firearms. Earlier this year, Ottawa Police Service was able to take 46 firearms destined for criminals and criminal organizations off the street.

I want to thank the brave men and women of the OPP, LaSalle Police Service and the Ottawa Police Service for taking actions to keep us safe. We will always have your backs.

Monsieur le Président, nous continuerons de faire ce qui est difficile, et nous continuerons de réaliser ce qui est difficile, pour assurer la sécurité de l’Ontario.

We just heard this past Thursday about the great work of the Toronto Police Service, and we’re proud that this investigation was partially funded by the government of Ontario. Toronto Police Service seized an amazing 671 kilograms of illicit drugs with an estimated street value of over $58 million. This is the largest single-day drug bust in the service’s history. I would like to thank and congratulate Chief James Ramer and all the front-line officers who were involved in this historic bust.

Monsieur le Président, grâce au travail de la police, les Ontariens se sentent en sécurité dans leurs communautés, aujourd’hui et tous les jours.

My question is to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. The Ontario Disability Support Program has required modernization for many years. As parliamentary assistant for the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility, I heard it from many impacted groups as well as from my constituents in Richmond Hill.

After 15 years of inaction and neglect under the previous Liberal government, our most vulnerable were significantly disadvantaged. It was wrong for the previous government to have ignored those in need for all those years, forcing them to work in a system that was outdated and unresponsive.

With the release of the fall economic statement, our government has shown leadership in addressing these long-standing concerns. Can the minister elaborate further on what progress we have made in implementing the most significant overhaul of ODSP?

I would like to take the opportunity to share what the Daily Bread Food Bank had to say in response to our recent actions: “The provincial decision to index ODSP will ensure that future hikes do not deteriorate into a debate over the worthiness of government expenditures. The depoliticization through annual inflationary adjustment of future hikes is laudable.”

While our government appreciates this recognition, we also know that we have had long-standing challenges with ODSP for over a decade. What else is our government doing to support those Ontarians who depend on ODSP?

My question is for the Premier. The Premier and his government recently went against the city of Hamilton’s decision to expand the urban boundary. He did this despite overwhelming public support to hold the boundary, and he made 2,200 acres of farmland available for use to his developer friends and donors. This action will lead to unnecessary sprawl, environmental problems, unaffordable neighbourhoods and further commutes to work.

Why does the Premier think it is okay to ignore the decisions of Hamilton city council and our community?

Will the Premier commit to leaving the greenbelt alone in Hamilton and actually listen to the Hamilton residents and stop Bill 23?

I thank the member from Richmond Hill for that important question. Aligning ODSP rates to inflation is a key priority for government so that vulnerable people get more support to pay for life’s essentials, especially during periods of high inflation. This is a historic transformation for the delivery of ODSP in this province, and I’m proud of the work that’s being done across government, including with my colleagues the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

In the fall economic statement, Ontario’s Plan to Build, our government outlined that the first-ever adjustment of rates to inflation will occur in July 2023. This change will put more money in the pockets of the people who need it most, to spend on the essentials of life.

The fall economic statement also includes a 400% increase to the threshold of the earnings exemption. That change will empower people with disabilities who can and want to work. It will give them a real opportunity to tap into their skills and talents, to contribute to their local economy and support their family without fear of losing their health benefits. That fivefold increase will allow 25,000 people receiving ODSP who are also working to keep more of their earnings and could encourage as many as another 25,000 to enter the workforce.

Our government is continuing to do this important work, helping our most vulnerable people, continuing to create solutions that respond to the needs of individuals to ensure they have the support that they need.

My question is to the Premier. Tenants in two buildings in my riding, 55 Quebec Avenue and 50 High Park Avenue, are facing rent increases of more than 11%. That’s almost five times more than the provincial rent increase guideline for 2023. Speaker, this impacts over 1,000 tenants in High Park alone, including seniors and young families. Many are worried they will be forced to move out.

The Premier made these increases legal when he ended rent control on new buildings in 2018. Will he fix his mistake and extend rent control protections to all units?

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Speaker, I made my intention crystal clear to the city of Hamilton. I actually wrote an op-ed cautioning the city against the frozen boundary because, at the same time, their own planning staff made recommendations on properties that should be developed, and they ignored them. Over and over again, Hamilton city hall wanted to have it both ways. They didn’t want to intensify within the city, and they didn’t want to extend the boundary.

We’re facing an incredible rising cost of housing because of these delays. Hamilton has some big challenges with housing affordability. We needed to ensure that this official plan set up the community for success so they were able to meet the growth targets we were projecting. Putting your head in the sand and not recognizing that things needed to change is not an option, and we adjusted the official plan accordingly.

Interjections.

It’s expected that the city of Hamilton’s population is going to grow by more than 800,000 people by 2051. Again, according to the city of Hamilton’s own planners, the existing urban boundaries could not keep pace with that projected growth. We cannot deal with the status quo. That is the biggest problem in municipal politics right now when it comes to housing. The status quo doesn’t work. We need to do more. We need to build more, and we need to ensure that we work with the new mayors, like Andrea Horwath in Hamilton, to ensure that she has the tools to be successful.

In addition, the government, in the middle of the pandemic, placed a number of rental protections forward. The Attorney General did a great job in ensuring that evictions were paused during the pandemic. We interceded this year on those properties that were rent-controlled to invoke the cap to provide further protection.

As well, since the pandemic began, we’ve provided municipalities over $1.2 billion to support our most vulnerable, including encouraging them to create robust rent banks to ensure that our most vulnerable are protected.

We’ll continue to work towards it. I just wish that, when we place these measures forward, the member opposite—