Speaker, as you know, children in Ontario are facing a health care crisis. Public health officials are saying that we should be masking indoors to protect our children. The Premier and his government are not following that advice, but they are telling others to follow it. It seems like a classic case of “do as I say, not as I do.”

Is the Premier going to be a leader and mask up indoors or not?

There is so much more this government needs to do to address the crisis that our children face. We need an ambitious flu and COVID-19 vaccination push. We need an advertising blitz to encourage people to mask up and get vaccinated. We need 10 paid sick days so that people can stay home when they’re sick. We need government members to show personal leadership. Will the Premier step up today and lead on these critical public health initiatives?

Will the Premier be a leader and act on the recommendations of the medical officer of health or not?

Interjections.

I know they’ve been welcomed already—but a special welcome to the members of the Waterloo Regional Police Service who are here today.

And my wife, Kim, is joining us today.

Speaker, our government believes children should be in the classroom, and I hope the members opposite would agree with that premise.

We said we would repeal Bill 28, and we did that. We said we would increase wages across the board. In fact, we have increased wages by over $335 million over four years for the lowest-paid workers. We also said that we would offer a flat rate; we did that too.

The question is, why are we here? We did everything we said we would to workers at CUPE to get a deal that keeps kids in school.

We are absolutely committed to a fair deal. We’re going to stay at the table.

I urge the union to call off this needless strike. Work with the government. Let’s get a deal that keeps kids in the classroom.

All we ask is that kids stay in school. We think they need to be in school after the disruptions of the pandemic, of recent strikes. This should not be something that is done in this province ever so casually—strikes every few weeks. Kids deserve to be in school.

I urge the union to stay at the table. Let’s get a deal that’s fair for the workers and keeps kids in the classroom in this province.

Mr. Speaker, unlike the provincial Liberal former government that closed 600 schools, we have now invested in over a hundred construction projects, as we speak—$14 billion over the next 10 years to renew our schools. We are increasing funding, increasing staffing. And we insist these kids stay in the classroom.

Thank you. The official opposition will come to order.

The next question.

To reply, the Minister of Health.

This government’s cuts to education mean our kids aren’t getting all of the supports they need and deserve in schools. There are educational assistants running back and forth in hallways with walkie-talkies trying to figure out which kid needs help the most. Parents are getting a phone call saying, “Your child can’t come to school today; there’s no EA available.”

The government claimed all the disruption it caused to our kids’ school year with Bill 28 was to support our kids. So why is the Premier refusing to bargain a deal that ensures every child gets the support they need with no more disruptions to the school year?

Custodial staff do such important work to keep kids safe, but we’ve got schools where teachers and principals are forced to fill in for shortages because of custodians missing, schools with libraries closed because there’s no library worker.

If the government is serious about making up for learning loss and giving kids a normal school year, why is the Premier refusing to negotiate a deal with real investments and throwing things into chaos once again?

Speaker, we know from the Financial Accountability Office that this government isn’t investing enough to support our students. They are underfunding education by $400 million this year, and they will be short $6 billion over the next six years.

Education workers are fighting for our kids.

Will the government do the right thing and make the investments needed to ensure our schools remain good places to learn?

My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

Technology is one of our province’s most important economic drivers. Yet for years, under the previous Liberal government, our best STEM graduates were leaving the province in droves to pursue jobs in the US and elsewhere.

Since Ontarians elected our government in 2018, the importance of a resilient technology sector has grown stronger.

Will the minister explain how our government is ensuring that our tech talent remains here at home while showcasing that Ontario is open for business?

Ontario is proud to be home to Canada’s largest technology sector and second-largest tech cluster in all of North America. There are over 21,000 technology firms employing more than 400,000 top professionals in the sector. We are fostering the perfect environment for Ontario’s 65,000 STEM graduates.

That’s why, earlier this month, we joined both L&T Technology Services and Snowflake engineering as they announced millions in investment and hundreds of new tech jobs. LTTS, a leading global engineering company from India, opened their first office in this province and created 100 engineering jobs. Snowflake landed in Ontario from Montana with their Toronto headquarters and engineering hub, providing 300 well-paying tech jobs. This is all proof that we have created the best conditions for businesses to invest here in Ontario.

My question is for the Premier.

In a recent video posted online, Chloe Dion, a two-year-old girl, is labouring to breathe at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. The surgical tape that’s holding the breathing tube on Chloe’s face is cut in the shape of tiny hearts.

Speaker, experts are urging that all of us wear masks indoors to protect kids like Chloe and to ensure that kids can stay safe through this triple pandemic of countervail-ing factors. That’s why Chloe’s parents had the courage to put this video online so that we could all see it.

Premier, why not lead by example and put on a mask for Chloe and other kids like her today?

In the video I’m talking about, Chloe’s parents, Jeff and Christine, are singing Chloe Somewhere over the Rainbow as her eyes are filled with tears, and quite clearly she’s terrified about the situation she’s in.

There are 250 kids right now at CHEO, some of whom are going through that exact same nightmare. Some parents are living that exact same nightmare. On Monday, there were three kids who needed to be resuscitated for significant breathing blockages; on Sunday, there were four.

Premier, I see you here this morning, and I’m glad you’re here this morning. I want you to send a message to Jeff and Christine, Chloe’s parents, and every other kid struggling to breathe right now in the province of Ontario. Please, put a mask on. Show some leadership, as this province’s leader, so our kids can be safe. Will you do that today?

My question is for the Minister of Energy.

Our government continues to champion the use of nuclear power, and rightfully so. Nuclear power represents a critical component of Ontario’s energy production. In the past, the minister has spoken about the untapped potential of small modular nuclear reactors in providing a safe, stable, reliable source of energy to meet our future electricity needs.

Speaker, while this all sounds very promising, it has led to questions from my constituents about this new energy technology and what it can offer to our province.

Can the minister please tell us more about SMR nuclear technology and what our government is doing to continue to advance this energy source?

What is our government doing to show global leadership and provide our European and global allies with access to and understanding of this new technology?

There was a time when companies were fleeing Ontario—300,000 jobs left here. But under this government, we have lowered the cost of doing business by over $700 billion a year, every year. The result? Look at Telus—a $23-billion investment in network infrastructure and broadband technology, creating 9,500 new jobs over the next five years. Tata Consultancy Services, an Indian tech firm, launched their fifth global hub right here in Toronto—5,000 new jobs and 100 internships for those 65,000 STEM grads.

We have created the right climate for companies like LTTS and Snowflake to locate right here in Ontario, all because Ontario is open for business.

My question is to the Premier. I hope that I get an answer from the Premier.

My constituent Stephanie told me that when she had to get Tylenol for her child she went to five stores and they were all out.

My constituent Ronnie told me that when his one-year-old was sick, he went to every single nearby pharmacy and none of them had Tylenol.

This shortage is straining physicians. The ERs for children are bursting.

What is this government doing to ensure that all families have access to the medicine they need—including the ones that are manufactured right here in Ontario? Why is it that American pharmaceuticals can create a workaround and we don’t see the same thing happening right here in Ontario?

It’s great that our government is attracting investment from around the world to create jobs for our annual 65,000 STEM graduates.

For Ontario to outperform Silicon Valley, our government must also support the Ontario-made technology ecosystem.

We heard that in 2021 alone, Ontario attracted record levels of venture capital investments, leading the nation with $8.4 billion in investments.

Will the minister explain how our government is ensuring Ontario’s venture capital sector and high-potential technology companies are staying ahead of competitors to the south?

The supplementary question.

Minister of Health.

The next question.

Remarks in Oji-Cree. My question is to the Premier.

The children in northern First Nations are the most vulnerable in Ontario because of their limited access to health care. Because of the lack of children’s pain and fever medications, Nishnawbe Aski Nation leaders and their allies are planning to travel to the US to get these medications, because this government cannot ensure supply.

The thought of losing any of our children because we do not have these basic medications available is intolerable.

How is Ontario working with Nishnawbe Aski Nation to address this issue?

Interjections.

The member opposite raises a very important issue. In fact, I met with the grand chief early today and it was one of the conversations that we had. How do we ensure that our federal government actually steps up and stops putting barriers to ensure that we have children’s medication? I have spoken to Minister Duclos as recently as this past weekend. Of course, it was raised by all of the health ministers at our federal-provincial-territorial meeting last week. I have received assurances from Minister Duclos; frankly, I wish that he had acted sooner. The barrier that we have seen that is preventing children’s medication to be imported into Ontario and Canada is disturbing. I think, in this case, we should have had a short-term solution that said, “If it only has English on the packaging, we want it, because we are in short supply.” The federal minister has finally acted on that, and I am pleased to see that action.

The member opposite talks about how important it is to build up and ensure that we have sufficient supplies here in Ontario. Where was that member when we were building up Ontario and making sure that we had a supply of personal protective equipment built here in Ontario? Was the member supporting those initiatives when we made a made-in-Ontario solution that said, “If you have ideas, if you have initiatives, we want to hear about it and we want to be part of the solution”?

Interjections.

We will continue to ensure that manufacturing is a large part of what we want to see in the province of Ontario, and I hope the member opposite will support that when they come forward.

Thanks to the member opposite for the question. He does come from Durham region, which is Ontario’s clean energy capital—Canada’s clean energy capital, as a matter of fact—home to Darlington and Pickering nuclear generating stations, with 76,000 people working in this sector in Ontario and across the country.

The Premier had the vision three years ago to sign an MOU and to lead the MOU with three other provinces—Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick—on the deployment of small modular reactors, and boy, have we seen progress on this file since he had the vision to do that.

This time last year, OPG decided on the technology that they were going to be building on the site at Darlington, the GEH BWRX-300, a 300-megawatt small modular reactor that is going to be producing clean, reliable electricity on our grid by 2028. Saskatchewan has signed on to purchase potentially four and site them in their province to help them eliminate coal generation in Saskatchewan. We have seen TVA, one of the largest utilities in the United States, sign on and collaborate. And just a couple of weeks ago, the federal government signed on with almost a billion dollars from the Canada Infrastructure Bank—

Invasive species are a growing concern to Ontario’s biodiversity. Last year, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry said, “It’s likely that there are small numbers of wild pigs scattered across southern, central and eastern Ontario.” Invasive species like these put our ecosystem and agricultural sector at serious risk.

In my community, media reported that wild pigs were spotted in Grey-Bruce last year, raising concerns about the damage they could inflict on crops and farmland. The cost of wild pig damage to agriculture and the environment can be extensive and costly.

Speaker, my question to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry: What is our government doing to stop the spread of invasive species in Ontario?

Anyone who reads a newspaper or watches the news also knows that there is an increase internationally in RSV and influenza. We’ve seen that. We’ve prepared for that. We’ve worked with our hospital partners.

I’m going to again say that when children’s hospitals and the staff within them stepped up and helped when our hospitals were being challenged with COVID-19 patients—we are now seeing those same hospitals reciprocate and assist children’s hospitals with pediatric patients. That work will continue. That innovation will continue.

I have spoken to all four sick kids’ hospital CEOs. I’ve said, “Whatever you need, however we can help, please let me know.” We have given those investments. CHEO, in particular, in Ottawa—transferring a ward room and making it into a pediatric ICU within weeks is an incredible innovation and shows leadership and shows people understanding that where there’s need, we will find—

We have made sure that investments are happening in our health care system as recently as four months ago, with the passage of our budget, which included an increase of $5 billion. We are making the investments. We are working with our health care partners. We will continue to do that work because we understand that people want to have a health care system that is healthy and ready for them when they need it. And that is happening in the province.

My question is to the Premier.

This government’s Bill 23 changes the definition of affordable housing from one based on income to one based on average market prices. Under this new definition, a family would need an income of at least $130,000 to afford a so-called “affordable” home in the city of Toronto. This is far beyond what most education workers, teachers, library workers, nurses, PSWs, transit operators, tradespeople—or most workers in Ontario—make, quite frankly, in a year. It’s more than what many of us MPPs in this room make in a year.

Will you amend this bill’s definition to give working Ontarians the chance at a home they can actually afford?

My question is back to the Premier—I would love it if he would actually answer his questions, as the Premier: What in this bill protects tenants in my community of St. Paul’s? Where is the real rent control, vacancy control, demoviction or renoviction protections that make rentals affordable?