My question is to the Premier.

Ambulance shortages have recently become a recurring problem in Waterloo region and across Ontario. Two weeks ago, during a code red, ambulances were coming into Waterloo region from Guelph-Wellington for backup—only for Guelph-Wellington to end up in a code red the following day. At one point, 600,000 people did not have access to an ambulance or a paramedic. In Waterloo region, we’ve lost 17 paramedics since January, largely due to burnout and lack of time off.

It’s literally a matter of life and death that Ontario is this ill-equipped to care for its growing and aging population. So I ask the Premier, I ask the minister, I ask anyone on that side of the House: How would you feel if you and your loved one experienced a medical emergency and no one was there to answer the call? What would you do? Because that’s where the province of Ontario is at right now.

According to Dave Bryant, who is the co-VP of CUPE 5191, the Region of Waterloo Paramedics Services, they have the highest number of code reds the region has ever had within a 24-hour period on September 26. A local paramedic told me that, at one point, there were five full hours where no ambulances were available, and offload times ranged from seven hours to 22 hours.

When the minister—or the parliamentary assistant—says that they’re doing everything they can, clearly that is not correct, because you have Bill 124 on the books. This is wage-suppression legislation. It is pushing health care workers and nurses out of the province of Ontario. And with all due respect, you actually have the money to recognize and respect health care workers in Ontario.

So how can this government continue to sit by idly when another crucial part of our health care system is collapsing and you are sticking to your speaking points?

Thank you to the member opposite for the question.

Obviously, we’re doing everything we can to make sure the ambulances are there when they’re needed, and we have a four-point strategy in place to decrease ambulance offload times, which is holding up some of the ambulances, including: returning ambulances to the communities faster; providing timely and appropriate care in the community; increasing non-ambulance transport services for medically stable patients; and we’re maximizing health human resource capacity.

We’re doing all of those things as well as updating O. Reg. 257/00 under the Ambulance Act, which allows other health care professionals, including physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists to provide patient care in addition to paramedics in air ambulance or other configurations where that is necessary.

We’re going to make sure that we build a better health care system here in Ontario.

After decades of underfunding, it is this government that has made unprecedented investments in our health care system. We’re investing $77.5 billion into our health care system this year. Health care funding has increased at 6.2% year over year, the largest increase on record, including an over $5-billion increase in base funding and 8.9% increase in base funding, which is unprecedented. No previous base funding increase has been that increased year over year.

We’ve added 3,500 new hospital beds; we’re in the process of adding another 3,000. We’ve added 11,700 health care workers. The College of Nurses of Ontario recently said that they’ve added over 12,800 new nurses before the year ends—the most ever recorded. This government will get it done.