The President of the Treasury Board.

Members will please take their seats.

Interjections.

Start the clock.

Through you, Mr. Speaker, thank you to Mississauga Centre—thank you for the question.

And thank you to the Brampton Centre constituents for trusting in me to be their voice.

I wake up every day motivated to see women in Ontario live in a social and economic landscape that they can grow in, because when women succeed, Ontario succeeds. Us women belong in all spaces, at every table and in all sectors.

That’s why, under the leadership of our Premier and our government, we have invested in empowering and supporting women entering and re-entering the workforce. As part of our proposed 2022 budget bill, we have announced we are investing an addition $6.9 million over three years into enhancing the Investing in Women’s Futures Program. This constitutes the largest—

Interjections.

We are making sure that women and girls of Ontario have well-paying, stable jobs that align with their passions—and I’ll say that again—with their passions and their skills.

I do want to acknowledge the leadership taken by the Minister of Finance and my predecessor, the Minister of Colleges and Universities, in establishing Ontario’s Task Force on Women and the Economy. That program and that task force resulted in leading initiatives that we are taking action on to see women’s full economic participation. For example, implementing the largest agreement in Canada, $13.5 billion, to lower the cost of child care—that is going to unlock many opportunities for women. Also, the skilled trades strategy: We are investing in several initiatives that support women and girls entering the world of trades, which aims to get more women and girls good-paying jobs. We are also modernizing our school science and technology curricula to better prepare students for the jobs of the future in STEM—science, technology, engineering and mechanics.

We are supporting the economic empowerment of women because, again, when women succeed, Ontario succeeds.

Mr. Speaker, thank you to the member opposite, through you, for that question.

Many in Ontario are feeling the pinch, whether it’s at the grocery store or at the gas pumps, and we’re committed to putting more money back in their pockets. That’s why, under the leadership of Premier Ford and our team, we cut the gas taxes. And the inflation rate going down to 7.6%—that was driven by Ontario leading the country in the biggest drop in gas prices right across this country.

Mr. Speaker, what I would ask respectfully of the member opposite and all the members opposite is, that while they voted against reducing gas taxes for the people of Ontario, join us this time and vote for the budget bill so that we can build Ontario together.

We are acting. Look at the record. Look at the 241 pages of the budget. Let me highlight a few things, Mr. Speaker.

Minimum wage—it’s going up again. In 60 days, it’s going to go up again to $15.50. That’s amongst the highest in the country. But we’re doing more.

The low-income individuals and families tax credit means that 1.1 million people in Ontario are going to pay some of the lowest personal income taxes in the country.

We’re helping seniors so that low-income seniors can live at home longer, by providing a tax credit so they can retrofit their home and have home care come to their home.

We’re providing job training tax credits so that people can get retrained for the jobs of tomorrow.

The child care tax credit—we doubled it.

Please join us and vote for this budget bill.

It is an honour to rise today to ask my very first question in this 43rd Parliament. I am humbled by the trust the voters of Mississauga Centre have put in me for a second time.

Speaker, I have spoken with many women in my riding and across Ontario who have expressed challenges with not being able to successfully enter the workforce and stay employed.

We must lift women up and empower them to excel in business, leadership roles, as entrepreneurs, and in sectors where they are under-represented, like in the skilled trades, for example. Ensuring that women are economically, physically and emotionally safe requires a broad network of support.

Our government has taken action in breaking down barriers that exist for women, including women who are Indigenous, Black or racialized, but more work needs to be done.

Can the Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity please tell us about what investments our government is making to empower women in my riding and throughout the province?

As a result of COVID-19, women and girls have faced additional challenges, such as increased economic insecurity, greater burden of caregiving responsibilities, and a rise, unfortunately, in the incidence of domestic violence. Women across Ontario were disproportionately impacted by the personal effects of the pandemic, including increased needs around child care, balancing home and work responsibility with children staying home during closures.

Our government established Ontario’s Task Force on Women and the Economy to ensure that women would not be left behind in a post-pandemic economy. Can the associate minister please highlight some of the initiatives that have been launched as a result of the work of the task force?

CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions represents 55,000 education workers. These are the early childhood educators, the administrative workers, the bus drivers, the custodians, the maintenance workers. Despite being the backbone of the education system, their pay is so low that many of these full-time workers have to work part-time jobs just to make ends meet. This is shameful.

My question is to the Premier. The OSBCU contract expires on August 31. I’m wondering, will the Conservative government ensure these workers can keep up with the rising cost of affordability by providing them with a pay increase that keeps pace with this rising cost of living?

The Minister of Finance.

Interjections.

Restart the clock.

Supplementary.

My question is to the Premier.

A report just surfaced indicating inflation of groceries is sitting at over 9%. The human right to food is moving out of reach, along with everything else. Meanwhile, a separate report has shown that while this is partly caused by labour or supply chain issues, grocery store chains are capitalizing on it by raising prices even further to up their own profits.

When will this government rein in the wealthy few to give working people and families a chance at simply catching up?

A report from the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario showed that 60%, sir—60%—of Ontario renters are cutting back on food to pay for rent. I know this is the case in my riding, where 60% or more of us are renters, and I’ve heard from folks like Ross Ashley, Lisa and Carla. They are not alone.

My question is to the Premier: How is it when our economy is on the up, basic life necessities are moving further out of reach for working people, like the tens of thousands of folks who have signed this petition calling for a poverty reduction target strategy in Ontario? Where are the fruits of people’s labour going if not into their own hands?

My question is for the Premier.

The Jeffs family has come to my office looking for help. Their son has autism. He received $20,000 under the Ontario Autism Program, in March 2020. Unfortunately, COVID-19 hit and this government could not get their act together, and they were not able to use that money. Their son was five at the time. Now, services are open once again, but they’re still not able to use the money. The child is now eight and this government is asking for them to pay the money back. This is supposed to be a needs-based program. There is no age cut-off at five, yet this government is asking for the $20,000 to be returned.

Can the government explain why they’re asking for this family to return $20,000 that they need for their child’s services?

Back to the Premier: Speaker, as the Minister of Education knows, the majority of these workers are women.

I met with Charity, one of these workers, and she told me that despite having a full-time job, she goes to food banks on a regular basis to feed her children.

Education workers like Charity keep our communities safe and running. They put their heart and soul, and their health and safety, on the line to protect our children. They should earn enough to be able to feed their families without going to food banks.

Speaker, all workers deserve dignity.

My question is, will the Conservative government commit to a pay increase, so education workers like Charity won’t have to rely on food banks to feed their children?

Thank you to the member opposite for the question.

We do agree that we value these front-line workers in our schools. They play critical roles, from custodians to EAs to ECEs. That’s why we brought forth a fair deal that we have tabled before them, which ensures we achieve the number one priority for this government, which is stability for children. We want them to return to normal schools and have a more enjoyable start this September, and that starts with keeping them in school.

What we’re asking of CUPE, and all unions, is to be reasonable. When you aggregate the asks made by that union, which sets the floor for the negotiations for every other union negotiation, it is a 52% increase, akin to the combined budgets of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and BC. It is larger than the Minister of Colleges and Universities’s entire budget.

So we want to be fair for taxpayers. A good deal for these workers, one that keeps kids in class—that’s exactly what this government will deliver.

We want kids in school. It has been two difficult years for families. I have not met a parent in this province, in every region that we have toured, who has said to me that they don’t want to see their kids in school in September—and that they stay in school right to June. Normal, stable, enjoyable—that is the policy commitment of this government, and we’ll do whatever it takes to achieve that for the children of this province.

The supplementary question.

My question is to the Premier.

Speaker, Ontario is in the midst of a health care crisis. Dr. Marc-André Blier, an intensive care and internal medicine physician with LHSC, has observed, “a steady uptick in the number of experienced nurses leaving intensive care,” and explained they are “the lifeblood of a critical care unit.” He told me about multiple cardiac cases being cancelled, and noted many bays with no nurses to staff them. In his letter, he asked the Premier and the Minister of Health to repeal Bill 124.

Will this government finally listen to front-line experts and repeal Bill 124?

Dr. Blier—just listen to the doctor who has seen empty bays while urgent surgeries are being cancelled. Wake up. According to front-line experts like Dr. Blier, the obvious reason is that a 1% raise annually cannot match the inflation rate. “Our health care professionals are worth it.”

My question is simple: Will this government be fair, show front-line nurses that they are worth it, and repeal Bill 124? Yes or no?

This government has an unprecedented record of investing in health care and health human resources across this province. We have added over 10,500 health care workers since March 2020, and every step of the way the members opposite have opposed that. We have added over 3,100 new beds into the system since March 2020—that’s almost the equivalent of five new hospitals—increasing capacity across the province. We’ve also put forward a bold plan to invest over $40 billion to build over 52 capital projects across this province. Mr. Speaker, every single one of those projects have been rejected by the members opposite; they voted no to each and every single one of those.

We will continue to support health care and health human resources across this province by investing in our nurses, investing in our doctors and investing in health human resources across this province.

Thank you to the member for the question.

Our government understands that a high-quality health care system starts with a high-quality post-secondary education system, and our government is working to support students in all health care fields at Ontario’s strong post-secondary institutions.

I was very excited to announce our innovative Learn and Stay program earlier this year. As a first step, the government is investing $81 million to support the expansion of the Community Commitment Program for Nurses, targeting newly graduated registered nurses, registered practical nurses and nurse practitioners. This program shows our commitment to working for workers by helping newly licensed internationally educated nurses and nurses returning to practise. Over the next four years, 3,000 nurse graduates can receive financial support to cover the costs of their tuition, in exchange for committing to practise for two years in an underserved community.

Our government understands that in order to keep Ontario safe and open, we need to ensure we have a high-quality and resilient health care system, and that requires that Ontarians pursuing medical studies have access to world-class post-secondary education right here in the province of Ontario.

So 2022 has been an exciting year for aspiring doctors and both current and future medical school students. Earlier this year, our government outlined our transformative expansions of medical school education as we continue to build a stronger, more resilient health care system, especially in growing and underserved communities. Our government is proudly adding 160 undergraduate seats and 295 postgraduate positions to six medical schools over the next five years. This is the largest expansion of undergraduate and postgraduate education in over a decade, and this is in addition to the expansion which will include a new medical school in Brampton and Scarborough.

I’d love to expand on all of the things that we’re doing for nursing education right here in Ontario. As I mentioned, we have the new Learn and Stay program, which will come into effect in the fall of 2023. This will ensure that we have nursing opportunities across the province in some of our underserved areas. This will ensure that students who will make a commitment for two years in an underserved area will have their tuition and educational costs covered to serve in those communities—something I’m particularly excited about.

We also included access to stand-alone nursing programs at colleges across Ontario—in my own community, at Georgian College; at Lambton College in Sarnia, at Loyalist College. So 14 colleges in Ontario are now able to offer stand-alone nursing programs. This will ensure that we have more nurses added to the system and that we have access to nursing in our underserved communities across Ontario.

The bill enacts the Anti-Money Laundering in Housing Act, 2022. The act requires the minister to develop and implement a landowner transparency plan so that numbered corporations, trusts and partnerships will be required to reveal their true, individual, beneficial owners in a public land registry. The purpose of this act is to clamp down on money laundering, tax evasion and fraud, which is taking place in the real estate sector in Ontario.

Ms. Hunter moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 9, An Act to amend the Health Insurance Act and the Health Protection and Promotion Act in respect of addressing gun violence and its impacts / Projet de loi 9, Loi modifiant la Loi sur l’assurance-santé et la Loi sur la protection et la promotion de la santé en ce qui concerne la violence armée et ses répercussions.

“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...;

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

“We, the undersigned citizens of Ontario, 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 support this petition. Since this petition was given to me, the rate of inflation has gotten worse and the Ontario government has only increased social assistance rates for ODSP by 5%, which means they’re still below the poverty line, so this petition is still relevant. I give this petition to page Lucia to take to the Clerk.

The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

The division bells rang from 1137 to 1139.

On August 17, 2022, Mr. Harris moved that the question be now put.

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

Mr. Clark has moved second reading of Bill 3, An Act to amend various statutes with respect to special powers and duties of heads of council.

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.

Call in the members. This will be a five-minute bell.

Interjection: Same vote.

Interjection: No.

On August 11, 2022, Mr. Clark moved second reading of Bill 3, An Act to amend various statutes with respect to special powers and duties of heads of council.

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

Second reading agreed to.

There being no further business at this time, this House stands in recess until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1147 to 1300.

Mr. Calandra moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 7, An Act to amend the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 with respect to patients requiring an alternate level of care and other matters and to make a consequential amendment to the Health Care Consent Act, 1996 / Projet de loi 7, Loi modifiant la Loi de 2021 sur le redressement des soins de longue durée en ce qui concerne les patients ayant besoin d’un niveau de soins différent et d’autres questions et apportant une modification corrélative à la Loi de 1996 sur le consentement aux soins de santé.

First reading agreed to.

First reading agreed to.

First reading agreed to.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas as part of Ontario’s commitment to building a stronger health care workforce, the government is investing $142 million, starting in 2022-23, to recruit and retain health care workers in underserved communities, which will expand the Community Commitment Program for Nurses, up to 1,500 nurse graduates each year to receive full tuition reimbursement in exchange for committing to practise for two years in an underserved community; and

“Whereas starting in spring 2023, the government will launch the new $61-million learn and stay grant and applications will open for up to 2,500 eligible post-secondary students who enroll in priority programs, such as nursing, to work in underserved communities in the region where they studied after graduation. The program will provide up-front funding for tuition, books and other direct educational costs; and

“Whereas the government also proposes to make it easier and quicker for foreign-credentialed health workers to begin practising in Ontario by reducing barriers to registering with and being recognized by health regulatory colleges; and

“Whereas to address the shortage of health care professionals in Ontario, the government is investing $124.2 million over three years starting in 2022-23 to modernize clinical education for nurses, enabling publicly assisted colleges and universities to expand laboratory capacity supports and hands-on learning for students; and

“Whereas Ontario is accelerating its efforts to expand hospital capacity and build up the province’s health care workforce to help patients access the health care they need when they need it;

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

“To urge all members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to continue to build on the progress of hiring and recruiting health care workers.”

I agree with this petition, will sign my name to it and give it to page Adele.

Thank you for that important question.

I am unable to address an individual case in the chamber, but if you provide that information to me, I’d be happy to look into that.

I will say that we are making historic investments in the Ontario Autism Program. This is a world-leading program. We doubled the funding. We have five times as many children receiving services through the OAP than under the previous government. We have approximately 40,000 children receiving services under a multiple layered program with multiple pieces, including the core services program, in which we are bringing 8,000 children in through the fall. We already have over 6,000 invitations out. We are getting positive feedback with our initial pilot, and we are moving forward, implementing a very, very important program that young children and youth depend on, and their families, and that’s why we have been receiving the positive feedback. We are creating the AccessOAP program and creating resources to help people navigate through that program. We are implementing a world-leading program and will continue to do that.

Interjections.

Interjection.

Interjections.

I’d like to refer the bill to the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy.