I appreciate the question.

Of course, Health Canada is the lead on this and has been working very closely to ensure that there is a stable supply of formula on the shelves. It is something that the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Health have been monitoring very closely.

At the same time, let me assure the people of the province of Ontario that we are working very closely with Health Canada, we are working very closely with federal health officials. We are assured at this time that, unlike the challenges that the federal government had early on when it came to pediatric medicines, we are not in the same position right now.

I do appreciate the question from the member opposite. She has our assurance and all parents across the province of Ontario have our assurance that we’re working very, very closely with Health Canada to ensure that we have a stable supply.

My question is for the Minister of Finance. Our province, like the rest of the world, is experiencing the effects of global economic uncertainty, high interest rates and inflation. In responding to the challenges and pressures facing people and businesses, our government recently introduced a budget that laid out a solid plan to invest in the priorities that matter most to the people of Ontario, as we build for a stronger future.

However, individuals, families and workers in my community of Brantford–Brant are looking to all governments for help.

The federal government also recently introduced their 2023 budget.

The people of Ontario expect their provincial leaders to work with the federal government to make life better for everyone.

Can the minister please explain how the most recent federal budget will help address the needs of Ontarians?

Our entire province reaps the benefits and is more prosperous when people are working and our manufacturing sector is strong.

However, for the people in my riding and in communities across Ontario, local and regional economic uncertainty still remains a major concern.

The people of Ontario need to be confident that our government understands what is happening at the federal level in Ottawa and is working on behalf of Ontarians to tackle problems that are important to our province.

Can the minister please elaborate on what priorities our government wanted to see reflected in the federal budget?

To reply, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

The supplementary question.

Thank you very much. The next question.

Mr. Speaker, it would be nice if the minister actually answered the question.

A food program in my riding, Spadina-Fort York, saw a record number of users in the previous month, and one is a senior, Carolyn. She’s using a food bank for the first time. She wrote, “It is sad and shameful that we are in this situation and the cost of everything is impossible to live on”—because of the cost of rent and food.

The five biggest grocery retailers have been making record profits while the people buying groceries can no longer afford the food they need.

Will this government address record grocery chain profits, or will they continue to depend upon charities and food banks to feed the people of this province?

This is to the Premier.

At home in St. Paul’s, the lineup around our Beeton Cupboard Food Bank, run by St. Michael and All Angels, routinely wraps around the block. I remember the first time I handed food to a child.

According to the Daily Bread Food Bank, one in four food bank users are children.

This Conservative government has made things worse. They failed to act on the affordability crisis. Children are paying the price. They’re paying the price in food banks, while this government eats steak.

Will the Premier finally take responsibility for the affordability crisis so kids aren’t lining up at food banks, or will they keep passing the buck—on a full stomach, I might add?

Thank you to the amazing member from Mississauga Centre for the question.

While April 7 remains a difficult day for many people and families, it has also become an opportunity that many others have embraced to raise awareness for organ donation, marking this day as Green Shirt Day in honour of the Logan Boulet effect.

Just like Logan and his family, everyone who is comfortable and willing to sign up for donation has the power to save the life of another. And my ministry continues to work tirelessly to ensure that Ontarians have every resource necessary to stay informed and access this service if they choose to do so.

If you want to register to donate, you can do so in person at any ServiceOntario location near you, or go online at serviceontario.ca/beadonor and check whether you have already registered as a donor, or update an existing registration, as long as you are an OHIP-eligible Ontarian age 16 and up.

I’m proud to stand in this House and share that over 4.6 million Ontarians are registered as organ and tissue donors. It is a reminder of the selfless nature that makes us the proud, vibrant and community-oriented province that we are. I’m proud that my ministry has enabled over 1.1 million registrations, checks and updates through the online donor registration service and more than an additional 3.3 million in-person registrations at our ServiceOntario locations. Each and every one of those individuals has the power to perhaps one day save the lives of up to eight people and impact as many as 75 others.

Today, I want to also to remind Ontarians that April is Be a Donor Month. In memory of Logan, the Humboldt Broncos and their families, I hope Ontarians continue to raise awareness and remind others that they, too, can give the gift of a second chance at life.

My question is for my great colleague in Mississauga, the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery.

On April 6, 2018, Ontarians were heartbroken to hear the news of the devastating bus collision carrying the Humboldt Broncos hockey team. Speaker, 16 of the 29 passengers lost their lives, and the 13 who survived will bear physical and emotional scars for the rest of their lives.

Humboldt Broncos defenceman Logan Boulet succumbed to his injuries the following day, on April 7, and Logan’s parents, Bernadine and Toby Boulet, courageously offered to donate his organs so that six people could live. What an incredibly difficult decision for any parents to have to make. For the Boulet family, their decision represents the difference that can be made through the act of giving.

Speaker, currently in Ontario, there are 1,600 people on the waiting list for an organ transplant.

Can the minister please speak to the significance of this day and the importance of continuing Logan’s legacy of organ donation?

Speaker, I’m proud to be part of a government that works to raise awareness about organ donation and how these efforts can make a difference in saving lives.

As a nurse working on the front lines, I have personally seen how organ donations can restore hope and provide a future.

However, we know that the number of patients who need a life-saving transplant is greater than the number of organs and tissues that are available. While almost 90% of Canadians say they support organ donation, only 32% have registered their intent to donate.

I also wanted to praise the great work of the Trillium Gift of Life Network and their Be a Donor campaign, which is taking place this week.

Can the minister please elaborate on what our government is doing to support organ and tissue donation registration?

Specific to the question with respect to that formula, we understand. It is something that the Minister of Agriculture was immediately alerted to—and contacted Health Canada and federal officials to ensure that there was a stable supply for the people of the province of Ontario.

I think the question in itself, though, highlights some of the other challenges that we’re having. The member highlights that when there is a lack of supply, prices increase and things become unaffordable. It’s at the heart of everything that we’ve been doing since 2018, here in the province of Ontario, because we understand that the way to bring costs down for the people of the province of Ontario is, in part—when it comes to housing, for instance, having more supply will reduce the costs for the people of the province of Ontario. And they have not been in favour of that.

We also understand that when it comes to red tape—by reducing red tape and obstacles, it helps bring the costs down.

At the same time, we brought in things like doubling of the ODSP.

We brought in, of course, the LIFT tax credit. We are there.

The Minister of Education, of course—bringing in a nation-leading child care program which is half the cost for the people of the province of Ontario.

So—

Thank you very much for the question.

I’d certainly be happy to look into this case, if you want to talk to me about it afterwards.

Nothing is more important to all of us than protecting the health and well-being of Ontarians, and especially our children.

We’re working with pediatric hospitals to ramp up their capacity wherever possible, and that means making permanent investments to increase the number of critical care beds at CHEO, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario; McMaster Children’s Hospital; London Health Sciences Centre Children’s Hospital; Hospital for Sick Children; and the Kingston Health Sciences Centre.

This government has invested almost $1 billion in the surgical recovery funding. We will continue to make the investments necessary and spare no expense to make sure that the people of this province, and especially our children, continue to have access to the quality care that they know and expect.

Stop the clock.

Order.

Start the clock.

Supplementary question.

I’d like to thank the incredible member from Thunder Bay–Atikokan for this question. Mr. Speaker, I was recently in Thunder Bay with him and I can tell you how truly impressive the sites are.

The ultimate goal of our correctional infrastructure projects is to create a safer environment for our correctional staff and those in our custody.

Not only have we expanded the current Thunder Bay Correctional Centre, but we’ve added a 50-bed new, modular, state-of-the-art build. We’ve also started breaking ground on the $1.2-billion correctional complex in Thunder Bay.

Mr. Speaker, public safety is the utmost priority for our government.

Monsieur le Président, pour moi, c’est personnel. Grâce au travail des services correctionnels, les Ontariens se sentent en sécurité dans leurs communautés.

I am truly excited by this project because we’re replacing out-of-date infrastructure that goes back to the 19th century. This new, modern facility will provide staff with the tools and technology and a healthy work environment to do their jobs safely and effectively.

And it has been an honour, I might say, to meet many native inmate liaison officers during my visits. These are truly amazing people.

Our new facility in Thunder Bay, due to be completed in about four years, will have a 345-bed capacity to address the pressures, create additional space for programming, and expand supports for inmates with mental health issues.

Monsieur le Président, je suis fier de notre personnel correctionnel tous les jours. Ce sont des gens formidables qui nous protègent au quotidien.

Deondra is a four-year-old child who has severe sleep apnea. A sleep test showed that 85% of Deondra’s airway is blocked by adenoids when sleeping, and she was referred for urgent surgery. Her surgery was scheduled for March at SickKids but was cancelled, and the reason given for the postponement was the COVID surgical backlog. Worse, a new date was not given. SickKids have told the family that they’re trying to get through as fast as they can. We know they have a backlog of 12,000 surgeries.

Speaker, Deondra has had to be resuscitated at least once after nearly suffocating to death while sleeping.

My question is, how long does the Premier think is an appropriate time for Deondra to wait?

My question is for the Premier.

The alarm bells have been ringing for a while now. The cost of living continues to rise astronomically. Grocery stores are raising food prices. Landlords are raising rents. People are falling behind, and they’re now turning to food banks in record numbers.

In Toronto, for example, the number of people relying on food banks has quadrupled over the last three years. At the Daily Bread Food Bank, there were nearly 270,000 visits in March alone—a record. One third of visitors actually have full-time employment, but they cannot make ends meet. For the first time in 25 years, under this government, the number of children using food banks is going up. One in four visitors at the Daily Bread Food Bank is a child.

Ontario is experiencing a crisis of food insecurity.

We’re talking about hard-working people who can no longer keep up with the skyrocketing cost of living.

Why is this government failing so spectacularly at protecting Ontarians from falling victim to food insecurity?

When the level of food insecurity has reached the epic proportions we are seeing now, it is a clear sign of this government’s failures. We are literally talking about parents and children struggling to eat—even parents who have full-time jobs, making more than minimum wage.

We need to adequately address the historic levels of inflation Ontarians are experiencing with proactive financial relief.

The rising costs of things like food and housing have vastly outpaced this government’s half-hearted measures as they pay lip service to the struggles of Ontarians. For a government with $44 billion in contingency funds, $12.5 billion in excess funds over the next three years, and a well-documented underspending habit, you would think they could find some room in their budget to address the most essential needs.

Something isn’t right.

How can this government run a province, let alone an economy, if hard-working families with full-time jobs can’t even afford to feed their children?

My question is for the Solicitor General.

Constituents in my riding of Thunder Bay–Atikokan see that significant work is under way in correctional facilities across the north. Major infrastructure developments are occurring in facilities located in Thunder Bay and Kenora. It is vital that modernization and improvements to these facilities address the safety needs for staff and provide a high standard of care and supervision for those in custody. All workers need to be assured that they have the tools they need to do their jobs safely and well.

Can the Solicitor General please provide information about the progress and implications of these projects?

While our government is taking action to prioritize safety for correctional staff and for those in custody, we must respond to serious concerns about capacity pressures in the correctional system. Overcrowding creates a difficult, unsafe and unhealthy environment for everyone and leads to increased workplace health and safety concerns.

Can the Solicitor General please elaborate on how these infrastructure projects are addressing capacity in Ontario’s corrections system?

I want to thank the member from Don Valley East.

First of all, I want to acknowledge my niece, my brother Rob’s daughter, up there, from Michael Power. It’s good to see you, honey. I love you. One day you’ll be sitting down here.

Talking about affordability, the member from Don Valley East voted against a 10-cent cut of the gas tax. They voted against getting rid of the tolls on the 412 and 418. They voted against increasing the ODSP by 5%. You voted against increasing the minimum wage—the highest minimum wage in the entire country.

Our province is on fire. We created another 21,000 jobs last month; that’s six consecutive months in a row. Some 640,000 more people are working today than when they had the regime for 15 years and destroyed this province from top to bottom.

Interjections.

We believe in giving back to the people. Speaker, 1.1 million low-income workers have received a tax cut. We made sure that we increased minimum wage, as I said. We extended 10% off tuition for those great students up there—they’re going to university, and they’re paying 10% less; under the Liberals, all they did is jack up the costs.

On health care: We’ve hired 60,000 new nurses registered in Ontario—8,000 new doctors registered. You destroyed health care in this province. There was hallway health care. We’ve never seen a worse system. We’re fixing that system.

We’re making Ontario prosperous, and people are going to thrive and prosper in Ontario.

Speaker, Deondra’s mother, Chanel, and her grandmother Sylvia are in the gallery today. I invite the member to meet with them after question period.

Both Mom and Grandma don’t sleep. They stay up all night watching Deondra to make sure she doesn’t suffocate to death. They are panicked and exhausted.

This is the experience of so many families across Ontario, and yet this government underspends on health care.

Speaker, every day Deondra waits for surgery is another day she risks losing her life; it’s another day the family is put in stress and anxiety.

Will the Premier ensure that every public operating room in this province stays open and is fully staffed so kids like Deondra can get the surgery they urgently need and not have to wait and roll the dice?

My question is for the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

Veterans have always held an important and special place in my heart. They defend the rights and freedoms that we often take for granted.

In conversations with members from my Legion, we speak about the responsibilities of the Royal Canadian Legion and Veterans Affairs Canada and the needs of veterans.

Could the minister please share a program that we have put in place by our government that supports our veterans?

When we think of veterans, many of us instinctively think about our older generations, those who served in the world wars and the Korean War.

However, the reality is that there are many young veterans who served Canada in more recent conflicts, such as the Afghanistan war. It is vital that programs and supports adapt to meet their modern supply needs for their families.

Can the minister please elaborate on how the Soldiers’ Aid Commission is responding to younger generations of veterans?

Mr. Speaker, we are very cognizant of the disproportionality impacting racialized and Indigenous students in Ontario. It’s the basis for why we essentially eliminated the ability of principals and educators to suspend children in kindergarten and grades 1, 2 and 3. There’s got to be a better way by which we can ensure these young people are focused and stay in school, integrated in their classrooms, than to suspend them at that young age.

Mr. Speaker, we also saw the data that informed the decision of this government to destream the entire grade 9 curriculum, on the basis that we want to give young people equal opportunity and a pathway to success by removing the barriers that impede their progress.

We know there’s more to do in the context of fighting racism, discrimination and barriers in school. I look forward to working with the community to build further initiatives we can undertake in this province to ensure every young person graduates, achieves and gets a good job in this province.

When the NDP and Liberals had an opportunity to work with the government to eradicate regulation 274, a regressive regulation that denies principals the ability to hire a highly talented racialized educator in a community with many racialized kids, they opposed that effort.

If members opposite wanted to advance the cause of anti-racism, you would have supported the government destreaming the curriculum; you would have supported the government when, for the first time in the history of Canada, we actually overtook and supervised a board on the basis of anti-Black racism.

We have taken action in this area; unfortunately, we’ve done so without the support of the NDP and the Liberals in this province.