I’m not going to respond to the disinformation campaign of this government about—

Interjections.

Interjections.

Thank you, Speaker. Look, there is a serious question being posed here, and I would expect a serious answer from the minister opposite. Every day a cancer patient waits for surgery is another day that patient risks losing their life; it’s another day that family is put in stress and anxiety because that patient could lose their life. Bill 60, the legislation that this government is putting forward allowing for for-profit, investor-driven clinics in a for-profit system, has led to a secretive clinic in our city that may be putting lives at risk in Ottawa.

It’s a very simple question: Will the government investigate these allegations made apparent to me? It’s their responsibility. Will you do it?

In northwestern Ontario, we experienced another dreadful weekend of carnage on our highways. Two houses were taken out by a transport truck in Beardmore. Tragically, another snowplow driver was killed near Ignace. Highway 17 was closed for a second 12-hour period because two transports crashed into each other, scattering debris all over the highway and killing one of the drivers.

Auditor General reports have told us that certain carriers are licensing drivers with next-to-no training. I heard from an OPP officer this weekend who is afraid to go to work because the highways are unsafe.

What is the Premier doing to make sure that all truck drivers are fully trained and experienced in winter driving before they are licensed to do cross-Canada deliveries?

Of course, since the pandemic began over two and a half years ago, we’ve actually had a surgical backlog recovery program of almost a billion dollars. That has been available to organizations such as the Ottawa Hospital and other publicly funded hospitals, and they’ve been able to utilize it very well. They submit their program on how they can use existing OR capacity with their health human resources. It has, in fact, helped us a great deal. We are—and perhaps I haven’t said this enough—actually back at pre-pandemic wait times.

Now, having said that, some of those wait times are still 12-months-plus—six to 12 months—so we can do better, and we will do better. Because of Bill 60, we have a process that ensures that individuals, organizations, hospital partnerships can be formed and have that surgical recovery—surgical options—available closer in community.

My heart goes out to the family of the victim this weekend in that terrible crash. I can assure the member opposite, as well as all members of this House, that our government takes truck driver safety and training very seriously. Ontario has the most robust commercial licensing system anywhere in Canada, but that doesn’t mean that it’s enough. We are continuing to review our commercial licensing process to make sure that we’re strengthening regulations, to make sure our truck drivers have the training they need when they get out on the road—for themselves as well as for all drivers on Ontario’s roads. Just in January, electronic logging devices became required on Ontario roads and that is something that Ontario was leading the federation in, making sure that Ontario trucks are equipped with electronic logging devices.

But, Mr. Speaker, we’re doing more than just working on truck driver training. We’re ensuring that our roads themselves are made safer. Our government is piloting for the first time in North America a two-plus-one model, which is an innovative model that’s been used in Scandinavia, to make sure that our roads—

And the supplementary question.

Supplementary question? The member for Thunder Bay–Superior North.

My question is for the Minister of Health. I hope the minister can help me understand something. Why is it that a group of orthopedic surgeons who work at the Ottawa Hospital in my riding had to form a private company in order to rent operating rooms at the hospital they work in, and then hire a private company to get surgical instruments and then hire nurses off-book? All this was just to address the surgical backlog that exists in the hospital they already work in.

Can the minister explain all this jumping through hoops instead of the Ottawa Hospital using the capacity that already exists within it?

That member works his tail off for the Soo and asks a very important and great question this morning. Thank you for that.

Last week, Speaker, on Wednesday, I announced our government’s purchase of four terrific new freight train railcars for the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission. Let’s break that down: Our government is establishing yet another vital transportation link that will connect local farmers to larger markets by transporting their goods by rail throughout Ontario and beyond.

This strong investment of over $640,000 bolsters freight train access across the north, which in turn supports economic development opportunities for businesses and communities. Unlike the NDP and the Liberals, our government says yes to building vital transportation, so that goods get to market faster and our economy grows.

In fact, considering the roads alone, this government has dedicated almost $624 million across the 2022-23 fiscal year to expand and repair highways and bridges across the entire north. What’s more, these vital infrastructure upgrades have been supporting more than 4,000 local jobs, all while connecting the north like never before. And, Speaker, of course, let’s not forget about the $140-million purchase of three beautiful new train sets for the revamped Northlander passenger rail service that will get people moving from north to south and south to north.

The NDP supported the Liberals, and the Liberals literally called the north a “no man’s land.” We disagree. We’re getting it done for the great people of the north and those who call it home.

Encore une fois, l’histoire qui se répète : une autre tempête et une autre fermeture de l’autoroute 11 de Matheson à Longlac pour 48 heures. Plusieurs accidents et des lignées de transport à n’en plus finir ont fait en sorte que les gens du Nord étaient en arrêt complet encore une fois.

Votre gouvernement a voté contre mon projet de loi pour mettre la 11 et la 17 en classe 1 comme les autoroutes 400 et QEW, et on a passé une motion qui n’a rien fait pour changer la réalité des gens du Nord. Alors, ma question pour le premier ministre : qu’avez-vous à dire aux gens de la route 11 et 17 qui ne cessent de vivre des accidents et des fermetures de la route 11 et 17 dus à l’entretien des routes ?

Monsieur le Président, je sais que la population du nord de l’Ontario sait que notre gouvernement prend la sécurité des routes du Nord très au sérieux. Sous le leadership du premier ministre Ford, nous avons vu plus d’avancées pour la sécurité routière dans le nord de l’Ontario que jamais dans le passé de la province de l’Ontario. En ce qui concerne la sécurité de la route 11 et la route 17, le membre du parti d’opposition sait très bien que nous sommes en train de doubler la route 17 jusqu’à la frontière du Manitoba, entre le Manitoba et Nipigon. Monsieur le Président—

My question is for the Minister of Energy. Recently, I had the pleasure of joining the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Energy, along with some fellow MPPs, to tour the Bruce Power nuclear facility. We were able to see first-hand this outstanding operation in action, as hard-working members of Ontario’s energy sector operate one of the world’s largest nuclear plants.

Speaker, nuclear energy is safe, clean, reliable and affordable. Bruce Power operations support 22,000 direct and indirect jobs annually, and their workers are highly skilled, highly educated and very proud of the work they do. The PA and I were able to see the command centre, and it was a sight like something out of a Star Trek movie.

We were also able to see some women in nuclear, and I know that the PA and the Minister of Women’s Economic and Social Opportunity recently held a round table to empower more women to enter this very highly competitive field.

Speaker, can the Minister of Energy please provide further information about the important work being done at Bruce Power and throughout Ontario’s nuclear industry as a whole?

While other sterilization methods can take up to seven days before products are available for use, nuclear irradiation can process such materials within one single day. That is why it is critical that Ontario uses our nuclear resources and becomes a leader in exporting medical isotopes around the world.

Can the PA please elaborate on how our government is expanding Ontario’s medical isotope production?

The supplementary question.

I’m not sure I heard an answer in that, so maybe here’s the answer: Yesterday, the Deputy Minister of Health revealed that the $300 million earmarked for the surgical backlog had not been fully used. Or maybe it’s because Ontario has the lowest-paid nurses in all of Canada. Or maybe it’s because Bill 124 incentivized nurses and other health care professionals to leave our hospitals and go work for private companies.

Speaker, those operating rooms I spoke about have been dark on weekends for months—actually, probably years. How can that be? With all this government has to say about what they’re doing, how can that be? Speaker, in hospitals across the province, there are operating rooms that are dark simply because our hospitals don’t have the resources to use them to their full capacity, and the minister knows this.

Speaker, through you, can the minister tell us just how it is that we are not using operating rooms in our hospitals to their full capacity?

Thank you to the member for Mississauga Centre for that great question and for coming with me on our trip to Bruce. Your enthusiasm matches mine.

Nuclear power is emission-free, reliable and low-cost. Ontario gets about 60% of its power from nuclear. Half of that 60% comes from Bruce Power. The nuclear industry employs over 76,000 people across Canada, but most of those jobs and people are located right here in Ontario.

Our province is rapidly becoming a world leader in nuclear innovation. We’re leading the charge on the development and deployment of new technology like small modular reactors, or SMRs for short. We’re building Canada’s first grid-scale SMR at Darlington. Up at Bruce, they’re setting the gold standard on major component refurbishment to keep the fleet in tip-top shape for years to come. Ontario’s economy is certainly growing on nuclear.

As we saw on our tour, Ontario’s medical isotope programs don’t just benefit Ontario; they benefit the entire world. The isotope cobalt-60 is used to sterilize almost 40% of the world’s single-use medical devices—syringes, instruments, implants, gloves. Where does that cobalt-60 come from? Fully half of the world’s supply comes from our own Candu reactors at Bruce and Pickering. It doesn’t stop there. Darlington will be the only North American producer of molybdenum-99, an isotope which is used in over 40 million imaging procedures worldwide. Bruce has just begun commercial production of lutetium-177, which is an isotope used successfully to fight neuroendocrine tumours and prostate cancer.

Ontario’s nuclear program doesn’t just put us on the forefront of clean energy, but is a world leader in life-saving medical isotopes.

In every single budget we’ve brought forth before this House, funding has been increased in public education. In fact, this year alone compared to last year, it is up $683 million, yet the opposition New Democrats and Liberals coalesced, came together to oppose that investment, that increase of support. More staff, 7,000 more education workers: They voted against that. Two hundred more principals: New Democrats voted against that. An additional 800 educators in the classroom adding value, helping kids get back on track on reading and writing and math: They voted against that too.

This government is increasing investment. With respect to anti-racism, we took action to de-stream the entire grade nine curriculum to remove barriers, to create pathways and to give 100% of children their full potential to succeed in this economy.

This question is to the Premier. Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. To eliminate racism means cutting it off at the source through anti-racism education, yet across Ontario, only 49% of public schools have implemented a school-wide anti-racism policy, according to a report by People for Education in my riding of St. Paul’s. This is a direct result of Conservative government underspending on public education—$844 million and counting, to be exact.

My question to the Premier: Will Thursday’s budget include the necessary funds so that 100% of Ontario schools can implement anti-racism policies and practices to end racial discrimination experienced by both students and staff?

A recent school year report from the TDSB found that, across the TDSB, 50% of hate incidents were race-related; 61% of these were anti-Black racism. Black students need to feel safe from violence in all aspects of their lives, especially at school. They deserve for school to be a place of joy, building self-esteem and support. The toll racism takes on their academics and well-being is mounting as schools are increasingly underfunded and under-staffed. TDSB is projecting a $61-million shortfall and a loss of 522 staff positions in the coming school year because of this Conservative government’s cuts.

My question to the Premier: Will you prevent this from happening? Will your Thursday budget invest every dollar and cent needed to ensure students and staff have the resources necessary in their school to protect them from anti-Black racism and hate across the board?

The member opposite highlights exactly why we have brought forward Bill 60 and why we are expanding the community surgical and diagnostic piece. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have had a fund available to our publicly funded hospitals of almost $1 billion. And yes, the member opposite is right: They have not been able to utilize that full $300 million that was assigned in the last fiscal. But does it not speak to the fact that this is why we need more innovation? This is why we need more opportunities in community to ensure that where there is capacity, where there are wait times that are unacceptable to all of us, we can make sure that we have a process, an oversight piece, that ensures people get access to surgeries faster.

Thanks to the member from Flamborough–Glanbrook for the question. She’s absolutely right: Investments to support children with special needs are important, and so is the innovation and trying new things that will help create programs for the future and for the need for now. That’s why I was happy to launch a new pilot program last week. The Integrated Pathway for Children and Youth with Extensive Needs program will connect children and youth with complex special needs to the care that they need. They and their families will connect to a team of professionals, including physicians, social workers and behavioural consultants who work together to provide a tailored approach, based on the individual needs of the child or youth and their families.

We are investing in creative and innovative solutions that will improve the lives and outcomes of our most vulnerable children and their families.

Starting in April 2023, this program will be offered at McMaster’s Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, and the surrounding regions. This exciting new pilot complements our investments to build service capacity and simplify early intervention through children’s treatment centres and Surrey Place.

Together with my colleague the Minister of Health, our government knew that the status quo was not working, and programs like this innovative integrated pathway will help to ensure children with complex special needs get the care that they deserve.

My question is for the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. All children and youth deserve to live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives. However, the reality is that children and youth living with complex health and special needs, along with their families, encounter extraordinary challenges in their daily lives and in accessing the care and the services that they require.

While our government has made significant investments for early intervention and has implemented a range of programs to support children and youth, more must be done to make it easier for families to navigate the system. Access to health care and social services should be seamless, coordinated and designed to address the individual and unique circumstances of children and their families. Will the minister please describe what action our government is taking to expand access to services for children and youth with complex needs?

This program announcement is a step in the right direction, but it is vital that the care and services provided by hospitals and local community agencies ensures that our most vulnerable are not left behind. Speaker, will the minister please explain how the Integrated Pathway for Children and Youth with Extensive Needs supports children in our province?

To reply on behalf of the government, the government House leader.

Interjections.

Restart the clock. The next question.

My question is to the Premier. Premier, last year you promised to crack down on developers who cancel or jack up the price of pre-construction homes. There are five people at Queen’s Park today who listened very carefully to that promise. In 2022, Briarwood Development Group told these families they could either take their deposit back or pay up to $175,000 more for their home than they originally agreed to in the original contract. It’s been nearly a year since then, and these families are still waiting for justice. Their homes are not built. The developer has not been fined. Their licence has not been suspended.

Premier, are you going to keep your word and protect homebuyers from bad-actor developers like these?