I’d like to introduce Kerrie Fulton and Daniel Huether, residents in University–Rosedale. Thanks for coming today.

It is with great pleasure that I welcome my friend and colleague Mr. Chris Ainsworth, city councillor for ward 4 for the city of Vaughan from the mighty riding of Thornhill.

It really gives me great pleasure to welcome into the gallery here in the chamber former MP Peggy Nash and the Toronto Metropolitan University Women in the House program participants. It’s great to see you here.

This visit and this program are organized by former MP Peggy Nash, Dr. Tracey Raney and Zaima Aurony. Thank you so much for being with us here today.

This is already happening in private clinics and the government is working to expand it. What does the Premier have to say to these patients?

I want to introduce Gwyn Chapman and many inspiring young students who are here today attending the 17th annual legislative Black History Month event. Welcome.

I would like to welcome Michau van Speyk from the Ontario Autism Coalition back to Queen’s Park. It’s nice to see you, Michau.

I would like to welcome four of my incredible team members, Deema Affas, Kashaf Paracha, Taha Khawaja and Maya Hameed, to Queen’s Park. Welcome.

Good morning. I’d like to welcome Jerine Jim, Tim Chang, Siya Shen and all the youth that are here today from the Canadian Youth Initiative. They are here to talk about their project Ping4Alzheimer and I invite all members to join us in room 248 after question period to hear about this great initiative of young people helping our seniors.

Thank you to the member opposite for the question. Obviously, there have been reported cases, and we heard some of them this morning. But if Bill 60 is passed, what was previously called an “independent health facility” will now be called an “integrated community health service centre” under the oversight of Ontario Health, which reflects our intention that these clinics be integrated with our public health care system.

We are expanding oversight by bringing in this new legislation. Integrated health centres will now have to post any uninsured charges both online or in person, and every community surgical and diagnostic centre must have a process for receiving and responding to patient complaints. The new legislation is remedying a problem that has existed in public hospitals as well as clinics, and it is making sure that these things are posted so that people cannot be upcharged.

Today is very inspirational because we’ve got tons of wonderful youth here today. I want to give a shout-out to Gwyn Chapman for coordinating the 17th annual Queen’s Park legislative Black History Month event, Inspiring Youth in Politics, where there will be hundreds of Black youth and other racialized youth and allied youth joining.

I’d also like to thank Canadian Youth Initiative, Tropicana, Black Buildup Canada, and the inspiring Youth Empowerment Network for also supporting with the coordination of today’s event.

I’d like to thank former NDP MP Peggy Nash and all the women who are here today from TMU’s Women in the House. Welcome to your House.

Finally, Speaker, I’d like to welcome Dr. Mr. Winston LaRose, the feature of the Canadian documentary Mr. Jane and Finch, produced by OYA Media Group. He’s also in the House today.

Thank you to the member opposite for the question. I think the question proves why you should vote for Bill 60. Bill 60 is going to make sure that these protections are in place for patients. Honestly, Ontarians will never have to pay under a Doug Ford government for services that are OHIP-insured. That’s what we’ve committed to. Ontarians will have these services and we’ll be continuing to fund one of the largest publicly funded health care systems in the world—$77.5 billion this year alone. That’s an additional $14 billion invested in health care spending since 2018.

We’re working with all of our partners to identify innovative solutions, such as these clinics, to expand access. Because that’s what this is about: making sure that people get timely access to care when they need it.

I’m glad the member opposite brought up long-term care because she will know that just on Friday we introduced the fact that we had hired an additional 200 people for long-term care and doubled the amount of inspectors, as we said that we would do. We said that we would have the highest inspector-to-home ratio in the country and we do. Another opportunity that the NDP had to vote in favour and they voted against it.

We said we would build 58,000 new and upgraded beds across the province of Ontario, in small and large communities all over province. They could have voted for it, but they voted against it. The member voted against long-term care in her own riding.

Now, of course, we’re also saying that we’re going to improve health care in the province of Ontario. We started in 2018 with Ontario health teams in transition. We’re continuing with billions of dollars in new investments, and we’re making health care more open to the people of the province of Ontario, giving them more opportunity to have care closer to home. That’s what we’re doing. We’re building a health care system that will work for Canadians and Ontarians today and well into the future.

Let’s be clear with what the Leader of the Opposition is saying, Mr. Speaker. She is saying that she wants ministers and members to start tabling invitation lists to weddings. This is an opposition that sent somebody to the Premier’s daughter’s wedding to take a picture of the seating plan. I don’t know of any other opposition party that would sink to that level, Mr. Speaker. These are people that the Premier has known for decades. When his father sat with Jim Flaherty over there in 1995, they were friends.

Why doesn’t she just come out and say what it is that she really wants to say, Mr. Speaker—that somehow, if you build in this province of Ontario, you can’t do it ethically. Why doesn’t she just come out and say what she really wants to say instead of hiding behind weasel words in this place?

But it’s more than that, Mr. Speaker. Again, this is a Leader of the Opposition who sunk to the level of sending a photographer to take a picture of a seating plan at a family wedding. This is a Leader of the Opposition who wants to have an invitation list tabled in the House. I know the member from Perth–Wellington is getting married; he must be shaking in his boots. He’s going to have to get the approval of the Leader of the Opposition for who he invites to his wedding.

Why doesn’t she just come out and say what she really means? Because we’ve heard it for decades in this place: “If you’re an Italian and you’re building homes for the people of the province of Ontario, somehow you can’t be doing it ethically.” These are people who came to this country with nothing. They came here to build a better future for their families. The home that she lives in was built by an Italian. The street that she drove on to get here was built by an Italian. The subway, the buses, the steel—

Interjections.

The supplementary question.

Order. The House will come to order. The government side will come to order.

The next question. Start the clock.

This government is addressing the housing crisis facing Ontarians. That’s why we’ve brought forward this plan that’s going to expand the greenbelt and develop areas that are beside fully serviced areas beside the 401, 404 and 418, which makes sense, Speaker.

I would also add that Ontario is among Canada’s leaders in protected areas last year, doing things like the Boreal Wildlands, making additions to the Hastings wildlife, making additions in Brighton, the South Shore Joint Initiative for migratory—

Interjection.

So the Premier is gouging patients, just more transparently. That’s what I got from that answer. Speaker, the Premier owes these patients and all of us an explanation. I have so many examples right here, which I will share with the Premier.

Back to the Premier: For-profit health care, like the kind that is being pushed by this government, requires a return on investment. That money is going to come from two places: extra charges to the public system that we’re all going to pay for, and upselling directly to patients at a time when they’re at their most vulnerable, while the cost of everything just keeps going up.

Why is this government opening the door to new fees and charges on people who are just looking to get the medical care that they deserve?

To the Premier again: Why is there no commitment to transparent public oversight authority in your legislation?

Ontarians cherish our greenbelt. We know that paving it over and paving over our vital farmlands and wetlands is going to hurt our province and its people for generations.

Instead of protecting it, this government has opened the floodgates for their well-connected personal friends. In fact, nine of the developers who benefit from the greenbelt land swap are top PC donors. Some even attended the Premier’s family festivities.

Did the Premier, his ministers or their staff tell developers about their intention to open up the greenbelt before their public announcement?

Interjections.

But now, thanks to the Premier’s actions, more land speculators are circling like vultures. One of the new requests to develop the greenbelt is linked to a former staffer of the Premier turned lobbyist.

How naive does the Premier think Ontarians are? Exactly what price did this government put on the greenbelt?

Thank you to the hard-working member for Markham–Thornhill for that question. We know that these are challenging economic times for many people in Ontario. Ongoing geopolitical conflict, high interest rates and, of course, inflation are still factors affecting global economic recovery. I think that’s clear to many. Our government has a responsible plan to ensure that our province remains on a strong and steady economic path forward. Our plan to build Ontario is grounded on our commitment to support our families, to support workers and to empower the people of Ontario.

We have laid a strong fiscal foundation upon which to continue to build Ontario. This includes record investments in new highways and hospitals, a plan that supports workers, growth and job creation. Mr. Speaker, that is what the people of Ontario expect and deserve from their government.

Mr. Speaker, we have a plan for a strong future for Ontario. We have a plan that ensures our province holds its position as a global economic leader. We have a plan that respects and empowers our workers and restores our manufacturing capabilities. Mr. Speaker, we have a plan that is getting it done for the people of Ontario.

My question is for the Minister of Finance. The people of my riding, Markham–Thornhill, and across our province of Ontario are experiencing pressure due to the increased cost of living. Worldwide political instability, supply chain disruptions and rising inflation costs are all making life more expensive for the people of Ontario. This means higher costs for essential items such as food and gas. The cost of food has risen by 11%, and the cost of gas has risen by 3% compared to a year ago. This is very concerning for many individuals and families.

With so many economic challenges that the people of Ontario are facing, what is our government doing to keep our province fiscally sound?

While our government has shown continued leadership with strong measures like cutting the gas tax and making investments in critical programs, further action is needed. Speaker, what is the next step our government will implement to keep Ontario on an economic path to strength and stability?

Our children’s mental health is suffering, but this government is failing to provide the supports they need. According to a new report, 91% of schools say they need support dealing with student mental health, but less than one in 10 schools have access to a regularly scheduled mental health specialist or nurse. The lack of support is leading to an increase in violence in our schools and making it more difficult for kids to catch up.

Why is the Minister of Education not taking action to provide mental health supports in all of our schools?

Our education workers are burning out, Speaker, and need mental health supports themselves. Why is the Minister of Education allowing the mental health of children and workers to suffer instead of giving our schools the resources they need?

Minister of Northern Development.

To the Premier: Vernie Turtle, 44; Kirsten Moose, 38; and Kendriyanna Turtle, eight. On Wednesday, February 22, a deadly house fire took the lives of this family in Pikangikum First Nation. What is this government doing to help Pikangikum?