Mr. Speaker, let me remind the members opposite that their advice to government six to 12 months ago was to accept a deal that would have precluded a third of children in the province of Ontario. They would have exacerbated the very problem they cite today—the irony of the member opposite posing that question.

But I am proud to report that, because of the reforms our government undertook, 92% of operators in this province have opted into our program to ensure accessible, affordable child care, an incredible achievement that’s going to help so many families receive 25% on average savings this fall, roughly $6,000, rising to $12,000, roughly 50% on average, of savings by January 1, 2023. This is a monumental achievement.

And while we have created the conditions of 46,000 child care spaces since we came to office, in the deal we signed, 86,000 more will be built to increase access, and the federal government has $1 billion on the table for capital. We urge them to release the dollars so we improve access for families across this province.

Thank you again for your question. As a former miner myself, I am passionate about this great industry. I used to be part of the Ontario Mining Association, which, for the past 44 years, has advocated for the sector, built positive relationships and celebrated this dynamic, innovative industry.

Mr. Speaker, today we are celebrating the Ontario Mining Association’s Meet the Miners Day at Queen’s Park. I encourage everyone to join me at the Meet the Miners reception at 5 p.m. in the Terrace room at the Gardiner Museum. It is an opportunity to speak with miners, learn more about the importance of the sector and engage in policy discussion that can move this sector forward.

Minister of Finance.

Thank you. Supplementary?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for the great work that she is doing for agri-producers.

When an Ontario food business expands, new jobs are created and more money is put back into our economy. The work by our government to promote food and beverages produced in Ontario is greatly appreciated by the 750,000 workers who are employed in the agri-food sector.

The US is our number one trading partner and is a critical market for our agri-food sector. Because of this reality, we must assist our farmers as they pursue economic opportunities worldwide. Speaker, can the minister explain what our government is doing to help businesses in the agri-food sector expand into overseas markets?

Does the member opposite believe that home care is an integral and important part of our health care system? I certainly do. Our government has shown that through its investments.

We want to make sure that people who can and want to be able to recover and live in their own home with minimal support, in many cases, have that opportunity, which is why in the 2022-23 budget our government is investing an additional $1 billion over the next three years to improve the quality of care; $1 billion will make a huge difference in our community home care system, because it will equate to 739,000 nursing visits; 157,000 nurse shift hours; 117,000 therapy visits, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech language pathology; 2,118,000 hours of personal support workers; and 236,000 other types of home care visits.

Do I believe these investments are a critical part of how we can ensure that the people of Ontario get the home care they deserve and need? Absolutely.

A billion dollars is a historic investment. It will truly be a game-changer for people who want and have the ability to live and recover at home in their own home. We’re making those investments. We’re ensuring that people get that support when they need it, where they need it, and we will continue to do that work regardless of what the member opposite spins in her tales.

Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Mississauga–Erin Mills, there is a growing need for more supportive housing.

While our government has committed to supporting vulnerable and at-risk populations, the need in my riding is urgent. Many of our most vulnerable not only need a place to live, but they also require additional care and support.

Stated plainly, there is not enough housing supply. There is currently a lack of affordable housing availability that meets their specific needs, a situation which creates additional stress and pressures on those who are already facing challenges and difficulties.

Speaker, can the Associate Minister of Housing please share what our government is doing to meet the supportive housing demands in my riding?

Ma question est pour la ministre de la Santé. Minister, every single week my office receives multiple phone calls regarding the failures in our home care system. Elizabeth is a senior in my riding who ends up sleeping in her chair at least once a week because Bayshore doesn’t notify her that her worker won’t be coming to help her transfer into bed.

Home care reliability is so bad that patients who want to, who could, who should be at home, are stuck in hospital, leading your government to pass a law that overrides their rights to consent and pushes them into a long-term-care home far away from home.

Can the minister please tell me if she thinks that our home care system is meeting the needs of Ontarians?

There is a health human resources crisis in home care, Speaker, because our government does not fund home care adequately. Solving the home care human resource crisis means that you provide permanent, full-time, well-paid jobs with benefits, 10 paid sick days and a pension plan. Do this and many PSWs who work in our community will go back to home care.

When will this government admit that home care is an integral part of our health care system and that it needs to provide directives and financial support to fix our broken home care system?

I’d like to thank the member from Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock for her question because it allows me the opportunity to share with everyone in the House something that you already know: Ontario consumers have trust in Ontario’s agri-food sector because it’s reliable and it’s stable.

But, Speaker, over and above that, our agri-food sector does $51 billion worth of two-way trade. And given the leadership of Premier Ford and our government, we’ve increased our global exports by 13.4% since 2020.

Our government is promoting trust and confidence in made-in-Ontario food at every opportunity. This week, there are nearly 20 businesses in our Ontario pavilion at the Private Label Manufacturers Association trade show in Chicago. They’re opening up new doors.

And earlier this fall, Ontario hosted our country’s largest grocery meeting, where 44 Ontario companies, much like Mariposa Dairy, held over 160 meetings to discuss nearly $14 million in potential sales. We’re strong in terms of our agri-food sector in the province of Ontario, and we’re—

I’d be remiss if I didn’t reflect on Ontario Pork, since they’re here today at Queen’s Park. Ontario Pork exports $700 million in products every year to 41 different countries—9% of that goes directly to Japan, which is a growing market for Ontario agri-food.

Unlike the previous Liberal government, that turned a blind eye to the agri-food industry, our government is building up the value of our sector in terms of agriculture and food export potential, and we know it’s an important driver in our overall provincial economy. Because of that, we’re proud to be supporting our farmers, our processors, and we’re putting agri-tech innovation at the forefront.

The bill requires persons who operate a supportive living accommodation in specified circumstances to hold a licence issued by the minister. It provides for a framework, to be supplemented by regulations, governing applications for and the issuance of licences, the obligations of persons who operate a supportive living accommodation under the authority of a licence, inspections and complaints.

Thank you to the Associate Minister of Housing for the answer. It is clear that the lack of housing supply is one of the main barriers preventing Ontarians from finding a home. We have heard directly from experts that high fees are the main obstacle to building more supportive housing units in Ontario.

Speaker, again to the Associate Minister: What is our government doing to provide relief for the high fees imposed on builders to ensure more supportive housing units are available for those who need it most?

I’d like to welcome my good friend Harout Matossian. He’s the former chair of the Armenian National Committee of Toronto and a current member of the Armenian Community Centre advisory board.

Harout, welcome to Queen’s Park.

The member opposite raises an important point. As you know, the funds were flowed to our hospital partners and our long-term-care partners in September to ensure that the second tranche of the PSW and nurse retention bonus pay were given. Those should be distributed. They will be retroactive, so as the individual hospitals—perhaps the member opposite could share with me examples so that we could follow up. But the funding has flowed from our government. We understand the value and importance of PSWs in our health care system and we want to make sure—which is, frankly, why we made a temporary wage enhancement permanent.

Thank you to the honourable member for the follow-up question. Not only are we investing the funding to make it possible to build supportive housing, we’re cutting red tape that’s blocking developers, non-profits and community partners from getting shovels in the ground. With our latest bill, we address concerns related to development charges. But I must emphasize all the supportive housing units that we’ve built thus far, Mr. Speaker, whether it’s investments in St. Thomas, where we built 20 units, or the $2.9 million in Thunder Bay for 98 units, $5.5 million in London to build 30 accessible modular home units—and there is much more to come.

This is a government that doesn’t leave anyone behind in this province. We will always make sure that every Ontarian is not only housed but has a home where they feel safe and supported.

In March of last year, the Conservative government unanimously voted down my bill to create a wage floor for all personal support workers. Instead, they chose to extend the temporary pandemic wage enhancement that only applied to some PSWs. Then they promised that they’d make the $2 top-up permanent. Except, according to a November 1 Global News article, hospital PSWs are still waiting on the permanent wage increase.

My question, Speaker, is: If the Conservative government wants Ontario to believe that they care about workers, why are hospital PSWs waiting more than eight months for a $2 raise?

Let’s go to home care PSWs, because home care PSWs’ employment standards—looking into this: According to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development guide for the Employment Standards Act on home care workers, home care PSWs are only entitled to be paid for no more than 12 hours per day. I learned this because a home care provider told me they don’t have to pay more than this. They’re also not entitled to daily or weekly limits on hours of work, daily rest periods; home care PSWs are not entitled to time off between shifts; they’re not entitled to weekly or biweekly rest periods; and home care PSWs are not entitled to eating periods or overtime pay. That’s very serious if you’re talking about how important PSWs are to the Conservative government, Speaker.

My question is: Will the Premier direct the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development to update the Employment Standards Act so that all home care PSWs are entitled to at least some of the standards of every other worker in Ontario, including overtime pay?

The petition reads: “Petition to Protect Patient Care in Operating Rooms at Hamilton Health Sciences (General, Juravinski, and McMaster sites).

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas patients requiring surgery have complex care needs, some of which are urgent or life-threatening diseases and under anesthetic can become unstable, unpredictable, quickly change or deteriorate; and

“Whereas a scrub nurse is a member of the surgical team who provides a surgeon with instruments while maintaining a sterile environment, acts on and anticipates their requests, prepares medications, assists with retraction of tissue, communicates to circulating registered nurses (RNs) patient care needs, and responds in emergencies; and

“Whereas more health care providers are needed to address the surgical backlog, but surgical patients need a regulated nurse in a scrub nurse role who has the education, training and qualifications of a diploma or degree and a specialized credential in surgical nursing that makes them knowledgeable, expertly skilled and experienced, and anything less puts patient safety at risk; and

“Whereas Hamilton Health Sciences’s new surgical model of care is to replace nurses who perform the scrub nurse role in operating rooms, with unregulated operating room assistants (ORAs); and

“Whereas Hamilton Health Sciences’s actions to replace nurses with unregulated health care providers erodes the standard of care that patients will receive because ORAs cannot respond to patient care needs and they are not accountable to the public for the care they provide; and

“Whereas the Operating Room Nurses Association of Canada (ORNAC) recommends that the scrub nurse role be performed only by nurses; and

“Whereas cutting nursing care in operating rooms means patients can suffer from unnecessary complications or death because of unrecognized care needs, delayed care, miscommunication, or errors;

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

“Immediately stop operating room assistants from performing the scrub nurse role at Hamilton Health Sciences;

“Stop any further plans to cut and replace registered nurses within the operation rooms at Hamilton Health Sciences;

“Cease the new surgical model of care that replaces scrub nurses with operating room assistants because it does not adhere to Hamilton Health Sciences’s mission to provide excellent health care to the community it serves.”

I’m proud to sign this petition, and I’ll give it to page Mabel.

The Minister of Health.

There being no further business this morning, this House stands in recess until 3 p.m.

The House recessed from 1145 to 1500.

First reading agreed to.

Madame Collard moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 37, An Act respecting the use of the notwithstanding clause / Projet de loi 37, Loi concernant le recours à la disposition de dérogation.

First reading agreed to.

First reading agreed to.

It’s a great honour for me to once again introduce this petition, the most signed petition I’ve done in Ottawa Centre. It reads: “I Support Small Ice Cream Shops in Ontario.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas small ice cream shops offer customers a delicious treat”—even in November—“dairy producers valuable clients, and offer staff jobs;

“Whereas the Milk Act prevents small ice cream shops from local wholesaling, even if the source of their dairy ingredients comes from a certified dairy plant. In fact, the Milk Act currently restricts the wholesale of any products made with dairy ingredients, not just ice cream;

“Whereas small ice cream shops that wholesale without their own certified dairy plants are subject to thousands of dollars in fines” and potential arrests;

“Whereas consumers have the right to choose from a variety of safe dairy products, and not just those made by large suppliers;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to allow small ice cream shops access to local markets for wholesaling, provided all ingredients are fully traceable, and all dairy ingredients come from certified dairy plants in Ontario.”

It’s an honour to sign these many petitions. I’ll be sending it with page Eric to the Clerks’ table.

This petition is entitled “Support Bill 21, the Till Death Do Us Part Act.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas there are 38,000 people on the wait-list for long-term care; and

“Whereas the median wait time for a long-term-care bed has risen from 99 days in 2011-12 to 171 days in 2020-21; and

“Whereas according to Home Care Ontario, the cost of a hospital bed is $842 a day, while the cost of a long-term-care bed is $126 a day; and

“Whereas couples should have the right to live together as they age; and

“Whereas Ontario seniors have worked hard to build this province and deserve dignity in care; and

“Whereas Bill 21 amends the Residents’ Bill of Rights in the Fixing Long-Term Care Act to provide the resident with the right upon admission to continue to live with their spouse or partner;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Minister of Long-Term Care to pass Bill 21 and provide seniors with the right to live together as they age.”

It’s my pleasure to affix my signature to this petition. I look forward to its passage later on today.

The bill enacts the Notwithstanding Clause Limitation Act, 2022. The act would provide that bills cannot invoke the “notwithstanding” clause in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms except in certain circumstances.

If the clause is invoked by a minister of the crown, the Attorney General is required to table a report in the assembly detailing how its use can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society and describing why alternatives to its use were deemed inadequate.

Bills invoking the “notwithstanding” clause shall not be adopted by the Legislative Assembly without a two-thirds majority of its members.

Mr. Burch moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 38, An Act to establish a framework for the licensing of supportive living accommodation / Projet de loi 38, Loi établissant un cadre pour la délivrance de permis d’exploitation de logements supervisés.