Speaker, through you to the Premier: Since 2018, I’ve been sounding the alarm about the horrific conditions faced by so many of our most vulnerable citizens living in supportive living accommodations.

Last week, the Toronto Star released an investigative report into SLA homes. They found food with black mould, soiled mattresses and furniture, bedbugs and rats the size of footballs. Residents and former employees report that senior management refused to address these issues, instead telling residents with nowhere else to go to “feel free to move out.”

I appreciate the fact this government supported my private member’s bill to regulate these homes back in 2020, but it was not prioritized and it was never passed.

Through you, Speaker, what action has this government taken since then to protect these vulnerable residents?

At Walnut Manor in St. Thomas, health inspectors went into a supportive living accommodation that reeked of urine and had piles of garbage and rotting food everywhere. The conditions were so horrifying that these seasoned inspectors gagged.

Members of this Premier’s current cabinet have supported this bill in the past, including the current Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. Will the government commit today to support, prioritize and, as quickly as possible, pass my private member’s bill to protect vulnerable residents of supportive living accommodations in Ontario?

I appreciate the question from the member opposite. The member will know, of course, that the licence extension was up for review. Consultations and community input closed—I believe it was on October 18. The ministry is currently undertaking a review of those comments, and we will come back to the House when a decision has been made.

Ultimately, what we’re doing is building a long-term-care system in the province of Ontario that we can be proud of. That is why we have North America-leading levels of care, four hours of care per resident per day, the highest number of inspectors-per-home ratio in the country and over 58,000 new and upgraded beds across the province, so that we can be proud of our long-term-care system. We’re getting it done.

The ultimate goal of our systems, whether it is in long-term care, whether it is in community and congregate care settings, is to provide the utmost level of care to ensure that people who are committed into our care are treated respectfully. When that is not the case, like we do in long-term care, we take action, and we will do that. Again, I thank the honourable member for that very important question.