My question is for the Premier.

Last week, the government rammed through Bill 7, overriding a patient’s right to consent and leaving many questions in its wake, like how far patients can be sent away or how much they can be charged.

Last week, the member from Ottawa West–Nepean brought forward the story of Deana Henry, who, under the threat of Bill 7 and an $1,800-a-day hospital bill, was compelled to go where she didn’t want to go. “I feel like I am non-existent,” is what she said.

Last week I heard the Premier muse about $1,800-a-day hospital bills and how they weren’t right, without any concrete commitment to do something about it.

So will the Premier please let us know what he’s going to do to make sure that this doesn’t happen to any other Ontario family?

And, respectfully, saying you think something is not right and not taking action, especially when you have the power, doesn’t amount to much. It’s cold comfort to the families out there who are worried.

So I put forward a motion on the table today that will limit the maximum charge an alternate-level-of-care patient awaiting placement in a long-term-care home can be charged as equal to the copay in Ontario’s long-term-care homes. It’s the fair and reasonable thing to do. Allowing the threat of a huge hospital bill to hang over people’s heads is neither fair nor reasonable. It’s unjust and unfair.

And it’s within this government’s power, it’s within the Premier’s power to pass this motion and to amend the Public Hospitals Act. Will the Premier commit to doing just that?

The only thing that was unfair and unjust is he sat there for 10 years and built 611 beds, propped up by the NDP. The Liberals were the ones who created this mess, created the disaster. I can’t believe he has the nerve and the gall to stand up there and try to preach to us when we’re building 58,000 new homes for seniors. We’re going to continue to build them, make sure they have good health care moving forward in their later years—but you have nerve like I’ve never seen before.

Mr. Speaker, as I promised, the regulations will be out very, very soon, and people will undoubtedly see how the opposition’s fearmongering over this bill was uncalled for.

More importantly, what the member refuses to highlight is how important this policy change is to ensuring that our seniors who are in hospital, who have been discharged or are waiting to be discharged, who are on the long-term-care-home waiting list, get the appropriate level of care in a long-term-care home.

I will let the opposition argue why a senior wanting to be in a long-term-care home should be waiting in a hospital, should be without the social environment that comes with a long-term-care home and the physical activity that comes with a long-term-care home, should be subject to the disease that comes when somebody is in a hospital. These are our seniors who are waiting to be in long-term care, and the best care for them is in a long-term-care home. It is a home, not a hospital, and that is what we want our seniors to progress to.

This was the first government to cancel the two paid sick days that workers had in Ontario.

Speaker, as the outgoing members of the science advisory table have stated, COVID is far from over. It still poses real and significant risks. Dropping mandatory isolation was reckless and the wrong thing to do. We are also heading into a potentially wicked flu season.

No Ontario worker should have to choose between going to work sick and losing their pay.

Will this government finally do the right thing, pass my private member’s bill, and ensure that all Ontario workers have 10 permanent paid sick days?

The supplementary question.

The next question.

Thank you to the phenomenal member from Windsor–Tecumseh for the question. It’s an excellent one.

The member is correct. I was honoured to take part in the international Candu fuel conference, which was hosted by Cameco. On a personal note, Cameco is one of the largest employers in my riding and employs hundreds of hard-working men and women in the clean energy sector across this province and across Canada.

Not surprisingly, there was a lot of discussion about SMRs and praise for our government for recognizing that investing in SMR technology is what we need to do to secure Ontario’s future. More importantly, it’s securing a cleaner future for Ontarians. In fact, one SMR can prevent up to two megatons of greenhouse gas emissions. What does that mean? Speaker, that’s the equivalent of taking over 600,000 cars off the road, and it can power up to 300,000 homes with clean, reliable baseload power.

This is just another example of tangible steps that our government is taking to promote a cleaner future, working with men and women in the trades and making sure that we can have reliable, clean power for generations to come.

Speaker, it’s not through punishing taxes on the backs of hard-working Ontarians when we’re dealing with an inflationary crisis that we will achieve a cleaner, greener, more sustainable future. It is working with industry that we’ve seen historic reductions in the steel sector. It’s working with industry that we’re making record investments in public transit. And it’s working with industry that Ontario will be a powerhouse in SMR clean green technology for the world.

We’ll continue working for workers every single day. That’s why we increased the number of health and safety inspectors, and since the pandemic hit Ontario, we’ve done more than 100,000 inspections and investigations in workplaces right across this province. It’s why we were the first in Canada to bring in job-protected leave almost on day one, when this pandemic hit. It’s why we were the first province in the country to bring in three paid sick days, and the member opposite is well aware we’ve extended this until the end of March next year.

I can be clear with the members opposite and with all the people of Ontario that we’ll continue to have their backs, we’ll continue to ensure that we protect workers—that they can stay home when they’re sick—and we’ll continue working for workers every day.

I would like to thank Faye Moffatt from Hanmer in my riding for this petition.

“Stop Privatization

“Whereas Ontarians get health care based on their needs, not their ability to pay;

“Whereas the Ford government wants to privatize our health care system;

“Whereas privatization will bleed nurses,” physicians “and PSWs out of our public hospitals and will download costs to patients;”

They petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To immediately stop all plans to privatize the Ontario health care system, and fix the crisis in health care by:

“—repealing Bill 124 to help recruit, retain, return and respect health care workers with better pay and better working conditions;

“—licensing tens of thousands of internationally educated nurses and other health care professionals already in Ontario;

“—incentivizing health care professionals to choose to live and work in northern Ontario.”

I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask my good page Sharmin to bring it to the Clerk.

Mr. Speaker, we know that increasing the number of electric vehicles on our roads and highways is good news not only for the environment, but for our economy as well.

My question is for the Minister of Energy. We know that we have a long way to go before electric vehicles replace gas-powered cars. We have seen that other provinces have a head start when it comes to EV policies and infrastructure. What, then, is the Minister of Energy doing to ensure that electric vehicle ownership becomes more accessible and attractive in Ontario, so we can get more electric vehicles on our roads and highways?

I’m proud to read out the petition entitled “Put Public Safety First. Get a Fair Deal for Safety Inspectors.

“Whereas safety inspectors at the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) help ensure the safety of Ontarians by inspecting amusement park rides, food trucks, elevators, fuel-burning equipment, propane-dispensing stations, boilers and pressure vessels in our schools, hospitals, long-term-care homes, nuclear power plants and more; and

“Whereas TSSA safety inspectors have been bargaining for their first collective agreement since November 2021, and when the employer walked away from the table were forced out on strike on July 21; and

“Whereas TSSA safety inspectors are fighting for improved accountability for public safety standards and practices, wages and benefits that are consistent with industry standards, measures to address understaffing issues and improve retention and recruitment and be a stronger voice in the workplace; and

“Whereas the government of Ontario, including the Premier’s office, is responsible for protecting public safety and ensuring that provincial agencies such as the TSSA bargain with their employees in good faith.

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

“—intervene to ensure that the TSSA stop its stonewalling, return to the bargaining table and negotiate fairly with OPSEU/SEFPO Local 546 TSSA members to reach a deal;

“—ensure that newly unionized employees have automatic access to first contract arbitration should they want it when bargaining reaches an impasse; and

“—commit to labour policies and legislation that are actually working for workers and advance a decent work agenda for all working people in Ontario.”

I’m proud to sign this, and will be giving this to page Sophie.

Thanks to the member from Canada’s clean energy capital, the Durham region, for this question this morning. It’s important, because when I talk to people who are interested in buying an EV, one of the first things that they talk to me about is potential range anxiety. They want to know that when they buy a car, they’re going to be able to get to where they want to go and not run out of electricity.

That’s why we’ve taken the steps to ensure that the EVs have the charging stations that they need in the province. Unlike the previous Liberal government that did everything they could to slow down EV uptake in our province, by driving the price of electricity through the roof and putting EV charging stations at places where they’re plugged in all day and only one vehicle can go there, like a GO station, we’re taking the steps to ensure that we’re building EV chargers at every single ONroute across the province, so that when people are travelling to visit our beautiful province, they can go to the Thousand Islands, or they can go to Sarnia–Lambton, or they can go to Kingston and the Islands, or they can go to London, or they can go to Brantford. They can go anywhere they want along the 400 series of highways and get a charge and power up.

That’s why, last year, I provided direction to the Independent Electricity System Operator that sets out the path to procure new electricity generation in our province over the next 10 years through a competitive process. This work is well under way. Just recently, we were able to renew new capacity, new generation in our province, saving the people of Ontario 30%-plus along the way. Unlike the former Liberal government, which drove up the cost of electricity, we have a plan in place that’s going to provide reliable and affordable energy—

Through you, Mr. Speaker: Thank you to the member opposite for that question. As the member well knows, this government actually acted on the non-resident speculation tax by increasing it from 15% to 20%, and made it province-wide, so that foreign speculators wouldn’t hurt people buying homes in this province.

Now, the member opposite also talks about the vacancy tax, and of course, the vacancy tax is in action right now. In fact, municipalities such as Toronto have the vacancy tax, and other municipalities have asked for the vacancy tax, and we have granted that.

But, Mr. Speaker, what the member opposite is really getting to is that we have a housing supply challenge in this province, and it’s this government that is committed to building 1.5 million houses over the next 10 years, something they didn’t do.

I appreciate the member opposite’s question, because it gives me an opportunity to talk about some of the great work that we’re doing with our Ontario health teams, including, of course, the CHCs, family health care practitioners who provide guidance and resources that could be used for all primary care providers when caring for transgender individuals, and that’s the Sherbourne Health centre or CHC.

We have many primary care teams across Ontario who run primary care programs as part of their LGBTQ+ services, or specific clinics for trans populations, providing interdisciplinary primary care services. These are teams that work together—including mental health services—for their clients. In addition, we have a couple of examples of family health teams: the Couchiching Family Health Team in Orillia, an interdisciplinary program created to provide trans health care, mental health care, education and system navigation for trans or questioning people and their loved ones living in the north Simcoe and Muskoka region.

We have the Queen Square Family Health Team in Brampton—again, trans health programs supporting trans individuals with access to supportive, team-based—

Minister of Finance.

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

The supplementary.

There being no further business at this time and it being Tuesday, this House stands in recess until 3 p.m.

The House recessed from 1141 to 1500.

MPP Wong-Tam moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 18, An Act to proclaim Consent Awareness Week / Projet de loi 18, Loi proclamant la Semaine de sensibilisation au consentement.

First reading agreed to.

Speaker, our legislation that’s on the floor right now, Bill 3, builds upon our success. Our government has made a commitment over the last three years. We’ve spent $4.3 billion supporting our community housing sector and building more supportive housing.

I’ve said many, many times, Speaker, that there is not one silver bullet that is going to solve the housing supply crisis. Our government has put forward many pieces of legislation—More Homes, More Choice, our province’s first housing supply action plan, in 2019. We followed that up with More Homes for Everyone. Each time, Speaker—this is the craziness of the whole situation—every time I put a bill forward—

Interjections.

Interjections.

I am seeking unanimous consent that, notwithstanding standing order 100(a)(iv), the independent members be permitted to share the five minutes allotted to a single member for the debate on ballot item number 1—that is tonight—standing in the name of the member for Brampton North.

My question is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The BC government just completed a report that looked at the effectiveness of its speculation and vacant homes tax, designed to make housing more affordable for people who intend to live in the homes they rent or buy. The tax has raised over $231 million in affordable housing and has added over 20,000 long-term rental units to the Vancouver area—20,000 units, all with the stroke of a pen.

Just like BC, Ontario has an issue with vacant homes as well. Minister, to quickly increase housing supply, can you bring in an effective provincial speculation and vacant homes tax?

My question is back to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing again: The city of Toronto passed Ontario’s first inclusionary zoning law back in 2021. Inclusionary zoning requires developers to set aside some affordable housing units in each development located near transit stops. It’s a very good way to build affordable housing in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

Here’s the challenge: Toronto has approved 104 areas in the city where inclusionary zoning should apply, and has submitted these 104 requests to the ministry to approve. How many inclusionary zoning requests have you approved, Minister? Zero.

Minister, when are you going to allow the city to proceed with inclusionary zoning, so developers build more affordable housing?

I’m very pleased to introduce this petition on behalf of the Unifor 222 workers in my neck of the woods, cleaners with GDI Services who are out on the strike line and who unfortunately have to deal with scab labour right now. This is an anti-scab legislation petition.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the use of replacement workers (scab labour) undermines workers’ collective power, unnecessarily prolongs labour disputes, and removes the essential power that the withdrawal of labour is supposed to give workers to help end a dispute, that is, the ability to apply economic pressure;

“Whereas the use of scab labour contributes to higher-conflict picket lines, jeopardizes workplace safety, destabilizes normalized labour relations between workers and their employers and removes the employer incentive to negotiate and settle fair contracts; and

“Whereas strong and fair anti-scab legislation will help lead to shorter labour disputes, safer workplaces, and less hostile picket lines;

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

“—to prohibit employers from using scab labour for the duration of any legal strike or lockout, specifically banning the use of any employee or contracted worker to perform the duties of a bargaining unit employee;

“—to prohibit employers from using both external scabs (those hired specifically to replace striking or locked-out bargaining unit members) as well as internal scabs (new hires, members of the bargaining unit who might otherwise cross the picket line, or any other employees at any of the employer’s establishments, including managers);

“—to include significant financial penalties for employers who defy the anti-scab legislation; and

“—to allow for the very limited use of temporary workers, only to undertake essential maintenance work to protect the integrity and safety of the workplace, but not to contribute to the ongoing, normal operation of the workplace.”

I wholeheartedly support this petition, will affix my signature and send it to the table with Daniyal.

My question is to the Premier. Michelle Hurtubise, at the Centretown Community Health Centre, recently told the CBC that people have to wait more than two years for an appointment at her clinic. It’s the only one in her city that specializes in trans health.

Does this government believe that waiting two years for a primary care doctor is acceptable? What is this government going to do to help trans Ontarians access gender-affirming health care?

We all recognize that gender-affirming health care is life-saving health care and, during the last Parliament, my predecessor, Suze Morrison tabled the Gender Affirming Health Care Advisory Committee Act, a bill that I’m looking to re-table, with wide support from everyone in this House.

Will this government commit to helping all Ontarians, including trans Ontarians, by ensuring that they support the gender-affirming health care act when I re-table the identical bill?

Understanding consent requires action, awareness and accountability. Only 28% of Canadians fully understand the meaning of consent.

Through this bill, Ontario will be the first jurisdiction in Canada to recognize and adopt Consent Awareness Week.

“Whereas safety inspectors at the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) help ensure the safety of Ontarians by inspecting amusement park rides, food trucks, elevators, fuel-burning equipment, propane-dispensing stations, boilers and pressure vessels in our schools, hospitals, long-term-care homes, nuclear power plants and more; and

“Whereas TSSA safety inspectors have been bargaining for their first collective agreement since November 2021, and when the employer walked away from the table were forced out on strike on July 21; and

“Whereas TSSA safety inspectors are fighting for improved accountability for public safety standards and practices, wages and benefits that are consistent with industry standards, measures to address understaffing issues and improve retention and recruitment and be a stronger voice in the workplace; and

“Whereas the government of Ontario, including the Premier’s office, is responsible for protecting public safety and ensuring that provincial agencies such as the TSSA bargain with their employees in good faith.

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

“—intervene to ensure that the TSSA stop its stonewalling, return to the bargaining table and negotiate fairly with OPSEU/SEFPO Local 546 TSSA members to reach a deal;

“—ensure that newly unionized employees have automatic access to first contract arbitration should they want it when bargaining reaches an impasse; and

“—commit to labour policies and legislation that are actually working for workers and advance a decent work agenda for all working people in Ontario.”

I proudly affix my name to this petition, and I will return it to the centre table with page Juliet.