My question is to the Premier. Next month, the government will increase ODSP funding by a mere 5%, or $58 per month, to just over $1,200 a month. Meanwhile, Ontario Works recipients will receive no increase, with the government expecting them to live on $733 per month. Think about that: $733 a month. When pressed last week, the Minister of Finance refused to say whether he could live on such meagre rates. It is clear that the government members know it is not possible to survive with any dignity on these rates, but they choose to legislate people into poverty anyway. Will this government do the right thing, change course today and double the rates for OW and ODSP?

It’s also important to note that the civil service already has a mailroom. Why are we contracting out to another private organization to sort the mail which they are bungling, and then people aren’t getting the resources that they need. The question is, will the government stop the contracting out of ODSP’s mail sorting today?

Thank you, Minister. The increasing price of gas is driving up the cost of everything from food to groceries and services. In Peel region, and in particular Brampton, my constituents are struggling to deal with these increased costs. Interest rates are climbing, putting further pressure on household budgets. The people of this province want to build a stronger Ontario, but you cannot build for the future if you’re worried about bills for today.

Under the previous Liberal governments, we saw the price of housing skyrocket. We saw carbon tax schemes devastate our economy and drive up the cost of everything. We saw red tape strangle opportunity for Ontario businesses and Ontario workers. How is this government rebuilding Ontario’s economy and keeping costs down for families?

I appreciate the question very much, and I do appreciate how hard the member opposite works on behalf of our agricultural communities in her riding.

With that said, we are all working very, very hard to ensure that we have food security that people can trust across this province, across Canada and throughout North America. And with that spirit, we are working on innovation and opportunities to increase yield right here at home so that good-quality food is available to Ontarians when they need it, at the right price. We’re looking to introduce a food strategy plan later this fall that will speak to the importance of secure supply chains so that we can ensure that we’re increasing our yields right here at home and intensifying our production so that we can maximize the opportunities that we have in our lands across this province.

We’re going to have a balanced approach. Minister Clark has a very good path forward in terms of making sure that we are addressing the housing needs—affordable, attainable housing needs that we have across this province. We’ll be balancing it with the importance of food security and enabling our farmers to be the best across Canada. Certainly, that’s something that I can pick up in terms of a conversation and follow up with the minister in Alberta to better understand what they have and see if it’s appropriate here, in the spirit of making sure that we have the balanced approach to making sure we are achieving our goal to meet housing needs, all the while ensuring that we have food security right here close to home.

My question is for the Premier. Last week, a heartbreaking story of a mom and her daughter was published in the Hamilton Spectator. Nicole is the mother to 10-year-old Alexa, who has a rare neurodegenerative condition and is receiving palliative care at home. Nicole has had to perform complex, specialized care that neither she nor her husband are trained for because they can’t get the hours of care that they need to care for Alexa. Instead of spending time with their daughter, they’re filling the gaps of this broken home care system.

Can the Premier explain why a child who needs, and is eligible, for 24/7 care is not eligible and able to get it?

Families like Nicole’s are being expected to just deal with it and figure it out on their own because they don’t have a choice. This is completely unacceptable.

When will this government properly invest in our health care system so families can expect to receive the promised necessary hours of care that their family members need?

Thank you for the question. Our government is supporting those who need it most, addressing this current period of economic uncertainty and preparing for future ones. That’s why we’re making the largest increase to ODSP rates in decades. We understand that, due to global factors, inflation is rising. That’s why, in our 2022 budget, we are aligning ODSP rates with inflation so that when the cost of living increases during times of high inflation, rates will too.

It is important to our government that the people of Ontario are able to pay for life’s essentials, especially our most vulnerable.

Our investment to align ODSP with inflation means that annual spending to meet inflation will occur, and that’s on top of regular annual funding like the $8.9 billion in payments issued in 2021-22. This is more money in the pockets of people who need it most to spend on the essentials of life.

Upon passage of the budget, the increase of ODSP rates and their alignment with inflation would be implemented for September, with recipients receiving the new rates from then on. Thank you for the question.

Supplementary question?

The supplementary question.

My question is to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Speaker, the Minister of the Environment has been talking a lot about green steel. I wonder if the minister can tell this House, what is green steel and what is the electric arc furnace? How will this change the way steel is produced in both Hamilton and Sault St. Marie, and what impact will this have on jobs and economic growth in both of these municipalities?

The minister well knows, greenhouse gas emissions are how we measure the impact of climate change. As the minister knows, there are many people who believe that only a carbon tax can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, what we have seen is this: High gas prices lead to higher costs, higher inflation and the cost of everything going up. Speaker, as you know, there are also many members in this chamber on the opposition benches who advocated for a $200 carbon tax per tonne.

My question to the minister is this: How will this change impact greenhouse gas emissions in the province of Ontario?

During the last election, the Premier was very clear: He promised to increase ODSP rates. Can the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services confirm here today that, in fact, we will be helping the most vulnerable and we will be increasing the ODSP rates?

Higher interest rates, carbon taxes which are leading to higher fuel costs, which lead to higher costs at the grocery store, are wreaking havoc on the budgets of the most vulnerable. Can the minister highlight what actions she will be taking to ensure that those who rely on ODSP can expect more stable consistency on fiscal outcomes, and will the minister confirm that she will be considering making inflation part of the equation with respect to how we govern ODSP rates and how we pay them out in this province?

Rising for the first time, I would just like to thank the hard-working men and women, the incredible people of Northumberland–Peterborough South who have elected me.

Speaker, under the leadership of Premier Ford and our government, we’ve become a leader in clean, green steel. With our government’s significant investments, Ontario’s manufacturing sector is breathing new life. Why does this matter? Because in Ontario, it’s not through punishing taxes on hard-working families that we’ll ensure a prosperous clean, green future, but it’s through working with and leaning on the ingenuity and work ethic of the men and women of our Ontario steel sector—men and women like my grandfather, who got off the boat and worked in the steel sector to provide opportunity for my family.

Thanks to the electrification of the arc furnace, thanks to working collaboratively with all levels of government, this Premier has ensured, through the electrification of the arc furnace, that we are going to see a six-megaton reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring jobs for our future, jobs for men and women who choose to choose Ontario for a more prosperous, cleaner future.

Of course, Mr. Speaker, the government has been working very diligently. I know the Minister of Education, guided by the Premier, ensured that Ontario had a better deal than any other jurisdiction in the country. That is a reflection of the fact that Ontario had a much different system—a system that we inherited that was far more expensive, that was far more convoluted.

We have seen, of course, during the pandemic, that the government did step up, the minister did step up and make child care available for all of those essential workers, including our health care heroes and a number of other heroes who worked so hard during the pandemic.

Again, I know the minister has ensured that Ontario families will have a better deal, a longer deal, and will be supported in a way that I think Ontarians expected. Now, of course, for those colleagues who are new, you will remember it was the NDP who wanted us to sign the very first deal, and we said we’re not going to do that, that we could do a better deal. And the Premier ensured, along with the Minister of Education, that we got that better deal for Ontario families.

Speaker, the member is absolutely right; we can’t just wait on companies to invest in Ontario’s advanced manufacturing supply chain. The Liberals tried this. They lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs by doing that.

That’s why our government led the Ontario delegation to the Farnborough air show just a couple of weeks ago. That trade show draws leading aerospace innovators from around the world for groundbreaking collaboration. Our delegation showcased our aerospace and our advanced manufacturing capabilities, but mostly we outlined how Ontario has reduced the cost of doing business by $7 billion annually.

It’s really simple: Ontario is open for business, and we are the gateway to world markets.

We’ll continue building on the over 660,000 men and women who go to work every morning in a manufacturing job.

Just last week, we announced that Cyclone Manufacturing invested $21.4 million to reshore 22 jobs to Mississauga and Milton from the US. That’s proof that we are open for business.

Thank you to the member opposite for that question. This Premier understands that it’s not through the all sizzle, no steak talk but no action of the previous government’s platitudes; it’s through meaningful action that we’re going to find solutions to the climate change problems that face us. It’s through working with the steel sector that we’ve seen significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. It’s through moving beyond NIMBYism to getting shovels in the ground for record investments in public transit so that moms and dads, so that seniors are getting on public transit, putting the keys to the car down, to make it easier to get to work, and through investing in roads, bridges and highways to reduce gridlock, to support a manufacturing sector that’s breathing new life—electric vehicles that are powering a cleaner, greener future. Through partnering with Indigenous communities in the north, we’re seeing a renaissance critical mineral strategy that’s going to ensure Ontario is a manufacturing powerhouse in the clean, green cars of tomorrow. I’m proud of that, Speaker.

The Ex is opening on Friday. Every year, TSSA safety inspectors and engineers are at the Ex inspecting every nut and bolt to ensure that people are kept safe. But now, OPSEU inspectors are on strike, and the society engineers are in conciliation. The people are rightfully concerned about their safety.

What is the Premier doing to get TSSA back to the table to negotiate a fair deal so families can feel safe again?

Since inspectors have been on strike, there have been multiple issues at amusement parks across the province: a miniature-train derailment, a fire, multiple ride failures. And it’s not just amusement parks. There has been a propane blast in Sudbury, multiple elevator failures. New condominium and other construction is delayed. The list goes on. These inspectors and engineers are also responsible for the safety of so many things, including our nuclear power plants.

The public are worried for their safety. What is this government waiting for?

The Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery.

My question is to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Last week, the minister said that the government understands the need for advanced manufacturers to invest in the talent and equipment they need to be global leaders. While that is strong advocacy from the government, Ontarians want to know more about exactly how we are achieving these aims. Just as important as investing in our advanced manufacturers is, it is also critical that we ensure that we have a robust, end-to-end manufacturing supply chain. My constituents and all Ontarians want us to ensure that materials and production of advanced manufacturing remains in Ontario as much as possible and that we’re rebuilding the strength of this sector once again.

Will the minister please explain how the government is attracting investments in advanced aerospace manufacturing supply chains and how exactly our government is making connections with international markets and getting the message out that Ontario is open for business?

Would the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade please describe what impact the aerospace industry has for the Ontario economy and how Ontario is leading the way in terms of supporting this vital sector and its hard-working men and women?

Thank you to the member opposite for the question. My ministry is aware of ongoing union negotiations between the TSSA, OPSEU and the Society of United Professionals. The union negotiation process is an independent process between the TSSA, OPSEU and the society.

Unlike the opposition, the safety of Ontarians is our top priority. The TSSA has already assured me and my ministry that the operations of the CNE will not be impacted and that all safety inspections are being conducted on time and will be completed ahead of its opening. It is my sincere hope, Mr. Speaker, that both parties can reach an agreement soon so that Ontarians can continue to benefit from the work of the TSSA.

Mr. Speaker, I will be heading to the CNE with my family, my kids. I encourage all Ontarians, all members, to visit the CNE. Let’s go to the Ex.

My question is to the Premier. Last week, parents who are both health care workers in Hamilton reached out because they are unable to find child care for their son. Families all across Ontario are still unable to access the $10-a-day child care that was promised by this government. Our health care system is in crisis, and it’s absolutely ridiculous that health care workers can’t find child care during a staffing crisis.

When will this government ensure that child care spaces are available for important health care workers and for all parents?

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontario’s seniors deserve high-quality, patient-centred care and our government is making significant strides toward better meeting the needs of long-term-care residents by hearing directly from them; and;

“Whereas people, including seniors, should have the option to stay in their homes and receive the care they need, if they choose and if it is possible; and

“Whereas home and community care keeps people healthy and at home, where they want to be, and plays an important role in the lives of more than 700,000 families annually; and

“Whereas a strong home and community care sector is key to the government’s plan to end hallway health care and build a connected, patient-centred health care system; and

“Whereas home care supports will prevent unnecessary hospital and long-term-care admissions and will shorten hospital stays; and

“Whereas our government plans to invest up to an additional $1 billion over the next three years to expand home care, improve quality of care, keeping the people of Ontario in the homes that they love longer; and

“Whereas the additional funding is intended to support home care providers, address rising costs and support recruitment and training, as well as expand services; and

“Whereas these types of investments and other developments, such as virtual care options, care at home, can become a choice that seniors, recovering patients and their families make instead of only relying on more traditional venues of care;

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

“To urge all members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to build on the progress this government has made on building a patient-centred home and community care system.”

I proudly affix my signature to this petition, and I will give it to page Zane.

Again, Mr. Speaker, it’s a challenging question, because on the one hand, the NDP have been here the entire time that I’ve been here since 2018, and have voted against every single measure that we have brought forward to improve the health care system. They voted against the creation of Ontario health teams, which would give us seamless access to health care. They voted against hiring more nurses. They voted against 58,000 new and upgraded long-term-care beds. They voted against 28,000 additional PSWs. They voted against initiatives that brought 14,000 more nurses into our health care system. They voted against a new hospital in Brampton. They voted against a new hospital in Niagara. They voted against a new hospital—the largest hospital investments—in Ottawa and in Mississauga. They voted against all of those things. They voted against the measures that the minister just talked about to support small, medium and large job-creators in the province of Ontario, and they voted against every single measure that the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade has brought in to keep our economy moving, to create jobs, to support health care and all of the things that the people of the province of Ontario think are so important.

So I say to the member—

We are doing everything that we need to do to ensure that the balance is equal across the entire province and I hope the member will join with us in that.

It is something that the Premier said before he was even elected—that we had to fix health care in the province of Ontario. We are spending billions of dollars to do it, but as the Premier said, it’s not just about billions of dollars; it’s about making a system work better for generations to come. That is what we’re focused on, and that’s the job we will get done for the people of Ontario.