Thank you to the member from Mississauga–Erin Mills for his tireless advocacy for the people of Mississauga. After decades of inaction, under the leadership of Premier Ford we’re finally building the infrastructure that we need for our future. We’re building new highways, roads, bridges across the entire province, including the great city of Mississauga. In our 2023 budget, we announced that our government is committing to $27.9 billion over the next 10 years to connect communities, fight gridlock and keep goods moving.

I am pleased to share that our government has completed construction on the widening of Highway 401 between Mississauga and Milton. This provides an additional 18 kilometres of new lanes. Drivers will spend less time in traffic and more time with family. Speaker, we’re building Ontario for generations to come.

Well, Speaker, I think a non-answer is an answer in a way.

When we asked this question in committee, the government House leader recommended that we FOI that information, so we took his advice. Meegwetch for that. Thank you for that. In fact, the Premier’s calendar has a meeting on September 15, 2022, at 1 p.m. with former Minister Clark, presumably his chief of staff and Jamie Wallace.

What direction did the Premier give his minister and staff regarding the greenbelt?

Deputy Premier and Minister of Health to reply.

What our government will ensure is an expansion of home and community care with a billion-dollar investment. We are stabilizing home and community care because we understand how critically important it is for people to be able to access care close to home and, yes, sometimes in home. That investment of a billion dollars is going to ensure that we have a stabilized home and community care system that includes lots of partners, including organizations like Meals on Wheels, to make sure that we are able to support and provide care for people close to home and in home.

We need people to be able to have those treatment options in home, in community. Individuals want that opportunity to be able to be with their loved ones in community. A billion-dollar investment means we can action that, something that the system has been asking for, for literally decades.

I want to thank the member for Brantford–Brant for his question, his leadership, his commitment to keeping kids in class in this province. It’s disheartening that some of the unions have rejected this opportunity, a deal that ensures stability for their members and for all kids. A Leger poll came out last week; when seven in 10 Ontarians agree with binding arbitration but not one New Democrat has the courage to urge the unions to sign this deal and get on with it so we can keep kids in class.

This government and our Premier are unequivocally clear on our mandate: keep kids in class; back to basics in classroom; stand up for the rights of children to learn. Mr. Speaker, 400,000 high school students now have that stability because we signed a deal with OSSTF. We’re going to keep working hard. We’re going to urge the unions to get to the table, get a deal, provide predictability and help ensure kids stay in class in this province.

Mr. Speaker, when we brought forth a budget that increased funding for this school year by $670 million, New Democrats and Liberals opposed it. When we increased math supports and literacy supports and hired 2,000 teachers, New Democrats and Liberals opposed it. When we increased mental health funding by 550%, New Democrats and Liberals opposed it. They have opposed progress in this province when it comes to enriching the lives of students, of ensuring accountability on school boards. Parents know they can depend on this Premier to stand up for children, for better quality education and for the right to learn in this province.

My question is for the Minister of Education. Speaker, parents in Ontario need certainty. They need certainty that their children will be in school learning the foundations of reading, writing and math, uninterrupted by the threat of strikes. I, like many parents, was disappointed to hear that some teacher unions have rejected our plan to keep students in schools by way of interest arbitration. Instead, some teachers’ unions have chosen a strike mandate that has left Ontario parents in a state of uncertainty and threatens their children with disruptions to their education.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is standing up for our students and working to keep our students in class?

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is ensuring that students have the support they need for a school year free from any disruption?

My question is to the Premier. People across Ontario are being asked to pay $650 million to subsidize a private luxury spa at Ontario Place. There are questions about the fairness and integrity of the procurement that gave Therme control of public land for 95 years. These questions remain unanswered.

The Ontario Place call for development said very clearly that bidders needed to work with the existing parking and that government would not pay for additional facilities. Why was Therme preferentially offered a publicly funded parking garage when other bidders were specifically told to use existing parking?

So I’ll ask again: Did Therme’s bid require a publicly-funded parking garage, yes or no?

My question is to the Premier. I am very concerned about this government’s plan to further privatize home and community care services. In Thunder Bay and across the province we have seen the devastating consequences of turning over critical services to private corporations: missed appointments, staffing shortages and, ultimately, worse outcomes for Ontarians.

To the Premier: Will you ensure there is publicly available home and community care for all Ontarians?

To the Premier: Will you listen to home and community care workers and clients and stop the privatization of essential services for seniors and people with disabilities?

Mr. Speaker, of course we’ll follow all government guidelines when it comes to that, and the member knows that. I will actually probably seek advice from the member since the Premier he worked for was under investigation for the balance of his time in office.

Despite the musings of the member from Ottawa and the opposition, we’re going to continue to focus on what matters to the people of the province of Ontario, and that is building more homes for people; that is putting more money back in their pocket; that is reversing some of the difficult decisions that have been foisted on Ontarians by his cousins in Ottawa, which has led to higher taxes, which has led to a carbon tax, which ultimately has led to high inflation and out-of-control interest rates.

I note that the Premier, again, has led the nation today, calling on the Bank of Canada—by writing to the Premier say, “Keep interest rates down.”

That is what we’re focused on. We will continue to get the job done, because 700,000 people who have the dignity of a job today, who didn’t when they were in office, are depending on us to do even more, and we will.

At the same time, we’re going to continue to do what is important to the people of the province of Ontario, and focus on things that, really, as a result of the inability of the opposition, the Liberals in particular, over 15 years—to accomplish anything. It’s hard to imagine, but the Liberals left us the most indebted, most highly regulated, highest-taxed jurisdiction literally in Canada, if not the world. And what do we have to show for it? Literally nothing. They weren’t able to get transit built, so we had to do it. Our hospitals were left crumbling, so we’re fixing them. They built no long-term-care homes, so we’re building them. Our students were left at a disadvantage in comparison to every other jurisdiction, and now finally we’re starting to see, because of the work of this minister, improvements in our education system.

We’ve reduced red tape to the tune of billions of dollars—$8 billion back into the pockets of our small, medium and large job creators. And 700,000 people have a—

Thank you very much to that member for that important question. We’re taking the challenge of unlocking the lost potential under the previous Liberal-NDP coalition of actually getting people into the trades, supporting—

Interjections.

Getting people into the skilled trades, the 300,000 jobs that go unfilled every year—that’s why we created Skilled Trades Ontario, a new crown agency which has a mandate to streamline registration and certification in Ontario’s 144 skilled trades, breaking down the stigma and getting more people in. That’s just one of the many changes we’ve taken on as a government.

The stats speak for themselves: We’ve seen a 25% increase in apprenticeship registration this year over last and a 30% increase in women in the skilled trades—and wait till we get into the specifics in the supplementary, Speaker.

It’s working to build a stronger Ontario. We need the men and women in the trades to get the job done, and we’re doing just that.

We’re also investing $224 million to help through the Skills Development Fund Capital Stream. That’s helping build training centres for apprentices and tradespeople through that fund. This is just one part of our $1.5-billion commitment to the skilled trades to addressing the backlog, the neglect from the previous Liberal government, so that people can find a job in the skilled trades. Because we know that when you have a job in the trades, you’ve got a career for life.

My question is to the Premier. Today, I want to represent the voices of families in my riding. The Ferris family from Constance Lake First Nation had to go through a preventable tragedy overlooked by this government. On July 26, their family member passed in awful circumstances when an Ornge transfer failed to be efficient enough to bring Mrs. Ferris to the hospital to get vital treatment. Ornge protocol hasn’t been upgraded for decades, and there is a well-documented shortage of staffing.

My question: Considering Ornge performs approximately 20,000 air ambulance service or medical flights per year and is fully part of the Ontario health care system, will it take another coroner’s report to increase government oversight in Ornge operations?

On September 28, William Louttit received a diagnosis in Kingston and decided that he wanted to return home to Moose Factory as soon as possible after having been flown by Ornge. On October 3, Ornge informed him he would be transported home but was forced to stop in Moosonee.

Two days later, he was told by Ornge, upon arrival, that his transport would not occur before 7 p.m. due to staffing issues with the local Ornge base. William Louttit then had to, even with severe mobility issues, take a boat taxi himself from Moosonee to Moose Factory without Ornge.

Ma question, again to the Premier: Will it take another coroner’s report to increase government oversight over Ornge operations and protocols before more preventable tragedies continue to happen?

The member opposite would know that I cannot speak to individual circumstances without the family’s approval; it would not be appropriate. Having said that, the investments that we are making with and for Ornge have meant that a world-class service that we should be incredibly proud of here in Ontario—the ability for Ornge to be able to move around pediatric patients, adults and individuals who have to get out of remote and rural areas and access our world-class health care have the support of our government to do that work.

My question is for the Premier.

Speaker, does the Premier believe that Ontario taxpayers should pay for his lawyer in the RCMP’s criminal investigation of the $8.3-billion deal? Yes or no?

Speaker, I saw the government’s response that it’s a long-standing practice to cover legal fees for politicians and political staff. Well, that might be the case in civil litigation, but the difference about this is, this is a criminal investigation—a criminal investigation by the RCMP; a criminal investigation into this government’s attempt to give an $8.3-billion advantage to wealthy, well-connected insiders and, by his own admission, the Premier’s friends and fundraisers.

The legal costs for politicians and staff caught up in the RCMP’s criminal investigation of the $8.3-billion backroom deal should be paid for by the individual or the Ontario PC Party. Does the Premier agree? Yes or no?

The government House leader.

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

The skilled trades are important to Ontario’s economy and our everyday lives. Skilled trades workers are the ones who build our homes, keep the lights on and help to move our province forward.

The demand for skilled tradespeople continues to grow. That’s why our government must continue to demonstrate leadership in attracting more people towards these fulfilling and good-paying careers. The reality is that we need to be doing more to help get people into the skilled trades. We need to have the best workforce in the world in order to keep attracting investments to build a stronger Ontario.

Through you, Mr. Speaker: Can the minister please explain what actions our government is taking to support Ontarians to enter the skilled trades sector?

Through you, Mr. Speaker, can the minister please elaborate on how our government is attracting more Ontarians into careers in the skilled trades?

My question is for the Minister of Colleges and Universities. Ontario is facing a generational labour shortage, particularly in the skilled trades. This is having a profound effect and impact on our economy as this is resulting in a supply chain challenge and higher prices for services.

In order for Ontario to remain a world-class leader, our government must ensure that we are making the right investments when it comes to post-secondary education. By strengthening our skilled trades and apprenticeship education systems, we can provide all Ontarians with the tools they will need in order to be prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.

Speaker, can the minister please explain what our government is doing to expand post-secondary educational opportunities in the skilled trades sector?

That said, Speaker, we must recognize that opportunities to pursue a career in this field have not always been equal. In 2021, women represented less than 4% of the workers in automotive and construction skilled trades. This has to change. In order for our government to address the ongoing labour shortages in Ontario, we must create better working conditions for women to enter and succeed in the trades.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is empowering educational institutions to help more women pursue rewarding careers in the skilled trades?

My question is for the Minister of Seniors and Accessibility. Last weekend, I had the tremendous opportunity to visit the Seniors Active Living Fair in Windsor. The event was hosted by the Older Adult Centres’ Association of Ontario in conjunction with the Nigerian Canadians for Cultural, Educational and Eco-nomic Progress. It was a great time, and I was greatly impressed by the breadth of information provided to those who attended.

We often hear the minister speak about the importance of connecting seniors to programs right in their communities, like mine, so that they can remain independent and active. Events such as these are vital in supporting the health and well-being of our seniors. This is why our government must remain focused on advocating for seniors.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is raising awareness about programs and services that are available to seniors in Ontario?

Pride Toronto released their 2023 economic impact report this morning. I had the pleasure of putting a copy on every member’s desk, at their request. Pride Toronto has generated $600 million in economic activity for Ontario, creating almost 7,000 jobs—very impressive. But because of the rise of hate incidents, insurance and security costs have now doubled. This government has cut Pride Toronto’s funding, and it is now sitting at 50% less than where it was in 2019. This is happening at a time as we’re entering into a recession. During a time Ontarians are now seeing rising hate everywhere, Pride festivals matter more than ever before.

I want to thank the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport for recently meeting Pride Toronto, but I understand that no commitments were made regarding funding.

The Premier is here today. I’d like to ask the Premier directly: Will his government commit to increase permanent, sustainable for Pride festivals across Ontario?

So, speaking about safety, Speaker, I’m very interested in knowing why this government has not been able to develop an anti-2SLGBTQ-hate-crime strategy thus far. Windows are being broken, hateful graffiti sprayed on schools, Pride flags torn down and burned. Queer and trans families are being threatened and bullied, and yet we are seeing no action from this government.

Speaker, how much longer do two-spirited, queer and trans Ontarians have to wait before their safety matters to this government?

I want to thank the member for the question. As we know, Ontario’s strength is in our diversity and inclusivity. We’re home to a strong and vibrant LGBT+ community whose experiences and contributions have and continue to make our province a stronger and better place.

Our government believes that all Ontarians should be able to fully and freely express who they are and love whoever they want. As one of the world’s largest Pride festivals, the government of Ontario is proud to support Pride Toronto each year since 2018. We’ve provided close to $1.5 million in grants to support the work they do to celebrate Toronto’s LGBT+ community.

But I would ask the member that when we support the LGBT+ community we also support all of the members, including police officers who are members of the community as well. I hope that the member will speak to Pride Toronto and involve police officers in next year’s Toronto Pride Parade.

I’ll note that that’s a $25.5-million investment that the member voted against. And when we talk about what that means, colleagues—when an LGBT+ organization like OUTLoud North Bay, who is here with us today, invests in better windows or security cameras, that member voted against it. When we invest in measures to keep members of the LGBT+ community safe in Toronto or Brampton or other parts of Ontario, that member voted against it. So I think the member should look a little closer to home and stand up for the LGBT+ community and all communities that are victims of hate crimes.