My question is to the Premier. Howard Meshake of Sioux Lookout is one of my constituents. His wife, Jeannie, had a stroke back in 2018, leaving her paralyzed and needing 24-hour care.

Speaker, he had presented to the pre-budget committee in 2020, and the government promised to help him access home care. So I ask this government: What is Ontario doing for Jeannie and others in the north who haven’t been able to access proper home care support closer to home?

Howard has spent the last five years trying to navigate a badly broken health care system, and things are just getting worse. His family continues to be ignored and abandoned by this broken system.

Speaker, this government made big promises in 2020, saying Jeannie would get the home care she needs to live in dignity, and nothing has changed. Will they ensure families in the north get the access to the home care they need—yes or no?

Interjections.

To respond, the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health and the member for Eglinton–Lawrence.

The member for Eglinton–Lawrence.

My question is for the Minister of Health. We saw the previous Liberal government here in Ontario stretch our hospitals to a breaking point in Niagara West and across the rest of this province. We saw that hallway health care, reckless mismanagement, out-of-control spending and scandals define their management of our health care system.

Since I was elected in 2016, I’ve been advocating on behalf of my constituents and all the people of Ontario for an improved health care system. I know that this Premier and this government are getting it done by prioritizing investments in our patients’ care when and where they need it.

So my question to the minister, Speaker, is: What is this government doing to ensure that every person in the province of Ontario has access to primary care when and where they need it?

It’s encouraging to see that this government is making record investments to help people in my community and so many others. I was pleased to see that 11 primary care organizations in the Niagara region actually received funding as part of a historic announcement into our area. From Wainfleet to Port Colborne, from Fort Erie to Grimsby, Niagara is going to be getting the convenient care that the people in our region deserve. A $2.4-million investment will mean that an additional 7,600 constituents are going to be receiving primary care. We know that every person in Ontario should have access to well-connected care when and where they need it, and that is exactly what this minister is working on.

Could the minister please elaborate on what this government is doing to connect people in every corner of our province to the care they need?

I know the member must be grateful for the 21% increase in homelessness funding in his riding, Mr. Speaker—not something that he asked for, but something that was delivered by the Associate Minister of Housing.

Let’s get this straight: The NDP sat here while the Liberals presided over obstacle after obstacle after obstacle in the way of building homes. The NDP have become so irrelevant in the discussion, really, haven’t they? Because they supported a decade and a half of inaction by the Liberals.

When it comes to building housing, people know that it is this government that’s going to get the job done. That is why, since the housing supply action plans that we brought in place, we have seen housing starts at their highest level in decades. And, Speaker, get this: Purpose-built rentals are at their highest ever in the province of Ontario—ever.

So unlike the Liberals, who put obstacles in the way, we remove obstacles and we deliver for the people of the province of Ontario and will continue to do so.

My question is for the Minister of Infrastructure. The previous Liberal government left many water infrastructure programs in Ontario underfunded and poorly managed. Under their watch, much of the infrastructure was in need of critical repairs and upgrades. As our government continues to build Ontario, it is essential for our municipal partners to have the tools they need to build stronger, more prosperous communities. That’s why we must invest in critical infrastructure to support our rapidly growing population, unlock more housing opportunities and spur economic growth.

Speaker, can the minister please share what our government is doing to support municipal water projects to help build more housing?

Speaker, despite our numerous calls to the federal government, they have not yet provided Ontario its fair share of infrastructure funding. The people of this province are waiting. They are waiting for the federal government to step up and address unmet infrastructure needs. We must all continue to build a stronger Ontario together through a responsible, targeted approach.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is bridging the gap in housing and water projects while holding our federal counterparts accountable?

My question is to the Premier. Last November, 25 hospital CEOs in northern Ontario wrote a joint letter to your government about the precarious financial situation that they are in. In the letter, they outlined the fact that hospitals in northern Ontario have been directed by your minister to avoid closures of emergency departments, support surgical recovery and avoid reductions of hospital services. At the same time, they are expected to cope with the financial pressures of private agency staffing, the impacts of Bill 124, infrastructure costs and inflation, as well as the discontinuation of the locum incentive program on March 31.

Despite these pressures being communicated to the ministry, northern hospitals have received no funding to support their work, pushing many of our northern hospitals to the brink of having to consider drastic measures to continue to operate. Premier, why has your government ignored the request of northern hospitals and allowed them to reach this crisis point?

Northern hospitals are approaching a crisis that will impact services and will mean emergency closures, services suspended and potentially complete hospital closures. The situation is especially dire in small communities, where they deal with more complex delivery of care, work with fewer resources and are often the end-all and be-all of health care for a very large area.

Northern hospitals are poised for catastrophe. This crisis is real. Premier, these hospitals raised this alarm months ago. What are you waiting for?

Speaker, do you know who is very supportive of the work that we are doing to build more homes, to get roadblocks out of the way? It’s the mayor of London, who recently at a council meeting talked about how good the Associate Minister of Housing has been to help unlock housing in that community. Speaker, you will know the reason that London is in such a crisis is because, for far too long, Liberal and NDP members of Parliament have been there. But of course, with the Associate Minister of Housing on the job, we have been able to deliver a 63% increase in the member’s own riding when it comes to homelessness prevention.

The member talks about definitions. Well, I’m not sure what he’s talking about, because he actually voted in favour of our definition not long ago in a bill that was presented in front of this House—the “affordable” definition of housing, which he and all members unanimously voted in favour of.

What they’re worried about is that we’re actually delivering for the people of the province of Ontario, Mr. Speaker. I say to the member, don’t worry. Despite your inability to get the job done, we will.

For over a decade, the Liberals, supported by the NDP, underfunded the health care system, closing hospitals and hospital beds, firing nurses and cutting medical school residency spots. Our government inherited a health care system under pressure due to failed policies of the previous Liberal government.

Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government has made record investments in health care. Since 2018, we’ve increased the health care budget by over $18 billion, investing $80 billion into the system in this year alone, and the total health care budget in Ontario is the same as that of almost every other province and territory combined.

Continuing their legacy of not supporting health care across the province, the Liberals and NDP constantly vote against our investments and bold innovative action by this government. We’ve seen an increase in new nurses and new physicians registering and starting to practise, and we’re going to make sure that we get it done for our hospitals across Ontario.

We’ll continue to support and work with our hospital partners who deliver convenient care to patients close to home.

Thank you very much to the hard-working member. And you’re right: We are building this province.

Mr. Speaker, our ministry met with over 50 different rural municipal partners at the ROMA conference. That is in addition to past ROMA meetings and AMO meetings and the consultations that occur in between. But what was very clear was the need for water infrastructure: the need for drinking water, waste water and stormwater infrastructure. You cannot build housing without connecting them to the pipes that flow clean water, discharge dirty water and treat that waste water.

In the fall economic statement, we announced the $200-million Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund. The intake for applications opened at the end of January, and we encourage all municipalities in the province of Ontario to apply.

Two years ago, we knew that the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, a program that was very successful and benefited many communities represented by members here in the House—we knew that all of the dollars would be allocated. For the last two years, we have been advocating and working and starting that conversation with the federal government to encourage them to give money to support Ontario infrastructure projects. Even the big city mayors as well as AMO wrote letters of support, stood behind us and lobbied the federal government. Unfortunately, we saw nothing in their fall economic statement. We have seen nothing in their budget.

But to the communities across the province: Do not feel discouraged. We just released $200 million. There is an intake process. Please apply. The province is here to support you in growing your communities and enabling housing across the province of Ontario.

I want to thank the member for that great question, and I want to thank him for being a special adviser to parks. While this government is building roads, bridges and housing for people, we’re also building great parks and preserving great green spaces. It’s under the leadership of Premier Ford that our government is taking action to conserve Ontario’s natural beauty and protect its unique biodiversity for future generations.

Last Monday, I had the pleasure to announce the latest investment our government has made under the Greenlands Conservation Partnership: $2.9 million to protect 1,400 acres of wetlands, fields and natural shoreline along Pigeon Lake. This was one of the largest not-for profit conservation projects in the Kawarthas ever and the largest conservation project by the Kawartha Land Trust.

By working together, Speaker, this project proves that we can not only protect our great land and conservation, but we can build the great things that we’re doing in this province.

My question is for the Premier. Tenants in a Kitchener apartment building are fearing the worst because they’re being handed eviction notices. They’re worried that their landlord is trying to evict them to raise the rents. They’re seniors, newcomers, folks on ODSP, single parents, people who can’t afford for their rents to go up. They have no place to go.

The Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board has been failing to prevent bad-faith evictions, so much so that the Ombudsman’s report called the board “fundamentally failing.” Speaker, will the Premier help these folks by saying yes to real eviction prevention for renters by implementing vacancy control to limit huge rent increases between tenancies and stop these bad-faith evictions plaguing our communities?

The government’s failures are only driving up the cost of housing. Right now, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $2,200. How is a person on a full-time minimum wage a month supposed to pay that much? That’s all their money. How can single parents, retirees, folks on ODSP survive?

Speaker, my constituents cannot afford to wait. Again, will the Premier commit to real protections for renters, implement vacancy control now, limit the huge increases between tenancies and de-incentivize these bad-faith evictions plaguing our communities?

I’m so disappointed with the member, as he voted against a brand new, over a billion-dollar hospital, right in his own region. But, Mr. Speaker, what I was happy about with him is, he handed out my cell number to everyone, so I got to actually tell them the truth about you. I actually told them the truth, that you voted against doctors, voted against nurses, voted against the hospitals. And do you know something? After I was finished talking to endless people—not a little bit; it must have been over a hundred people I spoke to in his own riding—they agreed.

But you know what’s very, very difficult—and we’re doing everything we can, because we’ve registered over 10,000 doctors—is having doctors in that area to make sure that they’re taken care of when 80% of the people see the physicians in between 10 in the morning till 8 at night. We need more doctors in the area. We’re working very, very hard to attract doctors, to attract nurses—we’re paying for their education. And during that time, from 10 at night till 6 or 8 in the morning, they see about eight patients. We’re—

And, by the way, I’d like to ask him why he voted against a brand new hospital in his area—a billion-dollar hospital in the area? But I’d also like to ask him: Maybe he can go out and help us. Maybe you can recruit some doctors and nurses to work in that urgent care facility, because right now it’s very, very difficult to find them.

It’s not a money issue, Mr. Speaker. We need doctors across the province and if the nurses, like I said earlier, work in rural areas, we’ll pay. We will pay for their education. That’s why there were 17,500 nurses registered last year alone. Rather than complain, why don’t you get off your lazy butt and start working?

Interjections.

Before I ask my question, I just want to wish a happy birthday to my good friend from Mississauga Centre.

My question is for the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Our government must remain committed to the protection of green spaces. By expanding the amount of conserved natural spaces across the province, we’re not only helping to preserve the environment but to promote physical activity and improve mental health. We need to continue our work with Ontario’s conservation partners because these are our shared goals.

Last week I was honoured to join the minister and my colleague from Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock for an important announcement in Trent Lakes. Speaker, can the minister share with the House how our government is protecting ecologically important natural areas in my community and all across Ontario?

My question is to the Premier. Speaker, when it comes to my community in Niagara, the Premier and his Ministry of Health promised over a year ago to provide a nurse practitioner to the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. The town desperately needs a nurse practitioner, and the Premier has failed to act. Speaker, when will the Premier ensure that the people of Niagara-on-the-Lake get the public nurse practitioner service they need and deserve?

Interjections.

I can’t hold this up, but this is a headline on the Niagara-on-the-Lake local paper, not by me, Premier, but written by Penny Coles: “Why won’t the health minister keep her promise to” Niagara-on-the-Lake? So it’s not me.

Speaker, back to the Premier, in Niagara, we have families in desperate need of a primary care doctor. A recent report from the Auditor General revealed the Premier is underfunding public health care by $21 billion while increasing funding for for-profit hospitals and clinics by 300%.

We have an urgent care centre in Fort Erie—and why I gave your phone number out—closed to residents overnight, and still no nurse practitioner in Niagara-on-the-Lake. We have emergency rooms closing and urgent care closing last year in record numbers.

Speaker, when will the Premier drop the privatization scheme, invest in publicly funded, publicly delivered nurse practitioners for every resident in Ontario?

The Premier will please take his seat. And I’ll remind the members to make comments through the Chair.

Supplementary question.

I’m honoured to take the first question from the new member, Mr. Speaker. Just to give a bit of background for the new member, in the year 2014-15 annual report of the Landlord and Tenant Board—2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18—they were taking in more cases than they were disposing of. They were creating a backlog. When we came into COVID, all of a sudden, the system actually failed, because they hadn’t maintained the system. The “they” I’m talking about is the Liberal Party. When the NDP held the balance of power, they did nothing to identify these as issues.

Well, we’re going to get it done. We’ve doubled the number of adjudicators. We put a new system in place. We’ve added more staff. We’re making things work. We’re going to get to balance, Mr. Speaker, despite the mess that the Liberals left us.

Let me remind you, Mr. Speaker, that, as the Minister of Municipal Affairs indicated, we have the highest number of purpose-built rentals in the history of this province. That’s what tenants need.

It is a great partnership we have with private donors and folks all across the province to really continue to lead the way in conservation as a province. Since 2020, our government has protected over 420,000 acres of land, an area two and a half times the footprint of the city of Toronto, through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership. This is real progress in conserving Ontario’s biodiversity.

Since the launch of the program in 2020, we have had remarkable success. These successes include Hastings Wildlife Junction, Batchewana Island and, most recently, wetlands on Manitoulin Island. Thanks to our hard work, these lands are now permanently protected.

But our work is far from done. Our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, will continue to invest in conservation projects and Ontario’s rich biodiversity, and build Ontario’s climate resiliency for generations to come, all while building critical infrastructure like roads and bridges and houses.

My question is for the Premier. Speaker, nobody asked for it, but this government is closing down ServiceOntario locations and putting them into Staples and Walmart. Even worse, they’re paying these American mega-corporations over $1.7 million to do so, in the form of makeover renovations.

Now, this government will pay for the renos in Walmart or Staples but not in existing ServiceOntario locations owned by small Ontario business owners. So why the double standard? Why does this government always put the interests of big US companies over small, homegrown Ontario businesses?

So will this government come clean with the numbers? How much is it going to cost Ontario taxpayers to run ServiceOntario out of Staples and Walmart, and why the secret sole-source process?

I beg to inform the House that today the Clerk received the report on intended appointments dated February 22, 2024, of the Standing Committee on Government Agencies. Pursuant to standing order 110(f)(9), the report is deemed to be adopted by the House.

Report deemed adopted.

Report adopted.

Mr. Todd Smith moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 165, An Act to amend the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998 respecting certain Board proceedings and related matters / Projet de loi 165, Loi modifiant la Loi de 1998 sur la Commission de l’énergie de l’Ontario en ce qui concerne certaines instances dont la Commission est saisie et des questions connexes.

First reading agreed to.