My question is to the Premier. We learned recently that pharmacists and workers at Shoppers Drug Mart are under intense corporate pressure to perform medication reviews to increase their corporation’s profits. In one week in Ontario, Shoppers, which is owned by Galen Weston’s Loblaw corporation, made $1.4 million on reviews. One pharmacy has seen a 300% increase in reviews. Several pharmacists have serious ethical concerns about these corporate targets.

Speaker, when will the Premier do more than just talk tough, step in and ensure patient care and transparency is a priority over his corporate buddies’ profits?

Speaker, when will the Premier say enough is enough, stop the transfer of taxpayer dollars to private corporations like his friends at Shoppers, and stand up for the publicly funded, publicly delivered, not-for-profit health care system that we all need and deserve in the province of Ontario?

Interjections.

Members will please take their seats.

Minister of Health.

The supplementary question?

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Animals and animal-related agriculture are crucial to the economic stability of Ontario’s rural and remote communities. However, service gaps in rural, remote and northern communities are putting farmers and their operations at a disadvantage. They create risks to farmers and their livestock as well as jeopardizing the security of the food supply chain. Our government must continue to support Ontario’s livestock farmers by increasing access to veterinary care and ensuring that support is available where it is needed. Speaker, could the minister please tell this House how our government is expanding access to veterinarian services?

Many regions across the province are experiencing a shortage of veterinarians who care for livestock, and this shortage puts a strain on the entire agricultural system. That is why it is essential our government implements measures to recruit and retain people in the veterinary profession. We must continue to support our farmers and maintain a healthy, safe and sustainable agri-food system.

Through you, Speaker, can the minister please explain how this bill will assist rural, remote and northern communities and address veterinary shortages across the province?

Thank you to the member opposite. She represents Carleton so well, and I’ve seen first-hand how well she connects with her farming communities. I thank her for that.

We’re connecting with our pet owners and farming communities as well at the ministry. By introducing the Enhancing Professional Care for Animals Act, we’re moving forward with five key deliverables. First and foremost, we’re formalizing the scope of practice for veterinary technicians so that they can assist their veterinarians with the services that are being asked for in their clinics. We’re also allowing the regulatory college to set requirements for continuing education that will be similar to other regulated professionals. In addition to that, we’re streamlining the complaints resolution process so that people who have issues with vets will have their voices heard, but more importantly, if necessary, the vets will be cleared quickly. We’re going to increase penalties for bad actors. We’re going to ensure there’s greater public transparency and representation on the council. But most importantly, this legislation is reflecting what we’ve heard from over 300 stakeholders contributing.

In addition to that, we’re working with the Minister of Colleges and Universities to expand veterinary seats. This is something that has been badly needed.

And in addition to that, I’m very pleased to say, in response to the need for large animal veterinarians, we’ve introduced an incentive program that will encourage recently graduated veterinarians to work in remote and northern communities, where it’s needed.

Speaker, I can’t believe the member opposite is suggesting that we should be taking over every single pharmacy in the province of Ontario. These are business owners who are working in the health care field that are providing exceptional service for the people of Ontario—800,000 people have accessed service in their community pharmacy since January 2023, and the member opposite is, what, suggesting that the government should be taking over pharmacies? Come on. Can we start actually thinking about how convenience in care and access to care is an important piece of our health care system?

Every single time we bring forward initiatives and investments that are going to improve access in your community, you vote against them. It is beyond belief, frankly, that the NDP motion that is calling for more administration isn’t saying, “We support and agree with a tripling of the primary care expansion,” from our original announcement when we made it in Your Health.

To suggest that 78 primary care expansions of multidisciplinary teams is not going to make a difference in the province of Ontario is, frankly, individuals living in an alternative reality.

And, Speaker, why can we do that? Why can we continue to invest in health and continue to expand the health care budget? Because we have an economy where people want to live and grow their business in the province of Ontario. When you have those opportunities, you see expansions that can happen under Premier Ford’s government. We are making those investments—50 capital expansions in the province of Ontario. There is more work to be done, and it cannot be solved overnight after decades of neglect, but we’re getting the job done.

The Conservative government likes to pretend hallway medicine is a thing of the past, but it continues to happen right now on their watch, and in Sudbury it’s even getting worse. Health Sciences North was designed for 412 patients; last month, they set a record high with 621. This means even more patients that are staying in hallways. One of the reasons that admittances are so high is that without access to primary care, many people are left to seek care in crowded emergency rooms, and it is vital that we clear the backlog by increasing access to family doctors because this will reduce the need for emergency visits.

My question, Speaker: Will the Conservative government support the NDP motion to fix the primary care shortage and put patients first?

Joyce is a senior from Sudbury, and while trying to recover from a near fatal scare, she was put in a shower room for her stay. And this is not uncommon in my city: no windows, no TV—a shower room.

Her daughter reported that on numerous occasions, complete strangers would walk in unannounced trying to find a bathroom or a place to wash up. Joyce’s daughter said, “The nurses and the PSWs work so hard under the circumstances they’re given and were so kind to us. The service is good—it’s the bed capacity that is the issue. They really need to expand.”

Speaker, this should not be acceptable to the Conservative government. My question: When is meaningful investment going to come so people like Joyce can recover with dignity?

My question is for the Premier. The Premier often speaks about how important seniors are, calling them the backbone of our province, and I agree. But once again, his words are writing cheques the actions of his government simply can’t cash. Facing fee increases of up to $1,000 a month, dozens, if not hundreds, of seniors living at the Promenade retirement home in Orléans are facing eviction or are being pressured to move. Shady business practices and poor consumer protection, lack of government regulation on fee increases and removal of rent control on new buildings have all led to a toxic environment, undue anxiety, stress and fear for these seniors losing their homes.

Mr. Speaker, how can the Premier call seniors the backbone of our province when his government fails to offer even the most basic protections to help them age gracefully?

Thank you for the question. Seniors have worked their whole lives to have a comfortable retirement home and age well in their community. Our government has stepped in to provide relief, but the opposition stands against it. We created the Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit to help seniors pay for home care. They voted against it. We invested $1 billion to home and community care and serves to fund 500 local organizations providing care for seniors. They voted against it.

The opposition should answer their constituents on why they are voting against all the support for seniors.

My question is to the Minister of Health. Some 2.2 million Ontarians don’t have a family doctor, and that number is going to double in two years. According to the Ontario Medical Association, Toronto alone is short 305 family doctors. As a result, we’re seeing private family clinics charging annual subscription fees for care pop up across Ontario under this minister’s watch.

My question is, what should Ontarians in need of a family doctor but who cannot afford to pay out of pocket do?

The Conservatives will have an opportunity today to vote on an NDP motion which proposes a practical solution that will address the problem by freeing up time for family doctors to take on more patients. It is a solution proposed by doctors themselves.

Will you support this plan so we can close the gap for people in Ontario who desperately need a family doctor now?

The supplementary question?

I agree: Seniors have worked their entire lives to stay in their homes and stay in the community where they raised their families. These seniors in Orléans are being kicked out of their home, away from their families, away from the community where they raised their families and are trying to grow old.

The owner of the Promenade retirement home is the same developer in Orléans who failed to build homes for three years, holding onto deposits, and then finally cancelled those contracts and immediately put the lots back on the market at an increased fee. Now seniors living in his retirement home are subject to scare tactics and enormous pressure to agree to massive fee increases, some of which are $1,000 a month or more.

Seniors at the Promenade are reporting unclear documentation from the provider, incomplete information on what the fees are and are not and pressure to sign documents without full explanations.

The government continues to reward their friends and supporters while seniors in Ontario are paying more.

As his friends record record profits from his friendship, what will the Premier say to these seniors in Orléans who are being forced to leave their homes because of his government’s failure to act?

As a senior myself, I want to let you know I take this personally and this Premier takes it personally. He understands how important it is to keep seniors safe.

In 2020, Ontario invested $2.8 billion in the Keeping Ontarians Safe plan. This investment during the pandemic ensured we would be prepared for future waves of COVID-19. We are ready and prepared for increased outbreaks, and we are keeping seniors safe.

Thanks to the member for Newmarket–Aurora for a great question this morning.

Once again, I’m going to stand up in the Legislature, as I have for the last several months—or, actually, a couple of years now—and talk about the fact that the federal carbon tax imposed by Justin Trudeau and the Liberals is driving up the cost of everything, from gasoline to food. People are choosing between heating and eating in this country.

And the huddle has broken over here. The Liberals are back on the line. We still don’t know exactly how they feel about the queen of the carbon tax Bonnie Crombie’s position today. She revealed it about 45 minutes ago—that she won’t be imposing a provincial carbon tax.

Our question for the Ontario Liberal caucus—because we know we’ve had members of that caucus stand up and say that people in Ontario and people in Canada are better off with the federal carbon tax than they would be without it—is what will they say today to Justin Trudeau and the federal Liberals? Will they join us in asking for them to scrap that tax?

Will she stand with us? Will these Liberals that are here, the nine of them that are here, stand with us, and will they stand with our friends in the NDP, who are calling for an end to the federal carbon tax? You all should stand up as join us this morning as we call for Justin Trudeau and the federal Liberals to—

Interjections.

Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Energy. Last fall, the federal Liberals finally recognized what our government has been saying for years: The carbon tax is raising the price of everything. After years of high energy costs, the Prime Minister announced a pause on the carbon tax, but only on home heating oil. For the more than 97% of Ontarians who rely on propane and natural gas to heat their homes, this measure provides no relief. And to make matters worse, on April 1, the Liberals are raising the carbon tax by 23%. This is ludicrous.

Our government must continue to call on the federal government to eliminate the carbon tax once and for all. Can the minister explain the impact this increase will have on Ontario families?

Unlike the opposition NDP and the independent Liberals, our government, led by Premier Ford, is focused on making life more affordable. We have been speaking against this regressive tax from day one, and we will continue to advocate for the people of Ontario. It’s time for the federal government to reconsider their approach and act in the best interest of Canadians by eliminating the carbon tax.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is trying to stop this terrible federal carbon tax?

They should be excited about the 78 primary care multidisciplinary teams that have been announced in February and are now actively recruiting. We’ve seen some of that information coming forward, and it is literally game-changing for the people who have to date been unable to access primary care physicians in the province of Ontario.

The multidisciplinary team, where you are working together as a team, not as independent clinicians, makes a better patient experience, and, frankly, it is what clinicians want to work with. They want to be able to have the opportunity, when they diagnose a patient with diabetes, to be able to transfer them to another member of the team, a dietitian, perhaps, to go over what that impact is on their lives. The multidisciplinary team approach is something that is very well documented to be a proven success story, which is why we have expanded them by 78 additional teams.

Gloria’s story is, frankly, the exact reason why we have seen what happens when you don’t ensure that you have sufficient health human resources, when you cut seats in medical schools, whether it was 10% under Bob Rae’s government or 50 medical seats under the previous Liberal government. That’s what happens. You have a constricted supply, and we’re changing that.

We are rebuilding the system to make sure that, for decades to come, we have sufficient individuals who we know want to practise in the health care field in the province of Ontario. And now, we’re expanding with medical schools in Brampton and in Scarborough. You know, Speaker, in September 2025, we will have medical students starting to train in Brampton for the first time in the province of Ontario.

So we will make those investments, and I hope the member opposite is not only sharing those expansions with her constituents who clearly want to be connected with the primary care multidisciplinary team, but also supporting these in votes in the chamber so that she can show her constituents that she is also on board and onside to expand primary care in the province of Ontario.

The member for Kitchener–Conestoga is absolutely right: It’s a shame that the NDP and Liberals are supporting the federal carbon tax, which is about to go up by 23%. I was proud to stand with the member from Kitchener–Conestoga when we announced the expansion and getting shovels in the ground on Highway 7. It’s unfortunate, though, that not only do the federal Liberals want to spike the carbon tax by 23%, they said that they don’t believe in building roads and bridges across this country, in one of the fastest-growing regions like Kitchener-Waterloo.

We will always put drivers first and put more money in their pockets. Whether it’s fighting the carbon tax or building more roads and highways, this government is committed to getting it done for the people of Ontario. We thank that member for his advocacy and making sure we fight the carbon tax and the 23% increase on April 1.

It’s also about making sure that we put more money in their pockets, like saving $125 per car or truck on licence plate renewal fees. That is something this government committed to, to put that money back into the pockets of hard-working families across this province. But that’s not it. Through the Get It Done Act, any future government that would want to impose a carbon tax will have to take it to the people through a referendum. Our government will do anything and everything we can to ensure money stays with families.

Supplementary question?

My question is for the Minister of Transportation. Families in my riding of Kitchener–Conestoga tell me over and over they need immediate relief from the costly carbon tax—the same tax that the members opposite and their friends in Ottawa want to keep hiking. At a time when many Ontario households are struggling to pay for monthly necessities and put food on the table, it is unfair to add an additional cost to their bills. But the NDP and the Liberals continue to ignore the needs of their constituents by supporting this punitive tax, Speaker. Our government must stand behind the hard-working individuals and families in our province and keep costs down.

Can the minister please tell this House what steps our government is taking to fight the carbon tax?

They don’t have a plan to build infrastructure, they don’t have a plan for transit and they don’t have a plan to bring down the cost of living. They are too focused on how to increase taxes for families and businesses. Life is already expensive for the hard-working people of our province. It is essential that our government continues to call on the federal government to eliminate the carbon tax completely while making life more affordable for Ontarians.

Can the minister please share what our government is doing to protect the people of this province from the pocket-picking carbon tax policy?

My question is to the Premier. Gloria moved to London West in 2021 and has an autoimmune disease. For the last three years, she has been registered with Health Care Connect, all while desperately searching for a doctor to help her manage her condition. She told me, “It shocks everyone I know when I tell them I don’t have a doctor.”

What advice does the Premier have for the more than 65,000 Londoners like Gloria who feel hopeless about ever being able to access primary care?

Susan also has a rare autoimmune disease. She lives in London West, and she was informed three months ago that her family doctor was closing his practice at the end of March. Without another doctor to take over, he advised his patients to contact Health Care Connect. When Susan called to register, she was told she must first de-roster with her current doctor, even though he was still practising for three months. Forcing Susan to leave her doctor early, then go potentially years without another doctor, has Susan feeling angry, helpless and very, very worried about her health.

What advice does the Premier have for Londoners like Susan?