The member opposite mentioned iconic space. I would not agree with that statement at all. Perhaps back in the 1970s when it was first built, it was an iconic space which families enjoyed. They do not enjoy the space anymore. The island is falling apart. It is flooding. In fact, Live Nation had to cancel its shows back in 2017 because of the flooding.

But not to worry, Mr. Speaker. Under the Premier’s leadership, we’re bringing Ontario Place back to life, and it will include 50 acres of public realm space, more trees, more vegetation, food and beverage, a brand new marina, a science centre, a wellness centre by Therme, and a brand new Budweiser Stage for families and all Ontarians to enjoy.

Thanks to the member from the Cornwall region for his question this morning.

We’re doing a lot here in Ontario to ensure that we’re combatting the punishing impact of the carbon tax on the people of Ontario, and that includes the gas tax break, eliminating tolls in eastern Ontario, ending the licence plate sticker fees, ending that very costly and wasteful Drive Clean program which was just another scam, and ensuring we’re bringing in One Fare.

We’re also investing in clean infrastructure for the future that’s going to ensure we have the energy we need that’s affordable, reliable and clean.

I’ve mentioned a few times in the House that a couple of weeks ago I was down at Sir Adam Beck talking about our billion-dollar investments in refurbishing our hydroelectric facilities in Niagara.

I’m really looking forward to joining the member from Cornwall a little bit later on this week, when we’re going to be making a similar announcement in his riding, ensuring we’ve got clean energy for the future.

We’re also refurbishing our nuclear facilities, and this is a tremendous story. The world really is watching what’s happening here in Ontario—not just in the evolution of our EV sector and EV battery sector, but in our nuclear sector. We’re building the first small modular reactor in the Western world at Darlington. We’re refurbishing the Candu reactors that we have—multi-billion dollar investments that aren’t just coming in on time and on budget; they’re coming in ahead of time.

We are building battery storage facilities and other non-emitting resources to make sure that our system is operating as efficiently as possible, investing in energy efficiency programs like the Peak Perks program and the ultra-low overnight rate for charging the EVs and cars of the future.

We have a plan, and it’s—

On the weekend, I attended a Jane’s Walk at Ontario Place organized by Ontario Place for All. We toured the incredibly beautiful, iconic parkland down at Ontario Place, where 190 bird species have been identified—many of them at risk, some of them on the verge of extinction.

This Premier saw that there was a problem with Ontario Place. He thought, “Do you know what? No one is making money from that iconic parkland on the waterfront in Toronto.” So he’s giving it away to a European mega-spa company that is now promoting an immersive wellness experience that allows people to pay money to connect with nature by watching videos of trees.

Why is he spending 650 million tax dollars to cut down 800 real trees so people can pay money to watch videos of trees?

My question is to the Minister of Energy.

The failed Liberal carbon tax is driving up the cost of everything, including basic necessities, and is punishing communities across the province, including my riding of Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry.

Speaker, driving is the primary form of transportation for most residents in rural Ontario. The carbon tax has placed a heavy burden on my constituents who now have to pay more for fuel, food and heating.

That’s why our government has not stopped fighting against the carbon tax. We are fighting for the people of Ontario.

Can the minister explain how our government is reducing energy costs for the people of Ontario as we combat the negative impacts of the carbon tax?

It is encouraging to see our government continue to build on our clean energy advantage while keeping costs down for the people of Ontario.

The governor of the Bank of Canada stated that the carbon tax contributes 15% each year to the upward pressure on inflation and that scrapping the tax altogether would lower inflation.

It is clear that the carbon tax is not helping Ontario; it is hurting us.

Our government must continue to deliver affordability by fighting the terrible Liberal carbon tax as we roll out real, practical solutions to make Ontario’s electricity grid not just more affordable, but also cleaner and more reliable.

Can the minister please explain how our government is achieving our energy objectives without introducing a costly carbon tax?

The government of Ontario came in in 2018, inheriting the highest child care prices in Canada—roughly $50 to $60 a day, a 500% increase under the former Liberals—and it really was unacceptable. We priced parents out of the market. Mothers often had to make a choice of working or raising their kids, and that’s a false choice for so many.

And so, we got to power. We rolled up our sleeves. We negotiated a better deal, and we now have cut fees by 50%, saving at least $8,000 a child in this province. That’s a meaningful action that puts money in the bank for working parents. We’re also increasing spaces—86,000 more to go.

If the member opposite wants to be constructive in her advocacy for London families and operators, then stand with us. Stand up to the federal government for a deal that allows them to fund for-profit child care so that 30% of the operators in London could receive the funding they deserve, so that all parents receive affordable, accessible child care in the province of Ontario.

The member opposite speaks about accountability. We are, right now, because the province of Ontario had the fortitude to negotiate a mid-term review, which allows technical officials, public servants, between the Ministry of Finance at the federal government and the Ministry of Finance at the provincial government—working through technical analysis of the numbers. What it will prove to the feds, and what I hope the member opposite will stand with this government and articulate to the federal government, is that there is a delta; there’s a gap. We knew this when we signed the deal. And what we should be is united, as a Parliament, to demand more funding and more flexibility from the feds so that we actually support all families and all kids in all regions of this province.

My question is to the Premier.

I met with the Toronto child care advocates and London child care providers, and they’re very concerned about this government’s lack of accountability and transparency in the implementation of the $10-a-day child care system. It’s astonishing that, two years later, there are still looming questions. They want answers, and they want to know where the money is being spent.

Will the Premier commit to requesting that the Auditor General provide a full audit of the government’s spending on the $10-a-day child care program?

Can the Premier tell the London child care advocates and providers—who actually sit on the government’s advisory group, and they haven’t met since June—who is the government consulting with for the funding formula advice?

The member opposite references scope of practice. Let’s talk about some of the things that our government has been doing with our health care practitioners specifically as it relates to scope of practice.

Of course, we all are aware, because over 700,000 Ontarians have accessed it, of a scope-of-practice change that happened with our pharmacies. That is a direct patient-benefiting outcome that we have seen. Scope of practice just announced with midwives, ensuring that they can continue to serve their patients and the babies they help deliver in the province of Ontario—those announcements were just made very recently. Scope-of-practice changes for registered nurses and nurse practitioners—we are making sure that clinicians who work in our health care system in the province of Ontario are practising to their highest level of education, because we know it leads to better patient outcomes.

The supplementary question.

I’ll remind the House that they make their comments through the Chair.

The Minister of Infrastructure can reply.

The Associate Minister of Small Business.

The supplementary question.

There are a lot of private conversations taking place in the chamber such that the cumulative volume is making it difficult for me to hear what is being said by the people who have the floor, so I’d ask everyone to please quieten down. Thank you.

Start the clock.

Supplementary question.

Minister of Health.

There being no further business this morning, this House stands in recess until 3 p.m.

The House recessed from 1141 to 1500.

First reading agreed to.

First reading agreed to.

I haven’t heard the member read the petition, but I would ask him to briefly summarize his petition so that we can move on.

Thank you to the great member from Newmarket–Aurora for the question.

Speaker, food entrepreneurs are core ingredients in the recipe for thriving local economies and strong communities we can all be very proud of. That’s why I was thrilled to recently attend the Restaurants Canada 2024 trade show. And the message came through loud and clear: The federal carbon tax is taking a huge bite out of these businesses. I heard from the owners of a popular family diner, who said their monthly natural gas bill for operating ovens, fryers and kitchen equipment has increased significantly over the past year because of this tax. This is, sadly, just the tip of the iceberg. Across Ontario, restaurateurs, cafe owners and food truck operators are being threatened by escalating expenses on all fronts, thanks to the federal carbon tax.

I hope now the opposition will listen to the restaurateurs right across this province and tell the federal Liberals to—

Speaker, Ontario farmers, growers and food producers are the foundation of our economy and food supply chain. From the tender fruit orchards of Niagara to the innovative greenhouse operations around Leamington and the Holland Marsh, these multi-generational family businesses work tirelessly to feed us while sustaining good jobs.

The Liberals need to get out of their urban bubble and talk to the working people of Ontario.

Speaker, imagine you’re a fifth-generation egg farmer. Thanks to the carbon tax, your natural gas heating costs have tripled, but your sales have not. That’s money going out of your pocket instead of being reinvested into modernizing your operations and hiring more locals.

So you can thank a Liberal the next time you pay more for a carton of eggs at your local grocery store.

This Premier and government will continue to fight for Ontario’s small businesses, and we’re going to continue to call on the federal government to scrap the tax.

My question is for the Associate Minister of Small Business.

Small businesses in the restaurant and foodservice industry are not only vital job creators, but they have an integral role in our economy and in our local communities. Our province would not be the same without restaurateurs who foster job growth, support local agriculture, and put Ontario’s culinary scene on the international map.

That’s why it is shameful that the federal government continues to strain all these small businesses with their costly carbon tax.

Our government knows the carbon tax makes it more challenging for businesses to survive, and we won’t stop fighting until the federal Liberals finally scrap this tax.

Can the associate minister please share with the House what foodservice operators across Ontario are saying about—

The Liberal carbon tax is not only forcing our favourite restaurants to reduce their staff levels or raise prices on customers, but it is also squeezing every penny from the farmers and agricultural producers who supply these small businesses.

Farmers across the province have been speaking out against the federal carbon tax because it is raising their already-high expenses and cutting into their bottom line. It is unacceptable for them to face an additional tax burden from the Liberals, and it is unacceptable that the Liberal members in this House are content to see Ontario farmers and small businesses being taxed more.

Can the associate minister please explain why small and family-run farms, as well as food producers, cannot afford this regressive carbon tax?

It’s a true privilege to welcome Andrew Daher from the city of Windsor. He’s the commissioner of human health services, and he’s visiting us today.

Madame Gélinas moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 192, An Act to amend the Health Protection and Promotion Act with respect to maximum patient-to-nurse ratios / Projet de loi 192, Loi modifiant la Loi sur la protection et la promotion de la santé en ce qui concerne les ratios patients-personnel infirmier maximaux.

The bill also authorizes the Lieutenant Governor in Council to make regulations adding new classes of provincial parks and specifying the objectives of such parks.

I have a petition for the assembly here with regard to the Landlord and Tenant Board. It was brought to me by my constituent Jenny Song, who has been experiencing problems with small landlords getting justice or access to justice in terms of a bad tenant. In the petition, she summarizes the kind of measures that the Landlord and Tenant Board could take to avoid the unreasonable, unfair and costly delay that she’s experiencing.

I agree with this petition, and I’m going to give it to page Soyul and thank her very much.

Point of order, Speaker.

My question is to the Premier.

Since this government opened the floodgates to profit-driven private health clinics, extra-billing and add-ons are all too common.

My constituent Gerald had a prescribed diagnostic procedure. Afterwards, he was told he had to pay to get a copy of his results. When he questioned it, he was offered a smaller fee to get them online instead of on paper.

Why is this Conservative government allowing extra-billing to happen?

Gerald had the very same procedure before this Conservative government allowed clinics to squeeze patients. And guess what? There was no fee. Did the government hear me? There was no fee. Now this clinic offers membership plans for a monthly fee, a yearly plan, or a one-time record collection fee—all extra fees that are unethical and ought to be illegal.

There’s an affordability crisis across this province. People are struggling to make ends meet.

My question: Will the Premier kill these fees or double down on this disastrous health care privatization agenda?

Interjections.

On Friday, I had the opportunity to meet with leaders from London’s Palestinian community to discuss this petition and the ban on the kaffiyeh in the Legislature. It was one of the most important meetings I have ever attended as they signed this petition.

The kaffiyeh, as they explained, represents the Palestinian people as a powerful cultural item. They spoke about the symbolism of fishing nets, the trade routes, the olive trees, all these vital industries and things that are important to the Palestinian identity.

We also heard how the Palestinian flag was banned in Gaza and the West Bank. As it turns out, Speaker, they also explained how paintings involving white, black, red and green were also banned. They were threatened that these paintings would actually be seized as a result. Since then, the watermelon, because it includes all those colours, has become a powerful symbol for Palestinian identity.

The kaffiyeh represents the Palestinian people’s right to exist, their right to be alive. It represents their identity. I’m thankful, Speaker, that you listened to the advocacy of the official opposition and reversed the kaffiyeh ban on the legislative precinct, because the banning of this cultural item within the people’s House and the legislative precinct had to change. Banning it—

As they were signing this petition, they did ask the question, if the kaffiyeh is not allowed to be worn in the visitors’ gallery, will there be a similar prohibition on people who wear a piece of clothing that has a watermelon on it, for instance? With this kaffiyeh ban they ask that this should be something that is allowed not only in the legislative precinct but also within the visitors’ chamber.

I fully support this petition. I want to thank the Palestinian community for a brilliant meeting. I’ll affix my signature and deliver with it page Liam to the Clerks.

The bill is quite simple. It mandates the maximum number of patients that a nurse could care for. The ratio would be:

—one to one for critical care patients on ventilators;

—two patients to one nurse for critical care patients not on ventilators or people needing very high mental health care;

—three patients to one nurse for specialized care;

—four patients to one nurse for palliative care; and

—five patients to one nurse for rehabilitation care, except on night shift, where it would be seven patients to one nurse for rehab on night shift.

It’s as simple as that. It needs to be done.

Mr. Dowie moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 193, An Act to amend the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006 / Projet de loi 193, Loi modifiant la Loi de 2006 sur les parcs provinciaux et les réserves de conservation.

Well, although the minister tried not to release it to the public, the documents show that 2.9 million Ontarians enjoyed Ontario Place in 2022.

On the weekend, there was also a Jane’s Walk at the science centre. The Ontario Science Centre was one of the first of three built in the world. They develop exhibits that are used in science centres around the world. But this government—and it has been shown by the Auditor General; the Auditor General has said that this government is going to be spending $500 million in tax dollars to build a new science centre that’s half the size, which is more than $300 million more than rejuvenating the existing science centre.

My question: Why are you disrespecting the people in the Flemingdon and Thorncliffe communities? Why are you disrespecting the students at Marc Garneau collegiate? Why are you disrespecting the taxpayers of Ontario by wasting at least $300 million in tax dollars to destroy—

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker, why is the member opposite disrespecting Ontarians by standing in the way of us building a new science centre that will be enjoyed for another 50 to 75 years?

In fact, do you know what the member opposite would like? He would like the science centre, like Ontario Place, to just fall apart so that it ends up being closed. But we will not do that, because we believe in science education, as does the Minister of Education.

But again, Mr. Speaker, not to worry; under the Premier’s leadership, we will have a brand new science centre with more exhibition space for families to enjoy, and a brand new Ontario Place.

Thank you very much for summarizing your petition.

I would like to thank Nicole Lafrenière from Garson in my riding for these petitions: “Neurological Movement Disorder Clinic in Sudbury.”

Basically, the people have signed this petition because the rate of neurological movement disorders in northern Ontario is the highest in all of our province. It’s actually the highest of many provinces in our country. There are specialized neurological movement disorder clinics that exist in Ontario, but none of them are located in northern Ontario, where the people that have signed their signature come from.

They recognize that in northeastern Ontario, it is Sudbury that is the health care hub for services. So they are asking for such a clinic to be set up in Sudbury so that the many, many patients in northeastern Ontario that have a neurological movement disorder do not have to travel to southern Ontario to gain care, but the care would be available in Sudbury—easier to get to.

I fully support the petition—I would love to have a neurological movement disorder clinic in Sudbury—and I would ask my page Sophie to bring it to the Clerks.

Comme vous savez, monsieur le Président, dans le nord de l’Ontario, nous avons droit à des subventions pour voyager vers le sud de l’Ontario lorsque les soins ne sont pas disponibles. Ça nous permet d’être remboursés pour les hôtels, pour le millage, des choses comme ça. Malheureusement, les fonds qui nous sont disponibles n’ont pas été mis à jour depuis très longtemps. Maintenant, le gouvernement l’a changé : on aura le droit à 175 $ par nuit, plutôt que 100 $ par nuit, et un petit peu plus pour le millage. Mais ça reste quand même que plusieurs, plusieurs familles, surtout des familles avec de jeunes enfants, ne sont pas capables de se rendre à Toronto pour les soins dont ils ont besoin.

Un médecin, un pédiatre de Sault Ste. Marie, est venu me voir pour me parler d’un couple. Le bébé risque de perdre la vue s’ils ne sont pas capables de l’emmener à Toronto et les parents n’ont pas d’argent pour l’emmener à Toronto. On aimerait que le programme soit changé pour que les familles dans le besoin aient droit à des fonds avant le voyage, pas avoir besoin d’attendre le remboursement.

Je suis en faveur de cette pétition. Je vais la signer et je demande à Charlise de l’amener à la table des greffiers.

Presently, we have over 2,700 people in Ontario—that was as of Monday. It could have changed; it changes every week. But as of Monday we had 2,037 people on the wait-list for an organ transplant in Ontario. Unfortunately, every three days one of those 2,037 people will die because there are no organs available to help them.

You know, Speaker, that organ and tissue donation can save up to eight people’s lives and help the lives of 75 more.

If you ask Ontarians, over 90% of us want to be organ donors, but unfortunately only 36% of us have registered. So what the petition wants to do and what the people that have signed the petition want to do is to go to a presumed consent, exactly the same as what Nova Scotia has done in their province, which would make more organs available for people who want to be an organ donor. There would be plenty of opportunity to opt out, all the way to the time of death, where someone from your family will have to guarantee that, yes, you wanted to be an organ donor. For the 2,037 people waiting, that would be a life-changing change.

I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask a very patient page to bring it to the table.

You will remember, Speaker, that in the 1980s, 30,000 Canadians were infected by HIV or hepatitis, and over 8,000 of them died because of a tainted blood transfusion. The royal commission was set in place, led by Justice Krever, and he made recommendations to protect the integrity of our blood production and collection.

Recommendation number 2 of the Krever inquiry was that donors of blood and plasma should not be paid for their donations. In British Columbia and Quebec, they have forbidden the Canadian Blood Services to pay for plasma. Unfortunately, the present government is allowing pay-for-plasma clinics to set up shop in Ontario.

We have lived through what it means when we cannot trust the blood transfusion. We don’t want to live through that again. So those people have signed a petition to make sure that Ontario adopts a voluntary blood donation act to forbid the privatization of blood products collection and the payment for a donation of blood or plasma.

I fully support this petition, Speaker, will affix my name to it and ask Charlise to bring it to the Clerk.

We all know that there is a shortage of PSWs in every part of our health care system. Whether you look at home care, at long-term care—even hospital care, primary care—we have shortages. The reason for that is that our PSWs are often overworked, underpaid and underappreciated, leading to many of them leaving the profession. The lack of PSWs, especially in long-term care and in our home care system, leaves patients to have to go without and the family having to step in.

What they want is they want to make PSW a good job. They want PSWs to be paid a fair wage, to have sick days, pension, benefits, to have vacation days, to have full-time jobs—permanent full-time jobs. I can tell you, Speaker, that when my hospital, Health Sciences North, posts one PSW position, they have hundreds of people apply. Yet the long-term-care homes, the home care cannot recruit and retain PSWs. Why? Because they don’t offer good jobs. A PSW working home care cannot pay the rent and feed their kids. They have to go someplace else, although they are very, very good at what they do. So they want to change this, to make PSW a career that you can raise your family on and make good wages on.

I think this is a good idea. I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask my good page Charlise to bring it to the Clerk.