I think we always have to do more for workers in the province of Ontario. We’ve got to do a lot. That’s why we’ve brought these bills before. I don’t know how that member stands in this place, quite frankly, when he slashed residency positions, when they cut nursing positions, when they underfunded rural hospitals like mine, leaving them on life support. That member’s party systemically dismantled health care and then ran off in a minivan and disappeared after. That’s the size of their party today.

You destroyed health care. Quite frankly, as a health care professional, how you even stand as a member of that party is shocking.

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?

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.

It’s my honour to read the following petition into the record. It’s entitled “Health Care: Not for Sale.” It reads, “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontarians should get health care based on need—not the size of your wallet;

“Whereas Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Sylvia Jones say they’re planning to privatize parts of health care;

“Whereas privatization will bleed nurses, doctors and PSWs out of our public hospitals, making the health care crisis worse;

“Whereas privatization always ends with patients getting a bill;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to immediately stop all plans to privatize Ontario’s health care system, and fix the crisis in health care by:

“—repealing Bill 124 and recruiting, retaining, and respecting doctors, nurses and PSWs with better working conditions;

“—licensing tens of thousands of internationally educated nurses and other health care professionals already in Ontario, who wait years and pay thousands to have their credentials certified;

“—10 employer-paid sick days;

“—making education and training free or low-cost for nurses, doctors, and other health care professionals;

“—incentivizing doctors and nurses to choose to live and work in northern Ontario;

“—funding hospitals to have enough nurses on every shift, on every ward.”

I fully support this petition, will affix my signature and deliver it with page Abigail to the Clerks.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas students and education workers deserve stronger, safer schools in which to learn and work;

“Whereas the pressure placed on our education system has contributed to an increase in reports of violence in our schools;

“Whereas crowded classrooms, a lack of support for staff, and underfunding of mental health supports are all contributing to this crisis;

“Whereas the government of Ontario has the responsibility and tools to address this crisis, but has refused to act;

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

“Take immediate action to address violence in our schools;

“Invest in more mental health resources;

“End violence against education workers and improve workplace violence reporting.”

I fully support this petition, will affix my signature and will deliver it with page Isaac to the Clerks.

Resuming the debate adjourned on September 26, 2023, on the motion to recognize newly elected members of provincial Parliament.

I appreciate the opportunity to participate in this debate. To my colleague the member for Eglinton–Lawrence: I’d like to thank her for her remarks, as she has discussed how our government is prioritizing health care in northern Ontario by continuing to take bold action.

Our government does recognize the residents of northern Ontario and what they face with some unique health care realities. That is why we continue to provide financial assistance that is dedicated to northern Ontario residents. We are taking action for northern families instead of just talking or outright ignoring the needs of the north, as previous governments have done.

I would like to further speak about how our government is strengthening health care for northern Ontario residents and helping address their health needs. Effective, integrated models of care, as exemplified by the Ontario health teams, are critical to providing more convenient and connected health services in northern communities.

In July of last year, our government approved three more Ontario health teams in northern Ontario: the Équipe Santé Ontario Cochrane District Ontario Health Team, as well as the Elliot Lake Ontario health team, both serving Greater Sudbury, Sudbury East, Espanola, Manitoulin, Elliot Lake and surrounding areas, and the Timiskaming area Ontario health team, serving the Timiskaming district and surrounding region.

Last month, our government took another important step forward to strengthen local services in the north with the approval of the West Parry Sound Ontario Health Team, which marked a significant milestone of achieving full provincial Ontario health team coverage, with a total of 58 Ontario health teams operating in every corner of this great province.

These Ontario health teams bring together a wide variety of health care providers from across health and community sectors, including primary care, hospitals, home and community care, and mental health and addiction services, to better serve patients. Working together, these teams break down barriers, connecting people to care by ensuring a seamless transition from one provider to another, with one patient record and one care plan being shared between the providers.

We’re supporting Ontario health teams to take the next step to ensuring better coordinated care by moving the responsibility of connecting people to home care services to Ontario health teams. This is starting in 2025.

Mental health and addiction challenges are also an additional key issue facing our communities. Our government continues to make important investments, making it easier and faster for Ontarians, including in the north, to connect to high-quality and evidence-based mental health and addictions services and supports. This includes establishing eight new youth wellness hubs over this past year, with 22 hubs launched since 2020, with several of these hubs supporting young people in northern communities like Sault Ste. Marie, Kenora, Sudbury and Timmins.

We’ve significantly expanded the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program, including through providers in Sudbury and Thunder Bay, to provide more convenient mental health care. Through the Addictions Recovery Fund, 53% of the new addictions beds will be located in northern communities, supporting the creation of 204 addictions beds in northern Ontario.

Speaker, I’d also like to talk to the latest announcement, with the $110-million investment for inter-professional primary care teams that we announced earlier this month. Northern Ontario residents will further benefit from expanded timely access to primary care. Specifically, in northern Ontario, nearly $6 million of this investment will serve more than 37,000 net new patients.

I just want to talk to some of the applicants and the locations, given the members from the north here described these areas: in Moosonee and James Bay coast, Weeneebayko Area Health Authority; in Sudbury District, French River, the Centre de santé Univi Health Centre; in Manitoulin Island, Northeastern Manitoulin FHT, Manitoulin Central FHT, Municipality of Assiginack FHT; as well as in Wawa, the Wawa Family Health Team; in Timmins as well as Chapleau—many of these areas.

Speaker, we know that people stay healthier for longer with this primary care service and with faster diagnosis and treatment as well as more consistent support managing their day-to-day health, while relieving pressures on emergency departments and walk-in clinics. We will continue to work—

I want to thank the members from Eglinton–Lawrence and Newmarket–Aurora. I wasn’t surprised with the responses that I got from the government. Unfortunately, you didn’t listen to the picture that I painted of the realities of what’s happening with our health care system in northern Ontario, and that’s too bad.

The member for Don Valley and the member for Thunder Bay, thank you for your comments. To the member from Sudbury, you’re absolutely right; it is about equity of care.

I want to read the mandate here in the short amount of time that I have. The mandate is “to make recommendations for improving the facilitation of reasonable access to health” care “services for people in northern Ontario by means of reasonable, realistic and efficient reimbursement for travel costs.” It’s not just the reimbursement; it’s also the delivery of these services.

What the member from Newmarket–Aurora just spoke about with the enhancement to the family health teams—we welcome that, but it doesn’t require a travel grant. This is the problem. If we look at the reimbursement in the delivery of the Northern Health Travel Grant, there are things that we want to change.

I’ll give you a perfect example: On the delivery, if you look at a community like Espanola or White River, they’re just on the outside of that 100-kilometre diameter. If you live in White River, God forbid if you look at the price of gas. If you have to drive to Wawa to meet up with a specialist there, you need that travel grant, but guess what? You’re not going to get it. Because if you’re in White River or in Espanola, and you have to travel to Sudbury or Sault Ste. Marie, you won’t get it; you don’t qualify.

These are the types of discussions that we need to have, where we can bring the health care professionals, bring the service providers to start talking about what we need to do as far as improving the delivery and the equity of care. I touched a little bit on let’s bring Hope Air as well, as far as how we can make them a partner in providing the care that we need and getting people to timely specialist appointments. This is something simple—