SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Ontario Assembly

43rd Parl. 1st Sess.
March 7, 2024 09:00AM
  • Mar/7/24 10:30:00 a.m.

Good morning. I’m really pleased. I want to also lend my voice in welcoming former MPP for York South–Weston Faisal Hassan here this morning and the folks from Mount Dennis. But I also want to—yes, hello—welcome my parents, Geoff and Kathy Stiles, who are joining us in the members’ gallery today.

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  • Mar/7/24 10:40:00 a.m.

Good morning, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Everything old is new again. Just over 10 years ago, the official opposition discovered that the government had been using code words to cover up misconduct. That was the Liberal government, and they were found to be using the term “project vapour” as code for their gas plant cover-up.

Now we know that the current government also used code terms, like “G*” and “special project” to cover their tracks on the greenbelt grab. So my question to the Premier is, is special project “G*” this government’s “project vapour?”

We have emails with “special project” in the subject line sent between Mr. Amato and Mr. Sackville, and it is clearly the $8-billion greenbelt scheme. They sent emails with details about the scheme, like removal criteria, but they never actually say the word “greenbelt.”

So my question to the Premier again—I think the people of Ontario would deserve a response from the Premier himself. Did anyone in the Premier’s office direct that government officials avoid or destroy any paper trail that could expose their greenbelt discussions?

It’s a question of integrity. It’s a question of accountability. The use of code terms is evidence of intent to conceal. Someone was trying to cover their tracks, and that’s not all. The Auditor General found that political staffers were not just deleting emails related to the greenbelt; they were also using their own personal emails to avoid detection. The Premier himself conducts government business on his personal phone, but refuses to disclose his phone records as required by law.

When the Liberal government got caught covering up a scandal during project vapour, someone went to jail. And guess what? It was the Premier’s chief of staff. Why is the Premier following the Liberal government down the same path of code words, cover-ups and criminal investigations?

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  • Mar/7/24 10:50:00 a.m.

Don’t worry, that’s going to happen. That’s going to happen.

Speaker, we spend a lot of time in here talking about this government’s scandals—the greenbelt grab, the cover-up, G*, the RCMP criminal investigation of this government—but one of the biggest scandals in this province is the fact that more than 2.2 million Ontarians don’t have a primary care doctor. The health of Ontarians is at risk and that risk increases with every single passing day that this government fails to deliver.

My question to the Premier is, exactly how long will he keep people waiting for a doctor?

My question to the Premier is, why is this Premier letting paperwork stand between doctors and patients?

Minister, doctors are leaving the system faster than anyone can recruit them because of this exact issue. Doctors should be spending their time with patients, not with paperwork. Why does the government continue to complicate this issue? Doctors are spending 19 hours per week on administrative tasks. If they could spend that time with patients instead, it would be like adding 2,000 more doctors. That would reduce the primary care wait-list by 90%, Speaker—a practical solution, a simple solution.

Why won’t the government get the paperwork off doctors’ desks?

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