Thank you to the member from Thunder Bay–Atikokan for his continued support in working hard to save the people of Ontario money.

Speaker, everyone knows that the federal government is failing us with the continued increase in the carbon tax. Since 2018, under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government has worked hard to end these irrelevant fees that are costing individuals and their families.

Farmers and rural communities are suffering. The cost of food, energy and transportation continues to rise, with gas prices going up 17 cents per litre.

Mr. Speaker, under this government, under this Premier, we are working hard to cut this carbon tax and make life and transit more affordable, by eliminating tolls on 412, 418, eliminating licence sticker fees and eliminating double fares.

Speaker, we are calling on the federal government to acknowledge the pain this is causing countless people in Ontario and act on it. It is time to wake up, smell the coffee and cut this carbon tax.

Well, I’ll tell the NDP, solutions—not supporting residencies, propped up by the Liberals, you cut 50 seats. What we’re doing: We’re adding 260 undergraduate seats and 449 postgraduate seats.

I just want to ask the member: Why did you vote—on hiring 10,500 doctors that we’ve attracted, we’ve created that condition; we created the conditions to attract 80,000 nurses—and you voted against it. You voted against the expansion of the hospitals, including the money that we gave McMaster in your own area—you voted against it. So how can you stand up and say you have a plan? Your plan is to cut nurses—that you did in conjunction with the NDP. You fired 160 nurses under your leadership and their leadership.

We’ve registered 80,000 new nurses. That’s the difference between your plan and our plan. Our plan is—

My question is for the Associate Minister of Transportation. At a time of high costs and high interest rates, it’s never been more important to implement measures that make life more affordable for Ontarians. But, Speaker, the federal carbon tax continues to punish the hard-working people of this province.

I’ve heard from families and farmers in the two ridings of Thunder Bay about how much this unnecessary tax is costing them daily. They are looking to our government for solutions that will make life easier and keep costs down. That’s why we must continue to call on the federal Liberals to cut the carbon tax and provide real financial relief for Ontarians.

Speaker, can the associate minister highlight what this government is doing to make life more affordable for Ontario families?

Speaker, Ontarians need financial relief now more than ever. This punitive tax is making fuel and groceries more expensive, forcing Ontario families to stretch their household budgets. At a time when many people in this province are already struggling with inflation, they should not have to pay more taxes.

Unlike the opposition, our government will continue to advocate for Ontarians. That’s why we stand against the NDP and Liberals’ support of the carbon tax.

Speaker, can the associate minister highlight the negative effects the carbon tax has on rural and northern communities?

The ayes are 100; the nays are 0.

I was expecting that my guests would be sitting on that side, but they were sitting over this side, so I’m missed announcing it, but I’d still like to have this in the book. I’d like to welcome my husband Albert Wai; my sister Marcelina Leung, and my brother-in-law Hilary Leung; and my cousins Irene Lee and Patrick Lee.

I would also like to take this special moment to thank my husband, Albert Wai, for driving me for the whole year last year because I had my eye surgery. Thank you. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to present a report on the pre-budget consultation of 2024 from the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs and move the adoption of its recommendations.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the permanent membership of the committee and substitute members who participated in the public hearings and report-writing process. The committee also extends its appreciation to the Clerk of the Committee, legislative research, broadcast and recording services, Hansard and interpretation for their assistance and hard work during the hearings and report-writing.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I move adjournment of the debate.

I’ll remind the members to please make their comments through the Chair.

Supplementary question?

To reply, the Minister of Health.

The next question.

Call in the members. This is a five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1140 to 1145.

Mr. Cuzzetto has moved private member’s notice of motion number 81. All those in favour, please rise and remain standing until recognized by the Clerk.

Motion agreed to.

The House recessed from 1149 to 1300.

Does the member wish to make a brief statement?

Debate adjourned.

Mr. Calandra, on behalf of Ms. Mulroney, moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 174, An Act to authorize the expenditure of certain amounts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024 / Projet de loi 174, Loi autorisant l’utilisation de certaines sommes pour l’exercice se terminant le 31 mars 2024.

First reading agreed to.

C’est une pétition en soutien à la construction de l’école secondaire catholique à Riverside-Sud.

« À l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario :

« Attendu que la population de Riverside-Sud est actuellement d’environ » 23 000 « habitants avec une croissance potentielle de » 18 000 « unités résidentielles;

« Attendu que la région du sud d’Ottawa est en forte croissance depuis de nombreuses années avec une augmentation continue du nombre de francophones de 0,5 % sur cinq ans; et

« Attendu que Riverside-Sud est l’une des seules communautés de la ville d’Ottawa à ne pas avoir d’école secondaire catholique qui dessert la communauté d’élèves souhaitant poursuivre leurs études en français, et que les élèves actuels des écoles secondaires catholiques doivent fréquenter des écoles en dehors de leur communauté; et

« Attendu qu’une école secondaire catholique francophone peut jouer un rôle essentiel dans la préservation et la promotion du patrimoine linguistique et culturel. Elle peut offrir un environnement où les élèves peuvent poursuivre leurs études dans la langue de leur choix ce qui est en alignement aux objectifs du projet de loi C-13 et le Plan d’action pour les langues officielles 2023-2028; et

« Attendu que la construction d’une école secondaire dans la communauté de Riverside-Sud est une priorité pour le Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE); et

« Attendu que l’école secondaire catholique francophone Pierre-Savard compte 1 122 places-élèves, en excluant les classes mobiles, et dessert plusieurs secteurs, dont Riverside-Sud. En 2022-2023, le nombre d’élèves s’élève à 1 306, dépassant la capacité de 184 élèves. Pour la rentrée 2023-2024, le nombre augmentera à 241 élèves, représentant une surcapacité de plus de 21 %; et

« Attendu qu’une école secondaire au sein de la communauté fournirait aux élèves un accès facile et pratique à une éducation de qualité dans des salles de classe non surpeuplées, ayant un effet positif sur la perception de la communauté concernant le système éducatif; et

« Attendu qu’une école secondaire catholique à Riverside-Sud est nécessaire dès que possible pour répondre aux besoins éducatifs immédiats et contribuer au développement à long terme et au bien-être de la communauté et de ses résidents;

« Nous, soussignés, adressons une pétition à l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario comme suit :

« Que le ministre de l’Éducation de l’Ontario donne instruction au Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE) à fournir le financement d’immobilisations nécessaires à la construction d’une école secondaire catholique à Riverside-Sud. »

I’m pleased to affix my signature to this petition and will proudly give it to page Korel.

I would like to thank the 5,500 women who have signed this petition. “Full Coverage of Breast Prosthesis.

“Whereas women in Ontario who have undergone mastectomy are eligible, every two years, to receive $195 towards the purchase of a full prosthesis and $105 towards a partial prosthesis, through the Ministry of Health’s Assistive Devices Program ... Breast Prosthesis Grant; and

“Whereas women with personal insurance may or may not be eligible for a percentage of the balance to” cover “at varying intervals depending on provider; and

“Whereas Canadian Breast Cancer Network estimates the cost of a pre-made silicone prosthesis” to be “about $400;

“Whereas since January 1, 2013, anyone receiving social assistance is no longer eligible to receive the balance of the cost of the prosthesis nor do they qualify to receive the two mastectomy brassieres per year; and

“Whereas women without prosthesis can suffer psychologically and physically leading to further health issues and additional downstream health” care “costs;

They petition the Legislative Assembly ... to have the ADP cover up to $500 for a full prosthesis and ... $280 for a partial prosthesis for Ontario women who have had surgery such as a mastectomy or lumpectomy due to a diagnosis of breast cancer, removal of implants that have caused illness or from naturally imbalance developing of one or both breasts.”

I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and send it to the Clerk with my good page Chase.

I would like to thank the tireless Dr. Sally Palmer from McMaster University for this petition to raise social assistance rates.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontario’s social assistance rates are well below Canada’s official Market Basket Measure poverty line and far from adequate to cover the rising costs of food and rent: $733 for individuals on OW and soon $1,227 for ODSP;

“Whereas an open letter to the Premier and two cabinet ministers, signed by over 230 organizations, recommends that social assistance rates be doubled for both Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP);

“Whereas the recent small budget increase of 5% for ODSP still leaves these citizens well below the poverty line, both they and those receiving the frozen OW rates are struggling to live in this time of alarming inflation;

“Whereas the government of Canada recognized in its CERB program that a ‘basic income’ of $2,000 per month was the standard support required by individuals who lost their employment during the pandemic;

“We, the undersigned citizens of Ontario, petition the Legislative Assembly to double social assistance rates for OW and ODSP.”

I fully support this petition. I will affix my signature and send it to the table with page Korel.

This petition is titled Raise Social Assistance Rates, and it reads as follows:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontario’s social assistance rates are well below Canada’s official Market Basket Measure poverty line and far from adequate to cover the rising costs of food and rent: $733 for individuals on OW and $1,308 for ODSP;

“Whereas an open letter to the Premier and two cabinet ministers, signed by over 230 organizations, recommends that social assistance rates be doubled for both Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP);

“Whereas small increases to ODSP have still left these citizens below the poverty line. Both they and those receiving the frozen OW rates are struggling to survive at this time of alarming inflation;

“Whereas the government of Canada recognized in its CERB program that a ‘basic income’ of $2,000 per month was the standard support required by individuals who lost their employment during the pandemic;

“We, the undersigned citizens of Ontario, petition the Legislative Assembly to double social assistance rates for OW and ODSP.”

I could not agree more with this petition. I will affix my signature and give it to page Chase to bring to the table.

“Petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Wolfe Island ferry and Glenora ferry have had serious service disruptions due to a staffing crisis created by the Ontario government; and

“Whereas residents and visitors to Wolfe Island have been trapped on the island for up to 12 hours with no way to leave, even for emergencies or work; and

“Whereas Glenora ferry has had a reduced schedule during this year’s busy tourism season, creating hours of lineups and delays for passengers; and

“Whereas the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) ferry workers are drastically underpaid in comparison to the rest of the marine industry, causing recruitment and retention issues; and

“Whereas instead of paying competitive wages and hiring more permanent staff, MTO has contracted out the work to Reliance Offshore, an out-of-province, private temporary staffing agency, which charges up to twice as much hourly as ministry staff earn; and

“Whereas contracting out the work is a waste of our public funds on a stopgap solution that doesn’t provide long-term stability to our ferry system;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“(1) Fix our ferries—stop the service disruptions and reductions caused by ministry understaffing.

“(2) Repeal Bill 124, which has imposed a three-year wage cut on already underpaid ferry workers during high inflation, and pay them fair, competitive wages.

“(3) End the outrageously expensive contracts with private temporary staffing agencies and hire permanent Ministry of Transportation ferry workers to work and live in our communities instead.”

Of course, I support this petition. I will affix my signature and send it to the table with page Ella.

This is a very important petition.

“Extend Access to Post-Adoption Birth Information.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas current legislation does not provide access to post-adoption birth information ... to next of kin if an adult adopted person or a natural/birth parent is deceased;

“Whereas this barrier to accessing post-adoption birth information separates immediate family members and prohibits the children of deceased adopted people from gaining knowledge of their identity and possible Indigenous heritage;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to extend access to post-adoption” information “to next of kin, and/or extended next of kin, if an adult adopted person or a natural/birth parent is deceased.”

I fully support this petition. I will sign it and pass it to page Bhavna to deliver to the table.

I have a petition entitled “Stand Up for Local Conservation Authorities.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ford government’s devastating changes to the Conservation Authorities Act and Bill 23 create substantial risks to people, properties and the environment; and

“Whereas these changes allow developers to dig, build, and excavate without oversight from conservation authorities; and

“Whereas Ford’s government would allow the sale of conservation lands—including endangered or threatened species habitat, wetlands, and areas of natural and scientific interest; and

“Whereas these changes will increase risks of flood, fires, and droughts in our province;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to reverse the reckless and harmful changes so conservation authorities can properly protect Ontario’s watersheds and wetlands.”

Speaker, I would add that it’s the 70th anniversary of Hurricane Hazel.

This is an important petition. I will add my name to it and give it to Tyler to take to the table.

“Whereas tenants are finding it difficult to pay constantly rising rents; and

“Whereas consecutive Conservative and Liberal governments sat idle, while housing costs spiralled out of control, speculators made fortunes, and families had to put their hopes on hold;

“Whereas every Ontarian should have access to safe, affordable housing, whether a family wants to rent or own; live in a house, an apartment, a condominium or a co-op, they should have affordable options;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to immediately prioritize the repair of Ontario’s social housing stock, commit to building new affordable homes, crack down on housing speculators, and make rentals more affordable through real rent controls and updated legislation.”

Speaker, I agree with this petition. I’ve signed it, and I’ll give to the page Bhavneet.

“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 further privatize Ontario’s health care system, and fix the crisis in health care by:...

“—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;”

—bring in “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 agree with this petition. I have signed it and I give to it page Korel to submit.

I thank Linda Benoit from Foleyet in my riding for these petitions.

“Let’s Fix the Northern Health Travel Grant....

“Whereas people in the north are not getting the same access to health care because of the high cost of travel and accommodations;

“Whereas by refusing to raise the Northern Health Travel Grant (NHTG) rates, the Ford government is putting a massive burden on northern Ontarians who are sick;

“Whereas gas prices cost more in northern Ontario;”

They petition the Legislative Assembly as follows:

“To establish a committee with a mandate to fix and improve the NHTG;

“This NHTG advisory committee would bring together health care providers in the north, as well as recipients of the NHTG to make recommendations to the Minister of Health that would improve access to health care in northern Ontario through adequate reimbursement of travel costs.”

I fully support this petition. I will affix my name and ask my good page, Jack, to bring it to the Clerk.

I’m pleased to present the following motion on behalf of the official opposition:

Whereas 2.2 million Ontarians currently do not have a family physician and are not connected to primary care, which puts their health at imminent risk; and

Whereas access to primary health care keeps people out of emergency rooms; and

Whereas primary health care providers need sustainable resources in order to maintain capacity to deliver primary care, mental health care, chronic disease management, community supports, and innovative services that help end hallway health care; and

Whereas hiring additional staff support could free up Ontario’s primary care providers to take on an estimated additional two million patients;

Therefore, the Legislative Assembly calls on the Ontario government to urgently implement a strategy to increase the number of staff support for primary care providers so they can spend their time treating patients instead of doing paperwork.

The Leader of the Opposition has moved opposition day number 2.

To lead off the debate, I recognize the leader of His Majesty’s loyal opposition.

There’s no denying, I think, that Ontario’s health care system is deeply frayed. More than—we often say 2.2 million, but the numbers are actually increasing daily; we’re now up to more than 2.3 million, in fact, since I introduced this motion, who are currently without a family doctor.

Primary care providers and community health centres across the province are overwhelmingly understaffed, and all of us here in this room know exactly what that has led to: crowded emergency rooms; excruciatingly long wait times; overworked, underpaid health care workers who are exiting the community health sector, exiting health care faster than we can ever recruit and retain them; seniors, kids, vulnerable Ontarians being left to wonder if they’re going to get the care they need when they need it.

Along with those critically low staffing levels, Ontario’s health care system is also seeing a wave of physicians retire. Currently, 1.7 million people in the province of Ontario are looked after by a doctor who is 65 or older. Let that sink in. How did the members across the aisle not see that one coming? Doctors are human too. New Democrats have been sounding the alarm on this for decades now—in the previous Liberal government, as well. But members across the aisle can’t see a storm coming for them until it’s knocking on their door.

Just on Thursday, I was in Kingston, where the shortage of doctors has left 30,000 people without access to primary care. The shortage is so dire that when four physicians at CDK Family Medicine and Walk-In Clinic announced that they would take on 4,000 new patients, hundreds of people lined up through the night, in the rain, to claim a spot. That’s desperation. If this doesn’t cry urgency to the Premier of this province, I don’t know what will.

Only two weeks ago, we had a few retired United Steelworkers workers here with us from Sault Ste. Marie. The members opposite will remember that they joined us here at Queen’s Park because they were asking this government to step up and do something about the almost 10,000 people, mostly seniors and retirees, who were de-rostered from the Group Health Centre in the Soo. It’s the only clinic in the area. They’ve lost physicians to retirements, to resignations, and there are no replacements available—and that is going to go up to another 6,000, to 16,000, in just a matter of months. By the end of the year, nearly 30% of the population in Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma could be left without a family doctor. That is going to be a sad day.

We are losing doctors. We are losing nurses. We are losing health care staff. People are stressed, and they are worried about whether they’re going to get the care they need. And where is Premier Ford? Where is this Conservative government? They’re too busy patting themselves on the back with these vanity ads instead of actually improving access to care for the people of Ontario.

The doctors and nurse practitioners who are still on the front lines are having to spend hours filling out insurance forms and coordinating referrals, and it’s cutting into quality time with patients. The Canadian Medical Association studied how many more hours doctors could be spending with their patients if they weren’t buried in paperwork, and that number is 19 hours a week. That’s 40% of their time. That’s up to five hours on administrative work per day. Any of us who have spoken to family physicians out there in our communities know this; they’ve been saying it for years. They’ve been saying, “Do something about this. That’s five hours that we could be spending seeing patients.” That’s 19 hours a week filling out forms when we have people sitting between 12 and 15 hours in waiting rooms just to see a doctor. If doctors are freed up from this administrative work, they could serve—get this—two million more patients. Do the math. That’s like adding 2,000 doctors to the system—so, 2,000 doctors to the system, or relieve the administrative work and see two million more patients.

Training and hiring new doctors—we know it’s going to take years. But funding and properly staffing primary care right now? That can happen right now. We could be doing this today. It’s a question of priorities.

The Ontario College of Family Physicians—by their research, 94% of family doctors say they are currently overwhelmed with administrative and clerical tasks. They are telling us what they need.

I want to share the words of one such expert—an actual, front-line health care provider, Dr. David Barber. He’s the OMA chair of general and family practice. Here is what he has to say about this issue: “Paperwork takes an average of 20 hours per week and includes burgeoning insurance forms, sick notes and requests for drugs.” Family doctors who didn’t go into medicine to do paperwork are doing that paperwork. “We want to see patients; this takes away from it.”

I want to just stop here for one moment and say that last week, when I was in Kingston, I had the great pleasure of meeting Dr. Dick Zoutman, who made the point, when we were talking about this issue, of saying, “Let’s be clear: These are not optional forms. This isn’t an option. This is what we have to do.”

Going back to the comments of Dr. Barber: “The government hasn’t sent any signals to family doctors on the ground that they know what is happening. When doctors aren’t hearing from the government that it has their backs, family doctors are just giving up. That is why we are seeing so many leaving.”

Those are the words of Dr. David Barber, the OMA chair of general and family practice.

This is time that doctors could be spending with patients, with people who are aging—our population is aging—with those new babies we see out there, with new moms and new families, with teenagers who are struggling. These are hours that could be devoted to them right now.

It’s not like we don’t know what works. That’s what I find so frustrating after 20-odd years of looking at this issue in health care policy. We’ve seen how effective our solution is through the community health centre model, where primary care providers like doctors and nurse practitioners have a fully staffed and resourced team so they can focus on providing care, not filling out paperwork. But rather than support those centres, what does this government do? Cut funding, so they’re forced to reduce services, see less patients.

And let me say, on behalf of all of those community health centres that I have visited over the last few weeks alone, my goodness, don’t those workers deserve to be paid the same as those folks in our hospitals? They’re paid 20% less.

I know the minister tries to minimize how important that administrative work is that health care providers are doing. She belittled this, this morning, in her responses to our questions.

Our solution can be life-saving. That’s why we’re putting this forward.

How short are we of family doctors? This is based on current numbers: Windsor, short 36; London, 68; Hamilton, 114; Barrie and Muskoka region, 118. Toronto—can you imagine? Nobody can imagine that there’s a family physician shortage in Toronto, but boy, 305—let alone trying to get a physician who actually speaks your language. Peterborough, 40; Kingston, 23; Ottawa, 171; Sudbury, 33; Thunder Bay, 50; St. Catharines, 51.

As I travel across this province and I listen to people, I hear this every day.

In Alvinston, I was at the Maple Syrup Festival the other day. I was standing in line with a bunch of folks waiting for the school bus to take us to the Maple Syrup Festival. That was fun. Those seniors were talking with me about how none of them have a family physician. These are folks with walkers, with chronic health conditions. Where do they go?

Nursing home residents I met with last week in Nepean and Orléans are stuck in a situation with a bad-actor nursing home company, and they can’t afford to leave it because they can’t afford to lose their nurse practitioner. They’re putting themselves and their families at risk.

Here in Toronto, I met a young man just the other day in my riding, in downtown west end Toronto, who moved there from Brampton and has never in his life had a family physician—can’t get on a list.

This government could start clearing that patient backlog by putting out job postings today for health care team members to support doctors and get people of this province the health care they need right now.

I’m going to end by just referring to one other thing: When I came to the province of Ontario, what, 30 years ago from Newfoundland, one of the reasons that I stayed here was because you could imagine raising your family here on a working-class salary. You could imagine having a good public school for your kids. Do you know what else? You could get a family doctor—not something we had a lot of in Newfoundland, even back then. But you could imagine getting—

Interjection.