Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and good morning, everyone. I’m happy to lead off the debate for the Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024.

I’m delighted to have this opportunity to speak about our proposed legislative changes. These changes will better position Ontario students and the post-secondary education system for success.

Since becoming the Minister of Colleges and Universities, I have had the privilege of visiting the majority of our post-secondary institutions, and I can tell you from first-hand experience that Ontario is home to some of the brightest and most skilled graduates and researchers in the world. The people of Ontario are the greatest asset we have. We need to continue to provide the right conditions for students during their academic journey to better position them for success in the workforce.

Ontario will continue to safeguard its competitiveness and build our economy because, after all, our post-secondary education institutions are hotbeds of innovation and entrepreneurship that support local economies and they are places for creativity and respectful debate. Post-secondary institutions are pillars of their local communities and leaders in preparing the people of Ontario for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

Campuses across the province, from the GTA to rural and northern Ontario, are not only places of learning, they are also centres of employment and economic growth for their communities, cities and regions they call home. Whether I’m in Sarnia, Thunder Bay, Ottawa or anywhere else in the province, I see the importance of ensuring our students have access to the best learning environments possible.

For students to flourish in post-secondary education and beyond, we first need to provide them with a solid foundation that fosters success. The measures we are proposing today as part of the Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024, are first and foremost student-focused. All students in Ontario—domestic, out-of-province and international—deserve to learn in a supportive, safe and respectful environment, an environment where they feel comfortable, not an environment where they fear discrimination or harassment.

The safety and well-being of everyone on Ontario’s post-secondary campuses is a critical responsibility of our colleges and universities. Our government will support institutions in their efforts.

That’s why today, I’m proud to bring forward the three initiatives outlined in the Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024. As I mentioned before, all three of these initiatives are about creating the right conditions for student success. They are about creating affordable, inclusive and safe environments for learning.

The first set of amendments in the Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024, is what I’d like to focus on first, as it is a top priority for my ministry: the mental health of post-secondary students. To be more specific, these amendments will require colleges and universities to have mental health policies in place outlining mental health and wellness supports and services available for students and, going forward, to report annually to their board of governors on the implementation and effectiveness of these policies.

The amendments would also enable the minister to provide further direction to colleges and universities about the topics and elements in their student mental health policies. This will help build common ground among the institutions while also allowing them to take a tailored approach that meets the unique needs of their student communities.

I’d like to thank my parliamentary assistant, the MPP for Burlington, for all the hard work that she has done specifically on this initiative. The PA travelled across the province, met with institutions, held consultations and looked at the mental health supports available. We’re very excited about the framework that’s going to come as a result of this bill, if passed.

As an added measure, our government will help institutions to enhance mental health supports by investing $23 million, including $8 million for the post-secondary mental health action plan over three years, starting in 2024-25.

The mental health challenges that students face have become increasingly complex. I have three post-secondary-aged daughters myself, and I have also taught college students, so I understand the significant impact mental health can have on students’ lives. The best way to make progress is to ensure that all students have access to the mental health supports they need. That’s why our government has enhanced resources for students attending post-secondary institutions across the province.

In 2023-24, we are investing more than $32 million in mental health supports for post-secondary students. This includes funding provided directly to post-secondary institutions through multiple grants.

For example, the Mental Health Services Grant helps colleges and universities to develop and expand mental health services on campus, such as specialized supports for at-risk groups, peer-to-peer supports as well as mindfulness and resiliency building programs.

There is also the Mental Health Worker Grant, which helps post-secondary institutions hire mental health professionals like counsellors, social workers, nurses and care coordinators to help meet the needs of students. In 2023, more than 160 positions were filled with the help of this grant, which resulted in shorter wait-times for students and less pressure on campus-based services.

We also recognize the important role that international students play in fostering the talent, skills and prosperity of the province, as well as their positive contributions to their campuses and communities. That’s why we are working to ensure students from around the world who come to Ontario to study have access to the mental health supports that they need to succeed.

In 2023, our government invested close to $3 million in four special projects, all with the goal of supporting the mental health of international post-secondary students in Ontario. The projects provide supports that range from access to peer mentoring and mental health courses, individual and group workshops, counselling, peer support networks, cultural awareness programs and informational videos. Importantly, one project provides mental health intervention services, like primary care, peer-to-peer support, and counselling in French to ensure international students do not have to deal with a language barrier when getting help.

Supporting ongoing initiatives that help provide direct one-on-one support for students continues to be a high priority for our government as well, like the Good2Talk mental health help line for post-secondary students. In 2023-24, our government is investing over $5 million in this initiative so the organization can expand its services and continue to provide free, bilingual and confidential services to students. Good2Talk actually provides these services 24/7, 365, through telephone, text and live chat, meeting the needs of our post-secondary students. Because when students are feeling anxious, misunderstood or overwhelmed, just having someone to talk to about it, someone who is truly there to listen, can make all the difference in the world.

To ensure all students in the province have access to mental health services, our government also invested more than $12 million in 2023-24 in another important resource, the Get A-Head portal. Those seeking care can access the portal to match with a student in training and their supervisor based on an area of support, gender, age and ethnicity. This tool not only provides critical and timely mental health services to post-secondary students at little to no cost, but also gives students in mental health fields of study the opportunity to gain experience delivering supports. The AI embedded in the platform produced more than a 76% improvement in performance outcomes for student trainees, so a win-win for students who are training in this area and those students who are using the services.

I’m pleased to report that in 2022-23, the Get A-Head platform served over 27,000 post-secondary students, and, according to a survey carried out by those overseeing the online tool, more than 80% of students who responded reported improvements in their mental health and well-being, and about 70% of graduate student trainees surveyed believed the platform enabled them to deliver effective care—a winning combination on both sides of the platform. That’s why I’m pleased that our most recent investment in this platform will expand access across all publicly assisted colleges, universities and Indigenous institutes in Ontario.

In 2023-24, our government also provided $750,000 for another important initiative, the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health. This is a partnership between Colleges Ontario, the Council of Ontario Universities, the College Student Alliance and the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance. With this additional funding, the centre will continue to promote the exchange of knowledge in the student mental health sector, foster collaboration and research, and facilitate access to expertise to meet the mental health needs of all of our students.

The Ministry of Colleges and Universities is also a partner in the government’s multi-year mental health and addictions strategy that is led by the Ministry of Health. The strategy, the Roadmap to Wellness: A Plan to Build Ontario’s Mental Health and Addictions System—and I’m proud of my colleague, the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions—seeks to address key challenges in the system, including long wait times, barriers to access and uneven quality of service.

Our government committed $3.8 billion over 10 years in this strategy. We have fulfilled this commitment by flowing $525 million in new, annualized funding into the system since 2019-20. These investments are helping to deliver high-quality care and are filling important gaps in the care continuum. Through all of these efforts, we want post-secondary students to know they are not alone, and help and resources are always available.

The legislative amendments proposed today which further build on our government’s efforts to support the well-being of students, requiring all public colleges and universities to have blueprints for their mental health supports and services, will help students in Ontario have the access to the right resources when they need them the most. I think back, Speaker, to when I was in university and I don’t remember having access to the kind of services that are available now or even knowing where to find these services. This framework will ensure that all students have access to understand the services that are available in their campuses.

When I taught at Georgian College in my life before politics, as faculty, we all took the Mental Health First Aid program because we were dealing with post-secondary students, who are in that high-risk group for mental health, and how important that was to be able to recognize that in the classroom, or to be able to support students who maybe came directly to us. Like I said, sometimes it’s just having someone to listen to, and sometimes that person is your faculty member, a close friend, or the mental health supports on campus.

Looking at my own daughters and their post-secondary journey—and I think of my youngest, who was one of those COVID kids who didn’t have a grade 12 graduation. They didn’t have the prom and all the glitz and things that happen in grade 12. And then they go on to post-secondary and that first year. Some were living at home because classes were all online. My daughter was living in residence, but then they were in their bubble with the folks on their floor and not really getting that full experience. We’ve seen that wearing on students, not just that cohort but all post-secondary students.

It’s so important that they know where to access the supports on campuses. Institutions are doing a great job in the variety of services that they offer on campus, but ensuring that students know where to find those supports is important.

The second set of amendments in the Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024, will introduce changes that emphasize our government’s very clear stance on condemning discrimination, hate or any form of harassment in our communities. We know that a healthy, safe and respectful campus environment is crucial to student success. At a fundamental level, no student in Ontario can reach their full potential unless they are safe and have a full sense of belonging on campus.

Speaker, I have heard from students and from faculty as well about the lack of policies on campus, and I can tell you that the stories that we hear in the media about some of the hateful acts happening on campus, those aren’t directly reported to the ministry. I am hearing about them as minister just like everyone else is, through social media and in the media. With the new amendments, we will ensure there is a policy in place, that there is reporting in place, that there is follow-up reporting back to the ministry, and also ensure that the public has access to that data and that it’s dealt with in a timely manner.

All students should be able to pursue their studies on or off campus without having to worry about racism, hate or discrimination. We’ve all heard reports in the news recently of unsettling incidents happening at colleges and universities here in Ontario, across Canada and across North America. It is really concerning to me, as Minister of Colleges and Universities, that incidents of racism and hate on post-secondary campuses have been escalating over the past few months.

Since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7, 2023, the media have reported that there have been rising tensions among students on campuses across the province, and many students have reported that they feel unsafe due to incidents of discrimination, anti-Semitism, anti-Palestinian racism, anti-Arab racism, Islamophobia and hate on post-secondary campuses. Concerning incidents have been reported at institutions throughout Ontario and have involved students, staff, student groups and visitors to post-secondary campuses. Due to the serious nature of these incidents, institutions have pursued internal or external investigations and many have requested the involvement of law enforcement.

While post-secondary institutions have taken action to address these incidents, it’s clear that a broader, more proactive approach is needed so that all incidents are dealt with in a consistent manner. Our government’s position on this issue is crystal clear: Hate of any kind has no place at our post-secondary education institutions.

Colleges and universities should be places where students feel free to exchange ideas and have open and respectful debate. Since January 2019, all publicly assisted colleges and universities in our province have implemented a free speech policy that meets a minimum standard prescribed by the government and based on best practices from around the world. The policy protects free speech at colleges and universities but does not allow hate speech, discrimination, harassment or any other illegal forms of speech.

The Ontario Human Rights Code, which applies to all Ontario colleges and universities, prohibits discrimination. This includes discrimination based on race, place of origin, disability, age, religious beliefs, sexual orientation and more.

Free speech policies at colleges and universities apply to all faculty, students, staff, management and guests, whether on campus or in virtual learning delivered by these post-secondary institutions. The safety and well-being of everyone on our post-secondary campuses is a critical responsibility of our colleges and universities. Institutions have a responsibility to provide a safe and supportive learning environment and must adopt appropriate measures to address issues of racism and discrimination.

Since last year, I have sent two letters to the presidents of our publicly assisted colleges and universities to remind them of their role in supporting safe and respectful places of learning and their obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code. The most recent memo specifically referenced recent events in Israel and the heightened risk of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. While post-secondary institutions have taken action to address these recent incidents, issues still continue to exist today, which means that more needs to be done.

As I mentioned earlier, the second set of amendments in the Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024, introduce changes that underscore that our government does not condone discrimination, hate or any other form of harassment in our communities. For example, our government believes that everyone should be able to pursue their studies on or off campus without having to worry about sexual violence, harassment or misconduct. Our government has zero tolerance for sexual assault, harassment and any other forms of violence in our communities.

This is not something we merely believe in; as a government, we have acted on it. That’s why, in 2022, the government passed the Strengthening Post-secondary Institutions and Students Act, 2022, which will help publicly assisted colleges, universities and career colleges better address faculty and staff sexual misconduct toward students.

But that’s not all we’ve done since forming government. Over the years, we have listened, and we have addressed sexual violence matters in various ways. For example, since July 2019, colleges and universities are required to report annually to their boards of governors, including on the number of reports of sexual violence by students as well as the supports, programs and initiatives that are available to students.

Publicly assisted colleges and universities must also have and publicly post a stand-alone sexual violence policy, which must be reviewed at least every three years and amended as appropriate. Student input must also be considered during the development of the policy and every time the policy is reviewed or amended.

Additionally, the government required each publicly assisted college and university in Ontario to have a task force devoted to addressing sexual violence on campuses. Since 2019, the government has invested $6 million annually in the Campus Safety Grant. These funds help publicly assisted colleges and universities implement campus safety initiatives, including campus sexual violence prevention programs and supports.

While our government has done a lot of great work over the last few years, more can be done to ensure post-secondary campuses are free from discrimination, hate and any form of harassment. That’s why today, we are introducing amendments that, if passed, would help create inclusive, safe and welcoming campus communities for all students.

As part of these changes, the first measure is all public colleges and universities would need to have clear, outlined policies and rules in place to address and combat racism and hate, including but not limited to anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Black racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.

Secondly, as part of our policies, all institutions would be required to have policies and rules in place to address incidents of racism and hate when they do occur. Direction to publicly assisted colleges and universities would ensure greater consistency with how these incidents are dealt with. We would work closely with our post-secondary education and community partners as institutions implement these policies and report on their implementation.

I know we can work together to build more diverse and inclusive campus communities where everyone feels welcome and has opportunities to succeed. The legislative amendments we’re introducing today would get us one step closer. Our government wants to produce a better future for everyone across the province, including students from all walks of life, to promote economic prosperity for all. Today, more than ever, access to good jobs depends on access to a good post-secondary education. We, as a province, must make sure that we keep the doors of opportunity open so that everyone in Ontario who has the willingness to learn can access an affordable post-secondary education. However, we must also ensure that what we do is sustainable so that the doors of opportunity remain open for students of the future as well.

I know that during these challenging times, when the rate of inflation and the cost of living is forcing Ontarians to make some tough financial decisions, students and their families could also use some help. For many students, every dollar counts. As an educator, a parent and public servant, I strongly believe we need to further reduce barriers to higher education, both by improving access to post-secondary education and by making it easier for students to succeed once they get there.

As a first step toward this goal, we announced last Monday that Ontario is maintaining the domestic tuition freeze for publicly assisted colleges and universities for at least three more years, while allowing limited increases of up to 5% for domestic, out-of-province students. This tuition freeze builds on the government’s historic 10% reduction of tuition in 2019-20, along with tuition freezes over the past four years. These changes have made post-secondary education more affordable for Ontario students and their families and must continue.

Prior to 2019, Ontario had the highest tuition fees for undergraduate and graduate programs in Canada. Currently, Ontario’s average tuition is the fourth highest in Canada for undergraduate students and the third highest for graduate students. This is good progress in our efforts to increase affordability.

In addition to the tuition fees they pay, students also pay fees for learning materials and activities associated with their programs; however, they don’t always have a line of sight on these additional costs until after they have selected their programs. Textbook costs in particular can pose an additional financial burden to students and their families that they weren’t expecting and couldn’t plan for. In fact, textbook costs have increased dramatically over the years, by more than 800% since the 1980s. That’s more than double the Canadian house price indexes and triple the rate of the consumer price index. I think back to even when I was in university and the costs of textbooks, and being surprised when you got your list and you went to the library and it was hundreds of dollars.

That’s why the third set of legislative amendments we have introduced in the Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act will require public colleges and universities to follow ministry directives to increase the transparency of student fees, including learning materials. As mentioned earlier, students have been facing financial burdens due to the costs of materials and activities associated with their programs and courses. If passed, Ontario’s measures to increase transparency around the costs of ancillary fees would help students prepare for these costs and provide them with greater options when selecting courses. Faculty, of course, would continue to be able to make the decisions around the educational materials for their classes; however, as always, our government is requesting that both faculty and institutions keep students’ best interests in mind when selecting learning materials.

I’ve heard from students—the costs for textbooks; the additional cost maybe for subscriptions they need for the class, any additional reading materials; or sometimes additional lab costs that they didn’t realize were an associated cost to that program until they were signed up for it.

Separate from these legislative amendments to further support transparency in the post-secondary education sector, in the coming months we will also be working with publicly assisted colleges and universities to provide greater details around how tuition fees are allocated and used. After all, if students and families are making such an effort to invest in their post-secondary education, it’s only fair that they understand exactly what they’re investing in. I look forward to working with the post-secondary institutions to determine how best to achieve these shared objectives so that students and their families can have confidence and transparency that all fees are allocated appropriately.

Madam Speaker, I mentioned at the beginning of my remarks that our greatest strength in this province is our people, and if we develop the highly skilled workforce that today’s economy demands, we can create jobs and lay the foundation for long-term, sustainable growth. Our government is committed to helping all learners access and succeed in post-secondary education. That’s why we’ve taken significant steps over the past few years towards ensuring that meaningful educational and economic opportunities are available to learners from all walks of life and in all parts of the province, because our government supports a post-secondary education system that is affordable, respectful and inclusive for all learners, including Indigenous learners.

We work with colleges, universities and Indigenous institutes and Indigenous partners to create those conditions that make it easier for everyone to access a high-quality education. We want to build and encourage a post-secondary system that embraces inclusivity and promotes success for all learners so they can find meaningful and rewarding careers.

Indigenous institutes are an important pillar for our post-secondary education system and can act as a major local hub for their communities. Not only do they provide education and training for hundreds of Indigenous learners, they offer programming in a culturally holistic and safe learning environment, an environment where Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing are woven into all aspects of the learners’ experience. Most institutes serve communities in northern, rural and very remote parts of the province, providing critical access to learners who might not otherwise participate in post-secondary education and training.

I had the opportunity to visit Six Nations Polytechnic, where we were meeting with PSW students—and this was the PSW Challenge Fund. That was free tuition and free educational materials for students in this program. I had an opportunity to talk with some of the students. There was one that stood out in particular. His name was Mark, and he was actually a bylaw officer. All of his family was involved in health human resources and he saw this opportunity for free tuition and thought, “What a great chance to make a career change.” So he was in the PSW program and was loving it, and there’s also the opportunity for him to build upon that to become an RPN or an RN. That’s what I saw in the program: students who were building those bridges and moving into those areas where we really needed them, and an opportunity for someone to change into a different field. It’s really exciting to see.

I’ve also visited First Nations Technical Institute and the amazing programs that they offer there. We met with students who were in the social service work program and also students who were in the aviation program. These young students, who are about to become pilots—but a lot of them were also looking at staying at the First Nations institution as trainers because there was such a need for more instructors in this area. So it was great to see that some are going to return to the communities to work there, but also to continue training future pilots.

I’m looking forward to my visit up to NOMA in Thunder Bay in April, and we’re going to have a chance to leave Thunder Bay and go to Fort Frances to meet with the folks at Seven Gen. I’ve had a chance to meet with them here in Toronto but now I’m going to get up to Fort Frances and meet on campus, so I’m looking forward to that opportunity.

On our part, our government is committed to supporting Indigenous institutes to help them flourish and respond to community demands and the needs of the local labour market. That’s why our government continues to invest in Indigenous institutes across Ontario and to reduce financial barriers for Indigenous learners.

Ontario has one of the highest levels of participation in post-secondary education in the world, yet we know there is an attainment gap in post-secondary education between Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners. Approximately 53% of Indigenous people aged 25 to 64 hold a post-secondary credential, compared to 65% of the non-Indigenous population.

To this end, colleges and universities across Ontario are committed to improving Indigenous learners’ access, inclusion and participation in post-secondary education. They have prioritized many activities, some in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s calls to action, including hiring and retaining more Indigenous faculty and staff; increasing recruitment, bursaries and scholarships for Indigenous learners; including more Indigenous content in courses and offering new courses, programs and degrees specializing in indigenous subject matter; and increasing partnerships with local Indigenous communities.

I see the member from Brantford–Brant here, who we were with when I was on the tour at Six Nations Polytechnic. I was just telling everyone about the students we met in the PSW program. I’ve been there a couple of times with you, and we talked to some young women who were also in the welding program, too—huge, in-demand programs. These young women were graduating right from the program into jobs in the community.

Our government also supports colleges and universities in providing culturally appropriate services and student supports to Indigenous learners through the Indigenous student success fund. Through this fund, our government invests $18.2 million annually to fund programs and services such as Indigenous counsellors, post-secondary education experience camps, elders-in-residence, academic supports, access to mentoring and counselling and advising services, and partnerships development and student and community outreach activities.

To further ensure that universities and colleges include culturally appropriate services, institutions that receive the grant are required to maintain an Indigenous education council. Each respective council is comprised of Indigenous community members who provide advice and input on programs and services. To respond to the community needs, colleges and universities also offer Indigenous study programs such as social work, teaching and early childhood education.

I’m proud to say that our government has made it easier for Indigenous people to access a culturally supportive and high-quality post-secondary education by opening the doors to Ontario Student Assistance Program—or OSAP—eligibility for Indigenous institutes as of the 2020-21 academic year. In addition, Ontario offers a range of grants and loans through OSAP to support the unique needs and economic circumstance of Indigenous learners.

These supports include the Ontario Indigenous Travel Grant, which addresses the high costs of travelling to college or university for Indigenous students living in remote First Nations. Through this grant, Indigenous learners can receive funding for travel costs to attend eligible institutions within or even outside of Ontario.

In 2021, Ontario also introduced a new Indigenous Institutes Accessibility Fund for Learners Grant: $650,000 was provided to the institutes to support accessibility for students with disabilities in the 2022-23 year, with this number increasing to $700,000 in 2023-24.

Reducing financial barriers to educational opportunities will help Indigenous learners and communities to have the tools and resources they need to build solutions, develop economies, revitalize languages and cultures and become empowered leaders.

Last year, our government also provided $1 million in funding through the Indigenous Institutes Mental Health Grant to support the provision of culturally relevant, trauma-informed mental health supports and services at nine Indigenous institutes. However, despite the important gains we have made, there is more work that we can do to support Indigenous students. Later this year, we will be holding discussions with the Indigenous institutes sector to determine how to best support Indigenous institutes and their learners going forward.

Our government is committed to helping learners throughout Ontario get the education and training they need to find rewarding careers, because, as I noted earlier, there is no greater investment than in the talent and skills of our next generation. As the Minister of College and Universities and the MPP for Simcoe North, I see every day how important post-secondary education and training are in rural and northern areas. In fact, I have Georgian College in my area, which—if you didn’t know already, you’re going to hear now—is my former employer, prior to politics. I had the opportunity to work there. I also have a Lakehead University satellite campus in my area, which has been there now, I think, for close to 25 years.

I think back to the work that was done in the early days within the community to really get behind that project, because the opportunity to have more post-secondary and to have the university in our area was really important to the community, and everyone really pulled together to ensure that it started there. It has been great for our area and the partnerships that happen in our community because of those two institutions.

To learners, to employers and to the broader community, how important post-secondary is—they make our communities stronger and are a large part of reason that I became a politician. We want to help students to get more opportunities to prepare for the in-demand careers our workforce needs, particularly in areas such as health care. Often, that help comes in form of reducing financial barriers to post-secondary education.

One of the exciting ways we are delivering on these goals is through the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant. Last spring, when the grant was launched, we marked an important milestone in our government’s plan to both deliver more convenient and connected care for people across the province and to help students to pursue in-demand careers. The first two years of the grant will focus on health human resources to help get health care workers into the communities where they’re needed most. The Ontario Learn and Stay Grant is the first of its kind and offers students full, upfront funding for tuition, books and other educational costs. I’ll say that again: full, upfront funding that covers their tuition, books and more.

Actually, one of our colleagues, MPP Anand—I can’t remember his actual riding name at the moment, but his daughter is—