Again, to the Premier: I just want to note, the commissioner was very clear that there were no records—highly unusual.

Assistant Deputy Minister Sean Fraser also told the Integrity Commissioner that it was usual and expected practice for political staff within the ministry to receive direction from the Premier’s office with respect to the details of a government priority. Mr. Fraser said, “In my experience, political staff work with political staff. They may be ultimately responsible to the minister, but granularity like this is something that typically is dealt with at a staff level.” Mr. Fraser said such direction would come from the Premier’s office.

Did the Premier or any of his staff make a decision to avoid leaving evidence of such direction with respect to the greenbelt project?

Interjections.

My question is to the Premier.

I was contacted this week by a resident of York region through a friend. The resident, an 80-year-old man, was just recently told that his prostate condition could no longer be controlled by drugs and that he needed surgery. He was offered two choices: He could wait for a year and a half to get surgery with his OHIP card through Mackenzie Health, or he could pay $6,000 with his credit card and get his care within three weeks at a private clinic.

Can the Premier tell me how he can defend his health care policies when people have to pay to get OHIP-covered surgery done in any reasonable time frame?

When the Premier’s decisions mean that people have to wait ages to get surgery to relieve suffering or to prevent death, then he has failed.

When will the Premier provide the funding for health care and health care workers so people are not suffering or forced to max out their credit cards to get treatment?

It is now clear that the Premier has decided to ignore his medical officer of health and his advice to address the health care crisis faced by our children. That decision is clear to anyone who has seen him every day since the public health officials in this province urged adults to wear masks indoors to protect children.

Without saying a thing, the Premier has told parents that they’re on their own and they can only hope that the overstretched doctors, nurses and health care workers can protect their children as we go through this hospital crisis.

When did the Premier decide that the children of Ontario were expendable?

Will the Premier finally speak up and tell us how he can possibly defend this mismanagement?

My question is to the Premier. Our children’s hospitals are overwhelmed. Parents are worried. They’re anxious about their sick children. Yesterday, the Chief Medical Officer of Health strongly advised all adults to wear masks indoors to protect our children. The Premier said he will take the advice of the medical officer of health. Why is the Premier not taking leadership and wearing a mask to protect our children?

What is it going to take for the Premier to show leadership and actually act on the recommendations of the medical officer of health?

Speaker, a question to the Premier: This Premier likes to claim that he’s for the little guy, but the littlest people in this province will pay the biggest price if he keeps up his attack on education workers. Our kids count on caring adults in the classroom, and this government is going to drive them out the door permanently. That will mean less support for kids with disabilities, less support for the youngest students and less safe schools. If the Premier won’t rip up his anti-worker legislation for the sake of kids, parents and education workers, will he do it to salvage his so-called brand?

Again to the Premier: Later today, the Premier will be meeting with the Prime Minister. At a time when our health care crisis desperately needs an Ontario Premier to fight for health care, this Premier has been leading the charge for more privatization. That’s not a solution.

Will the Premier continue pushing his private health care agenda in his meeting with the Prime Minister?

Will the Premier show some leadership today, scrap Bill 7, scrap his privatization agenda and work on a national plan to expand public health care and address the crisis in our hospitals?