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[ { "speaker": "MPP Jill Andrew", "text": [ "This petition is entitled “Affordable Housing.” Essentially, it’s a petition from community members in St. Paul’s and across the province who are disappointed with the fact that so many folks in Ontario can’t afford to live, whether that’s as a renter or as a family making the biggest purchase in your life, your new home.", "It is calling on the government to clamp down on speculators, frankly, who are taking away opportunities for people in St. Paul’s and across Ontario to live comfortably and with pride in a home that they can be proud of.", "This petition is also calling for the government to repair Ontario’s social housing stock and to commit to building new, affordable homes. We know that the government has failed at their own housing targets to date.", "I am very supportive of this petition titled “Affordable Housing.” I will affix my signature to it and hand it to Kellen for the tabling." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Anthony Leardi", "text": [ "It gives me great pleasure to be able to summarize this petition for the benefit of the assembly. It deals with critical minerals.", "In summary, it’s calling upon the government of Ontario to prioritize the development of critical minerals in the province of Ontario, and that’s for the purpose of strengthening our economy and building towards a sustainable future. It makes reference that critical minerals are essential for economic growth. It also references the fact that resources for emerging technologies, such as electric vehicles and renewable energy systems, are available right here in the province of Ontario.", "1310", "In summary, it also refers to the fact that our great mining wealth in the north can be married to the mighty manufacturing power of the south to further Ontario’s economy, which is now the number three trading partner for the United States of America, after China and Mexico.", "I can’t say enough about how important it is for us to develop the mighty manufacturing power of the south and marrying it to the critical mineral wealth of the north. I don’t know if there’s ever been a better place or a better time to get the north and the south together, heading in the same direction, and developing the electric vehicle manufacturing industry in the province of Ontario, which has now attracted over $45 billion.", "I can certainly, certainly endorse this petition. I will affix my name to it as soon as I find a pen, and then I’m going to give it to page Rishabh, who will deliver it to the table." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Bhutila Karpoche", "text": [ "This petition is titled “Double Social Assistance Rates.” I want to thank Julia, my constituent, who is from 100 High Park, for collecting signatures on this petition.", "There are so many Ontarians who rely on social assistance, both Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program. Unfortunately, under successive governments, both Liberal and Conservative, the rates for social assistance programs have barely increased. As a result, recipients are living far below the poverty line. This is legislated poverty.", "We talk about the cost-of-living crisis. We’re talking about inflation pressures. What about folks who have been receiving amounts that have barely increased since 1995? I mean, we’re talking about decades. We really need to ensure that if we want to see people live healthy lives, if we want to take pressure and burden off of downstream places, like in our health care system—particularly the emergency departments—people need to have enough to live on. People need to be able to house themselves with dignity. People need to be able to feed themselves and their families.", "This petition is calling on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to immediately double social assistance rates so people can live dignified lives. Recently, Raise the Rates coalition was at Queen’s Park, and this is one of the first steps that they have asked the Legislative Assembly to take action on, on social assistance rates.", "I fully support this petition and will affix my signature to it." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Christine Hogarth", "text": [ "I’m really glad we’re able to summarize, because I forgot my glasses, so I can’t actually even read all the details of this petition. But it is about calling on the federal government to prioritize public safety.", "We have a lot of auto thefts, especially in the riding of Etobicoke–Lakeshore—and right across, really, our province. I hear about it in Brampton. We now have a minister in charge of bail reform and auto theft. This petition is signed by a lot of constituents, not just in my riding but around the province, because it is important that we make sure that those who are offending just don’t get out on bail to re-offend over and over again.", "Safety is paramount in all our ridings. I know this is something we can all agree upon. We want to make sure that people feel safe in their own homes and are able to park their cars in their garage or in their driveway, and not worry if it’s going to be there the next day.", "I agree wholeheartedly with this petition of calling on the federal government to introduce comprehensive bail reforms and prioritize public safety. I’m going to give it to Keerthana and thank her—it’s her last day, so. I’m going to give it to her. I’m certainly going to sign this because this is a great petition." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MPP Jill Andrew", "text": [ "This petition is a petition that was sent to us from Justin McLaughlin—he’s actually in Kitchener. He’s simply asking that this government not balance the budget of post-secondary schools on the backs of international students who are paying triple or more in tuition fees.", "Justin and thousands of others who have signed this petition are asking for a permanent increase, frankly, to the core funding for post-secondary institutions, ensuring that that’s indexed to inflation. They’re asking for respect and equitable treatment for international students. They’re essentially saying that the government cannot balance the books of post-secondary institutions on the backs of international students who are coming here to Canada, many of whom have to get more education on top of the vast education they have because their credentials are not recognized here in Ontario.", "I absolutely agree with this petition. I’ve affixed my signature, and I’ll hand it over to Jaimie for tabling. Thank you." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Bhutila Karpoche", "text": [ "This petition is titled “Make Affordable Housing a Priority.” Housing has never been more expensive than it is today, both to own a home or to rent an apartment. Consecutive governments, both Liberal and Conservative, have failed to make housing a priority. What is happening right now is that people are facing bad-faith evictions. They’re being pushed out of their homes, out of their communities. People need deeply affordable rent-geared-to-income, co-op housing—all of these options are not available.", "So this petition is calling on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to do four main things: (1) to immediately prioritize the repair of Ontario’s social housing stocks; (2) to commit to building new affordable homes—and we need them, we need lots of them quickly; (3) to crack down on housing speculation; and (4) to make rentals more affordable by bringing back real rent control measures.", "I fully support this petition, will affix my signature to it and give it to page Lily. Thank you." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Thank you. That concludes the time we have available for petitions this afternoon.", "Orders of the day? I recognize the member for Essex." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Anthony Leardi", "text": [ "On a point of order, Mr. Speaker: If you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to see the clock at 6." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The member for Essex is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to see the clock at 6. Agreed? Agreed.", "Therefore, as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, I declare that, in this room, it is 6 o’clock.", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Using my immense power." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Pursuant to standing order 100, the member has 12 minutes for their presentation.", "I recognize again the member for Don Valley West." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Stephanie Bowman", "text": [ "I am delighted to rise today to debate Bill 195, the Cutting Taxes on Small Businesses Act, 2024. I also want to thank the CFIB, Canadian Federation of Independent Business, for their support and, in particular, Ryan Mallough, who is here today in the gallery for this debate.", "Small business is a very important economic engine in our province. With over 500,000 small businesses employing over three million people, they play a crucial role in the Ontario economy. They employ two out of every three private sector workers in our province. They bring community engagement, innovation, prosperity to our towns and cities. They enrich our local culture and drive competition. Unfortunately, these businesses are increasingly being left behind by this Conservative government who chooses to focus instead on their insider friends, including, for example, the big-box retailers who recently got the business because they shuttered independent ServiceOntario operators.", "1320", "The fall economic statement was an opportunity for the government to recognize the important role small businesses play in job and wealth creation in this province. But instead, the measures were a disappointment to families and small businesses, who are getting a one-time payoff that will help with rent for one month but not the next.", "The small business sector was referenced only a handful of times in the 200-page document the government produced, and there were no new tax cuts. There were no new measures to support the small business sector, and just a reminder of the one timid step this government took since being elected in 2018—which, according to a recent survey conducted by the CFIB, are falling short of the expectations among a large majority of businesses. In fact, nearly three quarters of the survey’s respondents cited a high tax burden as a reason why they would advise against someone starting a new business in Ontario right now. High costs, high debt levels and high interest rates are also making it tough for small businesses to keep their doors open and get ahead.", "So when the government boasts about having reduced the small business tax rate from 3.5% to 3.2%, it’s clearly not enough. In fact, the Conservative government has won an award recently for being tied with Quebec, for an award you don’t want to win: They’re tied with Quebec for having the highest small business tax rate in the country.", "In Ontario, under the Ford government, we are opening fewer small businesses. More are closing under this government. Business closures are up while new business openings are down. This trend started in COVID, but in fact it continues to get worse under this government. In fact, there were 1,500 more business closures than openings so far in 2024. Business insolvencies are 28% higher as of August this year compared to last.", "I hear from my constituents in Don Valley West who are small business owners who are struggling. They’re working hard to keep their doors open, serve their customers and their communities, to provide for their families and pay their employees.", "I recently talked to Emma, who runs a small business in Don Valley West called Code Ninjas, in the education sector. Here is what she said about Bill 195: “As someone who runs a business that serves families and children in our community, I believe that this bill is a much-needed initiative that will greatly benefit not only small business owners like myself but also the families who rely on our services.", "“The economic challenges we have all faced in recent months have been difficult, especially for small businesses. In the education sector, we’ve seen a marked decline in enrolment, with several families having to reduce their children’s recreational programs due to job loss or rising living expenses. At the same time, we are faced with rising labour costs and operational expenses. Despite these pressures, we have made the decision not to raise fees for our programs in order to continue supporting families during this difficult time.", "“This is where your bill becomes particularly important. By cutting taxes on small businesses, it will help alleviate some of the financial burdens we face as business owners, enabling us to reinvest in our businesses, retain staff, and continue providing valuable services to the community.", "“Small businesses play a crucial role in the livelihood for countless people.", "“Stephanie’s bill marks a positive move towards supporting their growth and success.”", "The Leaside Business Park Association, a mighty engine of jobs and economic activity not just in my riding but across the city of Toronto, had this to say: We are “pleased to support” Stephanie’s bill. The bill, “if passed, would offer much-needed support to small businesses as they deal with rising costs, high debt and stagnant consumer demand. This tax relief would also allow businesses to invest in their employees and innovation, helping them keep their doors open and grow for the future, contributing to both their success and that of the Ontario economy.”", "That’s why, right now, I’m working to get tax cuts for small businesses. With this bill, I’m proposing to cut Ontario’s small business tax rate in half, from 3.2% to 1.6%. Currently, the 3.2% rate is paid on the first $500,000 of active business income, and beyond that threshold, income is taxed at the general corporate tax rate of 11.5%. I’m proposing that income threshold would be increased to $600,000. Taken together, those two measures would save up to $17,900 per year in taxes for a small business—nothing to sneeze at.", "Speaker, this bill has gained wide support from organizations representing small businesses, and I urge the government side to listen to what they have to say about why passing this bill is important.", "This is from the CFIB, from Ryan Mallough, who, again, is here today, and Julie Kwiecinski: “On behalf of our 38,000 Ontario small business members across all sectors, we urge you (Minister of Finance) and your government to support private member’s Bill 195.... Lowering the SBTR (small business tax rate) would allow employers to further invest in their employees, expand their businesses and grow Ontario’s economy. It would also encourage start-ups and new businesses to risk taking the plunge on a new enterprise.”", "From the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, who also supports this bill: “Small businesses are still struggling, and the Ontario chamber welcomes tax relief proposals such as this one.”", "From the Brampton Board of Trade, they say, “The Brampton Board of Trade supports tax relief measures such as Bill 195, which offers much-needed support to small businesses facing rising costs. This relief would allow businesses to reinvest in innovation, enhance employee training, and fuel sustainable growth to be competitive.” That’s from Vijai Kumar Singh, manager of government relations at the Brampton Board of Trade.", "Another one here from the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario: “The measures in Bill 195 ... answer” TIAO’s “call for small business tax relief as tourism operators continue to grow their visitor numbers while seeing the cost of business rise due to inflationary pressures, high interest rates, supply chain disruptions, and labour shortages. TIAO urges swift passage of Bill 195 to deliver the expanded capacity it would offer small tourism businesses and visitor destinations across the province.” That’s from Andrew Siegwart, president and CEO of TIAO.", "Speaker, I also have support from a small business outside my riding, in Eglinton–Lawrence, who prefers to be identified by her initials, S.S. She says, “Small business is the backbone of financial security. Stephanie’s bill is a positive step forward to supporting the growth and success of small business.”", "So it defies logic and, in fact, good economic policy why this government isn’t offering meaningful tax relief to small businesses. In fact, while the government talks a lot about another tax in place here in Ontario—because they scrapped cap-and-trade—they have delivered no tax cuts for corporations in six years.", "In 2010, the Liberal government reduced the general corporate tax rate from 14% to 12%, and then again in 2011 to the current rate of 11.5%. So it’s not surprising that it’s a Liberal MPP, under the leadership of Bonnie Crombie, who is proposing this tax cut here today. Make no mistake: When it comes to tax cuts, the only thing this government can brag about is its failed promise to deliver them.", "I’ve just described the calls for a tax cut from those speaking on behalf of small businesses. It also defies logic why a foreign-owned spa has the ear of this government and local Ontario businesses don’t. It defies logic that this government has not supported small businesses with this measure, which would cost about half a billion dollars, while they spend billions to help a foreign-owned spa and shut down small business independent ServiceOntario operators to deliver that business, via a sole-source contract, to an American big-box retailer.", "It’s very clear: This government does not treat small business as a priority. If they did, they would have delivered meaningful tax relief in even just one of the six budgets they have tabled. They have not. While they drive business to big-box retailers, they close down independently owned ServiceOntario operators. They raised up to $1 billion in taxpayer money to get beer in corner stores a year early; that could have paid for two years of this small business tax cut.", "They are spending over $2 billion to pave over Ontario Place and build a parking lot for a foreign-owned spa. They waived $2 billion in penalty fees from the 407. That would pay for another four years of the small business tax cut. We don’t know how much they’re planning to spend on Highway 413 that their own staff from the Ministry of Transportation says will save only seconds. Experts estimate it will be in excess of $20 billion. That would pay for 40 years of this small business tax cut. This government can afford this measure, so it’s puzzling to me: Why haven’t they done it?", "1330", "Supporting Bill 195 today is a chance for the Conservative government to directly support small businesses, to correct what is at best an oversight in their six budgets and seven fall economic statements, and maybe at worst a deliberate omission. Speaker, we see where their priorities are. They make it very clear. Supporting small businesses is a priority for me, our Liberal caucus and Bonnie Crombie, our leader. I am urging the government to pass this bill and make small businesses one of their priorities, too." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes)", "text": [ "Further debate? I recognize the member from Toronto Centre." ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam", "text": [ "It’s always an honour to rise in this House to speak on behalf of the good people of Toronto Centre. I’m very pleased to rise today to speak about one of my favourite topics, small businesses. Especially as a former small business owner, I can tell you that I really do know first-hand how hard it is to make ends meet, whether it’s paying your very high commercial taxes, unpredictable surging property taxes or, of course, just the cost of goods. It’s with that pride that I’m able to speak about Bill 195, a bill that actually takes one step—yet a very important step—towards reducing the regulatory burden on small businesses and minimizing the taxes that they have to pay.", "It is an honour that I’m here today to talk about this important issue. We know that small businesses are in every single community across Ontario. We have 437,891 small businesses. That’s about one small business for every 37 Ontarians. Can you imagine the numbers, Speaker, and what that does? Small businesses are the economic driver of our economy. They are really the heartbeat of every community, and we gather in those small businesses. They are cultural spaces. They are the spaces where we come together and we support each other, and we know the owners and oftentimes the workers there by their first names.", "Despite the importance and the immense value that small businesses bring to Ontario, we have seen now a government that is not doing enough to support small businesses. What we see is continued high levels of red tape, high taxes and unpredictable rents that continue to really disrupt the economy when it comes to small businesses. We need to recognize that in Ontario, we need to have a comprehensive small business strategy that will actually incorporate the arts and culture and weave that with sports and tourism. That’s what we need to do in order for us to make the main streets go.", "Small businesses, as we all know, are crucial to Ontario’s economy. According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business—the CFIB, a very regular friend that we see in this building—small businesses represent 98% of Ontario businesses. They employ over three million people. That is half of Ontario’s workforce. And small businesses are responsible for over 40% of Ontario’s GDP, a real testament to the power of small businesses.", "Beyond these particular contributions, we also need to recognize that we see small businesses oftentimes organized in business improvement areas. That’s when we see small groups of businesses clustered together on main streets to drive innovation, to brand their community, to make it go and become a vibrant space and neighbourhood for everyone. Small businesses and the BIAs play a very important, pivotal role in Ontario’s economy, and they allow us to foster a sense of belonging.", "BIAs are on the forefront of local events and initiatives. They make Ontario’s towns and cities come alive with their arts and cultural festivals, their sports tournaments and their tourism campaigns. We need to recognize that they are very important when they come to the forefront as being eyes on the street. They keep our community safer, because they’re always open when everyone else is closed, and they keep each other safe. That’s why we need to support small businesses. What we’re seeing in Ontario is more challenges, challenges such as a small business tax rate that is simply one of the highest in Canada. It has placed a heavy financial strain on entrepreneurs, and as a former entrepreneur, I can tell you, Speaker, it is never easy opening up a business in Ontario, and the government has not been listening to small business owners in the way they need to.", "Small business owners such as the ones in my community have shared their significant stories with me. They talk about the challenges they have with having a labour workforce that doesn’t meet their needs currently. I know that it means a lot to these small business owners, especially the ones that are family-owned. They are handed down from fathers to sons, mothers to daughters. I want to particularly give some feedback, and also some praise, to some of the local small businesses in my community.", "I want to thank the St. James Town Steak and Chops butcher shop. If you haven’t been there in Cabbagetown, I’ll tell you, they are excellent. Royal Home Hardware and Building Supplies, again in Cabbagetown: Their staff will greet you with the biggest smile, and they seem to know every answer to every question, no matter how small and how insignificant. The best butter tarts are found at the Epicure Shop in Cabbagetown. I grab my burgers from the pub at O’Grady’s on Church Street in the Village. I want to thank the team at Ho’s, the barber shop—specifically Philip and Mohammed; they keep this head of hair from growing too wild—and so many more.", "Speaker, when they tell me what they’re struggling with, it is oftentimes the high cost of doing business in Ontario. And they share with me how challenging it is, how incredibly challenging it is, when the taxes are so high. So doing everything we can to reduce that burden on them is really a benefit to all of us, because I’ve talked to you and shared with you how important it is for small businesses and their immense contributions to the economy.", "In 2023, CFIB produced a survey where they talked to 50% of the small businesses amongst their membership. Their members really highlighted the regulatory red tape that they have to go through in order for them to operate in Ontario. They talked about the immense health regulations and licensing requirements, and how difficult it was for them to make ends meet while trying to also meet the bureaucratic requirements. They are deeply invested in their communities. They want all levels of government to work together, to not point fingers at each other, to address the issues of community safety. They’re not interested in hearing this Premier talk about writing a letter to Ottawa about something; they want them to sit down and meet and find ways to work together to support small businesses. That is what small businesses want. They want processes that are streamlined, and they want greater financial support from the province.", "Commercial rent is something that we have to talk about. We have not seen any changes to the Commercial Tenancies Act in 40 years. Yet we know that the Better Way Alliance—a pragmatic and progressive organization, a fair-minded business association in Ontario—has brought forward a resolution and a solution that will actually help us, and that is creating commercial rent control, taking a look at that legislation and finding some form of predictability for business owners, because we know that business owners need a predictable, stable environment to operate in Ontario. They need us to bring down the cost of retail space, because we know that occupancy cost on any ledger is one of the largest amounts that a small business has to pay. The more rent they pay, the less they’re able to pay their employees. The more rent they pay, the less they’re able to invest back into their business, whether it’s investments in new equipment or expansion.", "That’s why it’s so important for us to address that issue, and I’m hoping to do so. I have introduced a motion specifically to ask this House to consider the feasibility of bringing in commercial rent control. That is a motion I tabled in June. At the first available opportunity, I will be bringing that forward for debate.", "1340", "It is vitally important for this House to support this motion. This motion, although it does not go exactly where we want it to go right away, is worthy of support. It takes us one step further in reducing the tax burden for small businesses, and we know that businesses are faced with high levels of debts that they’ve never seen before. They face the highest level of debts right now in Ontario, and they are calling on this government to listen and to work with them.", "They’re not interested in sound bites; they’re not interested in government announcements that are repeat, stale announcements. They’re interested in newer ways for this government to step forward to support them. They have watched, while this government has championed big corporations, multi-millionaires and billionaires, how they have supported big-box retail and chosen to protect them during the COVID pandemic while they shut down small businesses on Ontario main streets.", "The businesses will not forget that. They are still angry, and their debt loads are still higher than ever before because of the way that this government treated them during the COVID pandemic. They tell me that the debt that they carry today is born from the COVID pandemic. We had the largest lockdown in the world on small businesses, and so they know every day, as they pay down their debt and those interest rates, that this government has failed them. They know that the government needs to do more, and they have said as much.", "They want the government to prioritize small business, especially when it comes to culture. We now have a government that has eliminated the word “culture” from any of the ministerial titles. The arts and culture sector, which is broad and significant and a major contributor to our tourism strategy—they know that this government has closed the doors and windows on them. They’re very worried that Ontario’s culture sector, which is a huge contributor to the economy, to Ontario’s vibrant economy; it’s the calling card when we speak and greet others that come to Ontario—that this government has abandoned them.", "Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to speak to this motion. I hope that we can all work together for a stronger, safer, more prosperous Ontario." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes)", "text": [ "Further debate?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Dave Smith", "text": [ "We only have 12 minutes during PMBs to speak, and unfortunately, I have to share my time with three other members. So I’m only going to get four minutes in on this, and really, it does deserve a great deal more than four minutes.", "I find it really interesting that a Liberal member is stepping up and saying that we need to cut business taxes, because when we did that and cut it by 8.7% to bring it down to 3.2%, they voted against it. It wasn’t something that they felt was important. When we offered up other support services, like the capital cost allocation and making it so that you could claim all of that in one year, rather than having to spread it out over multiple years, so that it allowed for more cash flow, they voted against it. They didn’t see the value in small businesses.", "We can look at what happened historically. They didn’t see the value in businesses in Ontario because 300,000 manufacturing jobs left the province as a result of policies that the previous Liberal government had done. What we’re seeing now, with other changes that we’ve made, is more than 200,000 employers in Ontario are seeing a benefit because of the changes that we made to WSIB. WSIB premiums rose under the previous Liberal government. That is actually a tax on business.", "What we were able to do was we were able to reduce those costs without having any reduction in supports for workers. What a novel concept: reduce the cost of business and still provide more supports for employees—something that they chose not to do in all of their time.", "We saw increases in taxes the entire time that the Liberals were in power—15 years of it—and we saw consistent raising of taxes.", "This government has not raised a single tax. In fact, we’ve lowered taxes across the board, and we’re seeing the economic advantage to Ontario as a result of that. By reducing the amount of tax, we’re seeing businesses coming back; we’re seeing businesses start to thrive.", "We recognize that there is more work to do, that it’s still difficult for a lot of people of Ontario, and that’s why you have to take a holistic approach to it.", "And one of the keys that we’ve done with it is by reducing red tape. We’ve reduced the cost of doing business in Ontario by more than a billion dollars per year simply by government getting out of the way. I have said this repeatedly: The government’s job is to regulate to the point of integrity, but not to the point of interference—we were at far more than interference under the previous Liberal government, and we’ve been able to reduce that.", "I don’t think there is anyone in this province who’s going to come forward and say, “By reducing the burden on businesses and individuals, we’ve harmed the people of Ontario.” We’ve made it better. We see more than 800,000 people working today who were not working in 2018, when we were first elected.", "These are all a result of the policies that we have put forward, because they have been intelligent policies, progressive policies that have been about building the economy. And we will continue to do that because we recognize that the people of Ontario deserve to have the type of life that they want. They deserve, more than anything else, to make sure that the money that they earn stays in their pocket for them to decide how to spend—not for governments to take it and make a nanny state and tell them how it should be spent. That’s not the approach that we take, and it’s not going to be any advice that we’ll take from the Liberal Party." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes)", "text": [ "Further debate?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Stephen Blais", "text": [ "It’s an honour to rise and have an opportunity to speak to the Cutting Taxes on Small Businesses Act put forward by my colleague from Don Valley West—legislation that, if adopted, would cut the small business tax in half. This will help save small businesses up to $18,000 a year. In fact, all of the small business owners in the heart of Orléans and across the province that I’ve spoken to welcome the opportunity to save $18,000 a year.", "This, of course, is not the only tax our Ontario Liberal team has proposed to cut. We have proposed providing families with a tax credit for sports and extracurricular activities that they put their children in. This is an important tax cut because, obviously, it will allow more kids to play sports. But as kids play more sports, what do they need? They need to buy cleats, and they need to buy water bottles, and they need to spend money in the local economy, providing more opportunities for small business to benefit from their participation in sports.", "Moreover, last fall, when this government was complaining and writing letters to the Prime Minister, we proposed that they actually take action to provide tax relief to families. We proposed that the government cut HST from home heating—a tax cut that, had they implemented it, had they taken our advice last year, would have saved Ontario families hundreds of dollars. That’s money that they would have had last year, that’s money that they’ll have next year, and that’s money that they would have had every year going forward. Madam Speaker, I think that my family is a pretty average representation of families across Ontario. I pulled up my energy bills this afternoon, and that tax cut would have saved our relatively average family $300 last year. It would have saved our family about $300 next year and every year going forward. That is a tax cut that this government did not support.", "Imagine, Madam Speaker, what an Ontario family could have done with an additional $250 or $300 in their collective family pocket. Well, I anticipate that they might have used that money and bought some products and services from local small businesses, providing even additional support to the small businesses in our communities that we rely on. But, of course, this Conservative government voted against that particular tax cut.", "1350", "Not surprisingly, the government who has ballooned the provincial debt by over $100 billion in just six years is also voting against tax cuts that would help families and small businesses. When small businesses are doing better, when they pay less tax, when local families have more in their pocket to spend on small businesses, do you know what happens, Madam Speaker? More people in Ontario have a job, because those small businesses hire our friends and our neighbours, and many of those small businesses hire young people in our community.", "Given that they’re voting against tax cuts and they’re ringing up the biggest debt in the history of Ontario, it’s not shocking that unemployment in Ontario is actually up under this government. Unemployment in Ontario is up since this government took office. There are, in fact, 100,000 more Ontarians unemployed today than the day the Premier and this government got elected.", "In addition to that, youth unemployment is up. Many small businesses hire young people in our community to serve our neighbours and our friends. Youth unemployment has gone from 11.6% to 15%. Not only are more people unemployed, but they’re also unemployed for longer. Long-term unemployment is up dramatically. What’s long-term unemployment? Long-term unemployment is unemployment for 27 weeks or more. Since this government has been elected, long-term unemployment has almost doubled, going from 44,000 to 80,000 people.", "Tax cuts give families more money in their pocket, which allows them to spend more money in the economy, which allows them to go to small businesses and give them patronage. When small businesses also have more money in their pocket because they’re paying less tax, they can use all of that additional revenue, all of that tax support, to hire more of our friends and neighbours, putting more money into the economy.", "That’s why Ontario Liberals are the tax cut—", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes)", "text": [ "Thank you. Order. Order. Order.", "I recognize the member from Milton." ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Zee Hamid", "text": [ "I appreciate the opportunity to rise and speak on Bill 195 from the independent member opposite.", "I’ve run a few small businesses throughout my career, mostly during the time of the previous Liberal government; my wife runs a successful small business now that she started during the time of this government, so my family has direct experience that we can use to contrast.", "So, Speaker, let’s go over a quick history lesson—and we don’t have to go too far back. Let’s go six years before 2018. Ontario was a very different place. It went through many, many drastic changes, and none of them good. Let’s take a quick recap, shall we? During those 15 years, Liberals chased away many jobs and shuttered businesses; 300,000 manufacturing jobs left our province. They impacted workers but also our hard-working small businesses. I can go on and on, but hydro rates drove away businesses. They hurt small businesses, and they hurt consumers and families.", "Under the Liberals, they increased tolls—they put tolls on Highway 412 and Highway 418—they increased fees on aviation fuel, they increased the beer tax, they increased the wine tax, they increased drivers’ licence fees, they raised the Employer Health Tax. I cannot even begin to tell you how many businesses I talk to that left because of the regulatory burden and red tape they added. They stood against providing new opportunity to small businesses time and time again; for example, through alcohol modernization that we brought in.", "It seems like they haven’t learned their lesson, because they want Ontarians to once again go through the same thing they did over 15 years under their rule. Today’s Liberal Party is no different, and you can see that they support the Trudeau-Crombie carbon tax.", "I spoke with a farmer during the campaign on 15 Side Road in my riding; his cost of taking goods to the auction has gone up by $150 per trip. He can’t pass that on to the consumer, Speaker, and he’s thinking about taking a retirement because he just can’t make enough money because of the taxes that Liberals have imposed, at both levels.", "Bonnie now wants to create a new sales tax on the people of this province. Can you imagine that? Through this time of crisis, when we’re cutting taxes and trying to get more money in people’s pockets, they want to add another tax on small businesses and people. To make matters worse, they want to increase licensing fees on small businesses.", "Speaker, Ontarians know better than anyone else that governments should be working for them and not against them. So that was a mission under which the Premier and this team set out to accomplish in 2018 after a painful and destructive 15 years. Our mission to cut taxes and fees increased instead of raising them, and as the Premier often mentions, we’re probably the only government in recent history that has never raised a tax. We’ve only cut taxes on consumers and small businesses. Our mission to rebuild the economy is supporting workers and businesses by making it easier and more affordable to create powerful investments.", "Let me tell you, Speaker, our government has been here for small businesses since day one. We’ve enabled nearly $3.7 billion in cost savings and support in 2024 for small businesses. That’s $3.7 billion with a B. We’ve reduced the small business corporate income tax rate to 3.2%. We’re leading the way through the Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit. We’ve cut red tape for small businesses, we’ve cut the gas tax since 2022 and we’ve continued to fight against the Bonnie Crombie-supported carbon tax.", "We’ve lowered high business education tax rates, providing $450 million in annual savings for over 200,000 employers. We’ve supported cuts to WSIB premium rates without reducing benefits. And we’ve created new jobs for small businesses through alcohol modernization that they’ve opposed every step of the way.", "Under the Liberals, Ontarians will always pay more just to live their day-to-day lives. But under this government, we’re continuing to build a better Ontario for future generations. We’re balancing the budget. We’re continuing to support workers and families by keeping costs down.", "Speaker, we’re building a better Ontario." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes)", "text": [ "Further debate?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Deepak Anand", "text": [ "It’s kind of a dream come true, speaking about small business tax—how this government is supporting. It’s an honour to speak on this bill and thank you to my colleagues who are talking about it. In fact, the member from the Liberal Party, I love your comment: The Liberal Party is trying to help small business. We look forward to when we have our next budget and there’s going to be a lot for small business and every business. I’m sure you’re going to vote in favour to honour what you just said.", "Madam Speaker, let’s talk about small business. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. In fact, 98% of all companies in Ontario are small businesses—they’re people like me and you. Two million Ontarians supporting these businesses is not just a priority; it is a core commitment of this government.", "I’ll tell you about some of the businesses that I visited during the summer, Madam Speaker:", "—Nye Manufacturing, Mark Nye: a great business—they manufacture for the agricultural industry and into the construction industry;", "—Sonora Foods: manufacturing 480 million tortillas in Mississauga–Malton;", "—MasterNet: providing their service throughout the country;", "—Downsview Kitchens: 75% exports, bringing more revenue for our province of Ontario;", "—OIC Foods: the best samosas you can get;", "—HKC Construction;", "—Triple A Cheese: Stefano, what a wonderful business you’ve built;", "—Signifi Solutions;", "—De Boer Tool;", "—Avion, Paul Chana;", "—Wire Logix, Santos and Anna.", "Madam Speaker, on a regular basis, I make sure I at least visit three to four businesses every week. Why? Because we want to help them, we want to support them, we want to know what they need. Every time I go and visit them, they tell us, “Thank you. Thank you for what you’re doing. Keep going. Thank you for all the help that you’ve provided so far, whether it is reducing WSIB premiums, whether it is making sure of the elimination of unnecessary regulations and having a resulting $9 billion in annual cost savings.” All of it is through the Digital Main Street or reducing the high Business Education Tax by $450 million. “Keep doing what you’re doing.” That’s what we hear all the time.", "Madam Speaker, do you know what they need? They need opportunities. And that is what this government is doing—since 2018, thanks to all the small businesses, thanks to all the workers in Ontario, thanks to everyone who has worked hard and increased the revenue of this province from $150 billion to over $200 billion so that we can invest back into our province.", "I’m proud to stand with the small businesses, not only in Mississauga–Malton, but across our province, as we work together to build a prosperous future for all of us.", "To conclude, I want to say thank you to all small business owners. You’re the backbone of this province." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes)", "text": [ "The member has two minutes for a reply." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Stephanie Bowman", "text": [ "First of all, I’d like to thank the member from Toronto Centre for their positive remarks about the bill.", "I would also like to help the member from Peterborough–Kawartha—who has 7,500 people without a family doctor, by the way—to better understand the bill. Just to be clear, the 11.5% is the corporate tax rate for income over $500,000 today. The 8.3% that the member referenced is the reduction in the tax rate that small businesses enjoy, up to a level of $500,000. So the tax cut was—", "Interjection." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Stephanie Bowman", "text": [ "No, you said an 8.3% tax cut.", "That actually is wrong, Madam Speaker. They actually cut the small business tax rate by 0.3% in 2020. That’s the last time any tax cut was done by this government.", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Stephanie Bowman", "text": [ "The current corporate tax rate of 11.5%, as I mentioned, was cut by the Liberal government several years ago.", "Speaker, I also want to add some remarks from John Kiru, the executive director of the Toronto association of BIAs, who I also spoke to recently at my event where I hosted small businesses from my riding to thank them for their contribution. He actually provided support for this bill, as well—so, resounding support from across the Toronto business community for this bill.", "The CFIB has talked a little bit about the red tape reduction that this government takes credit for—and I will say I’m happy to take those cuts. The problem is that they actually have no evidence to back up the number that they keep talking about. I’ve asked them for it; it doesn’t exist. The CFIB, actually, has said that small businesses bear a disproportionately high burden of the red tape cost, paying up to five times more per employee than larger businesses. So while red tape reduction is welcome, there is absolutely significantly more to do.", "A tax cut would actually be a tangible, measurable way to put $17,900 back in the pockets of small businesses.", "I urge the government to support this motion.", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes)", "text": [ "Thank you for the enthusiasm.", "Thank you to the member.", "The time provided for private members’ public business has expired.", "Ms. Bowman has moved second reading of Bill 195, An Act to amend the Taxation Act, 2007 to increase Ontario small business deductions.", "Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard a no.", "All those in favour, please say “aye.”", "All those opposed, please say “nay.”", "In my opinion, the nays have it.", "A recorded vote being required, it will be deferred until the next instance of deferred votes.", "Second reading vote deferred." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes)", "text": [ "Point of order? I recognize the member from Toronto Centre." ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam", "text": [ "Thank you very much, Speaker. I am not feeling 100%. I’m fighting a cold—tail end. Don’t worry; I’m not too contagious.", "Speaker, during my remarks, I actually flipped the words around and said that the word “culture” disappeared from the ministerial title. It’s actually “heritage”—the word “heritage” has disappeared from the ministerial title." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes)", "text": [ "Noted.", "All matters relating to private members’ public business having been completed, this House stands adjourned until Monday, November 18, 2024, at 10:15.", "The House adjourned at 1404.", "", "", "", "", "", "" ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "When we last debated this bill, the member for St. Catharines had the floor. She still has some time left.", "I recognize the member for St. Catharines to continue." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "Thank you, Speaker, and good morning to everyone this morning.", "It is a great honour to be able to rise in this House, and especially today, to speak about our veterans, the men and women who have fought valiantly for our country and our freedom, overseas and on foreign soil.", "Mother, good morning. I know that you’re looking forward to hearing me speak about your grandson and your grandchildren—your great-grandchildren, I guess—as well as your father and my grandfather. So, good morning, Mom, and welcome. And thank you all.", "Veterans of the past paved the way for veterans of the future, but policies they established in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s paved the way for many of the foundational systems we still use and take advantage of as Canadians today.", "Speaking of employment opportunities, I was glad to see this government acknowledge veterans’ unique skill sets and provide an update to the skilled trades act contained in this new bill. Military service members often come out of duty having received very specialized training in many areas, like mechanics, engineering and construction, through real hands-on experience, whereas others need to attend skilled trades schools to get that same level of knowledge. From operating heavy machinery to working with and understanding the intricacies of mechanical or electrical systems, it is these direct skills that make our veterans highly adaptable. More importantly, it makes them highly employable after being released from service. However, some might not be out of the services when they come back from war or conflict. Some might get a job, and some might stay in the services and be landed in their base. My son has been working for eight years now since he was deployed across seas, and right now he is in hiring and recruiting of new navy officers or navy skills.", "When they return to their community, often service members return home and have to map out the next 10 years of their lives. Some of them will be retiring within the next 10 years; some will be continuing on with their skills. What does that look like? It could be a professional in the skilled trades. As my son says, he wants to be a Zamboni driver when he retires—a job that provides long-term employment and career growth and opportunity for entrepreneurship. This is coming at a time when the trades are facing a severe shortage. The halls are empty. We all know that on this side as well as on the others. Not many people want to get into the hands-on labour jobs nowadays, but they’re some of the most critical and crucial roles to keeping our communities moving forward—to build housing, to lay the bricks, to install electrical or even plumbing.", "So it is great to see the government acknowledge that veterans have unique, very specialized expertise that should translate into getting provincial certifications without needing to go back to school. This would ultimately provide a stepping stone to long-term financial stability for our servicemen and servicewomen.", "Similarly, there’s an organization which some of you might be very familiar with. It’s called Helmets to Hardhats, or H2H. They provide second-career opportunities within the trades and the unions to veterans, reservists, senior cadets and even military family members. H2H makes the transition easier, going from military to civilian life. Here’s a fun fact: A friend of mine, Derryk Fleming, was instrumental in bringing this organization to life and is also a national administration member of the Veteran Well-being Network.", "Thank you, my dear friend Derryk, for all that you have done—and brought this forward.", "Speaker, getting back to the bill: In 2022—March 1, to be exact—I stood in this very Legislature to put forward a motion that struck at the hearts of fairness and compassion in Ontario. My call was simple, but it was quite urgent: to end the clawbacks on disability benefits for our veterans and on crucial social support programs like ODSP and Ontario Works. Clawbacks do not just take away the dollars and cents; they take away dignity. They take away the hope of stability. To claw back support from those who need it most, including those who have served our country with honour, goes against everything we stand for as a compassionate province. It is time we recognize that veterans, individuals with disabilities and those facing financial hardship should not be forced to carry the burden of balancing Ontario’s budget. I’m disheartened that I even have to stand here today and remind this government that back in 2022 my motion to ban these clawbacks received all-party support, yet almost three years later, this government has not kept good on their promise. That would have been something really great to include in the new bill. I think we should be seeing it right here today.", "Ensuring our veterans get every penny they’re entitled to is how you show the community you really do mean business. Our veterans rely on their disability benefits to cover essential costs—costs relating to their health, housing and basic needs that arise from a lifetime of service.", "Meanwhile, people on ODSP and Ontario Works are working hard just to meet their daily needs, and yet, with every dollar they earn, they are penalized by clawbacks that chip away at their already limited income. This practice traps individuals in a cycle of poverty, leaving them with less when they deserve more.", "By bringing forward this motion, I want to affirm that we must protect these benefits, ensuring that those who depend on them can do so without fear of losing what little they have. We should be building systems that uplift people, not punish them. These clawbacks punish veterans and people with disabilities for trying to get ahead or supplement their income.", "0910", "Imagine serving your country only to find that the disability benefits you receive are reduced because you dared to seek extra income to cover rising costs—that could be by losing a limb; that could be coming back with the wounds without Band-Aids—or imagine relying on ODSP to make ends meet and being discouraged from finding ways to supplement that income due to penalties of clawbacks imposed on them. This isn’t just a budgetary issue; it is a moral one. We, as a government, should not be taking from those who need our help the most, to balance the books.", "I urge all my colleagues here to remember why we’re in this chamber in the first place: to create an Ontario where everyone can live with dignity, live with security, and, most of all, live with hope.", "I know that some may argue that budget constraints make it difficult to reform these systems, but I believe that compassion must guide our decisions, especially when it comes to supporting the vulnerable among us. As the cost of living soars, these clawbacks push people and service members closer to the edge. Veterans, Ontarians with disabilities and low-income individuals deserve our support, not penalties that pull the rug out from under them.", "To everyone who stood with me in 2022—which is everyone in this chamber—who supported this motion and who continue to fight for the cause, thank you. Our work is far from over, though, and I stand here committed to advocate for a fairer, more compassionate Ontario for all. Let us keep fighting to end clawbacks—that you voted for—and let us build a future where every Ontarian has the opportunity to thrive without fear. I would love to see that in this bill.", "This bill also sets out suggestions on ways to honour our veterans—and at this time, speaking of honouring veterans, my member from Niagara Falls reminded me yesterday that I brought forward a bill in 2018, Bill 51, Long-Term Care Homes Amendment Act (Preference for Veterans), and it passed second reading. Has anyone seen it since? No. It has not come back to this House, and that’s quite shameful.", "I would like to raise the point that if the pandemic taught us anything, it has raised awareness on how important it is that we look after our veterans, our seniors, and recognize how important long-term care is for our residents in Ontario.", "I want to introduce to all the members this morning a common name in Niagara and Niagara Falls—someone we honour. We don’t just honour him during Remembrance Week, we don’t just honour him on Remembrance Day, but we honour him—and I’d love this chamber to honour him—every day of the year: Burd Sisler. Burd Sisler is 109 years young. Burd will be turning 110 years old on April 14, 2025. It’s important that I raise your attention about Burd—Mr. Sisler. Burd gave 25 years working for the federal government and is a World War II veteran. Imagine that. Imagine the stories. Imagine the fear. Imagine what that man lived through.", "If this government really wants to show support to our men and women in uniform and veterans like Burd Sisler, we should be debating and speaking towards Bill 51, Long-Term Care Homes Amendment Act (Preference for Veterans), which was brought to this floor in 2018, and making that bill legislation—or add it to this bill.", "Burd Sisler, thank you for everything you have done. We honour you, we respect you, and we see you. Thank you.", "Again, this bill also sets out suggestions on ways to honour our veterans during what the bill recognizes as Remembrance Day and Veterans’ Week, which, again, we’re currently in. Veterans’ Week has always taken place from November 5 to November 11.", "The bill suggests actions for all of us to do, as Ontarians and as Canadians. It suggests attending or volunteering at a Remembrance Day event, visiting a war museum or a memorial or your local cenotaph, learning about the contributions veterans have made across Ontario, inviting a veteran to come and speak, appreciating veterans in a way you choose, supporting campaigns honouring veterans, and even volunteering and contributing to making sure cenotaphs are upkept—all such great suggestions, for sure. I would have loved to have seen a specific written suggestion about partaking in Legion activities.", "Our boards and our Legions—and when I say “boards and our Legions,” I mean our poppy boards. Our poppy boards and our Legions across Ontario are empty. Give an hour. Give two hours. Get out there. Say hello to your community; they’d love to see you. We’re MPPs. We’re policy-makers. We should be standing at our local grocery stores, not making our veterans stand there. They don’t mind, but we should be thanking them by giving an hour in the rain. We’re lucky; we have very good weather right now. We can stand there for many hours. I’m standing for an hour in this House. I can at least—I’m on the boards. I hope that my fellow members here will help out our Legions and sell the poppies. Fill those boards up, please.", "Either becoming a member of your local Legion would be a good idea—volunteering at Legion events throughout the year is awesome, or even becoming a board member and being involved in decision-making at your local level. Again, put your name on those boards. Get involved in your community. Make those Legions active again. It is often an overlooked and forgotten volunteer opportunity, and more awareness-building around what a Legion is, their history and how they directly assist our veterans—I’m going to say that again: how they directly assist our veterans—camaraderie. It’s the local shop steward who is there to say hello to that veteran. And remember, veterans are getting younger. It would have been really nice to see that laid out in this bill as a direct suggestion, at least.", "My second thought was about barriers to doing this volunteer work and barriers to attending Remembrance Day ceremonies in our community—which, to be frank, is the fact that people have jobs to attend, especially those who are hourly paid and who don’t get paid at all to show up at a local Remembrance Day service. It is a privilege to work in a government role, to be on salary and to get back to our communities for Remembrance Day services. We are all able to attend, laying our local wreath at a political level, which I hope you are not doing—you’re laying it because you’re honoured to do it. We’re all, again, able to attend our local wreath-laying ceremonies, and even armistice dinners that are this weekend. I don’t see anything in this bill that grants Remembrance Day as a paid statutory holiday across Ontario, and it’s disappointing, because taking part in these events is how community members, students, our young children and grandchildren become familiar with their importance.", "Speaker, in Halifax, on Remembrance Day, when my son, who is a service member, will be able to take my beautiful grandchildren Hazel Mae and Josephine by the hand, take them to the cenotaph and be able to show them what his brothers and sisters in the military helped him—be able to be honoured and thank his fellow service members, and his daughters will be able to thank their father. My son is only 42 years old.", "0920", "These children who are in our schools in Ontario—their parents are going to be laying wreaths at our local cenotaphs in Ontario. They want to see their fathers and their mothers, to be able to honour them because they were the children who were at home with their mothers or their fathers while their parents—one of their parents, or maybe even both of their parents. Joanne and Denis—I know Lily will be there. They have to take their child out of school in Ontario so that these children can honour their parents for the service they did—to honour their mother or their father who stayed at home for, often, a year at a time, while they worried about if their significant other was going to come home. I really don’t see that in here, and I would like to see it. I feel as though having that be an addition, or that being a direct focus of this bill entirely, would have sent a clear and a very strong message that Remembrance Day is of the utmost importance, and that Canadians’ military history and veterans’ sacrifices deserve our full attention at least one day of the year. There are only three provinces across this great nation, Canada, that do not recognize Remembrance Day as a statutory holiday: Manitoba, Quebec and Ontario.", "Another day I’d like to acknowledge is November 8, this coming Friday, which is National Indigenous Veterans Day. Started as a local Winnipeg, Manitoba-based initiative, Indigenous veterans are now rightfully recognized for their sacrifice.", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "Yes, absolutely.", "Having served in the Canadian Armed Forces across both world wars, the Korean War and many peacekeeping missions, Indigenous service members have played a significant role in Canada’s military history. For decades, Indigenous members were ignored and often forgotten, which is quite shameful.", "It is estimated that over 120,000 Indigenous people fought for Canada’s freedom—fought for our freedom, their freedom. When they returned home, they weren’t met with praise and applause. They were met with systemic barriers—frequently denied military benefits, lacked access to other comprehensive veteran supports, and returned to communities struggling in poverty with very, very limited resources.", "To my knowledge, there is not a single piece of provincial legislation that acknowledges Indigenous veterans—not even mentions their contributions in a simple suggestion, as we see many other ideas outlined as in this bill. While the argument might be that the term “veteran” is all-encompassing, I don’t really think that it is fair. The exact point of having a designated day to recognize Indigenous military members is because of their contributions being overlooked for far too long. It wasn’t until 1994 that this day was even recognized for the first time, so that says a lot. It’s an important distinction to have the word “Indigenous” listed in a piece of legislation. Being in writing, it solidifies their contribution, it codifies the importance of National Indigenous Veterans Day, and it ultimately shows that we understand the unique barriers and hardships they faced despite their military status.", "As I was reading through this bill for the first time two days ago, I naturally took pause at schedule 4, which would amend the Soldiers’ Aid Commission Act, adding an additional objective of the program.", "I remember, I think it was two years ago, my partner here from Ottawa Centre and I had a conversation about a veteran who was living in a tent with his family, with two young children——and he fought for our freedom. He had a wife and his two children. They were living in a tent, in an encampment, and at that time is when I brought up the Soldiers’ Aid Commission.", "It’s in schedule 4—it’s great that it’s coming and it’s in here and we’re bringing it to the forefront again. It has been buried for a while, but let’s bring it to the forefront again. It’s essentially adding that the commission would need to assist the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services with promoting this financial program for veterans. The way we can promote the Soldiers’ Aid Commission Act, in my personal opinion, is that when a homeless veteran comes to our office, we can ask them, “Do you need help? I can get you that. Do you need information?” “Yes.” “Why are you homeless?” “I don’t have a driver’s licence. I don’t have a place to live.” That’s how we can bring awareness to the Soldiers’ Aid Commission. We are the people who should spread that news—not taking money out of this very special fund, this Soldiers’ Aid Commission, for financial programs to promote it.", "As I pointed out a few minutes ago, language is concise for a reason, and this section of the bill is very, very vague. It doesn’t clearly define how the commission will be assisting the minister, what financial obligations are attached to that role. It’s simply too ambiguous, and it’s left open for interpretation.", "I agree that the program should be and needs to be promoted. As I said, we should be promoting it in our own communities, as government. This government should also absolutely be doing the promotional work to ensure every military family and veteran straight across Ontario at least knows about the program, knows about the eligibility criteria, knows how to apply, and knows where to seek out more information if needed.", "As I said, the poppy boards are empty at our local Legions. If we were over at our local Legions bringing back the funds that some people generously donated for a poppy, we could say to our local Legions, “Can you help us promote the Soldiers’ Aid Commission? Do you know of anybody who might be in need of it?”—a military family; somebody who is a new veteran; somebody who fought in World War II, as Burd did.", "It has been almost 110 years since the Ontario Soldiers’ Aid Commission was established in 1915. Initially created to assist returning First World War veterans—Burd would probably know about this—the commission has evolved to address the diverse needs of veterans from various conflicts. It provides financial assistance to those facing financial hardships, covering essential expenses such as health-related items, housing and personal necessities.", "May I say that back in 1915, when the Soldiers’ Aid Commission was established, the monies that were put for our veterans at that time—man, that was a good help. It was a good leg up. It helped those veterans get back on their feet. It helped house them. It helped put food on the table for them. We’re in 2024—$300 to $2,000. I don’t know, but is it going to be clawed back? That’s to be seen. I wonder if it will be clawed back. If you come back from the war and the federal government gives you compensation for losing a digit, this Ontario government claws back your ODSP dollar for dollar. I just said it. It’s shameful. So I hope that—I don’t see it in here, but I hope that it’s going to be put in in writing that we’re not going to claw back this money.", "This support aims to enhance the well-being and the stability of veterans as they transition to civilian life. Imagine that, coming back from seeing your best friend—you’re walking side by side, smoking a cigarette maybe, getting ready for war. You had boots on. You were in trenches. It’s raining. You see your buddies blowing up. You come back. You have to live a life here still, in Ontario. You still have to live a common life.", "0930", "My grandpa didn’t say very much about the war. He never spoke about it, and I don’t know why. Those are secrets that him and his friends came back to Ontario—actually, Halifax. They didn’t speak too much about it. My boy came back—six months, three tours. He doesn’t speak too much about it either.", "These are funds that they need when they come back to Ontario to be able to put food—to be able to seek medical help. Maybe they are crippled; maybe they’re in a wheelchair—by “crippled,” I mean minus an arm. They can’t get a decent job. They can’t get into the skilled trades, possibly, because they don’t have two arms to be able to get into them. The Soldiers’ Aid Commission was established in 1915 to help them get back into the civilian world. Veterans—they transition into that life. Hardships in life pop up. We should not be clawing back from these veterans who gave us this freedom.", "Speaker, up to $2,000 in soldiers’ aid over a 12-month period is what they get. I’ve heard a few stories from local residents in St. Catharines—veterans who received help from the commission, which is always so great to hear.", "Mr. MacLean, I’m going to mention you today. Thank you for coming in and letting me know the Soldiers’ Aid Commission helped you get that roof you needed. It makes a difference.", "I remember distinctly, in 2020, my colleague for Ottawa Centre, as I said earlier, bringing this matter to our attention, and we addressed it at that time. I mentioned the military gentleman with his family living in a tent. The eligibility only included—through the soldiers’ aid—veterans who served in earlier conflicts, before 1953. This meant that veterans who served in more recent conflicts, such as Afghanistan, Rwanda, peacekeeping missions, were ineligible for the assistance simply because of their age—so, back in September 2020, that was my main goal. I worked diligently with MPP Smith. We worked as a team with the associate minister—all sides of this House worked as a team, as they did on the fields. As I said, shoulder to shoulder, we worked as a team, and we got the Soldiers’ Aid Commission Act—we got it so that we could improve the lives. It wasn’t a lot, but it’s a little help. As a result, the eligibility criteria was expanded, and now all veterans, regardless of age, can apply and receive much-needed financial assistance. Isn’t that great—when we work together and we can say, “This might be needed in this bill”?", "We know that previous to 2020, 60% of the Soldiers’ Aid Commission’s annual budget went unspent each year, and the hope is that now, that number is as close to zero dollars each year as possible, because our veterans deserve every fund, everything we can do, that this government has set aside for their benefit.", "However, it is important that this government further clarify the language in this new bill, because we don’t want any of the advertising monies to come out of the commission’s annual budget that has been earmarked for our service members. Let’s keep that in mind, and let’s keep this a priority, please.", "I look forward to working with the Premier and his ministers to ensure their public support of my initiatives in 2020 and 2021 aren’t suddenly turned into this government taking money away from our veterans, and I hope I don’t have to bring it to this floor—clawbacks, anything. I hope that the government does not take any monies away from veterans—and their families—who might need a walker, a medical device, a roof, a lawn keeper—there are so many things—somebody to hold their hand and talk to them and listen to their experiences.", "In keeping on topic about modern-day veterans—as I said, my son is a modern-day veteran, and so are his buddies. We go to Halifax. They’re great guys. We have good fun with them. Some of them speak with a really, really heavy accent. It’s not a French accent. It’s an eastern accent, I guess, from our country.", "Anyway, in keeping on topic about our modern-day veterans and recognizing their needs, I want to speak to veteran homelessness for a moment.", "Just last week, the National Post released an article reporting on high rates of homeless veterans. They spoke to the executive director of Veterans’ House Canada, an organization that helps service members by providing permanent housing—I spoke with them myself. The article talked about two main points. According to a 2019 study on veteran homelessness in Ottawa, conducted by Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa, unhoused veterans reported that they first become unhoused roughly 10 years after completing their military service. That means we’re at year eight for Afghanistan and our peacekeeping missions—in two more years, we’re going to have a boom. And Veterans’ House Canada currently reports that they expect a boom—there you are—in unhoused veterans within the next year to two years, as those who served in Afghanistan reach the 10-year anniversary of their service. Maybe that’s why that bill, the soldiers’ aid act, came in 10 years after World War I. The government of the day—look at that—were looking into the future; they were looking at hope for the people. The government of the day realized that people coming back from conflict were suffering with wounds that we don’t see.", "I hope this government of the day will look into homelessness now. I’m giving you a two-year warning, I guess." ] }, { "speaker": "Interjection", "text": [ "Mental health care." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "Mental health care, PTSD, homelessness—it all comes under one umbrella, not 15 ministries.", "This was so interesting and alarming to read because, again, touching on what I mentioned at the beginning, veterans are often seen as a federal entity. They’re over there and we’re here, and we can operate in a hands-off approach. The federal government does have a Veteran Homelessness Program that provides rent supplement funding to veterans at risk of or already experiencing homelessness. However, the issue is not a lack of funding for veterans at the federal level. The issue is that there needs to be more acknowledgment that issues like homelessness are plaguing our veteran population more than ever. Most unhoused veterans are not aware they are entitled to wraparound services and rent supplements in the first place, for a variety of reasons—it could be mental health issues, which could be one of the major barriers for someone who has served our country. Federal government employees are not doing the on-the-ground work, local work, meeting veterans where they are. Remember, they’re homeless—we have to meet them where they are.", "Housing is a provincial responsibility, so why not incorporate more initiatives for homeless vets into our legislation? When we make bills like this, we can incorporate it—again, work together." ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Wayne Gates", "text": [ "Tiny homes." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "Tiny homes, yes.", "Meet them in our communities. Get those people who are on the ground, who are already working—the RPNs who go out on the streets. May I say, there are boots on the ground, and they’re meeting our veterans—because a lot of veterans will not admit that they’re homeless. They’re too proud. They’ve already fought for our honour—to be able to stand in this House, quite frankly, and to be able to say, with freedom, what we have to say.", "We really have to look after them. We owe it to them. I think I hear that every Remembrance Day—“We owe it to our veterans.” You’re damn right we do.", "0940", "Veterans need organizations to provide ongoing intensive case management support. They need assistance in accessing permanent housing and assistance connecting to community health supports. We owe them that. While the federal government provides the financial support—and you push it to the feds all you want—as I said, the provincial responsibility is housing. The federal government provides the financial supports that veterans need after service. It’s the provincial government that is responsible for keeping veterans housed and that provides lower-tier governments, municipalities and regions, with the funding needed to operate their community service departments so we can meet them where they are, so we can identify them.", "Dominion Command, the Legion of Ontario, wants us to do this program. They want to identify their veterans. They’re proud; they want to do all they can.", "Unhoused veterans need to be identified and to be connected to health care, to be connected with mental health resources. This is where specific outreach and data collection comes in to connect veterans to services they need after so bravely serving our country, coming back to their motherland, trying to fit into the community. But you can’t do that if you’re unhoused, if you have mental health problems, if you have wounds that don’t have Band-Aids. People don’t understand that. PTSD is serious. We, as a government, can help our veterans get those mental health supports.", "We need to recognize the ongoing needs—we have to look at and recognize the sacrifices that each and every one of our Ontario veterans has done.", "Through its provisions, we have a unique opportunity to address issues such as veteran homelessness right here, improve outreach for provincial support programs, again, expand the visibility of services like the Soldiers’ Aid Commission, expand our verbal and written commitment to recognizing Indigenous veterans, and ensure our veterans have long-term financial stability.", "For veterans who dedicated their lives to serving our country, this bill is a recognition that their service doesn’t end at the battlefield—and any battle that was fought on foreign soil. However, the bill needs work, through the addition of clear, concise language, and we need to be careful that this bill doesn’t come across as simply performative.", "As I mentioned earlier, we are policy-makers in this House. We need to put down our colours and our stripes and our differences. Yes, we have a chance to be able to agree to disagree—however, they didn’t do that when they went to fight for our freedom. The men and women who have fought for our freedom, who have seen things that we never possibly will, need our help. They need their policy-makers in Ontario to look beyond the political parties, may I say, and join together—as the associate minister said yesterday, we on this side of the House, we’re a team. Well, we want to be part of that team when it comes to our veterans. I want to be part of that team—each and every one of us on this side of the House, including some of their members.", "I’m going to say right now that it is time that Ontario stands up; I know, every November 11, which is coming on Monday, we do—I know each and every one of us, and I know, and I take it and I feel it. We all honour our veterans. We all respect what they’ve done. But we need to do better.", "As I said earlier, there are barriers within this bill. It says we should do certain things on Remembrance Day, like visit our local cenotaphs, make sure you volunteer to keep the upkeep of the local cenotaph, to fill the poppy boards. I’m doing a big advocacy for Branch 350, my local Legion. They’re in St. Catharines. I hope they’re watching this morning—probably not.", "Good morning to Branch 350; Branch 24, downtown St. Catharines; 138; and also 425. I have four Legions.", "It does say in here that we have to do these things—and it’s right in the bill. But, again, what I don’t see is the ability for children to go and honour our new veterans, our veterans like Burd Sisler, who does go, every Remembrance Day, to his local cenotaph. Imagine—109 years old. Three provinces all across our nation and all across Canada—Ontario is one of them that doesn’t identify it as a statutory holiday and puts those barriers up. In the legislation we’re passing today, it says that we should go to our local cenotaph and we should lay our wreaths and we should be honoured.", "Like I said, my two grandchildren—and I have pictures in my office. Every year—my son with his whites on and Hazel Mae in Mama’s belly; Josephine, this big, holding her daddy’s hand, quite honoured. They live in Halifax. Josephine is now 10. Hazel Mae is now seven. They still hold hands. They have them every year, and they honour their father. There are many fathers and mothers and significant others at the cenotaph. They flow out onto the street to honour their military family, to honour our veterans, to honour—to thank, quite frankly, our military, our men, women, the families who were left behind for years at a time. They have a statutory holiday. I think that should maybe be in here. You can argue with me—“Oh, the children will learn more if they’re in school. They’ll learn more about their veterans.” I don’t think my grandchildren will learn any more about their father and what he did and what he sacrificed than by standing at a cenotaph, with their dad and their dad’s friends in uniform, with valour on their chest—I mean racks—because each and every one of them have fought in the Afghanistan war, peacekeeping.", "The mothers and the fathers who stayed home with those children, who taught their children why their dads were serving their country and fighting for our freedom, deserve just as much respect here in Ontario as they do all across Canada—except for Manitoba and Ontario and Quebec. Maybe we should start looking at that.", "Maybe next November, on Remembrance Day and during Veterans’ Week, I’ll see that when we’re government; we’ll see that when we are standing together, united in this House, and saying, “We’re going to let the little people who suffered without their parent at home, when they had tonsillitis or appendicitis”—Josie, I hope you’re feeling better, baby. Things like that are what we need to do as policy-makers, to make sure those children respect and they learn.", "Do you know what? I was at my local Legion, and I was a judge, I guess I’ll call it—Judge Jennie. They did poetry. There was a little boy there, and he got up and recited his poetry. He mentioned his mother, who fought in the Afghanistan war, and how important it was for him to know that his mother is participating in Remembrance Day, and it was important to him to know that he could stand beside her now. This poem was really good. It was quite interesting. Maybe I will read it out on Decoration Day next year. I will get a hold of that young fella and get it.", "It is important, as I said, that we knock down the barriers for not only little people, but for everyone in our communities to be able to go and say thank you—not only thank you to our veterans, but thank you to our local Legions for putting on such wonderful ceremonies at the local cenotaphs.", "0950", "Evie is from my local Legion, and she makes some of the best darn chicken noodle soup. You’re only going to get it on Remembrance Day. Do you know who else is there getting the best chicken noodle soup? Our veterans. It would be nice if the little people could come and have some chicken noodle soup that Evie makes every year—because they’re not at school and they can say thank you to those veterans: “Mom, Dad, thank you.” “Thank you to Burd for all he has done.” I did mention that’s something we should actually look for.", "These men and women put their lives on the line to fight for our freedom and our democracy, and they fought and restored peace in times of conflict. They fought piracy in the seas around this world. On November 11, on the 11th day of the 11th month, we do remember them; we will remember them.", "We also need to take time to say “thank you”—that’s two small words. When we walk out of this chamber, we see peacekeepers and we see the police and we see our Sergeant-at-Arms—he’s standing at the back there. Our Sergeant-at-Arms is also a veteran. Every day, I make a point, when I walk through the halls of Queen’s Park, to say thank you not just to our Sergeant-at-Arms but to each and every one of the members who keep us safe, who stand and guard us every day. Take a moment and say thank you. It’s like the old saying, “A smile is free”—so is thank you. They fought, as I said, in conflicts for us to be able to say thank you—“Thank you for all you do. Thank you for everything.” We should be recognizing them not just this week—please, not just this week, not just on November 11.", "Go visit a veteran in long-term care. Hold his or her hand. They would love for you to say—“The first thing I want to say is, thank you for what you’ve done. You have given me the freedom so that I can walk in my country and in my neighbourhood and in my community. Thank you for that.” And listen to their stories.", "As I said, in 2018, I put forward Bill 51. I don’t see it in this bill. For our veterans, I put forward Bill 51, Long-Term Care Homes Amendment Act (Preference for Veterans), and it was passed at second reading—yay! Everybody came over and shook my hand—“Good for you, Jennie. That’s great. You got it.” I’ve never seen it again. I don’t even know if it went to committee—I hope it did. I have never seen it on Remembrance Week—to bring forward—" ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Jamie West", "text": [ "Even in this bill." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "I don’t see it in this bill. All it was was to recognize our veterans, to say that now we recognize them, as new veterans—not just World War I and World War II veterans. We recognize that our veterans are getting younger, that some of those veterans need long-term care for fighting for our freedom. That’s what that bill was basically about. It was about veterans, our seniors, and recognizing how important it is to give them a step up when they have to get into long-term care—not waiting on waiting lists, which they do. They shouldn’t—our veterans should be the first to be able to get care. Think about that." ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Jamie West", "text": [ "First in battle." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "Yes, that’s right, Jamie—first in battle, first off.", "Imagine: You get to a strange land—God, I’ve only got three minutes left. Wow. This went by fast—and you’re running with your friends—and I’m just going World War I and World War II. We’ve all seen the movies.", "My husband watches Saving Private Ryan and—oh, my goodness, he watches them over and over again—Top Gun. My husband—I don’t know what it is. My son and him, they get on the—anyway, they watch them together. It does show you something—Saving Private Ryan." ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Jamie West", "text": [ "It’s an important movie." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "It’s a very important movie. It shows us what they really did—blood, the trenches, the bullets, the bombs. We live in Canada. We don’t experience it; we shouldn’t.", "We should thank each and every one of our men in uniform. Remember, they’re not wearing their uniforms all the time, but we should be respecting them.", "God darn it, I hope that in this bill—I’m going to sum up; I’ve been very clear—in the Soldiers’ Aid Commission Act, we don’t claw back anything that we’re giving our veterans. Don’t give with one hand—I don’t care if it’s coming from the federal government. It’s up to Ontario to make sure that these soldiers and men and women who have fought in our battlefields and fought in trenches—it’s important.", "Lock yourself up in this room. Can you imagine? I said to my son, “What is it like to be in the naval ship?” He said to me, “Lock yourself up at Queen’s Park. Shut all the doors. Shut all the windows.”" ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Jamie West", "text": [ "God help us." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "Right?", "“Stay in that room for six months. See how long you get along.” I said, “Oh, my goodness.”", "In this bill, I want to make sure that there are no clawbacks to our veterans. Veterans deserve long-term support. Veterans deserve the support that this provincial government can give them.", "No veteran should ever be homeless in Ontario—never. They should always be able to put food, a house—and a roof over their head. Let’s get to them. Let’s make sure we address them. Let’s go to them. Let’s make sure we have proper services in place, for mental health and homelessness, for our veterans. We must go beyond symbolic gestures.", "I see us all wearing a poppy—a sea of poppies. I love it. We all do this to remember.", "Ensuring that their contributions and sacrifices are reflected in practical and accessible supports is our duty, as policy-makers. This commitment is personal for me. As an advocate and as the critic of military affairs and Legions, who has a son serving in the Canadian navy—this bill isn’t just about abstract policies; it’s a matter of family and future generations for all.", "Let us all remember that this bill—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Thank you.", "Questions for the member?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Sheref Sabawy", "text": [ "I really liked the speech from the respected member from the opposition.", "I would like to just highlight that this bill is not only adding honouring the veterans who did contribute; it’s also adding more financial assistance for the veterans existing in the system. It’s also putting our money where our mouth is. This government is creating pathways for integrating those veterans, after they finish serving their country, into civilian jobs.", "1000", "Can you please tell me if you are going to support this bill, which, for the first time, makes tangible contributions to help veterans integrate back into our society after they finish serving?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "Thank you for the question.", "I did mention that the federal government also has a Helmets to Hardhats program that provides opportunities for veterans after they come back to the city life—it’s a great program. I see that in this bill.", "However, when you say you’re putting your money where you mouth is—I find it very hard to say this to you, to the members opposite—you’re also taking money out of the hands of a service member when you claw back on ODSP dollar for dollar. When they get money from the federal government and you take it dollar for dollar, that’s not putting your money where your mouth is.", "I’d seen the announcement yesterday—I watched it just before the great election. I saw the member—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Thank you. We’re out of time for the response.", "We’re going to move to the next question." ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Wayne Gates", "text": [ "I would like to thank my colleague for her one-hour lead. It’s never easy to do that.", "I want to rise—and I see these young people who are here today. I am so proud to stand and say that my dad was a World War II veteran. He served over in Europe from 1939 to 1945. When it comes to Remembrance Day, it’s an honour for me to participate, just thinking about what my dad would have gone through in 1945.", "I also think of my good friend Burd Sisler. This is a good story that I think everyone should listen to. I met Burd—Burd was still bowling at 101. He was calling bingo at 101. He was driving around the community at 101. I had known Burd for a few years—I asked him to nominate me, at 101. I was so honoured when he said yes. Then I got a chance, surprisingly, to ask him again when he was 105. And then I’ve got a chance to—sorry, I’m going to do this quickly—when he’s 109. He’s going to nominate me in three weeks to get me to do this job again.", "I want to say to Burd, thank you very much for your service. Thank you for everything you do for our community.", "During Veterans’ Week, everybody get out and support our veterans. They mean so much to us." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "My grandfather Griffin was on a minesweeper outside of Halifax—and the member from Niagara Falls made me realize this. During the war, the navy ship he was on, at the time, had no guns. Imagine that? They rigged up telephone poles—it’s a fun fact—to make it look like guns were on the navy ship. That was just in case the Germans spied on them and saw them. So they had telephone poles on there. My mother gave me the old newspaper clip from Halifax, so that’s why I know that. I just thought I would—I bet you Burd probably even knows about that too.", "These are the things that our servicemen and servicewomen did to protect us off the coast of Halifax, let’s say." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. John Yakabuski", "text": [ "I want to thank the member from St. Catharines for her address today and thank her family for their service. I hope I have time later today to speak to items of that nature, as well.", "I did listen to the entire address, and I appreciate your passion.", "I’ve been here for over 20 years, and I have never seen a government bill, from any side of the House, that answers all the questions—or they’d make War and Peace look like a bedtime story. It just doesn’t happen.", "You talk a lot about what’s not in the bill, but on balance, this is a very positive bill for our veterans, showing respect and honouring our veterans. I have to ask the member: Can you talk about some of the positive things, and will you stand in your place and support the government as we try to honour veterans, and vote for this legislation?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "Thank you to the member.", "I did list off a whole bunch of positive things in this bill. I don’t think you were listening that well. It’s great that we’re going to support the veterans at their local Legions and that we’re going to make sure that we go to local cenotaphs and lay down wreaths. There are so many great things in this bill. I am not arguing that.", "I agree that we can’t put everything in the bill, but I think if we work together and we communicate as a whole, especially when it comes to veterans and our military families—we can all agree that when this side of the House brings Bill 51 for long-term care—and I brought the soldiers’ aid act, back in 2022, to recognize our veterans who were homeless.", "I do believe there are really good things in this bill, but I really do believe there are things that need to be taken a little step forward, and they could be added in this bill—not a whole list of things; there were three asks that I asked for." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "We need to go to the next question." ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Wayne Gates", "text": [ "I didn’t get a chance to finish talking about our veterans, but I do want to talk about something that Jennie talked about, quite frankly, for about 20 minutes: the importance of our Legions.", "I can tell you, when my dad went to the Legion and joined Branch 24—actually, it was in St. Catharines. When he passed away over 30 years ago, my mom continued to go to the Legion. That was where her safe space was.", "So I say to the Legions every single day, “You’re helping somebody. You’re helping somebody who may be homeless.”", "I’ll tell you what we need when it comes to housing for our veterans: We need tiny homes—the same way they’ve done in Kingston. They built tiny homes for veterans. Why can’t we do that right across the province of Ontario? There shouldn’t be one veteran in Ontario, in Canada, one of the richest countries in the world—to not have homes to go to. That shouldn’t happen in this province.", "So my question—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Thank you.", "The member for St. Catharines." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "Any home that—for a homeless veteran is a home. They need somewhere where they can feel that they have accomplished what they set out to do. It’s not their responsibility to find a home, to make sure they have home, but it is the Ontario government’s job to make sure that—housing is a human right. They deserve a roof over their heads.", "It’s not up to the Ontario government, as I said before, to claw back dollar to dollar on ODSP. It’s not up to them to put barriers up for health care for our veterans—it’s for us to be able to put services in place for homeless vets so that we can outreach to them, we can tag them, we can find where they are and give them the human right of food and housing." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Next question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Sheref Sabawy", "text": [ "Thank you for the answers from the respected opposition member.", "I see that you are focusing on the stuff which is not in the bill for the majority of the time—more than stuff in the bill. Why don’t we talk about the good points inside the bill, not the points that are not inside the bill? This is the first part.", "The second part is that we are already, in this bill, talking about more benefits to the veterans, including some authorization in the municipalities to give them housing—it’s covering your point—as well as giving them some free riding in the GO stations, public transportation, to make sure that they can enjoy their time and be able to go wherever they need to go." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "Back over to the other side: GO isn’t in here. It doesn’t say that it’s in here. It’s not written in this bill. Another thing is that if the consultation between both sides of the government were done, I could have put that in this bill. There are a lot of good things in this bill—but when we don’t work together as a team, nothing gets done." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "We’re going to move to further debate." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. John Yakabuski", "text": [ "Given the time on the clock, I move adjournment of the debate." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Mr. Yakabuski has moved the adjournment of the debate. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I declare the motion carried.", "Second reading debate adjourned." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Orders of the day?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Anthony Leardi", "text": [ "No further business." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "The House stands in recess until 10:15.", "The House recessed from 1010 to 1016." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Members may take their seats." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Point of order, the member for Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Laurie Scott", "text": [ "If you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to wear lapel pins in recognition of scleroderma awareness day at Queen’s Park—and I’d like to welcome them all here today." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The member for Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to allow members to wear lapel pins in recognition of scleroderma awareness. Agreed? Agreed." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. John Jordan", "text": [ "On this date, November 6, we shine a green light to celebrate the achievements of 4-H clubs throughout our province and across Canada, spotlighting our vital connection to our agricultural community.", "At a recent Tri-National Agricultural Accord in Virginia, where I was honoured to represent this province, it was agreed that one of our most pressing challenges is the engagement of our youth in honing their skills to take on future leadership roles in agriculture and agri-food industries.", "Mr. Speaker, this is where 4-H clubs shine. Sowing the seeds for future entrepreneurs and integrating learned experiences with the driving force of new thinking and new technologies, our 4-H clubs are catalysts for change, as we challenge the next generation to look at agriculture and agri-food industries through a different lens.", "At this time, I want to thank 4-H club volunteers, and I want to give a special shout-out to the Lanark and the Frontenac 4-H club contingents for bringing a prize-winning tradition of excellence to this year’s royal winter fair. Many of these 4-H members will go on to pursue careers in multi-generational farming, agri-food marketing, biodiversity, veterinary sciences, and some will engage in the challenges of global food security.", "When the light shines today honouring 4-H clubs throughout Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston, may it illuminate the path forward for leaders in the future of sustainable agriculture." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MPP Lisa Gretzky", "text": [ "I’m honoured to share with the House how incredible the arts community is in Windsor. Windsor is home to some of the most talented, hard-working entrepreneurs, artists, filmmakers and creators.", "This year, the Windsor International Film Festival celebrated its 20th year and just concluded its annual film festival, which showcased 13 feature films, 23 local films, 58 francophone feature films, 46 films selected from TIFF, 141 films from world-leading film festivals, 75 feature documentaries—and 42 countries represented. Like every year, WIFF drew long lines of eager viewers from Windsor-Essex, nearby communities, and our American neighbours. Thank you to Vincent Georgie and the entire team at WIFF for another incredible festival.", "Congratulations to Windsor resident Heidi LM Jacobs on her book, 1934: The Chatham Coloured All-Stars’ Barrier-Breaking Year. This week, it was announced that the Speaker of this Legislature chose Heidi’s book for the Speaker’s Book Award. The book was published by Biblioasis, a local independent publishing company and bookstore—a true gem in Windsor.", "Lastly, I joined Hiatus House, Dr. Patti Fritz and Fartumo Kusow, whose daughter was killed by her partner last year, for a panel discussion about intimate partner violence hosted by Art Windsor-Essex. The message was clear: Declare intimate partner violence an epidemic, and provide necessary resources and funding to support women and keep them safe. It is long past time for this government to join the nearly 100 Ontario municipalities that have declared IPV an epidemic. I am truly grateful to the team at Art Windsor-Essex for hosting that crucial discussion." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mrs. Robin Martin", "text": [ "While some people may be focused on the results of the US election, I want to take the opportunity to congratulate the new Conservative leader of the UK Tories, chosen on November 2, Kemi Badenoch.", "Badenoch was born in London, England, but was largely raised in Lagos, Nigeria, the home of her parents. She’s a computer engineering graduate. She’s feisty, fierce and outspoken. I like her already.", "As Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Badenoch noted many times, “Government doesn’t create growth. You do”; and “What government needs to do is create the environment for entrepreneurs to thrive—and then get out of the way. That is the Conservative vision. We celebrate aspiration and provide opportunity.... Conservatives know that economic growth and rising living standards come from flourishing businesses and dynamic entrepreneurs—not from red tape, race monitors or compliance consultants.... Conservatives believe in capitalism, we believe in the power of business to do good, we don’t think profit is a dirty word and we are optimistic about our future.”", "Badenoch is a supporter of free speech and describes herself as “anti-woke.” She has spoken out against identity politics and critical race theory, and she has promised to fight what she describes as “left-wing nonsense.”", "She has argued, “Identity is multi-faceted and Conservatives do not pigeonhole people based on visible traits.... I am Black, and also a woman, a mother, a politician, an engineer, British and Nigerian. All of these things have an effect on my views ... more so than my skin colour.”", "Congratulations, and best wishes to Kemi Badenoch for every success in promoting a conservative vision." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Joel Harden", "text": [ "I’ve been up since 4 a.m. this morning, I think probably like a lot of Canadians. I have a lot of friends in the United States—people who worked hard in the recent election.", "I want to begin this member statement with a question: Is our movement for justice that we’re all working for big enough? Does it include the person in the United States who’s doing the dry cleaning for the congressman on his way to the office, who may not have perfect citizenship papers? Does it include the gig worker who can’t put food on the table and who’s struggling, who doesn’t feel seen in American politics, and perhaps even in our politics—or people from the same experience? Does it include the woman who wants the right to control her own body and not to have someone else tell her what her health care decisions should be? Does it include people who may think differently than us?", "This is where I want to make a desperate plea to folks who are thinking about the American election in Canada today. I want to invite us to consider no one’s political supporters as garbage, no one’s political supporters as deplorables. I want us to try to move past the toxic vitriol that politics has become, not just in the United States and our country, but around the world, because the young people who are here in the gallery today, the elders who gave us our democracy, expect better. We can fight for better, and we can organize for better. We can demand better. That’s my message for today." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Billy Pang", "text": [ "As we enter respiratory illness season, I urge the people of Ontario to protect themselves and their loved ones by staying up to date with vaccinations.", "This year, flu and COVID-19 shots are widely available across the province to support our health and reduce strains on hospitals.", "Recently, I visited Unionville Guardian Pharmacy to receive both my flu and COVID-19 shots. The process was safe and convenient—showing how easy it is for all Ontarians to protect themselves this season.", "I want to emphasize the importance of vaccinating, as it not only safeguards each of us but also helps protect those unable to be immunized, making our communities healthier and stronger.", "Taking these simple steps means we can reduce unnecessary visits to hospitals and lessen the load on our health care system, keeping Ontario healthier and better prepared.", "Thank you to everyone for prioritizing their health, and to our pharmacies, health care providers and public health partners for making vaccinations accessible throughout the province.", "Let us all do our part in ensuring a safe and healthy Ontario for ourselves, our families and our communities." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Bhutila Karpoche", "text": [ "The Ford Conservatives have been in power for six years, and the housing crisis is out of control. The government’s own Housing Affordability Task Force said that Ontario needs 1.5 million homes in the next 10 years; that’s 150,000 new homes that need to be built every year. The Ford government failed to meet the target, so they lowered it to 125,000 homes a year. They failed to meet even that adjusted target, so they lowered it again, to 88,000 homes. Now we learn that the target has been lowered again, to about 81,000 homes—far below the original goal set by the task force and the adjusted lower targets they set for themselves.", "The only type of housing that is increasing dramatically is encampments. There are over 1,400 encampments in Ontario. According to the Ford government’s own numbers, there are over 234,000 unhoused people.", "Can the Premier tell Ontarians how confident he is that his government will hit the three-times-adjusted lower target?", "Take a moment to think about it, because we will hold you accountable come election time—and we know that the Premier is preparing for a snap election.", "Why should the people of this province give you another four years when you have done nothing in six?" ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Steve Pinsonneault", "text": [ "As we approach Remembrance Day, I rise to honour the courageous men and women who have served and continue to serve Canada and to recognize the ongoing efforts in my riding of Lambton–Kent–Middlesex to keep their memory alive.", "Today, I want to recognize a special initiative in my hometown of Thamesville, led by Darren Carther, a firefighter, Legion member and a long-time friend to many in our community. Darren has created a powerful video projection display in the town hall to honour local veterans. This touching tribute, presented in collaboration with Thamesville Legion Branch 367, includes heartfelt images of Thamesville veterans, each with their name and rank. This display, which will run every night until Remembrance Day, serves as a reminder of the legacy of those who served and those who will continue to serve our country.", "I’m also proud to acknowledge the beautiful work being done in Strathroy-Caradoc, where I attended the recent unveiling of their Poppy Project. Led by Museum Strathroy-Caradoc, with support from local Legion branches, this initiative commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Strathroy cenotaph. With the help of countless community members who donated over 10,000 knitted and crocheted poppies, the installation, displayed until November 11, now cascades down Strathroy town hall and fills dedicated space at the Caradoc cenotaph in Mount Brydges.", "Mr. Speaker, it is initiatives like Darren’s video tribute and the Poppy Project in Strathroy that help educate young people about the significance of service and sacrifice. In today’s world, where these stories are less frequently taught, our veterans’ legacies must be passed on, ensuring that their sacrifices are never forgotten.", "I would also like to acknowledge the role of our local Legions in Lambton–Kent–Middlesex, who serve veterans and their families year-round. Through their annual poppy campaign, they fund essential programs that directly support those who have sacrificed so much for Canada.", "1030", "This Remembrance Day, let us remember to honour, support and reflect on the courage and resilience of our veterans. Together, we can ensure their legacy endures for future generations." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Stephanie Bowman", "text": [ "Don Valley West is home to terrific neighbourhoods and active community groups.", "Recently, I attended the Leaside Sports Hall of Fame, which honours local residents who have made an impact in sport—this year, it was Olympic gymnast Cassie Lee, who made us so proud at the Summer Olympic Games; Leaside High School’s varsity girls hockey team; Phillip Francis; and the late, great Pete Conacher. Congrats to the award recipients, and thanks to the volunteers who put on this great event every year.", "But there are challenges in Don Valley West too.", "Almost 30,000 people, 29% of my constituents, don’t have a family doctor—that’s even more than the 28% in the Premier’s riding who don’t have a family doctor. While they wait for a provider for primary care, people like Amal wait long hours in the ER—with his screaming-in-pain toddler. Too bad this government has given people a map to the nearest booze outlet when what they need is a government that gives them primary care.", "Then, there are the infrastructure issues. On Halloween night, Thorncliffe Park residents had no power for eight hours and were the last to have their power restored. In the summer, Leaside residents’ homes were flooded.", "We need a government that fixes these serious issues people face every day instead of one focused on booze and deal after deal to help their insider friends." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Sheref Sabawy", "text": [ "Many of us have seen the videos, over the weekend, of a violent attack against worshippers at a Hindu temple in Peel region.", "Unfortunately, in the past year, we have seen too many incidents of hate, violence and vandalism against religious institutions and places of worship. Religious intolerance, including anti-Semitic, Islamophobic and anti-Christian rhetoric, is on the rise.", "At Merciful Redeemer Catholic parish in my riding of Mississauga–Erin Mills, there have been multiple incidents of vandalism over the past year—three times in two months.", "At Qasimul Uloom Islamic centre in Streetsville, there was also an incident of vandalism.", "In Ontario, we respect the right to protest and express disagreements, but we don’t tolerate violent acts of hatred and intolerance. It’s very simple: “No tolerance for intolerance.”", "We must stand firm in supporting religious freedoms for all Canadians.", "This weekend, I also attended the Ukrainian Remembrance Day ceremony with the member for Etobicoke Centre. It was a solemn moment of reflection, and I was honoured to attend. Thousands of Ukrainians served as members of the Canadian Armed Forces during the Second World War, including at the historic Battle of Normandy. Many sacrificed their lives and are buried there for our freedom.", "My bill, Bill 215, the Ukrainian Heritage Month Act, would, if passed, provide opportunities to reflect on and celebrate the contributions of Ukrainian Canadians to our Canadian multicultural fabric. I’m looking forward to discussing it further on November 27." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. David Smith", "text": [ "I rise today to honour the solemn occasion of Remembrance Day and to pay tribute to those who have served and sacrificed for our country and the world. This day holds profound personal significance, reminding us of the courage, resilience and dedication of Canada’s Armed Forces past and present.", "In Ontario, we join Canadians from coast to coast to coast in wearing the poppy and standing in silence to remember those who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy today. These heroes’ bravery and commitment inspire us, underscoring the values of peace, freedom and sacrifice that define our nation.", "I would like to acknowledge Royal Canadian Legion Branch 617, which plays a vital role in the riding of Scarborough Centre, supporting veterans, preserving their legacy, and fostering a sense of community. I’d like to extend my gratitude to Debbie Chafe, president of Branch 617, and her team for their unwavering commitment to our veterans and their families.", "As we honour their sacrifices, let us also commit to ensuring their stories and legacies live on for the future generation. Lest we forget." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Kevin Holland", "text": [ "I’ve got a few guests here in the House today.", "First of all, I’d like to welcome Florin Pendea, representing Lakehead University.", "As well, I’d like to welcome my good friends the mayor of Red Lake, Fred Mota, and Henry Wall from the Kenora DSSAB.", "Welcome to Queen’s Park." ] }, { "speaker": "Miss Monique Taylor", "text": [ "I would like to welcome the Ontario Autism Coalition, who are here today—Kate Dudley-Logue, Bruce McIntosh, Ashley Ferreira, and Benjamin Schifman. They’re joined by Jenny Tozer, the mother of 18-year-old Logan, who went missing in the town of Havelock just recently—thankfully, brought home safely.", "I would also like to welcome Charlise Hillen, who is a former page and the daughter of my executive assistant. She’s here today for Take Our Kids to Work Day.", "Welcome to Queen’s Park, everybody." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Aislinn Clancy", "text": [ "Today is Take Our Kids to Work Day, and so my daughter, Zidra, and her friend Skyler are here to visit us." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Nina Tangri", "text": [ "I would like to welcome my constituency office executive assistant, who’s joined by her daughter Nina Kang, who is a wonderful, great volunteer as well.", "Kam Sandhu, Nina Kang, welcome to your House." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Bhutila Karpoche", "text": [ "I would like to give a very warm welcome to OCUFA, who are here today at Queen’s Park. I want to recognize my good friend and executive director—or maybe CEO; I forget the title—Jenny Ahn. Welcome." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Bobbi Ann Brady", "text": [ "It is my pleasure to introduce to the House today my very best friend and partner, Sergeant Brad Adams, and his very fine nephew Colby Adams, who is here with me today for Take Our Kids to Work Day.", "Welcome to the House." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Jill Dunlop", "text": [ "I, too, have a guest here for Take Our Kids to Work Day: Kaia McKay. Kaia is the daughter of Edyta McKay, my executive adviser.", "Welcome to all the students who are here visiting us on Take Our Kids to Work Day." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Joel Harden", "text": [ "Joining the welcome to folks from OCUFA—it’s nice to see you here today.", "Kate Dudley-Logue, it’s nice to see you here today.", "Nothing happens in Ottawa Centre, in our office, without the great Erica Braunovan, executive assistant, who is here today with her daughters Ashena and Shania.", "Thank you, girls, for your sacrifice in bringing your mom to our team." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Karen McCrimmon", "text": [ "It’s my pleasure to also welcome the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations to the Legislature today. I’d like to introduce the president, Nigmendra Narain; the president-elect, Rob Kristofferson; the amazing executive director, Jenny Ahn; Mayurika Chakravorty from the Carleton University Academic Staff Association; Tyler Chamberlin from the University of Ottawa, and OCUFA treasurer; and Anna Zalik from the York University Faculty Association.", "Welcome to your House." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Robert Bailey", "text": [ "I’ve got a couple of introductions I’d like to do today: June McCarthy, who is the page captain today; her father, Sean; and her grandfather Brian. They’re here in the gallery today.", "Welcome to Queen’s Park, and congratulations on your daughter’s and granddaughter’s service." ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Jamie West", "text": [ "[Inaudible] the House—I want to particularly introduce Fabrice Colin from the Laurentian University Faculty Association.", "Bonjour, mon frère.", "1040" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Mike Schreiner", "text": [ "I too would like to welcome all OCUFA members to Queen’s Park today, with a special shout-out to Helen Booker from the University of Guelph." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Nolan Quinn", "text": [ "I have a few introductions.", "First and foremost, I’d like to welcome OCUFA here today. I’m looking forward to our meeting this afternoon.", "On Take Our Kids to Work Day, I’m actually taking my parents to work. My mother, Karen, and Frank Quinn are here today to see." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "I also would like to introduce the members from OCUFA, especially the faculty from Brock University.", "Welcome to your House. I’m looking forward to our meeting this afternoon." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "If there are no objections, I’d like to continue with introduction of visitors." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon", "text": [ "I’d like to introduce a young woman named terrific Tess Disturnal, who’s here to learn about legislative affairs. She’s accompanied by my dynamite daughter, Rebecca McMahon—who is much older than grade 9.", "Welcome to your House." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Deepak Anand", "text": [ "I’d like to introduce Deborah Flint, the president and CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, and the rest of the crew, who are here to showcase their major expansion.", "Please join us in reception room 228 at noon." ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam", "text": [ "I’d also like to add my voice and welcome to OCUFA. In particular, I see my dear friend Jenny Ahn, the president of the organization, as well as a dear family friend, Kimiko Inouye." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Kaleed Rasheed", "text": [ "Today is Take Our Kids to Work Day, and I would like to welcome my daughter Mariam Rasheed and her friend Sara Al-Dawood. Welcome to Queen’s Park." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Graham McGregor", "text": [ "Coming today to Queen’s Park to talk about auto theft is the CAA delegation. We’ve got Marrianne Bridge, the board chair; board member Quentin Broad; two senior vice-presidents, Shoshana Fruitman and Anita Mueller; and president of CAA insurance, Matthew Turack. Elliott Silverstein is here as well.", "Welcome to Queen’s Park." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Chris Glover", "text": [ "I’d to welcome to the House Bianca Mehrotra, a political science student at Innis College, my alma mater. She’s going to be shadowing me this year and learning about how this place works." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Stephen Blais", "text": [ "I, too, would like to welcome the members from OCUFA—but also welcome Blair Ostrom from the Greater Toronto Airports Authority. I look forward to having a chat with you later this afternoon." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Charmaine A. Williams", "text": [ "Today is Take Our Kids to Work Day, so I brought my daughter number two, Nayomi Bailey, to the House to shadow me today." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Terence Kernaghan", "text": [ "It also gives me great pleasure to welcome individuals from OCUFA, including Amanda Di Ponio, Ozden Sungur, Ben Muller, Nig Narain, and Johanna Weststar.", "Welcome to the people’s House. I look forward to our meeting." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Doug Downey", "text": [ "I’m pleased to note that Elliot Nahshony is the page captain today. His father, Sam, is here with us, and his mother, Efrat Nahshony, is watching on TV." ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Lise Vaugeois", "text": [ "I have a few welcomes.", "First, I’d like to welcome Noah Freedman, wildfire crew leader and incident commander, and Mark Belanger, veteran wildfire incident commander and safety officer, representing wildland firefighters.", "Thank you and welcome." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Ross Romano", "text": [ "I would like to offer my congratulations and happy birthday wishes, on behalf of our entire caucus, to Minister Stephen Crawford.", "Happy birthday, sir." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Peggy Sattler", "text": [ "I would like to extend a very warm welcome to London West constituent Nig Narain, who is also the president of OCUFA and who is here today with members of faculty associations from across Ontario.", "Welcome to Queen’s Park. I hope all MPPs are taking advantage of the opportunity to meet with you today." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Anthony Leardi", "text": [ "On behalf of the whole PC caucus, I am pleased to welcome members of the Scleroderma Society of Ontario who have joined us today, including the president, Jennifer Botelho; board members Maureen Sauvé and Scott Heard; the executive director, John Malcolmson; and staff members Karol Bedoya-Carvajal and Kylie Wolfenden.", "Welcome to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Sandy Shaw", "text": [ "I also would like to welcome to the House Ryan Ladner with OCUFA and Wilfrid Laurier, and Rob Kristofferson, a constituent. Thank you very much for being here today." ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Lise Vaugeois", "text": [ "I would also like to welcome members of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations: Florin Pendea from Lakehead University, Fabrice Colin from Laurentian University, and Darrel Manitowabi from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. I look forward to meeting with you later." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "That concludes our introduction of visitors for this morning." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "I beg to inform the House that, pursuant to standing order 89(a), the Clerk has received a written request that Bill Pr55, An Act respecting Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries, be referred to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.", "The order for second reading of the bill is therefore discharged and the bill is deemed referred to the committee." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Marit Stiles", "text": [ "This question is for the Premier.", "After six long years, we all know how this government works. The Premier cuts deals, insiders cash in, and the people of Ontario are stuck paying the price.", "Fresh reports from the Narwhal tell a familiar story of missing records, interference from the Premier’s office—and a familiar name when the Premier needs to apparently get something done: Ryan Amato. It turns out that Mr. Amato, the same staffer who was passing brown envelopes from lobbyists and government members to sell off the greenbelt, was also involved with another scandal-ridden government project: Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass. So my question is, what role did the Premier have in the rerouting of these routes?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "To reply, I recognize the Minister of Transportation." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria", "text": [ "Our intention couldn’t be more clear with the 413 and the Bradford Bypass: We’re going to build both highways, and we’re going to continue to build Ontario.", "Let me give that member, the Leader of the Opposition, a bit of a history check here. What happened on June 2, 2022? Let me remind you: Your members and your party opposed the building of the 413. And what did that result in? You lost every single seat in Peel region. You lost three members.", "It’s about time you and the Liberals get on board and support building highways across this province, because we need to get people moving. The people of this province spoke loud and clear about their need and desire to see this province move forward with those highway projects. Nothing will stop us from moving forward and getting those highways built." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Supplementary question." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Marit Stiles", "text": [ "That was a lot.", "Before he became a key figure in the greenbelt scandal, Ryan Amato worked as a senior staffer for the Ministry of Transportation. Records show—and there are very few records; I’ll get to that later—that Mr. Amato refers to directions coming directly from the Premier to him to explore the rerouting of the Bradford Bypass. I’m going to quote something that Mr. Amato wrote: “He wants to know the cost of moving it further north,” said Mr. Amato—and that “He” is the Premier.", "1050", "So I want to go back to the Premier again. Can the Premier clarify what direction he gave Mr. Amato about rerouting the Bradford Bypass, and why?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria", "text": [ "Mr. Speaker, this government is following the direction of the people of this province, who elected us on June 2, 2022, with a historic majority mandate to build highways. Which highways? The Bradford Bypass and Highway 413, which the Liberals and NDP continue to oppose.", "I ask that member, the Leader of the Opposition, to come to our communities in York region and Peel region and Brampton and Mississauga to see the gridlock first-hand.", "The NDP don’t want anything built in this province. Whether it’s supporting public transit; whether it’s supporting and making sure we are building the highways that we need, whether it be the 413, the Bradford Bypass, or supporting Highways 11 and 17—they want to stop every single one of our projects. They want to build roadblocks against every single one of our projects.", "We have a message for the NDP and Liberals: We’re going to get shovels in the ground in every single one of those projects, and nothing will stop this government." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The final supplementary." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Marit Stiles", "text": [ "Speaker, I’ve got to tell you, it seems impossible that with a massive project like this, there would be so few records at the Ministry of Transportation that are related to what they consider one of their signature highway projects. The limited records we do have show that Mr. Amato emailed the Ministry of Transportation bureaucrats, asking about the cost of rerouting the Bradford Bypass at the Premier’s direct request, and then, nothing—nothing. No more paper trail, no more emails, no more notes—it just all disappears magically. You would expect to see, at the very least, I’m going to say, some kind of follow-up after a request directly from the Premier. But, strangely, the trail ends there.", "So my question, again, to the Premier is, where are the records?", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Members will take their seats, please.", "Minister of Transportation." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria", "text": [ "The 413 and Bradford Bypass have been discussed for 20-plus years. We’ve got studies on the books from 20 years ago—environmental assessments, public consultations.", "But here’s the difference: Whether it be the Liberals or the NDP—the Liberals who didn’t do anything for 15 years. The reason we’re in such gridlock today is because they opposed every one of our projects, didn’t build public transit, highways. The NDP are no different. They don’t want anything built. They just want studies and consultation. That’s the difference between our government, Premier Ford and the PCs—we get things done, Mr. Speaker. We get shovels in the ground. Whether that’s Highway 413, Highway 7, the Bradford Bypass, or public transit across this province, we’re building. We’re building for the future. We’re building for the next 10, 20, 50 years—a vision that the NDP and Liberals just don’t have, because they don’t want anything built in the province. They want to oppose every single one of our projects. They want to oppose public transport that moves 400,000 people a day, with the Ontario Line. They want to oppose the 413 that saves people 35 minutes—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Thank you.", "Stop the clock.", "I hesitate to interrupt question period, but this pattern continues, where members don’t make their comments through the Chair.", "I am going to remind the Minister of Transportation to make his comments through the Chair when he is responding to questions. Thank you.", "Start the clock.", "The next question." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Marit Stiles", "text": [ "I’m not getting clear answers—and not from the Premier, clearly—so I’d like to ask the minister responsible at the time if she can shed some light. This question, then, is for the President of the Treasury Board.", "Despite his senior role in the Minister of Transportation’s office, the Narwhal reports that there are very few records of Mr. Amato’s work on Highway 413 or the Bradford Bypass, including route changes. It’s almost like he was a ghost.", "We’ve seen this happen before, Speaker. In her report on the greenbelt, the Auditor General revealed a pattern of Conservative staff working on the greenbelt file deleting emails and using personal email accounts to get around the rules.", "So my question to the minister is, did government or ministry staff, under your watch, delete emails related to work on these highways?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Again, I’ll remind the members to make their comments through the Chair—I remind the Leader of the Opposition.", "The response, Minister of Transportation." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria", "text": [ "Mr. Speaker, the people of this province have spoken loud and clear on these projects, whether it’s the Bradford Bypass or Highway 413.", "We won every seat in Brampton—three that were held by the NDP. We won every seat in Mississauga. We are winning seats across this province that we never had because of our vision to build this province—whether that’s in Windsor and building highways in Windsor or the investments that we’re seeking in Windsor; whether that’s in Peel region; whether that’s up north or in Waterloo, where we’re building Highway 7.", "This is a government committed to building highways—$27 billion over the next 10 years.", "Public transit—$70 billion over the next 10 years. And guess what? The NDP and Liberals have opposed those investments every step of the way. Every LRT project, every subway project this government has put forward, they have opposed, and that’s a shame, Mr. Speaker—because this government will continue to get it done." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The supplementary question." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Marit Stiles", "text": [ "Speaker, let’s recap: In his role at the Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Amato would have been in very close contact with anyone impacted by the changes to the highway route, but there are no records of these interactions. He would have been in contact with powerful landowners who would later find themselves benefiting from preferential treatment from this government. The Toronto Star and the National Observer have all reported that a large number of these same landowners are friends of the Premier or donors to the Conservative Party. Some of these same people stood to gain from the greenbelt carve-up.", "My question is, again, back to the President of the Treasury Board: Was she aware that the Premier made requests to her staff in her office to reroute the Bradford Bypass?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria", "text": [ "Mr. Speaker, the Premier has been clear. The people have been clear on this project. We took these projects to the people of this province—whether it be the Bradford Bypass, Highway 413, Highway 7, or projects across Ontario—and guess what? We got a resounding response from people, a historic mandate from the people.", "I think the NDP should ask themselves what benefit they get from opposing these projects.", "There’s a reason construction workers are leaving your party in droves and joining the PC coalition, under the leadership of Premier Ford and the Minister of Labour. There’s a reason you are losing historic support. It’s because you don’t have a vision. You don’t want to build. You want to do exactly what the Liberals did for the last 15 years, which was build absolutely nothing in this province, and that’s a shame.", "This government will stand up for workers, good-paying jobs, and will make sure we get transit and highways built in this province." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Stop the clock, please.", "Again, I hesitate to interrupt, but this continues.", "I’m going to ask the Minister of Transportation to make his comments through the Chair. I’m going to ask all the members to make their comments through the Chair. If they don’t, I’m going to stand up and interrupt either their question or their reply and remind them in the middle of their question or their reply. This is a Parliament. We make our comments through the Chair.", "I apologize to the Leader of the Opposition.", "Start the clock.", "Final supplementary." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Marit Stiles", "text": [ "Speaker, do you know what the people of Ontario didn’t vote for? They didn’t vote for a government so deeply—", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Stop the clock. The government side will come to order.", "Start the clock. The Leader of the Opposition has the floor." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Marit Stiles", "text": [ "Again, I’ll tell you what the people of Ontario didn’t vote for: They did not vote for a government that is so focused onmaking deals for their insider friends that the people of Ontario are left behind every single time.", "You should be ashamed of yourselves.", "Does anyone—anyone—in this government know what is happening in their own ministries, Speaker?", "Here’s what I’m seeing: Time and time again, the Premier cuts deals, insiders cash in, and the people of Ontario are stuck paying the price.", "Was this another signature attempt to make a few of the Premier’s insider friends rich while Ontarians are left holding the bag?", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The government House leader will come to order. Members will take their seats.", "1100", "To reply, the Minister of Transportation." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria", "text": [ "I’ll tell you who the people of this province voted for and what they voted for—", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Stop the clock.", "I’m going to call the Minister of Transportation to order. You have to make your comments through the Chair.", "Start the clock." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria", "text": [ "Through you, Mr. Speaker: Let me tell you what the people of this province voted for. They voted for a government that believes in building Ontario. They voted for a government that wants to build highways. They voted for a government that wants to build public transportation, not a government or an opposition that has no vision for this province, that calls projects “fantasy projects”—projects that they doubted every step of the way and which we have shovels in the ground on, whether that be the Ontario Line, whether that be the Bradford Bypass or Highway 413.", "I have a message for the Liberals and NDP: Nothing will stop us from building in this province. Nothing will stop us from building Highway 413, the Bradford Bypass and Highway 7. We will continue to leave a legacy of building infrastructure in this province. That is exactly what we’re going to do. We’re going to get it done." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Peggy Sattler", "text": [ "My question is to the Premier.", "Speaker, this government’s failure to ensure the financial stability of Ontario’s post-secondary sector is putting our province’s future at risk. Students can’t thrive, our economy can’t thrive, our communities can’t thrive when our post-secondary institutions are underfunded year after year after year. Almost half of Ontario universities are facing deficits this year. Colleges and universities are bracing for the impact of a multi-billion dollar loss of international student tuition, which is going to mean program closures, cuts to student services, staff layoffs.", "Speaker, does this government understand what is at stake when it refuses to properly fund our post-secondary system?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The Minister of Colleges and Universities." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Nolan Quinn", "text": [ "Speaker, that’s why our government made a historic investment of $1.3 billion earlier this year to stabilize and modernize Ontario’s post-secondary sector. We did not stop there.", "As a small business owner—as well as working and volunteering in the not-for-profit sector—I know that any business or organization can always find ways to be more efficient.", "That’s why we launched the Efficiency and Accountability Fund—so that our public colleges and universities can undergo third-party reviews, to identify institutions where they can drive long-term savings, for positive outcomes for the students and for the communities they serve. The response to this fund has been overwhelming. Schools right across this province, including those with very strong financial stability, have asked to be part of this great initiative.", "Our schools understand that the opposition refuses to acknowledge that the solution to long-term sustainability and success is not always found by throwing taxpayer dollars at the system." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The supplementary question." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Peggy Sattler", "text": [ "Speaker, you’re not going to fix a $2.5-billion shortfall with efficiency reviews; I’m sorry.", "One year ago, this government’s own panel of experts said $2.5 billion was urgently needed just to keep the sector afloat—and that was before the changes to international study permits. This government’s response? Half of what the panel called for, with nothing to address the loss of international student tuition.", "For decades, Speaker, Ontario has had the lowest per student funding in Canada and has happily allowed international student tuition dollars to fill the gap in public funding. Instead of pointing fingers at the federal government, why is this Premier refusing to accept its basic responsibility to properly fund our colleges and universities?", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Members will take their seats.", "Minister of Colleges and Universities." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Nolan Quinn", "text": [ "Part of that $1.3 billion was $903 million of the Postsecondary Education Sustainability Fund, Speaker—$700 million went, over three years, across the board to all institutions. On top of that, we also have a $203-million fund that allows institutions that are in larger financial need to be able to be financially stable.", "Speaker, 20% of our colleges and universities received a 15% increase over last year’s base funding; on top of that, 22% of our institutions received a 10% increase.", "We are fiscally managing the situation, and through this targeted approach, the ministry will be providing significant financial support where it’s needed the most in the sector.", "As the member opposite spoke about tuition, Speaker, I think something for the people watching at home—under the NDP government, tuition went up 36% while inflation was only 13%; under the previous Liberal government, tuition went up 77% when inflation was only 29%." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MmeDawn Gallagher Murphy", "text": [ "My question is for the Minister of Energy and Electrification.", "The previous Liberal government damaged Ontario’s energy system. Under their watch, electricity rates skyrocketed, increasing by 300%. These out-of-control prices made it harder for Ontario families to get by and for businesses to thrive.", "Speaker, our government must be focused on reversing this damage. That’s why it is critical that we demonstrate leadership and ensure that Ontario families and businesses have access to affordable energy.", "Can the minister please explain how our government’s reforms, including the Affordable Energy Act, will lower energy costs for new homeowners and promote economic growth?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The parliamentary assistant and member for Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. John Yakabuski", "text": [ "Thank you to the member for Newmarket–Aurora.", "Speaker, the previous Liberal government’s costly energy experiments placed an unfair burden on Ontario families. They signed long-term energy contracts at prices up to 10 times the market rate, and families bore the brunt of these expensive experiments.", "Our government is taking a different approach—one that prioritizes affordability. Through the Affordable Energy Act, we are extending the amortization period for energy infrastructure from 25 to 40 years, which will lower the cost to homeowners. This reform will save families thousands of dollars in connection fees, making home ownership more affordable. Additionally, this modernized framework ensures that businesses can expand without the excessive costs they faced under the Liberals’ failed policies. These reforms are a key part of our strategy to build an energy system that works for everyone—not one based on ideology." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The supplementary question." ] }, { "speaker": "MmeDawn Gallagher Murphy", "text": [ "Clean, reliable and affordable energy is essential for a strong economy.", "Unfortunately, the previous Liberal government’s policies increased costs for families and businesses in the province and drove away investment. Under the Liberals, Ontario lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs, and businesses faced some of the highest industrial electricity rates in North America, which harmed our competitiveness.", "In contrast, our government must build for the future, with a focus on keeping energy rates affordable.", "Speaker, could the parliamentary assistant explain how the Affordable Energy Act will address Ontario’s growing energy demand while keeping costs down for families and businesses in the riding of Newmarket–Aurora, and beyond?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "To reply, the parliamentary assistant and member for Mississauga–Lakeshore." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto", "text": [ "I want to thank the member for that question.", "Speaker, the Affordable Energy Act is about Ontario’s future. Energy demand is expected to increase by 75% by 2050.", "1110", "Unlike the Liberals’ failed approach, which left us with high bills and unreliable power, our plan is focused on affordable solutions. Expanding nuclear energy, which currently provides over 50% of Ontario’s electricity, is central to our strategy to providing reliable, affordable energy. It is emission-free, and the Ontario Energy Board confirms it is one of the lowest-cost sources of power—cheaper than wind or solar.", "Our government has created 860,000 jobs and attracted $45 billion in EV and auto investment.", "Affordable, reliable energy is key to attracting investment and ensuring a prosperous future for Ontario, without repeating the costly Liberal mistakes of the past." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Chris Glover", "text": [ "To the Premier: This government closed ServiceOntario sites run by Ontario business owners and handed them over to Walmart and Staples. They’re handing over LCBO sales and revenue to Circle K and 7-Eleven.", "Yesterday, we saw the 34 bids submitted to redevelop Ontario Place, including many from Ontario entrepreneurs and businesses. But instead of showcasing Ontario ingenuity, this government chose to hand over Ontario Place’s parkland for free, with a $1.5-billion subsidy to Austrian and American corporations.", "My question is, why does this Conservative government continually shun Ontario entrepreneurs?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "To respond, the Minister of Infrastructure." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Kinga Surma", "text": [ "Again, I will respect the process of the Integrity Commissioner.", "But, Mr. Speaker, I would be more than happy to speak in this House about the progress that we’re making on the Peel Memorial phase 2 redevelopment in Brampton. We issued the RFP recently. This new hospital will be serving Bramptonians.", "Let’s talk about the Grandview Children’s Treatment Centre in Durham region—the construction was completed in early October.", "So while the members opposite will be busy protesting and filing complaints, this government will focus on building Ontario and providing the services that are important to the people of Ontario." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Supplementary question. The member for Parkdale–High Park." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Bhutila Karpoche", "text": [ "The CEO of Infrastructure Ontario admitted that all applicants were not told that the government would pay for the on-site parking at Ontario Place, at a cost of $650 million of taxpayer money. Now that we have seen the list, we know that all applicants did not receive the information.", "So my question to the minister is, why did the Conservatives give Therme preferential treatment?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Kinga Surma", "text": [ "The members opposite can spend all day disrespecting the Integrity Commissioner’s office, but I will not.", "What I will do is talk about, for example, the Michael Garron Hospital and the brand new patient tower that we are building. They are going to serve hundreds and thousands of constituents in Toronto.", "Let’s talk about the Mount Sinai Hospital redevelopment, which I had the privilege of touring this summer, which will also serve and provide health care to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of constituents.", "While they don’t know what’s important to the people of Ontario, this side of the House does, Mr. Speaker, and we will continue to build this province and improve health care across the province of Ontario." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Christine Hogarth", "text": [ "My question is for the Minister of Transportation.", "As we know, our population is rapidly growing, and it’s important that we have the transportation infrastructure needed to keep up with the people. We need to keep our people moving in our communities all across the province.", "Families in my riding of Etobicoke–Lakeshore tell me every day that they are so tired of bumper-to-bumper traffic.", "Whether it’s going to a medical appointment, dropping off their kids at school or extracurricular activities, or just driving home to see their families, gridlock is making life harder.", "The previous Liberal government knew there was a need to build our future, but they sat by as the problems got worse.", "We can’t afford to wait any longer for new roads and highways, and—I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the voices of the riding of Etobicoke–Lakeshore—removing those bike lanes on Bloor Street.", "Speaker, can the minister please share how our government is building highways for the future?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Parliamentary assistant, the member for Hastings–Lennox and Addington." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Ric Bresee", "text": [ "Because of this Premier’s strong leadership, our government is focused on getting people out of gridlock.", "That’s why the Minister of Transportation introduced the Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, which will allow 24/7 construction on our priority highway projects. This new legislation, if passed, will designate priority highway projects so that we can build faster and keep people moving. Priority highway projects mean faster construction and less time for commuters stuck in traffic, and more time for them to spend with their family. We are reducing gridlock, not removing traffic lanes.", "We know that after 15 years of Liberal inaction and endless gridlock, Ontarians need relief. By cutting red tape and streamlining the construction process, we’re building faster. After 15 years of Liberal inaction, we can’t afford to wait any longer, Speaker. We need to build.", "Under the leadership of this Premier and this Minister of Transportation, we are building Ontario." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Supplementary question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Christine Hogarth", "text": [ "We know that the Liberals don’t want to see transit built in Ontario. They voted against it every time. Their leader, Bonnie Crombie, is on record saying that she never supported the 413. And she certainly doesn’t support the concerns of the people in Etobicoke–Lakeshore.", "The people of Ontario deserve better. They are tired of spending valuable time in traffic, instead of at home with their loved ones. People want common-sense solutions that make their lives easier.", "Our government must do everything they can to build highways faster and get drivers out of gridlock and get them where they need to go.", "Can the minister please outline how this legislation will benefit our highway projects and get people home to their loved ones quicker?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Ric Bresee", "text": [ "Thank you to the amazing member from Etobicoke–Lakeshore for all of her advocacy.", "By designating priority highway projects, such as the Bradford Bypass and Highway 413, we can build faster and avoid construction delays. Ontarians are already seeing the benefit of 24-hour construction.", "Under our plan to tackle gridlock, we’ve accelerated construction of the Gardiner Expressway. The Gardiner’s accelerated timeline is now four months ahead of schedule.", "Speaker, it’s clear that the status quo approach from the NDP and the Liberals simply will not tackle the gridlock crisis.", "Tearing down highways and removing car lanes only makes gridlock worse.", "Speaker, we’re the only party with a serious plan to build and get construction projects done faster." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MPP Lise Vaugeois", "text": [ "Working without protective equipment, wildland firefighters, treated by this government as second-class first responders, are exposed to life-threatening levels of toxins 16 hours a day for six months, all while working and sleeping in carcinogen-saturated uniforms. It is critical to recognize their level of exposure by counting fire seasons as full years of service. The minister claims to have done this, yet it is not in the latest Working for Workers act.", "Can the minister please explain why the government voted against the NDP’s amendment to count a single fire season as a full year of service?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The parliamentary assistant and member for Ajax." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Patrice Barnes", "text": [ "Through you, Speaker: We did what the previous Liberal government did not do in 15 years of service. We included wildland firefighters in the same presumptive WSIB coverage for occupational cancers and heart injuries as municipal firefighters, because they earned it.", "Bill 190, Working for Workers Five, passed last week, with unanimous support from the NDP and Liberals—to centre supports for our front-line firefighter heroes. Within that committee, we recognized that already our Ministry of Natural Resources does recognize the season as a year. We committed to Mr. Freedman in that committee that we will examine what is being looked at under WSIB, and we continue to work with WSIB to clarify this issue." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Supplementary question—" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Guy Bourgouin", "text": [ "Last spring, the Minister of Labour promised to change the classification of wildland firefighters, to get them the protections and pay they deserve, and yet, now he says that only the Treasury Board minister has the power to make these changes.", "Speaker, these wildland firefighters don’t need excuses. They need protection and results.", "1120", "Minister, will you uphold your commitment to reclassify these workers and make a single fire season count as a full year of service, as they deserve?", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Members will take their seats.", "The Minister of Natural Resources will reply." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Graydon Smith", "text": [ "As the organizational review of firefighter classification by the OPS is under way, it would be inappropriate to comment further. But we have heard comments from the PA of labour this morning on the expanded presumptive coverage piece.", "Mr. Speaker, what I want to talk about is how we’ve invested in wildland firefighters in Ontario. The opposition and the Liberals did not increase the budget to $135 million, a 92% increase; we did. The opposition Liberals did not put $5,000 in the pockets of wildland firefighters in Ontario and other support workers within AFFES; we did. The opposition Liberals and the NDP did not make sure that on-standby and on-call entitlements were put into action; we did. They also did not create 100 new FTEs in the last years; we did.", "Mr. Speaker, we have been behind our fire rangers all the time, all the way. We will continue to be there—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Thank you.", "The next question." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mrs. Karen McCrimmon", "text": [ "Speaker, what is it going to take to make this government take the family doctor crisis seriously? This government is failing Ontarians in every comer of the province.", "In the member for Etobicoke–Lakeshore’s riding, 21,000 people do not have a family doctor. And in the member for Mississauga–Erin Mills’s riding, 23,000 people do not have a family doctor.", "This government is willing to borrow $3 billion for a pre-election giveaway, but they won’t spend a third of that amount so that every Ontarian can have a family doctor. So it’s quite clear we can afford better health care. This government doesn’t want to invest in the people of Ontario. They just want to invest in the next election.", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Government side, come to order." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Karen McCrimmon", "text": [ "Ontarians want family doctors, so I’d like to ask the Premier, why doesn’t his government?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The Deputy Premier and Minister of Health." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Sylvia Jones", "text": [ "Speaker, the member opposite can have her own stories, but she can’t have her own facts, and the facts matter in this.", "There is no doubt that our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, has been investing in primary care in the province of Ontario.", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Independent members, come to order. The member for Ottawa South, come to order." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Sylvia Jones", "text": [ "Speaker, when you have new medical schools that are starting in Brampton, in Scarborough, in Vaughan—", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Stop the clock.", "I’ll remind the members, if you refuse to respond appropriately to the request of the Speaker to come to order, if I have to speak to you again, you will be warned.", "Interjection." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The member for Ottawa South will come to order.", "Start the clock.", "The Minister of Health still has the floor." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Sylvia Jones", "text": [ "Thank you, Speaker. The inconvenience of hearing the truth from our side is getting the opposition upset.", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The member for Orléans will come to order. The government House leader will come to order." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Sylvia Jones", "text": [ "I’m going to continue to remind the members opposite that as we’re expanding medical schools in Brampton, in Scarborough, in York region—the party opposite, when the Liberals were in power, were cutting residencies, Speaker. They were cutting medical spots. We are making the investments so that, for decades to come, those people are going to have opportunities to train and teach and learn in the province of Ontario.", "Interjection." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The member for Don Valley East will come to order.", "Supplementary question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Karen McCrimmon", "text": [ "Here are the facts. Here is the truth: 2.5 million Ontarians don’t have a family doctor. And each week, when the cabinet ministers, the most powerful people in this province, meet, they do nothing but accept the status quo—no help for the people of Ontario, not even their own constituents.", "Interjection." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The Minister of Colleges and Universities will come to order." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Karen McCrimmon", "text": [ "The truth, Mr. Speaker: In Chatham-Kent–Leamington, the Associate Minister of Emergency Preparedness has 31,000 constituents without a family doctor. The Minister of Agriculture, the MPP for Elgin–Middlesex–London, silently accepts that 38,000 of his people don’t have a family doctor. And to top it off, the Minister of Infrastructure does nothing to help the 40,000 people in Etobicoke Centre without a family doctor.", "I’d like to ask the Premier, on behalf of all of his cabinet, why do these 109,000 people in just three ridings not deserve a—", "Interjection." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The Minister for Red Tape Reduction will come to order.", "To reply, the Minister of Health." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Sylvia Jones", "text": [ "When I see over 300 nurse practitioners practising in the province of Ontario, in multidisciplinary teams—three million Ontario residents who are accessing nurse practitioners in multidisciplinary teams.", "But, Speaker, imagine, if you would, that the—", "Interjection." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The member for Don Valley East is warned.", "The Minister of Health still has the floor." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Sylvia Jones", "text": [ "Imagine, Speaker—", "Interjection." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The government House leader is warned. The Minister of Health has the floor, and I want to hear her answer." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Sylvia Jones", "text": [ "Speaker, imagine if the Liberals, when they were in power, hadn’t cut those 50 residency spots, those medical seats. We would have 300 physicians in the province of Ontario—we would have 300 young people who didn’t have to go overseas to get their medical training. Imagine if they’d actually planned and understood that Ontario’s population was aging and growing. We are making those investments, we will continue to make those investments, and I just hope at some point, when they get an opportunity to vote—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Thank you very much.", "The next question." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Laurie Scott", "text": [ "My question is to the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.", "We all know how much veterans mean to our province. They fought for our freedom and safety, putting their lives on the line. These veterans gave so much to build our communities, and they deserve our respect, not just in words, but in real actions. These actions must respect the dignity of our veterans and honour their contributions to Ontario and Canada.", "The Honouring Veterans Act is a chance for us to stand up for our veterans and give them the respect they deserve. Speaker, how will this act ensure that all veterans are honoured and respected for their service and sacrifice to our province and country?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "To reply, the member for Markham–Thornhill and parliamentary assistant." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Logan Kanapathi", "text": [ "Thank you to my colleague from Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock for that important question.", "Veterans played and continue to play a pivotal role in securing our nation’s past and our future.", "The Ontario government is proposing changes to the Remembrance Week Act, 2016, that would, if passed, better recognize and honour all veterans, including those who served as well as those who gave their lives. Our government is proud to honour the invaluable contributions of our veterans. In partnership with the Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Provincial Command and local community partners, we will be introducing a new award to recognize and celebrate the significant impact veterans have made to the broader community. This bill will build on our commitment to give veterans the recognition they deserve, including their contributions—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Thank you.", "The supplementary question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Laurie Scott", "text": [ "Thank you to the parliamentary assistant for the great response.", "I’m proud to say that family members fought in World War I and World War II for our country. And the current veterans have put their lives on hold, faced dangers and fought for our freedoms, as those before them did.", "Today, when they come back home, many veterans face challenges, like finding new jobs or getting the help they need. And we must also recognize the sacrifices of their families.", "This new act promises to make life better for veterans. It promises them more support, more opportunities and more recognition.", "1130", "Can the minister please explain how this act will connect veterans and their families with new opportunities for employment and financial support when they return home?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Logan Kanapathi", "text": [ "Thank you to my colleague for the supplementary question.", "Our government is honouring veterans not only by working to expand provincial recognition, but also by increasing the financial and community support for veterans and opening more career pathways for veterans and military families as well.", "The legislative and regulatory changes in this bill, once passed and implemented, would increase financial assistance and improve access to services and benefits for veterans and their families. Veterans have made tremendous sacrifices to make our country and the province what it is today, and we need to be there for veterans when they need us. That’s why we are proposing to increase the amount of funding an eligible individual can receive through the Soldiers’ Aid Commission, and to make it easier for eligible veterans and family members to apply for funding.", "This government stands with the brave men and women who serve our country—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Thank you.", "The next question." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. John Vanthof", "text": [ "My question is to the Minister of Finance.", "This week, there was a tragic incident in Cobalt, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim of the attack and the families involved, and our thanks go to the OPP and the first responders.", "Last week, the Minister of Finance talked about the increase in the OMPF funding and what it was going to mean to municipalities. To the municipality of Cobalt, that increase was $16,600, but the increase in the OPP bill to the town of Cobalt is $110,704. If fully transferred—a 15% municipal tax increase.", "I will ask the Minister of Finance which basic services he suggests that the municipality of Cobalt and others cut." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "To reply, the Solicitor General." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Michael S. Kerzner", "text": [ "To my colleague from Timiskaming–Cochrane, I’ll repeat what I’ve said in the House before: We will absolutely listen to our municipalities. This morning, I met with the mayor of Red Lake, who is with us today. I will continue to engage in discussions. We will continue to review the invoices that were sent to the municipalities.", "At the end of the day, as I’ve said in the House before, the OPP, which is a flagship police service, second to none in Canada, takes care of almost 75% of the land area. Over 300 municipalities depend on the OPP.", "Our government will always prioritize our public safety, and we will work with our municipalities as well." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Supplementary question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. John Vanthof", "text": [ "Once again, to the Minister of Finance: This government has often said they are proud that they have never increased taxes.", "Last year, the municipality of Cobalt had to raise their taxes 13% to provide basic services. This year, they will have to raise their taxes 15% just to cover the OPP bill. We agree they need the OPP. This isn’t about the OPP. This is about the provincial government abdicating their role in municipal services.", "When will the province step up to the plate and actually help municipalities, before they actually can no longer provide basic services to their residents?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Michael S. Kerzner", "text": [ "I’ll repeat it again: We are going to engage our municipalities. We will listen to them.", "Two million calls were received by the OPP last year, and the OPP responded to an incredible 1.2 million calls throughout Ontario, throughout the enormous size of Ontario—75% of the land area is protected by the OPP.", "People who put on the OPP uniform deserve to be paid a fair wage for the incredible work they do. That’s why our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, will always listen to the municipalities.", "We are reviewing this matter, and we will continue to prioritize our public safety morning, noon and night." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Bobbi Ann Brady", "text": [ "My question is to the Premier. As he is aware, there is a proposal from Empire Homes to dump a city of 40,000 within one of the province’s largest industrial parks at Nanticoke. This hare-brained idea was tried in the 1970s at Townsend, just down the road from Nanticoke. It was to be a hub, with shops, trails, schools, an athletic centre, a train station. Large swaths of farmland were turned into wide parkways; municipal offices were put in. But it was not the field of dreams. Nobody came. In fact, only 161 hectares of the slated 35,000 were ever developed—one of the largest development failures in the province’s history.", "You can imagine I get asked why Empire Homes is not being encouraged to develop where infrastructure already exists and where conflicts with new home buyers and their industrial neighbours can be avoided—and God knows we need to retain those jobs at the Nanticoke industrial park.", "The Ontario government continues to hold on to 567 hectares of land at Townsend, and my constituents are curious.", "Speaker, through you to the Premier: Could you please inform the people of Haldimand–Norfolk what the plans are for the 567 hectares at Townsend?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "To respond, the Minister of Infrastructure." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Kinga Surma", "text": [ "Thank you very much for the question. I’d be happy to take this back and sit down with you and meet with you.", "The province does own real estate, as you know, in the province of Ontario. There is a process that is followed. There’s due diligence work. The federal government, municipalities, can come forward and raise their hands if there’s a purpose—and then, of course, there’s disposition that occurs.", "I’d be happy to sit down with you." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Supplementary question." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Bobbi Ann Brady", "text": [ "You see, the reason I’m asking the question is because the people of Haldimand–Norfolk are quite wary of land deals as of late. They’ve seen a bunch of bad ones. They look at what’s going on down the road, in Wilmot township.", "Over the past few weeks, my office has been trying to pin down which jurisdiction the 567 hectares of land is in. In an attempt to pin this down, we were told the land is being held for “social purposes.” We don’t know what that means.", "It is my understanding that the land is actually currently being held by the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation.", "Speaker, through you to the Premier: Why has this government transferred the Townsend land assembly to the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Kinga Surma", "text": [ "Well, “social purposes” means that there may be an opportunity to build long-term-care homes in the province of Ontario; there may be an opportunity to build affordable housing. Whenever we are looking at government lands, we are assessing to see if long-term-care homes or affordable housing or any other social purpose can be met. I think that is a good view for government to have, especially in a housing crisis, and especially when we’re doing our best to build 30,000 beds across the province to service our most vulnerable.", "Again, I will take it back; I’m happy to sit down with the member opposite.", "We’ve accomplished a great deal with surplus properties and building more long-term care and affordable housing units in the province of Ontario." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Brian Riddell", "text": [ "My question is for the Minister of Colleges and Universities.", "Under the previous Liberal government, Ontario’s health care system struggled. Hospitals were crowded, wait times were long, and there were not enough health care workers to meet the growing demand.", "But our government is working to fix that. Under the Premier’s leadership, we’ve made big investments in health care. We’re building new hospitals, supporting health care workers, and making sure people get the care they need.", "A strong health care system can only happen if strong colleges and universities educate our medical leaders.", "Can the minister please tell us what the government is doing to help Ontario students train for health care jobs so they can work in our communities that need them?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Nolan Quinn", "text": [ "As the Minister of Colleges and Universities and a proud college graduate, I cannot say enough about the incredible work that’s being done in our post-secondary system to build up Ontario’s health care workforce.", "I’m sure the member from Cambridge is well aware that in the last school year, our government introduced the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant. This grant covers the full cost of tuition, provided they study and work in an underserved area across the province. I’m pleased to report that, in this short time, the Learn and Stay grant has already helped close to 7,500 students begin training in nursing, paramedicine and medical lab technician programs across the province. Let me repeat that again: Close to 7,500 students will soon graduate as health care workers for underserved communities throughout this province—in the north, the east, the south and the west. Speaker, they will be delivering the critical health care services families in Ontario rely on each and every day.", "Unlike the previous governments, this government is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to supporting students in every way possible.", "1140" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Supplementary question." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Brian Riddell", "text": [ "Thank you to the minister for his response. It’s good to see that our government is taking real action to fill health care jobs in our communities.", "Unlike the previous Liberal government, our government is focusing more on medical training and helping more students become doctors. It’s great to see how our government is expanding medical programs, unlike the Liberals, who cut medical residency positions.", "In the recent fall economic statement, there were new plans to improve the Learn and Stay grant to provide even more support to health care students. Speaker, can the minister please tell us about the changes to the grant and how they will help medical students?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Nolan Quinn", "text": [ "‘Thanks again to the member for that question.", "Speaker, I’m very excited and proud of our government, with the expansion we are making to the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant, and I believe it will be a game-changer for our health care system.", "Just the other week, alongside the Premier, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Finance—our government announced that starting in 2026, medical students willing to practise as family doctors will be eligible to have their full tuition costs covered under the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant. This expansion will support over 1,300 future family physicians, getting us closer to the reality that everyone who wants a family doctor in Ontario will have one. We’re also requiring that 95% of Ontario graduate medical student spaces will be reserved for Ontario students—because we know that when people study, they’ll stay.", "This government is proud to be supporting our doctors, nurses, medical lab technicians, and more. From the classroom to the practice, we’re building a pipeline of health care workers. Unlike the last Liberal government—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Thank you.", "Next question." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Tom Rakocevic", "text": [ "My question is for the Premier. This week, the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association released a report revealing a disturbing trend at the Licence Appeal Tribunal. In 2023, adjudicators sided with insurance companies over injured people a whopping 90% of the time.", "So does this government really believe that 90% of those injured in an accident don’t deserve the help they paid their insurance companies for—or is something else happening at the LAT?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "To reply, the Attorney General." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Doug Downey", "text": [ "I look forward to being able to address this. It’s quite interesting.", "The Ontario Trial Lawyers Association are a very important part of our justice ecosystem, and they’ve done reports over time.", "What I can tell you, pulling from that report: In 2017, when the Liberals were in charge—I was going to say “running the province,” Mr. Speaker, but there wasn’t much happening—there were 367 decisions coming out of the Licence Appeal Tribunal. Well, I can tell you that now there are 300% more happening.", "When we came to government, we were asked to deal with the backlog in the Licence Appeal Tribunal, and I can tell you we have achieved that. We have dealt with the backlog, and we are meeting our targets. The NDP and the Liberals were saying, “You have to deal with the backlog,” so we did, and we got to balance.", "Now they’re asking us to interfere in independent decision-making by a tribunal—that, we will not do." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Supplementary question." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Tom Rakocevic", "text": [ "Speaker, 90%—but it gets worse: That same report by the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association found that a major insurance company hired an adjudicator while they were still working at the tribunal. Rather than immediately resign due to conflict of interest, this adjudicator continued to work for the tribunal for months. And during that time, this adjudicator sided with insurance companies, including their new boss, over injured people 100% of the time.", "So what is this government willing to do to ensure that injured people finally receive fair justice when going up against big insurance companies at the Licence Appeal Tribunal?", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Members will please take their seats.", "The Attorney General." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Doug Downey", "text": [ "I’ll tell you what the government is prepared to do. The government is prepared to let an independent tribunal be independent, Mr. Speaker.", "We receive recommendations for appointments from an independent process. We process those appointments. They are administered independently. If there is a concern with an individual adjudicator or an individual decision, we maintain an appeals structure. We want to make sure that the initial hearing is heard by somebody who is appointed through an independent process, who hears matters through an independent process, who has an ability to do appeals if the decision doesn’t appear fair to either party. That’s what we’ll continue to do, Mr. Speaker. We will put more and more resources in, as we have.", "I would welcome the support of the NDP and the Liberals as we put tens of millions of dollars into the tribunal system, but to date they have supported none of it." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Ross Romano", "text": [ "My question is for the Minister of Northern Development. In northern Ontario, we know that our businesses face unique challenges. Resource-based industries are the backbone of many communities in the north. These industries create jobs and keep our towns alive, but they cannot do it alone. Unfortunately, they must deal with higher costs, from energy to transportation, making it harder for them to stay competitive. Without support, it is hard for them to grow, to keep people employed and to contribute to the local economy. We’ve seen programs come and go, but the need for sustained support remains, Speaker.", "Can the minister please tell this House what our government is doing to reduce costs and provide ongoing support to northern Ontario businesses?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The parliamentary assistant and member for Brantford–Brant." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Will Bouma", "text": [ "Thank you to the member from Sault Ste. Marie. I appreciate that question.", "Speaker, the Ministry of Northern Development has two incredible programs that support large-scale businesses in the resource extraction industry. The Northern Energy Advantage Program and the Northern Ontario Resource Development Support Fund assist businesses with energy costs and support municipalities in improving roadway infrastructure so that these businesses can keep working.", "All 144 municipalities are eligible for the Northern Ontario Resource Development Support Fund, and funding is distributed to eligible municipalities by March 31 of each and every single year.", "And, Speaker, we are increasing our investment in NEAP, expanding the program’s budget from $120 million annually to over $206 million annually by—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Thank you very much.", "Supplementary question." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Ross Romano", "text": [ "Northern Ontario doesn’t just rely on our resource industries alone; it depends on partnershipss with Indigenous communities to grow economically. These communities deserve to benefit from the region’s land, resources and developments.", "We know resource revenue-sharing agreements are a way to bring much-needed funds back to First Nations and Métis communities. These arrangements help create health, education and economic development opportunities, building a stronger future for everyone in the north. But we hear from communities that they need more agreements, collaboration and support in order to reach their full economic potential.", "Speaker, can the minister please share how our government is working with Indigenous partners to expand resource revenue-sharing as we support our northern Ontario communities?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Will Bouma", "text": [ "Thank you again to the member from Sault Ste. Marie for that great question.", "Speaker, in addition to the support that we are providing the north through programs like NEAP and NORDS, we are putting money back into First Nations communities through resource revenue-sharing agreements. Resource revenue-sharing agreements represent an important part of economic reconciliation by enabling Indigenous communities to share in the economic prosperity of aggregates, forestry and mining developments.", "Our government has eight RRS agreements with First Nations and Métis organizations—six agreements representing 40 First Nations communities, and two agreements with organizations representing Métis communities.", "We welcome the opportunity to work with First Nations on signing further agreements—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Thank you.", "The next question." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "Last week, Community Care for St. Catharines and Thorold, one of the region’s major food program providers, reported their highest number of families served through their food banks in a single day: 269 households—listen up over there. Last year, over a 12-month period—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "I will remind the member to make her comments through the Chair. I am listening." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "I apologize.", "Through the Chair—103,000 residents used the food bank in St. Catharines and Thorold. As of September 2024, they had already surpassed that number—a whopping 40% increase in the total number of clients served through the local food bank.", "Speaker, to the Premier: When will this government finally commit to doubling social assistance, stop clawbacks to veterans on ODSP and—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Thank you.", "Minister of Children, Community and Social Services." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Michael Parsa", "text": [ "I thank my honourable colleague for the question.", "This government has taken tangible actions to improve. At a time with the rising cost of everything across the country, we’ve taken actions to reduce costs for Ontarians, Mr. Speaker.", "We increased the Ontario Disability Support Program by 17% in two years. And we went a step further. It’s indexed to inflation so that it can keep up with the rising costs every year.", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Order.", "Interjection." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The member for St. Catharines will come to order." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Michael Parsa", "text": [ "We invested in the Student Nutrition Program so that no child or student goes hungry in school, Mr. Speaker.", "When it comes to the ODSP program that the member referenced—", "Interjection." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The member for Hamilton Mountain will come to order." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Michael Parsa", "text": [ "—we increased the earned income threshold from $200 to $1,000 so that those who want to work are able to do so without it impacting their benefits. Mr. Speaker, this is on top of—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Thank you very much.", "That concludes our question period for this morning." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The member for Brantford–Brant has informed me that he has a point of order." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Will Bouma", "text": [ "I didn’t have the opportunity earlier, but very quickly, I wanted to welcome Ivy McCreary, my co-op student from my constituency office to the House today. She should be proud, and her parents should be even more proud, of the work that she does for our community. Thank you." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The member for Scarborough Southwest has a point of order." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Doly Begum", "text": [ "I would also like to take the opportunity to congratulate a special page from Scarborough Southwest, James Allgeier, who has been with us for the past couple of weeks, and to welcome his proud mom, Rebecca Allgeier, to the Legislature this morning. Welcome." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "We have a deferred vote on government notice of motion number 26 relating to the allocation of time on Bill 212, An Act to enact two Acts and amend various Acts with respect to highways, broadband-related expropriation and other transportation-related matters, Bill 214, An Act to amend various energy statutes respecting long term energy planning, changes to the Distribution System Code and the Transmission System Code and electric vehicle charging, and Bill 216, An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact and amend various statutes.", "Call in the members. This will be a five-minute bell.", "The division bells rang from 1153 to 1158." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "All those opposed to the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk." ] }, { "speaker": "The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Trevor Day)", "text": [ "The ayes are 70; the nays are 39." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "I declare the motion carried.", "Motion agreed to." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "There being no further business this morning, this House stands in recess until 3 p.m.", "The House recessed from 1203 to 1500." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.", "First reading agreed to." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Would the minister care to briefly explain his bill?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Doug Downey", "text": [ "The Election Finances Act is amended to continue quarterly allowances for registered parties and registered constituency associations for 2025 and 2026. The commencement of the amendments that would end such allowances is changed from January 1, 2025, to January 1, 2027." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.", "First reading agreed to." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Would the member like to briefly explain his bill?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Sol Mamakwa", "text": [ "Yes.", "ᒦᑵᐨ", "ᒥᓄᑭᔐᐸᔮ", "ᒥᓄᐃᓑᒁ ᐊᐱᑕᑭᔑᑲ", "ᐁᐦᐁ, ᐅᐍ ᐅᓇᐦᑯᓂᑲᓀᐢ ᒍᓇᐣᑭᑌᐠ ᑕᐦᓯ ᓂᐦᓯᒧᑕᓇ ᓯᐱᑌᒼᑊᕒ ᐃᓇᐣᑭᓯᐨ ᑕᓯᔭᐦᑭ ᒍᓇᐣᑭᑌᐠ ᐅᐍ ᒋᒥᐦᑯᐣᑐᐤᓇᑲᓄᐘᐨ ᐃᑵᓄᐘᐠ ᑲᑮᐃᓑᑯᓄᐚᐨ ᐊᐚᔑᔕᐠ ᐍᑎ ᐍᓑᑲᐨ", "ᒦᑵᐨ", "The bill proclaims September 30 in each year as the day of reflection for Indian residential schools. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission published 94 calls to action to shine the light on the legacy of the Indian residential schools and its journey to begin the walk towards reconciliation as Ontarians.", "This bill will allow Ontario to complete call number 80 which calls “to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.” Meegwetch." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MmeFrance Gélinas", "text": [ "I would like to thank Mrs. Betty McIsaac from Val Caron in my riding for these petitions.", "The petitions are called “Coverage for Take-Home Cancer Drugs.” I don’t wish cancer upon anybody, but if you do have it and you need drugs, if they are administered in the hospital, everything is covered. It doesn’t cost you anything. But more and more treatments for cancer can be done in the comfort of your own home—but then you have to pay for your own cancer drugs. Some have private coverage, there’s a little bit of government coverage, but they would like this to change.", "British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec all cover the cost of take-home cancer drugs. The Canadian Cancer Society has called on the government to cover take-home cancer drugs and they have data to support that this access to take-home cancer drugs saves lives. The people have signed the petition asking the provincial government to prioritize access to cancer treatment by developing a provincial program that will provide full coverage for eligible cancer drugs that are taken at home.", "I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask Rishabh to bring it to the Clerk." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Ted Hsu", "text": [ "I have a petition from Kingston and the Islands entitled “Timeline for a Post-Stroke Rehabilitation Program.” It calls on the Ontario government to commit to a timeline for rolling out the new post-stroke rehabilitation program, which was announced by this government in 2022. Why a timeline is so important is because, if you delay, it’s going to have adverse effects on mind and body. Why the program is important is because all of this does cost money." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Andrew Dowie", "text": [ "I have a petition which asks the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to build road capacity all throughout the province given that road networks are essential for getting goods and people from place to place in a reasonable amount of time.", "I’ll certainly affix my signature to it." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Terence Kernaghan", "text": [ "It’s my honour to present the following petition on behalf of Sally Palmer, professor emeritus at the School of Social Work at McMaster University. It is titled “Petition to Raise Social Assistance Rates.”", "This petition talks about the Market Basket Measure poverty line and how current social assistance rates are incredibly low—they don’t cover the cost of food or rent. This petition recommends the social assistance rate be doubled. It also talks about the CERB program, which, at its inception, decided that people needed $2,000 a month in order to survive, and yet, people on social assistance are kept well below the poverty line. Indexing people below the poverty line is legislated poverty. Double the rates now.", "I fully support this petition, will affix my signature and deliver it with page Nikki to the Clerks." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Ted Hsu", "text": [ "I have a petition, also from Kingston. It doesn’t have a title, but it’s about family and work. It asks the government to reduce the clawback to ODSP recipients who have an income-earning partner—so, a clawback on the income of their partner.", "Why is this about work? Because there should an incentive to work, not a disincentive to work with a 50% clawback of ODSP recipients’ partners. Why is this about family? It’s because we want people to be in the same household, part of the same family, taking care of each other, and the current rules disincentivize that when one of the partners is on ODSP.", "1510" ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. John Jordan", "text": [ "This petition is concerning something that’s been raised in this House by all parties, and that is the increasing incidence of auto theft, currently concerning the federal bail system. It’s calling on the federal government to enact stronger bails, especially for repeat offenders regarding auto theft.", "I’m going to sign this petition and pass it to page Rishabh." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MPP Lise Vaugeois", "text": [ "This is a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario entitled “Bring Back Real Rent Control.” We know that rent control on buildings built after 2018 does not exist. We also know that it’s never been more expensive to rent, and that people are being evicted from their rental units at a staggering rate. This petition asks that rent control be brought back in on all buildings.", "I fully support this and will give it to Blythe." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Brian Riddell", "text": [ "My petition is from a person from Toronto, and it’s to take immediate action to increase the construction of new homes, streamline the development process and implement policies to ensure affordable housing accessible to all Ontarians.", "I give it to Graham, our page. Thank you." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Jessica Bell", "text": [ "This is a petition entitled “We Can End Homelessness.” The people who signed this petition support stronger tenant protections so people aren’t evicted into homelessness, as well as increasing minimum wage and social assistance rates so people request afford their rent. And they’re calling for a plan to build more non-market and affordable homes to house people who have no home at all.", "I support this petition, and I’ll be giving it to page James." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Chris Glover", "text": [ "This petition is entitled “Save Ontario Place.” It talks about the history of Ontario Place, how it’s been a cherished public space for 50 years. It’s owned and operated by the people of Ontario. It was designed to celebrate Ontario ingenuity. The IMAX theatre was an Ontario technology and that was the world’s first IMAX theatre. Eb Zeidler was the architect and Michael Hough was the landscape architect, and they launched their international careers. The Children’s Village at Ontario Place also had the world’s first ball pit, so if your children or grandchildren or anybody has ever enjoyed a ball pit, that’s due to Ontario ingenuity.", "They’re saying that this should not be sold off or leased out to a private, for-profit spa for 95 years. They’re asking the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to halt any further development on Ontario Place, to terminate the lease with the private, for-profit spa and to transfer the public land back into public hands, so that it’s there for future generations of Ontarians.", "I fully endorse this petition. I will affix my signature and pass it to page Blythe to take the table." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MmeFrance Gélinas", "text": [ "I would like to thank Louise Baliski, from Hanmer in my riding, for these petitions. They’re called “Let’s Fix the Northern Health Travel Grant.”", "As you know, Speaker, people living in northern Ontario cannot always access the full service of our health care system, because the services are not available up north, so we have to travel to southern Ontario to get them. In order to reduce the burden on northerners, we gain access to the Northern Health Travel Grant. That gives us a little bit of money for transportation and accommodation.", "Unfortunately, the money that we get is a far cry from the money that it costs to come and gain access to health care services in southern Ontario. The minister has announced some small changes. Rather than getting $100 a night, we’re supposed to get $150 a night when we have to rent a hotel room in Toronto in order to access health care services down here, but none of those changes have come into effect. So the people have signed the petitions to say the Northern Health Travel Grant has to be there for the people of northern Ontario to gain access to services that are not accessible to us, and it has to be robust enough to compensate, to make it feasible for everyone.", "I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask page Nikki to bring it to the table." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MmeFrance Gélinas", "text": [ "I would like to thank Richard Lagrandeur from Hanmer in my riding for these petitions. They’re called, “Improve Access to Primary Care.”", "Speaker, medicare is a program that defines us as Ontarians, as Canadians. Care is based on our needs, not on our ability to pay—whether you go to the hospital or go see the doctor, it will be free. But right now, 2.5 million Ontarians do not have a family doctor.", "Yet even in northern Ontario, there are solutions. There are community health centres, nurse practitioner-led clinics, Indigenous primary health care, community-governed family health teams that could all take on more patients, give them access to primary care, if only the government would fund them.", "So the people who signed the petition are asking the government to immediately increase funding to community health centres, Indigenous primary health care teams, nurse practitioner-led clinics and community-governed family health teams, so that everyone, including people in northern Ontario, gains access to primary care.", "I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and give it to my good page Nikki, who’s very patient." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MmeFrance Gélinas", "text": [ "I would like to thank Charles Tossell for these petitions. It’s called, “911 Everywhere in Ontario.”", "Everybody knows that if you face an emergency, you dial 911. We teach our kids—ask the pages; they all know. We teach them to dial 911. Unfortunately, 911 is not available in huge parts of northern Ontario, including in most of my riding. The services are there—there are ambulances; there are firefighters; there are police officers available—but you have to memorize a 1-800 number that nobody knows. That 1-800 number changes about seven times through my riding, so people in the north—we know we don’t have 911—we all have this little sticker in our car and by the phone, so that we know who to call.", "Ontario is the only province that does not have 911 everywhere. Every other province has done it. I don’t know why Ontario is not doing this. It puts people’s lives at risk every summer. This summer again in my riding, there was somebody dialling 911 following a drowning, and 911 did not work. This has to change, Speaker. We can do this. Everybody else is doing it; Ontario should be doing it, too.", "So I support this petition, I will affix my name to it and ask my good page Nikki to bring it to the Clerk." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Once again, I’ll remind the members that the standing order provides for a brief summary of the petition, as well as, if you wish, an indication of the number of signatures, but we ask that you not engage in continued commentary expressing support for the merits of the petition." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MmeFrance Gélinas", "text": [ "J’aimerais remercier Nicole Beaudry de Hanmer dans mon comté pour cette pétition qui s’appelle « Protéger les jeunes du vapotage ».", "En ce moment, on en connaît très peu sur les effets à long terme du vapotage sur les jeunes. Par contre, on sait que l’industrie du tabac met beaucoup, beaucoup d’emphase pour aller rendre leurs produits désirables par les jeunes. On a appris des leçons importantes sur les effets du tabagisme sur la santé, et ça, ça ne doit pas être répété avec le vapotage.", "On a de plus en plus d’agences—les Médecins pour un Canada sans fumée, etc.—qui veulent s’assurer que les jeunes n’aient pas d’accès au vapotage. Et ça, ça serait, en passant, mon projet de loi, le vapotage n’est pas pour les jeunes.", "J’espère que tout le monde va être d’accord. Je suis d’accord. Je vais ajouter ma signature et je demande à Nikki de l’amener à la table des greffiers." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MmeFrance Gélinas", "text": [ "I would like to thank Michael and Sabrina Harris for this petition. It’s called “Enact Anti-Scab Labour Law.”", "Strikes and lockouts are rare in Ontario: 97% of all collective agreements are negotiated without any work disruption. But anti-replacement worker laws have existed in Quebec since 1978 and in British Columbia since 1993, and under the NDP government in the 1990s, but it was repealed by the Harris government as soon as they came into power.", "Anti-scab legislation reduces the length and the divisiveness of labour disputes. The use of scabs—replacement workers—during lockouts is damaging to the social fabric of our community. It brings a lot of tension, a lot of hatred and a lot of division within communities. The people who signed are asking the provincial government to pass the anti-scab labour bill to ban the use of replacement workers during strikes and lockouts.", "I fully support this petition, will affix my name to it and ask page Nikki to bring it to the Clerk." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Pursuant to order of the House passed earlier today, I am now required to put the question.", "Mr. Piccini has moved second reading of Bill 216, An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact and amend various statutes.", "Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard some noes.", "All those in favour of the motion will please say “aye.”", "All those opposed will please say “nay.”", "In my opinion, the ayes have it.", "Call in the members. This will be a 30-minute bell.", "The division bells rang from 1522 to 1552." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Members will please take their seats.", "On October 31, 2024, Mr. Piccini moved second reading of Bill 216, An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact and amend various statutes.", "All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "All those opposed to the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk." ] }, { "speaker": "The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Trevor Day)", "text": [ "The ayes are 63; the nays are 23." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "I declare the motion carried.", "Second reading agreed to." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Pursuant to the order of the House passed earlier today, I am now required to put the question.", "Mr. Bethlenfalvy has moved third reading of Bill 216, An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact and amend various statutes. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard a no.", "All those in favour of the motion, please say “aye.”", "All those opposed to the motion, please say “nay.”", "In my opinion, the ayes have it.", "Call in the members. This is a five-minute bell.", "The division bells rang from 1558 to 1603." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Order.", "Mr. Bethlenfalvy has moved third reading of Bill 216, An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact and amend various statutes.", "All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "All those opposed to the motion will now please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk." ] }, { "speaker": "The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Trevor Day)", "text": [ "The ayes are 64; the nays are 22." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "I declare the motion carried.", "Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.", "Third reading agreed to." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Pursuant to the order of the House passed earlier today, I am now required to put the question.", "Mr. Sarkaria has moved second reading of Bill 212, An Act to enact two Acts and amend various Acts with respect to highways, broadband-related expropriation and other transportation-related matters.", "Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard a no.", "All those in favour of the motion, please say “aye.”", "All those opposed will say “nay.”", "In my opinion, the ayes have it.", "A recorded vote being required, it will be deferred until the next instance of deferred votes.", "Second reading vote deferred." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Pursuant to the order of the House passed earlier today, I am now required to put the question.", "Mr. Lecce has moved second reading of Bill 214, An Act to amend various energy statutes respecting long term energy planning, changes to the Distribution System Code and the Transmission System Code and electric vehicle charging.", "Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.", "Second reading agreed to." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Pursuant to the order of the House passed earlier today, the bill is referred to the Standing Committee on the Interior." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "We’re continuing debate, and the member for Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke had the floor.", "1610" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. John Yakabuski", "text": [ "It is an honour to be able to stand in my place today to speak to Bill 218. I’m not actually going to speak much about the contents of the bill, but I am going to talk about respect for veterans—which this bill is all about—and my own little history, because you never know when you get another chance to talk about veterans in this wonderful, august chamber.", "When I was growing up, veterans were a different breed. I grew up watching veterans from the First World War march in parades in my little hometown of Barry’s Bay. I had the honour of addressing this chamber back in 2010 when John Babcock, the last surviving veteran of World War I, passed away. That was a distinct honour that I’ll never forget. And all those years that I saw those World War I veterans, I saw World War II veterans, like my father, march in those parades as well. They were young men, relatively speaking.", "Next week, I’ll be attending the Pembroke Remembrance Day parade. There will be no veterans from the Second World War in that parade—at least marching in the parade. There will likely be none from the Korean War. Times they have changed. But in my time in this chamber, one of the great honours for me is to have met so many veterans over my 20 years—nine Legions, thousands of veterans in my riding. Those are something that I might never have experienced had I not been elected to this House.", "When we talk about veterans, it touches close for me because, as I say, my father was a World War II veteran, and I didn’t even know that my father landed at Normandy until after he was dead. I know Ms. Stevens talked about how her grandfather never talked about the war. I guess I could take it to another level and say, “Yeah, I guess my father certainly never talked about the war. I didn’t even know what part of the war”—and then I learned he landed at Normandy, fought in the battle of Caen. I had the honour, in my time, of meeting people who my dad actually served with—people like Syl Apps.", "Let me talk a little bit about this chamber. When my dad was here from 1963 to 1987, this place was populated with many members who served Canada valiantly in wartime. They came home from the war, and you know what they were told? “Get going and build this country. That’s what you’ve got to do.” And everybody from different walks of life and on every side of the aisle—it wasn’t a Conservative movement, a Liberal or, at that time, the CCF maybe or the NDP. Every single person who was a Canadian, regardless of their politics, might have ended up here as a World War II veteran.", "I met a few on the trails that actually served with my father as a member of the SD&G Highlanders—the Glens, as they called them. I heard some stories, that’s for sure, but there’s a closeness and a camaraderie between those people that it’s hard to even describe. I’ll talk about one—well, Hayden Francis, we had some great times with him. He didn’t die that long ago. George Skerkowski—I knew George very well.", "A man by the name of Mac Scobie, who Dad served with as well. I happened to go to Mac’s funeral. Mac was in the common area one day in the villa in Arnprior and he says, “I want you to come to my room.” He had recently moved from his house into the retirement home, and do you know what you get to take when you go to a retirement home? You get to take next to nothing, right? You’ve got a little, wee room. But he calls me to his room, “I’ve got to show you something.” This is how those people felt about one another because they could talk about the war amongst themselves, even if they couldn’t talk to their children. Mac takes me to his room, and he pulls out a card that my dad had: “Sorry I missed you for the 1977 provincial election.” That was one of the things that Mac actually kept when he left his home to go to the retirement home, where you have, you know, enough to fill that desk and that’s about it. That’s how much serving together meant to those people.", "I’m sharing my time with the member for Thornhill, and she told me don’t go over. Well, she was good enough to give me half her time, so I’d better not go over.", "To be able to have those experiences—the number of veterans that I’ve met at the respective Legions throughout Renfrew county in the past over 20 years, they’re some of the most wonderful experiences I’ve had. Maybe my dad would have shared those stories had he lived longer, but the stories that they’ve shared have touched me in a way that just reminds me how fortunate, lucky and blessed we are to be elected to this chamber. Each and every one of us, regardless of your political stripe—as my dad used to say, “You will rub shoulders with people that you would have never met otherwise.” This job gives us an opportunity to have those experiences. For those people who have not been here as long as me, remember to cherish each and every one of them.", "When you have that experience with a veteran—I know I’m talking more about the Second World War because that happens to be the one I have the most attachment to, but each and every soldier that has served this country so bravely and valiantly, regardless of the conflict they may have been involved in—the peacekeepers, Korea, Bosnia, Afghanistan. Every single time that—and I know MPP Stevens speaks of how proud she is of her son, who is, I understand, a current active member of the Canadian Armed Forces in the navy. And well she should be proud of him, as we should all be proud of any one of our children or anyone we know who serves in the military. Not that long ago, I was able to be at a 100th birthday for Joe Baxter in Barry’s Bay. I think I gave a statement in the Legislature about Joe’s birthday and how, after I got talking, Joe spoke for about 35 minutes. It was just unbelievable, going on about every aspect of his life. At that age, to be that vibrant and that vital, how impressed and amazed I was.", "You know, a few years ago, they started this banner program. Maybe in some of your communities you’ve seen it. Right now, during the time leading up to Remembrance Day and through Remembrance Week, there’s banners—there’s a banner there in Barry’s Bay of my father and my uncle, his brother, Lornie. They were both World War II veterans, the only two sons of my grandfather, and they both went overseas in World War II. I must say, the member for Niagara, Mr. Burch, his grandfather Stanley Beeching—there’s a banner of his grandfather in Eganville because his grandfather lived in Eganville, in my riding, at the time when he served.", "I know I haven’t talked much about the bill, but I just didn’t know when I might get the next opportunity to speak about my respect and obviously my special feelings—I don’t want to get too emotional about my father and the fact that he served and then served here. I got the honour not of serving there but certainly serving here and being able to share this with my colleagues here in the Legislature. Whenever we have that opportunity, whenever it presents itself, for any one of our men and women in uniform today or who have ever worn the uniform to serve our country, God bless them. They deserve our respect, and we’re blessed to know them. Thank you very much." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Further debate?", "1620" ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Laura Smith", "text": [ "I’m so happy and proud and honoured to rise along with my colleagues in support of the second reading and passage of the Honouring Veterans Act, 2024. I want to thank my colleague the member from Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke for his very touching conversations, because that’s what they are. I’m going to share a bit of mine, with my family, but first, we’ll get to the business of the bill.", "I also want to thank the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism for bringing forward this bill, which is going to do so much good for so many veterans and their families across Ontario. The minister was correct when he said we should honour and thank our veterans every day, not just in the days and weeks ahead of Remembrance Day. As he noted, the government and veterans have a lifelong relationship. All of us in government have an obligation to help our veterans to lead a life of dignity and purpose, whether they are in or out of uniform. This means being there for them the same way they were there for us. It’s really quite that simple. Our veterans did not balk or make excuses when it came time to serve. They showed up, they stood on guard and they kept us safe and free. A lifetime is not enough to repay this debt, but as a society we must keep the faith with all of those who answered the call. That, in essence, is the principle behind the Soldiers’ Aid Commission. Our government is helping the commission reach more veterans, including a younger generation of veterans and their families.", "There are some very positive changes contained in the bill and a regulation our government is looking to amend.", "My colleagues in the House may know the Ontario Soldiers’ Aid Commission was the first of its kind to exist in the entire country. In fact, it even predates federal institutions like the Veterans Affairs Canada organization. The Soldiers’ Aid Commission was created in 1915 to provide critical supports and resources to our brave veterans who were returning from World War I, and their families. Later, the government expanded the commission’s mandate to support veterans who had served in World War II and the Korean War.", "What we heard upon taking office in 2018 was that the commission needed to be modernized. As a result, our government expanded the mandate of this agency in 2020 to help new organizations of veterans and their families no matter where and when they served. The commission administers a financial assistance program for eligible veterans in financial need. It provides financial support to help with life’s many typical expenses: health, mental-health-related supports, housing-related expenditures, basic clothing and personal items and employment-related supports.", "Funding from the Soldiers’ Aid Commission is in addition to any financial assistance—from Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program—that a veteran receives. The payments from the commission do not impact veterans’ eligibility for social assistance or the amount of their monthly benefit.", "Veterans and their families can face so many challenges, including post-traumatic stress disorder, physical injury, unemployment and homelessness. Often, the challenges that veterans and their families face are unique. They face things during a time of service, and it comes back to haunt them. So, the need is real and growing.", "I know the incredible sacrifices that veterans have made, and I have that through my own family experience. Believe it or not—and you can do the quick math if you want—my father married very late in life, and my mother had me later on. My father joined the air force after his home in London was bombed during a Second World War air raid. He joined at such an early age. He was very tall. He was part of the clean-up crew to WWII. He bore witness to the horrific monstrosities of concentration camps with his own eyes. He placed service above self and passed that solemn but important lesson along with our family, from generation to generation.", "My grandfather served in the First World War, and he came home with his war bride, my grandmother. They settled in High Park.", "My uncle was a proud tankman. A Sherbrooke fusilier, he landed in Normandy and carried the scars of a tank on his back. When I buried him, he still had those imprints on his body.", "That, Speaker, is why I wholeheartedly support our veterans and this bill. It’s a reality with each passing year: The number of living veterans who served in the Second World War and the Korean War decreases. Until our reforms in 2020, younger veterans, who served more recently, were ineligible for support through the Soldiers’ Aid Commission. In fact, most veterans in Ontario were not eligible for any supports from the commission. This included a long list of Canadian men and women in Ontario who served their country throughout the second half of the 20th century to present day. We must not forget these veterans who served in UN peacekeeping in the Balkans, Rwanda, Somalia and elsewhere and all of those who fought in Afghanistan.", "Speaker, our government had a choice to make regarding our veterans. We faced the option of winding down a commission that had truly been groundbreaking over the course of more than 100 years. We had to modernize it to support a whole new generation of veterans and their families. We chose the latter route. We chose to keep faith with those who served and protected us. We know that our veterans enjoy an overwhelming level of public support, and we know that Ontario wants veterans to be supported as they build quality lives after service.", "Today, the majority of veterans are under 60 years old and may have a whole second career ahead of them, and these younger veterans are facing unique challenges, which include things like finding a job, finding housing, access to health-related items and reintegrating back into society. Veterans have given so much to their country, and our aim is to keep the Soldiers’ Aid Commission as an integral part of a strong veterans’ community.", "The soldiers’ aid is there to help veterans and their families at their time of need. Yesterday, I was so proud to announce, along with the minister, that we plan to enhance the financial assistance available through the Soldiers’ Aid Commission for veterans in need. The intended changes increase the maximum amount of financial assistance eligibility, and veterans and their families can receive through soldiers’ aid—we increased it from $2,000 to up to $3,000 over a 12-month period. Information—this is good: Applicants may apply multiple times over the 12-month period until they have received the maximum amount of $3,000 for their eligible expenses. So if both spouses are in a household and they’re both veterans, they can each apply.", "Speaker, this increase in financial support will give veterans more help to pay for essential services and supports, and we’re planning to make things easier for our veterans to apply for financial assistance from the commission. Right now, veterans must apply for funding through any other veteran-specific program before they apply to the commission and, under our plan change, veterans will only need show that they have made reasonable efforts to get federal veteran support before applying to the commission.", "Our government is also proposing in this bill, if passed, to add to the legislation a new mandate for the commission: to support the ministry in building awareness of this financial assistance program. This act, if passed, would also support expedited career pathways for veterans and military families into the skilled trades.", "Speaker, the Honouring Veterans Act, 2024, if passed, builds on work already under way to improve services and outcomes for veterans and their families. Some of these includes exploring opportunities to partner with municipalities and organizations to support veterans in need on matters of housing and removing transit fares. This is good information.", "Canadian Armed Forces veterans and active members will be able to go on GO Transit for free, starting March 1, 2025, with plans to extend the benefits on UP Express later in the year.", "These are positive works that we’re working on, and other government work that we’ve done prior has to do with eliminating recreational fishing fees for both veterans and active members of the Canadian Armed Forces. We’ve also eliminated the property tax for our Royal Canadian Legion halls, which is really important work.", "We are so glad to have some great people at the Soldiers’ Aid Commission supporting the cause. The commission is currently comprised of 11 board members, and these board members are passionate about helping Ontario’s vulnerable veterans and their families.", "The Honouring Veterans Act, if passed, will allow our government to better assist our heroes and their families so that they can thrive in communities across Ontario. I urge the House to give it speedy and unanimous passage, and I’m asking you not as a politician but as the daughter, the niece and the grandchild of a veteran." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Questions?", "Further debate?", "1630" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Joel Harden", "text": [ "It is, as other members have said, a great honour to rise for this debate. I’m not supposed to pick favourites in my job; I’m supposed to work for all of the people in Ottawa Centre—and I’m sharing my time with the member for Spadina–Fort York, Speaker—but I love veterans. I know my job is criticize the Premier all the time, and I’m proud to do my job, but I want to thank the Premier for bringing veterans into the House this week and opening up the caucus boardroom for the government so I could visit with them. That was a real pleasure. It was a real pleasure.", "I agree with my friend upriver from me, who said any time we get an opportunity as elected officials to interact with veterans, it’s a good day. I wholeheartedly agree with that. I expect to hear an earful when I go around Remembrance Day events. From Saturday all the way through to next Wednesday, there are going to be events in the schools. I learn a lot. There are needs, and I’m glad this bill is going in some direction to meeting some of those needs.", "I also want to begin by thanking my friend from St. Catharines. Sometimes when you run for office and you don’t become a member of the government, the question gets raised, do you really have much influence as an opposition politician? Can you really effect much change? Well, I just want to acknowledge for this House, for this debate, that my friend Jennie Stevens, from St. Catharines, in her capacity as the critic for veterans affairs and veterans services is, I believe, one of the people who inspired this bill today.", "Why do I think that? When the member first rose in her capacity a number of years ago to bring to light the fact that 60% of the budget of the Soldiers’ Aid Commission was going unspent year upon year, and when she was acknowledging for the House that only veterans who served our country before 1953 were eligible, she was raising pertinent issues for this House. She was talking about the members, as she talked about today in her one-hour lead, who are suffering, who are homeless, who are dealing with, in some cases, undiagnosed health issues, and I want to salute her today, because I think what the government has done in aspects of this bill is extremely positive, offering financial support, but it’s offering financial support to all veterans, a universal approach, and I salute the government for doing that, but I also want to acknowledge for the record my friend from St. Catharines, who has been the advocate for military families strongly for the opposition, and she’s done a fantastic job, so thank you. Thank you.", "In the time I have left, because I serve downtown Ottawa. I feel obliged, inspired by veterans and the name of the bill being “honouring veterans,” to name a couple of aspects of veterans’ history pertinent to the community I serve.", "I want to talk about Carleton University, which is my former workplace, where I used to teach in legal studies, which began as a place for veterans, in 1944, its first class. If people know downtown Ottawa and you’ve heard of Glebe high school, that was the site of what was then Carleton College. Founded by a happenstance conversation between two business leaders in our community, three years later, sponsored by Veterans Affairs, grows an impressive post-secondary offering. To whom? To veterans. And those were the folks that built the first journalism program, now the David Suzuki school of journalism and one of the leading journalism programs in Canada and indeed around the world. It started there and it started because our country was compelled to realize the sacrifices veterans had made and the peace they and their families deserved upon coming home, that they had deserved an opportunity to earn the training they need to get ahead.", "Henry Marshall Tory, who was one of the two founders of what was then called Carleton College, said the following: “I learned very early ... that it is people, not buildings, that make up an institution.” The people Mr. Tory was talking about were veterans. That is who extended post-secondary education to the 24,000 people who now study at Carleton University today. That’s the origins of that place. We owe that place to veterans. And I’m sure all of us in our communities, we can point to institutions that are bequeathed to us because of the sacrifices of veterans.", "I also want to acknowledge a journey that I personally had. Last summer, my family had saved up for a trip to Europe for a number of years, and we had one particular stop we wanted to make on that trip, and it was the historic interpretive site that the government of Canada runs at Juno Beach to acknowledge the sacrifices made, as the member from Renew–Nipissing–Pembroke mentioned, on D-Day, on June 6, 1945, the largest water-borne military engagement in world history, where his family member landed at that beach. My grandfather did, too, five days after D-Day—five days. My grandfather, like the member’s family, didn’t like to talk about this very much—believe me, I tried. I pried. I was a young kid. I had these adventurous ideas of what being a soldier was like. I wanted him to spill the beans, and my grandfather would always change the subject. He would usually say something to the effect of, “Joel, my generation fought that war so you would never have to. I want you to honour that sacrifice, I want you to never forget that sacrifice, but I don’t want your generation to go the way that mine went.”", "So going to Juno Beach last summer with my family was powerful for a number of reasons. I just want to say for the record that the government of Canada runs a fantastic interpretive centre there, where you get to go into some of the bunkers where people lived. The member’s family fought in the battle of Caen; it is incredible to appreciate the sacrifice. You can watch a movie like Saving Private Ryan to appreciate the sheer brutality of that moment, what it must have been like.", "My mom tells me what she was able to get from my grandpa. I mean, here he is in a boat, roaring towards shore with about 25 other people, hearing ahead of time that most of the people who jumped off the boat—half of them were shot on sight. So he jumps off the boat, chest deep into water—my mom said he apparently had a Bible over his heart. He had a little Bible he stuffed into his breast pocket, not in some vain idea that would prevent a bullet from killing him, but he was a man of faith and he was hoping that he wouldn’t just reach the shore, but he’d perform his objective and he’d be able to get home safe to my grandmother and his family back home, then in Cornwall, Ontario.", "When I went to the beach after taking the tour with a terrific history student from the University of British Columbia, I was thinking, “How do I soak in this moment, all this history?” My grandfather was a joker. He was a complete prank artist. He loved making people laugh. Despite what he had seen, that was his thing. Everybody in my small town where I grew up in in Vankleek Hill had a story about my grandfather playing some kind of a trick on them.", "So when I was thinking before going over to France with the family of what would honour that moment or that sacrifice, what would help me connect with what went down on D-Day and the generation who made that sacrifice, I thought, “Well, why don’t I bring a kite? Why don’t I pack a small kite, the kind of kite that I like to bring canoe camping when I don’t have any electronics and I can unplug from the world and just try to connect with what’s going on in my brain?” I flew that kite, and it went up about 50 or 60 feet, and I wanted to think, as abstract as it is, that it was a little closer to him in the great beyond, but also raising the ambitions of my generation like the kite was raised in the air, that we can work for a world of peace.", "I know I’m going to hear that again when I go around the community soon for Remembrance Day events. When I talk to veterans and family members, I do a lot of casework, quite frankly. I do a lot of casework. I hear about folks who are struggling with having ODSP benefits clawed back. I hear about housing issues. I hear concerns around prices for the cost of essentials. So if we think about that metaphor for a second, how do we make sure that bills like this get translated in a way that—yes, as it’s doing—we afford some income to folks, but we also extend the generosity to veterans that was extended to us and we don’t squander that peace that was won?", "So I think about the situations going on—there are so many awful conflicts happening all over the world right now, and I wonder every single day when I walk into this place, “What is our generation of elected officials doing to create that context of peace?” I think about a poet who I’ve been inspired by, who recently passed away in the horrible conflict going on in Gaza and Lebanon. His name was Refaat Alareer, and the poem was called If I Must Die. Mr. Alareer talked about the fact that if he must die, let his memory be a story for the generation of those to go forward to work for peace. I think that’s consistent with what veterans are trying to tell us today: Let’s support them when they come home from battle, but let’s work to train our generation of people to fight for peace.", "1640", "With that, I will pass it to my friend from Spadina–Fort York." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "I recognize the member for Spadina–Fort York." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Chris Glover", "text": [ "I just want to pick up on the words from my colleague from Ottawa Centre. First of all, I want to thank our fellow colleague Jennie Stevens for all the work that she’s done for veterans over the years. There has been a number of bills that she has brought forward to this House, and that we’ve got a bill before the House to honour veterans and to extend supports to veterans I think is largely due, or partly due, to the work that she has done over decades.", "Also, I want to acknowledge her son, who is a chief petty officer in the Canadian navy. I think he was posted in Halifax the last time I spoke with her—", "Interjection." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Chris Glover", "text": [ "Yes? Okay. I’m getting acknowledgement that I’ve got that right.", "I met him once and he’s an incredible young man. I can see why she is so proud of him and why she so often speaks about him and why she fights so hard in this House to support his colleagues and our other veterans.", "She has brought in bills, for example, to extend emergency funds through the Soldiers’ Aid Commission because that funding was not actually getting to veterans. She fought for the poppy licence program. Veterans are allowed to have poppies on their licences. It was only some vehicles that could have it. She fought for the extension of that so the veterans who are driving RVs or green vehicles could also have the poppy on their licence plate so that we would all know who the veterans are.", "So first of all, I want to thank Jennie Stevens, our colleague from St. Catharines, for all the work that she’s done on behalf of veterans.", "I want to thank the government for bringing this bill forward. It actually extends supports to veterans. One of the things that it does is that it will ultimately allow veterans to ride GO Transit for free, and I think that’s a small token of support and a thanks for the sacrifices that they’ve made.", "Remembrance Day is coming up on Monday, and it’s a day when all of us reflect on how we got to where we are and the responsibility that we have as elected legislators in a democracy. I just want to give a shout-out to some of the people that I have met who are veterans. Some of them were family members.", "My great-uncle Alec was a veteran of World War I. He went to war with his father. He was 15 years old in 1914; he was born in 1899. His father was very patriotic, and so he signed up as soon as the war started. He already had five children, but he signed up for the war, and he took his 15-year-old son with him. They both fought at Vimy Ridge. My great-grandfather, his father, was injured there. He was gassed and part of his foot was shot off. He ended up spending the next 10 years in the Christie Street hospital, which is not too far from this Legislature right here. Then he eventually died of his wounds.", "But my uncle Alec, his son, I knew quite well because he was around when I was growing up. He didn’t talk much about the war, but he was very proud, and he was very proud of being a Legion member. I remember in the 1980s my grandmother saying to me that her brother, my uncle Alec, was at the Legion, and they asked all the World War I veterans to stand up. He stood up, and he was the only one. He was the last of the veterans in the Oshawa Legion. I think that must have been a tough moment for him and also for all of the veterans. Now we’re getting to the point where there’s just so few World War II veterans still with us.", "I’ve got a great uncle from Peterborough who passed away in 2020, George Martin. He and his brother were in World War II together. They didn’t actually start off together. George was older, and his younger brother Rob joined later on because he was too young to go initially.", "They met in the Netherlands in 1945. The older brother didn’t know that the younger brother had signed up, but he’s standing on the side of the road in the Netherlands and this Jeep goes by. George, the older brother, says to the guy he’s talking to, “That’s my brother.” His brother had just driven by in a Jeep. And so, they met in the Netherlands during the war.", "Anyway, he lived in Peterborough, and he passed away just a few years ago. I wanted just to acknowledge the sacrifice that they had made.", "There’s a couple of other veterans that I’ve had the honour of knowing in my lifetime. There was a gentleman named Lad Kaliska from northern Ontario. His nickname was “the mad trapper,” and he lived—when I met him, anyway, he was outside of Kenora. I was on a forest fire crew, and we got called in to a fire in the middle of nowhere, literally 50 miles from the next thing. There was a lumber camp—I don’t know—20 miles away or something, and I think that was the nearest place, but it was in the middle of the bush.", "Anyway, we got onto this fire, and we were fighting our way around the fire. As we were fighting away, the wind changed direction. Usually, you’d start at the back of the fire and you’d work around to the front. What had been the front of the fire became the back and the back became the front, so the fire reversed direction on us and it burned out our hoses. So we’re in the middle of the fire and we’ve got no water, which is not a good situation. We walked back through the burn, and we had enough pump and hose just to clear a space and keep to ourselves. We were radioing in for assistance, but we couldn’t get anybody on the radio.", "Anyway, this guy comes up. He’s an old guy, and he’s got grey hair like I do now. He’s got nothing on but shorts, and he’s got a little canoe with a small motor on it. He says, “Hey, my cabin is down the lake. I want you guys to come and save my cabin.” He was known as “the mad trapper.” We ended up staying in his cabin for about a week and a half as we were working on that fire. He had also been a forest firefighter. He was a wonderful guy, a really nice human being—a little bit crazy. He told us all kinds of stories." ] }, { "speaker": "MmeFrance Gélinas", "text": [ "It’s called being a northerner." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Chris Glover", "text": [ "My colleague from Nickel Belt says, “It’s called being a northerner.”", "One of the stories that my forest fire crew leader said: My forest fire crew leader was in a bar in Kenora, and he said he’s sitting there and he’s having a beer with another guy, another forest firefighter, and somebody comes into the bar on a motorcycle, riding a motorcycle. He rides the motorcycle around the bar twice, and then goes out the door. The guy who’s drinking with my crew leader says, “That’s my dad.” That was Lad Kaliska. He survived the war, and he made quite an impression. He left quite an impression, certainly, on me.", "I want to thank all of the veterans who have done so much. There were 650,000 Canadians who fought in World War I. There were half a million who fought in World War II. Some 125,000 have served in peacekeeping missions—dozens and dozens of peacekeeping missions, including the Congo, Cyprus, Somalia; so many places that people have gone to fight or to support and represent Canada.", "In my last couple of minutes, I want to pick up on something that the member from Ottawa Centre said. The way that we truly honour veterans is not just wearing a poppy; it’s fighting for peace. It’s fighting for a world with peace. The thing that we’ve learned in the history of humanity is that the way to get to peace is to fight for a strong democracy, because if we can resolve our disputes, if we can come to agreements through democratic processes like this, if we can have Legislatures and fair elections and representative democracy, and if we can actually come to agreement—even when we don’t agree, but agreement on the process of what we’re doing—that’s how we protect. That’s how we protect and fight for peace and how we honour our veterans.", "I will say, at this time, we have to be courageous as well. We have to call it out when our democracy is under attack. Democracies around the world are under attack right now, and what people are afraid of is that this is going to lead to another conflagration. It has in the past. It did in the buildup to World War II. Germany in the 1920s was a democracy until it became a fascist dictatorship. Other countries have fallen this way as well. We’re seeing it around the world, democracies being whittled away.", "Even here in Ontario, our own democracy is being whittled away. There have been three bills before this Legislature that stripped Ontarians of their charter rights, their fundamental rights and freedoms under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This is a dangerous precedent to be setting, and I think it dishonours the veterans who fought not just to protect us, but fought for our democracy. We must honour that democracy. We must honour those veterans by fighting for our democracy and calling it out when our democracy and our democratic rights and our democratic processes are being infringed upon.", "I thank you all for listening to me this afternoon. It is an honour to speak on behalf of the veterans of this country, the people who fought for everything that we have now. Also, it’s an honour to speak on this, because we must remember—not just remember what has been sacrificed in the past; we must fight for a future of peace and democracy going forward.", "1650" ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Any questions?", "Further debate." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Karen McCrimmon", "text": [ "I’ll be sharing my time with the member for Ottawa South.", "It is right to show our gratitude to veterans in this country. It’s the right thing to do, no doubt about it. It’s the right thing to do to acknowledge their service and their sacrifice to this country. They deserve our support. They deserve our acknowledgement. I thank the government for putting this bill forward.", "My mother told me that she thought she was already in heaven. I said, “What made you think that?” She said, “I’ve not had to send any of my children to war,” unlike her mother.", "What do you think she thought when her daughter shows up in a uniform? And her daughter volunteers to serve in some pretty perilous places around the world? Even though I frightened her—I probably took a few years off her life—she always let me know how proud she was, and how much it mattered.", "I agree that service, sacrifice and our democracy—what a gift we have been given. We have been given a gift beyond measure. When you’ve been to more than 75 countries around the world—and some of them not when they’re at their best, either—when I come home, I realize just how lucky we are.", "But it wasn’t an easy fight to get here. It demanded tremendous sacrifice and tremendous service. To those who follow behind, who have inherited this gift of this magnificent country, it’s our responsibility to pick up that mantle and to actually serve and support the members who come back after serving their country.", "I would like to thank the government for this bill. It’s a start. It is right to honour veterans. It is right to extend the supports.", "I would like to suggest there was an oversight in this bill. I’ve tabled a motion and I’ve given a copy to the House leader. The motion says: “That in the opinion of this House, Metrolinx must ensure that active members of the Canadian Armed Forces reserve are not excluded from the program for veterans and active Canadian Armed Forces” members “to receive free fares on GO Transit and the UP Express.”", "We cannot forget the sacrifices and the service that our Canadian Forces reservists give to us in all of our communities. I don’t know about you, but my community has suffered floods, tornadoes; other communities have suffered forest fires and other kinds of community emergencies. Who do they call? They call the reservists. They call your local reserve unit, who steps up and steps into the breach, in order to support and serve their community.", "That’s why I gave that suggested amendment to the House leader, because I think that is something—it was an oversight and it’s something that we should all want to fix. So I think it’s important.", "I do some casework as well, like the member from Ottawa Centre, because people come to me looking for help. One of the biggest things—and if we could find some way to do this—that the veterans have a challenge with is people to help them do their paperwork for ODSP and VAC supports. When people are unhoused and they’re hard to get a hold of and they’re struggling just to put one foot in front of the other, whatever we can do to help them take advantage of the supports that are already there, I think, would make a great deal of sense.", "So far, when I’ve been able to connect that member who needs support with the Legion, the Legion has been able to step up and help. Why not ask the Legions to do that all the time? Why not have provincial health care talk to the Legions about what it can do to actually help veterans fill out this paperwork? There’s just an idea. It’s something that would make an immediate impact in a lot of lives.", "To end, I just want to thank the government for thinking about veterans and for putting this bill forward. It’s a step in the right direction. But, more importantly, I believe that it’s about all of us thanking veterans and all of us being willing to go the extra mile to make sure that they get the services and the supports that they need once they return home, because that’s the most challenging of times—after you’ve been around other parts of the world, to come home and deal with the realities we see here every day. So I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who have spoken so eloquently about requiring and needing better supports and services for veterans. It is exactly the right thing to do.", "And as long as we remember that they are the ones that have given us this great gift of Canada and without them we would not be where we are today—we have a lot to be grateful for, a lot to be thankful for. With that, I say thank you, Speaker." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "I recognize the member for Ottawa South." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. John Fraser", "text": [ "I’d just like to extend to the member from Kanata–Carleton—we’ve all given her thanks for her years of service. We’re really lucky to have her here in our caucus. She’s very thoughtful. She knows a lot about democracy, democracies across the world, what the world is like, why it’s important that we defend that and that that comes at a cost.", "I want to thank the government for putting forward this bill. First of all, it amends a bill that I was very fortunate to be included on that was put forward by Jim Wilson in this Legislature and also co-sponsored by Cheri DiNovo that established Remembrance Week. The change that the government is making to the name of the bill is great, to Remembrance Day and Veterans’ Week. I think that it’s a good change—and I’m very proud to have had my name on that bill.", "The measures in this bill are going to help veterans, but as my colleague said, there are everyday things that we need to be able to do to help veterans: filling out forms, making sure people have access to the services that they need. Mental health for what they call “new veterans” now is very important, and making sure that it’s not just the federal government’s responsibility. If we can help, if we can provide some support, then we should do that. The soldiers’ commission—anything we can do to let people know the things that we can do for them is really important, so I’m going to support this bill.", "I want to take this opportunity because we’re talking about veterans right now and honouring them. It’s going to be Remembrance Day tomorrow. I’m not going to have an opportunity when we do statements here to be able to do a statement. I don’t have one until a couple of weeks from now.", "1700", "The thing that I think is important for us to remember around Remembrance Day or Remembrance Week is families. Just like my colleague said, her mother was grateful she never had to send anybody, and then the member went ahead and did it anyway. Most families have stories. I heard the member from Renfrew-Nipissing tell his family story.", "I didn’t really have a family story until I got married that I didn’t discover until later on, when I learned about the battle of Dieppe and what happened there just by fluke, a series of events. My wife had an uncle that she never met, Ansley Cavanagh, a navy commando who died at Dieppe at 19 years old. My mother-in-law, Yvonne—it was a family of six. She lost her younger sister in a car accident, and her brother Ansley was closest in age to her. They just connected in the family. They were like two peas in a pod, and she lost him.", "That was really hard on her. It was really hard on her when she was young. She never forgot, though. There was a scar that was there that never healed.", "Sometimes those scars that don’t heal are painful, but they’re a blessing too because you don’t forget. She used to keep a picture of Ansley right beside her bed for 75 years—on her bedside for 75 years. She would look at him every day. That scar, that hurt was something that never went away, and I don’t think she wanted it to go away because that’s where she put the picture.", "Let’s remember to remember families who get left behind, who suffer the loss of a son or a daughter, brother or sister, aunt or an uncle. I think it’s really important, and I appreciate everyone’s attention and the opportunity to say this. Thank you very much." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Questions?", "Further debate?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Mike Schreiner", "text": [ "It’s an honour today to rise to speak to Bill 218, Honouring Veterans Act. I want to thank the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism for bringing this bill forward. We should honour veterans not only on Remembrance Day but each and every day. We should support veterans each and every day.", "Today I want to take a moment to honour one of Guelph’s most beloved veterans, and I want to do it not only because he served as an officer of the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II but because I think he would have supported this bill and he would have spoken out forcefully in support of this bill because he spent his entire post-war career advocating and fighting for benefits for veterans. That veteran is Dr. William C. Winegard, a mentor to myself and a beloved member of our Guelph community.", "He moved to Guelph in 1967, and he served at the University of Guelph as president until 1975. He was elected as a member of Parliament in 1984 and re-elected in 1988. Bill served as a cabinet minister in the Brian Mulroney government.", "Most importantly for people in Guelph is that everyone just said, “Bill loves people, and he loves Guelph.” He organized not only the Remembrance Day ceremonies in Guelph but made sure we had Decoration Day ceremonies in Guelph. He organized and personally funded the winter wreath memorial program at Woodlawn Memorial cemetery, where every year we put out wreaths for the veterans who are buried there.", "He has a school named after him in Guelph, William C. Winegard Public School, where every year up until he died in 2019 at the age of 94, he would go and read books to children. We’re talking a former cabinet minister, an honoured vet and former president of the University of Guelph who would go and read to elementary school children each and every week, and talk to them about why it was so important to honour veterans.", "One of the most memorable speeches I ever heard Bill Winegard give was in the early 2010s at the Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Sleeman Centre in Guelph. Bill broke protocol that day, strong protocol that you do not engage in partisan politics during the Remembrance Day ceremony speeches. Bill got up as a former MP for the Conservative Party and took the current Conservative Party to task for their lack of support for veterans. You could hear the gasps in the room, but we all agreed, regardless of your political stripe: If there was anyone who would’ve gotten away with that, it was Bill Winegard, because Bill Winegard dedicated his life to supporting veterans. I want to honour him today in today’s debate." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Any questions?", "Further debate?" ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Peggy Sattler", "text": [ "I want to start by saying that I will be splitting my time with the member for Nickel Belt and the member for London North Centre.", "It’s always an honour to stand in this place to speak on behalf of the people I represent, but it is a special privilege to do so during Remembrance Week as we participate in a debate that has such strong support on all sides, because all of us in this place recognize how vital it is to honour veterans, and the legislation that is before us will do that.", "This debate is also a welcome opportunity, a rare opportunity, to highlight the contributions of the veterans who we know from our own communities and to show our appreciation for their selflessness, their service, also at the same time acknowledging the challenges that so many veterans face, from mental health to homelessness. Today’s debate allows us to remember and pay tribute to the sacrifices that have been made and continue to be made by those who serve on our behalf to defend our values, safeguard our freedoms and protect our democracy, both here and abroad.", "Today, I want to honour two veterans in particular from London West: 99-year-old Allan Brunsden, who enlisted in the navy as a teenager during World War II and served on HMCS Uganda, and Officer Cadet Brett Cameron, who died by suicide in 2016 at the age of 20.", "I first met Allan Brunsden at the Byron Legion—one of the biggest legions in Ontario, I’m proud to say—shortly after I was elected. I always looked forward to chatting with him at the annual Battle of the Atlantic ceremony that’s held every year in May at HMCS Prevost in London. Allan is profiled in a two-part segment that’s being shown on CTV London tonight and tomorrow night, so I encourage anyone who is able to tune in.", "Allan is a kind man with a gentle smile and a friendly twinkle in his eye. He is impossible to miss because of his constant companion, Bo, his service dog, who helps Allan deal with the PTSD he has been living with for 80 years since his return from the war. Allan has told me how difficult it was for his wife and his family to watch him struggle: the night terrors, the screaming that woke up his wife, the anxiety and the panic.", "Here is some of what Allen told CTV in his interview: He enlisted at age 18. Combat was so intense that he wrote a farewell letter to his mother. He said he told his mother that he loved her and that he was afraid he was not going to return. Shortly before he returned, there was a kamikaze pilot attack on his ship. He describes, “with shaking hands nearly 80 years after it happened,” some of his memories of that attack. He did survive, but he talks about the experience of having to bury people at sea and how upsetting this was for him at the time. But “eight decades later, that upset has never left Allan.” He says, “I keep thinking about them, and you know, I think too much about them, and it’s upsetting to me, and I, I try to put it out of my mind, but it’s impossible.” Allan told me that nothing was helping him until he got his therapy dog, Bo, about 15 years ago, and that has made such an enormous difference in his life. So, Speaker, honouring veterans means making sure that veterans like Allan get the support they need at the time that they need it.", "1710", "The second London West veteran that I want to recognize is Officer Cadet Brett Cameron. From the age of 12, Brett knew that he wanted to join the military. He went to the 614 air cadet program at Wolseley Barracks in London and dreamed of becoming a pilot. He got two pilot licences as a cadet and was accepted into the Royal Military College of Canada in 2014. In his second year at RMC, one of his close friends, also an RMC student, died by suicide on a day when Brett was scheduled to write three exams. He went on to write those exams but failed all three of them, understandably. He worried that he was going to be kicked out, and 10 days after his friend died, Brett also took his own life. A board of inquiry was launched into the deaths of Brett, his friend and a third officer cadet who also died by suicide at RMC in the very same year, 2016.", "Last month, I was invited by Brett’s parents, Angela Cameron-Jolly and Bill Jolly, to attend the presentation of a Memorial, or Silver, Cross to Brett’s mother, Angela, which is issued as a memento of personal loss and sacrifice by the government of Canada to loved ones of those who died in service or whose death was attributed to their service. The family was also awarded a Sacrifice Medal, Memorial Scroll and Memorial Bar in honour of Brett’s service. Speaker, it took 10 years for Angela to secure this recognition from the government of Canada for the service of her son. Who knows what help could have been provided to Brett if community mental health services had been in place, if campus supports had been in place at the time that Brett was struggling.", "A third London West resident that I want to honour today is Reverend Frank Mantz. Frank Mantz is the much-loved padre for all the Royal Canadian Legions within the city of London, and he works especially closely with the Byron Legion in my community, playing an important role every year in organizing the Remembrance Day parade and ceremony, which always takes place on the Saturday before November 11.", "Since 2007, Frank has been on a campaign. He has been the driving force behind the creation of a monument that will centre the Byron Legion Remembrance Day service in a new home, and that monument is going to be located at Springbank Park, also in London West. City council has approved the construction of this new veterans’ monument in the park, which will be available year-round for Londoners and visitors to the city to reflect on the service and sacrifice of members of the military. There are going to be placards with QR codes so you can scan the code and learn more about the stories of the wars and the important peacekeeping missions that Canadians were involved in. It’s been designed by South Korean artist Kay Jang. There has been a close connection in London and, I’m sure, other communities across the province with the Korean Society of London and the Korean War vets. So it’s very fitting that this monument has been designed by Kay Jang.", "The monument is to be complete for Remembrance Day services in 2025, and it’s being built with fundraising money and money from the community. Now, Frank has contacted me to ask if there is any access to Ontario government grants that would help support the installation of this monument. So I’d like to suggest to the government in the bill that we are debating today—it talks about suggestions for how to honour veterans during Remembrance Day and Veterans’ Week and identifies contributing to the upkeep of a memorial or cenotaph as one of the important ways that Ontarians can do that. So resources to enable the construction and installation of monuments like the one that Frank is leading in London would be greatly appreciated, I know, by Londoners, but I’m sure that there are other communities across the province that would like to do similar things.", "Thank you very much, Speaker. I have really appreciated this opportunity to participate in the debate and just highlight three residents of London West who are certainly deserving of being honoured as this bill enables us to do. Thank you." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "I recognize the member for Nickel Belt." ] }, { "speaker": "MmeFrance Gélinas", "text": [ "Like many others, I’m the daughter of a veteran. My dad served in the Korean War, as well as the Cold War. He was in aviation for the Canadian army. He was first deployed in Zweibrücken, which is a part of Germany, and then he served in northern Africa in Morocco. For our family, Remembrance Day is something very important.", "I have many, many veterans in my riding and a number of Royal Canadian Legions. So I would like to invite everyone to Royal Canadian Legion Branch 553—that is in Chelmsford—on Saturday, at 10:30, we usually go from the Legion hall to the cenotaph in Chelmsford. They do a beautiful, beautiful service. Their president, Wayne Bartlett, as well as first vice-president Tim Morgan and Claire Hamilton, poppy chair, do a very nice job. Everybody is invited, and it’s supposed to be pretty good weather on Saturday, so please come out.", "I would also like to invite people to Royal Canadian Legion Branch 336—that is in Falconbridge and Garson. They will have their Remembrance Day service on November 11 at 11 o’clock, but everybody is invited to get there a little bit earlier. President Stuart O’Neil, as well as poppy chair Nicole Givoque, will also be there. This Remembrance Day service is indoors because, on November 11, in northern Ontario you never know what kind of weather you’re going to get.", "In the afternoon, please join us, as well as president Jeff Dane, poppy chair Joanne Martel and treasurer Kathy Moggy, for a ceremony at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 503—that is in Onaping Falls, but the ceremony takes place in Levack. They also have a ceremony at 11 and one at 1 o’clock. I will be at the one taking place at 1:45 and everybody’s invited. At that ceremony, they always have the children from the different schools from Onaping and Levack who come and take part. They do a beautiful job of showing pictures of the veterans. As I said, I have many, many veterans in my riding. This ceremony is also indoors because we never know what the temperature is going to be like. The one in Levack at 11 o’clock on the November 11 is outdoors.", "There’s also Royal Canadian Legion Branch 179—that’s the Capreol Legion. They invite everybody to join them at 10:30. That’s president Laura Depatie, first vice-president Simon Le Henaff, as well as second vice-president Merv Allum. There’s also Capreol Army Cadets that are very involved. They have a beautiful cenotaph outside in, really, the centre of Capreol, and everybody is invited to come and join in.", "1720", "I also have the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 564. That’s the Lockerby Legion. They will be having their Remembrance Day service at 1 o’clock on Remembrance Day. President Jennifer Huard, as well as public relations officer and veteran Rick Smith, are the ones organizing it. It is partly indoors, partly outdoors. They have a brand new cenotaph attached to the Lockerby Legion that is just beautiful.", "Veteran Smith has been really active in our community. He started a program with students, and the students from St. Charles College actually participated in doing holiday greetings and doing cards. Veteran Smith made arrangements for those cards to be sent out to people who are in active service so that they have an opportunity for their spirits to be lifted up. Although they are not able to be home for the holidays, they can still be connected to where they come from.", "Although the Legion in Lively, also in my riding, has been amalgamated with Branch 564, they often hold Remembrance Day services in Naughton. Again, I encourage everybody to join in.", "No matter which areas of Nickel Belt you come from, there will be services for Remembrance Day on the 11th—some of them at 11 o’clock in the morning and some of them in the afternoon. Please try to attend. I realize that not everybody is able to do this. If you cannot attend, I would say, take two minutes at 11 o’clock on the 11th for a moment of silence to remember and honour everybody that has served. It’s the minimum that we can do.", "J’espère être capable de rencontrer beaucoup de gens de Nickel Belt qui pourront participer soit àChelmsford le samedi ou à Falconbridge à 11 h lundi ou à Onaping à 1 h 45, encore le lundi, le jour du Souvenir. Vous êtes tous invités à vous joindre à la Légion d’honneur pour une cérémonie du Souvenir. Tout le monde est invité et tout le monde est bienvenu.", "Merci beaucoup, et je vais partager mon temps." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "I recognize the member from London North Centre." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Terence Kernaghan", "text": [ "This Monday, on the 11th month, the 11th day and the 11th hour, we will mark Remembrance Day, a time to reflect in honour of the courage of those who served and those who continue to serve. It’s hard for many of us to imagine the bravery, the valour, the strength of will of these heroes. They put their lives at risk for us to stand up for freedom, to stand up for democracy, to stand up for human lives and to stand against tyranny. We owe them so very much.", "This year, London will be honouring veterans with banners of those brave heroes who served, all around Victoria Park and London city hall. I’d like to acknowledge Randy Warden, a veteran of the Canadian Forces, United Nations peacekeeper, Legion commander, St. John Ambulance executive director, who also chairs London’s Remembrance Day committee. Randy was instrumental in implementing this new project.", "One of the heroes shown on a banner is Tom Hennessy, who recently passed away at the age of 101. Tom served as a flight lieutenant in the RAF and was a World War II spitfire pilot. Two years ago, at the young age of 100, Tom walked 100 miles in London to raise money for homeless veterans. Tom is survived by his loving wife, Joyce Hetherington. Looking up at her husband’s banner, she said, “You were much more than you said you were. The fact that the people in London can see you and know you, matters to me. And I think it matters to a lot of us.”", "Tom was a wonderful man, and I know all of us will miss his smile, his sharp wit and his singing.", "I also want to thank a respected and retired educator. He was a school administrator and provincial administrator for the deaf and blind, who is also a recipient of the Ontario Senior Achievement Award, Gary Martins, and the Lambeth Lions Club for their enormously successful lawn poppy campaign supporting local Legions.", "I also want to recognize at this time the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 317 in my riding, the Victory Legion, and thank them for all of the work they do for veterans.", "I strongly believe Ontario should pay their respects to veterans by stopping any financial clawback that the province places on veterans and mark Remembrance Day as a paid statutory holiday. It’s the least we can do to honour the veterans and their sacrifice.", "I encourage everyone to mark November 8 as national Indigenous Veterans Day, and on Monday, attend a service at their local cenotaph or Legion.", "Thank you to all of the veterans and their families for your service. Lest we forget." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Questions? Further debate? Further debate? Further debate?", "Mr. McGregor has moved second reading of Bill 218, An Act to amend various Acts with respect to honouring military veterans. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.", "Second reading agreed to." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Shall the bill be ordered for third reading? Agreed. The bill is therefore ordered for third reading." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "I recognize the minister to start debate." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Graham McGregor", "text": [ "I’ve been very moved by the speeches thus far. This is a great bill, and I want to thank all our colleagues in the House for their support in second reading and humbly ask for their support in third reading. Thank you." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Questions? Further debate? Further debate? Further debate?", "Mr. McGregor has moved third reading of Bill 218, An Act to amend various Acts with respect to honouring military veterans. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.", "Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.", "Third reading agreed to." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Orders of the day?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Steve Clark", "text": [ "Point of order: I move we see the clock at 6." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Is there an agreement to see the clock at 6? Agreed.", "Orders of the day?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Clerk-at-the-Table (Ms. Julia Douglas)", "text": [ "Ballot item number 28, private member’s notice of motion number 132: Ms. Hogarth." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "No business having been moved, the House stands adjourned, then, until tomorrow at 9 a.m., which would be November 7.", "The House adjourned at 1729.", "", "", "", "", "" ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Would the minister care to lead off the debate." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Graham McGregor", "text": [ "Good morning. I just want to note off the top that I’ll be sharing my time with a few of my colleagues: the member for Mississauga–Erin Mills, the Solicitor General and our Minister for Seniors and Accessibility.", "It’s an honour to be here today as we start second reading of the Honouring Veterans Act, 2024. This bill proposes amendments to the Remembrance Week Act, 2016, the Soldiers’ Aid Commission Act, 2020, the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021, and the Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act, 2006.", "If passed, and once fully implemented, this legislation and associated regulations would help honour and recognize Ontarians who have served in the Canadian Armed Forces, enhance financial support for eligible veterans and promote career pathways for veterans and military families.", "Speaker, Ontario is home to almost 150,000 veterans and that number is steadily growing as members are released from military service each year. Over the years, our government has introduced a number of initiatives to support veterans, including financial assistance, health care services and programs to help with the transition to civilian life. These efforts are part of a broader commitment to honour and support those who have served.", "Ontario and Ontarians have a long history of supporting the security and defence of our country. In fact, Mr. Speaker, the Ontario Veterans’ Memorial and Afghanistan Memorial, which sits just outside on the grounds of Queen’s Park, commemorates the participation of this province’s citizens in military campaigns from the 1860s to recent peacekeeping missions, as well as those who continue to serve today.", "Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces have contributed to our country in countless ways, such as the Royal Canadian Air Force, whose members defend and protect Canadian and North American airspace and who contribute to international peace and security in over 100 different roles and responsibilities, or through to the Canadian army, whose highly capable personnel work in over 30 roles serving in communities across Canada, including in remote locations of the country, or the Royal Canadian Navy, whose members tirelessly work to protect Canada’s coastlines and Arctic sovereignty.", "Through their selfless acts of bravery, whether by land, sea or sky, veterans have protected and continue to safeguard our values, defend our rights and freedoms, and shape our nation’s history. Through their actions and dedication, they have shown a strength of character and commitment to this country that has defined the Canadian Armed Forces for generations.", "In World War I and World War II, the majority of those who fought and died for freedom were in their early twenties. Many were teenagers: 17-, 18- and 19-year-old boys. It’s impossible to imagine what those soldiers went through. They were too young, and yet carried the commitment and sacrificed themselves for the greater good.", "When we announced the tabling of our bill yesterday, I had the honour to speak with veterans whom we’d invited to the Legislature. The stories that I heard made me put my life into perspective. I implore everyone to go to their local Legion, volunteer and start listening. The wisdom of the veterans could help people understand what’s important. The veteran community and their experiences are invaluable to our society. Everyone in this chamber likely has a story or an experience recounting how veterans have brought honour to our country through their service, not only putting their country before themselves but promoting Canadian values with integrity, both here in Canada and abroad.", "Both Canadian armed services currently serving as well as veterans who have now transitioned back to civilian life deserve our respect and heartfelt gratitude, not just during Remembrance Week and then Remembrance Day on November 11, but every day of the year. That’s why we are proposing legislative amendments and initiatives to reaffirm our government’s deepest gratitude for their sacrifices and our commitment to build a stronger and more prosperous Ontario.", "One way that our government is showing our commitment to our province’s veteran community is through proposed changes to the Remembrance Week Act, 2016. This includes renaming the act to the Remembrance Day and Veterans’ Week Act, 2024, to honour and recognize all veterans, including those who served in addition to those who lost their lives for this great country.", "We are also proposing a new section in this act that would, if passed, provide that the minister responsible for the act may honour veterans with various recognition efforts, including by bestowing awards.", "Over this past summer, we engaged in discussions with key veterans groups in Ottawa to listen to their stories and hear their thoughts and suggestions for ways our government can better honour and support veterans. From these discussions with representatives from the Royal Canadian Legion and other organizations supporting veterans, we heard that any recognition of veterans on behalf of the public is welcome, but especially for veterans whose volunteerism brings meaningful supports and contributions to their communities.", "If I may, we rightfully acknowledge and honour our veterans for their service abroad or service while they’re in active service, but, in our government’s view, we don’t always do the best job of honouring the veterans when they come home and contribute to their communities in civilian life. That’s what the next initiative that we’re going to talk about is hoping to address. To that end, I’m pleased to share that our government is developing a new award focused on veterans that would be delivered in partnership with the Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Provincial Command to show our profound gratitude and specifically recognize veterans who have made significant contributions in their communities here in Ontario. This would be the first provincial award in Ontario specifically recognizing veterans.", "Our government recognizes the extraordinary courage and significant sacrifices made by veterans across the province. We will always express our unwavering appreciation by highlighting and celebrating veteran service and formally recognizing their contributions to our local communities across Ontario.", "I know my good friend and colleague the Solicitor General will be speaking more about this shortly; however, I want to put a pronounced emphasis on another aspect of this proposed legislation: the condemnation of stolen valour. With intended changes to the preamble of the Remembrance Week Act, 2016, to condemn any act that disrespects veterans, including acts of stolen valour, our government is reaffirming that veterans deserve to be treated with dignity and our upmost respect. We will always be clear and unequivocal: Our government will always condemn any act that disrespects veterans or detracts from the honour of those who have actively served their country. Anyone lying about their military service, rank or medals received must be condemned in the strongest possible terms today and every day.", "We are also proposing to rename Remembrance Week in Ontario to Remembrance Day and Veterans’ Week to better recognize living veterans for their service and contributions in addition to those who gave their lives in service to our country.", "Our province’s veteran community is growing every year, with service members of varying ages. Whether it is by serving abroad in active combat, such as those who fought in Afghanistan, or those who have been deployed across the world as a part of peacekeeping missions, we have heard many stories of valour and how former service members brought credit and pride to our country.", "0910", "It is important that we recognize also, Madam Speaker, that the veteran population is changing. For instance, the more than 40,000 service members who served in Afghanistan will soon become the larger cohort of veterans.", "By renaming Remembrance Week to Veterans’ Week and Remembrance Day, we’ll be able to better commemorate those who have given their lives in service to this country, as well as those who are living, to ensure that all their service and sacrifices will never be forgotten. This proposal positions Ontario as a provincial leader across Canada in legislating Veterans’ Week.", "Speaker, while our government is committed to the recognition of veterans for their service and broader contributions to our local communities, we are also steadfast in our commitment to providing them with tangible supports. With that in mind, I’d like to talk a little bit about the Soldiers’ Aid Commission. While my colleague the member from Thornhill will speak in greater detail about how our government reformed the Soldiers’ Aid Commission in 2020, and will continue to support this respected commission to reach more veterans, I’ll focus on the high-level themes.", "This commission provides financial support to eligible veterans in need to help with many of life’s typical expenses: health- and mental health-related supports, housing-related expenditures, basic clothing and personal items, and employment-related supports. The reality is, the transition to civilian life can be difficult for a lot of our veterans, so the need for this type of support is real and growing.", "When we took office, the typical profile of a veteran had already changed. It’s with sadness that, with each passing year, the number of living veterans who served in the Second World War and the Korean War decreases. Until recently, younger veterans who served more recently were ineligible for support through the Soldiers’ Aid Commission. We must not forget those who served in recent UN peacekeeping missions, for example, in Rwanda, Somalia or elsewhere, and we must also never forget the over 40,000 members of the Canadian Armed Forces who fought most recently in an active combat zone in Afghanistan.", "Speaker, we have a commitment to support those who fight for our freedoms, including the right to free and fair elections, and even for the right for us as parliamentarians to speak in this House. I know some members of this House are probably a little upset that I get to speak, but more’s the pity.", "There was a choice that we faced between winding down a commission that had been truly groundbreaking over the course of more than 100 years or modernizing it to support a whole new generation of veterans and their families. We chose the latter. We chose to keep faith with those who served and protected us. We know that our veterans rightfully earn an overwhelming level of public support. We know that Ontarians want veterans to be supported as they establish their post-service lives. We know that, and so we took the opportunity four years ago to do what is right and do what is best for our veterans and their families by modernizing the Soldiers’ Aid Commission.", "Veterans face unique challenges, some of which require assistance to overcome, and this is exactly where the Soldiers’ Aid Commission can play a role. Veterans gave so much for our country and our province; that is why we’re committed to making sure that the Soldiers’ Aid Commission remains an integral part of Ontario’s strong veteran community.", "This morning, the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services announced our government’s plan to enhance financial assistance available through the Soldiers’ Aid Commission for eligible veterans in need. The intended changes increase the maximum amount of financial assistance that eligible veterans and their eligible family members may receive through the Soldiers’ Aid Commission from $2,000 to $3,000 in a 12-month period. And applicants may apply multiple times over the 12-month period until they have received the maximum amount of $3,000 for eligible expenses. If both spouses in a household are veterans, each spouse can apply for up to $3,000 in a 12-month period.", "Speaker, this increase in financial support will give veterans more help to pay for essential services and supports, which includes health-related services such as hearing aids or eyeglasses, prescription and dental needs, specialized equipment like wheelchairs, and home repairs and moving costs.", "We want to make it easier for veterans to apply for financial assistance from the commission. They’ve done so much for us, Speaker. Moving barriers out of the way for them to get the aid that they rightfully deserve is the least that our government can do.", "We also want to make it easier for them to apply. From the commission right now, veterans need to apply for other funding from other veteran-specific programs before applying to the commission. Under our planned changes, veterans will only need to seek federal veteran supports before applying to the commission, which we hope will improve access and get the money where it rightfully belongs, assisting our veterans in their transitions to civilian lives.", "Our support doesn’t stop there. The proposed Honouring Veterans Act, 2024, builds on work already under way to promote enhanced health care service delivery and increase access to virtual health care services through Health811. Moreover, with help from our labour minister and our colleagues from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, our bill, if passed, would also support career pathways for veterans and military families. My good friend the member for Mississauga–Erin Mills will speak more about that.", "Ontario loves, respects and honours our veterans. While we can never thank them enough for their service to our great nation, we can commit to always doing more to support and recognize them. Our government is doing exactly that through the Honouring Veterans Act, 2024.", "As we approach Remembrance Day on November 11, let us recommit as a Legislature, not just today but year-round, to recognizing veterans for their service and contributions to our communities, supporting them through financial supports such as the Soldiers’ Aid Commission and promoting a seamless transition into civilian employment in skilled trades for them post-service.", "Madam Speaker, I would humbly say that I think this is a great bill, I think it deserves cross-party support and I certainly hope our colleagues in other parties will support this bill and pass this as soon as we can so we can get the support that we need for our veterans.", "When you hear some of the stories of our brave men and women who served our country, I’d humbly submit that I don’t think we can ever thank them enough, but we can sure as heck try. With this bill that we’re putting forward, our government is doing our part to honour our veterans, support them and let them know that they’ve had our backs and we’ll have their backs as well." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "I recognize the member for Mississauga–Erin Mills." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Sheref Sabawy", "text": [ "Thanks to the Acting Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturism for his speech.", "It is my honour and privilege to be speaking to the Honouring Veterans Act. Words cannot truly describe the level of commitment and sacrifice one must have to serve their country in the Armed Forces. That’s exactly why we, the civilians, must take such an effort to make sure that they receive the honour and support they deserve. It is our duty to show that their commitment is not forgotten and to recognize the veterans who continue serving their communities as volunteers.", "As the Acting Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism already mentioned, we are also proposing changes to help veterans to find expedited career pathways into the skilled trades for themselves and their families. Our veterans are not only heroes who have protected our country and fought for our freedoms, they are also professionals with valuable skills that Ontario needs to build for the future. They deserve to have our support when they return to civilian life and employment once their service is complete.", "From our consultations with service members, their spouses and veterans, we heard that a considerable challenge when returning to civilian life is finding a career that complements the skills and experiences learned during service. The Honouring Veterans Act proposes to formally recognize certain military trades with their civilian trades equivalent and help them start their civilian careers in the skilled trades faster, without burdensome red tape and delays.", "Veterans are professionals who possess valuable skills that Ontario needs to help build for the future. With around 8,000 Canadian Armed Forces members released from service every year, our government is creating a win-win-win situation for veterans, employers and our economy.", "In the technology sector by itself, the majority of the technology we use today was military 10 years ago. So those veterans have skills in areas which are leading-edge to use in civilian life today, but we need to make sure that they have that tool.", "0920", "It’s not only giving them the ability to get integrated in civilian life when they come out of service, it actually helps them to blend. So it’s not only blending their time in the service, it is actually blending their exit strategy from the service and where they are going to end up after the years of service they will be serving their country for. We are doing this by proposing amendments to the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021. It would help support skilled trades career pathways for veterans and Armed Forces members.", "In response to our government’s consultations with the military and veterans’ community, we are also proposing changes to the Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act, 2006, with Skilled Trades Ontario to accelerate credential recognition for veterans and military spouses who are licensed trade professionals from out of the province but within Canada. This will enable our government to modernize credential recognition for veterans and military spouses of service members.", "Our government is also building on prior learning assessment and recognition processes at Ontario’s publicly assisted colleges and universities to recognize the valuable learning experiences of veterans of Canada’s Armed Forces. If passed, these changes will empower veterans and their families with the skills and a pathway for meaningful employment after service.", "Madam Speaker, I think this is a great piece of legislation. It will help veterans who joined the service to know that they have a clear path to go back to civilian life after, to be able to meet the needs of their families, to be able to be integrated in the community, to be able to be productive—and we need their skills.", "Thank you, Madam Speaker. I really appreciate being able to speak about the bill. I think it’s great for the country and great for Ontario." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "I recognize the Solicitor General." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Michael S. Kerzner", "text": [ "I’m delighted to rise and to speak on the Honouring Veterans Act, 2024, and to thank my colleague the member from Brampton North, the acting minister and my friend, for bringing this forward. It is not lost on us, on the week that we speak about this bill, just prior to Remembrance Day.", "I also wanted to acknowledge my colleague and friend from Kiiwetinoong who yesterday reminded us why we should think of the late Senator Murray Sinclair today and every day. Senator Sinclair was not afraid to let us learn about the path to reconciliation.", "I think it is so important that we remembered him yesterday, and every day, but also to acknowledge the contributions that First Nations, Inuit and Métis veterans, who served Canada—that we remember them on November 8. I think of November 8 as an important day in our calendar just like November 11. For the 12,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis who served Canada, we should remember their contribution so that we have a country that we can live safely in and have a country for other generations to follow.", "So I ask everyone here today to join me in remembering and honouring the profound debt we owe to Canadian veterans. I will be at my Royal Canadian Legion, just around the corner from my constituency office, on Monday, as I have done in years past, to look at the cenotaph that they have there and to not only recall the stories that we read—and understanding that history was never accomplished by people who did nothing. These were real people with real families, with real lives, and they put everything on the line for ourselves and our generations to come.", "I always listen attentively just before—next week, we will be on our break in the constituency, but I know the member from St. Catharines also speaks every year in the House as we remember those who served on Remembrance Day. I think of other members that have risen as well to tell the stories of their families and people that served. In my own family there’s one story—I’ll have to do more research on it—about a great uncle who served in the then-British colonial army, as it was told to me, who served in the First World War. It’s hard to believe when you look at the numbers of veterans—unfortunately, we don’t have any alive from the First World War, and the numbers who served in the Second World War are dwindling very quickly, but the young country of Canada contributed so much. That’s why we have to be there for the veterans in our day, in this generation, so that we never leave them behind.", "In times of both war and peace, veterans stood as a defender of our freedom and values, safeguarding the rights and security that every Canadian cherishes.", "Some veterans, when they came back from service, came forward to serve in other ways. They became firefighters, police officers, first responders, dentists and doctors. They had lives too where they were able to share their stories of not only their service in conflict and wars, but took it even further to make a difference in the lives of our communities.", "I had the honour very early this year—I think it was the first event of 2024—when I went to Toronto Police Service and I met our Toronto Police Service officers in uniform who had given their service to the Canadian Armed Forces. Let me tell you something, it is unbelievable to hear these stories. A person’s commitment to serve, as the Premier has said many times, as others have talked about, this concept that I hold dear of service over self, gives new meaning when you meet somebody that served, that is a veteran, but also has come back to serve again. And I think of those incredible police officers, firefighters and first responders.", "There are things we can do. There are small things we can all do, especially this month, and one of them is attending or volunteering at a remembrance or veterans’ appreciation event. For those who have Legions in their riding, it’s so simple: On November 11, go to the Legion; go for the service; see for yourself. Lose yourself in a moment of time that, for my generation, may seem a little bit distant from the First World War, the Second World War or the Korean conflict.", "When I think of those veterans today, I think of those that served in Afghanistan and other conflicts in the world where Canada has continued to contribute, because we are a country that believes in peace, we are a country that is optimistic and we are a country with incredible values that welcomes everyone from the world to bring the best of who they are into our province. This is why I’ve always said that one of our greatest strengths is the diversity we all bring.", "Participating in a Remembrance Day event is very important. If we live near a museum—I know in Ottawa, there are phenomenal museums that also tell the story of Canadians that have contributed—go to the museum and tell the stories, because I think it’s important. We must learn about the contributions that veterans made across Canada. Each region of Ontario has stories of veterans who served bravely, shaping the fabric of our communities through their dedication and sacrifice.", "0930", "It’s understanding these contributions that connects us to the history and to the legacy, and to ask them to tell their stories if they are so able, because they’re hard. We can’t only look at history books and read old newspaper clippings to understand the contributions that people have made. That’s why, if you see a veteran, approach them and talk to them and learn from their own expert eyewitness to history. This knowledge deepens our respect and reminds us of our responsibility to support and remember veterans as an essential part of Ontario’s heritage and identity.", "I think it is important also that we look to veterans as guest speakers to honour them when we can. For those in the Legislature that were fortunate enough to receive over our lifetime a government medal, let me tell you, it’s a high honour. I received one in the early 1990s; I was rather young, and I was overwhelmed to receive a medal for a contribution that I had made. I know many of us from time to time at different occasions—the member sitting near me from Richmond Hill; I’ve seen her wear her medals as well.", "The medals are an important recognition of a contribution made. But when you see a medal on a veteran, it’s just taking it to a different level—something so small but so important for them, that they were recognized for something that they did. I think that’s important. So inviting them to be a guest speaker at an event is important.", "Carrying out acts of appreciation to honour veterans—sometimes it’s a small honour. I have some veterans in my constituency of York Centre, and I enjoy sitting with them at the Legion when I can and understanding their contribution, not only what it was at the time that they served in active service, but the work and the resources that they bring to another generation. When we see the young cadets who come forward, such as on Remembrance Day, we see the umbilical tie, one generation to another, and that’s important.", "We have to support campaigns that honour veterans. These campaigns promote awareness of the challenges that veterans face. This is very important. We can donate to campaigns to contribute to initiatives that improve the lives of veterans and their families. Supporting the campaigns helps foster a culture of respect and gratitude.", "That’s why the bill that my colleague tabled today, the Honouring Veterans Act, includes proposals from the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development and others who have contributed to why this bill is so important. I really want to say thank you to all the ministries.", "The act, along with supporting initiatives by several ministries, will expand provincial recognition for veterans, increase financial and community supports for veterans and support career pathways for veterans and military families. It’s important because Ontario is home to approximately 149,000 veterans, and this number is growing, with 8,000 to 9,000 Canadian Armed Forces members being released from military service each year. And we know that while most veterans do well post-service, many also face socio-economic challenges that impact they’re well-being and quality of life. As well, military spouses also face challenges and barriers. That’s why we have to be there for them. They were there for us.", "My colleague and mentor and great friend the Minister for Seniors and Accessibility reminds us of our duty to take care of another generation. They were there for us; we have to be there for them. But I say to my colleague, there’s a younger generation of veterans coming forward as well who have served in recent conflicts. Who will be there for them in the years ahead? It may be our children—it will be our children—who have to take care of them, just like we have to take care of those veterans that served in the Second World War and the Korean conflict and in other conflicts. We have a duty to uphold this responsibility.", "Expanding the provincial recognition for veterans and facilitating a process to support programs are essential steps in reinforcing our dedication to honouring those who sacrificed so much for all of us. Without adequate support, these individuals often face unnecessary challenges, from financial stress to mental and health struggles. It is important that we are there for them.", "We need to talk again about Remembrance Week. I started at the top of my remarks to make sure that we know the date, November 8. We spoke about that. That is very important, Indigenous Remembrance Day. We must remember that day.", "November 11 is also an important day. That is the day when we come together. We come together and we go to our Royal Canadian Legions or we go to communities around Ontario that have a cenotaph. Just stop at the cenotaph. Stop for a minute and reflect on how lucky we are to live in this incredible province, thanks to the service of others.", "It’s important, as part of this legislation, that we amend the name of the statute to Remembrance Day and Veterans Week Act, 2024, that we amend the preamble to honour those who served, in addition to those who gave their lives, and add a statement condemning acts of stolen valour.", "I want to talk about stolen valour. Yesterday, my colleague, the minister, brought in veterans. I had a chance to understand more about why stolen valour is such a threat. I never really thought about it until I read the bill and I made some calls myself, because I don’t know what type of individual would think it’s okay to be an impostor, to wear medals that don’t belong to them, to feel that they have a rite of passage to be somebody that they’re not. There is no society where this would be acceptable.", "I really take privilege in even understanding what type of deranged individual could do something like this, because it’s totally unacceptable. It’s unacceptable anywhere that anybody should steal away valour or be an imposter to somebody else. I think of firefighters, police officers, first responders. I think of so many people, whose work to keep the province safe, is rooted in the identity of who they are. Anything that was awarded to them is theirs. We can’t have somebody using a privilege that doesn’t belong to them, as a means of saying, “I will be that person.” This goes beyond the pale of anything that anybody could justify.", "I have to tell you, Madam Speaker, because I’ve had the privilege of attending at so many march-past ceremonies in Aylmer, Ontario, at the Ontario Police College:—some of them served in the military. For the 10 march-past ceremonies I’ve been privileged to see, almost 5,000 people joined the ranks of police officers. Every time I look at the medals on the jackets of these officers, who are in some cases quite young, I ask the question: Where did you get the medals? Who awarded you this? And they say, “I served in the Canadian Armed Forces. I was awarded a medal for something meritorious that I did to stand up.”", "I talk of the importance of the uniform. The uniform of a police officer or a firefighter commands respect. It means when you go to a community wearing your uniform, it has an enormous responsibility for the person wearing it, that they take with a sacred oath, a sacred trust. For the people who see men and women in uniform, we respect that uniform for the importance it commands. Stolen valour, somebody who feels it’s okay to put on somebody else’s uniform, that didn’t earn the right to do that, is causing not only confusion in the eyes of others—because when we see somebody in uniform, we assume that that person had the authority and the charge and the carriage to wear that uniform.", "0940", "I find this beyond horrific that we are even talking about what the minister mentioned in his remarks—stolen valour—of how somebody could do it and get away with it. This really bothers me, and that’s why I’m delighted that in the bill we’re talking about stolen valour as a way to raise awareness, as a way to remind people that you can’t do it. It’s not right.", "So on this Remembrance Day, pay even more attention to the fact that the people that wear the uniforms—and the veterans that come out, I might add, on Remembrance Week, to wear their uniforms again. We’re wearing poppies on our jackets and on our clothing ahead of Remembrance Day to remind—and we say the words, “Lest we forget.” It’s up to us in this generation and this present time never to forget. That’s why we have to be grateful.", "Madame la Présidente, je voudrais remercier chaque personne qui assure la sécurité de l’Ontario. Pour le premier ministre de l’Ontario et pour moi, c’est personnel.", "It is personal. It is personal that we thank people that come forward to serve—and do you know what? It should be personal. It should be personal to every person living in Ontario, coming to Ontario, seeing the richness as to why we are so optimistic. It’s because we believe in our province, we believe in our future and together, we can do so much. It goes back to remembering our past.", "History is hard. History was never made by people that did nothing. So today, and every day, especially on November 8, especially on November 11, let us remember, lest we forget." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Further debate?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Raymond Sung Joon Cho", "text": [ "I rise today to speak on an incredibly important topic—one that is important for all Ontarians and one that touches me personally. I am truly honoured to be here today in our Legislature, in the House of the people, bought and paid for dearly, to acknowledge and celebrate the people that have given us a gift.", "Usually, when I speak with seniors, servicemen and -women or veterans, I bring what I call the gift of laughter. I have some fun with the crowd. I let people know that laughter makes us younger, more handsome and more beautiful, and there is a lot of truth to that.", "But today, I would like to talk about another gift, and that is the gift of freedom. You see, I was born in Incheon, South Korea. Incheon is where the United Nations forces that included the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces landed to liberate Korea. As a young boy, I saw bodies lying on the road, B-29 bombers flying overhead, tanks in the streets and soldiers walking by our house. This experience stays with you forever.", "What also has always stayed with me is that it was Canada—her brave sons and daughters—who answered the call. They came to the shores of a faraway country to save the Korean people, defend democracy and protect freedom, so that I can stand here today with you. I will be forever thankful for the ultimate sacrifice that 516 Canadians made to save Korea.", "I have been blessed to have been able to come to this great country to serve the people as a city councillor, as MPP and as Minister for Seniors and Accessibility—the very first Korean-born minister in Ontario. But none of that would be possible today if it wasn’t for the sacrifice and commitment of Canada. You see, as we introduce a new piece of legislation today to honour our servicemen and -women, we must always remember that, if not for the brave men and women over the past 157 years of Confederation, none of us could be here today.", "I could not have experienced my gift of freedom as a boy in Korea without the brave Canadians who answered the call during the Korean War. We could not experience our gift of freedom if Canada and her Allies did not liberate Europe or in any other war before or since. This is how incredible and important a thing that our servicemen and -women have done. None of us could live in the best province—Ontario—in the best country in the world—Canada—unless we have this gift of freedom—a freedom that this little boy from more than 70 years ago could not have imagined.", "I also could not have imagined that I would ever be standing here honouring the people who have and continue to answer the call, who put our lives ahead of theirs and made sure that we could all be here today. As we honour and remember with this new piece of legislation today, I want to thank them for my gift of freedom. Their sacrifice and the ongoing sacrifice of all those who serve today helps to protect this Legislature,a symbol of the people who are represented by those elected. They safeguard our beautiful province and country. This is why I am so honoured to stand and speak to many of the incredible pieces of this bill.", "As Minister for Seniors and Accessibility, I have seen first-hand the effects of social isolation on our seniors. I often say that social isolation is public enemy number one for our seniors. When our seniors are isolated, their physical and mental health declines. When they are isolated, they are vulnerable to those who seek to exploit their isolation, often causing them to become victims of scams and abuse.", "Our province is stronger when everyone is connected—when we are able to weave their unique selves in the fabric of our communities. This is why the community supports in this bill are so important. It is not only seniors who can feel isolated—our veterans can feel isolated. By enhancing community supports for our veterans, including by ensuring they have access to quality services, by exploring partnerships to support their housing needs and by introducing a transit relief program, we can combat social isolation for our veterans.", "0950", "When our veterans stay connected, we are all made better by the connection. Their strength continues to be our strength. Through this bill, our strength can also be shared with them.", "When we look across the worlds of business and the not-for-profit sector, we see many veterans who, after their military careers, have found inspiring ways to give back through taking on critical roles in these organizations.", "We know that many of the lessons learned while in the military have a direct application in so many areas across our province. Lessons in leadership, hard work and interpersonal communication can be directly applied across a host of different sectors. While these skills are directly transferable, sometimes our veterans need extra help to make the transition into new careers. This is why the elements of this bill that assist in that transition are so important.", "Streamlining the pathways for veterans and military families to have their credentials recognized is a marvellous, common-sense approach which fully aligns with our government’s ongoing work to cut red tape and deliver services for the people of Ontario. We need to ensure that there are no barriers to those making that transition. I want to thank my colleagues for all the work they have put into developing a bill which helps veterans and their families transition into second careers.", "These supports can help ensure that our veterans always feel connected, that their community cares about them and their families, always. Removing GO Transit and UP Express transit fares is another important way that we can help our veterans feel the support of our whole community.", "It is an honour, today, to speak to a bill that includes provisions for a new award for our veterans and that is delivered in partnership with the Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Command. My ministry, earlier this year, updated our regulations regarding who can partner with the government in the operation of seniors active living centres. We enabled more organizations, including Legions, to join our existing municipal partners in delivering key activities that keep seniors active and connected in our communities.", "I want to thank our Premier and the Minister of Finance for their leadership through the fall economic statement to provide funding which will enable the government to create 100 new SALCs across Ontario. This historic investment will enable more opportunities for all our seniors, including our veterans, to stay connected in our communities. It also enable our Legions to continue their role as hubs in our community by hosting senior programming. It further encourages all our SALCs to work with the Legions and organizations that support our veterans, helping to create new partnerships and connections, which further strengthens our province.", "Today, we have 316 SALCs, each an important hub which connects seniors in our communities with not only programs and activities that keep them active, fit and engaged, but also which act as conduits to other service providers that deliver the support they need to live independently.", "Let’s reflect on this for a moment. It has taken us decades, across governments of all stripes, to get to 316 centres. Now, we are adding almost 33% more. This is what leadership looks like, Madam Speaker. It is an example of building the kinds of partnerships needed to set up our province to continue to grow and thrive. These kinds of partnerships provide accessibility and flexibility to support our seniors in the ways that best serve them. It helps to ensure that all seniors, including our honoured veterans, can receive the in-community supports they need: supports that keep them connected, active and healthy; supports that help them to feel the dignity and respect which they deserve; supports that are now made stronger by the ongoing, expanded partnership with organizations like the Royal Canadian Legion.", "I want to thank all of my colleagues for their ongoing work to honour our veterans and their families. I look forward to hopefully sharing more news in the near future about extra ways that we are supporting organizations that help veterans who are seniors. I have shared how the sacrifice of so many has personally impacted me. Without these Canadians who bravely came to the aid of South Korea, I would likely not be here today. Every day I am reminded of how lucky I am that when the people of Korea asked for help, Canada answered the call.", "My experience is only one of countless others. Each of us has been positively touched by the selfless acts of valour of our veterans. We are honoured by the action of these brave men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to defend democracy and the ideals of human rights. We are honoured by the families of our veterans who have also endured hardships on behalf of the ethic that all people, everywhere in the world, should be able to enjoy the freedoms which Canadians have here. We continue to be honoured by those who wear the uniform today and by their families. While aggressors around the world still seek to impose their will on others, our military stands tall in the defence of democracy and human rights.", "1000", "To each of them—all of those who have served, those who serve today and to their families—I say from the bottom of my heart: Thank you, and may God bless you." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Do we have questions for the speakers?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "Schedule 4 of this bill introduces an amendment to the Soldiers’ Aid Commission Act, 2020, adding in a paragraph about a new objective for the commission, which would be to assist the minister in promoting the financial program. We all in this House know how important it is to get the word out for individuals that desperately need this aid. Absolutely, we as policy-makers for this province should be promoting offering this benefit to veterans and families—it is a definite must. However, this bill does not clearly define how exactly the commission will assist.", "My question is this: Can this government clarify to the individuals watching today—the new and old veterans that are listening today—if they will be taking funds from the commission’s annual budget that is allocated for veterans and using these funds for advertising purposes?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Graham McGregor", "text": [ "I thank my colleague for the question; it’s an important one.", "We know when we design programs like these, the intention of government is to make sure that these programs make it into the community, actually make it to the people that need them. One of the changes we made in this bill, which I hope the members will support, is increasing the amount from $2,000 to $3,000. We think, at a time of high inflation, with the cost-of-living crisis being the way it is, getting that extra bit of money into our veterans’ pockets is simply the right thing to do. We’ve also put forward measures to make sure that it’s easier to access before—well, as it stands now, I guess, and hopefully the bill passes, they have to exhaust all options. Now we’re proposing to change it so they only have to seek federal veterans’ aid funding to make it easier. Certainly, we can do a better job promoting the program." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Next question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Lorne Coe", "text": [ "To the minister: At its core, this particular legislation before us this morning and later this week is reflective of a consultation that included the Ontario Command of the Royal Canadian Legion, True Patriot Love, Wounded Warriors Canada—just a few of the examples of the organizations that informed the intent and purpose of this legislation. I’d like the minister to talk a little bit about that consultation and how it shaped this legislation this morning." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Graham McGregor", "text": [ "I thank my colleague from Whitby not only for that question but for his unwavering support for veterans living in the Durham region throughout his entire political career and public life.", "Applause." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Graham McGregor", "text": [ "Yes, give it up for the member for Whitby, guys. Come on.", "I’d also like to acknowledge two other colleagues that were pivotal in putting this bill together. Of course, I am the Acting Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, but our existing minister, who’s on a leave of absence—we hope to have him back very soon—engaged in extensive consultations, as well as the member for Thornhill in her role as the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. She’s actually doing that announcement with the minister, or just did that announcement this morning, about our changes to the Soldiers’ Aid Commission.", "Politics is a team sport. We’ve been acting as a team here in the PC government. We hope members of the opposition also join our team and pass this bill as quickly as possible." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Next question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "Wow. Team sport. You didn’t answer my first question, but that’s okay. Working as a team sport would have been including the opposition so we could work together on this.", "This bill outlines many suggestions for honouring our veterans, which is wonderful, whether through visiting a war memorial or taking part in Remembrance Day services on November 11. We just heard from the minister recommending everyone visit their Legions on Remembrance Day and make efforts to partake in local ceremonies at your cenotaph. However, there’s quite a barrier that prevents most people from being able to do that.", "My question is to the minister or the associate minister. Does this government have plans to make Remembrance Day a paid statutory holiday, so veterans, veterans’ children and all Ontarians, their families, students and children can attend local ceremonies and pay their proper respects and honour their services, honour their parents’ services, honour their family members’ services and honour their neighbours’ services?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Graham McGregor", "text": [ "Look, when we engage with Legions and with other veterans’ organizations, that’s not what came up. What did come up was seeking more recognition from the Ontario government for the service of their members, not only when they’re in active service, but also for their service when they came home to Ontario and continued to serve their community. That’s why the award that we’re putting forward, in partnership with the Royal Canadian Legion, the Ontario Command division, is specifically going to be looking at honouring veterans, working with local Legions to honour veterans for community service that they gave for Ontario when they came home.", "We, rightfully, always need to honour and acknowledge our veterans for their service while they’re in active service, but I would humbly submit that the government and us as a society, we don’t always do the best job of making sure we remember them when they’re here. This award will help us do that, and we certainly hope the opposition puts partisan politics aside and supports the bill. Let’s do the right thing and stand up for our veterans." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Next question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Lorne Coe", "text": [ "Speaker, through you to the minister, on the award, which is being developed in collaboration with the Ontario Command, can you speak a little bit, please, to the criteria that’s going to be used to evaluate the contributions of veterans for this new award, please?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Graham McGregor", "text": [ "Thank you to the member for Whitby for that question. Gosh, I wish I had more detail, but part of what we’re doing with this bill is giving ourselves the legislative authority to put the award together. We want to make sure that we’re working with our local Legions—with the Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Command, but also with the local Legions—to see exactly how we can put this award together for the maximum effect.", "It’s an important honour that we need to bestow on a group of people that we owe a lot to, quite frankly. We know we can never thank veterans enough for their service, for what they did for our country. We can sure as heck try. When we’re putting forward this award, we’ll be engaging in consultation over the coming year to make sure that we get it right. It’s something that we have to get right. It’s something that they deserve. It’s something that myself, and I know the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism as well, takes very seriously. We’re going to get it done." ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Next question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Miss Monique Taylor", "text": [ "Thanks to the minister and the members opposite who have spoken about this bill today, about the new bill, about the new incentives. I’ve looked through the public announcement as what has come through so far. I’m looking forward to looking at the bill deeper, because there are many things in our communities that veterans need. So I see that extra money going to them will be beneficial, for sure.", "But one of the basics that veterans need so greatly—particularly, I’ll speak for my own community—is housing. We have over 97—and that’s my last count a couple of years back—identified veterans who are homeless and living rough on our streets in the city of Hamilton. This $3,000 a year is just absolutely not going to cut it for those veterans. So can we have the government’s commitment to ensure that no veteran has to live on the street and that they do have the proper supports and housing that are absolutely necessary to putting them back in the community?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Graham McGregor", "text": [ "Thanks to the member opposite for the question. It’s a good chance for me to talk about a little bit of the great work that our government House leader did during his time as the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. I know some of the members—he did some things that were maybe not popular with the members opposite. But I think a really good thing we can all acknowledge that he did, that they should even acknowledge that he did, is making sure that we got shovels in the ground for Homes for Heroes in Kingston, to make sure that we’re supporting transitional housing for veterans. I just want to shout-out the government House leader for that. I know he took the bull by the horns and made sure that that happened.", "1010", "Part of the bill is also acknowledging—and part of our suite of initiatives is having our current Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing look at more opportunities for municipalities to make sure we get the housing part right. I’ll also say that part of the bill, the Soldiers’ Aid Commission, is important. The work we’re doing to get skills more readily recognized to provide more opportunities so veterans are able to transition to civilian life is more important. The stolen valour piece is—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "Thank you. That’s time.", "We’re going to move to further debate." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens", "text": [ "Good morning to all my colleagues today. Good morning, Mom—I know you’re watching. Thank you for all your advice and history of my family in the military.", "It is always a distinct honour to stand here in the House as the opposition critic of Legions, veterans and military affairs, a title I want to remind everyone that was created by this opposition because there was a gap. There was a large gap in representation here at a provincial level, and it was noted. Most people know that the federal government and Veterans Affairs Canada is the level that handles concerns and issues affecting veterans across Canada. That’s very true, but at a provincial level, we still have responsibilities to our veterans, young and old, past and present.", "I am pleased to talk about this new bill, the Honouring Veterans Act, 2024, and to discuss what this bill entails, what it introduces and what it means for veterans in Ontario. Just yesterday, November 4, we recognized the beginning of Veterans’ Week 2024, which goes until November 11 when we recognize the true sacrifices of our military service members across all of Canada.", "The two-minute moment of silence we observe can never truly make up for the lives lost and it can never properly honour the sacrifices of young men and women. But it’s a moment where we bow our heads in solidarity and we bow our heads in reflection—a moment when we collectively stand together from the west coast to the east coast across Canada, all with the same thought and goal in mind.", "Before I touch on this new bill, I think it is very important to go back and recount the invaluable and countless contributions that veterans not only made during their physical years of service, but even after they returned home to their communities, to their families and to a new Canada—a country and a province that looked different from when they had left to fight in World War I and World War II.", "In World War I and World War II, these veterans were individuals who walked our streets. They left as young boys, often lying about their age—far too young they were. Back to home soil, the motherland, they returned as men—men that had witnessed unspeakable things and now needed to address issues plaguing their community, such as a lack of affordable housing.", "Ironically, our veterans are experiencing the exact same thing today, so maybe not much has changed across Canada or in our province. Just yesterday my colleague the member from Ottawa Centre talked about how veterans historically fought for the right to housing right here in Canada. That’s such an important point to raise here.", "While we wear our poppies proudly this month, we must make sure that the poppy is not made out to solely be a performative symbol that we are expected to wear during the month of November. So while I wear mine today, let me dig into the history of housing and how the advocacy and the resiliency of generations before us came to provide hundreds of thousands—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Acting Speaker (MmeLucille Collard)", "text": [ "I apologize to the member for interrupting, but it’s 10:15 and we now need to move to members’ statements.", "Second reading debate deemed adjourned." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Rick Byers", "text": [ "Colleagues, on September 29, my wife Margot and I had the great pleasure of joining a large group of passengers to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the maiden voyage of the MS Chi-Cheemaun, the amazing vessel which runs between Tobermory at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula to South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island.", "The Chi-Cheemaun was built in 1973 in the Collingwood shipyard. With a length of 365 feet and beam of 62 feet, it is a big and beautiful ship.", "There was a naming contest for the new vessel, with 225 entries submitted. The $100 first prize was won by Donald Keeshig; although it was his daughter Lenore who submitted the entry on his behalf. Chi-Cheemaun is an Ojibway word meaning “big canoe.”", "On September 29, 1974, Chi-Cheemaun made its first run from Tobermory to Manitoulin Island, carrying 140 passengers and 60 vehicles. The ship encountered 14-foot waves on the 28-mile journey, but the new vessel made the journey with ease.", "Chi-Cheemaun is operated by the Owen Sound Transportation Co. Its schedule runs from May to October, and it makes three return trips each day.", "The 50th anniversary voyage was wonderful, with calm waters and beautiful scenery. Author Richard Thomas, who has written a great history of the Chi-Cheemaun, was guest speaker, and we heard Lenore tell her story of the naming. There was also great music from Moondance. Thank you to all those involved in this great celebration. It was a wonderful tribute.", "Colleagues, if you want a great sailing experience, come to Tobermory and ride the Chi-Cheemaun." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MPP Wayne Gates", "text": [ "In Niagara, residents are paying out-of-control rates for parking at our local hospitals. It’s $3 for just a half an hour of parking, and $16 a day. It’s no secret we have an affordability crisis in the province of Ontario. Costs for rent, groceries, gas and much more have skyrocketed over the last few years. We shouldn’t be adding extra costs to people’s lives and forcing families to choose between visiting a loved one at a hospital or making ends meet.", "Patients should be focused on getting better. Families should be focused on caregiving and support, and front-line health care workers shouldn’t have to pay to go to work and park. We shouldn’t be charging nurses, doctors, patients and families fees to park at a hospital. I know right here at Queen’s Park, MPPs do not pay for parking. Why should nurses, doctors, front-line workers have to pay to go to work to save lives?", "Local hospital systems depend on parking fees for millions of dollars a year, and much of that revenue goes to private companies contracted out for parking services. This government shouldn’t be forcing hospitals to rely on parking fees to pay their bills or to provide care for patients. This government should be funding our public health care system and ensuring patients have the resources they need to provide the best possible care. This government should stop underfunding, provide hospital systems with the funding they need and ensure no one—patients, families, workers alike—has to pay to park at a hospital." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Lorne Coe", "text": [ "I had the opportunity last week to open a 154,000-square-foot health and wellness centre in west Whitby. The centre is the most extensive medical group practice in Canada. This innovative facility will provide hard-working families in Whitby with access to urgent care, cardiology, diagnostic imaging, physiotherapy, a pharmacy and psychological support.", "The clinic’s central location near the toll-free Highways 412 and 418, situated on land purchased from the Ministry of Transportation—thanks to the Honourable Caroline Mulroney, who was the Minister of Transportation at the time—was strategically chosen to facilitate the provision of medical care by 85 physicians, including specialists and family doctors, to patients across the region of Durham.", "Speaker, what’s clear is that our government will leave no stone unturned to improve the quality and access to health care in Whitby and other towns and cities within the region of Durham." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MmeFrance Gélinas", "text": [ "A constituent of mine has been in crisis for five long years. She is a mom who had to quit her job and is completely burnt out trying to care for her 24/7, complex high-needs eight-year-old daughter. Last week, after exhausting every avenue possible, she gave up guardianship of her daughter to the children’s aid. Her family can no longer afford to properly care for her needs.", "1020", "First, the children’s aid put her daughter in a hotel room in Sudbury. Now she has been moved a five-hour drive away from her family to a foster facility in Mississauga. All of this should and could have been prevented.", "In March, I held a press conference in the living room of Tina Senior. Tina had to quit her job as a registered nurse at Health Sciences North to care for her complex medical-needs son, Alex. Before the Ford government came into power, children with high levels of need received help from community-based children’s agencies. Kids received the care and support they needed to achieve their full potential. Now, under this government, parents have to quit their jobs and go deep into debt to access private, for-profit services.", "This is not right. This is not my Ontario. These kids, these families need and deserve care in northern Ontario, in Sudbury, where I am. It is very sad to see the damage done by this government to our public, not-for-profit care system and the horrible consequences on special-needs children and their families." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Jess Dixon", "text": [ "Both of my grandfathers saw active service. David Dixon served in the Royal Navy and David Dyke saved in the Royal Canadian Artillery and came under heavy fire at Monte Cassino. When I was younger, I felt like I always heard this poem read at Remembrance Day ceremonies, but it’s been quite a long time since I’ve heard it, so I beg, Speaker, that you indulge me with a couple of extra seconds. The poem Dulce et Decorum Est:", "Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,", "Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,", "Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,", "And towards our distant rest began to trudge.", "Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,", "But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;", "Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots", "Of gas-shells dropping softly behind.", "Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of fumbling", "Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time,", "But someone still was yelling out and stumbling", "And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.—", "Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,", "As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.", "In all my dreams before my helpless sight,", "He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.", "If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace", "Behind the wagon that we flung him in,", "And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,", "His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;", "If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood", "Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,", "Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud", "Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—", "My friend, you would not tell with such high zest", "To children ardent for some desperate glory,", "The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est", "Pro patria mori.", "That is Wilfred Owen. He died, aged 25, in the trenches, one week before the war ended. His parents received the telegram notifying them of his death as the bells were ringing out on Armistice Day." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Chandra Pasma", "text": [ "This government has broken our health care system, and it is regular people who are paying the price. This past weekend, I heard three stories from constituents that highlight the state that our hospitals are in. One of the people I spoke to spent eight hours at the Queensway Carleton emergency department, worried that she was having a heart attack. This woman had had a heart attack before, so in addition to the chest pain, she was dealing with trauma for eight hours. She was freezing, so she asked for a blanket and was told the nurses were so busy that no one had time to grab a blanket for her.", "Just imagine what that must have felt like, Speaker: freezing, scared and in pain, and no one has time to help.", "Another constituent, a 14-year-old girl, sat in the ER with her mom for seven and a half hours with a concussion and they felt lucky because they were told when they arrived that the wait would be 14 hours.", "I also spoke with health care workers at the Queensway Carleton, who told me that their working conditions are absolutely impossible. Patient care aides are only being given three days of training, so there’s high turnover because workers are overwhelmed. Workers are being assigned to areas where they don’t have any training or experience, knowing they can’t spend the time with patients that the patients deserve. And they can’t take vacation time because of the worker shortage, so they never get a break.", "Despite all these challenges, there was not a single new investment in hospitals in the government’s fall economic statement. That is an utter dereliction of duty. My constituents deserve better, and the people of Ontario deserve better." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Ric Bresee", "text": [ "Today, I rise to recognize an extraordinary individual from our community, nurse practitioner Clarissa Townsend, who recently received the prestigious 2024 nurse practitioners of Ontario Boehringer Ingelheim Award for her outstanding contributions to patient care.", "Clarissa is from North Hastings and has dedicated her life to helping others, exemplifying the true spirit of nursing. She has an impressive educational background and has been a beacon of knowledge and care in our health care system. For over 18 years as a nurse practitioner in Bancroft and now at the Kawartha Cardiology Clinic, Clarissa has developed and implemented innovative programs to optimize the treatment of patients with heart failure, hypertension and diabetes. Her commitment to improving patient outcomes through education and self-directed care has made a significant impact on the lives of so very many.", "Clarissa’s recognition is not just a personal achievement, it reflects the incredible work of nurse practitioners across Ontario who are leaders in health care. Her humility and her dedication to her profession shine through in her statement: “I’m just a person who wants to do good and I ... want to see people cared for.”", "I commend Clarissa Townsend for her hard work and determination to be a role model for her daughter and for all young women who aspire to make a difference in their communities." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "M. Stephen Blais", "text": [ "J’ai l’honneur de prendre la parole aujourd’hui pour parler d’une organisation francophone extraordinaire dans ma circonscription. Le Mouvement d’implication francophone d’Orléans, ou le MIFO, soutient les francophones de l’est de l’Ontario depuis 40 ans.", "MIFO est le plus grand employeur francophone dans l’est de l’Ontario et c’est le plus grand centre culturel de la francophonie canadienne à l’extérieur du Québec. MIFO offre des services éducatifs, la garde d’enfants, les arts et la culture, pour les personnes âgées et les personnes avec des besoins spéciaux.", "Maintenant, MIFO prévoit de construire une installation sportive ultramoderne pour servir la communauté, un projet qui ajoutera 350 emplois et 13 millions de dollars au PIB chaque année.", "MIFO is an organization that promotes francophone culture throughout eastern Ontario, offering educational, cultural, artistic, sports and recreational activities to the largest concentration of francophone minorities in the country outside of Quebec.", "It’s hoping to bring a state-of-the-art recreation and sporting facility to serve the francophone community of eastern Ontario. MIFO has recently applied for funding under the community sport and recreation fund. If props were permitted, I’d be throwing a ball across the aisle to the Minister of Sport because, Minister, this will be the easiest touchdown you’ll ever score." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Amarjot Sandhu", "text": [ "Today I’m honoured to recognize three remarkable Bramptonians, a part of the Toronto Pearson Airport Running Club, who have achieved extraordinary milestones, showcasing that age and challenges are no barrier to endurance and excellence.", "At the ages of 65 and 64, respectively, Mr. Kuldip Grewal and Mr. Harjit Singh have demonstrated unparalleled dedication. Mr. Grewal completed the half Ironman in Welland, Niagara Falls, finishing an impressive journey of two kilometres of swimming in 58 minutes, 90 kilometres of biking in three hours and 47 minutes, and a 21.1-kilometre run in two hours and 53 minutes, for a total time of seven hours and 59 minutes.", "1030", "Mr. Harjit Singh took on the full Ironman challenge in Sacramento, California, completing a gruelling four-kilometre swim in one hour and 12 minutes, 180 kilometres of biking in eight hours and 39 minutes, and a 42.2-kilometre marathon run in six hours and 11 minutes, for a total time of 16 hours and 43 minutes.", "I would also like to highlight Mr. Jasvinder Dhaliwal, who completed the Niagara Falls Marathon on October 27, 2024, with a finish time of four hours, nine minutes and 49 seconds. His dedication and impressive pacing truly reflect his commitment to endurance and athleticism.", "These accomplishments by Mr. Grewal, Mr. Harjit Singh and Mr. Dhaliwal are testaments to the power of determination, strength and perseverance. Brampton is incredibly proud of these achievements, and I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all three on their remarkable journeys." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Ross Romano", "text": [ "This past Friday, November 1, 2024, I had the privilege of being a part of a new phase in the history of Sault Ste. Marie’s Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25. They needed a new building, and they have found an innovative way to achieve their goal.", "Through a unique partnership with a local developer, they were able to demolish their previous facility and build a brand new, nine-storey building, including 108 affordable housing units, a gathering hall, meeting rooms, museum amenities rooms and fully developed grounds. It’s impressive. The state-of-the-art facility is Branch 25’s new home, the place where they will continue to honour and serve our veterans and our community for years to come, while securing a stable source of revenue to offset their operating costs.", "We remember the incredible sacrifice our veterans made so we may enjoy our freedom. Our local Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25 works tirelessly supporting our local veterans and ensuring that we never forget.", "I want to thank our local Branch 25 on their new home, and I want to thank them again for the incredible work they do supporting our community." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "We have with us in the Speaker’s gallery today a very special guest, who is the consul general of the Federative Republic of Brazil in Toronto, Mr. Enio Cordeiro. Please join me in warmly welcoming our guest to the Legislature today." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. John Vanthof", "text": [ "I would like to welcome the members of the Ontario Dairy Council here today. Farmers make the milk, but the dairy processors are the people who make the great products out of that milk, and we wish them well here today at Queen’s Park." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Rob Flack", "text": [ "To echo the honourable colleague opposite, I want to recognize the Ontario Dairy Council here today: Mr. Gilles Froment, Ed Perugini, Sarab Hans, Kristine Hayes, Brian Kerr, Éric Lafontaine, Maria Prado, Stephen Quickert, Hans Sommer, Marie Ly, Julie Paquin, Richard Sanchez, Kiran Mann, Christina Lewis and Valerie Smith. Welcome to Queen’s Park and we’ll see you at lunch. Well done." ] }, { "speaker": "MmeFrance Gélinas", "text": [ "I would like to welcome all of the members from the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario who are at Queen’s Park today: the executive director, Dr. Michelle Acorn; Amanda Rainville, from my riding, who lives in Capreol; as well as Jessica Romeo; Jodi Colwill; Valerie Winberg; and many more. Thank you for coming to Queen’s Park. We appreciate your hard work." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Anthony Leardi", "text": [ "On behalf of the entire Progressive Conservative caucus, I would like to welcome the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario here to Queen’s Park ahead of Nurse Practitioner Week. Let’s take an opportunity to celebrate their dedication and hard work. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Joel Harden", "text": [ "I want to join members who have welcomed nurse practitioners to their House. Thank you for what you do. In particular—I see you up there, Colene—PeerWorks, who are here about peer support for folks struggling with addictions and mental health. Colene touched my heart this morning. Thank you for the work that you do, giving people hope and opportunity. I appreciate it." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon", "text": [ "I too would like to welcome the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario. Thank you for all you do to keep Ontarians healthy. God knows we need you right now. But in particular, clever Kevin Zizzo, cool Krystal Fox and joyful Gillian Elms. Thank you. Enjoy your day." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Michael S. Kerzner", "text": [ "Especially as we have Crime Prevention Week this week, I want to welcome: Roger Wilkie, deputy chief of Halton Regional Police Service and president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, and his executive officer Tammy here; Lisa Darling, the executive director of the Ontario Association of Police Service Boards; and acting superintendent Anthony Paoletta from the Toronto Police Service. Welcome to the Ontario Legislature." ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Lise Vaugeois", "text": [ "I would also like to welcome the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario, in particular Barbara Bailey, Michelle Acorn and Marie Greer-King, who will be meeting with me later today. I’m looking forward to that very much. Welcome to your House." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Trevor Jones", "text": [ "It’s my pleasure to welcome [inaudible] Paightyn Armstrong who studies political science at McMaster University, and her friend Tori Harling, who studies political science at U of T. Have a great day, ladies." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Terence Kernaghan", "text": [ "It’s my honour to welcome the Economic Developers Council of Ontario, who are hosting a reception in the dining room at 5 o’clock. In particular, I’m looking forward to meeting with Cephas Panschow, Darcy Brooke-Bisschop, Chad Richards, Michael Marini, Paul Pirri, Tyson McMann, Kate Burns Gallagher and John Regan. Welcome to Queen’s Park, and I recommend all members join their reception." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Stephanie Bowman", "text": [ "I would like to also thank the NPAO for a productive discussion this morning about the four Ds—they will inform me about that later—as well as the Ontario Dairy Council and a school from my riding, Crestwood school, who will be arriving in the gallery shortly. Welcome to Queen’s Park." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Laurie Scott", "text": [ "I’d like to welcome Brian Kerr from—yes, Kawartha Dairy ice cream is in the building. Welcome." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "If there are no objections, I’d like to continue with introduction of visitors." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Bhutila Karpoche", "text": [ "I too would like to welcome the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario, in particular Dr. Michelle Acorn, CEO of NPAO, and the nurse practitioners I met this morning: Noorin Jamal, Stephanie Lawrence and Elizabeth Smith. Thank you for all you do." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Jill Dunlop", "text": [ "I’m pleased to welcome from my riding of Simcoe North the Georgian Bay District Secondary School grade 10 civics students and grade 11 law class. Also, a big welcome and thank you to all the teachers accompanying the students here today: Tarra Popple, Paula Quinn, Tim Jenkinson, Jessica Carney, Peter McLean, Hailey McClean, Kristy Seca and Rachel McDonald. Thank you all for being here, and enjoy your visit at Queen’s Park." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Sol Mamakwa", "text": [ "Meegwetch, Speaker.", "Remarks in Anishininiimowin.", "Good morning. I would like to welcome Mitch Simmons and Laura Blair, who are here with the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Board of Education, also known as KOBE. KOBE coordinates the educational programming for the First Nations served by the Keewaytinook Okimakanak chiefs’ council. Keewaytinook Okimakanak means “northern chiefs” in Anishininiimowin. Meegwetch for coming to Queen’s Park, and thank you for your work." ] }, { "speaker": "Mrs. Karen McCrimmon", "text": [ "I too would like to welcome the members of the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario, and in particular, Jodi Colwill, Valerie Winberg and Jessica Romeo, whom I’m meeting with later today. Thank you for everything you do.", "1040" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Charmaine A. Williams", "text": [ "I just want to give a big welcome to Mr. and Mrs. Kapoor, who are the parents of Samika Kapoor, one of our pages who have been working this session." ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Jill Andrew", "text": [ "Good morning, Speaker. I too would like to welcome Dr. Michelle Acorn, CEO of the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario, and all the nurse practitioners here today.", "And I want to take an opportunity, because I didn’t get a chance yesterday, to welcome and thank the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario, who we met with yesterday: Kiki Cekota, Adele Yamba and Kristel Flores. Thank you to all our front-line health care workers for the invaluable work you do every single day." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Michael A. Tibollo", "text": [ "I’d like to welcome the team from PeerWorks who were here this morning for their advocacy day, including president Andrea Schaefer and operations director Allyson Theodorou. Thank you for everything that you do to support the work of our peer workers in the province of Ontario. Thank you for being in your House this morning." ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam", "text": [ "It’s my honour to also stand in this House to welcome PeerWorks, Ontario’s only province-wide voice for lived experience and peer support. They represent 50 different community-based organizations, who are all doing the very best they can to advance the work around consumer survivor initiatives.", "This morning I had the distinct pleasure of welcoming to my office Susan Dobson, who is the executive director of Krasman Centre—their organization serves York region, Toronto and Simcoe county—and Elizabeth Tremblay, Peer House Toronto coordinator, doing exceptional work in our great city; and of course Melody Li, the executive director and founder of Homeless Connect, a dear friend and an advocate for those who are under-housed.", "I also want to extend my welcome to the nurse practitioners of Ontario, led by Nathan Bains, who has so graciously coordinated a meeting with my office this afternoon, as well as the Economic Developers Council of Ontario and Stephanie Crilly. Thank you for all your administrative support there." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Deepak Anand", "text": [ "Speaker, it’s always a pleasure to welcome a family member. I’d like to welcome Kiran Mann, CEO of OIC Foods, from my Mississauga–Malton family. Welcome to Queen’s Park." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Tyler Allsopp", "text": [ "I too want to extend a welcome today to nurse practitioners Marcella, Debbie and Erin, who came to meet with me this morning. Thank you very much for coming and welcome to your House.", "As well, Ontario Dairy Council members Stephen, Kristine, Ed and Maria, whom I met with this morning: Stephen is the owner of Reid’s Dairy in Belleville, one of our great dairy processors, an absolute staple when you come to town. Ed is the CFO of Lactalis, which operates Black Diamond in our area. Thank you so much for coming—a pleasure to meet with you this morning." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Anthony Leardi", "text": [ "I would like to recognize today our page captain Kellen who comes from Essex county, and also recognize his mother Tammy and sister Kalila who are visiting us today from Essex county. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Terence Kernaghan", "text": [ "I’d like to also welcome the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario. I’m looking forward to meeting with Beth Cowper-Fung, Chantal Sorhaindo and Kelly Kokos. I also want to send a warm thank you to nurse practitioners Kevin and Erin and CEO Dr. Michelle Acorn for a wonderful discussion this morning." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Lorne Coe", "text": [ "I’d like to welcome Christie White to Queen’s Park. Christie joined my staff as an executive assistant in the Premier’s office." ] }, { "speaker": "M. Stéphane Sarrazin", "text": [ "Je voulais souhaiter la bienvenue à M.Éric Lafontaine, qui est le directeur général de la fromagerie St-Albert dans ma circonscription, une fromagerie qui est connue à travers la province. Donc, il est ici aujourd’hui avec ses collègues, lesproducteurs laitiers de la province. J’ai bien hâte de jaser avec eux, puis de les rencontrer ce midi. Bienvenue à Queen’s Park." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Marit Stiles", "text": [ "This question is for the Premier. Housing starts are down. Targets are, apparently, out of reach for this government and the crisis is getting worse than ever.", "We did what the government won’t do. We put a real housing plan on the table, a plan that would double the supply of permanently affordable homes by working with non-market providers. Instead of supporting our motion and rolling up their sleeves and taking an all-hands-on-deck approach, this government said no.", "So, Speaker, why is it that when it comes to lobbyists and insiders and Conservative donors, the answer is always yes, but when it comes to the basic needs of Ontarians, this Premier always says no?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "To reply, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Paul Calandra", "text": [ "What we voted against yesterday was a tired old plan that failed and continues to fail the people of the province of Ontario. This is something that the NDP tried when they were in government between 1990 and 1995, which was a spectacular failure, Mr. Speaker.", "To make matters even worse, it is very similar to a plan that the federal Liberals have in place. It is about ideology and talking about housing, but not actually getting shovels in the ground. If the NDP and the Liberals spent some time actually contemplating the issue, as opposed to writing about it and talking about it, they would know that we have introduced a new provincial planning statement, which is housing-positive, which unleashes housing along our transit routes, in co-operation with the Minister of Infrastructure, who is bringing forward transit-oriented communities.", "But what it really reflects on, Mr. Speaker, is the fact that interest rates increased so quickly, so fast, because of the high-inflation policies of the federal Liberal and NDP government. That is what has caused a pause in what was a record-setting pace of building homes across the province of Ontario." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The supplementary question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Marit Stiles", "text": [ "Talk about ideology, right?", "Here’s what happens in Ontario today: The Premier cuts deals, insiders cash in and regular Ontarians pay the price—every single time.", "There’s always time and money for schemes like a $100-billion tunnel to nowhere and luxury spas in downtown Toronto, but investing in housing that people can actually afford—they can’t even imagine it. Is it any surprise that Ontarians can’t find affordable housing today? It’s not being built. Sitting back and waiting for the homes to magically appear is not working.", "So is this Premier just waiting for a miracle? Why won’t you consider public investment to make up the difference? Where do they think that homes are going to come from?", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Members will please take their seats.", "Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Paul Calandra", "text": [ "Listen, I watched the Leader of the Opposition’s press conference with respect to her policy. She was asked three times what the policy would cost, and three times she avoided the answer because she didn’t know.", "It reminds me of their election platform. Remember their last election platform? They had this massive hole in spending. I think it was—" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Caroline Mulroney", "text": [ "It was $7 billion." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Paul Calandra", "text": [ "It was $7 billion, Mr. Speaker. That’s Liberal and NDP math, right? What they are contemplating is, by our calculations, an over $150-billion program that will create literally no homes.", "Instead, what we’re doing is we’re building infrastructure so that we can unleash not hundreds of homes, not thousands of homes, but millions of homes for the people of the province of Ontario.", "We invest over $1.2 billion a year across the province of Ontario in subsidized housing. We’ve removed development charges on affordable housing. I’ll remind the Leader of the Opposition that she and her party voted against that. That policy unleashed hundreds of thousands of—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Thank you very much.", "The final supplementary?", "Ms. Marit Stiles: I don’t know what this minister and this government expect. Do they think people are going to live in the tunnel? I mean, come on. Where are the homes? Where are they? You’re not building them. People can’t afford them anymore.", "Two and a half years ago, the government’s own Housing Affordability Task Force laid it all out. They said to build 1.5 million homes. We need fourplexes, we need density near transit, we need non-market housing. But since then, what have we got? Scandals, excuses, wasted time, wasted money.", "Even with all of their attempts to pad the numbers for housing counts, this government is nowhere near close enough, and all you have to do is read their fall economic statement. People in Ontario cannot afford to wait any longer. They cannot afford this Conservative government any longer.", "1050", "If the Premier can’t get the job done, isn’t it time he got out of the way and let those of us who actually have a housing plan get it built?", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Members please take their seats.", "Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Paul Calandra", "text": [ "Speaker, look, if the Leader of the Opposition wants to go to the people of the province of Ontario and ask them for a mandate, I welcome it, because I will put the record of this government on the table any day.", "We were building homes at a record pace across the province of Ontario; they stood in the way each and every time. While we were bringing automotive investments to the tune of $45 billion, they were voting against it. We were building transit and transportation. They couldn’t get it done; we are building it across the province of Ontario. We’re unleashing opportunity in northern Ontario. We’re connecting the minerals of the north and the wealth of the north to the prosperity and manufacturing might of the south. We’re building our hospitals, we’re educating our students better, we’re balancing the budget, we’re getting the job done.", "You want an election? Bring it on. I know the people—", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Stop the clock.", "I’ll remind the members to make their comments through the Chair.", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The government side will come to order. The Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development will come order. The Associate Minister of Small Business will come to order. The government House leader will come to order.", "Start the clock. The next question." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Marit Stiles", "text": [ "Let’s talk about this government’s record, shall we? This question again is going to go to the Premier. One year ago when this government got caught trying to sell off the greenbelt to insiders, they promised to review the Lobbyists Registration Act. That was after the Integrity Commissioner revealed an unregistered lobbyist was handing out Raptors tickets and rounds of golf, and after staffers were found using personal emails to communicate with insiders and lobbyists. Yet, here we are, no review, no accountability and former staffers like Ryan Amato are flat out refusing to comply with FOI requests.", "My question again to the Premier: Is flouting integrity rules just business as usual for this government?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "To respond, the Attorney General." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Doug Downey", "text": [ "Mr. Speaker, I’m actually happy for the opportunity to report that we are making progress on the review of the lobbying act. I met with the Integrity Commissioner this summer. We’ve received some of his ideas, we’re waiting on some more, and I hope to close the loop on some of that before he retires.", "I have to tell you, he has done an absolutely excellent job and I welcome the opportunity to say thank you to the Integrity Commissioner, Commissioner Wake, for the tremendous work that he has done. He has held up his office to a high standard.", "I’ll say more about the review in the second question." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Supplementary?" ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Marit Stiles", "text": [ "Yes, we also appreciate the Integrity Commissioner; we have kept him quite busy this year with complaints about this government.", "The government claims zero tolerance for wrongdoing, yet they haven’t lifted a finger to prevent it from happening again. By law, the Lobbyists Registration Act was actually up for review in 2021—that’s three years ago—but this government blew right past that deadline. Meanwhile, lobbyists and insiders are calling the shots, right? They’re snapping up MZOs, they’re gouging hospitals for private staffing companies and they’re bulldozing Ontario Place for a luxury spa.", "My question to the Premier is, when are you going to follow through on tightening the lobbying rules, or are the perks and the massages just too good to pass up?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Doug Downey", "text": [ "Again, I want to speak more about the review of the lobbying act. While the Leader of the Opposition is tilting at windmills and keeping him busy with frivolous inquiries, Mr. Speaker, I can tell you this: When the review is brought forward, it will last well beyond any of us in this place. It will be a solid piece of reform that will endure and set a standard that is even tighter than what we have. It is a great opportunity to move forward.", "I know that she’s bridging over to all sorts of other things that upset her about the progress we’re making in this great province, expanding jobs and investments, and Ontario Place and all of the great things that we’re doing for the people of Ontario. I don’t know if there’s a third question in there or if she’s just going to talk more about the things that upset her, Mr. Speaker." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The final supplementary?" ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Marit Stiles", "text": [ "Yes, great things, Speaker—a million people went to a food bank last year. They’re doing great things.", "The government was cautioned repeatedly that bad actors are taking advantage of the system because this government has allowed it to happen. The Conservatives have talked a very big game, saying it would root out the bad actors, the bad actor lobbyists. They said they would introduce new penalties for breaching the act. The Premier even suggested jail time, remember that?", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Marit Stiles", "text": [ "Yes. But they were never serious about strengthening that lobbying act and the integrity laws.", "I’m going to make this very simple for the Premier, because he only has two options: Will he protect the public by fixing the Lobbyists Registration Act, or will he continue to protect his lobbyist friends?", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Members will please take their seats.", "The member for Brantford–Brant and parliamentary assistant." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Will Bouma", "text": [ "Speaker, as has been mentioned by the Attorney General, we are following the recommendation from the Auditor General, and we are getting that done. While our government expects all lobbyists to follow the current rules, it is clear that a few bad actors have taken advantage of the system.", "Speaker, our government will not tolerate this type of behaviour. While public advocacy plays an important role in our democratic system, it must be done in an ethical and transparent manner. Anyone doing advocacy work with the government must be held to the highest standards. We will not tolerate anyone putting themselves above the trust, transparency and accountability of the people of Ontario. There is no place in Ontario for this government—for bad actors and these practices must be and will be put to an end.", "But, Speaker, rather than be distracted by this, we will continue to build Ontario. We will get it done." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Marit Stiles", "text": [ "Back to the Premier: Over 2.5 million people in Ontario don’t have access to primary care right now. The current shortage of family doctors means the number of unattached patients is going to double in the next few years. That’s 4.4 million people, or one in four Ontarians, by 2026. Let that sink in.", "Nurse practitioners who have joined us in the House today are ready to fill the gap. They are trained to perform absolutely crucial work to address this health care crisis. But your government hasn’t addressed their wages in years, and now that funding gap between nurse practitioners who work in hospitals and nurse practitioners who work in the community and in home care has become an ocean. Why won’t this government pay nurse practitioners what they’re owed, regardless of where they work?", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Members will please take their seats.", "The member for Essex and parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Anthony Leardi", "text": [ "Let me take an opportunity to praise the nurse practitioners who are here today and across the province of Ontario for their very valuable contribution to the delivery of primary care.", "I take particular note that when Liberals and NDPers talk about primary care, they never include in their statistics the contribution that is made by nurse practitioners. But we include them in our statistics. When we deliver primary care in the province of Ontario, we know that approximately 90% of everybody in the province of Ontario has primary care, part of which is delivered by nurse practitioners. We’ve funded the largest expansion of nurse practitioner care in the history of the province of Ontario, and we continue to make progress and do more." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Supplementary question? The member for Nickel Belt." ] }, { "speaker": "MmeFrance Gélinas", "text": [ "Nurse practitioners want to work. They want to help solve the crisis in our health care system, and many of them cannot find a job.", "1100", "How could it be that with 2.5 million Ontarians without access to primary care, we have underemployed nurse practitioners right here, right now, in Ontario—even in my riding in rural northern Ontario?", "Let this sink in: We have nurse practitioners willing and able to care for unattached frail elderly people, kids with complex medical needs—and keep them out of the emergency room, yet this minister refuses to fund them.", "If the millions of dollars over three years promised was the solution, those nurse practitioners would not have come from all over Ontario to be here today. What is the minister waiting for?", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Members will please take their seats.", "The member for Essex." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Anthony Leardi", "text": [ "Speaker, this government has undertaken the largest expansion of nurse practitioner service in the history of the province of Ontario, and as part of that expansion—let me talk about the Lakehead Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, which has an additional 1,600 patient spaces. That’s another 1,600 individuals who will get service in and around the area of that nurse practitioner-led clinic. That’s thanks to the grand expansion of those services undertaken by this government.", "On this side, we believe in patient-focused, team-based care. We’re going to continue pursuing that. That’s why we have appointed Jane Philpott, a recognized expert in primary care, to help us reach even better goals. Even though we’re reaching approximately 90% of all the residents in the province of Ontario, we want to do better, and we’re going to do better. That’s why we’ve appointed Jane Philpott to assist us in that goal." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Christine Hogarth", "text": [ "My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Across the province, we are seeing companies invest, expand and create great-paying jobs. That’s what happens when you cut red tape and ensure the conditions are there for businesses to thrive. It is a direct contrast from the previous Liberal government, who actively implemented policies that they knew would crush businesses and drive workers out of this province.", "This is a new era for Ontario. Companies from across the world know that there is no better place to do business and invest than right here in Ontario.", "Can the minister please provide this House with an update on new investments and expansions that are happening right now here in Ontario?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Victor Fedeli", "text": [ "Speaker, the economic developers who are here today know that every single night Premier Ford gets his text about yet another company investing in Ontario.", "Last week alone, Ontario landed more than $1 billion in private company investments, adding more than 2,300 jobs. Included in that number was Moderna’s expansion in Cambridge. Their multi-million dollar investment allowed them to partner with Novocol Pharma, to add a new fill-finish line for mRNA vaccines. That will create more good-paying jobs in Cambridge and in the surrounding area.", "Thanks to the great work from our economic development folks who are here today, we’re seeing more investments flow into the province at an unprecedented rate. That’s why 860,000 jobs were created in Ontario since we were elected." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Supplementary question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Christine Hogarth", "text": [ "We’re seeing companies make job-creating investments in every sector of our economy. Communities that the previous Liberal government turned their backs on are seeing their local economies flourish. That’s what happens when you lower the cost of doing business and you get rid of the red tape that the Liberals put up to stifle business investment and job creation.", "Our life sciences sector is growing rapidly, and Moderna’s investment is yet another vote of confidence in Ontario, We have everything that the life science companies are looking for right here when they evaluate where they should expand. Most importantly, we are home to the best talent in the world, with over 70,000 STEM students graduating from our top post-secondary institutions each and every year.", "Can the minister please highlight any additional life science investments that have landed in this province recently?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Victor Fedeli", "text": [ "Yesterday, we joined Kenvue in Guelph to announce the completion of their multi-million dollar facility expansion. Kenvue is the world’s largest pure play health consumer product company. They make iconic products like Tylenol, Band-Aid, Listerine, Polysporin—all the things that you find in your drawer at home.", "They expanded their Guelph facility, bringing the size of their plant to more than 255,000 square feet. That investment will allow them to ramp up their manufacturing capacity. That investment will also add more good-paying jobs to the hundreds of employees that Kenvue already has in Guelph.", "Speaker, we’ve landed more than $5 billion in new life science investments, and there’s much, much more to come." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Jessica Bell", "text": [ "My question is to the Premier. Over the past six years, homelessness has surged, and the shelters are full. There are now over 1,400 encampments in Ontario. The Conservatives could take responsibility and invest in affordable housing, but instead they’re blaming everyone else for the problem.", "My question is simple: When an encampment is cleared, where exactly do you expect people to go?", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Members will please take their seats.", "Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Paul Calandra", "text": [ "I think the member will appreciate that, in her own riding, we have increased funding for the Homelessness Prevention Program by—I think it’s 28% in the member’s own riding. We have a historic investment right now of over $1.2 billion to help us deal with the challenges that have been brought on by a really rapid expanding population in the province of Ontario.", "But at the same time, Mr. Speaker, I think the member is correct in one sense: We are investing record amounts in the Homelessness Prevention Program across the province of Ontario—as I said, $1.2 billion. It is our expectation that our municipal partners work with us, that our federal partners work with us, so that we can deal with this challenge head-on because, ultimately, it is the right thing to do to ensure that everybody has a roof over their head and that they have access to the services that they need.", "If our partners aren’t going to get the job done, we will step in and make sure that we do get the job done." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The supplementary question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Jessica Bell", "text": [ "Back to the Premier: This government has had six years to address the homelessness crisis, and it has never been worse. To end homelessness, people need a permanent, affordable home, but the Conservatives have essentially turned their back on affordable housing and the construction of affordable housing at a time when the government’s own documents show there are 234,000 people facing homelessness.", "When are the Conservatives going to take responsibility and address the homelessness crisis?", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Members will please take their seats.", "Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Paul Calandra", "text": [ "I’m not sure what the member is talking about. The reality is that we’ve increased funding to $1.2 billion, a record amount of funding in the province of Ontario, to deal with the Homelessness Prevention Program.", "I know that the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions is also working on the very real piece that we see often in some of these encampments, the mental health issues and addiction issues. So we’re dealing with that at the same time.", "We’re also putting in resources. Look, we were the ones that led the call for the federal government to eliminate the HST on purpose-built rentals. What happened when we saw that happen? We reduced the tax and we saw record amounts of housing being built in the province of Ontario.", "When we brought forward a plan to eliminate development charges on affordable housing, that member and that party voted against that initiative.", "What we’re going to do is this: We’re going to continue to fund housing across the province of Ontario, but it is our expectation that the funds that we are spending are going to see the results that Ontarians want. If they don’t, we’ll step in and get the job done." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Aris Babikian", "text": [ "My question is for the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Transportation. Under the Premier’s leadership, Ontario is a top choice for families and workers to live. People are coming here to build their careers and to start new lives, and that’s something everyone should be proud of.", "1110", "As more people settle in Ontario, we must ensure that our transportation infrastructure keeps up with that growth. Sadly, the previous Liberal government left our province in a gridlock crisis. Because they failed to act, commuting has become more difficult for everyone. That is why our government must commit to building and expanding our roads, highways and transit systems.", "Can the associate minister please outline the steps our government is taking to reduce gridlock and keep Ontario moving forward?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "I remind the House that questions should be addressed to ministers, even though parliamentary assistants are permitted to answer.", "The member for Hastings–Lennox and Addington and parliamentary assistant." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Ric Bresee", "text": [ "Thank you to my colleague for the question. Our population is growing; we know that, and we need more infrastructure to support the families moving to our great province. Under this Premier’s leadership, our government is focused on getting people out of gridlock. We have a plan to build new highways and public transit all across Ontario.", "We are building historic projects that will support our growing population and make it easier for people to get where they need to go. As part of our plan, we’re building critical projects like Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass. We are building the Ontario Line, a brand new subway in the largest city in the country. And for commuters who take the GO train, we’re building new tracks and new stations to prepare for two-way, all-day GO service.", "Our government is building for the future. We’re focused on tackling gridlock and keeping this province moving." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Supplementary question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Aris Babikian", "text": [ "Bonnie Crombie and the Liberals do not have a transit plan. They keep saying no to investments that will keep our province moving. The NDP are no better. They don’t believe in building new highways. They vote against funding more transit. They said no to the Ontario Line subway, and they voted against funding two-way, all-day GO train service.", "We are the only ones, under the leadership of Premier Ford, with a plan to improve Ontario’s transportation network. Can the parliamentary assistant please outline the progress our government is making to tackle gridlock?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Once again, I’ll remind the members to address their questions to ministers.", "The member for Hastings–Lennox and Addington and parliamentary assistant to reply." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Ric Bresee", "text": [ "Thank you to the member from Scarborough–Agincourt.", "You’re absolutely right. It’s true: The Liberals and the NDP simply don’t have a serious plan to tackle gridlock. What are their solutions? They want to remove car lanes to add more bike lanes on our busiest roads. They want to tear down highways like the Gardiner Expressway. The NDP want to use your money to give private trucking companies free tolls on the 407.", "We believe in building new infrastructure, such as the toll-free Highway 413 and the electric two-way, all-day GO service. Unlike the Liberals and the NDP, we actually have a serious plan to address gridlock. Our government will get Ontarians moving and keep Ontarians moving." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong", "text": [ "My question is to the Premier. Recently, I met Carolynne, a 79-year-old woman living in my community. She was diagnosed with a stage 4 single prolapsed bladder three years ago and is still waiting for critical surgery. While waiting to see specialists and for surgery, her condition has worsened to a double prolapse, greatly impacting her quality of life. She’s forced to spend up to $180 on incontinence products out of her limited budget.", "Carolynne’s story is heartbreaking, but not shocking to anyone anymore under this government, who’s only in it for themselves.", "Minister, what will this government do to help Carolynne get the surgery she needs and end her suffering?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The member for Essex and parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Anthony Leardi", "text": [ "Speaker, the province of Ontario has a health care budget. In 2018, that health care budget stood at $60 billion. Today, the same health care budget stands at $85 billion, for a $25-billion increase, which is a 41% increase over the same period of time. At the same time, the province of Ontario has the number one best surgical times in the entire country, better than any other province—better than British Columbia, better than Saskatchewan, better than New Brunswick.", "But we can always do better, and we will always seek to do better. We are expanding the community health clinics and the community health surgical centres to give more surgeries and faster surgeries in the province of Ontario. Of course, we know the NDP don’t support that plan, but we’re going to go ahead with it." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Supplementary question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong", "text": [ "Carolynne cannot wait on empty promises. She lives in constant discomfort and pain, and is suffering mentally from an indignity that comes with a sensitive condition. She has been told it could take still up to another two years before she gets surgery. She was brave enough to come forward and share her story. Can the minister promise Carolynne she can get her surgery before her 80th birthday?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Anthony Leardi", "text": [ "Any person in that situation—including that dear constituent—who needs to get that health care should get that health care.", "I want to point out that we’re providing better health care in the province of Ontario through increasing surgical activities and surgical opportunities through the surgical clinics that are being set up by an expansion that was undertaken by this government. We know that the opposition didn’t support that expansion, but we need that expansion to help constituents such as that dear lady who needs her surgery.", "In Ontario, surgical times are faster than anywhere else in the entire country. We’re doing better than every other province, but we always seek to do better and better so that we can help every constituent, including that dear lady, get their surgery. That’s why we’ve undertaken an expansion of the surgical clinics, which will offer a better experience and faster experience in the province of Ontario." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon", "text": [ "Good morning, Mr. Speaker. While this Premier is busy distracting the public with booze, bike lanes and subterranean passages, 2.5 million Ontarians are being hung out to dry without family doctors. In his own riding of Etobicoke North, 32,000 people have no family doctor—no one to go to who knows their medical history and no one to go to when they are at their most vulnerable state—thanks to this government.", "Jennifer, one of my residents, is losing her family doctor after three decades. As a senior, she is worried about being without a family physician who knows her diagnoses. Unfortunately for Jennifer and the other 2.5 million Ontarians without family doctors, this government is failing to retain and recruit health care professionals.", "My question to the Premier: What are you saying to your 32,000 residents when they come to you asking for help to get a family doctor?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "I’ll remind members to make their comments through the Chair.", "The member for Essex and parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Anthony Leardi", "text": [ "I feel for Jennifer, because Jennifer needs primary care, just like everybody else in the province of Ontario. I feel for Jennifer especially since the Liberal Party reduced the number of doctors being trained in Ontario when they formed the Liberal government.", "But we’re not going to do what the Liberals did. We’re not going to reduce the number of doctors being trained in the province of Ontario. In fact, we’re training more doctors, not only in southern Ontario but also in northern Ontario as well. We’re training more doctors than the Liberals ever trained. We’re going to make up for their mistakes, we’re going to make up for their failures, and we’re going to—", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The member for Don Valley East will come to order. The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing will come to order. The member for Ottawa South will come to order.", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Order. Stop the clock.", "1120", "Perhaps I need to speak more loudly. The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing will come to order. The Minister of Natural Resources will come to order. The member for Don Valley East will come to order.", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Okay. If you repeatedly ignore the requests of the Speaker to come to order, you will be warned, and the next stage, of course, is an early exit for the day, in case we’ve forgotten.", "Start the clock. The supplementary question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon", "text": [ "I hope the 13,000 lovely people in Essex who are without family doctors get help from this member.", "In my riding of beautiful Beaches–East York, there are 23,000 people without a family doctor. I’m embarrassed that this government has done nothing to fix it in the past six years. My staff work hard to help the residents find physicians in our riding who are accepting patients. They call local clinics. They try to connect our constituents with the doctors. It’s not easy.", "Meanwhile, this government created a digital map to help Ontarians find beer and wine in the area—talk about skewed priorities. The 32,000 people in the Premier’s riding of Etobicoke North need basic health care, not a six-pack. The 23,000 people in my riding of Beaches–East York need a trusted family physician, not a box of wine.", "So my question to the mayor—sorry, I mean Premier—", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon", "text": [ "Sorry. My mistake—", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Order. Please let the member pose her question." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon", "text": [ "I’m sorry.", "My question to the Premier is, when will the 2.5 million Ontarians without a family doctor finally get one?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Anthony Leardi", "text": [ "Mr. Speaker, the Liberal member who just spoke has illustrated my point perfectly. I stated previously that when the Liberals calculate their statistics, they always talk about family doctors and they never include nurse practitioners.", "Nurse practitioners deliver primary care. Nurse practitioners deliver patient-focused care. Nurse practitioners believe in the team-based strategy. But that member, three times, referred to primary care and doctors and never once mentioned nurse practitioners.", "We believe in nurse practitioners. This party believes in nurse practitioners. Liberals do not believe in nurse practitioners. Maybe they should start believing in nurse practitioners." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Steve Pinsonneault", "text": [ "My question is for the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. The people of Ontario know that our farmers are the backbone of this community. They work hard day in and day out to put food on our table. But right now, they’re facing one of the toughest challenges yet. The Trudeau-Crombie carbon tax is pushing them to the financial brink and making it harder for them just to compete. It’s driving up feed, fuel and fertilizer costs for their farm operations.", "Farmers across our province, especially in my riding, need to know that our government stands with them against this unfair and regressive tax. Can the minister share what concerns he has heard from farmers about the harmful impact of the Trudeau-Crombie carbon tax on their operations?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Rob Flack", "text": [ "Thank you to the member opposite from Lambton–Kent–Middlesex. He’s doing a great job. He is a great neighbour, representing farmers very, very well. Thank you, sir.", "Earlier this year, 25 leading agri-food agribusinesses and farmers sent a letter to the federal government asking them to scrap the tax. Sadly, it went unresponded to and ignored. I want the House to hear some examples.", "The Grain Farmers of Ontario have described this tax as “unbearable,” estimating it will cost their members $2.7 billion by 2030.", "John de Bruyn, past chair of Ontario Pork, has said that it makes their sector less competitive in the global markets that they compete in.", "The Ontario Fruit and Vegetables Growers’ Association says that it cost their members $16 million last year alone.", "Sadly, the carbon tax coalition opposite continues to support it. It’s punitive, it hurts our farmers, it hurts our food processors, it raises the price of groceries. Scrap the tax." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The supplementary question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Steve Pinsonneault", "text": [ "Ontario farmers are facing tough economic times. Soaring costs are hitting them hard, from fuel to farm equipment and all the essentials needed to keep their operations running. The Trudeau-Crombie carbon tax is making everything worse, adding costs every step of the way. Farmers have told us that this tax is making it harder and more expensive for them to do what they do best: feed Ontario.", "With everything going up, they’re being forced to pass those costs on down to the consumers. The price of the tax isn’t just felt on the farm, it is felt on every family’s dinner table as well. But we know our government is stepping up to help.", "Can the minister please explain how our government continues to stand up with our farmers and is providing them with help that they need?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Rob Flack", "text": [ "Simply put, we’re creating the environment for our farmers and food processors to succeed. What have we done to create this environment, you ask? We’ve lowered taxes and WSIB premiums. We raised the Risk Management Program from $100 million to $150 million. We secured $569 million through SCAP. We raised the feeder cattle loan program from $260 million to $500 million. We continue to pave the way to help our farmers and food processors succeed.", "What do the members opposite do? They support a carbon tax. It’s punitive. If they really want to help the program, if they want to help our farmers and food processors, get on board and get away from this tax. From the farm gate to the consumers’ plate, axe this tax and axe it now." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Sol Mamakwa", "text": [ "Meegwetch, Speaker.", "Remarks in Anishininiimowin.", "This government isn’t in it for the municipalities in northern Ontario. In northwestern Ontario, Red Lake, Dryden, Kenora, Ear Falls, Machin, Ignace and Pickle Lake all saw substantial rises in OPP costs. Pickle Lake’s 315% increase amounts to $668 per property this year.", "Northern municipalities are sounding the alarm bells at the skyrocketing price of policing. Will this government provide them the cost relief they are asking for?" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "To reply, the Solicitor General." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Michael S. Kerzner", "text": [ "I appreciate the question. The provincial government, our government led by Premier Ford, takes public safety very seriously all across Ontario. We are lucky to have the Ontario Provincial Police that, for so long, has taken care of public safety for approximately 75% of the land area of Ontario. They received two million calls last year and responded to over 1.2 million calls.", "We’re never going to not listen to our municipalities. We are always going to listen to them wherever they are in Ontario. I have been in discussions throughout AMO and presently with municipalities to make sure that their concerns are heard.", "Again, at the end of the day, public safety is a priority for this government, and we will continue to listen to municipalities wherever they are in Ontario." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The supplementary question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Sol Mamakwa", "text": [ "Northern municipalities are already facing housing crises, mental health crises, health care crises, and budgets are tight. They are warning that the result of increased policing costs will be cuts to other services and increases in taxes.", "Will this government listen to towns and help with the costs of policing so municipalities can keep their services and avoid extra tax increases?", "1130" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Michael S. Kerzner", "text": [ "I think the Premier has been very clear. We’re going to continue to dialogue and to engage and to listen to the concerns of the municipalities.", "At the end of the day, people who serve in the OPP also deserve to be paid a fair wage. Police officers across Ontario deserve to be paid fair wages—and we have here the president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police.", "We dialogue with organizations all the time. We will listen to our municipalities. We will continue to engage with them. We will be there for them. We will leave no one behind. And we will always prioritize, with a laser-focused approach, public safety throughout our province." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Michael Mantha", "text": [ "My question is to the Minister of Transportation. Over the summer, residents of Manitoulin Island were left stranded for long periods because of mechanical failures on the Little Current Swing Bridge. This happened several times over the summer, with no notice and with little to no explanation from the ministry about what caused these delays. And there have been ongoing closures for maintenance and repairs.", "In this year’s budget, the Minister of Finance specifically highlighted replacing the swing bridge as part of their plan. However, over a year later, we still have no idea how much the government is going to spend, the timeline for the project, or even when we’ll get shovels in the ground. The swing bridge is the only year-round access point to Manitoulin Island.", "Minister, will you tell the people of Manitoulin when the new swing bridge will begin construction and when it will be completed?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria", "text": [ "The swing bridge is obviously a very important project for us, and that’s why it was featured in the budget, as part of our $28-billion plan to build roads, bridges and highways over the next 10 years. That is why we are committed to improving the transportation infrastructure across this province. It’s this government that has put forward the dollars to invest, knowing how important it is for that community. We’ll work through the process to make sure we get construction under way as soon as we can. We’ll design that bridge and ensure that the people across this province can use it and the residents, as well, can benefit from it.", "This government is committed to building in the north, building this entire province, and investing in the necessary infrastructure to support Ontarians." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Supplementary?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Michael Mantha", "text": [ "Again, to the minister: There are still no answers coming from this government. People in rural and northern communities shouldn’t be left in limbo when it comes to critical infrastructure. Replacing the Little Current Swing Bridge will be a massive undertaking. The lack of information and transparency from the government has people in Manitoulin worried about whether this project is being taken seriously by this government.", "When the bridge is closed unexpectedly for any amount of time, it affects people’s ability to get to medical appointments, to work, to events, and it negatively impacts Manitoulin’s ability to bring visitors and business to their community.", "Haweaters are tired of hearing reannouncement after reannouncement from this government. They want to see concrete dollars allocated to the replacement project and action and a firm timeline for completion.", "Minister, all we want is a date. When will the new Little Current Swing Bridge be built?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria", "text": [ "Mr. Speaker, we are very serious about building this bridge. That’s why we featured it in our budget, and that is why that member has an opportunity to support that budget. I know, last year, that member voted against that very document that featured the swing bridge. In fact, he has another opportunity, through the fall economic statement, to support the continued construction and building of bridges across this province, including the swing bridge.", "I would hope that member stands up for his residents in the north, stands up for his community, and especially that specific project, the swing bridge, that he has mentioned himself, and votes to support the fall economic statement, which is in this Legislature for debate and will be voted on. I’m hoping to count on that member’s support to ensure that we continue the process of getting that bridge under construction and built for the people in the community and for those in the north who use it." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Billy Pang", "text": [ "My question is to the Solicitor General. Community safety is a major concern for people across Ontario, especially in my riding of Markham–Unionville. Every day, families worry about the safety of their neighbourhoods. They want to know that our government is doing everything it can to prevent crime before it happens. We know that safe communities aren’t just about policing, they are about everyone working together: community groups, local leaders and law enforcement.", "Crime Prevention Week highlights just how important it is for us to be aware and engaged. When everyone plays a role, communities become more resilient and safer. Can the Solicitor General please share what steps our government is taking to promote crime prevention and enhance community safety across Ontario?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Michael S. Kerzner", "text": [ "I want to thank my friend. He’s a great supporter of the York Regional Police service that keeps his community safe each and every day.", "You know, Mr. Speaker, Crime Prevention Week is very important because we talk about awareness, we talk about engagement and prevention of crime across our province. We are delighted to have the president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, Roger Wilkie, deputy chief of Halton here today.", "Our government is acting. That’s why we put almost 2,100—it will be 2,100—new boots on the ground in the next 12 months. It’s unprecedented. When I went back to speak to some of the older police officers, they said that when they went to the Ontario Police College, class sizes were 40 and 50. Now they’re 500, thanks to Premier Ford and the investments we’ve made. And we’re not stopping. Whether it’s fighting auto theft, whether it’s fighting to get the violent and repeat offenders off our streets, this government will prioritize our public safety." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Supplementary question?" ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Billy Pang", "text": [ "Every community in Ontario, whether big or small, deserves to feel safe. People want to feel secure in their homes, on the streets and in their neighbourhoods. Crime prevention isn’t just about stopping crime. It’s about giving people the tools they need to protect themselves and their families. Our communities are stronger when people have the resources to stay safe.", "But we know that crime prevention doesn’t look the same everywhere. That’s why it’s so vital that every Ontarian, regardless of where they live, has the same opportunities to benefit from these safety initiatives.", "Speaker, can the Solicitor General please explain how our government is helping to ensure these crime prevention resources reach all Ontarians, including those in our most diverse and remote communities?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Michael S. Kerzner", "text": [ "Again, thanks to my great friend from Markham–Unionville.", "Mr. Speaker, our government has not stopped. We have a CCTV grant. We have an auto theft prevention grant. We have the Bail Compliance and Warrant Apprehension Grant. We don’t stop.", "But one has to ask the question: When the associate minister and I made the announcement last week on calling on the federal government to enact meaningful bail reform, where was Bonnie Crombie? She was hiding, just like she did with the carbon tax—not coming forward and saying that when she sat on the Peel Regional Police service board, she knew to the dollar the amount of carbon tax being wasted. Because the Peel police service couldn’t have more boots on the ground, they’re paying the carbon tax. She is silent on public safety and Ontarians know it." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam", "text": [ "My question is to the Premier. Survivors of intimate partner violence have been telling this government that the court backlogs and delays created by their underfunding are denying survivors and victims of crime access to justice.", "The Premier’s fall economic statement projects a half-a-billion-dollar cut in next year’s spending on the justice system, falling from $6.2 billion to $5.7 billion. In Ontario, we have seen legitimate cases being thrown out. This is due to unconstitutional court delays.", "We’ve seen rapists and human traffickers walk free because this government chooses to look the other way. Why is this government cutting justice spending by 9% when survivors are still not getting their day in court?", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Members will please take their seats.", "To reply, the Attorney General.", "1140" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Doug Downey", "text": [ "Mr. Speaker, that member could not be more wrong. The investments we’re making in modernizing the justice system and arming the justice system to do its job: We added more judges this year than any time in the history of the province in a group. We are adding the resources in the capital of buildings. We’re adding the resources in the support structure, hiring crown prosecutors, victims’ services, court clerks. We’ve made full-time opportunities for court clerks who were previously in more tenuous employment. We’re adding technology, Mr. Speaker.", "But here’s the only theme to all of that: We are doing that in spite of the opposition and them voting against us at every single stage." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The supplementary question?" ] }, { "speaker": "MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam", "text": [ "Half a billion dollars in cuts and all we get are canned talking points.", "This government has insulted survivors and families who are mourning lost daughters who were killed through intimate partner violence. The House has heard loud and clear from courageous survivors like Cait Alexander, who was nearly beaten to death by her former boyfriend.", "This House has also heard from Emily Ager, who was raped and who actually testified in her case, but the clock ran out and her case was thrown after she began her testimony. Both of those people have now walked—the abuser, as well as the rapist, are now free on our streets because of this government. This government refuses every opportunity to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic. They’re letting rapists and abusers walk free.", "Speaker, why does this government have such disdain for survivors and victims of sexual assault? Who are they actually protecting?", "Interjections." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Members will please take their seats.", "To respond, the Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Charmaine A. Williams", "text": [ "We just heard our minister, our Attorney General, just speak about the investments that we’re making to ensure that our victims have their day in court, but one of the other things that our government has actually done, where the members opposite have been silent, is calling on the federal government for mandatory remands for perpetrators of intimate partner violence. Those are the steps that are actually going to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable and make sure that women are free to feel safe on our streets.", "We’re also making sure that we’re investing in the services that women can access if they are assaulted, because we believe that every single woman is the heart of their family, their community and nobody, no woman should ever feel like they are a threat of their own life and their own safety. So investing in our shelters, investing in supports that help women across communities—" ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Thank you very much.", "The next question." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Ms. Jess Dixon", "text": [ "My question is for the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. Film and television production has been a big success story across our province, especially in my own area. I’m from Cambridge. The Handmaid’s Tale is largely filmed there, as was the Queen’s Gambit, Reacher on Amazon and notably, once upon a time, Murdoch Mysteries was filmed at my own house where it involved, I think, somebody falling out of the tower and dying—anyway, a lot of filming going on in beautiful Cambridge. Obviously there’s a lot of other jurisdictions that are competing to try to bring film and TV to those respective areas as well, so we obviously have to continue supporting this industry.", "Can you talk more, Minister, about what our government is doing to promote and cultivate the expansion of onscreen-based industries in Ontario?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Stan Cho", "text": [ "I certainly can, Speaker. In fact, the member mentions a few amazing shows, but that’s not the end of the list. The Umbrella Academy, Shoresy, Letterkenny, Suits, Ginny and Georgia are also all filmed right here in Ontario. It’s because of our government’s investment into this industry, which has generated approximately $1.8 billion in spending and created almost 26,000 jobs.", "That’s why in our budget 2024, we invested more than $1 billion to support Ontario’s screen-based industry tax credits, which include the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit, Ontario Production Services Tax Credit, Ontario Computer Animation and Special Effects Tax Credit and Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit.", "This commitment is helping the industry. I know the previous Liberal government left the industry up Schitt’s Creek with no paddle, but this government is saying, “Lights, camera, action” on film in Ontario." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The supplementary?" ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Jess Dixon", "text": [ "While the minister references a number of other wonderful productions that have happened in Ontario, as the one asking the question, I’m going to bring it right back to Cambridge again. As I said, the Handmaid’s Tale, Gilead, is largely filmed in Cambridge. One particularly notable scene during the riots and the protesting involved one of my favourite local coffee shops, the Grand Café, actually having all of its windows blown out, which is quite something to see in your safe local jurisdiction.", "Obviously, I don’t think that you could replicate Gilead in any other place outside of Cambridge, but other jurisdictions are trying to enhance their own landmark attractions to a considerable extent. Could the minister elaborate on specific initiatives that our government is undertaking to showcase this industry across the province?" ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Stan Cho", "text": [ "Why, yes, I can—another great question from the member.", "In fact, we are investing into the industry in a variety of ways, not the least of which is $19.5 million to support festivals and events across Ontario. Now, I’m not sure why the Liberals are heckling. Maybe it’s because they voted against all of these measures, and it’s hard to hear all the economic activity that’s spun off of this industry. But we won’t leave the film industry in the dark. We’re going to continue to invest in them, whether it’s the Windsor International Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, or most recently, the Forest City Film Festival. This government is saying, “Lights, camera, action” in Ontario. We’re here to stay. Let’s see it thrive and grow." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "That concludes our question period for this morning. There are four members who have informed me they have a point of order they wish to raise. We’ll start with the member for Don Valley West." ] }, { "speaker": "Ms. Stephanie Bowman", "text": [ "On a point of order, I would like to just say that, as of last night, there is a newly elected city councillor in ward 15, my riding of Don Valley West. I would like to congratulate Rachel Chernos Lin and her team on a very successful campaign and wish her all the best at city hall. Thank you." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. John Fraser", "text": [ "I know it’s been busy and loud in here today, and that everybody’s heading to caucus, but I wanted to let everybody know that after question period, Dr. Shamji and I will be at our desks, and if you want to know how many people in your riding don’t have a family doctor, we’ll stay here as long as it takes." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "That’s not a valid point of order." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The member for Don Valley East." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Adil Shamji", "text": [ "I just wanted to remind all members in the House that there is a flu clinic taking place at the legislative library today until 3 o’ clock. This is an excellent opportunity to get a flu shot if you don’t have a family doctor." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness." ] }, { "speaker": "Hon. Rob Flack", "text": [ "I would like to take this opportunity to welcome my wife, Denise, who is up in the gallery. Welcome to Queen’s Park." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "There being no further business this morning, this House stands in recess until 3 p.m.", "The House recessed from 1149 to 1500." ] }, { "speaker": "Mr. Deepak Anand", "text": [ "It’s always a pleasure to welcome family members to Queen’s Park. Sarab Hans is the president of Hans Dairy, from the family of Mississauga–Malton. Welcome to Queen’s Park." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.", "First reading agreed to." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.", "First reading agreed to." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MmeFrance Gélinas", "text": [ "I would like to thank Mrs. Nancy Corcoran for these petitions. They’re called “Justice after Birth Injury.”", "I don’t know if you know, Speaker, but the Canadian Medical Protective Association is a taxpayer-funded organization whose mandate is to defend malpractice by physicians, including cases of devastating birth injury and permanent impacts on the babies being born, as well as their families. The approach of the CMPA is to defend at all costs, which means that it will go through courts for years and years for a birth injury, where malpractice happened. Physicians are human beings, and sometimes things don’t go well. It will go through court, often, for 10 to 12 years. Very few lawyers want to take on those cases because of the amount of defence that the physicians have through the CMPA.", "There are other jurisdictions, such as Japan, that have systems similar to us—but they take it that the injured baby and their family will receive payment without incriminating anybody. They would like the provincial government to look at this model so that babies who are injured at birth, who will have disabilities for the rest of their lives, don’t have to go through courts and wait for decades.", "I support this petition. I will affix my name to it and ask page Samika to bring it to the Clerk." ] }, { "speaker": "The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott)", "text": [ "Once again, I’ll remind members to keep the summary of their petition brief. Also, they can indicate the number of signatures if they wish to do so." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Tom Rakocevic", "text": [ "This petition is about taking action on auto theft in Ontario, something that many across the province, in the midst of this auto theft crisis that we’re experiencing, are calling for—over $1 billion of lost money each year; 80% of the vehicles stolen here are going abroad.", "The recommendations are bringing a state-of-the-art VIN registry that we need here in this province; real action at the borders, as these vehicles are taken onto crates and shipped out of the country; real action on enforcement—the list goes on.", "So this petition, signed by many, is asking this government to make stopping auto theft in this province a priority.", "I’m very proud to be signing this petition and giving it to page Marie-David." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MPP Jamie West", "text": [ "This petition is entitled “Petition to Raise Social Assistance Rates.” There have been countless signatures on this petition. We’ve all been tabling them.", "Basically, what they talk about is how our social assistance rates are well below Canada’s official Market Basket Measure poverty line. Basically, you cannot make ends meet with this amount of money. If you’re on OW, Ontario Works, it’s $733 for an individual; if you’re on ODSP, the Ontario Disability Support Program, for an individual it’s $1,368—far too low for people to be able to make ends meet and move forward when it comes to the rising cost of food and rent, utilities and other things like that.", "There was an open letter that was sent to the Premier and to cabinet ministers that was signed by over 230 organizations. They recommended that the social assistance rates be doubled for both Ontario Works and ODSP.", "Considering that we have people who are living below the poverty line and considering that during COVID, when the CERB program from the government of Canada came through, they had a basic income of $2,000 a month, these citizens who signed the petition for the Legislative Assembly have asked to double social assistance rates for both OW and ODSP.", "I support this petition. I think it’s important that people have enough money in their pockets to pay their bills so they can move forward in life. I’ll affix my signature and provide it to page Jakob for the table." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Dave Smith", "text": [ "I have a petition from some people in my riding. It talks about how the population of Ontario has grown significantly over the past number of years, and that this means that there’s an increase of traffic on our roads, and we need to make sure that we’re doing the appropriate things to improve transportation efficiency in the province of Ontario. We have to reduce commute times because of that. It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that when the population goes from 10 million to 15 million, there will be more people who need to travel all across the province.", "I fully endorse this petition. I will sign it and give it to page Ali to take to the table." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MmeFrance Gélinas", "text": [ "I would like to thank Mr. Brian Smit from Oxford for these petitions. He has gathered names from Oxford, London and Stittsville. It’s against privatization of our health care system.", "The petition talks about that the cost of delivering surgery in private, for-profit clinics exceeds the cost of providing the same services in our hospitals—often by as much as 100% more expensive.", "The backlog of surgeries in British Columbia did not go down when they went down this path of privatizing all patient surgical suites.", "Ontario has the capacity within the existing system to do a whole lot more surgeries, if we had the money available to do them.", "So they ask the Legislative Assembly to stop all funding to private clinics and independent health facilities, and that the money be redirected to our publicly delivered health care system for medically necessary surgeries.", "I fully support this petition. I will affix my name to it and ask page Lily to bring it to the Clerk.", "1510" ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Dave Smith", "text": [ "I have another petition from people in my riding about affordable housing. We know that we cannot be leaving anyone behind. We have to have the entire suite of housing available. Many different options need to be made available for people—not just purchasing, but rentals. Having purpose-built rentals is something that we need to make sure that we’re promoting and doing in an appropriate way.", "This petition is asking the provincial government to accelerate construction of new homes and make sure that we do ensure that we have purpose-built rentals available for everyone as well.", "I fully endorse this petition. I will sign it and give it to page June to take to the table." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Tom Rakocevic", "text": [ "This petition was presented by Dr. Sally Palmer, who has been an absolute champion in fighting for those receiving social assistance and calling for an increase in rates. As we know, those living below the poverty line in the midst of an affordability crisis are the ones who are most affected. This is calling for an increase in both OW and ODSP by significant amounts and not what we have been seeing in recent years.", "I certainly support this petition. I will be signing my name to it and giving it to page James." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "Mr. Anthony Leardi", "text": [ "I have a petition here, and it deals with the issue of housing.", "I’ll summarize the petition as follows: It wants to bridge the gap between the demand for homes and the supply of homes. The petition goes on to say that the lack of new housing is leading to higher property prices. It also leads to higher rental costs. And it’s making it difficult for young families. It deals with the question of how young people and young families will be able to find housing in their price range. Also, it proposes that low-income residents might find more stable housing if we were able to increase the supply of housing.", "Finally, the petition calls upon the Legislature to support and implement measures that will increase construction of new homes across the province of Ontario, and by doing so, would lower the cost of purchasing a home.", "I support this petition. I will affix my signature to it. I’m giving it to page June, who, I am sure, will diligently bring this petition to the robed individuals at the centre of this chamber, who are diligently working away at the grand table and will process that petition through the ministry, as required." ] } ]

[ { "speaker": "MPP Jamie West", "text": [ "This petition is kind of near and dear—it’s not in Sudbury, but near Sudbury, and we have similar issues.", "Back in 1998, a 14-kilometre section of Highway 67 was downloaded to the town of Iroquois Falls. Over time, the population has declined, and the cost of maintaining this road has become too onerous with the financial resources that they have. So now you have a situation where you have a highway that’s deteriorating, that’s full of potholes and patches and soft shoulders that are falling apart, overgrowth—even the patch upon patch upon patch is making it difficult to drive. The community now is looking at that perhaps this highway should be a gravel road, because at least they could maintain a gravel road. It’s overall deteriorating, and they don’t have the money to support it, even though this highway was downloaded to them from the provincial government. It’s a vital link to Highway 101 west for the residents, businesses and emergency services.", "Their request, basically, under the “therefore” part, is that they would like Ontario and the Ministry of Transportation to take back the responsibility for the highway, reverse the downloading of this, so that the people who live in this area have access to their highway and it’s maintained in good condition.", "I think it’s an excellent petition. I can understand their concern. I don’t want them to be overlooked. I support this petition. I’ll affix my signature and give it to Jakob for the table." ] } ]