Question Period: Tuesday, June 1
"So now we’re finding out the member’s votes never really mattered"
Interjections abound — things got testy between House Leader PAUL CALANDRA and turfed-PC-turned-Independent ROMAN BABER, a theme so far for this week. Heritage Minister LISA MACLEOD also got in her fair share of heckles as the House closes in on the summer recess. Premier DOUG FORD ditched the debate again.
THE HIGHLIGHTS: Conceding Covid spread in schools — A chance for the Education Minister to get shuffled out — Prioritizing kids with special needs — “A real plan” for an Indigenous-led survey of former residential schools — Vaccination thresholds for normalcy (or lack thereof) — “Nightmare” in Brampton’s health system — Opioid crisis reaches “alarming” heights — Take the (now-moot) McVety bill off the books — Given harm and so-called lack of transmission, why aren’t schools open? —Make WSIB help injured workers again — Fix vaccine bookings for 80-plus crowd — 28,000 kids on mental health wait list.
Conceding Covid spread in schools
TRANSCRIPT — Ms. Andrea Horwath: My first question this morning is to the Premier. The Minister of Education, on November 18, said in this Legislature, “It is quite obvious, according to leading medical experts across this province, that ... transmission is not happening within school.” This is, of course, in reference to COVID-19.
My question is: Is this Premier and this government prepared to stand behind that statement?
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Minister of Education.
Hon. Stephen Lecce: It is the position of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, from September to the present. He was asked just last week a question on the safety of schools, and he said, and confirmed, that schools have been safe in the province of Ontario, that three out of four schools in the province did not have an active case of COVID when we closed at the peak of the third wave.
Mr. Speaker, we have put in place a $1.6 billion plan. We have followed the best medical advice. And according to medical officers of health in Ontario, the Chief Medical Officer of Health and a variety of other paediatric institutions—including the scientific director of the Ontario science table, who said, “Ontario, unlike other places in the world, did a relatively good job if you compare to the UK our way our way of cohorting. Our way of masking kids is much, much better.”
Mr. Speaker, we’re going to continue to follow that advice and most especially continue to invest to keep kids safe.
Ms. Andrea Horwath: Today’s Toronto Star reveals that on the very following day from when this minister made the claim about schools being safe, his ministry folks were hearing the exact opposite from experts at SickKids. In fact, Ministry of Education staff wrote the following note: “Is there any transmission happening in schools? We don’t know.”
So, why was the minister telling parents, teachers and kids — in fact, members of the Legislature, that there was no transmission happening in schools while his own team was admitting they didn’t know?
Hon. Stephen Lecce: The principal adviser to the cabinet, the government and the province of Ontario is the chief medical health officer of health. While I know when given the opportunity to affirm her public commitment to him, to the lead scientific leader of this province in the midst of a pandemic, they opted not to renew and still have confidence in him, but we have followed that perspective, and most especially in the context of our testing program what we have noted is that we’re one of the only provinces in the nation that has a targeted asymptomatic testing program. That is an additional layered approach to keeping schools safe.
The principal testing agent in Ontario is the Ministry of Health. Last week alone, 20,000 tests were completed. In addition, the Ministry of Education brought in a targeted program to offset and complement testing within our schools to make it more accessible and more available for families.
The Chief Medical Officer of Health as head of the science table and the head of the chief medical officers of health council have been consistent and clear. Schools in Ontario have been safe. We’ve been grateful for the partnership of local public health and school boards, educators and parents to keep students safe in the province of Ontario.
Ms. Andrea Horwath: Yesterday, the Minister of Education made the same claim as he’s making now, bragging about the in-school testing, and yet the Toronto Star reveals quite clearly that the testing was woefully inadequate. In fact, Dr. Ashley Chute from the science table calls the government’s approach to testing scattershot and says it was, “… ultimately doing nothing in terms of our ability to take the data and make any sort of inference from it.”
In fact, the very best week of this government’s testing in schools yielded 8,213 tests instead of the promised 50,000 tests that we’ve heard this minister brag about time and time again. Why did the government claim that their testing proved that schools were safe when they knew that wasn’t the case? I’m sending the evidence over to the minister right now.
Hon. Stephen Lecce: What has been confirmed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, according to his independent analysis of transmission in schools, is that they have been safe, that the layers of protection put in place by the province of Ontario, following the best medical advice, has worked to reduce transmission.
When three out of four schools in the height of the third wave had no active cases at all, when 99% of students and 98% of staff had no cases of COVID reported through the pandemic, that demonstrates that the $1.6 billion in layers of protection and the strict public health interventions we put in place from September and escalating them throughout the pandemic as the challenges changed throughout Ontario, it demonstrates that we were agile, that we followed advice and we invested to keep kids safe.
The authority is not the Minister of Education, it’s not the leader of the opposition, it is the Chief Medical Officer of Health who has been consistent in this province from September through the present that schools have been safe. We are grateful for the partnership to do that for the benefit of children in Ontario.
A chance for the Education Minister to get shuffled out
Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question’s also for the Premier, but maybe this is the minister’s opportunity to get the transfer to a different ministry that he wants.
Interjection.
Ms. Andrea Horwath: Teachers, education workers and public health experts have all been clear what is needed in our schools, and that means smaller classes, fixing backlog repairs that the Liberals left us with, vaccinations and an actual testing strategy that is robust, which we haven’t had. Instead, what we’ve had is education cuts in the last budget. The government, the Premier particularly, attacking our teachers and the government and the government and this Premier claiming that the experts were backing their plans when, in fact, they actually told the minister and the Premier that they were literally flying blind.
So, why did the government tell parents, schools, teachers, boards and everybody in this province that schools were completely safe when, in fact they knew that they had no idea whether they were or they weren’t?
Hon. Stephen Lecce: Mr. Speaker, the Chief Medical Officer of Health has advised the people of Ontario when repeatedly asked about the safety of schools, transmission in schools, has suggested that the protections we put in place, following his best advice from September, have kept students and staff safe. That is his repeated position on the record to the people of Ontario, literally for the past year.
The question for the Leader of the Opposition is, why do you not take the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health? Why not accept the independent analysis he has made with the very tables that inform him, that have built confidence for students and parents, that our schools have been safe, when 99% of students didn’t have an active case and 98% of staff, when three out of four schools didn’t have an active case at all at the peak of the third wave? It underscores one truth: that the investment we put in place has worked.
With that said, there are 7,000 more staff that were hired this year, and 95% of schools have seen some upgrade to ventilation. We have 40,000 HEPA units and HEPA filters improving our ventilation in schools, double the public health allocation. And yes, we’re the only province in the nation with the targeted, province-wide capacity to conduct asymptomatic testing. That is very important, and we are proud of the work we have done. We’re going to continue to do everything we can for the benefit of students and for their safety in Ontario.
Ms. Andrea Horwath: It’s really clear that investment was needed to keep kids safe at school. But that’s not what has happened in this province. The Premier heard it from teachers, from boards, from the science table that they needed to invest in our kids but they just didn’t want to. In fact, the FAO report just the other day indicates very clearly that this government has cut $800 million from education just in this budget, and over the next decade, those cuts will increase significantly.
Cuts to the classroom will not help keep our kids safe. They just won’t. That’s the reason why our schools aren’t open today. Why is the Premier cutting education in this province? Why is the Premier doing that when it’s clear to everyone that our kids need and deserve more investment now? They need it now more than ever before.
Hon. Stephen Lecce: The reason why schools were closed in the province, according to the Chief Medical Officer of Health, is because community transmission spiked to roughly 4,000 cases a day. That is the reason, and the member opposite knows it to be true. That’s why we closed schools. That’s why Nova Scotia announced closures on a regional basis. It’s why BC did so on a targeted basis. We have to respond to risk profiles that change. When cases rise in the community, they’re reflected in schools: We close them to protect families. We did that repeatedly.
In the context of funding, we increased investment by $2 billion as we look forward to September: a $1.6-billion provincially-funded increase in resources for COVID, a $500-million increase in the Grants for Student Needs and a targeted $85 million support for summer learning and learning gaps. We’ve also quadrupled mental health funding. How can the member opposite suggest there’s a reduction in expenditure? In the FAO report, when it comes to methodology, the FAO suggests, in the context of methodology, that the Ministry of Education is not forecast based on compensation hikes. He makes assumptions on what those hikes may be; we do not. When it comes to the—
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. The final supplementary.
Ms. Andrea Horwath: Yet another government attacking an independent officer. It’s just getting a bit tired. Look, when it comes to parents—
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government side, come to order.
Ms. Andrea Horwath: —when it comes to students, when it comes to teachers, everybody is desperate to get back into the classroom. Why? Because our kids are suffering. They’re suffering from mental health challenges. They’re suffering from loneliness. Parents are so worried about their kids and what is happening to them because they can’t go to school. In fact, this government promised that schools would be the first to open and the last to close. Experts, of course, say that that’s essential for the mental health of our kids and it needs to be done safely and on a regional basis. However, to do that, we need to have that safety and we need to have that investment.
Today, just moments ago, the Star reported that the Ford government is not ready to do that, to make those investments and open those schools. Apparently, they’re more interested in classroom budget cuts than in protecting our kids, which is absolutely shameful. My question is: Is the report from the Star accurate today? Will the Premier keep his promise to kids and make the investments to ensure that they do come first in reopening?
Hon. Stephen Lecce: Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to continuing to invest in schools. It’s why we announced some weeks ago a significant enhancement in funding for September. Even though we know that all students will be double vaxed—for those that want it, 12 and up, by September, and likewise for our education staff and the general population, so long as supply continues to come in—even though we know that the world will change and will hopefully be much better and safer for communities and for schools, we still are funding it at 100%; still maintaining the doubling of public health nurses; still the only province with an asymptomatic testing program; still having PPE being provided for free, with three-ply masks for all students; still ensuring cohorting; and all the public health measures we put in place this year that the science table chair, as well as the Chief Medical Officer of Health, has said has resulted in safe schools. When 99% of students are safe, and 98% of staff, we can be confident that the program we put in place has kept students safe, and we will continue to invest and continue to support parents, families and children in Ontario.
Prioritizing kids with special needs
Ms. Doly Begum: My question is to the Premier. Amaiyah, a seven-year-old from Scarborough Southwest, has been facing an incredible amount of difficulty over the past year with online learning. She cannot focus, and misses the support that she used to receive from her educator during in-class learning. When the province finally announced that in-person learning may be available for children with special needs like Amaiyah, her mother made the request to her school, with no success.
My question to the Premier is, what options do students like Amaiyah have, and what has this government done to ensure that accessibility and accommodations for special-needs children are prioritized throughout this pandemic?
Hon. Stephen Lecce: I should have noted in the last answer that when the Leader of the Opposition speaks about the importance of open schools, it was the opposition parties who stood with the unions at the time, who called for the government not to reopen schools in February and January. They advocated for keeping schools closed until the stay-at-home order lifts. That is their position, and they would have kept schools closed throughout 2021. We moved mountains, working with every medical officer, with the chief medical officer, seeking external counsel, pediatric institutions, to get them open, to keep them safe.
In the context of virtual learning, another choice that would have been removed: They would not have offered parents a choice of virtual learning. And yes, one in four parents opted for it. They may into September. We think that choice is a strength, recognizing that in-class learning must be safe, which is why we invested for it.
In the context of what we’re doing to support virtual learning, we’ve added an additional $200-million to support it. Over 150,000 tablets have been procured, 10,000 Internet connections and a significant increase, including last year and this year forthcoming, to ensure families can get access to the devices and supports that they need.
Ms. Doly Begum: Mr. Speaker, it’s shameful that I asked a question about a seven-year-old who needs special-needs support, and the minister decided to use his opportunity to answer and throw political punches at the opposition, and then he went on to advocate for privatization or for online learning. I am at a loss for words, because I’m talking—
Hon. Lisa MacLeod: That’s all you do, day in and day out.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.
Ms. Doly Begum: And again, the minister is going to interrupt me while I ask my questions.
Speaker, we cannot let students lose a year’s worth of learning, development and progress. Students, educators and families are exhausted. They are waiting for this government to make immediate investments in safer, smaller class sizes, upgrade ventilation and give resources for students with disabilities.
For weeks, Amaiyah’s family has been given the runaround, and I hope the minister will move mountains to help kids like Amaiyah, like many other families who are trying to access supports. Despite having all the documentation, like medical notes, Amaiyah is still on a wait-list to be considered for in-person learning and accommodations. So my question is, why is the government failing students like Amaiyah and so many others across this province?
Hon. Stephen Lecce: Mr. Speaker, when it comes to virtual learning, yes, it is important to start on the basis that we are the only party in the Legislature that would have provided that family with that choice—step 1. Step 2 in the context of our funding for virtual learning: We have increased the investment by $225 million, which has provided literally over 195,000 devices that have been procured this year. We have nearly 10,000 Internet connections. In a Toronto District School Board survey, nine in 10 families currently have access to their own devices that were provided in part by the boards. We’ve done an incredible amount of work to build up the infrastructure.
Remember, we set a high standard in Ontario. We set the highest standard in the nation. At least 70% of the 300 minutes of instruction must be done in live, synchronous Zoom learning. That was opposed by the members opposite: high standards, access to choice.
And, of course, in the context of mental health support and special education, given the circumstance of the family you mentioned: We’ve increased spec ed funding by $3.2 million—the highest levels ever recorded in Ontario history—and we’ve quadrupled mental health funding from the former Liberal government, at the peak of their spending, to $80 million, representing a 400% increase in supports for kids.
“A real plan” for an Indigenous-led survey of former residential schools
Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Meegwetch, Speaker. To the Premier: Today we are collectively still in a time of grief and reflection. We grieve for the 215 children found on the site of a former residential school in Kamloops and the thousands of children we know never came home. These children should have lived their full lives, and their grandchildren would be here today.
Indigenous people in this province deserve justice and they need it today, not decades from now. Yesterday, the government committed to searching former residential school sites, a search that should be Indigenous-led. But if things are going to happen and change, we need to see funding and timelines from this government. When can we expect a real plan from this government to back up their commitment to Indigenous people? Meegwetch.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the government House leader.
Hon. Paul Calandra: As the member knows, myself, the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and the Premier made this commitment yesterday. We will—as I said yesterday it is important, as the member has just said, that we work with First Nations to ensure that this gets done in a way that is both respectful of the traditions of the First Nations and is done in a way that ensures that we are able to fully investigate and ensure that we are doing, really, as the member said, what should be led by First Nations and making sure that we get this done appropriately.
I don’t think anybody is going to disagree with the member opposite. I know that the Premier and the minister are very much in line with that, and we will continuing to work closely with First Nations to ensure that it gets done.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary? The member for Toronto Centre.
Ms. Suze Morrison: Thank you, Speaker. Respectfully, back to the government House leader, what I didn’t hear there was an actual commitment to funding.
Entire generations of children were lost to residential schools. As Indigenous people living in Canada today, we’re all survivors of Canada’s genocide. Despite the ongoing systemic racism that attempts to erase us, we’re still here. Ontario must confront its colonial past and take action to secure justice for all of those who survived the trauma of residential schools and who are still experiencing the harmful intergenerational impact today. We need funding—a commitment to funding—from this government to search the grounds of all the former residential schools in Ontario for all of the lost children. That funding has to come with a commitment that that search is Indigenous led.
Will this government follow through on their commitments today, provide a plan, provide funding and provide a commitment that the search of the residential schools will be Indigenous led. Will you do that today so that we can have justice for survivors and their families?
Hon. Paul Calandra: I apologize. I thought I was very clear yesterday that we are making that commitment to fund this. I thought I was clear yesterday that we would be working with the Indigenous communities to ensure that it is done in a respectful manner. I know that Minister Rickford reiterated that yesterday, so, if I need to be even clearer: Yes, absolutely positively.
This is extremely important. This is not something that a week from now we will forget just because it’s out of the news cycle. We heard the words of the member from Kiiwetinoong yesterday. Very, very powerful words. We see what’s out front of this Legislature and we see what is happening across this country. People want us to build on the work that we have done, that Minister Rickford has done.
But, on this issue, yes. I don’t know how much more clear than that I can be. The answer is yes.
Vaccination thresholds for normalcy (or lack thereof)
Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: My question is for the Premier. A couple of weeks ago, before the long weekend, the government unveiled a roadmap to reopening, which actually contained no indication of when life would get back to normal or fully reopen. At the same time of the press conference, the government began debate to extend emergency powers under Bill 195, the Reopening Ontario Act, until December. In the plan, they have followed with the approach of Justin Trudeau and Dr. Theresa Tam linking vaccine rates to a limited return to some everyday activities, but have not indicated how many Ontarians receiving a vaccine it will take to allow for life to return to normal, if they ever plan to let life return to normal.
If 80% of Ontarians receiving a vaccine is not enough for a return to normal under this plan, what is the number? Is it 100%?
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To respond, the Minister of Health.
Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member for the question. The Roadmap to Reopen is based on vaccination rates, of course. To get into stage 1, we need to reach 60% of all adults over 18 having been vaccinated, which has already happened. We’re at at least 67%, as things stand now, with over 9.2 million vaccines already having been administered. There’s also some public health indicators that also need to be met in terms of the number of new cases. Today, we are down to 699 cases, which is a huge improvement. There still is a ways to go. It is also based on the number of people being admitted to our intensive care units, the R factor and the public health ability to recover. These are realistic indications and numbers based on what our medical experts have advised us and what the modelling has shown us.
We are gradually and carefully reopening, because the last thing we want to go into is a fourth wave. We have been advised that the levels that we have suggested for the Roadmap to Reopen are realistic and achievable.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question.
Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: With this government, the goalposts are always moving. In January 2021, we were told life would get back to normal with 1,000 positive cases per day. By May, we heard it was 500 to 600 cases. Now, apparently, case rate has nothing to do with it. As the minister just said, it’s about vaccine rates. But the fine print of the government’s plan, as she also says: “plus key health indicators.” This vagueness is not a plan, and coupled with the extension of emergency orders until December, it suggests they have no plan to reopen our province.
Can the Premier please publicly disclose to Ontarians what is meant by the “plus key health indicators” part of the plan that is in addition to vaccine rates? We want exact numbers. This is a limited reopening plan. What is it dependent on?
Hon. Christine Elliott: The Roadmap to Reopen is very clear, with three stages that we will need to move through very carefully in order to be able to reopen the province. We’ve seen what’s happened with the variants of concern that are still out there. We need to move very, very carefully through this to slowly, gradually reopen the province.
But as the member would see, from stage 3, we are going to then be opening the last areas that haven’t been opened for a very long time: things like closed-in cinemas, concerts, all of those other areas that will be met and will be available based on these achievable targets that have been very clearly disclosed to the people of Ontario.
In addition to the vaccination rates, there are the hospitalization rates, the ICU factors, the public health rates, the R factor. All of those have been very, very clearly discussed with the people of Ontario. As I indicated earlier, these are realistic and achievable targets. The people of Ontario are helping very much with receiving the vaccinations. We’ve been able to accelerate the second doses, and we are confident that we will be able to hit these milestones and be able to open Ontario back up at the appropriate—
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. The next question.
“Nightmare” in Brampton’s health system
Mr. Gurratan Singh: Since the beginning of this pandemic, I have repeatedly stood in this House and raised the alarm about Brampton’s health care crisis. Brampton has only one hospital, Brampton Civic, and it has been pushed to the limits as front-line workers there have cared for Bramptonians who are struggling to breathe during this devastating third wave. We have consistently had the highest positivity rates and our hospital has struggled to care for people who are getting sick across our city.
On the weekend, the Toronto Star published a story where they shared the harrowing accounts of health-care workers at Brampton Civic who had to deal with this pandemic first-hand.
Jennifer Shiels, a registered nurse, described how COVID-19 hit Brampton Civic. She said, “Now, we see whole families. The mom and dad upstairs on a ventilator, the son coming into our ER because he can’t breathe. This time around it really feels like more of a nightmare.”
When will the Conservative government finally work to stop this COVID-19 nightmare in Brampton by giving us the resources we need to fight and beat COVID-19? My question is to the Premier.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.
Hon. Christine Elliott: To the member opposite I would say, through you, Mr. Speaker, that Brampton has been receiving resources and extra help, recognizing that there are a number of traditional hot spots in the Brampton area as well as hot spots that have been further identified by the local medical officer of health.
That is why we took that into effect, along with other hot spots in the province of Ontario. For two weeks during the month of May we took 50% of the vaccines that were coming in and dedicated them to the hot spot areas in order to boost the vaccination rates and make sure that people would be properly protected from COVID-19. That strategy has been extremely successful.
I can advise the House, through you, Mr. Speaker, that we have now areas in the hot spot areas that have 8% more people vaccinated than in non-hot spot areas.
Brampton received its share because of the number of hot spot areas that were identified, and we’ll continue to follow up with all the clinics that we have to continue with first and the second doses.
Mr. Gurratan Singh: Back to the Premier: Brampton has been left behind by the Conservative government since day one of this pandemic. But because Brampton has been fighting and organizing, we’ve been able to get supports because of our advocacy. The Conservative government left Brampton behind when it came to testing. The Conservative government left Brampton behind when it came to vaccines. But because we organized, we were able to get the 50% allocation of vaccines that Brampton and other hot spots required.
Now, just as we’re turning the corner and finally bringing cases down, the Conservative government is going against the recommendation of the science table and halting the 50% allocation of vaccines to COVID-19 hot spots. We are not out of the woods yet. This is a pandemic and we can’t stop now that we are finally getting ahead of this virus.
Will the Conservative government finally listen to the science, do the right thing, and make sure that Brampton and other hot spots continue to get the 50% allocation of vaccines that we need so we can beat COVID-19?
Hon. Christine Elliott: Through you, Mr. Speaker, I would advise the member opposite that several of the items that he mentioned are simply not the case.
With respect to the recommendations of the science advisory table on the 50% of the doses being allocated for a longer period of time, that was before they realized that we were receiving almost double the number of doses from the federal government. So, in actual fact, we have fulfilled the wishes of the science advisory table. And, as I indicated earlier, that strategy has been incredibly successful with boosting the number of people in hot spot areas receiving the vaccine over non-hot spot areas.
So Brampton, because they’ve had that number of hot spot areas identified, they have been well treated by this strategy and continue be well treated with the vaccine rollout, in the sense that there are over 150 pharmacies in Peel, seven of which are operating 24/7. There are 40 primary care sites, four hospitals and 18 18-over pop-up sites in hot spot areas. Brampton is receiving its fair share, first of doses, with respect to availability of vaccines and with respect to accessibility for people to increase their second doses by accelerating them further. Brampton is receiving more than its fair share as compared to—
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. The next question.
Opioid crisis reaches “alarming” heights
Mme Lucille Collard: My question is to the Minister of Health. The opioid crisis in our communities has reached an alarming threshold, and this health crisis requires more attention from the province. Drug use, overdoses and addictions continue to increase costs to government for services such as shelters, health care and emergency services.
Both Ottawa and Toronto have seen a very concerning increase in overdoses during the pandemic. This is not only true for those cities, but it’s also true for the rest of the province. We hear about this crisis every day.
My question is, what is the government currently and actively doing to mitigate the impacts of the opioid crisis and protect vulnerable Ontarians?
Hon. Christine Elliott: I thank the member very much for this question. This is an extremely important issue. There is no denying the fact that the opioid crisis has increased with the pandemic, and we take this crisis very seriously.
That is why we have, first of all, approved and funded 16 consumption and treatment services sites in Ontario, with others with pending applications. The CTS sites not only save lives by preventing overdose-related deaths, but they also connect people to primary care and other services in the event that they are ready to enter rehabilitation and treatment.
In addition, we have also invested up to $194 million in emergency mental health and addictions funding to expand easily accessible mental health and addictions care during this COVID-19 pandemic.
It is something where there is more work to do, but we have certainly identified this as a priority and we are working towards expanding those services and funding.
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. Supplementary question?
Mme Lucille Collard: Again to the Minister of Health for my follow-up: Mr. Speaker, the mayors of Ottawa and Toronto are both asking for the province to do more to address this crisis that continues to take the lives of so many people. A safe supply of drugs has proven to drastically change the lives of those who use drugs, in addition to the surrounding communities, businesses and residents.
During the COVID-19 period, it has become even more clear how current responses are not sufficient in protecting our residents and communities from the negative impact of addictions. The Ministry of Health said that it was looking into a safer supply program. That was back in February, but there has been no update yet.
Will the government commit to supporting the expansion of safe supply to provide immediate support to address this alarming health care issue and bring relief to our communities?
Hon. Christine Elliott: Our government is committed to providing more supports for people struggling with a mental health or addictions crisis. Our Roadmap to Wellness was initiated just before the COVID pandemic struck last March. We are committed to putting $3.8 billion into our mental health and addictions system over the next 10 years. We put in $175 million in new funds for the last year; $176 million this year went to both mental health and addictions funding. There will be an announcement with respect to mental health funding later on today and addictions funding is coming very shortly.
However, I can advise that in addition to the consumption and treatment services sites, we have put $4 million to nurse practitioners for detox services to improve the medical management of clients who are withdrawing from substance use, $8 million for addictions day and evening care and $3.5 million for in-home and mobile withdrawal management services.
There is certainly more to come, but as I indicated earlier, we do take this very seriously and are taking action.
Take the (now-moot) McVety bill off the books
Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: My question is to the Premier. Last year, this government snuck in a degree-granting university for Charles McVety. They put it into legislation that was meant to help small- and-medium-sized businesses. Thankfully, the review board, PEQAB, rejected the application. Today, we can all put this entire Charles McVety university behind us.
I have new legislation that will be tabled that will rip up that deal between the government that they cut with their buddy Charles McVety. It will also bring new accountability and transparency to the PEQAB process so Ontarians will see how these decisions are made. And being Pride Month, it has never been a more fitting time to take a stand against bigotry and intolerance. It’s a simple question, Mr. Speaker: Will the government do the right thing and support my bill this week, yes or no?
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The parliamentary assistant, the member for Northumberland–Peterborough South.
Mr. David Piccini: As we’ve said from day one, this government values and will lean on the expert independent advice of the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board. We’ve said we would respect their decisions, and we’ve done just that.
Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: Back to the Premier: Charles McVety’s college is campaigning to keep this legislation on the books and to ensure it receives royal assent for it. They’re claiming widespread fraud and alleging damage to their reputation. Ontarians have had enough of this nonsense. The House leader himself said in an interview on Monday that this has been difficult for his government.
It’s time to turn the page on this troubling chapter brought to us by this government. The government can support our bill, rip up this legislation. So, my question is simple: Why won’t they do it?
Mr. David Piccini: Again, as the government said, we rely on the expert independent advice of the PEQAB process, and we’ve done just that. It’s in leaning on independent processes like that that we’ve seen an expansion of OCAD University, of Algoma in the north. It’s in leaning on those independent processes that we’ve seen our high-quality post-secondary education sector expand in this province, a sector that has expanded through OSAP eligibility for Indigenous institutes, something that this government has worked on that I’ve really enjoyed working in partnership with our Indigenous institutes on. It’s true that we’ve expanded mental health supports to support our students through the challenging COVID-19 realities. It’s through working with our sector and working with the independence of the universities and colleges and how they’re governed that we’ve expanded for the first time in over 20 years nursing seats to support in our Herculean commitment to bring in 27,000 more health care workers. We respect the independence of our academic institutions and the independence PEQAB process, as we said, from day one.
Given harm and so-called lack of transmission, why aren’t schools open?
Mr. Roman Baber: To the Minister of Education: We’ve all been hearing from parents across the province. We heard the 70% SickKids study, Kids Help Phone calls doubling, Hamilton children’s hospital and CHEO. We all heard the Canadian Paediatric Society that Ontario’s kids are increasingly anxious, depressed and suicidal. What can be more important than that?
The minister stood in front of this House for months and pontificated that schools are safe, that there was no transmission. I agree but not because of the ministry and public health abracadabra but because they’re kids, they don’t transmit much. We know this already, so when the pressure got to this Premier he started blaming the teachers’ unions and threats of injunction for not opening the schools. Then, instead of listening to the chief medical officer who wanted to open schools, the Premier wrote to 54 stakeholders looking for political cover and still got the same advice almost unanimously, “Open the schools.”
Minister, despite the advice, the lack of transmission, the harm done to our kids, why aren’t Ontario schools open today?
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government House leader.
Hon. Paul Calandra: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question from the honourable gentleman. As you know, Mr. Speaker, this is of course a member who has come both ways on this. For months, he was very supportive of the measures that this government had taken in order to ensure the safety of the people of the province of Ontario. He, of course, was very supportive of measures taken in March, April, May, June, July and then back in September. We learned yesterday, of course, though, that his efforts from September, October, November and December were actually not for him but were for our benefit, Mr. Speaker. So I thank him for the sacrifices he made in attempting to help this government.
The Minister of Education has always made sure that our schools are safe and the people of the province of Ontario are safe despite the transmission of the member opposite to somebody who no longer seems to have that as a priority.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question?
Mr. Roman Baber: Thank you, Speaker. To the Minister of Health: For 15 months, the minister and Premier told us they were listening to Dr. Williams until Dr. Williams wanted to open schools and they didn’t. Two days later, they announced that Dr. Williams was getting replaced, but in fact that was the not first time they didn’t listen to Dr. Williams. Williams testified before the long-term care commission that he did not believe in asymptomatic transmission until late summer.
Speaker, the rationale for the lockdown is stopping the spread of asymptomatic transmission to keep 50 million Ontarians at home, but why? If Williams didn’t believe in asymptomatic transmission last spring, then why did we go into lockdown?
My question to the Minister of Health: Is it a coincidence that Dr. Williams is getting replaced after publicly wanting to open Ontario schools, and if Dr. Williams did not believe in asymptomatic spread until last summer, as he said under oath, then does the minister deny that is decision to go into lockdown was a political decision and not a medical decision?
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government House leader.
Hon. Paul Calandra: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Look, the only person who seems to really be flip-flopping is the member opposite. We have been very clear from day one that it was our intention to ensure the safety and security of the people of Ontario. We enthusiastically voted to ensure that safety, Mr. Speaker. On many occasions, in fact, the member opposite did just the same. As I’ve said, he did so in March, April, May and enthusiastically—
Mr. Roman Baber: Who cares? Answer the question.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for York Centre, come to order.
Hon. Paul Calandra: Now we’re finding out—he says, “Who cares?” So now we’re finding out that the member’s votes never really mattered.
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.
Interjection.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister for Heritage, come to order.
Interjection.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Member for York Centre, come to order.
Interjection.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Member for Hamilton Mountain, come to order.
Ms. Andrea Horwath: Two more sleeps.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Leader of the Opposition, come to order. I’ll allow the government House leader to conclude his answer.
Hon. Paul Calandra: Look, Mr. Speaker, when the member just said who cares how he votes, I think that speaks volumes about him. Now I understand why the members for Ottawa–Vanier, Cambridge and the House leader for the Liberal Party seemed to sink down I their seats every time he gets up and asks a question.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The next question?
Make WSIB help injured workers again
Mr. Wayne Gates: My question’s to the Premier. Today is Injured Workers’ Day. This is a day when injured workers demand respect and demand not to be ignored. They’re fighting because in this province right now injured workers are four times more likely to live in poverty once they’re injured. One in five workers are living in extreme poverty after an injury, which is less than $10,000 per year, and just over 40% report an income of less than $15,000 a year. One in five workers in this province have lost their homes because of an injury.
One of the ways we can stop this is by immediately outlawing the practice of deeming and making WSIB focused on helping injured workers, like it was supposed to. Will the Premier support my bill, Bill 119, today, and make that a reality, or is he proud of Ontario’s record when it comes to injured workers happening to live in poverty?
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Government House leader.
Hon. Paul Calandra: Look, Mr. Speaker: As I’ve said on a number of occasions, when members bring private members’ bills forward, I expect them to work with their colleagues on both sides of the House to gain support for those bills, so that when it comes to committee and if it does make it back into the House, a majority of the House supports that bill.
So really, Mr. Speaker, I’m certainly not going to, as the government House leader, order that people on all sides of the House do the work that I know the member opposite is very passionate about. I know he will continue to do that work. I know that he’s passionate about his private member’s bill, and I know that he will continue to reach across both sides of the aisle so that when it does come back to this House for third reading, he hopefully will have the support of the entire House and all members on both sides.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question.
Mr. Wayne Gates: Again to the Premier: Injured workers have been clear under this government. If you’re injured at work, you have a 50% chance of living in poverty. Under this minister, being injured at work is a sentence to a life in poverty. They’re also clear that WSIB is broken. It’s failing workers in the province of Ontario. Even during the pandemic, it has been denying benefits for over 800 front-line health care workers.
Will the minister or the Premier stand up today and tell injured workers that they are right, that WSIB is broken and has failed them, and commit to fixing it? Will they commit to supporting two bills I have tabled before you, one to end deeming and one to provide every front-line worker—our heroes, who you call heroes—who catches COVID-19 with presumptive coverage, so they can get the benefits they need and deserve?
Hon. Paul Calandra: Look, again, Mr. Speaker, I think we know how important it is that workers across Ontario—and, frankly, across Canada—are safe. I am pleased, of course, that WSIB is on sound footing. I know that they are the primary mechanism by which we are delivering paid sick days right now.
But having said that, again, I can’t imagine that the member opposite would want the government House leader deciding whether or not a private member’s bill should pass or not. It really is up to the member to do what other colleagues on his side of the House have done and what colleagues on this side of the House have done. Advance that private member’s bill, advance it through committee, gain the support of the majority of the members on both sides of the House, and a bill will pass.
I can’t reiterate this again: At no point am I as government House leader going to order whether people should vote for or against a private member’s bill. I’m very pleased by the fact that we’ve caught up through COVID and that we’re up to date on our private members’ bills. I’m very pleased that we’ve broken records on the amount of private members’ bills that we have passed.
I know how passionate the member is on this, and I know he will do the work that is needed to get this bill through committee and, if he’s successful, get a majority of members in this House to pass them.
Fix vaccine bookings for 80-plus crowd
Mr. John Fraser: My question is for the Deputy Premier, and my question is about the planning and preparedness of this government for their response to COVID-19. In Ottawa, we’re on day 2 of not being able to book a second appointment for people over 80.
Hon. Lisa MacLeod: That’s not true.
Mr. John Fraser: It has been that way since 9 a.m. yesterday, and I know the member from Nepean’s phones are ringing off the hook too, so—
Hon. Lisa MacLeod: No, they’re not.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.
Mr. John Fraser: For one hour, seniors were able to book their vaccines—one hour—and it’s especially frustrating for seniors over 80 who’ve been trying to book their second appointment, who had a problem with their first appointment. And then there’s a whole bunch of seniors—I know the member from Nepean knows this as well, too—who didn’t get a second-dose appointment.
It’s still not working today. So, to the Deputy Premier: Can Ottawa seniors over 80 get a commitment from you that this problem will be fixed by the end of the day?
Interjection.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Heritage, come to order. Minister of Health to reply.
Hon. Christine Elliott: I can certainly advise that we have a very successful online booking centre, which is now used to accelerate second doses, which you have referred to. As a matter of fact, over 102,000 were booked just yesterday. However, we are aware that there was a clinic configuration issue that arose yesterday in Ottawa that allowed some individuals to book into clinics that did not have available appointments. We were asked by Ottawa Public Health to take a pause to fix the situation. I understand that the situation has now been resolved.
Mr. John Fraser: Thank you, Deputy Premier. I do want to say that I don’t think that it’s up yet and it’s still very frustrating for seniors. But I would like to ask another question about planning and preparation for COVID-19.
Almost two weeks ago, the Premier, when he was talking about the reopening, really had nothing to say about schools. There was no plan about opening schools. Not a plan, nothing—and then the next week on the Wednesday or Thursday he says, “I want consensus,” so he fires out a letter that’s an ultimatum.
We still don’t know what’s going to happen. Parents don’t know, educators don’t know. This is really unfair and what it shows is this government hasn’t taken an approach to education that has any planning involved with the partners. It’s not like we didn’t know that we might open up schools in June. It’s not like we didn’t know that in April—no plan. So, Speaker, is there going to be some sort of plan coming forward for schools so parents and educators will know what’s happening this summer and in September?
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Minister of Education.
Hon. Stephen Lecce: Of course, Speaker. It’s why we announced some weeks ago the Grants for Student Needs, which the member opposite knows is the principal funding vehicle. In that announcement, we confirmed a $1.6-billion resource for COVID-19. That includes the continuation of asymptomatic testing. It includes the doubling of public health nurses, of cohorting, of active screening. And it of course includes the support for additional staffing, custodians and educators in the schools. Mr. Speaker, we’ve also unveiled—
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Heritage, come to order. Member for Ottawa South, come to order.
Hon. Stephen Lecce: —an $85-million program, the largest summer learning program in Ontario history, to support more kids, to do credit recovery and to help them reach ahead for courses in the year ahead. Also, more support for tutoring for math and areas of literacy, numeracy, trying to strengthen those learning gaps that have grown over the pandemic globally.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to our school board funding, there’s a $560-million net increase, year over year, that underscores our commitment to safety and to quality learning in September.
28,000 kids on mental health wait list
Miss Monique Taylor: My question is for the Premier. McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton is seeing a dramatic increase in children seeking medical help for mental health issues. This past fall, twice the number of children were in with eating disorders and substance use issues, while the number of youth being treated for suicide attempts has tripled compared to the same time last year, before the pandemic. I’m hearing from families across the province who have absolutely nowhere to turn.
Before the pandemic, access to mental health services for children and youth was already at a crisis point. Now we’re seeing the demand for mental health services rise even higher as the pandemic continues. According to Children’s Mental Health Ontario, there are 28,000 children and youth on wait-lists two and a half years long for mental health supports.
Speaker, my question is simple: What is this government doing to protect our children and youth in the province of Ontario as this pandemic continues to drag on?
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Health.
Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you very much to the member for the question. We are certainly well aware that there is an increased need for mental health and addiction supports. Not addiction so much for children as for adults, but for mental health supports for children, youth and adults, as well as seniors. This is something that we have addressed with our Roadmap to Wellness, which was launched just before COVID struck. But we now know, with COVID itself, as we deal with that physical aspect of it, the mental health issues will remain for many years. So we have been helping our children’s mental health supports by increasing their funding by 5% last year to allow them to hire more staff to be able to reduce their wait-lists. That is something that we are working on today. We will be having an announcement very soon about additional supports that we’re going to be putting into this sector, because we do recognize that those needs are acute and the waitlists are long.