It is now time for oral questions and I recognize the leader of her Majesty Loyola Thank you speaker my first question this morning is for the premier Yesterday last night in fact the science table released a report that basically says the pandemic is now completely out of control Completely out of control is what the science table is saying is happening here in Ontario The government's response seems to be well We'll put up a few more field hospitals and just watch as more people get sick Speaker the premier has ignored all of the warnings and has walked us directly into a third wave The question I have is why? Does the premier continue to ignore all of the warnings from hospitals from his own experts from nurses from doctors? Why does he continue? To ignore the warnings and refuse to act to stop the spread of the third wave Thank you speaker and Thank you for the question since the beginning of this pandemic Our government has taken focused prudent action to protect the health and well-being of all Ontarians And we've taken many steps in order to do this We've also been following the guidance and research that's been done by our public health experts Dr Williams the measures of the public health table the science advisory table and many others We have taken steps to reduce the variants coming into Ontario We developed a six-point plan to do that Including before the federal government did it the testing of all incoming arrivals from other countries coming into Canada to prevent This UK variant from coming in it is here now And we're taking steps to expand our capacity and our hospitals to make sure we do the testing that we need and to Do the vaccinations that we need as well in order to protect Ontarians? It's important to note that we have delivered over to 102,000 vaccines in the last very short while we're going to continue to do more as we race against time to prevent these variants From overcoming our system But we have built in all the capacity that we need in order to make sure that everyone who needs to be in hospital Will be treated appropriate Supplementary question Well speaker the science table was pretty clear that the vaccines are not going to win here that the variants are winning in Ontario That's why they're pleading for this government and this premier to take action And I I would have to say I agree that there are things that could have been done There are actions that could have taken place But this government refused this premier refused to put in things like paid sick days things like paid vacation time Things like smaller class sizes to keep kids in school safe things like a vaccine rollout that actually works Things like public health precautions that actually protect people from COVID-19, but this is what Dr. Warner says In describing the lack of willingness of this government to get out ahead of this virus and I quote We will have people dying because of deferred and delayed non-covid care Healthcare workers feel they are screaming at a government who doesn't care The government has allowed the third wave to spiral out of control When is this premier going to act and get ahead of the crisis that we are in? Well, thank you speaker and I'd have to say to the leader of the official opposition through you mr. Speaker It's very disappointing when asked yesterday about what she would do in this situation The only thing that she could come up with was paid sick days paid sick days where what have we done? We have made sure that we've Delivered the vaccines. We've delivered the book order the patient care portal We've made sure that we've put over five billion dollars into our hospital system since this began including a $1.8 billion in the budget in order to support the over 3100 new beds that we've put in since the pandemic began To support the backlog of surgeries that have had to be postponed because of this and to make sure that the hospitals have over 3.4 percent interest increase in funding to be able to provide the support that they need in all of our facilities That's what we've done all the leader of the official opposition can come with is paid sick days Which by the way we already have The final supplementary well speaker I think it's pretty clear that back in February Experts were giving this premiere and this minister advice as to what needed to happen to stop the spread of COVID-19 And I've just listed out in my last question a number of those things that this premiere and this government refuse to do Paid sick days absolutely are part of it paid time off for Vaccinations making sure that our schools are safe for our kids having a vaccine rollout that actually works and prioritizes the people that need the vaccine the most Speaker order and making sure that public health measures are put into place public health Precautions are put into place to keep people safe. Why has the government refuse the advice of these experts since last Since February past why have they not listened to the experts and dragged us into a crisis that we are in now A third wave that is completely out of control Through you mr. Speaker, I know the leader of the opposition always wants to quote dr. Warner and he's a great doctor He messages me as well I'll quote some some other folks here the Ontario Hospital Association the CEO the Ontario Hospital Association appreciates a historic financial support for hospitals in the 2021 budget these investments will be vital to stabilizing the hospital sector for its duration of the pandemic and preparing for the recovery another long-term care association Commitments to Ontario's budget 2021 the most significant investment in decades in decades or is ignored by the Liberals and NDP in Ontario's long-term care sector and they will make meaningful differences in the lives Ontario seniors Why don't we go to Again smoky Thomas offsuit Smokey Thomas is calling today's budget a positive step towards health and economic recovery Saying that's a sport for job creation and public services is the way to go Again another quote from at Van age on terror. Thank you. Thank you very much The member for York Center will come to order Next question we are the opposition. Thanks speaker My next question is also for the Premier, but I have to say it's pretty galling that the Premier on the very day year one year anniversary of the Claim that there was going to be an iron ring put around long-term care that he had the nerve to actually talk about long-term care today is It's pretty frightening But my next question is actually about about schools speaker students parents teachers are frustrated They're frustrated. They're confused and they're concerned about what's happening with COVID-19 the latest confusion, of course Came yesterday around the April break On February 11th. The Premier said March break is going to be pushed into April Yesterday within hours of each other the Premier and his education minister contradicted each other about what might be happening for April So the question is why can't the government ever Provide certainty and answers For parents and kids and teachers when it comes to what's happening to their education system Mr. Speaker our government believes in following the best public health and science That comes to the cabinet. Obviously, we are Responding to a changing risk profile in the province. We obviously have committed ourselves to delay not cancel the march break moving into April We are committed to respecting that. We've continued to follow the chief medical officer of health's advice We're building at a plan and we will be announcing it in the coming days to further strengthen The safety of children and staff upon their re-entrance following the April break We're committed to expanding testing as well as stronger screening protocols before a student and a potential case enters a school We appreciate the challenge that this pandemic has imposed on working parents. We know this is not easy Their patience their flexibility their Commitments to work with government and their public health agencies. I think has been at the core of our success in Ontario We now deal with the variance of concern. We have to respond to this risk I think parent expect us to make the tough decisions when appropriate But when it comes to April break we plan to proceed We'll continue to follow the best advice the chief medical officer found and if anything changes given the day to day Change and fluctuation because numbers in the province of Ontario will make sure all families know that well in advance That sounds like a rerun of the promises that the minister was making last time And never did come to pass those Extra measures never did come to pass speaker But look all parents and teachers and kids want is a safe Classroom and a stable working environment That's what they want safe classrooms and stable learning environments instead We saw massive cuts in last week's budget massive cuts we've seen a government that Would prefer to pull resources from classrooms instead of invest in the stability of our kids The ongoing uncertainty around our education system Is is problematic It's not what kids and students and teachers and parents need right now So my question is why is it about cuts and confusion instead of stability for kids instead of support For the young people who need it the most right now Thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker in the budget that was unveiled by the minister of finance last week We allocated an additional 700 million net new dollars year over year for september We also acknowledge that in the coming grand pursue needs The principal vehicle funding for school boards Then more investments will be there for areas of reading and mathematics supports for STEM education for special education and mental health Recognizing globally that this pandemic has disproportionately impacted our young people We will be there for young people For our students as we have been over the past two years Every single year under our government funding has increased the highest levels ever accorded on tarot history By design because we believe in public education because we believe in our young people and we recognize the challenge They face which is why we enhance supports for remote learning. It's why we enhance funding in class We're going to deliver education to families that meets their needs That make sure that they have excellence within their schools response And of course our priority continues to be keeping kids safe in the province of Ontario Final supplementary well speaker parents Parents don't believe any of that and students certainly are not feeling that way But I have to say the confusion and the instability that this government has created for students for parents For teachers is completely unacceptable. It's been a year of massive confusion Instead of spending money On making those classrooms safe and stabilizing our education system The government just didn't want to do that and instead kids have suffered the consequences Government never ever got ahead of this virus And they just scramble at the last minute to react instead of planning ahead Parents students and teachers have been left behind by this government over this last year So the question is when will the government start actually providing the stability the supports the reliability That that kids and parents and teachers need to get through the rest of the school year Speaker we certainly agree that students and parents are the government's priority It's why when you look at the budget allocated last week an additional 700 million more dollars The largest summer learning program in Ontario history over 105 million dollars specifically focused on mitigating learning laws We have increased mental health supports more than 200 higher than what the peak of liberal spending when Uh, the former premier was in power. We are fully committed to the safety of schools I mean the fact is mr. Speaker today as we deal with these variants of concerns and rising numbers in the community You know roughly 99 percent of schools are open 99 percent of students have no active case 75 percent of schools don't have one case at all And I recognize this is a challenge. Ontario is not an island, you know in and of itself We are dealing with a global pandemic But the strength we derive is from the resilience of our students from the hard work of our educators And from the sacrifice of parents who every step of the way I think are doing their very best in an impossible circumstance to deliver quality education and safety to Ontario's youth The next question the member for to miscommunicate Speaker my question is to the premier The premier suggested yesterday that he doesn't want to and I quote roll the dice when it comes to vaccinating people Now over the last year the one thing the premier is really good at is the folksy saying to Try to convey a message to people we've all remember The iron ring Who can forget the 800 pound gorilla? And then there's the one about if he go get the vaccines himself and his f-150 across the border himself But we're facing a crisis right now that's going to take more than a folksy saying The stakes literally couldn't be higher Regardless of the amount of vaccine The province had months to come up with a plan on that people should be able to understand And know when they can access it. Why does the government at this point still seem to be scrambling? It's going to take more than a folksy saying. Thank you Through you mr. Speaker I just uh want to remind my colleague across the aisle there that We have vaccinated over 2.2 million people And there's one thing that we're falling short on that i've never heard the opposition ever say at all mr. Speaker Is we're constantly short of the vaccines Where we're we're putting these mass vaccination centers up A ton of effort a ton of resources a ton of people going there and all of a sudden bang now We have to close it down again up at wonderland, but you hear the same story over and over and over again When can we count on a consistent volume of vaccines from the federal government? That's what it comes down to We have built an infrastructure the likes of which this province has never seen We're ready. We're ready to do 9 million a month if we have as many vaccines as possible But you know, mr. Speaker response We need the vaccines. We'll get it done. I just want to know what has the opposition done from day one Nothing Thank you speaker Regardless of how much vaccine we have there is not enough vaccine And we know the targets that the people who need it most And what breaks my heart most is when I get seniors calling my office And we have to try and help them direct through the the call center through the website through the We had months They had months to figure out that Seniors aren't all email Literate i'm not email literate sometimes so But why Why one thing the government's done not a good job at they talk about overall number Of vaccines that they've delivered, but there are vulnerable people Who should have that vaccine who because of the way the system is put up can't Access it question. Why why hasn't that been hasn't that been addressed? Thank you I find that ironic mr. Speaker 2.2 million people Found a way and you don't have to go online We have a 188 number that they can they can call and maybe maybe the My member from across the aisle here might give the 188 number Maybe they might be able to help out but i'm so proud of the the roll out And when you see other provinces around the world systems crashed Our system number crashed. We had a bump in the road. They had it fixed in an hour And it was amazing when we were being flooded by calls or now you didn't call within a minute Two minutes at the latest you get an answer. They book your vaccine We have hundreds of thousands matter of fact shoppers drug mart alone has over 190,000 appointments booked that they can't fulfill Because the federal government has not given us the vaccine and have not given us the date of when we're going to get these vaccines It's as simple as that my friend The next question the member for mississauga streetsville. Thank you speaker. My question is for the minister of health Many constituents in my riding are anxious to get the covet 19 vaccine And they're eager to help the province battle this virus in whatever way is possible And I know the minister feels the same way because yesterday she received her first shot of the astrazeneca vaccine And encouraged all ontarians who qualify to roll up their sleeves and get the shot too But speaker our provinces had to face many uncertainties when it comes to the vaccines like ever changing supply chain and pushback timelines from the federal government Would the minister please provide this house an update on the roll out of these critical supplies in the face of so much uncertainty Thank you Thank you speaker and thank you to the member for mississauga streetsville for the question and for your advocacy on this issue Much appreciated Since day one our government has been committed to vaccinating ontarians as quickly and as safely as possible By working with our partners across the province We have put in place an integrated and robust network of locations capable of administering over 150,000 doses per day At over 250 vaccine sites which are being led by local public health units and include hospitals mass immunization clinics Mobile clinics pharmacies and primary care offices Through the implementation of this network of locations and in collaboration with our partners across the province We have been able to administer over 2 million doses of the vaccine But we are going to stop there speaker our goal Is to make sure that everyone in ontario who wants a vaccine will get one as soon as possible Thank you minister and thank you to all of those front lines that help us administer these crucial vaccines Speaker i have to say our government's vaccine rollout has been quite an incredible thing to watch In the face of so many obstacles Our government has been dedicated to ensuring we roll out those vaccines as quickly as possible to those who need them the most We all know that as more supply becomes available We can give more doses to more ontarians Would the minister please provide this house with an update on how the government plans to continue to ensure every person Who wants a vaccine can get one. Thank you minister We said many times before nothing will stop us from delivering the most effective and equitable vaccine campaign in the country And speaker we are well on our way to achieving that goal by continually setting daily records For doses administered in one day and continuing to ensure that our most vulnerable are protected by having over 90 percent of citizens Member for york center is warned minister of health reply We have over 90 percent of long-term care residents fully immunized against COVID-19 Building from these successes. We've also put in place our provincial booking system and call center Allowing ontarians a convenient way to schedule their vaccine appointment Or be redirected to their local public health unit who can help them get a vaccine appointment in their area But let me be clear speaker our government is ready to administer more COVID-19 vaccines and expand eligibility to many More Ontarians as soon as we As soon as we receive sufficient supplies of vaccine from the federal government. Thank you Thank you very much The next question the member for st. Catharines Thank you speaker Yesterday mr. Premier as you were taking a victory lap inside one of Niagara vaccination center clinics My office was busy answering dozens of questions from seniors over 70 Wondering why they were not able to receive an appointment and why the provincial vaccine program had a glitch Yet once again Niagara public health added 8,500 appointments on friday guessing that st. Catharines and Niagara might be in line for vaccination expansion for 70 plus age group Here's the problem. Niagara had to guess Which led to not having enough appointments available This is because the official notice was only given the day before the expansion on the 11th hour Premier you were on a photo op inside one of our vaccination centers while outside the center There was still work to be done Will you commit to a smoother vaccination rollout so seniors in Niagara and st. Catharines Over the age of 70 do not have to struggle to get an appointment at a vaccination center Through you mr. Speaker when I went down there, they were very grateful actually one of the quotes Uh, a few of the nurses told me is thank god you came down here. You boosted everyone's spirits You didn't stick there in the hideout at queen's park like the opposition Does and so we went down there. We saw firsthand what an incredible job position come to order an incredible job the mass vaccination Center is doing down there and when I had an opportunity I went by and And talked to quite a few folks and they said this was seamless Never never thought a million years how quickly we'd be able to get in there get the vaccinations and now we can ramp it up to the My member across the aisle there, mr. Speaker again I don't know response read my lips as they say We need the federal government to get more vaccines plain and simple. We don't have enough vaccines Do you understand that simple? The official opposition must come to order start calling you out by me Member for auto ourselves come door The supplementary question remember for nagra folks Thank you, mr. Speaker and back to the premier and premier i'll be very clear with you I do not hold a hideout at queen's park. I'm in my riding all the time and the constituents in my riding know it Yesterday the premier was in nagra and said anyone over 70 could simply call and get a vaccination appointment If you actually spoke to the residents like I have he would have known that they were struggling for days to get appointments in Fort Erie seniors who had their vaccination book for weeks in advance had their appointments cancelled at 9 o'clock the night before Because they overbooked issue caused by the government booking system The conservative government was told about these issues 11 days ago Yet they did nothing to fix it Pharmacies are still waiting for doses so they can then begin saving lives in nagra The people of nagra have already dealt with moderna vaccines being diverted Despite written evidence this government was given the premier's claim and that was a myth Which is a new word for me question When will the premier stop retaining the vaccine rollout is going smoothly in nagra and take actions to protect our residents And save lives in nagra Thank you very much speaker. Well, there's several issues that need to be addressed here One is the issue in uh fort erie that was an issue yesterday that has been resolved and people are now able to book their appointments Secondly, there is the continuing myth that uh Nagra was shortchanged in terms of vaccine that is not the case well They did not receive one type of vaccine the moderna they did receive the Pfizer So they did receive the proper allocation of vaccines But third it really is important for everyone to realize that we want to be able to ramp up We want to be able to do 150 000 doses per day We have the system in place to do that, but we do not have the vaccines We are receiving a 1.5 million doses of astrazeneca from the federal government It's coming to the federal government Today, but we still don't know when it's going to be coming to ontario. That's about 583 000 doses We still don't know when that's coming with respect to a large moderna shipment. We expected that last week We only received 30 of it The remaining 70 percent of it has been extended to april 7th. So there's constant Thank you. Thank you The next question the member for scarborough gildberg Thank you speaker. My question is to the minister of health Scarborough is the hardest hit community in ontario when it comes to the covet 19 pandemic And positivity rates are still in the double digits in scarborough. In fact, if you talk to the people They say we've just had one big wave all year long The vaccine distribution is supposed to be prioritized by age and the provincial science table says neighborhoods as well need to be prioritized Yet when other areas in the province started vaccinating 80 Over 80 residents scarborough lagged behind waiting to get their supply of vaccine When scarborough finally got enough vaccines to start their mobile clinics and to reach the most vulnerable in our community Now scarborough is being told to wait again Next week 77 of toronto's vaccine share will go to the mass clinics And that will leave hospitals short Resulting in a scale back of their vaccination program like the mobile clinics that they are just starting to ramp up So speaker to the minister Will you ensure that the scarborough health network will not have to scale back Their vaccination program next week to and ensure they have enough supply to meet them Thank you minister help Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member for the question as I indicated earlier A lot of the problem right now is because we don't have the vaccine supplies coming in and the quantities that we need In order to fill the mass vaccination centers the mobile units the pharmacies Which we want to expand in all 34 public health regions and in in primary care offices We are waiting for a large supply of medurna. We are waiting for 583 000 doses of AstraZeneca So the problems in scarborough are in large part No different than the problems that we're experiencing across the province We need those big supplies coming in from the federal government. However, we are targeting The vaccination campaign based on age and based on risk There are a number of communities that have been identified as being at higher risk Scarborough is certainly one of them. And what have we done? We have launched and implemented our high priority community strategy Providing 12 and a half million dollars to help local agencies deal with this So we are paying attention to scarborough and other areas at risk as well as to our older community supplementary question Minister I have seen the allocations for this week and for next week and next week's allocation gives 77 percent to One location u h n and not to the other hospitals So it creates an imbalance in terms of the continuous vaccination and it confuses the public when they try to get appointments and they cannot So it needs to be addressed My question In follow-up to you is about the hospital And i've spoken to you many times about the state of the hospital and the fact that it has been in the queue for many many years now And needs to be advanced We know that the icu pressure on scarborough is enormous They are redirecting to peterborough and to kingston because of the number of covet patients They have well over 10 percent of the entire load in the province in this one hospital that needs to be Renewed so why is it that in this budget? There was no mention of funding and advancement of the of a new hospital for the people of scarborough Given the need and the state of the hospital Mr. Tell Thank you. Well, as i'm sure the member will realize there is a long Plan that has to be established for a hospital redevelopment There has been some money that has been established to redo the emergency department at one of these scarborough hospitals That is something that is absolutely urgent But it's something that we are paying attention to we know that there are concerns there We know that the population is growing. We know that the infrastructure in some places is outdated And we are it is on the list of projects to be completed. It is something that we know scarborough is dealing with in terms of Number of covet patients in the hospital right now. That is why we have developed 3100 new beds since the beginning of the pandemic and the government recently allocated another 125 million to create 500 more spaces in some cases people do need to be moved from one location to another But we have built up the capacity of anyone who needs to be in hospital to receive covet treatment or other treatment Will be able to receive treatment in their area Next question the member for mississauga streetsville. Thank you speaker In this phase of the pandemic although it's critical to continue adhering to public health measures and remaining vigilant We are encouraged by cautious optimism with the introduction of vaccines for adults that will help reduce the impact of the virus With over two million vaccines administered. There is hope on the horizon However, with that in mind, we know that the vaccination of the children and youth will be a critical part in keeping children and staff safe Keeping schools open and ending the pandemic Can the minister of education? Please provide us an update on his work with the minister of health and the solicitor general Improactively planning for vaccinating ontario's children and youth. Thank you minister of education Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member for mississauga streetsville for this question I think it is quite obvious to all members of the legislature that we must learn lessons We must plan ahead and ultimately help to defeat this pandemic by ensuring that our vaccine rollout could be much more Robust and efficient in its delivery and today as the premier mentioned We have a vaccine clinic in my in my community of vaughan that opened at canada's wonderland yesterday only for them to be closed today Because of a lack of supply the request of the federal government is to start today while clinical trials are underway for children Under the age of 16 to plan ahead to procure now and to make sure that there is a credible plan in place To immunize all those children that will want a vaccine critical In our response to the pandemic and to our recoveries. We look forward, mr. Speaker We cannot repeat the mistakes and when I asked the federal government yesterday to Start the process of procurement and of course for health canada through their independent review to rigorously review these Review these clinical trials on an expeditious basis. This will be critical to our recovery so that finally we can defeat this pandemic Supplementary question Speaker Being able to vaccinate children and youth will be a game changer in our fight against covid-19 At this point. We're not out of the woods yet Covid-19 is unfortunately still a major part of our lives and public health measures remain in place Though we are still in the second half of 20 21 school year I'm already hearing questions from my constituents in my writing about what schools will look like next school year Can the minister of education? Please share with the legislature what plans and efforts are being made for the 2021 22 school year. Thank you The minister of education Thank you speaker It starts with the recognition that this year has been very difficult on young people It's particularly through the lens of learning loss and mental health and yes The government did invest additional dollars 700 million dollars year over year in the budget committed to Quality safe public education september, but we will go further this summer The largest summer learning program ever unveiled in the promises history 105 million dollar allocation Specifically focused on credit recovery on reach ahead courses on helping young people Get the support mentorship and access to a teacher. I believe they deserve We also speak are going to be unveiling the grand first two needs and I could assure the member and all members of this legislature that that Funding vehicle will increase specifically in areas of mental health of special education of supports dealing with Reading as well as mathematics both of which have seen challenges at home and abroad We are committed to making sure that the pp and protocols are in place Following the best advice that the chief medical officer felt to ensure schools are safe And the children continue to learn at a high standard in this province The next question the member for waterloo. Thank you very much, mr. Speaker my questions to the premier Experts advising the government on covet 19 reveals a province at a tipping point We have over 2300 cases today in Ontario and while vaccines won't get us totally out of this mishandled mess They are one tool Which is why it's so crucial to get needles and arms But in waterloo region we aren't receiving our fair share our medical officer of health said friday right now It isn't equitable waterloo region should have received 89 000 doses But instead they've only received 66 000 to date Premier why are the people of waterloo region not receiving their fair share? The minister Well the answer is lack of supply That's the situation for our regions across the province of ontario We want to be able to expand into pharmacies. There are about 325 pharmacies offering The astrazeneca shot now we want to expand it to 700 So that we can have at least three pharmacies in each region providing the the vaccines But until we receive the astrazeneca doses that are coming to us from the united states We aren't able to do that because we do not have the supply. We don't even know when we're getting the supply That's why we're asking the federal government to please provide us with this information So that we can ramp up so that we can do those 150 000 doses per day And make sure that everyone in ontario who wants to receive a vaccine will be able to get one And before waterloo supplementary speaker. This isn't an issue of supply from the federal government This is about the province distributing vaccines equally to all communities This is about the provincial government following their own rules on distributing vaccines last night I hosted a telephone town hall with local officials and a public health doctor to answer people's questions about vaccines People have thoughtful questions about the efficacy and the vaccine rollout Many callers quite honestly just want to hug their grandkids Others were frustrated with how the province is handling resources and the vaccine rollout calling it flip-flopping directives Our regional government has asked that they be considered a high priority community to deal with increasing demands of the 19 pandemic On our marginalized communities and they have a compelling case just to get their fair share of vaccines Speaker the government needs to get this right and ensure that resources on the vaccine rollout Are actually equitable to the premier Can you guarantee today that waterloo region will begin to receive its fair share of its vaccines? No more no less just what you promised them Thank you. Well vaccines are being distributed equitably across the province It based on population and based on risk. We know that there are some neighborhoods that are particularly at risk They will be receiving larger amounts, but again, it all goes back to supply If we don't have the supply, we can't give it to any of the 34 public health Unit regions across the province. We are doing the what we can Based on constantly changing supply Issues with the Moderna vaccine with the AstraZeneca vaccine There's virtually a daily recalibration that has to happen across Ontario when we receive these news with respect to Changes in supply delays and so on But we are still doing the work that we need to do in order to make sure that every public health region across the province All 34 of them receive their equitable allocation of vaccines based on age and based on risk The next question the member for Ottawa, Vanny Is for the minister of health Last week the mayor of Ottawa wrote to the minister to request a more equitable vaccine rollout in Ottawa Given the geographic size of Ottawa It's impossible to create equal access to the vaccine to all Ottawa residents Pharmacies and primary care settings need to assist with the distribution of the vaccine Our city has done a tremendous job at of getting as many of our neighbors vaccinated as quickly as possible But for many residents and certainly in my writing of Ottawa, Vanny Mass vaccination sites are not easily accessible being too far away and we have none in our community So my question is will the minister expand pharmacy and primary care settings vaccination to the Ottawa region? And the minister And my answer to the member is yes when we receive the supply We want to be able to expand to more pharmacies three at least in each public health unit But we need to get the AstraZeneca supply in order to be able to do that. We did receive 194 500 first doses That expire as of April 2nd and we have virtually used all of them now, and I'm sure we will prior to their expiry But we need to receive the additional 583 000 doses from through the federal government We need to know when they're coming so that we can get them to the pharmacy so that they will be able to supply those vaccines To the people in the Ottawa area as well as to the rest of the province So we are totally dependent on the federal government supplying us with those vaccines So we can't expand. We are ready to go. We just need the vaccines I'm going to ask a question in french now many francophones in my writing want to know why they can't get vaccinated at home yesterday the mayor of Ottawa said that this City that has seven percent of ontario's population only gets about five percent of the doses So that's another thing that's not working with the vaccine rollout I'm happy to know that pharmacies will be included soon and will allow all residents to Access the vaccine more easily, but I'd like to know Why are we not communicating directly with the pharmacies? Why have we not Communicated with the public health unit of Ottawa the minister depends on these units to distribute the vaccine Can she guarantee that Ottawa will get its fair share of vaccines? Well Yes, Ottawa will receive its fair share of vaccines when we receive them and the public health officer dr Etchess is very well aware of what the situation is concerning supply as do all of the local medical officers of health across all 34 public health Unit regions as to the corner the pharmacies are aware that it's a supply issue They are anxious to be able to provide more vaccines We are anxious for people to to receive them, but until we get them we can't expand We need the supply and then we'll be able to expand immediately We're ready to go. We just need the vaccines and Please all of you we'd ask you to please exhort the federal government to please send us the vaccines as soon as they receive them So we can get going The next question the member for mississauga streetsville. Thank you speaker If you want or miss one my question this morning is for the associate minister of mental health and addictions Minister ontarians across the province are feeling the impacts of covet 19 on their mental health I have heard from constituents in my writing that increased social and physical isolation Financial uncertainty and having daily routines constantly changing have caused them to experience increased stress Anxiety and depression Through this year's budget. I know that our government is doing whatever it takes to protect the health of every ontarian And that includes our mental health Minister, could you please update the members of this legislature? And what our government will be doing to address the mental health and addictions of ontarians this year? Thank you associate minister of mental health and addictions Thank you, mr. Speaker, and I want to thank the member from mississauga streetsville for that excellent question Mr. Speaker through this budget Our government is placing a priority on the health of all ontarians while building on the foundation to create the growth We need for a strong economy Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to say that this includes making record breaking investments in mental health and addictions Every in every corner of this province through this budget, mr. Speaker We're proud to be investing an additional 175 million dollars this year alone bringing our total spending on mental health at addictions care to an incredible 525 million dollars this year alone We're well on our way, mr. Speaker to achieve in our goal of building a modern connected and fully integrated mental health and addiction system This means more supports for all ontarians of all ages no matter where they are in the province of ontario Thank you Speaker I thank the minister for his response I am proud to know that our government is delivering on its commitment to create a mental health and addiction system That fully supports ontarians of all ages across the province This budget truly demonstrates how serious we are when it comes to supporting the mental health of every individual and family in this great province Speaker some of my constituents have faced barriers to accessing mental health and addictions care And we know the covet 19 pandemic has only placed more stress on our mental health and addiction system Minister could you please explain the steps? We will be taking to ensure that we are able to support the mental health of all ontarians. Thank you Thank you, mr. Speaker and once again I want to thank the member for that important question As i've said many times here in the legislature every ontarian deserves access to the highest quality mental health and addictions care That meets their unique needs That's why through this budget, mr. Speaker We're also investing in new and innovative services a key pillar of our roadmap to wellness This includes funding for four new mobile health mental health clinics To serve rural and underserved communities also through the solicitor general funding We'll see the creation of a new program to embed mental health care workers In police call centers to ensure people in crisis get the right supports Mr. Speaker this year's funding takes us one more important step towards building a mental health and addiction system that works For all ontarians no matter where they are and that means mr. Speaker since getting into government One billion dollars has thus far been invested in the mental health and addiction sector. Thank you Thank you speaker my questions to the premier The vaccine rollout is not working for homebound seniors one of my constituents registered her mother for a home vaccine Almost a month ago, but she's still waiting Her mother has dementia and she worries about the risk posed by psw's who come in to provide support She also worries about the dental surgery that her mother needs But that she continues to put off until her mother is safely vaccinated These delays are unacceptable Municipalities need help to deliver these programs. The premier had months to prepare a vaccine rollout that works for everyone Why are homebound seniors being left behind? And the minister Thank you to the member for the question Nobody in Ontario is being left behind with our vaccine rollout This has been carefully planned for months based on age and on risk in different neighborhoods across all 34 public health unit regions We know that there are some people that have Co-morbidities they may be homebound or they may have particular health situations that require them to either receive the vaccine From their primary care provider and they are being supplied with a number of vaccines Or through their home and community care nurse who comes by to their home This is a plan that we've developed to make sure that no one is left behind That everyone who wants to receive the vaccine will get one So in the case of your particular constituent, I'd be happy to assist if she's having difficulties in receiving the vaccine at home Because that has been planned for and calculated and arranged And the supplementary question Speaker if it was working as the minister claims then my constituent would have already been vaccinated Seniors in my riding face an uphill battle to get a vaccine for seniors above 70 Vaccines are only being offered at one local health clinic and many seniors cannot take the ttc to a mass fascination clinic Language barriers and a lack of internet access also make it difficult to learn about the vaccine rollout and book an appointment As the variant spread faster every day We urgently need mobile vaccine clinics that can meet seniors where they are Again, will the minister commit to the west end of toronto getting reliable mobile vaccine clinics? Thank you. Well, all of the issues that the member has just mentioned have been thought about and provided for first of all with our online booking tool We recognize that many seniors are not comfortable with that so they can call the online appointments Customer care center and arrange their appointment that way We also have the messages and information available in about 50 different languages that people can access Recognizing again that some people have language difficulties We are arranging for a variety of ways for people to receive the vaccine If the mass vaccination clinics are not available for them Or close to where they live We will be supplying them in pharmacies when we receive larger quantities of the asteristhenica vaccine in pharmacies in primary care centers As well as in mobile clinics because we do know that there are certain neighborhoods That we need to go into to provide the vaccines to people And we are doing just that to make sure that all vulnerable people and all communities across the province Will be able to receive the vaccine Thank you. The next question the member for dwell. Good morning speaker My question is for the premier since the supreme court smacked down the premier's lawsuit to sabotage climate solutions Your minister has tried to defend the indefensible by talking about spending money to restore wetlands Meanwhile, your government is pushing bills and projects to pave over wetlands and farmland The government could save taxpayers money And reduce flood risk by not paving over wetlands and farmland in the first place If the governments denial That they deny climate the climate crisis has any credibility speaker They would withdraw schedule three from bill 257 today So speaker will the premier commit to saving money and reducing flood risk By not paving over wetlands and farmland and removing schedule three today to respond The minister of the environment conservation and parks. Well, thanks very much from the member from the question from the member opposite and You know, give me the opportunity to discuss our maiden and tariff environment plan And how we're moving forward not only to protect land air and water but also focusing in on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to hit our targets of 30 percent below 2005 levels And you know, we've come out with a number of programs to head towards that target. Mr. Speaker We have our our hydrogen strategy announcement that we've created this panel and consulting right now that we are going to be moving forward with Ontario first ever hydrogen strategy, which is going to really Increase our opportunity to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions while also stimulating the economy, mr. Speaker Because we all know in this house that the best way to fight climate changes to have a good balance Between strong environmental protections and a strong healthy economy, mr. Speaker, and we're proud 30 million dollars that we're investing in wetlands across this province not only to restore and to build wetlands But we're going to ensure that they're there for the future generations down the road. Mr. Speaker Supplementary question figure I advise the minister to not pave over the wetlands in the first place and and If the hydrogen strategy has any hope of reducing climate pollution Then the government cannot double government house leader come to order Thank you, speaker Then the government cannot double down on fossil fuel expansion when house leaders warned I apologize to the member for wealth No worries speaker The government can't double down on fossil fuel expansion The government is currently planning to increase climate pollution by 300 Percent over the next decade by ramping up power from gas plants This will reduce The gains we made by phasing out coal by 40 Speaker So speaker if the premier has any credibility in his belief that climate change is real Will the government commit to phasing out coal fired power plants today? minister to reply Thanks very much. Mr. Speaker for the member opposite He's asking us to phase out coal fired Plants, I think we're well on the way at achieving that Started with the previous progressive conservative government the center of the phase to shut down those coal fired plants the government that followed finalize that plan and Actually passed legislation to ban use of germ come to order for energy in this power For for the energy sector to speak but I will tell the member opposite That we are going to move forward with phasing out coal in the industrial sector of this province, minister Something that wasn't completed It will be completed under this government as we move forward to end the burning of coal Entirely throughout this province in order to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions And i'm proud that uh, we'll be heading towards that will be phasing out organics to the landfills And we're going to implement our hydrogen strategy in order to combat climate change and get our reduction of emissions down to 30 percent below response The member for york south western. Thank you. Thank you, mr. Speaker. My question is for the premier I have stood in this house many times Is speaking about how many how my community of york southwestern has been neglected and left behind in this government's covered 19 response my writing Is a pharmacy dessert When it comes to for scene access we only have eight pharmacists in a very large writing We do not have a permanent facility for vaccines for seniors I am now hearing that those few pharmacists do not even have adequate supply for people Why the inequities and why are residents those essential workers and seniors? Not getting equal access to vaccines from the government I think he's speaker well As the member will have heard today by my responses to many of the questions about why Members feel that their area is not receiving an equal volume of vaccines. The answer remains the same lack of supply We are waiting to receive the AstraZeneca doses that will go into pharmacies three in every public health unit region But we need those vaccines. They're coming into Canada from the United States going to the federal government But we need to know when they will be coming to Ontario until that happens We can't supply any more to pharmacies other than the remaining supply that they already have Which will be expired as of April 2nd And we're going to make sure that not one dose is wasted that they go into someone's arm So we need the new supply. That's what we're waiting for. That's what we've asked the federal government for That's what we've asked the federal government for And the supplementary question Thank you, mr. Speaker. My question is back to the premier The lack of pharmacy locations and the complete lack of a permanent facility to distribute vaccines Highlights the whole disparities in york southwestern my community. That is not only Bad public health policy, but it is discrimination along black racial and economic lines Our high-risk hot sports Heartworking community deserves the pandemic protection They deserve why is our hot sports community continue to be left behind and what are your government's plans To finally address your covet in equity response in this regard The minister Well as the member will know there is one vaccination plan That is being rolled out across 34 public health unit regions That is the plan that is happening based on age based on risk The local medical officers of health have been working with dr. Williams our chief medical officer of health Dr. De Villa will have arranged to make sure that all parts of toronto will have Places for vaccinations for all people. This is available through the mass vaccination sites through the pharmacy sites primary care Some specialty care sites and mobile units. This is happening Equally across the province right now People are being asked for their socio Economic data when they appear for a vaccine if they wish to provide it so that we can make Plan for future health care decisions and that is really important information However, if people choose not to provide that information, they will not be denied a vaccine Anyone who wants a vaccine will be able to receive one Thank you speaker to the minister of health Ontarians are told we have to lock down because we have to preserve ICU capacity that our hospitals will be overwhelmed like new york or italy The only place in the world where hospitals were overwhelmed was the province of lombardy in italy Even in new york where covet ravaged through nursing homes There was no need for the uss comfort navy ship which sailed a few weeks after arriving So let's do basic math with a total of 2,300 icu beds 1,400 non-covid icu patients and 400 hospitalized patients with icu with covet We have 500 icu beds available 22 percent of ontario's icu beds are empty Sure, some gta hospitals are closer to capacity, but that's nothing new. That's gta hallway health care You can easily manage this through transfers So my question to the minister am i correct that ontario has more total empty icu beds available Than the total number of current covet patients in all of our icu's and if so i was still in lockdown We're going into third lockdown in response to public health modeling minister of health to respond well, thank you speaker that was Quite a complicated question, but the answer to it is really simple And i would say to the member through you mr. Speaker that one of the reasons why our Critical care beds in our icu has not become overwhelmed is because we dealt with that We planned for that from the beginning of this pandemic. We created over 3100 new beds Which is the number of six community hospitals. We also built up the number of icu beds We're also ready to create field hospitals mobile field hospitals One is ready to go at sunny brook and there's another one in hamilton that can be created if we needed We knew that there would be an increase in in covet hospitalizations And we planned for that and we've added over five billion dollars of support For our public hospitals since the beginning of this pandemic and so we're ready for whatever happens But what we're doing is racing against with the vaccinations And that is why we need the new supply to come in to make sure that we can get needles into arms as quickly as possible Thank you very much I'll take my question and answer is correct 22 of ontario's icu beds are empty Then why do you need the lockdown we have more covet icu? We have less covet icu patients today Then covet then empty beds in icu speaker all the decisions made by this government are predicated on modeling The lockdown the suffering and the rashing of health care all based on modeling from steiny brown and company It started last april when they claimed that a hundred thousand ontarians may die without intervention Remember that same folks But the gta has been in red and gray since october that decision was made after brown said that at the current case trajectory ontario will have about 250 icu patients by end of october ontario met the case trajectory feared But the number of icu patients was 73 over three times less than brown predicted on january 12 Brown said that by the end of the first week of february even with a rate of r rate of 1 percent ontario will have over 700 icu patients The r rate wasn't even 1 so we met the case trajectory But the number of patients in su was 325 or less than half then predicted So my question is why is the government making extraordinary decisions looking down millions of ontarians and ruin millions of lives on the basis of modeling That's proven wrong And the response from the minister health What I can tell the member is that the modeling that has been done by dr Brown and his colleagues has been very helpful to us as we have planned for What might happen in the course of this pandemic? They did indicate that the variance of concern would become the dominant strain By this time and in fact they have but we planned for that with the Accommodations that we've made in our hospitals But again what I can tell the member through you mr. Speaker is that several hospital administrators have advised us that they have a complete icu Absolutely filled with covid patients right now And that is why we are dealing with getting as many vaccinations done as possible and creating more spaces So that people can if they need to be admitted because of covid they will be But we are dealing with that we are dealing with that in terms of creating more space But also in the vaccinations over two million vaccines have administered to date We are getting them out as quickly as we can as soon as we receive them for the federal government We will get them out there. So we're dealing both the hospital Thank you