Assemblée législative de l'Ontario

Status of Business

État des travaux

1^st Session,
42^nd Parliament

1^re session,
42^e législature

[April 28, 2021]

Section 6C

Section 6C

Special Debates

OPPOSITION DAYS

Débats spéciaux

JOURS DE L’OPPOSITION

FALL PERIOD 2018

1.         Ms. Horwath — Whereas hospital overcrowding in Brampton is critical and in a single year, 4,352 patients were treated in hallways at Brampton Civic hospital;

Whereas hospital overcrowding is a problem across Peel Region;

Therefore the Legislative Assembly calls on the Government to provide the necessary funding in the 2019-2020 Budget for the construction of a new hospital in Brampton.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed October 3, 2018. Debated and lost on division October 16, 2018.

2.         Ms. Horwath — Whereas existing commitments were in place for post-secondary expansion in Brampton, Markham and Milton; and

Whereas this investment would have brought hundreds of jobs to each city and encouraged broader economic growth in these communities; and

Whereas the municipalities of Brampton, Markham and Milton have already spent significant amounts of money, time and effort related to the already-approved projects;

Therefore the Legislative Assembly calls on the Government to honour established commitments to fund post-secondary expansion in Brampton, Markham and Milton.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed October 24, 2018. Debated and lost on division October 29, 2018.

3.         Ms. Horwath — Whereas every Ontarian deserves a dignified retirement and access to long-term care when they need it; and

Whereas the communities of Scarborough, Whitby and Oshawa have some of the longest waits for long-term care spaces in Ontario;

Therefore the Legislative Assembly calls on the government to commit to eliminating the wait for long-term care and, as a first step, provide the necessary funding in the 2019-2020 Budget to create 2,000 new not-for-profit long-term care spaces in Scarborough, Whitby and Oshawa.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed October 31, 2018. Debated and lost on division November 12, 2018.

4.         Ms. Horwath — Whereas 86,000 Ontarians are diagnosed with cancer every year, half of Ontarians will develop cancer in their lifetimes, and one in four Ontarians will die from cancer;

Whereas innovative new therapies allow cancer patients to take medication at home instead of having to visit the hospital for lengthy IV treatments, but the cost of these medications are not covered by OHIP;

Whereas British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba cover the cost of take-home cancer drugs;

Whereas many take home cancer treatments can be more effective, yet the lack of coverage under Ontario’s current drug program forces people to accept less effective treatment if they cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket;

Therefore, the Legislative Assembly calls on the government to ensure universal access to take-home cancer drugs so no Ontarian has to pay out-of-pocket for life-saving treatment.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed November 14, 2018. Debated and lost on division November 21, 2018.

5.         Ms. Horwath — Considérant que la communauté francophone de l’Ontario est la plus grande communauté francophone canadienne à l’extérieur du Québec,

Considérant que le français est l’une des deux langues officielles du Canada,

Considérant que dans la province de l’Ontario, le français est reconnu comme langue officielle dans les tribunaux, le système d’éducation et à l’Assemblée législative,

Considérant que chaque citoyen et chaque citoyenne de l’Ontario devraient avoir accès aux services gouvernementaux dont ils ont besoin, en français, quand ils en ont besoin et là où ils en ont besoin,

Considérant que le Commissaire aux services en français de l’Ontario s’assure que les droits des citoyens et citoyennes de l’Ontario, ainsi que les obligations du gouvernement et des agences gouvernementales, sont maintenus en accord avec la Loi sur les services en français,

Considérant que, pendant les 40 dernières années, les Ontariens et les Ontariennes ont cherché à fonder une université francophone indépendante, gouvernée par et pour des francophones et que la planification pour cette université est déjà bien avancée,

Considérant que l’énoncé économique d’automne du gouvernement a annoncé l’élimination du Commissariat aux services en français et l’annulation des plans pour l’Université de l’Ontario français,

Considérant que ces décisions constituent une trahison de la responsabilité de l’Ontario envers notre communauté francophone,

Qu’il soit résolu que l’Assemblée demande au gouvernement de maintenir le bureau du Commissaire aux services en français, ainsi que son financement et ses pouvoirs, et de maintenir l’engagement de l’Ontario de financer l’Université de l’Ontario français.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed November 21, 2018. Debated and lost on division November 28, 2018.

SPRING PERIOD 2019

1.         Ms. French — Whereas the people of Oshawa built General Motors Canada; and

Whereas workers in General Motors’ Oshawa plant are among the most skilled autoworkers in the world; and

Whereas the Oshawa plant is among the most efficient of General Motors operations; and

Whereas the people of Ontario provided billions of dollars to save General Motors from bankruptcy in 2009; and

Whereas General Motors, despite making a profit of $6 billion in the first three quarters of 2018, has made a callous decision to turn its back on the workers at their Oshawa Assembly plant while they expand production in Mexico; and

Whereas this closure will mean the loss of an estimated 14,000 jobs across Ontario; and

Whereas the workers in Oshawa have called on Canadians to not buy GM cars made in Mexico; and

Whereas workers deserve a government that will fight to save the thousands of jobs that are in jeopardy;

Therefore the Legislative Assembly of Ontario calls on the government of Ontario to not buy any GM vehicles made in Mexico, those being vehicles with a Vehicle Identification Number starting with a 3, until such time as General Motors reverses its decision to close the Oshawa Assembly plant.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed March 6, 2019. Not debated March 18, 2019.

2.         Miss Taylor — Whereas the new Ontario Autism Program fails to meet the needs of children because it is age- and income-based; and

Whereas needs-based therapies are recognized to be the best approach to empowering children with autism; and

Whereas the Ford Government’s new Ontario Autism Program takes away support from families already receiving assistance and makes it impossible for those newly diagnosed to get the help they actually need; and

Whereas the Ford Government has not provided adequate support to the education system to properly support the influx of children with autism that will enter schools when the new Ontario Autism Program is implemented;

Therefore, the Legislative Assembly calls on the Government to suspend the implementation of the new Ontario Autism Program, and instead develop an autism program that will provide needs- and evidence-based autism services for children with autism spectrum disorder.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed March 20, 2019. Debated and carried March 27, 2019.

3.         Ms. Horwath — Whereas the Government has announced changes to education funding that will reduce teacher-to-student ratios and make online learning mandatory resulting in larger class sizes and lost jobs for education workers; and

Whereas larger class sizes will result in less individual attention for students and ultimately reduce course options for students particularly in applied learning and the arts; and

Whereas online learning is not appropriate for most students and research shows that it mostly hurts students who are already struggling; and

Whereas rural school boards have expressed concerns that these changes will negatively impact students who live in areas with smaller populations and have limited access to broadband services; and

Whereas school boards have indicated that these changes will disproportionately affect programs and supports for Black, Indigenous and other racialized youth; and

Whereas the Government’s changes will result in fewer adults supporting and educating students in our schools, be they teachers, social workers, guidance counsellors, educational assistants;

Therefore the Legislative Assembly calls on the Government to reverse their planned changes to education funding, student-teacher ratios and mandatory e-learning and instead work with parents, education experts, educators and school boards to devise education policies that work for students.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed April 17, 2019. Debated and lost on division April 29, 2019.

4.         Ms. Horwath — Whereas the Ford government’s retroactive cuts to provincial public health funding have raised concerns for municipalities across Ontario and came without consultation after municipalities had already approved their 2019 budgets; and

Whereas Public Health Units provide critical, life-saving services to the residents of Ontario every day; and

Whereas public health officials across Ontario have raised concerns that the Ford government cuts will not only impact their ability to run immunization, student nutrition programs and other vital services, but may also compromise their ability to deal with outbreaks of infectious diseases like measles, SARS and Ebola; and

Whereas the cuts to public health will have a disproportionately negative impact on Black, Indigenous, and other racialized groups whose experiences of systemic racism are known to produce adverse health outcomes, and will also hinder research into those challenges; and

Whereas the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association membership passed a resolution calling on the province to maintain or enhance existing funding and continue with local public health units instead of the proposed consolidated regional structures; and

Whereas the Eastern Ontario Health Unit has noted that the Ford government cuts may also negatively impact the ability to respond to emergencies such as flooding and other natural disasters; and

Whereas Mayors from 28 Large Urban Ontario municipalities have called on the government to halt these changes and allow for proper discussion with municipalities and local residents;

Therefore, the Legislative Assembly calls on the Ford government to reverse their cuts to provincial public health funding so that Ontarians have access to the important services they need.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed May 1, 2019. Debated and lost on division May 6, 2019.

5.         Ms. Horwath — Whereas climate change is currently harming human populations in Ontario through tornadoes, floods, forest fires and other environmental disasters, generating threats to human life through illness, injury and displacement; and

Whereas marginalized people, including working-class people, Indigenous, Black and other racialized peoples, young people, and women have suffered the most, and benefitted the least from the conditions that have led to the climate crisis; and

Whereas climate change is currently endangering the survival of many species of plants and animals in Ontario, as well as jeopardizing the health of our natural environment; and

Whereas climate change is currently contributing to massive property and infrastructure damage across Ontario through tornadoes, floods, forest fires and other environmental disasters; and

Whereas the increasing frequency of 100-year storm events have threatened the insurability of properties across Ontario; and

Whereas the cost of inaction is projected to be far higher than the cost of action, and credible research indicates the need for immediate, decisive action on climate change in order to avoid harmful impacts on our society, environment and economy;

Therefore, the Legislative Assembly calls on the Government of Ontario to declare a climate emergency in order to officially recognize climate change as a real threat to our environment, our people and our economy, and develop provincial strategies and an action plan that will mitigate these threats and preserve our province for future generations.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed May 8, 2019. Debated and lost on division May 13, 2019.

FALL PERIOD 2019

1.        Ms. Horwath — Whereas the previous Liberal Government left Ontario hospitals underfunded and unable to meet patient demand; and

Whereas the current Conservative Government has continued with these policies; and

Whereas communities such as Brampton are struggling with long hospital waits and hospitals that are routinely operating well over capacity; and

Whereas the Peel Memorial Centre has been overcrowded, to the extent that for every 100 patients it is funded to see, 500 have walked in the door needing care;

Therefore the Legislative Assembly calls on the Government of Ontario to ensure that the Fall Economic Statement provides hospitals across the province with funding that reflects patient need, and allocates necessary funding for the immediate Phase II expansion of Peel Memorial Centre, as well as the necessary funding for the immediate construction of a new hospital in Brampton.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed October 30, 2019. Debated and lost on division November 4, 2019.

2.        Ms. Horwath — L’Assemblée législative demande au gouvernement Ford de moderniser la Loi sur les services en français comme suit : en y incluant des mesures qui garantissent que des consultations effectives et substantielles avec la communauté francophone auront lieu avant que ne soient apportées des modifications à des politiques, à des programmes, à des services ou à des activités affectant la communauté francophone, de même qu’avant le développement de nouveaux programmes, politiques, services ou activités qui affecteraient la communauté francophone; en adoptant, en tant que partie intégrante de la nouvelle Loi, une définition inclusive du terme « francophone »; en rendant obligatoire, dans la nouvelle Loi, pour toutes les agences gouvernementales et pour toutes les institutions publiques telles que définies dans la Loi, de fournir une offre active de services en français comme en anglais; et en rétablissant le Commissariat aux services en français.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed November 6, 2019. Debated and lost on division November 20, 2019.

3.        Ms. Horwath — Whereas all people who wear religious symbols including turbans, hijabs, kippahs, crucifixes and other articles of clothing that represent expressions of their faith are welcome to serve the Ontario public; and

Whereas discrimination based on religion is prohibited by Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms; and

Whereas Quebec passed legislation, Bill 21, that prohibits the wearing of religious symbols and violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms; and

Whereas national civil rights groups including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the National Council of Canadian Muslims, B’nai Brith Canada, the World Sikh Organization, the Canadian Bar Association, Amnesty International, and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs have all opposed Bill 21; and

Whereas municipalities across Ontario including Mississauga, Brampton, the Peel Regional Council and Toronto have already passed motions condemning the legislation;

Therefore the Legislative Assembly calls on the Government of Ontario to communicate its opposition to Bill 21 by formally requesting the Quebec Government immediately repeal Bill 21 and by intervening in any Supreme Court challenge of Bill 21 that may be heard by the Court.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed November 20, 2019. Debated and carried November 25, 2019.

SPRING PERIOD 2020

1.        Ms. Horwath — Whereas the Ford government’s decision to end the double-fare discount for commuters who use both GO Transit and TTC on their daily commute will cost transit riders an extra $720 a year; and

Whereas the government’s $184 million cut to transit operating funding means less service and higher fares; and

Whereas previous Liberal governments refused to restore the 50% operating subsidy to transit cut by the last PC government; and

Whereas the Ford government’s cut to Gas Tax funding will only make it more difficult for municipalities to deliver transit service that would allow GO Transit riders to take transit to the station and leave the car at home; and

Whereas the Ford government is currently reviewing plans to convert a majority of GO Station parking spots from free to paid, costing GTA commuters up to $1,200 more each year to take transit; and

Whereas affordable and effective public transit is essential to long-term strategies to address climate change, equity concerns and stimulate local economic development;

Therefore the Legislative Assembly calls on the Government of Ontario to reverse its planned cancellation of the double-fare discount for GO-TTC commuters and restore the 50% operating subsidy to municipal transit agencies to make it easier for Ontario commuters to take transit.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed March 4, 2020. Debated and lost on division March 9, 2020.

—        Ms. Horwath — Whereas Black community members across Ontario have consistently raised concerns of anti-Black racism in education; and

Whereas, concrete examples of anti-Black racism have been noted in a number of school boards, including but not limited to: York Region District School Board, Toronto District School Board, Peel District School Board, Waterloo District School Board and Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board; and

Whereas reviews into anti-Black racism at Peel District School Board and York Region District School Board have clearly demonstrated that this is not an isolated issue within these school boards; and

Whereas Board reviews past and present reiterate themes of Black students being disproportionately streamed out of academic programs, receiving less assistance than their peers, and being disciplined, suspended and pushed out of schools at rates much higher than their peers; and

Whereas the impacts of streaming, lack of supports, and disproportionate levels of discipline result in the over-representation of Black people in the criminal justice and child welfare systems and their under-representation in post-secondary institutions and professional degrees; and

Whereas parents, students and community leaders have called on both Liberal and Conservative governments to take meaningful steps to address anti-Black racism and racial equity in schools instead of only reviewing incidents that garner significant media attention; and

Whereas the cuts to education by the Ford Government will disproportionately affect the already limited resources and supports available to Black and racialized students; and

Whereas Liberal and Conservative governments have failed to implement a number of the recommendations made by seminal reports, like The Review of the Roots of Youth Violence and Towards Race Equity in Education;

Therefore, the Legislative Assembly calls on the Government of Ontario to establish, in consultation with Black community members, a fully-funded, publicly accountable provincial strategy to address anti-Black racism and racial equity in schools.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed March 11, 2020. Deemed undesignated pursuant to the Order of the House dated March 19, 2020. Withdrawn May 12, 2020.

2.        Ms. Horwath — Whereas more than 4,400 residents and staff at Ontario long-term care homes have contracted COVID-19, with over 1,235 deaths to date and more infections and deaths expected; and

Whereas there is mounting evidence that the government of Ontario was ill-prepared, indecisive and slow to respond in protecting staff and residents in long-term care; and

Whereas there is data to suggest that decades of underfunding, chronic staffing shortages, lax inspection and oversight, inadequate regulation and rampant privatization under successive governments contributed to the unacceptable shape of Ontario’s long-term care system at the outset of the pandemic; and

Whereas the families and loved ones of the victims of the COVID-19 pandemic and chronic neglect of Ontario’s long-term care system deserve to know the truth of what went so badly wrong; and

Whereas Ontario’s long-term care system must be dramatically and fundamentally overhauled to ensure this tragedy is never repeated, and only a broad, thorough, completely independent, public and transparent inquiry can be trusted to investigate and provide answers to what led to the sickness and tragic deaths of so many staff and residents in Ontario’s long-term care system;

Therefore the Legislative Assembly calls on the Government of Ontario to immediately launch a full, independent public inquiry, under the province’s Public Inquiries Act, examining pre-pandemic conditions and what led to the problems in long-term care in Ontario, the government’s preparedness and response to the pandemic in long-term care facilities and the role and future of for-profit care in the province’s long-term care system.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed May 12, 2020. Debated and lost on division May 19, 2020.

FALL PERIOD 2020

1.        Ms. Horwath — Whereas successive Conservative and Liberal governments built a system where big, private corporations warehouse seniors in institutional facilities, and have failed to hold accountable for-profit long-term care operators who did not keep their residents safe; and

Whereas more than two-thirds of COVID-19-related deaths occurred in long-term care homes during the first wave of the pandemic, with data revealing that COVID-19 deaths were more frequent in for-profit long-term care homes than those operated by municipalities or non-profit organizations; and

Whereas not-for-profit long-term care means more money is available for care, not profits;

Therefore, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario calls on the Ford Government to eliminate for-profit care from Ontario’s long-term care system.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed October 7, 2020. Debated and lost on division October 20, 2020.

—       Ms. Horwath — Whereas disturbing incidents of hate and hate motivated violence have increased during the COVID pandemic and it is more important than ever that Ontario make a clear stand against intolerance and bigotry; and

Whereas the Ford Government has attempted to grant Canada Christian College as administered by its President Charles McVety accreditation as a university; and

Whereas in a detailed ruling the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council found that Charles McVety “Distorted Facts and Contained Abusive Comments” about 2SLGBTQIA+ people and has led hateful campaigns against that community; and

Whereas education leaders have stated that institutions that do not meet the anti-discriminatory and anti-hate speech principles outlined in the Ontario Human Rights Code should not get accreditation; and

Whereas Charles McVety has used the Canada Christian College as a staging ground for Islamophobic invective, urging followers to come to the campus to hear a “warning” about Islam’s plan for a “hostile takeover”; and

Whereas Charles McVety has said that Haitians practise “Satanism” and made a “deal with the devil” that he connected to the earthquake that killed 316,000 people; and

Whereas governments have an obligation to clearly and unequivocally oppose bigoted and hateful views;

Therefore, the Legislative Assembly calls on the Ford Government to condemn the extreme and hateful invective of Charles McVety and oppose any efforts to make Canada Christian College into an accredited university.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed November 4, 2020. Withdrawn November 17, 2020.

2.        Ms. Lindo — Whereas disturbing incidents of hate and hate-motivated violence have increased during the COVID pandemic and it is more important than ever that Ontario make a clear stand against intolerance and bigotry; and

Whereas the Ford Government has attempted to grant Canada Christian College as administered by its President Charles McVety accreditation as a university; and

Whereas in a detailed ruling the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council found that Charles McVety “Distorted Facts and Contained Abusive Comments” about 2SLGBTQIA+ people and has led hateful campaigns against that community; and

Whereas education leaders have stated that institutions that do not meet the anti-discriminatory and anti-hate speech principles outlined in the Ontario Human Rights Code should not get accreditation; and

Whereas Charles McVety has used the Canada Christian College as a staging ground for Islamophobic invective, urging followers to come to the campus to hear a “warning” about Islam’s plan for a “hostile takeover”; and

Whereas Charles McVety has said that Haitians practise “Satanism” and made a “deal with the devil” that he connected to the earthquake that killed 316,000 people; and

Whereas governments have an obligation to clearly and unequivocally oppose bigoted and hateful views;

Therefore, the Legislative Assembly calls on the Ford Government to condemn the extreme and hateful invective of Charles McVety and oppose any efforts to make Canada Christian College into an accredited university.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed November 18, 2020. Debated and carried on division November 23, 2020.

SPRING PERIOD 2021

1.        Ms. Horwath — Whereas COVID-19 has had a devastating impact in Ontario’s long-term care facilities, accounting for more than half of all COVID-19 related deaths in the province since March 2020; and

Whereas statistics show that there have been more COVID-19 related deaths in long-term care facilities in the second wave than in the first wave, despite the Ford government’s promise of an iron-ring; and

Whereas Ontario’s Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission has publicly shared significant concerns about the Ford government’s slow response in providing requested documents and records and the impact these delays have had on their investigation, to the point where the Commission felt it necessary to request more time to complete their study; and

Whereas the Minister of Long-Term Care has rejected the Commission’s request for an extension despite the delays and missing documents; and

Whereas numerous questions still remain about the effectiveness of the Ford government’s response to COVID-19 in long-term care and steps taken to protect some of Ontario’s most vulnerable residents;

Therefore, the Legislative Assembly calls on the Ford government to grant the request of Ontario’s Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission for an extension of their mandate to December 31, 2021 and to immediately release all government documents requested by the Commission.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed February 17, 2021. Debated and lost on division February 22, 2021.

2.        Ms. Horwath — Whereas the Ford government cancelled the two guaranteed paid sick days available to workers shortly after being elected; and

Whereas almost 60% of workers do not have access to paid sick days, particularly those who work in many of the frontline essential services relied upon in the COVID-19 pandemic; and

Whereas many of these workers do not qualify for federal emergency sick leave programs and are forced to choose between taking unpaid time off or going into work while sick in order to pay the bills and put food on the table, and the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit pays less than minimum wage to those who do qualify; and

Whereas workplace spread of COVID-19 has accounted for two-thirds of community outbreaks in some municipalities, largely in environments without access to paid sick leave; and

Whereas the Ford government’s own experts have publicly advocated for the implementation of paid sick days to better protect Ontarians, especially racialized workers and communities that are disproportionately and hardest hit by the pandemic; and

Whereas the Ford government continues to ignore the advice of its own Science Table, public health experts, municipal leaders and business and labour advocacy organizations that have identified paid sick days as an effective and necessary measure in the fight against community spread of COVID-19 and the emerging variants;

Therefore, the Legislative Assembly calls on the Ford government to immediately implement a provincially mandated paid sick leave program in accordance with the advice of Ontario’s boards of health and medical officers of health, Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM), municipal councils, organized labour and business advocacy groups.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed March 3, 2021. Debated and lost on division March 8, 2021.

3.        Ms. Horwath — Whereas on March 30, 2020, Premier Ford announced an iron ring around Ontario’s long-term care homes to protect vulnerable seniors from COVID-19; and

Whereas decades of underfunding and neglect by Liberal and Conservative governments left long-term care staff and residents susceptible to the virus, and more than half of all of Ontario’s COVID-19 deaths – 3,764 as of March 22, 2021 – have happened in the province’s long-term care homes; and

Whereas statistics show that there were more COVID-19 related deaths in long-term care facilities in the second wave than in the first wave, long after Premier Ford’s promise of an iron ring around long-term care;

Therefore, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario calls on the Ford government to issue a formal apology to long-term care residents, workers and their families for breaking its promise of an iron ring of protection around long-term care and for its failure to adequately protect residents and staff, and to declare March 30 of each year as a provincial day of mourning for the victims of COVID-19 in Ontario’s long-term care homes.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed March 24, 2021. Debated and lost on division March 29, 2021.

4.        Ms. Horwath — Whereas studies show that only approximately 10% of low-waged essential workers have access to paid sick leave, forcing them to choose between taking unpaid time off or going into work while sick in order to pay the bills and put food on the table; and

Whereas federal sickness wage replacement programs can only be accessed if a worker contracts COVID-19 and cannot be used to cover vaccination appointments or to stay home as a precaution by a worker with symptoms of the disease; and

Whereas public health officials, including the Ford government’s own experts, have publicly advocated for the implementation of paid sick days to better protect Ontarians, especially racialized workers and communities that are disproportionately and hardest hit by the pandemic; and

Whereas workplace spread of COVID-19 has accounted for two-thirds of community outbreaks in some municipalities, largely in environments without access to paid sick leave; and

Whereas the Premier and Cabinet ignored February 2021 warnings from public health officials, Ontario’s doctors and hospitals about the about the dangers of the third wave, and waited until record numbers of infections and ICU admissions to act; and

Whereas municipal and provincial public health officials across Ontario have been clear that vaccination efforts must prioritize essential workers as they are among those most at risk of contracting the virus and often live in communities that are hardest hit;

Therefore, the Legislative Assembly calls on the Ford Government to develop an essential workplaces safety plan with adequate funding and resources to ensure all workers are offered access to the vaccine and paid time off to receive it; to provide provincially-paid sick leave for workers experiencing symptoms of or diagnosed with COVID-19; and to provide onsite daily testing at essential workplaces as part of its efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed April 14, 2021. Debated and lost on division April 21, 2021.

5.        Ms. Horwath — Whereas April 28 is the National Day of Mourning honouring the lives of workers who have been killed, injured or suffered illnesses on or because of their jobs, and the families and communities impacted by these tragedies; and

Whereas COVID-19 has revealed the inequities faced by many workers, particularly racialized and low-waged workers in Ontario and the risks they face simply doing their jobs; and

Whereas workplace transmission has accounted for two-thirds of community outbreaks in some municipalities, leaving workers with the added stress of potentially exposing their loved ones to infection just by going to work; and

Whereas the Ford government has repeatedly refused to take action to protect Ontario’s workers and ignores the advice of its own experts calling for paid sick days, paid time off for vaccinations, and the closure of non-essential workplaces while offering supports for the workers and businesses affected; and

Whereas previous Liberal and Conservative governments ignored lessons from SARS, failed to maintain critical stockpiles of personal protective equipment (PPE) and allowed N95 masks and other vital protective equipment to expire without making any effort to replace them; and

Whereas many of Ontario’s essential workers still have to fight for adequate personal protective equipment, and the Ford government forces workers in jobs with high risk of COVID-19 exposure to prove they contracted the disease on the job in order to receive WSIB supports; and

Whereas the Ford government still has yet to provide a clear strategy to ensure vaccination of Ontario’s essential workers despite having more than a year to develop a plan;

Therefore, the Legislative Assembly calls on the Ford government to better protect Ontario’s workers by legislating paid sick days, ensuring access to high-quality PPE, developing an effective essential worker vaccination strategy with paid time off for vaccination and extending full WSIB protections to all Ontario workers.

Addressed to the Premier.

Filed April 21, 2021. Debated and lost on division April 28, 2021.