Andrea Horwath, leader of the New Democratic Party, started off question period with the recent news that the new Omicron variant is present in Ontario. This comes at a time when the province has also been seeing an increase in case numbers.
"There are lots of unknowns about whether the vaccines actually work on this particular variant. My question, simply, to the premier is: What is he doing to ensure that Ontarians are protected from this latest variant, especially as we make plans to get together with loved ones over the holidays?" asked Horwath.
Health Minister Christine Elliott acknowledged people's concern about the new variant, arguing that the "best option" is to prevent it from coming into the country. While she applauded the federal government's step to test all those arriving from seven south African countries, she called for an expansion of testing given that the individuals found with the virus in Ontario travelled from Nigeria, a country not on the list.
Horwath then asked if the provincial program providing three paid sick days would be extended beyond Dec. 31.
Government House Leader Paul Calandra took this one, listing some of the measures the government previously took including advocating for federally funded sick benefits.
"We’re going to continue to work with the federal government to ensure that programs to support Canadians throughout COVID continue to happen, and we will continue to ensure that workers have access to paid sick days," he said, not explicitly answering the question.
The other highway controversy 
Horwath then raised the government's decision not to seek compensation of around $1 billion from the owner of the 407 for below-target traffic levels, as reported by the <a href="https://www.thestar.com/business/2021/11/26/ford-brokers-secret-deal-with-407-toll-road-to-forgive-potential-1-billion-penalty.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Toronto Star</a>. She has written to the auditor general asking for an investigation on the matter.
Horwath quoted a tweet Premier Doug Ford issued last week on a different matter that stated "a contract is a contract."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Too many hard working people have been impacted by this unfair practice.
A contract is a contract, and must be respected! <a href="https://t.co/xkcfD8vDy1">pic.twitter.com/xkcfD8vDy1</a>
&mdash; Doug Ford (@fordnation) <a href="https://twitter.com/fordnation/status/1463512941014269952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
"Looks like 'a contract is a contract' unless the premier decides it’s time to rip it up. How on earth can the premier explain a billion-dollar write-off to corporate owners of the 407—helping his buddies—while surgeries, diagnostics are still backlogged, and while schools are still not safe from COVID-19?" asked Horwath.
Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney responded that the pandemic "had significant impacts on traffic levels on the 407 as well as Ontario’s roads and highways."
"These were unprecedented circumstances as Ontarians complied with stay-at-home orders while fighting multiple waves of COVID-19," she said, adding that this led to the owner of the 407 "invoking the relief clause under its contract with the Ministry of Transportation. At the end of the day, this is a contractual issue."
Horwath called the response "quite funny," noting that it was a previous Tory government government that sold the highway in the first place.
Schools
NDP education critic Marit Stiles noted that more than 15 schools are closed across the province due to COVID-19 and asked what the government would do to "ramp up in-school protections and take-home testing," especially with cases rising and the presence of the new variant.
Minister of Education Stephen Lecce said the government plans to send home rapid antigen tests with all students during the holidays.
"The government acted well before this variant entered our shores in the context of strengthening elementary school protocols, restricting lunch cohorts, requiring virtual events within schools, really with the aim to reduce indirect and direct contact," he said.
Long-term care
NDP MPP Tom Rakocevic put the spotlight on Hawthorne Place, one of the nursing homes the military was called in to support in 2020 and where more than 50 residents have died from COVID-19. He shared the recent story of a woman who had to call an ambulance after her father, a resident of the home, was <a href="https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/inspection-at-toronto-ltc-home-underway-after-woman-feels-need-to-call-ambulance-for-sick-father-1.5681607" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suffering from a urinary tract infection</a>.
"Here we are again as though not a single lesson has been learned," said Rakocevic, going on to state a longstanding request of the party. "We’ve seen enough. It’s time to pull the plug on profit in long-term care and give residents a second chance at a life where the only priority is their health and dignity, because they deserve so much better than what they’re getting. Why won’t this government do the right thing and take profits out of long-term care?"
Calandra didn't address the specific case Rakocevic mentioned, but said the government is investing in the sector and working to boost the number of hours of care residents will have access to.
Rakocevic pointed to a colleague's private member’s bill, the Time to Care Act, which calls for at least four hours of care for residents and was referred to committee last week. He asked whether the government would support it.
"I truly don’t know where the member has been, because this government has already passed that level of care," said Calandra, referring to the government's plan, which isn't law yet but has been proposed through Bill 37, the Providing More Care, Protecting Seniors, and Building More Beds Act.
Autism
NDP MPP Peggy Sattler turned to the province's autism program, saying families in her riding are "waiting desperately for autism services for their kids."
"Speaker, when will this government stop ignoring the needs of children with autism and start providing them with the actual services they urgently require?" she asked.
Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Merrilee Fullerton touted the government's revamp of the program, saying it is a "world-leading program" that includes funding for behavioural therapy, mental health and speech-language pathology.
"We are making sure this is rolling out. We are on target, and we are getting the feedback from the 600 children who are now enrolled," said Fullerton, though the program's rollout has been marked by delays and received criticism from families who say it's not needs-based.

Your question period briefing: ‘A contract is a contract’

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