 It is now time for a question period, a member from Dufferin Caledon. My question is to the Premier. Alberta, Manitoba, British Columbia, Quebec and New Brunswick all provide child protection services for youth over the age of 16. As you know in Ontario, children's aid societies are forced to turn away youth over 16 unless they're already receiving assistance. We are turning young people away when they are asking for help. Premier, when will you extend and fund child protection services to youth over the age of 16? Thank you, Premier. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I know that the Minister of Children and Youth Services is going to want to comment on the specifics, but Mr Speaker, I appreciate the member opposite raising this important concern. I know that the minister has been working on extending supports and we need to, I know that there is more that we can do, and I will say to the member opposite that we are looking at how to best support children in care, young people in care across the province, Mr Speaker, including how to support them in their education path, Mr Speaker, how to help them in post-secondary and we will, in the supplementary, Mr Speaker, we'll speak to the specifics. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Well, Premier, it isn't even mentioned in the Minister's mandate letter, so I'm not sure how we can talk about how important it is if you don't task her with the responsibility in her mandate letter. Not only do other provinces believe it's right to provide care to youth over the age of 16, the Youth Leaving Care Working Group's 2012 report, the Funding for the Children's Child Welfare System, called for the age of protection to be extended to the age of 18. The UN defines a child as 18 years old and below. By ending support at 16, Ontario is actually in contravention of the UN's convention on the rights of the child. The Ontario Association for Children's Aid Society also supports extending child protection services to the age of 18. The provincial advocate for children in youth also supports raising the age of protection to the age of 18. Minister, when will you extend and fund child protection services to the age of 18? Thank you, Speaker, and I want to thank my critic from the Opposition Party for this very important question. On this particular day, when we have so many people in from the Association of Children's Aid Societies and our Aboriginal partners in children aid, and we talk exactly about what she's asking about this morning, about the age of protection for children in Ontario. And as I'm sure the critic knows from attending briefings, that the Child and Family Service Act review has recently been completed, and this is a very significant theme in terms of should we adjust that age of protection in Ontario. And I take that advice and the input from the CFSA very seriously, and I'll just say it's under active consideration. I'm guided by what's best for children in youth in this province. I'm guided by what our sector tells us, and we, I think, all agree that the welfare and protection of our children is important in Ontario. Thank you. Thank you. Final supplementary to the member from Stomach, Dundas, and South Glen, Gary. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the Minister, raising the age of protection was also a major request for contributors of the Child and Family Services Act review, which was completed earlier this year. Minister, a solution is bearing at its rate from the order paper. With all party support, we owe it to our vulnerable youth who today face the real risk of homelessness, poor school performance, or being forced out of school and becoming a victim of crime, just to survive. Can Ontarians count on this government taking the necessary steps to ensure that Bill 54, the Right to Care Act, passes by this summer? Minister, it is the right thing to do. Thank you. Minister. Thank you. Speaker, I appreciate the question from the opposition, but I take all good ideas that come forward that help protect and support our children who are at risk, who need protection, and I think all ideas are welcome here. We're taking a number of measures in our government to enhance child protection and welfare in Ontario. We are supporting our children's AIDS societies through continued investments and I know they're doing a great job locally as well, but I'm absolutely open to any other means that will enhance their care. Thank you. The member from Dufferin Callaghan comes to order. Question? The member from Belgian Middlesex London. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Premier, our province has pledged to receive 10,000 Syrian refugees by the end of this year and when they arrive, they deserve the same high quality of healthcare that every Ontarian expects. But as you know, there are over 800,000 Ontarians without a family doctor and at the same time, this government has cut over 50 residency spots. We will need each and every one of our doctors to help. Mr. Speaker, will the government reverse the decision to cut residency positions? The member opposite is asking this question in this particular way given that his leader... It goes both ways. Any comment from here on is not acceptable. Please finish. ...and that his leader was part of a government that cut the healthcare services for refugees, Mr. Speaker. Our government subsequently picked up those costs, Mr. Speaker. We paid for those costs for refugees and now the newly elected Liberal government is going to reverse that decision of the Conservatives, Mr. Speaker. It was clear that the supports that used to be in place that were cut by the Conservative government are going to be reinstated. Back to the Premier. Based on the UN High Commission for Refugees Syrians could be expected to present with communicable diseases, pregnancy, chronic diseases and mental health problems. Relationships with medical associations will be critical in meeting the health requirements for provision of primary care. The provinces, doctors and nurses will be at the forefront of helping these new Ontarians settle while at the same time this government will slash the doctors and nurses fees. Mr. Speaker, will this government stop their attack on doctors and will they help them treat the new Syrians around the province? Let me just begin by saying that I am so proud of this province and I am proud of this country, Mr. Speaker, for opening up refugees because they're not being paid enough, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government cap physician services to 1.25% increase in the budget when the natural growth is 2.5% and that's mainly due to the 140,000 new patients end of year in the baby boom population that's aging. This budget did not provide for such a sudden increase in residents. Mr. Speaker, the Syrian refugees deserve the same health care as Ontarians. Will the government penalize the doctors wanting to help the Syrian refugees if the budget cap they set is exceeded? Shame. The long-term care is just freaking. He wants to answer this question so badly, but I really need to take the member on, Mr. Speaker, because the reality is we're opening our doors to 10,000 refugees, Mr. Speaker. We have ability, Mr. Speaker. I'm proud of our restoring the refugee health services that were cut by the previous Conservative government, Mr. Speaker. And if I have enormous faith in the health professionals in this province that they will step up, Mr. Speaker, that they will be caring for the refugees who come here as they have in the past, Mr. Speaker. That is my understanding of who Ontario doctors are, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. One of the greatest challenges facing us today is climate change. In 2008, this legislature voted in favour of a cap-and-trade system, and we've waited eight years, Speaker, and so far there's been no real action. I hope today's announcement will be different, Speaker. However, any plan will be made weaker and less effective by the Premier's decision to sell off number one. The Liberals are giving up on one of our most powerful tools to drive conservation and to fight climate change, Speaker. Will Ontario's climate master plan explain why the Premier is putting corporate dividends ahead of clean air and action on climate change? Well, Mr. Speaker, it's a pretty convoluted argument. I welcome the leader of the third party to the party, Mr. Speaker. I welcome the continue, as we continue in our actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Mr. Speaker. The reality is that the single most important initiative has been taken in this country, the initiative that the former Prime Minister inadvertently, without naming us, actually leaned on, Mr. Speaker, as he touted the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of the country around the world. That initiative was in Ontario, Mr. Speaker. The gone-by-mots are gone, Mr. Speaker. That is the single most important initiative in North America in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I welcome the leader of the third party to this discussion. Mr. Speaker, a privatized Hydro-1 has only one job, making money for its shareholders. The more energy people consume, the bigger the dividend checks for their investors. With Hydro-1 in private hands, the government loses another tool to help in the fight against climate change. That is a fact, Speaker. Publicly owned utilities in British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec invest more in conservation and consumers pay less in those provinces, Speaker. Why is this Premier taking a step backward on conservation and climate change by selling off Hydro-1? So, Mr. Speaker, I would ask the leader of the third party, perhaps she might want to look at what has happened in Alberta, Mr. Speaker, where there is private distribution, Mr. Speaker. She might want to look at what's happened in Alberta where a significant decision was made by the NDP Premier of Alberta, who is part of the discussion at the Premier's table, Mr. Speaker, who will be going to Paris with me, with Premier Quillard, with other premiers, with the Prime Minister to take a stand internationally. That is a stand of a progressive country, Mr. Speaker, moving on initiatives to reduce climate change, Mr. Speaker, to fight climate change. That's what we're doing. That's the work that we're doing. Yesterday, the legislation passed to ban coal-fired plants in the province permanently, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to the announcement today that we are going to be making in terms of our climate change strategy, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. All of that is significant, and I hope that the leader of the third party will be supportive. Thank you. Well, Mr. Speaker, it took the Premier, the NDP Premier of Alberta, Rachel Notley, a whole six months to actually act on climate change in her province. The Liberals talked about it, and here are the rates in kick. Order. Start the clock. Minister of Energy. Finish, please. And there are the top three provinces for investing in conservation, Speaker, with nearly twice the investment of Ontario. Selling Hydro-1 is going to mean even less investment in conservation. It is time to do the right thing for the economy and for the environment and stop the sale of Hydro-1. Will this Premier say that selling Hydro-1 is the wrong decision for the environment in this province? Wrong, Mr. Speaker. Again, the question demonstrates really that the context is not well understood by the leader of the third party. We started shutting down the coal-fired plants. In fact, Mr. Speaker, we continued an initiative that had been begun years ago, and we have shut down those coal-fired plants. We have jumped-started a renewable energy industry in this province. We have been doing that work all along. It is fantastic that Rachel Notley has made the decision that she has made. But Alberta has a huge hill to climb, and so they need to get going. We are on that road, Mr. Speaker. We have taken initiative. We have made significant sacrifices in this province in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And we will continue to do that. And we will put in place a cap and turn system, Mr. Speaker, that will foster innovation and will actually make our businesses more competitive. That is the track we are on. We welcome the leader of the third party to join us. Thank you. New question? Leader of the third party? The answer is also for the Premier. On page five of his report, Ontario's independent financial accountability officer wrote, and I quote, that the net proceeds of the full 60% sale would be between $1.4 to $3.1 billion. Yet this government keeps claiming that selling Hydro-1 will put $4 billion into transit. But $3.1 billion is less than $4 billion, Speaker, and $1.4 billion is a lot less than $4 billion. The Premier's numbers simply don't add up. And it is Ontario families that get stuck holding the bag, Speaker. Will the Premier admit that her Hydro-1 math simply does not add up? Thank you, Premier. Mr. Speaker, we're on track to realise the $9 billion that we are going to be investing in, part of which is going to pay down debt and part of which we are going to invest in transportation infrastructure, Mr. Speaker. But now the leader of the third party is saying that there's not enough money to invest in transit and transportation, Mr. Speaker. She needs to make up her mind. Either she believes in those investments or she doesn't, Mr. Speaker. Our plan laid out clearly that in order to make those investments we needed to leverage our existing assets to invest in new assets. That's what we are doing by broadening the ownership of Hydro-1. And, Mr. Speaker, municipalities, communities across this province need investment in roads and bridges and transit, Mr. Speaker. They need investment in wastewater systems, Mr. Speaker. They need those investments in order to be economically viable. That's her. Either she is onside with that or she's not, Mr. Speaker. It's only at this moment she's not. Well, Mr. Speaker, $1.4 billion is a mere 1% of this Premier's promises for infrastructure and transit investment. It is really barely scratching the surface, Mr. Speaker. Everyone knows, however, that the sell-off of Hydro-1 is a lousy deal and that this government is in total denial in that regard. The Minister of Finance said that the government has already put $3 billion in the bank but the truth is the government is counting on billions of dollars that they simply cannot spend. That's not cash, Speaker. Those are just numbers on a spreadsheet. There's an old saying, Speaker, that you're entitled to your own opinion but you're not entitled to your own facts. Will the Premier admit that her plan is based on billions of dollars that she cannot actually spend? Well, Mr. Speaker, I play that expression back to the Leader of the Third Party. The fact is, Mr. Speaker, we've realized $3 billion. We are on track, Mr. Speaker, to realize that $4 billion to be able to invest in. The member from Stormont come to order. But the fact is, Mr. Speaker, that the opening gambit of the Leader of the Third Party around climate change and around the importance of these investments now, the importance of taking initiative right now in order to be able to not just to be able to go to Paris and stand with countries from around the world but in fact to actually make a difference, Mr. Speaker. We have an opportunity, we have an opportunity as a country and provinces and territories working with the federal government to make a difference on this enormous challenge that is facing us. We're taking that responsibility, Mr. Speaker, and part of that is investing in the transit that we know is needed in order to get people out of cars and get them on to public transit. The Liberals insisted that selling off Hydro One would be a painless way rather to pay for transit, but here's the truth. The cold truth is, Speaker, that it's not really paying for transit and everyone who pays an electricity bill, Speaker, is going to feel that pain. Families know it, businesses know it, the independent watchdogs of this province know it, municipal leaders know it, liberal backbenchers know it, Speaker. Everyone knows it. I expect the Premier knows it too. Why is she so stubbornly ignoring the facts despite the harm to Ontario's families and businesses? Thank you, Premier. So, Mr. Speaker, let's talk about the facts. The facts is we're investing more in infrastructure than any government in Ontario's history. The facts is that as we broaden the ownership of Hydro One, we were able through... Is there an amendment before this House? Before this House? Just say it. Yeah, with the children's trust, that allows for non-cash items to be credited to the children's trust. That'll net $3 billion into the children's trust to be reinvested in infrastructure. An additional billion will be used to pay down debt. That would never have happened, Mr. Speaker, had we not increased the valuation of Hydro One, broadened its ownership, and we still own 84% of a much more valuable company than we did before. Thank you. A question from the member from Prince Edward Easton. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question this morning is for the Premier. Premier, as you sold off Hydro One, you repeatedly told us that ratepayers would be protected by the Ontario Energy Board, and that this would be a transparent process. But with Bill 135 that you've introduced to the legislature, you're silencing the experts by putting all of the power in this minister's office. And with Bill 144, you've buried elements of the Hydro One sale in an omnibus bill that has 23 schedules that include electricity, liquor sales, and horse racing. Speaker, is there a single tactic that this Premier won't resort to to hide the seedier elements of the Hydro One sale from the public? Mr. Speaker, we have made it very clear with the bill before this House that we're increasing the understanding of how Trillium Trust will enable us to reinvest and dedicate those funds to the trust to reinvest in infrastructure. That's what's happening here. There's a number of items. Also, we're getting rid of the debt retirement charge nine months earlier for the benefit of certainty and allow those businesses to benefit from lower costs. That's what we're putting in this bill. It's all about helping the people of Ontario and families of Ontario as a speaker. Saved by the bill. Supplementary. Well, thank you, Speaker, and back to the Premier. The government has done everything possible to keep the behind-the-scenes details of the Hydro One sale out of the public eyes when they announced it for goodness sakes. They had a big sign behind them that said beer and grocery stores. At the same time, they were announcing the sell-off of Hydro One. There's a big black curtain that exists over there, and it's time they came out from behind it. When a woman in the Quinty region wanted the background correspondence from the Ministry of Energy about the sale, the government sent her a freedom of information request with a bill for $7,100 attached to that. She could have got a better rate from a loan shark, Mr. Speaker. Is the Hydro One sale now so bad for repairs that even the FOI request to the government come with a global adjustment attached to it? Good question. So, Mr. Speaker, we had a prospectus. We had a draft prospectus. We had months of consultations with the public, and it was very detailed, explaining very clearly the Hydro One opportunity. Members of the opposition had the opportunity to review it, as did many others, and in fact, Mr. Speaker, the market spoke. They gave a high value for Hydro One. We received the high end. We're on track to receive $9 billion over the course of four years. When we un-look at the way we provide for the broadening of that ownership. Mr. Speaker, it's happening. It's providing greater opportunity for us to reinvest into our communities. We're also talking about merging the OLG with horse racing, something I think the opposition would like us to see. We're facilitating that in this bill as well, Mr. Speaker. All of which is very detailed and enables us to provide for greater support to communities everywhere. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. My question is to the Premier. Ontario's New Democrats are proud to stand with Ontarians and welcome Syrian refugees into the province. We believe Ontario should be an example for the world to follow. This begins with making sure that they start their lives here in Ontario with dignity. The province needs a concrete resettlement strategy because a promise is simply not enough to build a life on. So my question is to the Premier. Where is your health plan? Where is your housing plan? Where is your jobs plan and your education plan? Thank you. Minister of Citizenship Immigration and International Trade. Minister of Citizenship International Trade. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently, there is a lot of media coverage on the refugee issue. Lots of speculation, by the way. And I want to thank Ontarians who are concerned and care about the coming of the Syrian refugees. Mr. Speaker, today the federal government will have a big announcement in terms of their logistics and also their updated plan. We are waiting for that announcement. I have said that, Mr. Speaker. I want to let you know Ontario has contributed 10.5 million in helping the Syrian refugee, 2 million directly to the United Nations of 8.5 million to strengthen surfacing and resettlement of the incoming refugees. So Ontario is committed for the 10th anniversary of the refugee. We are committed to come to Ontario and we will bring them over. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back to the Premier, Speaker. With winter quickly approaching and temperatures dropping, refugees need a warm place to live, money for food and winter clothes, and access to health care services. This government needs to come forward with a plan that ensures that they receive the adequate services they so desperately need. Last week, I sent a letter to the Premier asking her to outline this plan. Will the Premier commit to creating a robust resettlement strategy for refugees and sharing it with myself and Ontarians? Minister? I will go to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the interest and support and advocacy from the third party on this important issue. I have to say, having been involved in refugee issues all my professional life, I couldn't be prouder than I am today in terms of the outpouring of support from Ontarians to support the incoming refugees, to welcome them, to provide them with that safe and secure environment, and they're right. The third party is correct that we have an important role to play as government in terms of preparations. We are developing, we're well underway developing our strategy on housing, on education, on health care, virtually every issue that's important to the incoming refugees and important to Ontarians. But I've been so impressed by the literally hundreds of Ontarians from every walk of life that have come forward to me, expressed their support, wanting to help, asking for ways that they can get personally involved. I'm confident, not only in our strategy that we're developing together with the federal government, but I'm confident in Ontarians that this is a huge success. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Minister, many of my community members in Suburban across our province are troubled by reports of human trafficking taking place in our neighbourhoods. This is a practice that overwhelmingly targets women and girls and preys upon some of our most vulnerable members of our society. Last week, Ontario held its first summit on sexual violence and harassment, where presenters spoke about ending sexual violence and harassment and supporting survivors in the best and most appropriate ways possible. So it is important that Ontarians know how serious we are fighting all types of sexual violence and harassment in our province. And it is also important that Ontarians see the strong actions that are being taken to fight human trafficking in our province. So Mr. Speaker, through you, can the Minister please explain what steps we are taking to stop this deporable practice in our province? Thank you. Thank you very much, Speaker. I want to thank the member for asking a very important question. The member from Sudbury Speaker is absolutely right. The human trafficking is a disgraceful practice and there's no room for it anywhere in our communities. Speaker, it is essential that we collaborate between all levels of government, municipalities and police services to eliminate this practice, and this collaboration is already taking place. In October, Speaker, a major investigation led by the OPP was responsible for rescuing 20 people, some as young as 14, who were thought to have been forced into the sex trade. This operation, known as Operation Northern Spotlight, brought together 350 officers and support staff from 40 police services, including the RCMP and the FBI. Our government's Speaker has also funded 11 projects totaling $1.4 million through the Proceeds of Crime grant, alongside an additional $200,000 of funding for police services from the Ministry to fight human trafficking in Ontario. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the Minister for his answer. It is certainly encouraging that the OPP led such an expansive and successful operation, and I'm glad to hear that the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services is taking the issue so seriously, Mr. Speaker. But, Mr. Speaker, we also know that to tackle human trafficking, we need to see cooperation across ministries. Policing is an important element of our response to human trafficking but we also need to see supports in social services and legal sectors as well. So, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please inform the House of the work going on across government to address human trafficking? Thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, Minister responsible for women's issues? Minister responsible for women's issues. Thank you, Speaker. And the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services is absolutely right. Human trafficking is a heinous crime, is an issue I take very seriously as the Interior Minister responsible for women's issues, and there are a number of ministries working together collaboratively to combat human trafficking. So, in addition to the police measures that the Minister mentioned, the Interior Women's Directorate provides 225,000 in funding to the White Ribbon Campaign to develop resources for young men in ending human trafficking and sexual violence. We're also providing over $9 million to help victims of sexual violence across healthcare, legal and social services in more than 70 languages, Speaker. And last year, as Minister of Children's News Services, we funded a pilot project in New York Region to support youth involved in trafficking. And our Attorney General's Ministry has Crown Attorneys with Knowledge in Human Trafficking to advise on certain prosecutions and policies. We take this kind of crime very seriously as a government speaker, and I'm looking forward to continuing this important work with all members of Legislature. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Social housing providers recently renewed their insurance, and for many of them, once again, the cost from Housing Services Corporation was far higher than if they were allowed to purchase the exact same insurance from another source. Mr. Speaker, the social housing providers are being forced to pay the Housing Services Corporation to be allowed to purchase the cheaper insurance because the Minister refuses to let them opt out. Last year, there were 100 providers who paid the kickback to the HSC because he wouldn't let them opt out. Could the Minister tell us why he is forcing social housing providers to waste money that could otherwise be providing housing for people in need? Thank you. Well, Mr. Speaker, I think the member opposite would be the ideal person to make any principled argument, since it was his government that established the HSC and put in place the provision of pooling for insurance purposes. Now, the Honorable Member has risen in this house now 28 times to talk about the integrity of the Housing Services Corporation. He fails to mention that we did an independent review. The review came back quite positively in as much as the HSC made to a number of provisions. It's clear that the member opposite is going to go back in history and sort of acknowledge the good work that we've done to fix the problem that they set up in the first place. Thank you. Back to the Minister. Perhaps he'll give me a different answer. Wow, I don't know. That's the only answer you know when you're 12 years old. The Minister may want to play off the get out of the provincial insurance trap fee as a pittance, but in Warbley Region we've now seen close to $30,000 stripped from local housing. That's $30,000 just for the privilege of choosing a better insurance deal than the province's Housing Services Corporation wants to force on them. $30,000 that should be supporting housing for vulnerable families diverted straight to the pockets of HSC. If the Minister can't tell us why he allows this punitive practice to continue, can he tell us when we can expect the $30,000 back to the Warbley Region? I don't think he knows. Mr. Speaker, the answer is a simple one. It's the one that the party opposite ingrained in their original legislation. And that's the good of the many supersedes the good of the one. There are advantages to pooling. Member from Leeds, Grenville, second time. Finish, please. There are advantages to pooling, Mr. Speaker. And I had several meetings with service managers where we raised the question of the Housing Services Corporation and asked them about our approach vis-a-vis the study and whether it's it's serving well and we have not heard the kinds of complaints that the member opposite has raised. Thank you. Any other questions? Member from Oswald? Thank you, Speaker. And my question is to the Premier. Today we are once again joined by a group of this province's hard-working frontline correctional officers. And the truth is, Mr. Speaker, they have joined us many times over this past year and that's because there's an ongoing crisis in corrections under this government's watch. Crumbling infrastructure built through P3 arrangements, understaffing and overcrowding levels are dangerous for everyone living and working in our correction system. Speaker, ignoring a problem doesn't make it go away. Ignoring a problem gives it the chance to grow and to get worse. So other than tout its review, what tangibly is this government doing to fix the dire situation in our correctional facilities? Thank you. Mr. Community Safety and Correctional Services. Well, thank you very much, Speaker. Let me do start by thanking our corrections and probation and parole officers for the incredible work they do in our correctional institutes in our communities every single day. Speaker, there are truly a frontline to ensuring that our community is safe at all time and in all my conversations that I've had with them and the work that I've heard from members opposite as well. I think, Speaker, we all recognize that we need to collectively work in ensuring that we are transforming our correctional system. A system that moves away from just warehousing individuals. But most importantly, Speaker, focuses on rehabilitating and reintegrating them better in the community. Speaker, one of the mandates that has been given to me by the Premier is to ensure that we do not address the issues around capacity in our correctional offices in our jails by building more jails. But in fact, we deal with that capacity by reducing the demand for jails, Speaker, and that is why transformation of our system in partnership with our correctional officers is extremely important. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And as we've said, there is a crisis in corrections and pretending that there isn't is not an acceptable strategy. And to talk about rehabilitation and talk about the vision that can happen, well, again, that's just talk, this government is being asked what is it doing about the lack of mental health training for staff? It's being asked about malfunctioning locks and a worsening situation at the Toronto South Detention Centre and a hunger strike by inmates. It is being asked about multiple inmates deaths across the province. It is being asked why it is content to lock down facilities with inexperienced managers rather than reach a deal with its professional staff. Why is this government content to fiddle while our correctional system burns? Thank you. Well, Speaker, there is a lot of work that has already started in partnership with our correctional staff in our system to ensure that we do the transformation. We're moving forward, Speaker, with better mental health support and enhanced rehabilitation and reintegration programs so that we can help break the cycle of reoffending and build safer, stronger communities right across the province. That's why, Speaker, we have already hired 500 new correctional officers since 2013 and we're working hard to hire more. In fact, Speaker, there's almost 100 new officers that are going through training at correctional colleges. As part of our transformation, Speaker, we have also launched a comprehensive review of Ontario's use of segregation within our correctional facilities. We have a new regional intermediate centre at EMDC to ensure that we address the capacity issue, reduce contraband and improve safety for correctional staff. I look forward to working our correctional staff with this. Thank you. A new question. The member from Kingston in the island. My question is for the President of the Treasury Board. I understand that the Ontario Public Service was again recognised as one of Canada's top 100 employers for 2016 in a special global mail. This is the second consecutive year that our public service has received this honour. I'd like to congratulate the dedicated men and women of the Ontario Public Service and thank them for the hard work that they do every day, providing us with the best advice and helping us deliver to build Ontario up. Speaker, through you, can the Minister please tell us more about the significance of this recognition for the Ontario Public Service? Thank you. Well, thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the member from Kingston in the islands for this question and for recognising the hard work and dedication of our extraordinary public service. And I second her congratulations and I'm sure everyone in this House joins me in congratulations to the OPS for this honour. Our public service is second to none. They are dedicated, they are talented, they're committed to delivering the best possible government for the people of Ontario. The Ontario Public Service was again recognised as one of Canada's top employers for 2016, making this the sixth time that the OPS has received this recognition. Our public service is also the Toronto area's top employers for the past seven years in a row, one of Canada's greenest employers for six years in a row and one of Canada's best diverse employment for eight years in a row. Speaker, this recognition is important as it helps us attract and retain our very, very best. Speaker, as someone who has had the great pleasure of working with our public service, I wholeheartedly agree that this recognition is well earned. We rely on their advice, their professionalism and expertise to help us make Ontario the best place to live, work and do business. And they are absolutely instrumental in the development and delivery of programs and services to the people in this province. It's wonderful to hear that our public service continues to be recognised as a top employer in a number of categories and that the Ontario Public Service is seen as a leading employer. I hope that the minister can tell us more about why the Ontario Public Service continues to be selected as a top employer and what our government is doing to maintain our status as a leading employer. Thank you. Secretary of Cabinet, Steve Orsini this recognition is a testament to the hard work of our public service each and every day. And it's a testament to the hard work that's been done to make the OPS a great place to work. Ontario is a leader when it comes to inclusive, accessible, respectful, healthy and productive workplaces. For example, we have strong employee networks like the OPS Pride Network that provides support to employees on LGBTQ issues and tomorrow's Ontario Public Service are tops which is fostering future leaders. The OPS will continue to lead by example and set a high standard for other employers to emulate. But we need to work hard to stay in the top tier of employers. That's why we've released a new HR plan for the next five years, focused on fostering a positive and inclusive work place culture, developed and engaged and innovative leaders and implementing effective HR practices. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, my question this morning is to the Premier. On November 4th, I wrote to the Premier and asked that she take a leadership role by advocating for the proposed expansion at Billy Bishop Airport here in Toronto. As you know, it is estimated that the proposal will create 2,000 new well-paying jobs. Many of these jobs will be at the iconic Canadian company Bombardier, including jobs here in Toronto at Bombardier Downsview which recently had to lay off 500 workers. The Premier's support for this project would send an important signal to the federal government and would be the kind of leadership that Ontario desperately needs. Speaker, will the Premier take the opportunity here this morning to stand up for Ontario's workers and clear the air by declaring her support for this important proposal? Mr. Speaker, my transportation. Thanks very much, Speaker. I thank you very much. It's the exact same question that he asked here in the Legislature only a few days ago, Speaker. The answer today remains the same as it was then which is that as it relates to this particular issue it's a matter between the federal government, the City of Toronto and the Toronto Port Authority and I understand that those are the authorities that are taking care of this matter. Thanks very much, Speaker. There's 2,000 jobs at stake and all this Premier wants to do is continue to pass the buck. Back to the Premier. In 2013 Porter Airlines signed a $2 billion deal with Bombardier to buy up to 30 CS 100 planes. Those planes would allow the airline to fly passengers to destinations as far as Vancouver, Los Angeles and the Caribbean while also increasing service to locations throughout both southern and northern Ontario. Speaker, this proposal will create 2,000 well-paying jobs while generating more than $250 million in annual economic impact for the City of Toronto, but this Premier won't even add her voice to support it. The Premier knows there's a $2 billion deal, thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions in annual economic activity all at risk. Speaker, will this Premier stand up for the workers at Bombardier and declare her support for this important proposal today? Thank you. Speaker, again, I thank the member for the supplementary question. This is exactly essentially a repeat of what we said the last time we had this back and forth on the City Speaker. What's interesting to me, in particular Speaker, is that the member opposite is talking about the potential for job creation. Speaker, I'm not sure if that member or the leader of his party or his caucus understand with the infrastructure investments that our Premier and our government are making across Ontario, Speaker, we will create or sustain 110,000 jobs each and every single year, Speaker. Speaker, what's fascinating I know for the people of Toronto, for the people of the GTHA and for the people of Ontario is that with our plan to create over 100,000 jobs annually with infrastructure investments, that member and that party and the Conservative Ventures Speaker continuously vote against and oppose our plan to move the province forward, Speaker. So there's something that's a little bit off here, Speaker. He asks questions about job creation and he rejects our efforts to build the province up and move Ontario forward. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. My questions to the Premier. Last week the Liberal Government reintroduced a 2014 Conservative bill that the Premier herself voted against just last year. Essentially, Speaker, this government is giving a well connected Liberal insiders an early Christmas present by releasing corporate construction giants and major Liberal donor, Alistair from its 60 year old obligation to hire unionized workers. Speaker, why is this government putting well connected insiders and friends ahead of hard working Ontario families? Minister of Labour? Minister of Labour. Thank you Speaker and thanks to the member opposite for the question again. What the member will understand is that there was a private members bill before the House that would do what the courts were asking the legislature to do and that was to act on this issue. If you'll recall the first bill that was before this House would have given everything one side wanted and nothing to the building trade union. What I asked these groups to do as a result of this coming back again from the courts, I asked them to sit in the same room, spend a weekend together see if they could reach a settlement to resolve this long standing issue. They were able to reach a settlement within that room, one of the parties was able to ratify that agreement, the other wasn't and certainly what we are doing today what we are asking the House to do is to ask some legislation that gives us the vehicle to allow us to implement a regulation based primarily on what the arbitrator is asking us to do. Supplementary? Speaker, hard working Ontarians know full well this has got to do with the fair settlement as the minister claims. Despite numerous court appeals, court decisions upholding Alice's obligations despite tools available to solve labor disputes, we know full well that this is about thanking the liberal party's highest donor quote unquote building on great relationships between cabinet members and their insider friends. This is about a liberal government interfering in the workers' democratic right to Excuse me, stop the clock. I'm listening very carefully and you're tiptoeing so tight I'm going to warn the member not to get into an accusation that I know you know is unparliamentary so carry on and finish and I'm listening carefully to that. This is about the liberal government interfering in the workers' democratic right to negotiate a fair deal with a private corporation. Will the right thing and remove this section of the bill and put on experience ahead of corporate donors? Thank you Speaker and thanks again to the member for the question. What we have specifically Speaker is each and every one of those Sir, I'm going to ask you to leave please. We cannot have people participate in the house business observation only. Thank you. Please finish. Thank you Speaker. The fact is the building trade unions retain every one of their rights in the province of Ontario. What we did is we bought one and I think one of the best mediators one of the best arbitrators in this country sat down with these parties they reached an agreement on that weekend. One party was able to ratify the other party but not what the arbitrator Kevin Burkett has come back to me he would said what we should be doing is we should be framing a regulation to resolve this dispute based primarily on the agreement that was reached on that weekend. I'm suggesting Speaker that's the best way forward. It's a way forward that I think protects the interests of both parties. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is to the minister of transportation every November we come together as a nation to recognize the sacrifices made by our veterans. Last year while attending a community tree planting event in Oshawa as part of the ministry of natural resources and forestry's partnership with Trees Ontario under the 50 million trees program I was approached by Forest Ontario with a wonderful idea. One that would create a unique and lasting tribute to Canada's fallen soldiers. A tribute Mr. Speaker that would allow all Ontarians the opportunity to commemorate the veterans every day of the year in perpetuity via a living legacy. Mr. Speaker can the minister please tell the members of this House about this initiative and our partnership with Forest Ontario. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks very much Speaker. I want to begin by thanking the member from Burlington for the question but also for her tremendous leadership on this very important issue Speaker. In 2007 as everyone in this chamber will know the Ontario government dedicated the segment of Highway 401 Trenton and Keele Street in Toronto as the Highway of Heroes. This dedication was a fitting way of commemorating the bravery and sacrifice of Canadian soldiers whose lives had been tragically cut short in defense of our country. Speaker I was extremely proud to join with the member from Burlington to announce that our government has formalized a partnership with Forest Ontario to move forward with the Highway of Heroes tree planting partnership. This partnership Speaker will see 117 thousand trees planted along the Highway of Heroes. One tree for every soldier who has died serving Canada since confederation. The formal tree planting will begin in spring of 2016 and this wonderful initiative will stand forever as a living memorial to those who have proudly served our country. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker and I want to thank the minister for his response. I was incredibly proud to stand with him to announce our government's partnership with Forest Ontario for the Highway of Heroes tree planting initiative and I join him in thanking them and in particular Mark Cullen for his passion and commitment not only to this program but to our veteran Speaker. I'm also pleased to note that this is not our first investment that our government has made for our veterans. This past summer our government announced a new initiative that seeks to help military personnel in making a transition to civilian work and life. Mr. Speaker please tell the members of this House more about this important new initiative. Thank you. Thanks very much Speaker. Again I thank the member from Burlington for the supplementary question. She is right. This past June I had the honour of standing with representatives from the Department of National Defence the organization known as Helmets to Hard Hats and the Ontario Trucking Association to make an important announcement. As of this past July 1st our government is making it easier for Canadian military personnel and veterans to exchange their Department of National Defence 404 driver's permits for an applicable Ontario license. Extensive review of DND's licensing standards has shown us that military training and testing requirements meet Ontario's license standards. Taking this important step will help those leaving the military transition to civilian work and assist them in finding jobs in the trucking sector. While Ontario will wave knowledge and road tests we will still require applicants to complete a vision test that meets medical standards and satisfied identification requirements. I am very proud to be a member of a government that stands up for defense and helps those who serve our country. Thanks very much. Thank you. My question is for the Minister of Education Mr. Speaker as the Minister knows for a number of years people in Wasaga Beach have wondered when they will get a high school we think we have enough local students to justify the building of a high school. So Mr. Speaker I asked the Minister to tell this house who is it that makes that decision and has the Simkel County district school board ever asked the Minister to build a high school in Wasaga Beach? Thank you Minister of Education. Thank you and I am very pleased to talk about our capital priorities program. We just recently announced funding for 56 capital projects totaling almost half a billion dollars but I can confirm that the Simkel County district school board did not submit a request for a new high school in Wasaga Beach during our 2000 capital priorities program. In fact I can confirm that none of the four boards that serve Wasaga Beach that would be Simkel County Simkel Muskoka Viamond and Sontresu none of the four submitted a request for a school in Wasaga Beach and obviously although we did get 220 requests for 0.7 billion I don't fund projects if I don't get a request. Thank you. Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker I keep getting told that one reason the school board is reluctant to ask for a high school in Wasaga Beach is that it might jeopardize the viability of Stainer Collegiate and or Collingwood Collegiate. Can the minister tell us if that is true will Stainer and Collingwood be affected and what does the minister say to those of us who truly believe we have a good case for a high school in Wasaga Beach? Yes and I can't obviously given that the case wasn't submitted I can't comment on schools but what I can share with the member is that one of the 56 projects that was successful was Simcoe County's request for a school in Elmvale so that in fact and as the member opposite knows Elmvale is 15 kilometers down the beach down the road from Wasaga Beach and in fact does serve the students from Wasaga Beach so in fact we did approve the request for construction of an addition at Elmvale District High School we approved a 180 pupil place addition with funding of $5.5 million so that the students who reside in Wasaga Beach would be well served by that updated high school in Elmvale thank you very much. Thank you. My question is to the Premier Speaker this week we learned that poverty and homelessness continue to grow in Northern Ontario this Liberal government's rhetoric and record on homeless and poverty simply do not match up in Sudbury the homeless population has more than doubled since 2009 shockingly almost 1% of Sudbury's population is homeless rates of homelessness and poverty in North Bay and Timmins are higher than the rest of Canada this government is failing children in Northern Ontario will this Premier admit that her government's inaction is forcing marginalized people in Northern Ontario to pay the price? Is this responsible for poverty strategy? Is this responsible for poverty strategy reduction? Well thank you Speaker and thank you so much for the question and as I hope the member realizes that I recently co-chaired an expert panel on homelessness with my colleagues Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to actually make our commitment to end homelessness in Ontario a reality we have now developed the strategy speaker we know what we have to do we absolutely did hear loud and clear in those panel meetings about the diversity of homelessness and the diversity of poverty across the province we know that solutions that might work in large urban centres will not work in rural centres that the north is way different than the south so we will working with our partners across all levels of government and beyond speaker the not-for-profit sector, the business community we will and chronic homelessness in ten years Back to the Premier, Speaker the numbers speak for themselves while indigenous people only represent 8.2% of the population in Sudbury they represent about 43% of the homeless population more than half of people at risk of homelessness have mental or physical health problems 182 homeless people in Sudbury are children under the age of 18 the Premier must acknowledge that this is unacceptable this government's neglect of vulnerable people in Northern Ontario is atrocious will the Premier admit that she is failing families in children in Northern Ontario and tell us what her government is doing about it Speaker, you know I know the tone of the question is confrontational but in fact the substance of the question is completely aligned with our work on this we have identified four population groups that we are focusing on first when it comes to homelessness and we are talking about youth and homeless speaker youth Aboriginal people people who are chronically homeless that means they have been homeless for six months or longer and I think very importantly people who are transitioning from government organizations or institutions like the Children's Aid Society we don't think anyone should leave one part of provincial care there is a lot of work ahead of us I am counting on the third party to support us as we do this hard work Questions for the Minister of Economic Development Employment and Infrastructure Mars is recognized as one of the world's largest innovation house with 1.5 square foot complex located in the heart of Canada's research cluster in downtown Toronto Mars equips innovators with entrepreneurship skills to complete in the 21st century recently we see a stellar tenants moving into the Mars West Tower over 1,000 start-up companies have been incubated or advised at the Mars West Tower just down the street here in September there were two exciting announcements at Mars on September the 3rd we celebrate a whole roster of innovative companies and organizations that will be collaborating in the Mars on September the 8th we welcome J-Labs with the very first incubator of the United States Mr. Speaker, through you to the Minister can he please update the house on the latest exciting Mars announcement from last week Thank you, Minister of Economic Development Employment and Infrastructure Thank you Mr. Speaker I want to thank the member for a question and for her observations time is winding down here when I can give a more fulsome answer and I know the member opposite is getting hungry that's why he's getting ornery Mr. Speaker so I'm going to be really tight in my answer the announcement last week that Autodesk will be opening one of its biggest R&D centers at Mars here in Ontario is not just good news Mr. Speaker it's a milestone that I believe marks a huge victory for Mars West Tower project I'm pleased to be able to inform the member today Mr. Speaker that Mars Tower 2 project is now 84% lease well on the way to be a member to re-ask this question at a later date and we'll give the member opposite a more fulsome answer The member from Kitchener Waterloo on a point of order Thank you very much Mr. Speaker I'd like to correct my record yesterday during the debate on bill 144 Budget Measures Act 2015 I said that all Liberal members voted against the Alistar on bill 74 in 2013 in fact there were two Liberal members that voted in favour for the Alistar Thank you The member from the Renfrew Nipissing Pembroke Thank you Speaker I wanted to welcome to the house Arianna Heramschik Executive Director of Family and Children Services in Renfrew County and David Studham a member of the board who has joined us for question period here at Queen's Park I want to thank the Minister that I had closed for quite some time during question period There are no deferred votes this house stands adjourned to 3pm this afternoon