 Therefore, it is now time for question period. The Leader of Her Majesty, Your Honour. Mr. Speaker, yesterday at the international plowing match, I heard one thing over and over again, and the question is for the Premier, because I'm sure she heard this, too. What we heard was that the Liberal Band-Aid solutions do not go far enough to address the hydro crisis in Ontario. Rural Ontario has had a few solutions. They want this government to stop signing contracts for energy we don't need, and they want this government to stop the fire sale of Hydro-1. So Mr. Speaker, was the Premier listening yesterday? Will she make that commitment to rural Ontario? Very much, Mr. Speaker, and we were very clearly listening. It was great to be able to attend the plowing match, Mr. Speaker, and connect with people from all over the province and from outside of the province, Mr. Speaker, because our agriculture industry and our agriculture industry are so important to the economy of this province and to the culture in Ontario, Mr. Speaker. And you know, Mr. Speaker, I did talk to people about electricity rates. I talked about it in my comments, Mr. Speaker. And one of the things that is really important to remember, Mr. Speaker, is that we have just come through one of the hottest summers ever, and we've had no blackouts, no brownouts, and no smog days, Mr. Speaker. Those are because of choices that we have made, and I will certainly elaborate in the supplementary, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. Nicole Prothone from Ingersoll is a single working mother of three. She also takes care of her mother. She received a hydro-bill of $1,500. The Liberal Band-Aid solution means she would still pay $1,400. That's absurd, Mr. Speaker. This government's plan is too little, too late to help individuals in rural Ontario. Mr. Speaker, will the Premier tell Nicole that a $1,400 or a $1,500 hydro-bill is acceptable? Because I absolutely think it's not. It's not right. Families can't afford it. Thank you. Change is in the electricity system that means it is clean and reliable, Mr. Speaker. But we recognize that there is a cost associated with those changes, Mr. Speaker, and we have moved to take... Premier. And we've moved to take costs out of the system and to reduce electricity bills. So Mr. Speaker, I don't know the situation of the particular person that the Leader of the Opposition is talking about, but I do know that the Ontario Energy Support Program, Mr. Speaker, for low-income families, was already in place, Mr. Speaker. And that is a program that people can apply to. We've gone further. We are reducing electricity bills, Mr. Speaker, particularly in rural areas. Thank you. It's in 20%, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, no one believes for a second that this government is reducing electricity bills. So Mr. Speaker, this is more than simply one family. So I've got another question, Mr. Speaker, for the Premier. We can call this part of the Liberal Math Test. If, since 2013... Start the clock. Finish, please. So Mr. Speaker, another Liberal Math Test question. If, since 2013, there are over 94,000 more households that are in arrears on their hydro bills, pushing that number in Ontario to an astonishing 567,000 individuals that can't afford their hydro bills. And if the Liberals raise rates as expected again on November 1st, how many Ontarians are going to be unable to afford their hydro bills? Can we have an answer, Mr. Speaker? Thank you. For you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. People in Ontario need to be able to count on electricity system that's clean and reliable. People in Ontario need to be able to pay their electricity bills, Mr. Speaker, which is why we have put in place... Finish, please. ...why we already have the Ontario Energy Support Program, which is why we are taking the provincial portion of the HST off electricity bills, Mr. Speaker, why we are putting in a... We are giving an additional 12% reduction on rural communities, Mr. Speaker. People also need to be able to find childcare, Mr. Speaker, which is why we have committed to creating 100,000 new childcare spaces. People in Ontario also need to be able to afford post-secondary education, which is why tuition will be free for... Some of you may figure out that I'm trying something, and if that's not successful, I'll move to warnings. Finish. Which is why tuition will be free for low and low-middle-income families starting next September, Mr. Speaker. I'm now moving to warnings. Finish. All the things I've talked about, Mr. Speaker, are things that we are doing to help people every day in their lives to afford the things that they need in their families. Those are the... That's the focus of what we are doing, Mr. Speaker. Question related to the opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. Since I can't get an answer on the Liberal hydro crisis, let's start with something else. I know the Premier saw the headline last week in the Toronto Star, which read, Expert Panel was Dismayed by Liberals Plan to Put Age Cap on Autism Services. Parents of children with autism need to hear the truth. But members of the Expert Panel can't speak out. They are being muzzled by this government. Mr. Speaker, will the Premier lift the veil of secrecy and waive the confidentiality agreements? Simple question, yes or no. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I am very grateful to people like Bruce McIntosh, who is part of the advisory committee. I've had many meetings with him, Mr. Speaker. He's part of the advisory group. And I know that the minister has talked with the advisory group. The minister and I have talked. And of course, as those deliberations are underway, Mr. Speaker, it's perfectly reasonable that members of the group would be able to talk about those deliberations. So I know that the minister is having that conversation with the advisory group about how to talk about those discussions that are necessarily confidential in the first place, Mr. Speaker, but how to talk about the decisions that come out of those discussions and how to talk about that in the public realm, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier, and I didn't get an answer in that. The government always seems to be hiding something. They've muzzled the expert panel, and now they're trying to muzzle parent activists. Bruce McIntosh, as the Premier mentioned, has been a tireless advocate and led the fight for this government to recognize that autism doesn't end at five. But to be part of that new advisory panel, the government made Bruce McIntosh sign a confidentiality agreement. This government is scared of what he might say. Mr. Speaker, will this government promise that Bruce McIntosh can continue his fight? Will they promise he won't be muzzled? Yes or no? Premier. Mr. Speaker, people, Bruce McIntosh has been an advocate on this issue for 20 years. When I was the Minister of Education, Mr. Speaker, he was part of a leading group, and I know that the former Ministers of Education and Ministers of Children Youth Services all have had interactions with Bruce and his associates. And, Mr. Speaker, members of the advisory group do speak to the media. They will continue to speak to the media. And as I said, the Minister of Children Youth Services is working with them to determine how to talk about the deliberations in public. So, Mr. Speaker, it is really important that those conversations take place, because as we roll out the new supports to families and I, you know, Mr. Speaker, I will talk about a specific story in the next supplement from Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, surprise, surprise, no answer on the confidentiality agreements. You know, last week when I asked how many families received the new funding, the government told me three things. First, they wrote a letter. Second, they set up a 1-800 number. Third, they held a press conference to make the announcement of a transition period, none of which gives families help. So, Mr. Speaker, I will ask again, how many families that were kicked off the waitlist have received the promised funding? Has there been any funding delivered to the families of those kicked off the waitlist by the Liberals? Any funding at all? Yes or no? $1,000, so the answer is yes. They have begun to get the money, Mr. Speaker. And the story I wanted to tell was a mom who came up to me and told me that her child, who is a toddler, was told, she was told that it was going to be a year and a half before she would get IBI treatment, Mr. Speaker, before she would get the support that she needed. What has happened because of the changes that we have made is that she's starting that treatment right now, Mr. Speaker. She's getting that treatment. The result that we need to see people are starting to get money. Kids who were going to have to wait for actually getting that treatment now. That was the intention and that's the impact that the changes are having, Mr. Speaker. You question the leader of the third party. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Two weeks ago, the Premier said that Ontarians would get a break on their hydro bills. People were hopeful that things would change, but instead of taking the HST off bills, the government is creating a rebate that we all know could disappear at any time. And instead of being just the first step to get bills down, it seems to be the only step, Speaker. People hoped for so much better. Will the Premier take action to get bills under control and stop the privatization of Hydro One? Well, we would have thought that the leader of the third party would have been very supportive of what we're doing, which is a permanent removal of the provincial portion of the HST from electricity bills, Mr. Speaker. It's not a rebate in the sense that people have to pay and then they will be paid back. It is coming right off the bills, Mr. Speaker. We will introduce legislation which if passed would make that happen, Mr. Speaker. And on top of that we are working to make sure that rural customers who have very high delivery charges, Mr. Speaker, have an extra 12% reduction, Mr. Speaker, to upwards of 20%. So we've taken action. We've also acted in terms of smaller companies, Mr. Speaker, that need support through the industrial conservation initiative and they will be able to save up to 34%. So we've taken a number of initiatives, Mr. Speaker, because we know that people need that support. Thank you. People in Ontario are having trouble paying their hydro bills and they are at a breaking point. They're concerned that the Premier is making decisions that are more about the best money instead of what's best for families. It was amazing that last Friday, Liberal staffers were handing out leaflets at subway stops talking about rebate legislation that was barely 12 hours old, Mr. Speaker. It looks like this is more about helping the Liberal Party than it is about helping families. Will this Premier start making this about people instead of making it about her party? Thank you. We have made to help people with their electricity bills are about people, Mr. Speaker. It's about their lives every day helping people in the same way, Mr. Speaker, that the 100,000 childcare spaces that we're going to create is about people, Mr. Speaker. It's about people when we move to make tuition free for low income families. All of those decisions, Mr. Speaker, all of those choices that we have made in this government are in response to people's concerns and they are about helping people to deal with their lives every single day, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Well, Speaker, I was at the plowing match yesterday. I know the Premier and lots of her team were there too and so were a lot of unhappy Ontarians. They showed the Premier that her plan to privatize Hydro-1 has absolutely no public support and no mandate to privatize. The next election, Speaker, the next election is 20 months away at which point the Premier has an opportunity to actually get a mandate from the people. In the meantime this Premier needs to stop selling shares in Hydro-1 with the Premier commit today to stop any further sell-off of Hydro-1. Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker and I'd like to thank the leader of the third party for that question. For us on this side of the House we recognize how important it is to continue with jobs and growth and investments and the broadening of Hydro-1 will just do that, Mr. Speaker. And of course when you're talking about the three pillar plan that we brought forward to help families, we want to see that implemented as fast as we can, Mr. Speaker, so people and families can continue to save on their bills and I thought I heard that from the third party and I forward unanimous consent to get my legislation passed quickly. You know what happened, Mr. Speaker? They voted against it. We want to ensure we help families and they're not helping us all and the families in Ontario. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. My next question is for the Premier as well. Not only do they not have a mandate, Mr. Speaker the government is being sued for its decision to sell off Hydro-1. Flyers that the Liberals were handing out last week were more about politics than they were about people. Ontarians want to believe that things are going to get better but the government keeps making decisions that favor the Liberal Party instead of people. Will this Premier start taking action that puts people ahead of her party's interests? Mr. Speaker, the investments that we are making in people's lives around the province whether it's in transit, Mr. Speaker whether it's in roads, bridges whether it's in Hamilton or whether it's in Mississauga or whether it's in Ottawa, Mr. Speaker or whether it's in Thunder Bay those investments are about supporting people in their communities to allow them to create the jobs, to create the economic growth that we know is necessary for them to thrive for their communities to thrive. We can't do that, Mr. Speaker if we don't have the resources to invest in that infrastructure and so that is the decision that we made, Mr. Speaker and I think the leader of the third party knows full well that the decisions we made that we brought forward in the throne speech to reduce electricity costs by promoting the provincial portion of the HST is a recognition Mr. Speaker that people need help Mr. Speaker the government should be about helping people and working to address their problems absolutely it shouldn't be about looking after the liberal party so my question is will this Premier stop any further privatization of Hydro-1 until the people of this province actually get to have a say Thank you Mr. Speaker and I'd like to thank the member for that question obviously I can't comment directly on this as there's a legal process that's now underway and we need to allow that process to unfold it's also important to note Mr. Speaker that the integrity commissioner has already looked into this and it's recently confirmed that there is no wrongdoing but I think it's important to mention Mr. Speaker that the NDP took over $33,000 from QPR to affiliates in 2015 and so far they've reported almost $12,000 in 2016 Mr. Speaker now the Toronto for a press conference to attack the government's plan to invest in transit in transportation and other infrastructure Mr. Speaker so at top NDP fundraisers are launching a lawsuit Mr. Speaker we've even seen Toronto Danforth NDP electoral district collect over $3,100 from various QP locals so Mr. Speaker I beg the question is the member for Toronto Danforth in the area studio as I confirmed the member will withdraw withdraw final supplementary Speaker the unmitigated gall of this government and its cabinet ministers is unbelievable absolutely unbelievable look in the days prior to the throne speech the government was saying the minister the minister of municipal affairs is warned as a reminder the president is named final supplementary in the days prior to the liberal throne speech the government was saying that they finally understood hydro bills were too high they told people to expect big changes and people were hopeful instead what should have been a first step giving people a bit of a break was the only step people hoping for action got yet another let down why did the Liberals not use the opportunity to make a real difference and stop the sell off of hydro one thank you Mr. Speaker I think it's important to mention that we're getting value for the sale and the broadening of hydro ownership and we're investing in transit in infrastructure recently I was able to tour the north part of our province and make announcements and capes casing in north bay out in areas like Cochrane we're talking about the investments in this province that are creating jobs and growth Mr. Speaker and that's what the people of Ontario want when you're talking about the three point plan thank you Mr. Speaker when you're talking about the three point plan the Ontario rebate for electricity consumers act that permanent act that the permanent rebate that we're putting in is going to help families with an eight percent rebate to five million families in Ontario residential consumers small businesses and farms and we're working for Ontario families thank you very much Good morning Mr. Speaker my question today is for the Minister of Economic Development and Growth Minister in December 2015 Ontario's Auditor General released a report into the billions of dollars worth of corporate grants doled out to Ontario companies over the past ten years by this Liberal Government as you know the report stated the Ministry of Economic Development Employment and Infrastructure attempted to measure whether the 1.4 billion dollars it provided to Ontario businesses since 2004 actually strengthen the economy or made recipients more competitive. As a result of this scathing report I wrote to you 250 days ago asking you to release the information on the grants your office has funded and the companies your office has funded since 2004 Minister I still haven't heard back from you on this important matter why won't you share with Ontario's taxpayers what it is they're paying for Mr. Speaker the member might want to check the website of Treasury Board to find information on Treasury Board that outlines the investments we've made since January 2013 it's just been recently posted and outlines that Mr. Speaker in a report on our Johnson Prosperity Fund 68,501 jobs have been created in this province in the last three years alone through the investments we've made now the question I have is this member in line with his leader because Mr. Speaker this party has denigrated the investments we've made that it created 160,000 jobs since 2003 yet their leader supported some of those investments when it was in Ottawa is the leader sending out letters to some people in the province saying he supports our business investments and at the same time authorizing his credit they get up and denigrate him Mr. Speaker I think we've got a case of the scarecrow situation from the Wizard of Oz he doesn't know what direction he's going in the critic probably doesn't Mr. Speaker back to the Minister of Economic Development and Growth Minister this is about accountability and transparency and standing up for the taxpayers of this province of the billions per year in business flowing from your Liberal government we know that the Minister is making no real effort to ensure taxpayers are getting value for money much of that money was spent with no public application process or criteria and instead the Minister and the Premier handpicked the companies that would receive the payouts behind closed doors by invitation only. Speaker all this leaves taxpayers wondering will the Minister come clean and finally release this information or is there something that this Liberal government is trying to hide from the taxpayers of this province Mr. Speaker the information 2013 is now available I told the member that the original questions so go online you'll find the information you're looking for information before 2013 will be made available it's part of our open data process where we open up this information but Mr. Speaker that party continues to denigrate the important investments that we're making with our business community just yesterday Mr. Speaker we had a great announcement coming out of Oshawa GM 3,000 workers in this province Mr. Speaker will be retaining their jobs in the auto sector something that wasn't going to happen Mr. Speaker that party wanted us to close those jobs we're going to keep them open great jobs right across this province Thank you new question member from Nickelville Mr. Speaker this question is for the premier shamefully shows that 90% of the residents including the children of grassy narrow and Wabasimong First Nation show sign of mercury poisoning it took Japanese researcher not this government to provide the only public data on the health effect of mercury poisoning on the people of grassy narrow and Wabasimong you committed $300,000 to immediately begin field work will the premier show the local people what has been done how much has been spent and what samples have been taken so far because we can't find none thank you Mr. Speaker and reconciliation Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Thank you Speaker I want to emphasize that we are listening to grassy narrows we take their concerns very very carefully we have just received this report yesterday September 20 from the Japanese team headed up by Professor Hanada we will continue working with the community and the federal government on this important issue I can tell you by way of background that earlier this summer the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and I visited grassy narrows we met with Chief Fulbister we set in place a plan to review these issues broadly we set in a political team consisting of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and myself and Chief Fulbister to review the technical work of the team the report from the Japanese scientific team was received yesterday our government is reviewing it today Thank you Back to the Premier Speaker Well, the Environment Minister amazingly stood in this house last week and told me and I quote I can't imagine we could be doing more end of quote when questioned about grassy narrows Well, Chief Fulbister certainly seems to think that Ontario could be doing way more the people of grassy narrows think that we could be doing way more the people of Wabisu think that we could be doing way more well-renowned scientists Ontario we all think that this Premier this government could be doing way more the question is simple Speaker will the Premier follow the lead of the Japanese clean up the English Wabigun River of the Mercury so that the people can drink the water and eat the fish Thank you We all want to fix this problem I have a report from the Japanese scientist he himself said in the report and I quote and this goes to the issue of conflicting scientific and engineering approaches to the problem and I quote it is possible that things get worse because of the turning of the soil and the water Broadly speaking there are two approaches to this problem the sediment on the bottom of the river and remove the mercury that is settled to a depth below the silt level and there are other approaches also Dr. Hanata himself has said that following his report we have to do more work to review and get the best scientific and the best engineering solution to this problem Do you question the member from Durham? Mr. Speaker my question is to the Minister of Economic Development and Growth Minister there was absolutely wonderful news on Monday night with regards to a tentative agreement between Uniform and General Motors the news was warmly welcome in my writing of Durham I've heard from countless constituents about the importance of this to them especially with regards to job staying in Ontario we have seen positive growth in our economy over the past two years but Minister what does this deal specifically mean for Ontarians on our economy Mr. Speaker this is fantastic news for the people of Durham and people right across this province it's a tremendous endorsement Mr. Speaker of Ontario's competitive advantage we're very pleased with this tentative agreement enabling new product investments to be made at GM facilities across Ontario GM's Oshawa plant will be getting a new product mandate something that we've been seeking for some time and there will also be extended mandates for the Indian plant in St. Catharines and the distribution facility as well in Woodstock this government has been a fierce advocate for our auto sector Mr. Speaker Ontario has significant competitive advantages for our dedicated workforce the most advanced technology in North America and a government willing to be a champion for advanced manufacturing and innovation we're working together with GM and Unifor to build Ontario up this is a terrific example of what can happen when companies, unions and governments work together to build this problem build our sector up and create jobs across this is wonderful news minister and shows that Ontario is truly leading the way when it comes to advanced manufacturing in the auto sector with almost 4,000 jobs protected this deal means a lot to our workers for their job security and for the local communities investments like the one outlined in the tentative agreement means a lot more workers and families in my writing as well as all across Ontario can you tell us more how this news will impact other workers, their families and all Ontarians thank you Mr. Speaker, unlike some of the opposition we're incredibly pleased with the positive news for thousands of general motor workers and their families especially in Oshawa St. Catharines and Woodstock this investment also secures tens of thousands of jobs in our burgeoning auto parts sector Mr. Speaker and well beyond the tentative deal between Unifor and MGM is about ensuring that our high skilled workers have high quality well paying jobs and job security in the coming years but Mr. Speaker this does stand in dark contrast to the opposition who would have let that auto sector die on the vine unlike the opposition our government has stood and continues to stand with the auto sector unlike the PCs Mr. Speaker who said and I quote just let those plants close this government supports this auto sector we're going forward we're pleased with the steady growth of our manufacturing sector we're thrilled with these increasing investments in the auto sector and we're very excited by the jobs that they're sustaining thank you Mr. Speaker this is the second time in as many weeks I've had to question the Liberal Government for dragging its heels on openness and transparency last week the Minister of Transportation made a secret panel on the GTA West Highway today he sits on test results of the largest bridge failure in Ontario's history January's $106 million Nippagon bridge failure 42 days after opening tore up a vital trade condo between East and West and split Canada in two while the Minister quickly pointed to bull testing to find the cause of the failure it's now nine months later the National Research Council completed their testing in July and the Minister has results but he's refused to make them public will the Premier tell us why she's allowed her Minister of Transportation to keep the vital Nippagon bridge for the test results secret from the public for months Mr. Transportation Thanks very much Speaker I want to thank the member opposite for the question a couple things I wanted to point out I've said from day one that the most important thing for people but for people right across Ontario is to have the entirety of the information flowing back to them with respect to what took place on Nippagon River Bridge we all recognize that it was a very challenging situation a number of months ago when the bridge malfunctioned I'm happy to report as I did at that time that the Ministry of Transportation working very closely with the affected communities and our First Nation partners moved very quickly to make sure that a temporary repair was put back in place Speaker so that both lanes of the bridge at that point in time could be reopened both of those lanes have remained open since that point in time Speaker I've also committed in the past and I'll reiterate it today that when we are in a position to release all of the findings in respect to all of the tests and analysis we'll be happy to do so Speaker Thank you Well there you have it Speaker instead of releasing the results the government continues to stonewall like those in Northern Ontario know that this was not only the largest bridge failure in Ontario's history it's their government's failure a $106 million failure the Minister has sat on these results all summer and his silence does nothing to answer questions as to how after spending $106 million on a vanity bridge project it could have failed so quickly were there other options did the government rush the design before an election was there any oversight on this project and can motorists trust that the first bridge failure will in fact be the last the people of Ontario are owed an explanation today will the premier lift the veil of secrecy and order the release of test results into the Nipagon bridge failure immediately Well thanks very much Speaker I thank the member for the follow-up question I've had the chance to be up in the Nipagon area and let me take a quick moment Speaker to pay tribute to my colleague the member from Thunder Bay who represents that community the minister who stood alongside me and has been a strong champion for his community on this file and so many other Speaker I've had the chance along with many of those on this side of the house to be in Nipagon and to be in communities around Nipagon Speaker I'm not quite certain that the members, the people who live in that part of our beautiful province would take kindly and serve a member calling this a vanity project I think that was the term that he just used a second ago Speaker on this side of the house Speaker this premier in our team recognized that in every corner of Ontario there is a requirement, there is an obligation to continue to build up the infrastructure that we need for a brighter future and for a stronger economy Speaker this is work that we take seriously we don't consider building up Northern Ontario an exercise in vanity we consider it the right thing to do for the people of this province your question remember from Toronto Dancourt Thank you Speaker my question to the premier rural Ontarians now pay the highest hydro rates in all of Canada and the continental United States I think the premier heard some disappointment at the plowing match on this issue over the summer Francesca Dobbin the Executive Director of the United Way of Bruce Gray declared rural energy poverty to be a crisis but the Minister of Energy refused to call this a crisis in fact he said he didn't know how many Ontarians were behind on their electricity bills or even if the province collects such data well it does about 567,000 households were behind on their bills as of December 31st 2015 up by about 94,000 households from 2013 how many families are in arrears right now Thank you Mr. Speaker and I'd like to thank the member for the question because I think the important thing to recognize are there are 330,000 families in this province that live in the rural areas that are going to be getting this benefit that we introduced in our three-part pillar plan Mr. Speaker $110 million in additional funding to support for rural and northern customers Mr. Speaker as well as increasing access for these families we're seeing their bills drop Mr. Speaker by on average $45 a month or over $500 a year and Mr. Speaker that's on top of Mr. Speaker it is so important to emphasize that we've got the OESP program in place we've got many other things for families in northern Ontario and rural areas Mr. Speaker that I understand that some of them are having difficulty I live in the north Mr. Speaker and I hear from them and we've ensured that we put this in place because we heard what they're saying and we're continuing to act and help these families Mr. Speaker Thank you Mr. Speaker to the Minister of Energy about 60,000 Ontario families were cut off from their electricity in 2015 the minister doesn't blame rising hydro rates he blames the families in rural Ontario because if you lose your electricity you don't just lose your lights you could also lose power to your well pump means you lose drinking water means you lose your shower and your toilet this happened to a 74 year old pensioner in MacArthur Mills this summer she was not the only one instead of blaming families will the minister guarantee that rural Ontarians who can't pay their skyrocketing hydro bills are the basic necessities of life Thank you Mr. Speaker and we're continuing to work with the OEB on finding ways that we continue to help and look at distribution costs and many things to help rural families because I know Mr. Speaker as a government we are well aware that rural families are paying a disproportionate more for the supply of electricity into the areas that's why we brought forward this 20% reduction that's why I had the opportunity to meet with the United Way Executive Director in Bruce County we had a very good meeting to ensure that we could talk about all the programs that are benefiting and helping rural families Mr. Speaker but I find it interesting Mr. Speaker that we're doing everything we possibly can to ensure that the aggressive timeline to pass this legislation that I introduced last week Mr. Speaker that we want to get this done so we can ensure families get this rebate Mr. Speaker but unfortunately when I asked for unanimous consent to pass it the opposition voted against it Mr. Speaker New question New question Member from Lancaster Dundas Thank you I have an important question for the Minister of Finance Minister today it was announced that the Ontario Government has signed a memorandum of understanding MOU to facilitate the restructuring of U.S. Steel Canada Inc Let's get the details Mr. Speaker it's no secret that the Government has continued to support the best possible outcome for pension members and other stakeholders under very difficult circumstances Minister can you confirm the signing of this MOU and if so can you provide specific details to the proposed deal Mr. Speaker I appreciate the question for the member I know it's a question that pertains also to all of us in the House especially those from Hamilton who are paying close attention I've been working closely with this side of the House to try to find a way to come to a resolution and Mr. Speaker it's indeed true that the Government of Ontario and Bedrock Industries Group today they have signed a memorandum of understanding and intended to protect jobs the ongoing operation of U.S. Steel Hamilton and Lake Erie facilities the pensions and post employment benefits for active and retired U.S. Steel employees the terms of the MOU remain confidential until they can be released pursuant to the court process we've also agreed to support the development of the industrial lands in an effort to promote the economic development of the Hamilton region while ensuring that the environment continues to be protected Mr. Speaker thank you Mr. Speaker I'm pleased to hear that this memorandum of understanding has been reached between Bedrock and the Government I'm also pleased to hear of the Government's ongoing commitment to protect jobs pensions and post employment benefits for active and retired U.S. Steel employees Mr. Speaker a member from Hamilton Stony Creek is warned finish please this is good news Mr. Speaker I'm just trying to be helpful Mr. Speaker can the Minister of Finance please share details of Bedrock's commitment to offering well-paying long-term jobs and benefits to U.S. Steel employees thank you Mr. Speaker again I appreciate the question from the member I appreciate the engagement by the member opposite who has also been leading in terms of trying to put us in a position where we can start finding ways to restructure the situation in Hamilton Bedrock's principles have a strong track record of owning and successfully operating businesses in the metals mining and manufacturing and distribution sectors worldwide including Canada and Bedrock has been committed to working with all stakeholders including organized labour salary workers government and affected communities well-paying long-term jobs and benefits as well as pursuing continuous improvement and ongoing financial strains and Mr. Speaker I pleased to note that the MOU and the contemplated restructuring remain subject to many many conditions so we're hopeful that this will clear the way for a restructuring process that results in a viable healthy company that supports continued operations in Ontario and in our local economies thank you Mr. Speaker thank you very much Mr. Speaker yesterday at the international applying match the speaker spoke of the importance of Ontario's agri-food industry she spoke of how we need to support our farmers well speaker the premier has an opportunity to do just that she can direct her caucus to support my private member's bill which has received unanimous acknowledgement from provincial stakeholders that the regulations associated with the restricted use of neonicotinoids are not workable my PMB is the result of consultations with people who know best people who would rather invest their money into growing their business rather than to pay the high price of admission to a liberal pay to play dinner speaker I ask the premier will she support bill 4 tomorrow Minister of agriculture and rural thank you very much Mr. Speaker I want to thank the honourable member for her question this morning I did take the opportunity just last week to meet with the honourable member regarding bill 4 supporting agricultural experts in the field act 2016 our government of course in this particular time were actively reviewing this bill I always want to make clear as I did to my good friends at the GFO just yesterday when I had a great conversation with Mark Brock Ontario farmers can when we demonstrate the need continue to have access to geodec treat the profits of Ontario and we all know Mr. Speaker that in order to attain a agricultural food sector in Ontario 36.6 billion dollars to Ontario's GDP each and every year healthy pollinators are essential part of that agriculture economy Mr. Speaker back to the premier and speaker they're reviewing these regulations because they know they're not workable my private members bill fixes it just yesterday the premier told the massive audience at the IPM that she does not condone divisive politics but to some very close to this particular issue would suggest that that is exactly what she has done with the neonic regulations speaker tomorrow the premier has an opportunity to walk her talk she has an opportunity to actually support her own challenge to create more jobs in the agri-food industry she has the opportunity to recognize the great strides the industry itself has taken to remedy this very issue and she has the opportunity to reduce red tape and most importantly she has the opportunity to support Ontario's agri-food industry or speaker will the premier continue to ignore farmers throughout this province speaker will the premier tomorrow support bill 4 Mr. Speaker I want to thank the honourable member for supplement your question so when you look at the we're achieving to date the premier's agri-food challenge 120,000 new jobs by the year 2020 we're well in the track to achieve that goal just yesterday I had the opportunity as I did I want to thank the Schneider family for their warm hospitality yesterday at the IPM but Mr. Chairman I want to re-emphasize that having a healthy pollinator aspect of Ontario's agriculture economy is so very important to our 100,000 family farms the 780,000 people that work in this sector today to make agriculture what Canada's agriculture drivers in this province today Mr. Speaker my question is to the minister of education parents and students began this school year with hope that things would be better but September isn't even over and the government is letting them down yet again three weeks in thousands of students still don't have a school bus to get them to and from school those that do make it to school sit in rooms that are sweltering in the summer and exceptionally cold in the winter people know that conservatives cut and privatize but that's not what Ontarians voted for is the minister ready to stop pointing fingers and start taking action so that young people can get the education that they need thank you thank you speaker I've been out the last few weeks visiting our excellent schools across this province I've been to schools in Hamilton I've been to schools in Berry I've been to schools in Guelph I've been to schools right across speaker and I know that our teachers and all of our education workers are working together to make sure that students in Ontario get the best education possible Mr. Speaker the kids in schools in classrooms learning not waiting at bus stops Mr. Speaker I have been in touch with the chairs of the school board with the directors and they are working with the consortiums with the school bus operators to resolve this issue yes we are three weeks into the school year and yes there are still some students that have a delay in their pickup but we're working together to ensure that we resolve this issue on behalf of our school thank you speaker minister you had all summer to get the busing issue sorted out education workers feel overwhelmed by an education system that is reaching a tipping point students in Mississauga and Peterborough are being taught French and music from a cart when it should be done in a classroom three weeks after the school year began students are starting their school days late or in some cases and not just a few students minister some cases not starting the school day at all because they aren't there aren't enough school buses to get them to school the minister says that she is focused on and monitoring the situation people need to see changes now when will parents and students see the minister step up and stop talking about the problem and start fixing it thank you thank you speaker I just want to thank the member opposite for that question and there was a lot in there to unpack I want to focus on French and what we're doing because we're very committed to ensuring that we have the supports in our classroom for all of our students and we're very dedicated to French in fact the teacher goes to the student or the students go to the teacher and the schools have decided that it's best that the teacher come to the students because it is all about focusing on the well-being of our students and ensuring that they get the supports Mr. Speaker I will not take lessons from that party opposite in your platform you were proposing to cut $600 million the minister would have known that I was standing had she addressed the chair two things I want to remind the minister and everybody the member from Berenice thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the minister of transportation our government has often stressed the importance of providing transportation options that help Ontarians get to where they need to be sooner I know that the traffic on Ontario's highways is a struggle for many people across the province and while I know that we're working hard to get Ontarians off the road with investments in transit it seems to me that we will be doing more to ease gridlock for those traveling by car we must recognize the different ways Ontarians choose to get around and make those options work for them Mr. Speaker can the minister of transportation please let members of this house know how our government is working to reduce gridlock on Ontario's highways Minister of transportation I want to begin by thanking the member from Branton Springdale for asking such an important question as she always does as the minister of transportation I know how important it is for us as a government to make transportation investments that make it easier for Ontarians to get around as the member said this includes investments in transit but of course also innovation and creativity with respect to Ontario's highways and that is why I am pleased to announce that of last Thursday high occupancy toll lanes are now open in both directions on the QEW between Trafalgar Road and Oakville and Wealthline and Burlington vehicles with an HOT lane permit will now be able to use the stretch of highway for a small fee while vehicles and two or more occupants can still drive in the lane for free and we are taking this step forward without removing any general purpose lanes Ontario has always been a leader and we are continuing that tradition now as the first province in Canada to implement HOT lanes thank you and thank you to the minister for the answer this is an exciting day in Ontario not only for those who currently have HOT permits I know that HOT lanes have been used for your ministry and that many Ontarians were happy to see the success of high occupancy vehicle lanes during the Parapan Am Games last summer I am aware that this phase of the pilot there were 500 permits issued and I know that there has been a lot of interest including amongst those who did not obtain a permit this round that is why I am sure that many in the GTHA are eager to know about the future of this pilot can the minister please inform the House of how commuters can apply for an HOT permit in the future thank you thanks very much speaker and I thank the member for her follow up question I am pleased to announce that our government received more than 3400 applications for the HOT lanes pilot and through a randomized draw speaker we awarded 500 permits this term I understand that there is incredible interest in the pilot but I also know that there are individuals who are unable to get a permit this time around I say to those commuters speaker do not despair in three months and drivers will be able to apply for next term permits as early as November 1st those interested in participating should also know that future permit draws could award up to 1000 HOT permits I strongly encourage all commuters who are interested to reapply in November to our exciting new pilot speaker our government is truly committed to increasing travel options for Ontarians and we are pleased to see that people across the province are as excited about the HOT lanes pilot as we are thank you very much Human sex trafficking is more needed now than ever before this summer I traveled to North Bay Sudbury, Belville, Peterborough, Canora Kitchener Waterloo, Cambridge and Windsor to hear and share information with police service providers and concerned citizens about the continuing uncovering and alarming growth rate of this not so underground criminal activity the move volume and coverage on this issue should alarm this government but it goes far beyond that I continually hear from parents and grandparents scared out of their minds worried it could be their child or grandchild next Mr. Speaker, will the Premier explain why victims and service providers are still waiting on meaningful details of a comprehensive plan Minister responsible for women's issues Minister responsible for women's issues I want to thank the member for the important question and the work she's done this summer on addressing this very serious issue of human trafficking I too spent my summer very focused on this issue further to our announcement of our human trafficking strategy in June of this year and just last week I was in Edmonton as I shared with the member opposite last week at a federal provincial territorial conference about human trafficking on the agenda to talk about what we're doing here in Ontario in terms of our strategy and to learn from other provinces that have done some good work in this area as well as the member knows our strategy is focused on four pillars provincial coordination and leadership prevention and community support enhanced justice sector initiatives and indigenous support Thank you Well Mr. Speaker Manitoba having one tenth the population of Ontario spends over 10 million dollars a year battling a human sex trafficking because they get it Mr. Speaker to the premier again it's clear this government is not serious about human sex trafficking legislation when they continue to drive the agenda for their own game this gamemanship has to stop frontline service providers and workers are exasperated and there is a terrific crime will the premier commit now to passing saving the girl next door act which I'm reintroducing today so Ontario will Minister? Thank you Speaker I'm not sure if her house leader has called that bill back up but I just want to say that this government takes human trafficking very seriously we are working very hard on this issue our strategy speaker focuses on first and foremost supporting survivors that's critically important to us we need to raise awareness of the issue of human trafficking because we know a lot of people don't recognize it happens right here in our province and in our country and secondly we need to hold those charges accountable for this deplorable crime our strategy addresses that speaker and we need to work across our government with the minister of community safety and correctional services the attorney general the minister of community and social services and we need to work with our municipal leaders and police forces as well as the federal government to combat this terrible crime Thank you Thank you Mr. President my question is for the premier I'm going to table another bill today regarding the french university and from the throne speech everybody was deceived and frustrated because there was nothing in the speech all along francophones will have to wait before the premier does something about it Thank you Mr. Speaker I wish to thank the member for nicole bell for the work I wish to say to the all francophones that the things go ahead we are putting in place committee and a bill that will table who wants to accelerate the process but if we want to be responsible we must do the things correctly we want to make sure children and grandchildren can attend french university we want this project to be viable that all francophones bilingual in ways to pursue post-secondary schools we are putting in place the right things and to take the best decision possible for that francophones benefit from this program thank you thank you Mr. Speaker a planning committee is not what we are asking what we are asking it's a transition committee for governance for and by francophones that will make we can manage our elementary school secondary school and college why are we not able to manage a university we need a transition committee by and for by francophones when will the government decide to do something about it Mr. Speaker I mentioned before government takes this file very seriously it's one of our priorities we are putting in place a planning committee that will help us to buy francontarian for francophones to the decision our commitment is there since the beginning it's been done for years and we are very close to make announcements that will show francophones commitment to this project thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Attorney General as we all know new technology advancements are playing a very important role in in advancing the way people can access all services around government and my question to the Attorney General is how are we using technology to advance access in our court systems so that people can readily get the information they need file for orders etc thank you very much Attorney General thank you Mr. Speaker and thanks to the member from BGC York for asking this very important question first of all is a great honour to be the Attorney General of the province of Ontario something I had not thought 20 years ago when I studied law school that I will have the opportunity to do and honour to serve in that role one of the most important things in the role of the Attorney General is to ensure that access justice remains a very important priority for the government and the member is correct we have an opportunity to move forward and introduce more digital innovation into the justice system initiatives like offering electronic filings for small claims available 24 hours a day 7 days a week providing parents with the option to go online to set up straight forward child support payments from the comfort of their own homes and speak of course putting daily court lists online so people can easily search where and when they need to go to court increasing remote video capacity in our billboards and correctional institutions and speaking of working with the justice sector partners to replace costly time consuming and paper based tele warrants with e-tele warrants there is more to do and this is just the beginning I beg to inform the House that pursuant to standing order 98c a change has been made in the order of precedence and the ballot list for private members public business such that Mr Clark assumes ballot item number 38 and Mr McNaught assumes ballot item number 67 we have a deferred vote for the motion to address the reply of the speech in the throne calling to members this will be a five minute all members please take your seats thank you on September the 13th 2016 Ms. Wynn moved second reading Ms. Nadu Harris seconded by Ms. Nerdy Harris that an humble address be presented to her Honour the Lieutenant Governor as follows to the Honourable Elizabeth Doswell Lieutenant Governor of Ontario we her Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects to the assembly of Ontario the province of Ontario now assembled beg leave to thank your honour for the gracious speech your honour has pleased has been pleased to address to us at the opening of the present session all those in favour please rise one at a time and be recognized by the clerk Mr. Bradford Mr. Del Duke Mr. Sander Mr. Sousa Mr. Hoskins Mr. Shirella Mr. McMeek Mr. T'Kar Mr. Dillany Mr. Dillon Mr. Grovel Mr. Chan Mr. Moriti Mr. Couto Mr. Leal Mr. Tebow Mr. Quadru Mr. Dixon Mr. Manga Mr. Crack Mr. Zimmer Mr. Albanese Mr. Bowie Mr. Nidu Harris Mr. Frasier Mr. Anderson Mr. Baker Mr. Don Mr. Mollie Mr. Milch Mr. Rinaldi Mr. Verneal all those in favour please rise one at a time and be recognized by the clerk Mr. McClade Mr. Harden Mr. Wilson Mr. Jones Mr. Clark Mr. Fidella Mr. Hillyer Mr. Miller Mr. Tompson Mr. Barrow Mr. McDonnell Mr. McClade Mr. Walker Mr. Smith Mr. Marto Mr. McDonnell Mr. Choe Mr. Singh Mr. DeNovo Mr. Tabin Mr. Miller Hamilton Mr. Taylor Ms. Armstrong Ms. Amjelina Mr. Monta Mr. Hatfield Ms. Gretzky Mr. Gates Mr. Mejia Mr. Alsia Mr. Kicín Mr. Sia Mr. Ducal Mr. Kicín Mr. Baut Mr. Ducal Mr. Ducal Mr. GG Mr. Ahme Mr. Baut Mr. Garton Mr. Aya Mr. Milch deferred votes this House stands recessed until 3 p.m. this afternoon.