 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the member for Tomiskaming Cochran. Thank you, my question is to the Acting Premier. The government's fall economic statement shows a $1 billion reduction in children, youth and social services compared to the 2018 budget. Can the Acting Premier explain what children's services this government plans to cut to realize this reduction? Acting Premier. To the Minister for Children, Community and Social Services. Thank you very much to my following question and for the referral. Last week the Minister of Finance indicated that this province has a $15 billion deficit. But that said, let's not talk about money, let's talk about real action. We have decided as a government to ensure that the Ombudsman has more power to have investigative relationships within the children's age societies. I had an excellent conversation today with the Ombudsman and was interested to learn that for last year alone 367 complaints were received by his office that had to be referred to the Independent Child Advocate. So we feel very strongly that this is a great opportunity for greater child protection in the province, Ontario. I'll have more to say tomorrow in a statement, but I'm going to be perfectly clear with you. The Independent Ombudsman has done great work in the past. He'll continue to do great work in the future. And we're looking forward to making sure children in this province are safe with the aid of him. A billion dollars in cut, Speaker. Removing a billion dollars from children's services will have an impact. Even if this government doesn't want to admit it or talk about it. The Independent Child Advocate was a watchdog who ensured the vulnerable children had a voice when they were hurt by government policy. Did the government scrap this position to make it easier to cut the services vulnerable children rely on? I would have expected a lot better of the member opposite than a question like that. The Independent Ombudsman of the province of Ontario has been robust and has been moving forward with a lot of different investigations over the past. And if what the member opposite is saying that he does not have confidence in Paul Dubey, the Independent Ombudsman, then he should come straight out and say that. I can tell you, having visited the Youth Detention Centers, which are underneath my ministry, that the Ombudsman is well represented in those facilities. He'll also be well represented within children's aid societies. But as I said to you on Thursday, I am an activist minister and I will be the fiercest advocate of children in this province as I have every single day on the floor of this legislature for the past 13 years. So I turn back to the member opposite and ask him why he doesn't support the Ombudsman. Final supplementary. For years, parents have watched as weights grow longer for vital supports like those that support parents of children with autism. But now we learn there are a billion dollars in cuts coming, not just a switch from one to the other, a billion dollars in cuts with the minister isn't responding to. And the one-watch dog who could be a resource and a voice for the children as these cuts hit has been fired by the Premier and the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. What cuts is the government planning and what will their impact be on Ontario's most vulnerable children? Thank you very much, Speaker. I have remained steadfast in my support of my ministry and my officials since being appointed to this cabinet on June the 29th. I want to continue to support the excellent work of the Ombudsman as well as the chief coroner. We had children die in the care of the province between 2014 and 2017 and I took immediate and extensive action on the minute that coroner's report came out and was decisive. And I said to the children's aid societies and I said to the group homes that although the buck stops with me they have to have more responsibility. If that's not what the members opposite want, if they don't want action and they just want more time, they can go for it. But I'm going to tell you something. The chief, the Ombudsman and the chief coroner will continue to inform my office. I was pleased to have a strong and solid discussion today. We are going to make sure we work with them unlike the previous Ombudsman who fought with the previous Ombudsman and who fought with the Auditor General. Next question, the member for Brampton Centre. Good morning, Speaker. My question is for the acting Premier. The government says that vulnerable children in Ontario will not be spared from this government's cuts. However, they did find hundreds of millions of dollars for one group of Ontarians. It appears that the wealthiest in our province will be getting relief on high-income surtaxes, a change that will cost a Treasury $275 million. Can the acting Premier explain why Ontario can't afford support for vulnerable children but can afford tax cuts for the wealthiest in our province? Minister of Finance. Thank you very much, Speaker. We're very, very pleased to announce that in the few short weeks that our government has been in office that we have found $3.2 billion in savings and have turned over $2.7 billion back to the people of Ontario. And the single biggest program we have affecting 1.1 million people is our lift program, our low-income individual and family tax credit. This tax credit for people earning $30,000 a year or less, people earning minimum wage, this means they pay no provincial income tax. None. Zero. Nada. This is what we're doing with our $2.7 billion that we've turned back to the people of Ontario. Supplementary. Speaker, the Premier is just one of the lucky few Ontarians who will be enjoying this tax break. He'll actually be getting around $200 back this year. So will his friend and former campaign tour director Ian Todd as he enjoys his new patronage post in Washington. And one can only imagine what Alec Envelchi will be receiving. But Ontarians children will be getting cuts and their watchdog will be getting a layoff notice. Can the acting Premier explain to us how that's even fair for children in this province? Minister. Thank you, Speaker. The reality is that we inherited a $15 billion deficit from the previous Liberal government. And through careful management, we are able to go through line by line and find $3.2 billion in savings already in only a few short weeks, Speaker. And we were able to turn that money back to the people of Ontario. $2.7 billion given back to the people of Ontario. That is our plan for the people. And by the way, Speaker, we were also able to take the $15 billion inherited deficit inherited from the Liberals and remove $500 million from that lower the deficit to $14.5 billion. We have a long way to go, Speaker. There's more work ahead. Final supplementary. Speaker, we owe it to children in this province to give them the best start at life, especially vulnerable children, like those living in residential care or those with multiple disabilities. Our old Premier, Bill Davis, actually created the position of the child advocate for the very reason of keeping our children safe and to ensure that uncaring, unthinking governments didn't leave vulnerable children falling behind. Now, Premier Ford is rolling out $1 billion in cuts and firing the watchdog that Premier Davis once put in place. And the government is even spending millions of dollars on his friends and giving his friends wealthy tax breaks. And so can this government justify how they have these priorities, these warped priorities? Can you justify the decisions that you're making? Minister. Children and community services. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you to my colleague. Minister of Children, community and social services. You know, I take an issue with the premise of that question. Premier Bill Davis was a visionary and we're very proud that he was the Premier of this province of our party. But he did not create the independent child advocate. It was created under the previous Liberal administration. It was born through government speaker. But I have a question for the member opposite. Why does she not have confidence in the ombudsman of Ontario? As I stated in a previous question, over 367 complaints were lodged from children's aid societies into his office that he had to refer out. We are cutting red tape with this move and creating greater child protection for the people of this province. We have complete faith in the ombudsman who already has oversight over Ontario's school boards and Ontario's children's lawyer. Why don't they? The member for Meshkikawak James Bay. My question is for the Minister of Francophone Affairs. Madam Minister, the announcement on Thursday is a clear response to the needs of Franco-Ontarians. By eliminating the commissioner of French language services and the Francophone University, we're saying that we do not count that our constitutional rights to be served and educated in French are not important. My question is simple. What reasonable explanation does the Francophone Minister give to Franco-Ontarians about their decision to not respect our constitutional rights to be educated and served in our language? Minister Franco-Ontarians. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the member opposite for his question, but I'd like him to correct his what he's saying and to stop spreading misinformation. We did not close the commissioner's office. We transferred all of his responsibilities, including his mandate, within the ombudsman. So all of the work that he is doing, including the investigations into complaints and all the recommendations, will continue to be done through the ombudsman. And we have full confidence in the ombudsman, and the commissioner will be transferred if he chooses to do so. So I'd ask the member in his supplementary to correct what he's saying because he's trying to play wedge politics and divide us. I'll start the clock. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, as a proud Franco-Ontarian and critic of Francophone affairs for the NDP, I'm completely horrified by this announcement, but this decision is nothing new. The Conservatives have always wanted to reduce the importance of Francophones in Ontario. For example, by having the speech from the throne solely in English, Mr. Speaker, this is not an ethical question or a linguistic question. Francophones are one of the founding peoples in this country whose bilingualism is one of its strengths. People from my writing, more than six out of ten of them speak French and the closing of the commissioner's office that undermines the rights and for something that we fought for the last four centuries, for decades. The minister, thank you, but as I mentioned, the work of the commissioner will continue and the independence assessment of language rights will continue within the ombudsman. In terms of the French language university in Ontario, we promised Ontarians that we would be honest and that we would ensure accountability and transparency within the government and that's exactly what we're doing. We're telling Franco-Ontarians that we don't have money right now for this university and Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Liberals since 2003 to 2017, they could have funded that university, they could have built that university. Mr. Speaker, they didn't build that university, they didn't fund it, provide it with the necessary funding for this important project for Franco-Ontarians. Order. Start the clock. Next question. A member for Brantford Grant. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Finance. Last week's fall economic statement sent a message to the people of Ontario. The days of liberal ways and mismanagement are over. It's truly working for the people. It is so important that our government is taking immediate action to clean up the fiscal mess that the Liberals left behind. But at the same time it is equally important that our government provides relief for those who need it most. We are proud that our government first fall economic statement does exactly this. Could the Minister please inform the House what our government is doing to give relief to the most vulnerable in our society? Thank you. Minister of Finance. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the member from Brantford Grant. We're proud to put forward legislation that includes the low income individual and family's tax credit or LIFT for short. If passed, Speaker, the LIFT credit will result in one of the most generous tax cuts for low income earners in a generation. We are proposing that anyone earning less than $30,000 a year pay no personal income tax. This change, if passed, would provide tax relief to 1.1 million people. That's 1.1 million people with more money in their pockets to spend how they choose. This is the right thing to do. The people of Ontario finally have a government that's working for them, not the other way around. Speaker, we will continue to do whatever it takes to bring relief to Ontario's hardworking individuals and families. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for his response. It is so encouraging to see the action that our government is taking to bring relief to the people across Ontario. The lift credit is an excellent way to put money back into the pockets of those who need it most. The 1.1 million people who stand to benefit from the lift credit if passed will see their lives become more affordable. These individuals and families will be able to keep more of their hard-earned money, and they've earned it. Our government is expected to commit it to respecting taxpayers by putting more money into people's pockets, and this is exactly what we are doing. Could the Minister please explain how people will benefit from our proposed lift credit? Minister. Thank you, Speaker. If passed, if passed, those eligible for the lift credit will receive up to $850 per year in tax relief or up to $1,700 for couples. Our proposed lift credit would also be provided to individuals with incomes greater than $30,000 and families with greater than $60,000 on a graduated basis. The lift credit is all about providing relief to those who need it the most. We remain committed to putting more money in the people's pockets. Our fall economic statement highlights the $2.7 billion we are returning to individuals, families and businesses in Ontario. For too long, people have waited for relief from their government. Finally, we can say help is here. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Speaker, it is despicable that the Ford government has taken a huge step back by axing the Child Advocate Office whose mandate was to amplify the voices of children and youth in Ontario. Simply put, the Conservative government has declared a war on vulnerable children and is completely and is eliminating this very crucial, safe and supportive mechanism for children and youth to speak about being hurt, abused or taken advantage of. This government has clearly demonstrated where its priorities are. Speaker, does the Minister believe that children in care are no longer the responsibility of the province? Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Thanks very much, Speaker. Obviously, children in care and children in the justice system are the responsibility of the province. I made that very clear after the coroner's report when I was the first Minister of Children in years to actually condemn those who were turning a blind eye to the protection of children. Member for Waterloo, come to order. Let me be perfectly clear. Member for Waterloo, come to order. It is the ministry that needs to take action and accountability and while holding our service providers to higher standards through robust legislation and I'll continue to do that. When she was a critic that she blamed liberals for not going far enough with the child that necessary. Abuse, neglect, trauma and even death are the children and case of Katelyn Sampson. Too often their voices are not heard. Vulnerable children and youth need a strong and hear and amplify. Minister. Thank you very much, Speaker. It's important for me to remind the member opposite that there is a strong independent advocate for children in this province. It is the official as she well knows and I want to really point out that we need to be in opposition and demonstrating that the child is the center of all decision making and the minister and the ministry are the best possible places for this to have a positive impact against the outcomes that desperately need to be improved. I'll be the fiercest advocate for children in this province. Start the clock. Next question. The member for Mississauga, Streetsville. Question is for the minister of tourism, culture and sport. Ontario's tourism industry accounts for over 4% of the province's GDP making it a significant economic driver for Ontario. The Greater Toronto Area alone hosted almost 44 million tourists in 2017 with a total of $8.8 billion in visitor spending. The importance of the hotel industry to tourism in the GTA and across Ontario is also hard to ignore. Our government for the people promised Ontario will be open for business. That's exactly what we're doing with our tourism partners. Can the minister update the house for our plan to drive growth in our tourism sector in Mississauga and all across Ontario? Minister of tourism, culture and sport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member from Mississauga, Streetsville for that very important question. Our hotel industry is a key player when it comes to getting this province back on track. That's why we launched consultations to develop a new tourism strategy and unlock the potential of our $34 billion industry. We're going to be listening to the concerns of hotel and motel operators during this important process. Last week I visited Sault Ste Marie to consult with our operators in the north. Tonight I'll be speaking with the Greater Toronto Hotel Association to offer our support for their growing industry. They're here in the gallery with us today. The GTA have been working tirelessly to make Toronto and Ontario a destination of choice and I look forward to continuing this important work together. Through you Mr. Speaker thank you to the minister for his response. I am thrilled to hear about all the good work the Greater Toronto Hotel Association is doing to create a positive business environment for the GTA and for all of Ontario. We're working hard as the government for the people to make life easier for Ontarians so that the tourism sector can flourish and create good jobs. It's an exciting time for the tourism sector across Ontario. Not only have we launched consultations for a new tourism strategy but we have also committed to creating opportunity for the economy to flourish. Would the minister please inform the House what steps the government is taking and hotels industries continued success? Minister Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member for that very important question. Our government has taken swift action to create the positive business environment that the hotel sector deserves. We know a strong hotel industry plays a crucial part in making our entire tourism sector more dynamic. From taking a sensible approach to minimum wage to addressing unreasonable regulations Mr. Speaker we are here to assist the tourism industry flourish throughout the province and that's why we're working on Ontario's new tourism strategy. We want to hear from the experts the associations like the GTA whose leadership and expertise have contributed immensely to our economy. Mr. Speaker we have a lot of questions in the House to say to all hotel and motel operators we value your hard work and we will continue supporting your efforts to make Ontario open for business. Thank you. Next question Member for Brampton Centre My question is for the acting Premier. Last week the Premier repeatedly refused to answer some basic questions about his standards for cabinet ministers. According to a female staffer working for the then opposition Conservatives came forward with a complaint of sexual misconduct concerning the Minister of Finance. On Thursday the Premier said that he would not be taking any action on these allegations because an investigation had already occurred. Can the acting Premier please tell us who conducted this investigation whether it was independent and when it was actually conducted? Acting Premier but this has been answered by the Premier. The Premier has indicated this was already dealt with, that it was dissolved there was nothing there to be investigated and that he completely stands behind our Minister of Finance which all of us do as well we stand behind him we know it was a matter of... Supplementary Speaker last week the Premier stated that he has a zero tolerance policy for sexual misconduct and that he will always act decisively to deal with it yet over the last month he has hidden key facts from the public when dealing with these very issues. If an independent investigation has happened the government should be able to tell us who conducted it when it was conducted and confirm that it was done independently. Can the acting Premier confirm if and when an investigation occurred? If and when that investigation occurred? Acting Premier there is no zero tolerance policy for issues of this nature as do all of us. We want to make sure that if someone comes forward with a complaint that it is going to be investigated it is going to be investigated independently as it was with respect to the Minister of Finance who we stand behind there was nothing there that was disposed of we do have a rigorous and the reason why specific issues were not coming forward with respect to issues that happened ago allegedly is because we need to protect the confidentiality of the person bringing forward the complaint that is absolutely important they need to be able to come forward knowing that their complaints are going to be dealt with and that their confidentiality is going to be protected but that is the most important thing that we have to deal with to protect those people and make sure that those investigations are conducted independently which is being done and we are asking you member for Don Valley East my question today is for the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Minister last week your government decided to eliminate the provincial advocates position I was a bit surprised because I know the member personally has worked with the advocates office and I think the member opposite has done a lot of good work to support children here in the province of Ontario without a question you know I had the opportunity to work with her on Rowan's law and she is an advocate for children I wish her well in the position so I was a bit surprised last week when that announcement came out and I would just like to know because I know the member opposite has been very supportive of that office in the past you know why the sudden change Mr. Speaker I'd like to know if the recommendation to eliminate this important office actually came from the Minister and if not who actually made the recommendation Mr. Children, Community and Social Services Thank you very much to the member opposite of previous Minister of this portfolio I'll be perfectly clear this was a decision by the government that I fully support and I fully support it because 367 requests went into the Ombudsman last year alone from the Children's Aid Societies who was not able to investigate he is the appropriate person to make sure we have protections in place for our youth whether they're in care or in custody I've had the opportunity as the Minister responsible for children and youth to travel throughout the province and visit some of our detention centres where the Ombudsman actually had a greater presence than the child advocate and while I thank the independent child advocate for his work we are going to ensure that with the Ombudsman the investigations that he undertakes are robust and that we will act immediately on them we are also very pleased that he has the oversight of our school boards as well as our family court system Thank you Mr. Speaker I'd like to thank the Minister for the question the Ombudsman obviously is a very important position but the advocate had another function to amplify the voice of young people here in the province and there are many programs that the office has worked on over the last year by supporting young people and creating a forum like Feathers of Hope that provided 41 recommendations to address youth suicide in indigenous communities You're Not Alone which is an important initiative by supporting LGBTQ youth here in Ontario that was established in 2012 to better position young black people in this province for success So there is that amplifying of the voice piece that was very important Mr. Speaker and I'd like to know again there are many young people here in the house the government doesn't believe they owe us in this house an explanation on why they decided to kill this position please explain to the young people in this house today how their voice is going to be amplified in this important position Minister Thank you very much speaker not a single oversight provision will be lost in these changes in fact because they are going to the ombudsman they will be strengthened but the difference between this government and the previous liberal government is we act and we act decisively when the coroner's report came out from deaths in custody and the children in care I acted immediately to make sure of children and youth that the coroner had met with and had briefed on this despite only being in power for four months Speaker we are going to continue to make sure children's voice are amplified and we are going to continue to make sure that they are here at Queens Park and they will be here tomorrow and I'll be making a greater statement tomorrow on International Day of the Child I'm very excited to bring their voices to this assembly but just because it was done by the previous liberal government we are here at the clock next question the member for Mississauga East Cooksville Thank you Mr. Speaker My question is to the President of the Treasury Board Mr. Speaker in the length of time that this question period will take the people of Ontario will have paid 1.4 million dollars in interest on the provincial debt of more than a third of a trillion dollars My constituents are very concerned about how our debt and interest payment will impact the government's ability to provide services and invest in social support It is clear that the Minister of Finance and the President of the Treasury Board have been working tirelessly to reform the provinces finances Last week the Minister of Finance presented the fall economic statement to this House Can the President please inform this House how the fall economic statement will put Ontario's economy and finances back on track Thank you The President of the Treasury Board Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member from Mississauga East Cooksville for that question Mr. Speaker under the Liberals the people of Ontario paid more and more for less and less That ended last week with the fall economic statement Unlike the fact that the Minister of Finance like that we have already reduced spending by 2% with no impact on service delivery while the opposition focuses on sound bites here's what some of what we propose no Ontario income tax for 1.1 million in tax relief for Ontario businesses the opposition said it could not be done and we couldn't make government better Well Mr. Speaker we did we have and we will Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the President of the Treasury Board for that answer It's clear that this government is serious about controlling spending while still providing the frontline services that Ontarians depend on like better access to mental health services and long term care beds Mr. Speaker it's much easier to complain than to act that explains why after 15 years we are cleaning up the mess they left behind Can the President of the Treasury Board please tell this House how else the government is helping Ontarians Thank you Thank you for the question again Mr. Speaker Our government has acted where the Liberals have failed everything announced last week by the Minister of Finance makes Ontario a better and stronger province for all in matter of weeks in fact we have reduced our deficit by 500 million dollars yet we still increased funding to fight guns and gangs and are building 6000 new long term beds Mr. Speaker all the while putting 2.7 billion dollars back in the pockets of individual and family income earners Mr. Speaker we promise that to Ontarians that we would act quickly to get to work and make life better the Minister of Finance made clear last week that help is not only on the way Mr. Speaker that help has arrived and it's the delivery of this government that's party who have delivered that Start the clock next question the member for London North Centre Thank you Speaker my question is for the Acting Premier this question is about the government's views on human rights and safety in our schools and communities over the weekend delegates to the progressive Conservative Convention in Toronto voted in support of a resolution dismissing gender identity discussions as liberal ideology that should be pulled from the school curriculum Will the acting Premier denounce this resolution in the legislature today I'm going to ask the member to attempt to rephrase his question so that it pertains to government policy What's that? Speaker my question is whether the resolution that was voted upon at the progressive Conservative Convention will it become government policy Minister of Education Thank you very much Speaker the resolution from the weekend does not pertain or is binding on government policy the answer is no Supplementary Speaker quite frankly we've seen what this government has done already in rolling back the health and phys ed curriculum in statements to the press Conservatives insisted this resolution represented a fringe view among PC members even though it was supported by the overwhelming majority of Convention delegates many of whom are sitting across the floor right now Supporters of this resolution noted that it tackled the words of our Premier who dismissed gender identity as liberal ideology when running for the PC leadership trans people their parents and their loved ones are scared many tell me this resolution and the overwhelming support it received has put a target solidly on their backs The trans community needs to hear the Premier and the Deputy Premier say clearly that this decision was wrong and that they think that the delegates who endorsed this resolution were also wrong Will the acting Premier do that now and call on the Premier to personally do that later today Listen carefully to this supplementary and I do not believe that it was a question on government policy Next question The member for North Underland, Peterborough South Thank you Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Finance I'm proud to release our government's first economic outlook and fiscal review last week in reading through the full economic statement it's clear we've turned the page on 15 years of liberal fiscal mismanagement Mr. Speaker our government proved that help is on the way help for over 1.1 million low-income Ontarians, help for our job creators and help for our next generation Could the Minister please explain the progress our government has made over the last 15 years of liberal mismanagement Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member from Northumberland, Peterborough South for the question during our government's first few weeks in office we have taken immediate steps to tackle the $15 billion structural deficit left behind by that liberal government Thanks to the hard work and dedication of everyone in our government we have already found $2.2 billion in savings as a result thank you to the President of the Treasury Board for the great efforts on that and as a result we are able to deliver $2.7 billion in immediate relief for Ontario individuals, families and businesses that's $2.7 billion putting back into the pockets of the people right across Ontario Speaker there's still a long road ahead but we have already made great progress after 15 years the people of Ontario are finally getting the relief they deserve and a government that is working for the people supplementary Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you Minister for that excellent response thank you for showing the youth here present that fiscal responsibility matters thank you for setting an important lesson in saving and tackling our deficit for the benefit of everyone here Mr. Speaker and to use an appropriate common analogy it would take Drake over 2000 years to pay off our debt none of the young students here who have even started working yet none of them deserve to owe $22,000 in debt already and they haven't even got a job yet Mr. Speaker Minister thank you for your work in order can you please describe for us the road ahead Minister Thank you Speaker last week's fall economic statement was just the start of much more work to come it is our duty to continue to strengthen our financial position we simply cannot let the unsustainable practices of that Liberal Government continue Ontario remains the most indebted province or state on our planet in 2018 we will pay $12.5 billion of interest on debt left behind by the Liberals Speaker that's a billion dollars a month and as you heard earlier since we've been in question period this morning that's $1.4 million in interest just in this last hour this cannot continue this puts the sustainability of our key services and our programs at risk it means differently we are committed to making changes today so that our government can continue to serve the hardworking people of Ontario for generations next question the member for Essex thank you very much Speaker speaking of fiscal responsibility my question is to the acting Premier will the acting Premier confirm to this House and for the taxpayers of Ontario that the Premier's chief of staff Dean French personally called the chair of the power generation and demanded the firing of Alikann Velsche Minister Minister of Energy thank you Mr. Speaker OPG makes their own staffing decisions they're a Crown Corporation that's responsible for their own staffing decisions OPG makes their own staffing decisions thank you Mr. Speaker supplementary Speaker I know that this is an uncomfortable line of questioning for the Conservatives particularly any fiscal Conservatives that may still remain across the aisle Speaker Dean French the Premier's hand-picked chief of staff personally and completely inappropriately intervened to get Alikann Velsche fired after one day on the job and as a result this Tory insider is going to take home a half a million dollars Speaker I mean for $500,000 at least make this guy rake leaves or shovel snow in the winter don't give him a gift wrap parachute for 24 hours on the job will the acting Premier please just answer the question did Dean French did Dean French the Premier's hand-picked chief of staff fired Alikann Velsche and how much will his firing cost the taxpayers of the province of Ontario Minister of Energy let's be clear with respect to OPG staffing decisions under an NDP government the anti-nuclear democratic party 7,000 people would have been cut loose people looking for jobs to shovel snow and rake leaves they'd be a talented workforce that's invested in committing to our electrical system a key asset for this province moving forward Mr. Speaker imagine the chaos that would have ensued had those 7,000 hardworking people from the great Catherine Oxford riding to cut loose those aren't the kinds of staffing decisions that we have to worry about I understand that the government members are enthusiastic about the minister's reply but once they stood up and started clapping loudly I could not hear the minister start the question next question member for Eglinton Lawrence thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing as we have heard in this legislature people is delivering on its promise to make life more affordable in Ontario today I'd like to further discuss how this government is addressing the housing crisis left behind by the previous Liberal government Mr. Speaker we have heard time and time again the struggles people face when trying to find housing in Ontario especially in the GTA as our population has grown the housing market has not kept up instead of collaborating with the housing sector the previous government enacted their own policies that choked the system with red tape and slowed down the building of houses when I was knocking on door one of the concerns I heard was about how children would ever be able to afford to live in this city can the minister please tell us what he has been doing to address the mess left behind by the Liberals the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing the member for Edmonton Lawrence for that excellent question and also for her concern on this file we all know that there is a shortage of housing in this province that's affordable we continuously hear stories about people who cannot find a place to live particularly in the greater Toronto and Hamilton area this is why our government for the people is taking a new approach we're going to be engaging communities and stakeholders to work together in developing innovative ideas to create housing we're going to be cutting red tape to make it easier to build be engaged and have consulted with hundreds of housing stakeholders we've been working to shorten the approval times to get buildings to go up faster here's a quote speaker from Daryl Chong of the Greater Toronto Apartment Association the lack of new purpose build rentals in the City of Toronto is well documented it has generated considerable talk with very little action over the past thank you supplementary Minister for that thorough answer I know that Ontarians will be relieved to learn of the commitment of this government to combating Ontario's housing crisis last week the Minister of Finance delivered the fall economic statement and outlined how we as a government are going to help the most vulnerable in our province I know how dedicated our Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing is to working with our municipal and regional partners to create new housing housing that is affordable for the people of Ontario I know there is a lot of work ahead of us but I have the utmost confidence in this Minister to take it on can the Minister please outline what steps he and his department will be taking to improve access to housing the member for that follow-up question we all know that it's going to be a long road ahead to fix Ontario's finances but between the Minister of Finance and the President of the Treasury Board they've already been doing such an excellent job I believe it's certainly going to get better in this province in the fall economic statement our government committed to engaging with the people of Ontario to find new ideas new innovative ideas to be engaging stakeholders to make housing more affordable and we're not going to do that speaker on the backs of taxpayers we look forward to working with our stakeholders the people of Ontario and all levels of government on ways to make housing more affordable in our province I encourage everyone to contribute to our housing supply action plan consultations which are now live on the website and I want people to go to that website we want to engage the public we want to get those innovative ideas but we have to create more support thank you speaker my question is the deputy premier Jenny Forte is a constituent of mine who for years worked as a precarious low-wage retail employee and she struggled to make ends meet and fell into debt just trying to pay for the basics last week 113 people applied to speak about the rollback of wages and workplace rights under bill 47 instead of listening to the voices of hardworking Ontarians like Jenny the government limited committee to only 20 witnesses or sorry 20 deputations over just 5 hours 4 didn't even receive the full 15 minutes to speak why is this government shutting down the voices of the people who will be hurt most by this regressive legislation the deputy premier minister of labour thank you very much Mr Speaker look we have been hearing from the people of Ontario for over a year and a half since bill 148 was introduced we ran an election on the promise to make Ontario open for business and that's exactly what we're doing you know over the past months parliamentary assistance from flamborough grand book and from Oak Rourke Oak Ridges Richmond Hill have been with job creators across the province this is about securing Ontario's economic prosperity for the long term and making sure our kids have a brighter future than they that we did and making sure people like you've mentioned have the opportunity for better jobs in the province of Ontario Mr Speaker that's exactly why we introduced the act making Ontario open for business Mr Speaker because of the concerns we heard about bill 148 supplementary thank you Mr Speaker it would be nice if the government would also listen to workers as well as employers to get the full story during the bill 47 committee hearings Jill Promoli shared the tragic story of her son Jude's death from the flu it was a presence of one sick child of school that spread the virus to other children which resulted in Jude a previously healthy two year old two year sorry contracting the virus and sadly passing away they were able to take time off of work to care for their children when they were sick and to keep them and others from safe and that is not red tape why is the government disregarding the advice of doctors, medical associations and parents like Jill who are warning us that doing the way of pain sick days will put all of us in health and risk Mr Speaker our government is seeking the right balance between protection of workers and not hobbling our job creators to control the economy or limit our capacity to attract new business to Ontario the paid leave provisions that entitled employees two full days of leave after only five days of work is unheard of in any other province in Canada combined with the 21% increase in the minimum wage it put an intolerable burden on job creators Mr Speaker we want to create a province that's going to have better jobs for people with better entitlements Mr Speaker and that's exactly what they were doing the opposition will come to order start the clock thank you Mr Speaker my question is for the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines I'm proud to be part of a government that is committed to making sure that families and businesses thrive our government is making the right decisions to make our province open for business Mr Speaker Ontario used to be the economic engine of Canada and after 15 long years of Liberal government our province became sluggish and uncompetitive but our government is turning that around and I'd like to thank all the ministers that are helping our government to make Ontario open for business the fall economic statement proves and is to getting the economy going that includes Ontario's northern economy that has struggled the last 15 years Mr Speaker can the Minister of Northern Development and Mines tell us what our government is doing to make northern Ontario open for business Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines proud thank you Mr Speaker a $14.5 billion structural deficit more than a trillion dollars worth of structural debt a debt to GDP ratio of 40.5% it's staggering the member from Harry Sound, Muskoka was right to point out Mr Speaker that we were no longer Ontario's economic engine we're its fiscal basket case Mr Speaker and we need to turn that around the opportunity Mr Speaker comes from northern Ontario as much as it does any part of this province is making a rebound in the forestry sector by making strategic investments reducing the regulatory burden so mines can open up Mr Speaker investing in skills and trades we've got a promising future to open corridors for electrification and roads Mr Speaker so our indigenous communities can contribute more heartily to a northern Ontario economy Mr Speaker moving forward northern Ontario holds the prosperity for this great province as much as anybody else Mr Speaker I'd like to thank the Minister of Energy Northern Development and Mines for leading our efforts to get northern Ontario open for business I know that our government is working to make the province an attractive destination for the private sector to do business and create good jobs it is imperative that we defend and advance the province's economic interests this includes the metals and mining sectors which provide economic opportunities for people in the north these industries create good paying jobs that make our province open for business can the Minister of Energy Northern Development and Mines please tell the members of this House about how our government is committed to supporting the northern economy through the fall economic statement Minister Thank you Mr Speaker some of our colleagues were joking with us saying it should have been called the northern economic statement and that's because for the first time in 15 years after a decade and a half of darkness northern Ontario is in the game Mr Speaker we think we can make an incredible contribution we know how much we're in debt we don't deny it unlike the new denial party Mr Speaker we acknowledge the debt and we see the opportunity that we can make Mr Speaker we can't afford to have mines taking sugar zone Mr Speaker we can't have mines making decisions to close because prematurely because of a regulatory burden Mr Speaker we need to make sure that corridors are built so our indigenous communities can make a fulsome contribution to our economy Mr Speaker and enjoy a better overall quality of life Mr Speaker we're going to take a look at the several acts that burden us up in northern Ontario cut that red tape and open northern Ontario thank you next question member for Parkdale High Park my question is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing constituent of mine Ms Janice Pinero is here with us on the house today Ms Pinero who is a senior describes herself as a model citizen she has worked her entire life and paid her taxes Ms Pinero has spent 12 years on the wait list for subsidized housing before finally offered a small bachelor apartment which she accepted only for it to be withdrawn because she was working part time she has had two surgeries recently and as her health continues to fail all she wants is to move into a senior subsidized housing that she was offered but instead she's been put back on the waiting list she's been penalized for working part time can the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing tell Ms Pinero what he's doing to ensure seniors like her get the housing that she needs or does the Minister expect her to wait another 12 years thank you through to the Honourable Member and also to her constituent this is an issue that our government is very concerned about I can tell the Honourable Member I have my own story about subsidized senior housing in my own riding the very first file I opened up in my MPP's office in March of 2010 was regarding a senior's apartment building a subsidized building that we wanted in my riding and in my home city of Brockville Speaker there was so much red tape there were so many roadblocks in getting that building built and provided for those seniors next month will be the time when those seniors are moving into that building eight and a half years is too long to be building subsidized housing in this province we're going to change that so my message to you that concludes the time we have for question period point of order the Member for Stormont Dundas South Clean Gary I just want to give the Member from Hamilton East Stoning Creek a chance to pay his debts for the loss of the Hamilton Tire I've always lost three in a row and I know it's getting hard on it point of order is that what it is Member for Brantford Grant constituency staff, Seth Kamming to the house today it's his first visit here we're only as good as those people who represent us in the riding and I'd like to welcome him here today if you have a point of order please say so I can't read your mind the Member for Chatham Kent Leaminton it's my great privilege to introduce to the legislature this morning Rick Firth who is President and CEO of Hospice Palliative Care Ontario as well as Jan Pears we had a wonderful meeting this morning in my office welcome for Hamilton Mountain thank you very much Mr. Speaker I see a good friend Claire Freeman in the house today she's the Executive Director of Palliative Care Bob Kemp Hospice in the Hamilton Mountain welcome to Queens Park beg to inform the house that pursuant to standing order 71B the Member for Hamilton West Ann Castor Dundas has notified the clerk of her intention to file notice of a reasoned amendment to the motion for second reading of Bill 57 an act to enact amend and repeal various statutes the order for second reading of Bill 57 may therefore not be called today this house stands in recess until 1pm