 It is now time for oral questions, and I recognize the leader of the official opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My first question is to the Premier. Yesterday the Ford government seemed to break their election promise of lowering hydro bills by 12%. The minister announced that bills will not be going down, they'll actually be going up, a minimum of the cost of living annually. So will people ever actually see those promise savings on their bills, Speaker? Recognize the Government House Leader? To the Minister of Energy? Refer to the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Rights. Well, Mr. Speaker, we've been taking steps over the past year to deal with the hydro mess. In fact, it started out with a piece of legislation that was effectively worded as such. It repealed the Green Energy Act, Mr. Speaker. It dealt with conservation programs that were redundant and no longer useful in the system while protecting Ontario's most vulnerable groups and their rates, Mr. Speaker. It dealt with a corporate attitude in the utilities of Ontario that were paying executives way too much money. There are a number of other steps, and one most importantly was to take down 750 projects, Mr. Speaker, that most municipalities, if not all, didn't want, the grid didn't need, and were terribly expensive, and we got rid of those, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. A supplementary question. Well, Speaker, during the campaign, the Premier promised the horrendous hydro bills people were paying under the Liberals would go down. But families are seeing the opposite. Dawn Van Nosteren wrote us with concern about her bill, which jumped 7% from last year. She writes, quote, I am now on a fixed income. My mortgage, heat, and hydro are my highest monthly payments. However, I am one of the lucky ones. What happens to the people who are dependent on OAS and CPP? Do they have to start making horrible life choices to keep the power on? That's the question for this government, Speaker. Do people like Dawn have to start making horrible life choices to keep the power on, just like they did under the Liberals? You know what, Mr. Speaker? I think that's the second example of a constituent from the opposition. So I'll tell you what, table their names, give them to me, and I would be happy to give them. Order. I would be happy to give them, Mr. Speaker. That's right, they're tabled, so it's official. We will follow up with those folks. Please make your comments through the chair. Can conclude your answer. Importantly, Mr. Speaker, through the chair, I would be happy to meet with those folks, and I would explain to them the statistics year in and year out that for the record I have repeated in this place. Most notably, an increase of 22% on November 2015, which at the same time, the auditor general, who conveniently the leader of the opposition is not speaking about today, concluded that rate payers paid $37 billion more necessary from 2006 to 2014 under the previous Liberal government. They supported 100% of the time, Mr. Speaker. No supplementary. Well, Speaker, here's what people see. The Premier promised bills would be 12% lower. Retirees are getting bills that are 7% higher. The Premier is meddling at Hydro-1. The hundreds of millions spent tearing down. Wind farms aren't reducing Hydro bills. Can the Ford government tell us when bills will start going down, or are they ready to admit that they never intended to keep this promise? It was just another Liberal stretch goal. Mr. Speaker, somebody appreciates what we're trying to accomplish here in an effort to reduce Hydro bills. It turns out it's the auditor general. When the government tabled their 2018-19 public accounts, the auditor actually reviewed our allocation. And in speaking to the media yesterday, she stated that her office, quote, had already looked at the costs associated with the cancellation of the contracts. The audit looked at all of the big contracts and a sample of smaller deals to determine whether the government's calculations are reasonable. The auditor herself concluded, and I quote, Mr. Speaker, based on the review of the contracts and estimates of the payment, I find the audit to be clean. Mr. Speaker, the auditor general, the people of Ontario, and this amazing caucus recognize the steps that this government had to take, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Hydro rates can come down in the future, and we intend to deliver on that promise, Mr. Speaker, but not until we've cleaned up the mess that they supported that previous government 100% of the time. Order. Clock. The next question. Leader of the opposition. Well, Speaker, it's interesting that the minister is making these claims concerned about the real cost of the Ford government's $230 million war on renewable energy continues to grow, Speaker. Ontario's auditor has made it clear that her office will be taking the same approach that she took or that that office took during the gas plant scandal. They will conduct a review on the Ford government cabinet or this assembly or, as with the Liberal gas plants, the public. Order. I'm finding it quite difficult to concentrate. It's quite rude, actually. Stop the clock. I would agree with the leader of the opposition. Start the clock. Leader of the opposition is the floor. She can place her question. So the auditor will be taking the same approach as it took during the gas plant scandal. They will conduct a review when the Ford cabinet or this assembly or, as with the Liberal gas plants, the public accounts committee asks for one. No minister has stepped up yet, Speaker. The government blocked the assembly's efforts to call in the auditor, so will the government finally do the right thing and direct its public accounts members to vote in favour of calling in the auditor? Who is the question addressed to? Who is the question addressed to? Who is the question addressed to? It was the Premier, Speaker. Look to the government host leader. Minister of energy. It turns out the auditor has been called. It turns out through the global adjustment that between... Order. Oh, my goodness. Okay. It turns out, Mr. Speaker, from November 1, 2009 to November 1, 2015, we saw rate increases from 5.5 to 22%. Thing is, Mr. Speaker, as Abigail May likes to tell me, my little girl, thing is nobody knew about it. Nobody knew about it, Mr. Speaker, because it was put in this innovative global adjustment fund that was really 90% of a rate payer's bill. It had been created by the previous government who was asked to leave because of that scheme and it had been supported by the official opposition 100% of the time. Order. Build those wind towers, Mr. Speaker. Maybe even put them up on the Danforth, as the one member had suggested. It would be only too happy to have 90-meter towers. Ontario rejected that plan and they're supporting us in our measures, Mr. Speaker, to reduce hydro rates for everybody in this province. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The supplementary question. Well, Speaker, it turns out that the Conservatives are doing exactly what the Liberals did. Today's Toronto Star reports that only a fraction of the companies entitled to compensation have been processed and that the price tag that has already grown from zero, which is what the Premier claimed it was going to be, was $231 million, will just keep growing. During the Liberal Gas Plant scandal, the Conservatives were adamant, adamant about calling in the auditor. When they sat on this side of the House, as opposition, they wanted that auditor general to review what the Liberals were paying for the cancelled gas plants. So now, what are they afraid of? That's right. What are they afraid of? Will they call in the auditor and do the right thing? We're not afraid of anything, actually, Mr. Speaker, and it's always incredible when the opposition party needs the Toronto Star to do their heavy lifting. Mr. Speaker, I'll take no lessons from the NDP on this. The auditor general has spoke loud and hard. She looked at all of those big contracts, Mr. Speaker, and a sample of smaller deals to determine whether the government's calculations were reasonable. And the auditor herself concluded, and I quote for the benefit of this place, Mr. Speaker, that based on the review of the contracts and estimates of the payment, I find the audit to be clean. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The final supplement. Well, Speaker, I think this Minister might want to talk to some of his colleagues who were in the Legislature when the Liberal Gas Plant scandal went down, because they can tell you exactly what happened. It's amazing how much the Ford government sounds like the former Liberal government. Just like the Liberals, they first claimed their electricity boondoggle would cost nothing. Then just like the Liberals, they adjusted the price tag to $230 million. Now, just like the Liberals, they say the auditor has reviewed the numbers in public accounts and signed off on them. And just like the Liberals, they're refusing to call in the auditor. Tomorrow, new Democrats will be moving a motion at the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, just like happened when the Liberal Gas Plant scandal went down. We're going to ask for the auditor to look into this. Will the Ford government allow that motion to pass, or will they continue to stand in the way of transparency and accountability and follow in the horrifying footsteps of the Liberals? Minister? Would that be the horrifying footsteps of the Liberals that the NDP followed in 100% of time? I'll tell you. I'll tell you what. My colleagues around this place, Mr. Speaker, had to say about their days in opposition and the decisions made by the previous Liberal government and the ones that the NDP supported 100% of the time. They talked out loud, Mr. Speaker, about how these wind towers were going to be expensive and erratic. They talked, Mr. Speaker, about how they would scar the landscape. So I had to go where I'd gone after all my years in university, to the literature. I looked through periodicals, and here I come across the climate change dispatch. I had a quote yesterday. Power grid operators have been struggling to keep the grid stable due to erratic feed-in and subsidized feed-in of wind energy caused by German electricity prices to become amongst the most expensive worldwide, Mr. Speaker. That's why we led, Mr. Speaker, and got rid of those contracts. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you again, the Leader of the Opposition. Speaker, my next question is to the Premier, but all I would urge the members to do is vote the same way at committee that you did last time when this was on the docket. That's acceptable with us. Look, it's already been a tough year for parents and students, but today they started their school day with more uncertainty than usual, Speaker. Parents, students and teachers are all pointing to the Premier's classroom cuts as the culprit here. Is the Premier ready to admit that the Ford government's education cuts, which have already done so much damage, were reckless and poorly planned and have created the conflict that parents are seeing today? It is the government's aim to get deals with all teacher unions in the province of Ontario. We have turned to mediation as authentic means to get those deals as we deal with CUPY. What is regrettable that on this day we have lost the province of Ontario? Parents will face more uncertainty singularly because unions have opted to escalate at a time when we are trying to keep them at the table and keep their kids in class. That is our aim. We are going to continue to be reasonable, continue to invest in public education at the highest levels ever invested in Ontario's history because we believe in the potential of every student in this province. The supplementary question. What's regrettable is that for months the Ford government wouldn't hurt kids in the classroom and now they are doing everything they can to keep the cuts in place. Only the Ford government would claim that expanding class sizes from 22 to 25 students isn't an increase in class sizes. Only the Ford government would claim that moving from zero mandatory online courses to two is a decrease in the number of mandatory online courses. Half of a bad plan speaker is still a bad plan. Teachers, parents and students want these cuts finessed. They want these cuts reversed. When will the government do that? What hurts kids are strikes and we seek to avoid them to keep children in this province in class. What we are doing is investing in public education at the highest levels recorded in Ontario history under this premier's leadership. We are doing this because we want to ensure young people can graduate and that in the public accounts this year alone we are on track to spend $1.2 billion more than we did last year. That is a positive of our defence of public education. We want to make sure English and French and urban and rural communities right across Ontario could benefit from those net investments in improving math scores and positive mental health and in stemming the front of class. We are not going to be deterred from our aim to keep kids in class, get good deals for our teachers in this province. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Finance. Earlier this month the minister delivered our government's fall economic statement and with it our plan to build Ontario together. The minister outlined a plan that involves creating a competitive business environment in our province. It is clear that our government understands the importance of supporting small businesses. Would the minister please inform the House what actions our government is taking to support small businesses in our province? Minister of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member from Aurora Oak Ridge's Richmond Hill for that question. Our government understands that small business is essential to our province's economy. That is why we remain committed to making a more competitive business environment for all those small businesses. To do so, we have committed in the fall economic statement to cut the small business tax rate by 8.7%. That will save over 275,000 small businesses up to $1,500 a year, Mr. Speaker. It's a measure that will benefit small businesses across the country and across the province, I'm sorry. That's why when we visited the family-owned 247 Salon in Brampton with a member from Brampton West and with the minister of small businesses in red tape two weeks ago, we talked to that small business person, which is a government that's for small business and that's because it creates jobs and opportunity in the province of Ontario. A supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the minister for his response. Speaker, it's really exciting to be a part of this government's plan to build Ontario together. Ours is a government that understands that Ontario's competitiveness is essential to our long-term success. Tax relief for small businesses means that savings can be reinvested to help small businesses grow, create more jobs and boost our economy. Would the minister please inform the House about the additional steps it's taking to ensure its vision for an Ontario that is a top global destination to invest, work and create jobs and becomes a reality speaker? Mr. Finance. Mr. Speaker, and again, I thank the member from Aurora Rookridge of Richmond Hill for the question. Mr. Speaker, when you talk to Lou and it's interesting about Lou is she's like a lot of other Ontarians. She's also a small business owner. She owns a salon. He owns an auto repair shop. And he said, you know, we just want to be able to employ people, get ahead, have the things our family wants and Mr. Speaker, we can do that with a government that supports us. So one of the things we're doing as well for Lou, for her husband, for all those under 275,000 small business people is we are going to create a small business strategy, a strategy for small business success. We'll be talking to small business people about what else we can do, how we can cut, what taxes, what we can reduce, what we can do to make them successful to make our province successful. Mr. Speaker. The next question, the member for Davenport. Thank you. Good morning, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. While the Education Minister is busy bungling education negotiations and forcing teachers into job action, students and families are feeling the impact of this government's cuts. School budget cuts in places like Kitchener mean that schools that are already 600 students over capacity are now having to force kids into even bigger classes with fewer teachers. Mr. Speaker, with teachers taking action to defend public education against cuts, will this government stop their spin, stop the attacks on teachers and education workers, and reverse their cuts? Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government is going to continue to invest in the defence of public education. It's why, Mr. Speaker, we've increased expenditure to the highest levels ever recorded in Ontario history. Those parents I agree they seek an investment in their children's future, which is why we put more money in the system than ever before. Those parents also seek predictability and the question for every member of this legislature is they stand with parents, with the government to say to unions to seize from escalation, stop hurting our kids and start keeping their focus on getting a deal at the table. That is the question. And my suspicion is there is not unanimity of purpose on that question. Our aim under this government is to keep kids in class, to get good deals, as we deal with QP, that ensure that children's education is never compromised in this province. Mr. Speaker, well, if that's the government's aim, they're doing an absolutely terrible job of it. And inflating your spending numbers by throwing child care rebates into that is complete fiction. Thank you. I want to go back to the minister of education this time. The minister wants to play the blame game, but it's his own government that's to blame for the absolute mess in our schools. The minister says he wants kids in class, but I have heard from kids whose classes are so full now, thanks to this government's cuts, that their desks are out in the hallway. The minister says he wants predictability, but the only thing predictable is this government's cuts are going to get worse, and more teachers will be fired, and kids are going to suffer. The minister keeps saying he's being reasonable, but Mr. Speaker, in a world where 10,000 pink slips and overcrowded underfunded classrooms are considered reasonable, we don't want any part of it. Reverse your cuts. Minister of Education. Thank you, Speaker. The way by which we avoid any further escalation is twofold. The first is for unions and for the second, we should not have the same kind of communication. We should not have a deeper mediation as a legitimate means to get a deal, because parents in this province are sick and fed up with every three years, Mr. Speaker. Irrespective of the premier and the party, it does not matter what is truly the constant, it's that irrespective of party, there is escalation by unions, and students of this province should keep teachers in class, but most importantly to provide predictability for the parents of this province, so that every child in Ontario is able to get an education every single day this year. The next question, the member for Lanark, Frontenac Kingston. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Ministry of Community and Social Services. Last week the minister made a light hearted quip in this house about not being in the hockey hall of fame with autism doesn't improve. He may surely find himself in the political hall of shame. Rachel Wilcox son is a nine year old boy with autism. His parents are paying out of pocket for his ABA therapy. They've exhausted their savings, are being forced to dig deeper and deeper into their lines of credit, and this government dithers and refuses to release funds to assist families like theirs. Speaker, will the minister stop skating around his responsibilities and help out this young boy and his family? Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Thanks very much to the member opposite for the question and thank you, Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to respond. For the last five months I've been honoured to be the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, something that I am taking very seriously, Mr Speaker, and the one thing that I can tell you about the autism file is over the last 30 years dating back to the Bob Bay government, no government has ever got this file right, Mr Speaker, and that's why over the last five months I've been taking the time to crisscross the province and talk with interested stakeholders in every community, Mr Speaker, while at the same time we had an Ontario autism panel that was working deliberately 18 days they met face to face all day sessions, Mr Speaker, to develop an autism program in Ontario for the autism community in Ontario. This is going to be the gold standard when it's finally developed, Mr Speaker and I can tell you that my officials have been working extremely hard since getting the recommendations from the Ontario autism panel about three weeks ago to develop a truly needs based program, Mr Speaker, one that has double the amount of funding in it than the previous Liberal government, Mr Speaker. I'll have more to say in the supplementary. Thank you, Mr Speaker. This government has been rigging the puck on autism. Speaker, and I say that because I spoke with Rachel Wilcox and she heard back from the ministry and this is what they told her. The ministry's first priority are young children not older ones that are nine years old like her son. Their second priority are those who have been on the wait list the longest, not her son who has only been waiting nearly three years. Three years it is an eternity in a child's development. The minister's state of this government has doubled, added 300 million for autism but apparently providing it to families is not the ministry's priority. Speaker can the minister tell this house? And Rachel, when will her son become a priority? Minister? Mr Speaker, I can tell the member opposite and I can tell Rachel that when this program is fully up and running, every child in the province will be able to get supports from the Ontario government. Something that we were never able to say. I can tell you that right now more children than ever in the province's history are getting support from the Ontario government. 11,499 of them to be exact as of November 1st. That's not good enough. I acknowledge that. And that's why we continue to roll out childhood budgets to families across the province. And that is why we are continuing to work towards the gold standard Ontario autism program, Mr Speaker. So that families like Rachel's and families all across the province, I've heard from every member of this legislature I'm sure over the last five months about constituents or a number of constituents who aren't getting the services that they need. And I'm sure we will be able to reach 100 million dollars and a truly needs-based program. We will be able to reach those families with the help that they're looking for. Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is for the Solicitor General. With the holiday season fast approaching, I know that many people in my riding and communities across the interior will be attending holiday parties with their families, friends or co-workers. Most of us know not to drive home while under the influence. With the holiday season, police services in the greater Toronto area laid hundreds of charges for impaired driving including 265 impaired driving offenses charged by the appeal regional police. It's clear that some people still need a reminder about Ontario's impaired driving laws, especially considering the changing landscape of federal cannabis legalization. Can the Solicitor General explain to this House about the importance of fasting ride programs? Questions addressed to the Solicitor General? Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member from Brampton West. I don't think it is a surprise to any in this House and the vast majority of Ontario residents that impaired whether by alcohol or drugs is an offense and we need to stop it in our tracks in our communities. He's absolutely right. The ride program is augmented during this time of year. It's a tool that we give our frontline officers to keep our roads and I want to remind the public that when you see someone who is abusing it whether it is through alcohol or drugs we need to speak up and talk out because ultimately we need to keep our communities safe and whether that is a danger to others on the road or pedestrians we all have a responsibility. That is why the police municipal police forces across Ontario are increasing their contacts in the coming weeks and Ontario already has strong immediate penalties for those who drive well under the influence including 90-day driver license suspension, 7-day vehicle impairment. Thank you. A supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and to you I want to thank the Solicitor General for that answer. I want to thank the hardworking members of the Peel Regional Police Service for their work in my community of Brampton West. Our police services work hard to keep our roads and communities safe during every day and especially during the holiday season. It is an important reminder that whether it is alcohol, drugs or both impaired is impaired. Keeping our communities safe is a shared responsibility and we all have a part to play in community safety. Can the Solicitor General outline how our government is supporting festive ride programs across Ontario? So that is your general. Thank you and thank you to the member from Brampton West for sharing this important message. Our police do incredible work to keep our communities safe. Often this work is silent, preventative and unseen and on behalf of all members of this House, I want to thank the police services and frontline officers who are participating in these many holiday ride programs starting this week. As I said before, our government is committed to providing police services with the tools and resources they need to do their job effectively and keep our communities safe. Finally, Speaker, as a plea, if you are planning to celebrate the season, please plan ahead, drive sober, get home safely. Your families expect it. Next question, the member for Beaches East York. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. A new report released today shows what hundreds of thousands of racialized Ontarians and their families already know because it is their lived experience. Black and other racialized people make up nearly 46% of the GTA's workforce, but 63% of the working poor. Black communities in particular experience among the highest rates of working poverty in Ontario. What are the Premier's plans to address the connection between anti-black racism and working poverty? Thank you. The Government House, Peter. Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the member opposite for the question. It's a very important one, and that's why we're taking a cross-sector approach and a cross-government approach to this very, very important issue, Mr. Speaker. I can tell you that over the last number of months, we've been the Government of Ontario and very proud of our record when it comes to job creation for all residents of Ontario. We've created over 250,000 jobs, Mr. Speaker, and at the same time we've seen salaries and pay increase during that time, Mr. Speaker. And that's why we've taken a very, very concerted effort in my ministry and others along with the Minister of Labour training and skills development, Mr. Speaker to ensure that we're lifting people out of poverty by getting them into work, Mr. Speaker. And there's a lot of work out there, as the Premier has often said in this House and certainly the Minister of Labour has said with the success that we've had in creating jobs, there are good jobs out there for all people of Ontario we're doing what we can in the employment sector and the part of social assistance to lift people out of poverty by giving them a job. Thank you very much. A supplementary question, a member for Brampton Centre. Thank you, Speaker, and back to the Premier. Speaker, that answer and this Government simply just ignore the real facts on the ground. Low wage precarious employment is what this Government and the previous Liberal Government had to offer for Ontarians. The economy may be working for the Friends of the Premier, but too many families in places like Brampton in Scarborough and across the Greater Toronto Area, life is hard and those jobs simply are not there. The report shows that over 10% of the working poor in the GTA are second and third generation black residents, Mr. Speaker. The data is clear increasing economic inequality disproportionately impacts racialized racialized communities. So my question for the Premier and the Minister is what is this Government's plan to address poverty and the disproportionate impact on racialized workers here in Ontario? Minister to reply. The Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues. Referred to the Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues. It's committed to supporting better outcomes for black children, youth and families through the Ontario Black Youth Action Plan. Organizations across the province who are funded through the Black Youth Action Plan are doing amazing work. They're providing key services in communities across the province including culturally focused parenting initiatives and mentor programs for black children of youth ages 6 to 25. Programming to support young people's wellness by connecting them and their families to local resources and help them take preventative measures. Supporting access to higher education and skills development opportunities. Providing training and work placement opportunities to help black youth who have graduated from post-secondary secure high quality employment and advancing their careers. Investing in community outreach and promoting anti-violence. Our government is focused on improving outcomes for black children, youth and families throughout Ontario. Thank you. Next question, the member for Perry Sound, the school council. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Finance. Co-ops provide people in Ontario with access to valuable goods and services including those that might be otherwise out of reach. They also provide job opportunities across the province especially in rural and northern regions where they foster inclusive economic growth for newcomers, women and low income individuals. Our government understands that outdated and burdensome legislation creates barriers for co-ops costing them time and money to reduce them from growing. Can the Minister inform the House what steps the government has taken to support co-operative corporations in Ontario? Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member from Perry Sound, Muskoka for this important question. Part of our plan to create a more competitive province to create better opportunities for Ontarians is to modernize the co-operative co-operation sector so that they can continue to contribute particularly in rural and northern Ontario. This is the importance of serving this important sector and the role that they play in communities and that is why after extensive review and consultations on the Co-operative Corporations Act we are proposing changes that will level the playing field Mr. Speaker. We are going to remove the current 50% rule that limits co-operatives to working only with their members and unfairly restricts them from doing business with other members of the community. Mr. Speaker, this is just one part of our plan to grow Ontario together. A supplementary question. Thank you Speaker and thank you to the minister for his answer. I'm proud of the work our government is doing to support the success of co-operative corporations in Ontario. Co-ops are an integral part of the small business landscape in Ontario and we remain committed to creating a competitive business environment to ensure their success. Earlier this month the minister introduced our government's fall economic statement which outlines our government's plan to build Ontario together. Could the minister please inform the House about any additional steps this government is taking to support small business in Ontario? Minister? Mr. Speaker, small business as I've said before in this legislature is essential. 98% of the businesses in Ontario are small businesses. 2 million Ontario's are almost one third of the private sector workforce work for small business and that's Mr. Speaker why we are taking care of small business tax. We are setting up the success task force small business success task force. We are reducing the small business tax rate by 8.7%. We have reduced WSIB premiums. We have eliminated the cap and trade carbon tax and Mr. Speaker when you put all of those supports in place the proposed tax relief measures and the other measures Ontario small business will expect to see 2.3 billion dollars of relief in 2020. Mr. Speaker please inform the House about any additional steps to support our province support our employees. Thank you. The next question the member for to miss Kamin Cochran. Thank you my questions to minister transportation. Last night highway 17 east of Nippagon was closed to snow. At the same time highway 11 between Nippagon and Cochran was closed to snow. The next day out of the engine of Ontario serving the rest of the country are stopped dead right there. Millions of dollars of economic activity stopped dead right there. Why won't this government treat the trans-canned portion of highway 11 and 17 the same as the trans-canned portion of the 400 series of transportation. Mr. Speaker I want to thank the member for continuing to raise his concerns about highway safety and the economic impact as well of road closures on the lives of Ontarians and on the businesses of Ontario. It is something that the minister of transportation is a great concern to us. Mr. Speaker we have a very good record of maintenance on our highways as I've said in this house before making sure that we keep those standards as high as possible is a priority in the ministry of transportation. We are working diligently to make sure that we are taking all the steps necessary unfortunately when it snows for safety concerns which I'm sure the member opposite would agree is a concern for all sometimes we have to close the highways but once those measures have been necessary steps are taken to reopen those highways as quickly as possible and in Ontario and in the north on sections of highway 11 we are beating the standards of class 1 highways already. Mr. Speaker we are all in favor of safety in this legislature. The issue with snow and the trans-canned highway if you can't get it off quick enough you do it more often that's why this side of the house pushed that the highways 11 to 17 had class 1 standards like the 400 series highways you solidly voted against it the member of Nipissing stated in the media that we don't need class 1 highways in the north again this isn't just a safety issue northerners are cut off but I don't think that southern Ontario realizes how much it's costing the province costing the country to not clean the snow the answer is not well it's snowing close the highway it happens all the time it's snowing run more plows that's the answer thank you Mr. Speaker as the members opposite know sections of highway 11 sections of highway 17 are already considered class 1 highways and as he knows because I've repeated in the house we already exceed the standard for class 1 highways on other class section funds more plows Mr. Speaker because we take safety of drivers of motorists on those highways very seriously we want to make sure we're getting goods to market Mr. Speaker the standard for class 1 highways is getting to bear pavement in 8 hours we exceed those standards Mr. Speaker since 2015-2016 we've invested 40 million dollars more on northern highway safety and maintenance Mr. Speaker we continue to work to improve our record we're snow faster and to make sure that we're doing everything we can to assure the safety of our motorists and we will continue to do so Mr. Speaker but we are investing in northern highways and we will continue to do so in the appropriate way the next question to storm on Dundas my question is the associate minister of children and women's issues I know that she's had a busy summer touring the province to learn about Ontario's child welfare system speaking to those on the front line in fact the minister came to my writing in storm on Dundas where she met with our local children's aid society we spoke about what is currently working in the system as well as what could be improved can the minister update the house on how these visits to different children's aid societies in Ontario have gone so far in respect to modernizing the child welfare system thank you Speaker and thank you to the member I had the opportunity to visit your beautiful writing this summer and thank you for joining me as we toured children's aid society of storm on Dundas and Glen Gary one of the 33 different children's aid societies I have met with so far Speaker we know that all children and youth in Ontario deserve the best care and support especially those in the child welfare system the services provided to those in the child welfare space need to be high quality culturally appropriate and truly responsive to their needs that is why in August I announced a review of Ontario's child welfare system we want to modernize the system and are committed to improving outcomes for children and youth in care as well as youth transitioning out of care Speaker by consulting with those on the front line and those with lived experience we can understand their needs and implement their suggestions to improve our system thank you thank you speaker thank you minister for that answer it's reassuring to know that you're working hard to better understand the needs of the child welfare system by directly speaking to those in the front line and who work in the system this was the first visit by a minister to the local society in some time and staff are pleased to report on the progress being made I also know that there was an online survey for those in the child welfare space to participate this included frontline workers family law professionals and children who are part of the system just to name a few can you minister let this house know the impact of the survey and what she has been hearing so far as she looks to modernize the child welfare system Minister I want to take a moment and thank all of those who participated in our online survey there were children and youth in the system families indigenous partners family law professionals caregivers frontline workers and sector leaders who took the time to share their experiences I am proud to share that we had over 3,500 responses to the survey it is through this feedback that we can modernize the system where we reduce barriers and build a system that is focused on prevention and early intervention this would mean less children and youth would be placed in care and more would be able to stay with their families which we know provides the best outcomes I look forward to continuing to meet with frontline workers including indigenous partners so we can create a system that provides the services needed for children and youth to succeed and thrive thank you thank you very much the next question the member for Sudbury thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the premier student from science and education from Laurentian University found out that they are cancelling courses Laurentian University offers classes for students from 7th to the 12th grade completely in French the announce of cancelling these classes was quite a shock for the students what does the premier want to tell students they would like to be educated in French but now are incapable of taking classes of their choice in French Mr. Colleges University refer to the minister of colleges and universities thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member opposite for the question obviously I think our government made some very very strong indications early in my time as minister of colleges and universities working alongside of our minister of francophone affairs with respect to the university the work that we have made with respect to the area of francophone relations and education is very critical and important to us as a government the work that we are doing is to ensure that we foster an environment where our students across this province can learn and gain an education to ensure that they do so in a way that is going to allow them to learn in the French language we are making a lot of we are doing a lot of work to ensure that we can work with the University of Lauderie Francais and other such institutions with respect to my friends comments about Laurentian specific I would be happy to discuss this with you further and happy to meet with Mr. Hachet president of Laurentian as well to discuss thank you very much again to the deputy premier once again this is another example of the cuts in education post secondary education and to the francophone community by this conservative government in 2018 the premier had used bilingual education as a reason to cut in education all while there are there's growing enrollment and too many students in a single class for French classes how will the government deal with the shortage of French teachers in the province to the minister of francophone affairs thank you mr. speaker speaker I'd like to thank the member opposite for his question but he knows very well that it's our government that finally funded concrete funding for the establishment of the French language university in Ontario he knows that this was a promise from the francophone community that's been asking for this for the last 40 years and the liberal government had 15 years to fund this university and the liberal government did not do so in less than a year our government did what was not done for a very long time for the francophone community to ensure the establishment of the francophone university in terms of the shortage of francophone teachers this is an issue that our government is studying and I'm working very closely with the minister of education in order to focus on this and to ensure that all francophone students have the teachers that they need thank you my question is the minister of agriculture food and moral affairs Mr. Speaker, farmers in Ontario have been dealing with a cold wet spring and a disappointing harvest often this is the nature of farming and we have to do our best to support our farmers last week I received an email from Andy Corporate a farmer in my riding told me that after a long and difficult harvest his propane shipments have been cut off due to a CN strike I'm happy to say that earlier this morning the strike is over nevertheless this highlights the difficulties our farmers face regularly especially those who when we reply I am propane to drive the harvest which otherwise could be lost Andy was not the only farmer struggling will the minister please tell us about what the government has done about this strike the minister of agriculture thank you Mr. Speaker and I thank the member from storm of Dundas, South Glen Gary for the question I'm proud to say that given the strike is ending farmers can rest assured that CN rail workers will be back on the job tomorrow at 6.30 a.m that's great this was squarely a a squarely a federal issue last week I called my federal counterpart minister Bebo to press the federal government on this very issue the premier likewise pressed the prime minister on this matter highlighting the struggles farmers face last Friday I visited Dan Veldman a corn farmer in my riding facing much the same issue as that was mentioned our government acted quickly and proactively reviewed ways to help farmers in rural communities during this time Mr. Speaker this highlights what the federal government has faced regularly but our government will always be ready to stand up for farm Ontario farmers and rural communities thank you thank you to the minister for that question and that answer Mr. Speaker our government remains committed to supporting farmers and supporting rural Ontario and I am encouraged that the strike has ended and encouraged by our government's quick action on the matter farmers have struggled long enough when it comes when every effort is made to ensure that they are able to dry their harvest and bring their goods to market their livelihood depends on it unfortunately I know the system the only federal issue that is impacting farmers can the minister tell us the other issues that he is working on with his federal counterpart Mr. Speaker thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I thank the member again for that great supplementary question I'm pleased that minister Mr. Bebo has been reappointed as a role and I look forward to continue to work with her on the challenges our farmers are facing and I've talked to her a number of times since the reappointment another urgent federal issue of impacting our farmers is the shortage of processing capacity for our cattle the CFIA has suspended the license of one of the large federal plants here in Ontario which means that farmers have nowhere to ship their cattle we have communicated to the federal government about the solution our farmers are facing we urge them to find a solution as quickly as possible that both maintains our high levels of food safety and creates capacity for our farmers we are committed to standing up for our farmers and working with federal government as they address these challenges our farmers are facing and thank you again for the question thank you very much the next question the member for Ottawa Centre thank you speaker my questions for the deputy premier over the weekend we learned from a CBC a nice investigation that some seniors homes are using Ontario's trespassing law to ban family members from visiting their loved ones when they speak out about their living conditions in Ottawa Mary Sardelis was banned from seeing her 97 year old mother Vula for 316 days after she raised concerns about her mom's living situation speaker it's not an isolated incident the advocacy centre for the elderly gets called about trespass matters like this at least once a week in my opinion and I think in this house opinion banning family members for raising concerns about living conditions of seniors is wrong so my question for this government will they launch a full investigation into retirement homes using trespassing laws in these ways to make sure that family members can access their loved ones when they want to see them government house leader minister seniors and accessibility minister seniors and accessibility I'd like to thank the member raising that question I'm well aware of this and it's my understanding that the one of the family member is banned from coming to the the local care home because there's some some how can I say an uneasy incident happened and it's not being investigated and I'll come up later get more in detail so that the senior who's 97 years old and her daughter could contact the mother in different ways because when the daughter comes to the retirement home some violent incident happened against the staff so I'd like to get more in detail and next time I'll get more detailed answer to you okay thank you speaker back to the deputy premier or the minister this is a CBC marketplace study any of us can avail ourselves if you haven't watched it must in this case Mary was not allowed to see her mom on Christmas Thanksgiving and her birthday 316 days for asking questions about the conditions of her mother. That's not disrespectful of the staff. That is the duty of us and families to take care of each other. I think it's unacceptable that Mary had to risk arrest Speaker. She defied the trespass order, went into the home and waited for police to come so she could raise her objection to this process. And I want this government to take this concern seriously. I'm not trying to score points. I want you as a minister to actually do something about this. I want you to use your power to investigate retirement homes to make sure Mary and other loved ones get the access to their loved ones on a timely basis. Please do your job. Thank you again for the question, Mr. Speaker. At the present time, the situation is under investigation, so I cannot answer more in detail, but make sure that it will help the family at the same time for the staff and all the rest in the retirement home. So I'll get back to you more later. Thank you. Question to the member for Don Valley North. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Assistance. Minister, suicides continue to affect too many people and families across Ontario each and every day. In fact, suicides has become the second leading cause of death for young Canadian aged 15 to 19. We know that in Ontario about 14% of high school students reported having serious contemplative suicides in the past years, and about 4% reported having attempt suicides. These numbers are struggling. Minister, could you please share with the member of this legislature what our government is doing to address suicides in the province of Ontario? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member from Don Valley North for that question. As the member mentioned, Mr. Speaker, suicide continues to affect many people and families across Ontario each and every year, including far too many young people in communities throughout the province. Mr. Speaker, that is why we will continue to invest $3.8 billion over the next 10 years to build an integrated mental health and addiction system. Our investment, Mr. Speaker, will reach across an individual's entire lifespan, where services are easier to access of high quality and focused on better outcomes for Ontario, including children, youth, and their families. Our investment will cover the whole life of a person so that the services are easier to access, and this will give a better treatment to all, including children and the families. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. I want to thank the minister for his response. I am thrilled to hear that our government is taking the ongoing issues around the suicides very seriously. Suicides continue to affect people of all ages across Ontario, and it is the assuring to hear that our government is taking real action to address suicides and is supporting suicide prevention initiative across the province. I know that constituents in my writing of Down Valley North would like to know more about the various programs and services that are available to those who may be struggling. Minister, could you please provide some additional details about the investment we are making to address the ongoing issues of suicides in the province of Ontario? Thank you. Thank you very much. Minister DuPly. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am proud to stand here today knowing that our government has taken real action to address the ongoing issues surrounding suicide across this province. Recently, our government was proud to announce an investment of $3 million over three years in a new mental health initiative called Project Now, which aims to end child and youth suicide in Mississauga within the next decade by the year 2029. Recent investments, Mr Speaker, also include $6 million in intensive services for youth with addictions during or including withdrawal management services and residential treatment and $3.5 million for early psychosis intervention services. In addition, we will be providing $3.3 million over four years to test an integrated youth services approach currently known as youth wellness hubs. Mr Speaker, new investments are also being made across our government such as the mental health initiatives in the school. The next question is from London West. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. More than 18 months ago, the Ministry of Labor ordered Isabelle Ford's employer Mankind Grooming to pay her $5,000 in back wages. When the payment deadline was missed, the order was sent to the Ministry of Finance, but the Ministry has not collected the payment because the company Isabelle worked for changed its legal name. Isabelle says she had no way of knowing that the Ministry of Labor would do essentially nothing to enforce its own regulations and she has yet to receive her money. Speaker, will this government act now to enforce orders against employers like Isabelle's who break workplace laws? Mr. Speaker, thank you for this question. I want to be crystal clear. Our government stands shoulder to shoulder with every worker in the province of Ontario. As Minister of Labor, Training and Skills Development, I expect that the Employment Standards Act is followed to the letter. And, Mr. Speaker, I believe strongly that the Occupational Health and Safety Act should be followed as well. Mr. Speaker, I'll have more to say in the supplementary on this particular issue, but again, we expect the Employment Standards Act to be followed in the Occupational Health and Safety Act to be followed. Supplementary question. Speaker, this government is not standing shoulder to shoulder with Isabelle and neither with many other workers. A year ago, the Ministry of Labor ruled that Juan Jose Lira Cervantes was owed more than $25,000 in lost wages and benefits. Like Isabelle, one is still waiting for his money. The corporation that owned Domino's Pizza, Juan's employer, simply dissolved two months after the order was issued. The Ministry of Finance says it can't collect from a company that no longer exists even though Domino's Pizza franchise where Juan worked is still going strong. You can go there today and order a pizza. Speaker, about two-thirds of employees whose wages are stolen by their employers never receive what they are owed. Will this government close the loopholes that allow employers to ignore their obligations to the people who work for them? Well, Mr. Speaker, as Minister of Labor, Training and Skills Development, I believe strongly that when someone goes to work, they deserve to be paid for a fair day's work. But Mr. Speaker, let me tell you a bit about what we did in our ministry in 2018 and 2019. Mr. Speaker, we resolved 22,434 claims in the province to ensure that people were paid for a day's work and for their time working with an employer. Mr. Speaker, do you stand shoulder to shoulder with every single worker in the province of Ontario? Mr. Speaker, that's why I'm proud of our track record. In 16 months we've created more than a quarter of a million new jobs in the province. Wages are going up. And Mr. Speaker, I thought the member from London West would support our action to eliminate provincial income tax for those earning under $30,000 per year. Pursuant to Standing Order 38A, the member for Beaches East York, has given notice of her dissatisfaction with the answer to her question given by the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services concerning black communities and poverty. This matter will be debated today at 6 p.m. Also pursuant to Standing Order 38A, the member for Ottawa Centre has given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to his question given by the Minister for Seniors in Accessibility concerning trespass orders in retirement homes. This matter will be debated tomorrow at 6 p.m. We have a deferred vote on Government Notice of Motion No. 72 relating to allocation of time on Bill 138, an act to implement budget measures and to enact, amend and repeal various statutes. A call on the members. This will be a five-minute bill. Can I ask the members to please take their seats? On November 26, 2019, Mr. Colander moved Government Notice of Motion No. 72 relating to allocation of time on Bill 138. All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the clerk. Mr. Joe Willidale. Mr. Lecce. Mr. Lecce. Ms. Morrini. Ms. Morrini. Mr. Colander. Mr. Bethlenfalve. Mr. Bethlenfalve. Mr. Clark. Mr. Clark. Mr. Smith Bair Quinty. Mr. Smith Bair Quinty. Mr. Hardiman. Mr. Hardiman. Mr. Yacobusky. Mr. Yacobusky. Ms. McLeod. Ms. McLeod. Mr. Tobolo. Mr. Tobolo. Ms. Dunlop. Ms. Dunlop. Mr. Romano. Mr. Romano. Mr. Walker. Mr. Walker. Ms. Thompson. Ms. Thompson. Mr. Downey. Mr. Downey. Ms. Fullerton. Ms. Fullerton. Ms. Jones. Ms. Jones. Ms. Sarkaria. Mr. Sarkaria. Ms. Scott. Ms. Scott. Mr. Cho. Ms. Scarborough North. Mr. Cho. Ms. Scarborough North. Mr. Rickford. Mr. Rickford. Mr. McNaught. Mr. McNaught. Mr. Coe. Mr. Coe. Mr. Bailey. Mr. Bailey. Mr. Pettipies. Mr. Pettipies. Mr. McDonnell. Mr. McDonnell. Ms. Marteau. Ms. Marteau. Ms. Kanji. Ms. Kanji. Mr. Gill. Mr. Gill. All those opposed to the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the clerk. All those opposed to the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the clerk. All those opposed to the motion will be recognized by the clerk.