 Therefore, it is now time for question period, the leader of the Majesty's Royal Opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. Despite the Premier's newfound interest in fundraising reform, it does not fix the years of shady quotas and tainted money. My standing is a signal that I'm not going to tolerate outbursts. Please finish. Mr. Speaker, despite the Premier's newfound interest in fundraising reform, it does not fix the years of shady quotas and tainted money that has been raised by the Ontario Liberal Party. The people of Ontario need to know if government contracts and grants were traded for donations to the Ontario Liberal Party. Mr. Speaker, just as Quebec did, will the Premier immediately call a commission of inquiry? Yes or no? Thank you. Before I go to the Premier, I'm just going to let you know that I reviewed yesterday, and we seem to be weaving in and out of questioning one's motive. I'm going to caution everyone to make sure that those questions are directed in a way that does not impugn motive. And maybe if I have to, I'll review what that means, but I'm sure that all members would appreciate either side not to impugn a member because that's not parliamentary. So I'll just give you that as a caution, and I'll listen very carefully. Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I would just take the leader of the opposition back some years, actually, to 2007. We've already undertaken a number of initiatives to make elections more accountable and transparent, Mr. Speaker. In 2007, we introduced third-party advertising rules for the first time. We introduced real-time disclosure for political donations. Other provinces are catching up with that, Mr. Speaker. And I announced last June that we were committed to making further changes, which we're doing. I announced yesterday our government plans on introducing legislation on political donations this spring, including a transition away from union and corporate donations. I look forward to our meeting, the meeting with the opposition leaders on Monday, Mr. Speaker. And I'm leading by example. I've decided to immediately cancel. Sorry, Premier. Our time is up. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. The question was about a commission of inquiry like Quebec. This is not a laughing manner. We have seen corruption charges laid against a senior liberal operative. This government has had four active OPP investigations against them. Now it appears to the public that the government has traded favors for fundraising. Mr. Speaker, if this government has nothing to hide, will the Premier call the Commission of Inquiry to investigate the connection between donations and the government grants and policy changes? It is the right thing to do, Mr. Speaker, if the government has... Thank you. Premier. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And just to complete what I was saying that I've made a decision to immediately cancel upcoming private fundraisers. And in fact, Mr. Speaker, as I told the media this morning, I cancelled one tonight, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, and the funding, the money will go back to the people who are going to attend. Ministers can do small, high-value fundraisers, but there will be stipulations on that, Mr. Speaker. First of all, the event will be publicly disclosed before it occurs in a way that the media would consider legitimate. And secondly, Mr. Speaker, ministers will not be meeting or fundraising with stakeholders solely of their own ministry, Mr. Speaker. So we're making those changes in the media forward to the conversation with the leaders of the opposition. The Minister of Agriculture. As we talk about what the transition should look like, Mr. Speaker, I would remind the leader of the opposition. We have all been functioning under the same rule. We have all been following the same rule, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. Minister of Labor. Political fundraising is legitimate. Using government decisions to fundraise isn't. Cancelling the secret fundraisers is nothing more than a PR stunt. No other party does secret private fundraisers. This is a PR stunt to divert attention from the perception that the Liberal Party has become synonymous with backroom money and backroom deals. Now this is the point that I was making that we're getting dangerously close to impugning motive. However, given the circumstances, I'm going to try to ask all members to stay away from that. And if it gets too close, I'm going to pass the question. Finish, please. Mr. Speaker, the government can heckle and scream as loud as they want. They may have an aversion to facts. But the reality is the Liberal Party has become synonymous with backroom money and backroom deals. The people of Ontario want the truth to come out. So Mr. Speaker, will the government do the right thing? Will the Premier, if she has nothing to hide, immediately file a commission of inquiry? It is the right thing to do it. Please do the right thing. I'm not amused with what I just heard. Premier. Premier. Speaker, our government believes that creating a fair and just society is the highest responsibility that we have here. And that part of that means that the tax code is fair to Ontarians. Deputy Premier. Now interestingly, the very first private members bill that the Leader of the Opposition tabled when he came to this house was one that gave a tax break to Ontario's wealthiest citizens by abolishing the tax tax, Speaker. And that's the kind of regressive tax policy that Republicans are famous for south of the border. Now Speaker, because of the rules we introduced in 2007, we can actually look at the facts to see who donated to the leadership campaign and whether those donations may have had any influence in that very first act in this legislature. So just pointing out the facts. Thank you. Thank you. Time's up. No question. Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is once again to the Premier. The Hydro-1 sale is a perfect example of why we need a commission of acquirers. When the Liberals decided to sell Hydro-1, the syndicate made $29 million. The syndicate then held the reception to give the Liberal Party $165,000 in donations. Now with the Liberals' latest announcement, they are selling 10.9 million more shares to that same syndicate. Not the general public. Mr. Speaker, did the syndicate ask for this sweet deal at the last Liberal thank you dinner? The Opposition started his career at Queens Park by advocating for a reduction and elimination of estate taxes. Now, Speaker, the member received $10,000 from Michael Vukitz and associates. They specialize in estate. Deputy House Leader. He received $25,000, Speaker, from Kanakor Genuity Group, a wealth management company, Speaker. And he received $5,000 from SJC Investments and International Investment Company. Mr. Speaker, because of the changes we have made in 2007, this information is available for all to see. But it is passing strange, Speaker, that the very first action that this leader took when he became a member of this legislature was to advocate for tax breaks for the very wealthy of 2019. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, I failed to understand when we're talking about Liberal donations, why they're talking about the Liberal increase to the debt taxes. It's about mudding the waters, diverting the conversation. And I realize the Premier may not want to be on the record on this. It's easy to pass it off to another minister on this difficult conversation. It looks like a publicly owned asset is being sold for private Liberal donations. One-time Liberal gains equal years of financial pain when we lose the revenues from Hydro One. Why can't the syndicate buy their shares like every other person or company in Ontario? It must have been because of those secret private dinners. Mr. Speaker, what's the $165,000 in donations to the Liberal Party in exchange for access to Hydro One shares? And Mr. Speaker, I would appreciate if the Premier won on the record herself rather than avoiding the question. Deputy. Well, Speaker, what I would appreciate and what I expect all Ontarians would appreciate is if the Leader of the Opposition followed the Leader of the Premier and cancelled the private fundraising dinners that he has planned. I can remind you, April 19th, you'll be at the Albany Club with 10 people, only 10 guests, 10,000 with the Leader of the Opposition with a straight face can call on this government to make changes when he is not prepared to walk the wall himself. Mr. Speaker, I'm calling for the Leader of the Opposition to cancel those dinners. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. Unlike the government, we don't have private fundraisers. I put them out on social media immediately after. Is there definition of private fundraisers? Is this where they discuss the terms of the Congress? I could try to ask the members for their cooperation because I would look at it as possibly a birthday present. I'm allowing this to and fro to happen because I think you need to have an opportunity to get it out, except to say that I really do need to hear what's going on. And I'm in the middle of a sentence, in the middle of a sentence. Finish, please. This government insists that they make policy free from the influence of the Ontario Liberal Party donors. Yet we see $165,000 dinners secretly raising money for a party from a group getting preferential access to the Hydro-1 shares. This arrangement is the very thing that people of Ontario have come to despise about this government. Only a public inquiry will clear the error. But until the Premier agrees to that, the people deserve an answer to the following. Mr. Speaker, how much money will the syndicate be pressured to donate after this next payday and what will be given in exchange? And once again, we would like the Premier on the record, rather than pass in the buck, do the right thing, answer the question on the public inquiry. Employment and infrastructure. I am not impressed. Mr. Speaker, the innuendo of the Leader of the Opposition is totally unfounded. Mr. Speaker, the broadening of the ownership of Hydro-1 has been complex and multi-stage. It's been essential for the government to have financial and legal advisers working on this project to ensure the interests of Ontarians are protected. By having the strongest professional expertise, we're ensuring Ontarians receive maximum value for their investment. The underwriters' financial institutions that we use have engaged in an open and transparent manner to ensure that the process has been done in a very important and very crucial way. We've engaged the former Auditor-General of Canada, Denis de Sintel, to develop a competitive process for selecting elite financial institutions. Thank you. No question. The Member from Bramleyville, Malton. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. The Member's Integrity Act states that, I quote, a member of this Assembly shall not accept a fee, gift or personal benefit that is connected directly or indirectly with the performance of his or her duties of office. The Legislative Assembly Act states that a member shall not, quote, knowingly accept or receive any fee, compensation or reward for or in respect of drafting, advising upon or promoting or opposing any bill. End quote. The Liberals have created a system where ministers have to use their Cabinet portfolio to raise money to meet fundraising quotas set by the Premier and the Liberal Party of Ontario. Has the Premier received legal assurances that the Cabinet member's fundraising quota does not break the Member's Integrity Act? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, Mr. Speaker, let me once again just say that there has been a set of rules in place and we all parties have followed those rules, Mr. Speaker. We've followed them to the letter, Mr. Speaker, but now we're going to change the rules. And in fact, I've been clear that we were going to change those rules. I said last June, Mr. Speaker, that we were on track to change those rules. We're going to bring in legislation in the spring. I look forward to the opportunity to speak with the leaders of the opposition parties to get their input, Mr. Speaker. It's important, it's an important part of the process to hear from them because quite frankly, Mr. Speaker, up until a couple of days ago I didn't hear anything from the leaders of the opposition. I started last June saying that we needed to do this, Mr. Speaker. I haven't heard anything from the leader of the third party or the leader of the opposition on the specifics about how they would move to make a change to the rules. I look forward to the conversation on Monday, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Ministers of Energy and Finance wrote the legislation to sell off Hydro One. Then they hired a group of bankers and lawyers to help them actually sell off Hydro One. Then the ministers hosted a fundraiser with those very same bankers and lawyers. The group of bankers and lawyers benefited from the sale. The ministers benefited from the fundraiser. Can the Premier not understand how this is wrong and may very well violate the members' integrity act? Mr. Speaker, I'll just go over the changes that we are going to be bringing forward and the changes that we're making right now, Mr. Speaker, because as I said, we're going to bring legislation in the spring. That legislation will include a transition away from corporate and union donations, Mr. Speaker. And it's that transition that I'm interested in hearing from the leaders of the opposition parties on, Mr. Speaker, because we, as I say, we have all been following the same rules. We are all going to be making a transition. We have been following the same rules and we're all going to be making a transition to a new set of rules, Mr. Speaker. I'm making some immediate changes now. I've made the decision to immediately cancel upcoming private fundraisers that I attend, Mr. Speaker. And in fact, as I told the media, I cancelled one tonight, Mr. Speaker. The ministers will still be able to do small group fundraisers, high-value fundraisers, Mr. Speaker, but there will be two stipulations. One is that it's publicly disclosed before the event, not after the event as the leader of the opposition suggested, and the ministers will not be meeting solely with the stakeholders. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm concerned that ministers assigned fundraising quotas by the Premier are using their portfolios to raise money for the Liberal Party. And as such, I will be meeting with the integrity commissioner. Will the Premier agree to participate and ensure that our whole cabinet participates to fully participate in any investigation? Thank you, Premier. Deputy Premier? Well, Speaker, as the Premier has already said, we've taken a number of steps to make elections more accountable, more transparent to make donations, more transparent, Speaker. And in 2007, we introduced third-party advertising rules for the first time and introduced real-time disclosure for political donations. Speaker, but the NDP has been critical of our attempts to actually ban corporate and union donations. And that's kind of surprising because that's exactly the kind of reform that the NDP and Alberta made, Speaker. They introduced an Act to Renew Democracy in Alberta. She introduced legislation and that it was sent to committee for public consultations. Here in Ontario, we're actually consulting before we draft the legislation, before we introduce the legislation because we think it's important that we get this right, Speaker. And that's why the Premier has invited party leaders to come and have the conversation before the legislation is introduced, online with the NDP and Alberta. Thank you. New question? Member from Bremedy Corp. Thank you, sir. The question is again to the Premier. This week, the Liberals agreed that they made a mistake by doubling the cost of medication for seniors in Ontario. Will they also admit they made a mistake by selling hydro wine and stop the sell-off of the next batch of shares? Thank you. So Mr. Edith, to investing in infrastructure in this province, it is not possible for Ontario to continue to lead and to take its strong and rightful position in the global economy if we don't invest in infrastructure, Mr. Speaker. Now I know and it is surprising that the third party, that the NDP, has not taken a strong position on investment in infrastructure. It's the kind of thing that one would have expected from the NDP that they would support investment in public transit and investment in roads in the north, Mr. Speaker, and investment in communities so that they could upgrade their infrastructure. That's not the position that the NDP has taken, which is surprising, but it is our position, Mr. Speaker. We need to make those investments. And the broadening of the ownership of hydro wine, one asset in order to invest in new assets, is exactly what's needed at this province at this time, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, no one believes that selling off hydro wine is going to help our infrastructure. Everyone knows it's going to put us in the worst position. The financial accountability officers state that very clearly and no one buys that story. The Liberals made a decision to hurt over a million seniors in Ontario. They backed away from that decision. Selling hydro wine won't just hurt seniors, it will hurt people across the province. Of course, selling hydro wine does help the donors that attended the fundraiser with the ministers of energy and finance. We understand why you're doing it. But why is the Premier backing off from a decision that hurt over a million seniors but doubling down a decision to sell hydro wine, which will not only hurt the seniors, but will hurt the rest of the 14 million people that live in this province? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So as I travel this province and I talk to community leaders, Mr. Speaker, one of the very top priorities that community leaders have is investment in infrastructure. And it doesn't matter, Mr. Speaker, whether I'm in a small northern community or a large growing urban community in southern Ontario, Mr. Speaker. The reality is that municipalities have not been able to make the investments that they need. They need the support to invest in infrastructure that, quite frankly, was neglected for decades, Mr. Speaker. So we're making those investments. It is a fundamental part of our economic plan. And, Mr. Speaker, I would say to the third party, you know, we are leading Canada in terms of economic growth this year, Mr. Speaker. We have been for two years running the leader in North America in foreign direct investment, Mr. Speaker. The investments we're making are bearing fruit, and that's good for jobs today. And it's good for the economy going forward, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Selling 50%, 15% of hydro and was bad. Selling 30% is worse. It's going to end up costing us billions of dollars, which will mean cuts to infrastructure and public services, not building them up. Not just today, but for the future generations. The minister of economic development are against this sell-off. It's bad for managing our electricity system. The fight against climate change. And I know that the Premier is having a rough week. But will she make it better for all of us and herself and agree not to sell off any more of hydro one? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, it's very surprising to hear the NDP say that investment in public transit will hurt greenhouse gas emission reduction, Mr. Speaker. It is absolutely, absolutely flawed logic, Mr. Speaker. The reality is that those are the kinds of investments that we absolutely have to make. We have to promote the investment in infrastructure that will allow electric vehicles to flourish in this province, Mr. Speaker. We have to invest in more public transit so that as part of our climate change reduction strategy, we actually see those reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. So quite the contrary of what the NDP is saying, the fact that we are making those investments is part of our economic plan that is going to allow us to thrive in a clean, greener economy, something they should be supporting. Mr. Speaker, please. Thank you. New question to the member from Prince Erhasties. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and happy birthday. My question this morning is for the president of the Treasury Board. Last week, we learned that a Treasury Board president was engaged in questionable practices, regarding potential influence peddling. I was in Quebec, Mr. Speaker. Oh, well, you mentioned Quebec. It doesn't matter. I asked you to withdraw. Withdraw? Thank you. Correct yourself if you wish. Thank you very much. That was in Quebec, and some Hamad was forced to resign. Last week, we learned that $165,000 changed hands between the Minister of Finance and the syndicate who underwrote the Hydro-1 sell-off. Yesterday, we learned that those same banks are getting a private opportunity to buy an additional $10 million in Hydro-1 shares. $10 million in Hydro-1 shares. Let me correct my record again. Speaker, how does the minister explain this $165,000 kickback from the big banks? The member will withdraw. Withdraw. Minister of economic development, employment, and infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, that kind of question is just irresponsible. The fact of the matter is, this entire process is being done by third parties. There is no involvement whatsoever by the government in this process. In fact, Mr. Speaker, the process has been completely being reviewed by the former auditor general of Canada, Denis Dosetel, and I don't know if I'm saying his name right, Madam Mayor. But he's been involved from day one in this. It's been developed as a competitive process and they've selected lead financial firms to carry it out. And the member knows this. It's totally arms-led to government. We have no input into that process. So stop the allegations that are totally unfounded and be responsible in your questions about a very important matter of public policy. We won't talk about the facts or the facts. And the facts are out there on the table in this case. It's nice to know that the big banks feel that they're getting their money's worth from this government. If this type of thing occurred with a contractor, he'd be up on fraud charges. If a lawyer did it, he'd go to jail. When Sam Hamad did it in Quebec, he had to step down as the Treasury Board President. He did the right thing, Mr. Speaker, in Quebec. Can the Treasury Board President explain why it's more acceptable in Ontario than Quebec for a minister to be involved in a scheme like this one certainly appears to be? If that is not borderline slanderous, Mr. Speaker, I don't know what is. You have absolutely no grounds to make those kind of allegations. You're making it up as you're going along. Finish, please. Mr. Speaker, the members' wild allegations are a smear to the former auditor general of Canada, Danito Zintel, who is overseeing this process. And would indicate to you, Mr. Speaker, it is completely being done in a third-party fashion. The government and our members have no... The members from Stormont come to order. It's totally irresponsible for you to make those kind of allegations. I'm really shocked, because I know this member. He does have integrity, Mr. Speaker. For him to make those allegations, I have to suggest that he's really on borderline slander and his integrity, I think, can be questioned by those types of... Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. The Premier has acknowledged that her front bench have fundraising quotas that they have to meet. The bigger the cabinet portfolio, the bigger the quota. A suspicious person might wonder... Deputy House Leader is warned. Finish, please. Thank you. The bigger the cabinet portfolio, the bigger the quota. A suspicious person might wonder how much of a cabinet assignment is based on merit and how much is based on a talent for fundraising. Does the Premier take fundraising ability into consideration when she's assigning high-profile positions on that front bench? Mr. Speaker. Again, I will just go to... I will repeat what I have said, and that is that we have all operated under a set of rules, Mr. Speaker. I am incredibly proud of my whole team. Every member on these benches, Mr. Speaker, is part of a team. We all do our bit, Mr. Speaker. They are talented, intelligent people, and I am lucky to have them as my colleagues, Mr. Speaker. I respect every one of them. They all do their bit as I expect members on the other benches do. And part of our job, part of our job is to raise funds so that our political parties can operate, Mr. Speaker. We've done that with integrity. We've followed the same rules, and now those rules are going to change, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you, Mary. Mr. Speaker, there is a huge difference between my $20 spaghetti dinner at the Legion. Order, please. Finish, please. And the Hydro One privatization donation party that the Liberal Government hosts. There's a big difference. Last week, Mr. Speaker, the Premier was asked about ministerial fundraising quotas, and she said, and I quote, you'll have to talk to the party. But, of course, the Premier isn't just the Premier. She's also the leader of the Liberal Party. Was the Premier involved in setting her cabinet ministers fundraising quotas? Mr. Speaker, it seems the member of the third party has forgotten that her party was part of an ethics probe into a $10,000 exclusive fund. I'm not sure what was on the menu, Mr. Speaker, but I bet it wasn't spaghetti. Despite banning corporate donations in Alberta, Horvath has Premier Naughtley to attend her fundraiser, marketed at corporations. Many of the corporations have business interests in Alberta's commission report in March, Speaker. The event even marketed Premier Naughtley would attend and resulted in the highest reported ticket price for an NDP fundraiser ever. The President of the Ontario NDP, Carlo Weber Callaghan, was interviewed in the probe, confirmed that Bruce Logan, Horvath Senior Advisor, made personal calls to prospective donors. The member from Kingston in the audience. Through you, Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Invasive species pose a serious threat to our natural resources, our biodiversity, and the economy of Ontario, significantly impacting delicate ecosystems and costing tens of millions of dollars every year. This is well known by Canada's top experts, including especially biology prof Shelly Arnett at Queen's University. Managing the impacts of species like zebra mussels in Ontario is estimated to be about $75 to $91 million per year. The City of Toronto estimates that it has spent at least $37 million over the last five years to cut and replace city-owned trees killed by the emerald ash borer. Species like these and many others have the potential to do long-term damage to the economy of Ontario. Minister, can you please tell us what steps the province is taking to manage invasive species? Thank you. Speaker, thank you, and I want to thank the member for the question. She's raised the example of zebra mussel speaker, and it's a great example of how if we're not proactive when it comes to the issue of invasive species, there's significant ecological and economic devastation that can come to the province of Ontario. We know in all likelihood that zebra mussels were introduced through ballast water and international tankers, but we also know there's an opportunity for success because there has not been another water-borne invasive introduced to entire area waters in quite some time. We've been proactive in a number of years, and that's primarily to the changes and the rules that have been made by the federal government when it comes to the discharge of ballast water. So being proactive is very important, Speaker. In that regard, we take great pride in being the first and only jurisdiction with stand-alone legislation in Canada. That legislation has received rural assent. We've also invested in an invasive species centre in Sault Ste. Marie, which I had the opportunity to visit some time ago that's doing great work on this file. Thank you, Speaker, and I look forward to the supplementary. Thank you to the Minister for his answer. Preventing invasive species from arriving and becoming established is critical in our fight against the growing threat that invasive species represent to Ontario. Species which are at risk of being introduced into our province, such as the Asian card, have the potential to do long-lasting damage to our economic and environmental systems, such as impacting our $2.2 billion recreational fishing industry right here in Ontario. Once established, it becomes more difficult to eradicate invasive species. Therefore, a rapid and coordinated response, a response that can reach across borders to new invasive species is required. Minister, can you tell us how the Invasive Species Act and other initiatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry allow the province, its partners, and the public to address emerging invasive species? Thank you, Minister. Thank you very much again. I want to thank the member for the question. She raises the example of the Asian carp speaker, and that is an invasive species that, if it reaches into Ontario waters, will be able and will impact untold devastation on our recreational fishery. In that regard, Speaker, I traveled to Chicago very early January. We had an opportunity to visit, basically where the beachhead is being established to try and prevent the introduction of Asian carp into Ontario waters. We had opportunities to meet with the Army Corps of Engineers that are doing the work and leading the charge on this, and an opportunity to share with them best practices from Ontario side and engage in whatever we can do to support the work that they're doing there. We've already been working very closely with Canadian Border Service Area Agency Speaker to try and do what we can at the border, but it's important for everybody to know that we're doing what we can. We have visited in Chicago to see what's going on there, and we need to do all that we can. Our legislation will enable us through powers contained and regulations that are coming to do everything that we can to prevent the introduction of Asian carp into Ontario waters as best we're able. Thank you. The question is for the Minister of Sport. Today we have with us Canadian hockey legend, Eric Lindross, and four-time Alpine skiing Olympian, Brian Stemel, who have joined us at Queen's Park to call for the passing of Rowan's Law. So Ontario will become the first jurisdiction in all of Canada to pass concussion legislation. Severe brain injuries can cause depression and mental health issues, even as we saw with Rowan's passing, it can cause death. We cannot afford to delay for the passage of Rowan's Law because we need consistent protocols for treatment, and in the case of sports, the return to play. So depending on how you answer this, Minister, we may have a chance of getting Eric Lindross to play in the legislators game on April 19th. Can the Minister outline the steps he's prepared to take in order for Rowan's Law to come become a reality? Thank you. That's exactly it. Mr. Speaker, if he's playing, I don't want to be a net. I want to start by... This is a very serious issue, Mr. Speaker, and I want to take the moment to thank the member opposite, and I know the member from Ottawa South and the member from Kitchener Waterloo. I want to thank them for their leadership on this file because it is such an important issue, and safety and sport without a question is something that our government takes very seriously. I'd like to take a moment also, Mr. Speaker, to thank Rowan's parents that are here, and of course Mr. Lindross and his wife, who are here and the advocates that are supporting this initiative. Rowan's Law is the first step towards increasing awareness, prevention, and identification of management of concussion and sport, and like the member opposite said, this would be the first initiative in the entire country, the first strategy put in place to take on this very serious issue. And I know the House Leader would like to speak on this issue in the follow-up in regards to the process moving forward. Thank you. Very much. I appreciate the support the Minister has given me and the Stringer family throughout this process. I'm sure he can agree with the recent events in the NHL last week in the concussion movie exposing the NFL this past winter. It's now clear that Ontario can and must take a leadership role in concussion awareness, research, and treatment. Rowan's Law will be the coordinating voice. It will bring together experts to implement a series of coroner's inquest recommendations from Rowan Stringer's death from second impact syndrome, sustained by multiple concussions. Would the Minister consider hosting a round table with possible committee appointees this month in advance of the committee bill passage? Thank you, Minister. Sir, the House Leader. Government House Leader. Well, thank you very much, Speaker. And again, I want to thank all the members who have been very actively working on this very important issue. And I want to especially acknowledge Rowan's parents who are here. As well, Speaker, as we know and I think the member who has asked the question, she knows very well that there is a process by which the House Leaders work. In a very collaborative fashion when they discuss all matters that is brought before this House, including private members bill, this is an issue that we've had the opportunity to speak and I'm sure there's going to be more opportunities that will be speaking on about this bill and other important private members bill before this House. So I very much look forward to having those constructive conversations so that we can find a way of passing this groundbreaking legislation, Speaker. But of course, I look forward to that opportunity speaking with my respective House Leaders on this issue and other issues when it comes to making sure that all those relevant matters comes to this House, Speaker. Thank you. New question from member from Toronto, Dan Forth. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, my question to the Premier. Last December, one of the banks that ran the initial sell-off of Hydro-1 promoted a $7,500 per person fundraiser offering private face time with the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Energy. One of the emails promoting the event specifically mentioned the Hydro-1 sale. The fundraiser attracted a select group of Bay Street players who stood to profit from the Hydro-1 sale raising $165,000 for the Liberal Party. And later today the Minister of Energy and the Minister of Finance will announce the further sell-off of Hydro-1. Should the public see the fundraiser as the quid and today's Hydro-1 sell-off as the quo? Minister of Economic Development Employment and Infrastructure. Minister of Economic Development Employment and Infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, with that line of question I would echo words that you often say we're getting in here to a race to the bottom with those kind of unfounded suggestions and allegations which are completely contrary and the member knows completely contrary to the way that this entire transaction is taking place this government has taken a very thoughtful and strategic approach to ensure the best value for the benefits of Ontarians. That's why Mr. Speaker the allocation of these offerings is in the hands of professionals that's why it's third party and that's why our ministers and our government does not have anything to do with the way this transaction rolls out. I know the member knows that I'm a little surprised he would try to allege something that simply is not true I don't think it's a fair thing to say as Legislature I don't think it's a fair allegation but Mr. Speaker I think I've explained that the process is completely unfettered of any kind of political involvement. Thank you. Speaker this whole sell-off is a race to the bottom. A whole everything is trying to distract from what has been seen as a pay to play fundraising scandal by showing everyone exactly why it is a scandal. Last December, Hydro One profiteers gave the Liberal Party $165,000. Today those same profiteers stand to make millions from the sale of Hydro One. Nobody believes this is in the public interest. The financial accountability officer has said this is not in the public interest. Will the Premier finally put the interests of Ontarians ahead of her base treat friends, her donors and stop the sale of Hydro One? Minister? Mr. Speaker the interests of Ontarians west firmly in our ability to be able to invest in the infrastructure across this province that means building public transit that means building roads and bridges that means investing in core infrastructure for one part of the province to the other and Mr. Speaker the key is here is we're willing to make the decisions we need to make to make those investments the folks on the other side of this legislature Mr. Speaker do not have the courage to make those investments they talk the talk but they don't support us Mr. Speaker when we build this province up when we build public transit when we build roads and bridges when we build core infrastructure like water waste water Mr. Speaker we're proud of the investments we're making $160 billion over the next 12 years the biggest investment in infrastructure in the history of Canada you can't make those investments New question, Member from Davenport Thank you Mr. Speaker and my question is Hold on, try it again Member from Davenport I know that in my riding of Davenport I have a large group of seniors who are actively involved in the community and it's important for me to know that they remain healthy and active as a matter of fact Mr. Speaker when the minister recently spoke about his constituent Maria it reminded me of my constituent Gloria who too is a very engaged and active senior in my own riding of Davenport and just like Maria Gloria too wants to know what our government is doing to improve the lives of seniors as you know Ontario seniors have worked hard to make our province great and we owe it to them to continue providing the services they rely on especially at a time in their lives when they need it most recently during the 2016 budget deliberations I heard from a number of seniors including Gloria with concerns about the cost of prescription lives and co-payments I understand this government has been listening to the change during the consultation process of the 2016 budget deliberations Mr. Speaker, can the minister inform the house what is being done Minister is responsible for seniors thank you very much Speaker let me thank the remarkable member from Davenport for a good question when someone reaches the age of 65 years old he or she it's automatically eligible to receive prescription drugs covered through the Ontario drug benefit plan seniors would pay a yearly deductible or co-payment $100 and then $6.11 for dispensing fees the 2016 budget speaker addresses this very big issue in a very positive way low income seniors no longer will be required to pay the $100 co-payment or deductible and the dispensing fee of $6.11 will drop to $2 so what this means means that $170 low income senior speaker will be saving $130 a year so this speaker goes a long way in helping our seniors thank you supplementary thank you Mr. Speaker and I want to thank the minister for her sponsor, I know that Gloria and the seniors in my riding at Davenport will be pleased to hear the changes and I'm pleased to learn that lower income seniors can apply for help with these costs through the seniors co-payment program and I know in my riding of Davenport this will be welcomed by many who fall into this category it is helpful to know that if the 2016 budget is passed low income seniors that fall under the seniors co-payment program will pay no yearly deductible and the co-payment drops up to $2 for each field prescription that is great news and I know many will be happy to learn these changes it is important to know that our seniors are being taken care of and I applaud the minister for the great work he has done as the minister responsible for seniors affairs and his efforts to make sure these changes remain Mr. Speaker can the minister please inform the house about what he is hearing from seniors and what recent measures this government is doing to further assist seniors thank you minister I want to thank the member for the question again and let me say that I speak regularly to seniors and especially in the last week I have been enjoying speaking to a lot of seniors but when I finished speaking to my seniors in the right in New York West Speaker telling them of the positive measure that would improve their lives with the content of the budget then they end up putting on a nice big smile speaker I tell them that they will be saving $170 for the shingles vaccine keep telling them that they save $70 for the elimination of the hydro debt retirement charges tell them that they save $30 on the emission test and speaker $135,000 senior speaker will be paying 50% less when they go to the hospital parking lot Speaker this helps our seniors in a big way and inclusion speaker of $75 million over three years in the community with residential, hospice and palliative care speaker we on this side of the house always trying to improve the quality of life for our seniors thank you Thanks the speaker Maya questions for the minister of tourism culture and sport speaking heart working volunteer groups are in shock after the Ontario Trillium Foundation suddenly suspended it's capital grant program this funding is vital to as it literally keeps the roof over their heads. Now this government has funneled every cent of Trillium's $25 million capital program into the Ontario 150 program. That's right. A minister who has millions of dollars for Pan Am executive bonuses and manicures for athletes now doesn't have a penny for the dedicated volunteer groups who rely on Trillium. Speaker, is this government so broke that it can't find a new program, one that represents 0.02% of its $136 billion budget without stealing from vulnerable volunteer organizations? Again, the tenor of the comment was really not conducive to a proper question when it comes to accusations. I'm disappointed, but I'm just going to let it go and warn the member that in his supplementary, if anything else like that happens again, I'll cost him his question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to start by saying the Ontario Trillium Foundation is one of those organizations that's not only recognized in Ontario as one of those great organizations, but throughout this country and internationally. We're very proud of the work they do. Mr. Speaker, this is a government that has invested $1.4 billion through Trillium since it's come into power. That's a significant amount of money that has been contributed and distributed right across our province. Throughout the legislature, I know that Trillium has an influence in each of our writings and makes such a huge difference in making sure that we continue to grow and build Ontario to the place we think it should be, and that's being one of the best places in the entire planet to live. In regards to the funding, Mr. Speaker, if you look at the amount that was provided to Trillium last year and the amount that's going to be provided this year, it's an increase. I don't know what the members are upset about. We're going to use the Canada 150 and using money to invest in infrastructure is what this government is all about, and we're very proud of our record when it comes to Trillium. Mr. Speaker, I really don't understand the Minister's spin. If it was such great news, why was it announced at 4.53pm on the Thursday before the Easter weekend? I know why. It was to bury the fact that they've dealt a devastating blow to community groups for whom OTF capital funding is a lifeline. It's more evidence of the price we're all paying for this government's waste and mismanagement. This happened so suddenly, Speaker, that applications were already submitted for the upcoming intake, but the government just dumped them and the thousands of volunteer hours to prepare them right into the shredder. Mr. Speaker, to the Minister, does my legion have to buy a $6,000 ticket to a Liberal fundraiser to get access? Mr. Speaker, I'm going to ask the Minister, will he admit that he's wrong and will he reinstate the OTF capital grants program to help those groups that whose future he's put at risk? Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, the member opposite knows clearly that the Ontario Trillium Foundation is an arms length organization that has the ability to make its own decisions. Mr. Speaker, the member opposite knows clearly that the Ontario Trillium Foundation has the ability to make its own decisions. It's got a board, and in fact, Mr. Speaker, we have regional Trillium boards that are set up throughout this province, the grant review teams that take into account the local needs of the communities before making a decision. Mr. Speaker, we're about providing opportunity on this side of the House. When we see Canada 150 coming up, we're proud to invest in that initiative and we're so proud of the fact that we'll be investing into infrastructure and you can tell your legion to contact us directly when those grants come out and they can apply for funding to increase infrastructure right across this province. We're very proud of our record. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. It is the responsibility of government to lift people up to make life better and to ensure that people no longer have to work multiple jobs simply to make ends meet. In Ontario, over 750,000 workers are taking home a minimum wage that is simply too low to help anyone get ahead. Right now, we're seeing a powerful movement south of the border that has workers standing up and saying it's time for a $15 minimum wage. Premier, it's time to raise the floor for every worker in this province. Will the Liberal government commit to raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour for all Ontarians? Thank you. Mr. Speaker. Appreciate it, please. Appreciate it, please. Thank you. The Premier went to the Minister of Labour. Thank you, Speaker. The NDP set an interest in the minimum wage. Certainly is welcome on this side of the house. It's been a long time coming. We've been working hard, Speaker, to bring minimum wage increases that are consistent, that they're predictable and they're fair to the people in this province. Between 96 and 2003, Speaker, the general minimum wage in Ontario was frozen for nine long years at 685. We knew we could do better than that, Speaker. We've made significant changes since then to the process. We've raised the minimum wage nine times, Speaker. Nobody in North America has a higher-women wage other than the District of Columbia, Speaker. Any state doesn't have the minimum wage that Ontario has. Ontario's got the highest of any province in this country, Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back to the Premier. At the rate that the Liberals reached $37 before we hit $15 an hour and, by the way, they just did it in California. So the Ministers wrote about that. Ontario's new Democrats want to make it clear that the Liberals won't stand up for Ontarians, that Ontarians will have a choice to make in two short years to elect one that absolutely will. Fundamental change is needed to address a fundamentally changing workplace. Premier, what does the government want to say to the hundreds of thousands of Ontarians that are not getting the decent wages they deserve for the hard work that they do every day? Thank you. Speaker, once again, I want to thank the member and I want to thank the party for the interest in this issue. Certainly it's long overdue, Speaker, but it's a conversation that we wish we'd had them on board a little while ago. Let me reiterate, Speaker. We've got the highest minimum wage in any province in Canada. Higher than any state. With guidance, we've put together a minimum wage advisory panel, Speaker. We've got guidance from business, from labour, from antipoverty groups. The NDP made not one single submission to that panel. When you had the opportunity to speak out, you were silent. You were lucky to the province of Ontario, Speaker. As an example of how you can put in acceptable wage increases for people on minimum wage. In 2019, Speaker, part of the process calls for a review of the process. If we need to do more at that time, Speaker, I hope this house will. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Labour. Minister, yesterday was a very special day for this legislature. We are joined by first responders from across the province, including the City of Cambridge. As a former nurse in the emergency department, I work closely with first responders and gain first-hand knowledge of what they face while doing their job. These dedicated women and men put themselves in harm's way every day, and it can take a tool on their mental health. Yesterday and over the course of this year, they eagerly participated in the legislative process in order to see Bill 163 turn into law. I was thrilled to see that the Supporting Ontario's First Responders Act received the support of every member of this legislature. It was great to see all members on all sides of the House be able to stand forward for this very important bill. So, Speaker, through you to the Minister, how will this impact the lives of Ontario's responders? Minister of Labour. Thank you, Speaker. I too would like to thank you for that question. And I think, especially on a day like this, Speaker, I'd like to show my appreciation to all the members of the legislature who participated in the debate, who joined the conversation on post-traumatic stress disorder, and are starting to talk more and more about mental health in the workplace. Speaker, this bill is something we should all be proud of. It shows what we're capable of when we work together. I think the specifics of Bill 163 House members are participated. It's going to presume that post-traumatic stress disorder, diagnosed in first responder, Speaker, is work related. And it's going to allow me as a Minister of Labour to ensure that employers of those first responders submit their prevention plans directly to me, Speaker, and I will make them public. What I want to focus on is what this really means, Speaker, is we need to deal with people that have PTSD in a dignified way, but we need to prevent it, because it's going to be in the first place. Thank you. Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister for his work and his dedication on Bill 163. It's important that we are taking steps to help first responders to get the help that they need. And I know another large part of this issue is prevention. As we know, first responders are twice as likely to suffer from PTSD than a general population, and it's often the problem of incidents that causes PTSD symptoms in the first place. We must ensure that supports are in place to help prevent PTSD. It's also important that employers have the resources they need to identify PTSD and support those who may suffer. Over the weekend, I heard an ad on the radio that addressed this issue. Increasing awareness of PTSD helps families and friends of first responders to recognize possible symptoms. Thank you. Speaker, through you to the Minister, what is the government doing to prevent PTSD and to support first responders? Thank you. Thank you. The member speaker from Hamilton East Stony Creek yelled out, thank Sherry. And I think we do need to thank the member from Parkdale. But I hope all members have also started to hear the awareness campaign that's taking place. The radio ads, you've got guidance out there for employers that's online. You can go online so that you can have the smallest fire department in this province. You'll have access to the same resources as the biggest police department in this province speaker. What we're doing is making sure that we get as much information of post-traumatic stress disorder and how to prevent it out to employers in this province speaker. I committed to making Ontario a leader in this regard. As a result of the vote yesterday, Speaker, I think that Ontario deserve credit for making us that leader. Thank you. Minister of National Resources and Forestry on a point of order. Thank you very much. If I could just slightly out of order introduce Ms. Piggy Breckfeld, the Vice President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture from my riding of Thunder Bay out of Coken. Thank you. I just wanted to introduce the students from Kipling Collegiate Park. Welcome to Kipling Park. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A couple of weeks ago I introduced Nick Saul by the title of his former company. Nick Saul is actually President and CEO of the Community Food Centers of Canada. There are no deferred votes. This House stands recessed until 3pm this afternoon.