 It's time for Question Period. The member from Leeds, Prenville. Thanks very much, Speaker. My question to the Premier. The Sudbury by-election scandal casts a dark shadow over today's by-elections in Niagara West Glenbrook and Ottawa, Vanya. And that's because the Premier refuses to tell us what she knew about the alleged offers that led to bribery charges against her former Deputy Chief of Staff. She's hiding behind the legal process, and that's nonsense. This isn't about the presumption of innocence. It's about the Premier's judgment. She stood by Pats or Barra when she was under investigation. She said the OPP wouldn't lay charges. She rewarded her by making her head of the Liberal re-election team. I'm not asking about what's going to happen in court. I'm asking about the Premier's judgment. Speaker, will the Premier tell us how she reached those decisions and does she think she made the right call? Thank you, Premier. Government House Leader. Good morning, Speaker. Thank you very much for recognizing me to answer this very important question, because the question the member opposite asked me, it is before the Court of Law. He can spin it whatever he wants to, Speaker, but this matter is before the courts. And he continues to ask questions that should not be deliberated in this House, Speaker. Those are the matters that should be left before our very competent judicial system, not to be discussed here. He knows that. He thinks that it's good political fodder for him, and that's why he's asking these questions. And he can continue to do so, Speaker, but on this side of the House, we will recognize, we will respect the rule of law, Speaker. We will respect the standing order rules that are very clear in terms of respecting the jurisdictions of our Court, Speaker. That is the fundamental tenet of our system, and I ask the member opposite to do the same. Thank you. Supplementary. Speaker, back to the Premier. You know, Speaker, here we go again. More excuses to hide from the question. I want to thank you, Speaker, because you were very clear about something yesterday. The Attorney General claimed my question was out of order because these matters were before the courts. And you told him he was wrong. You stressed your only caution under our standing orders was about making allegations, and you allowed my question. So I was in order. What's not an order, Speaker, are the excuses we're hearing over there to avoid giving Ontarians a straight answer. Speaker, now that you've taken this excuse off the table, will the Premier tell us why she hasn't asked her energy minister to step aside, despite the fact that he's named in the OPP's bribery information? Well, Speaker, I think we're down with that matter repeatedly in this House as well, which is that the Minister of Energy has not been charged with anything. The Minister of Energy and his responsibilities as the Minister is not the subject of this matter. There are two people charged who do not serve in this House. They are entitled to Speaker due process. That process is ongoing. It has nothing to do with the Minister of Energy and his role as a minister or member for Sudbury. What he continues to be focused on, what this government and the Premier is focused on, is making sure that we're improving the lives of Ontarians every single day. That we are building Ontario up, Speaker, by investing in our schools, by investing in our hospitals, by building public transit across this province. That's the priority of this Premier, Speaker. That is the priority of this government. We will remain focused at that. Thank you. Thank you. Final supplementary. Again, Speaker, back to the Premier. Ontarians see what's happening here and it's why the Liberals are in trouble everywhere, including their stronghold in Ottawa, Vanier. It's understandable why the Premier is here today. Her brand is so damaged, the Liberal campaigns want her so far away from Niagara and Ottawa, Vanier. Speaker, you've been very clear. Our standing orders allow me to put these questions on the table and I deserve an answer. I'm not making allegations or trying to try a case. I don't need to. I don't need to. In fact, the OPP has laid charges. Two days now I've had to go to warnings. I'm not afraid to go to a third day. In fact, I'm close. Finish, please. In fact, the OPP have laid charges against the Premier's trusted ally and named her energy minister in their information is enough. So, Speaker, will the Premier finally tell us what she knows about Patsor Bear's phone calls to Andrew Olivier and any discussions with the Minister of Energy? Thank you. Speaker, the member opposite asked about Premier's priorities. I'll share with you what Premier's priorities are. The Premier priority is to build Ontario up for every single Ontario. Premier's priority is to make sure that we give a substantive break to first-time homebuyers to make it affordable for them to own a home. Premier's priority is to continue to invest in our healthcare system by additional $145 million in our hospitals. That is in addition to about $375 million that we announced in the budget, whereby we're spending over $40 million in building our healthcare system. Premier's priority speaker is to build 3,500 new childcare spaces, Speaker, just this year alone. That is what the Premier's priority is. The party opposite, the Conservative party, do not share those priorities, and it's unfortunate because they have no plan speaker for Ontario. The only thing they know is political sparing that is not acceptable. There are two people that I have my attention and it'll be official in a moment if it carries on. New question, a member from Atlantic and Attington. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Attorney General. The administration of justice is a keystone to a fair, just and free society. Ontario, however, is without equal in its failings of the administration of justice. We have the worst record in the country. I have repeatedly asked the minister why nearly half of all criminal cases in this province are stayed or withdrawn before trial. Yesterday, another headline emerged. Murder charge stayed following nearly four-year delay. Adam Picard was arrested and accused of first-degree murder of Faoud Nael. He was denied bail and remanded into custody for four years. Today, we know one of two things. Either an innocent man was unfairly incarcerated or a violent criminal has been released to freedom without conditions. Speaker, the minister must answer for the miscarriage of justice in nearly one of every two criminal cases. Thank you, Attorney General. Thank you very much. I appreciate the member asking this very important question. As I said yesterday, I take this matter very seriously, the case he is referring to. I am concerned, Speaker. It is absolutely important that our justice system works for everyone. Works for the victims, works for the queues, and it should work for the public across the province, Speaker. My ministries official are very closely looking at that decision that was rendered just two days ago, Speaker. I have asked them to conduct their review in an expeditious manner so that they could determine next steps. This is, Speaker, a matter that is before the course. As you know, there is an appeal period right now. I will be highly inappropriate for me to comment on that, but I do want to stress this is a serious matter, Speaker, and I take those concerns very seriously. Thank you. Supplementary. Again, to the Attorney General, the system is not working. It does not take a legal expert to see that our justice system is acting in a manner that frustrates and obstructs justice while also failing to protect society from dangerous offenders. Justice Parfait attributed her decision to the Crown's heavy caseload and the Crown's refusal to expedite the trial. While we know the Minister has initiated a review of the case, what is needed is a review of the culture of complacency Justice Parfait indicated. How can a Crown object to a motion to expedite an already delayed trial? How can they prosecute thousands of minor less violent crimes but disregard murder trials? Speaker, the Minister and his Crown attorneys are acting in a manner that is prejudicial to the public good. These are the symptoms of the culture of complacency which starts and ends in the Minister's office. Question. Thank you. Thank you very much, Speaker. As I said, the matter is a serious one and I'm concerned. And as I've said, it's being reviewed. The decision is being reviewed by my ministry. And given that we're in an appeal period, Speaker, it will be inappropriate for me to comment. But I do want to take the matter that the Member of the Opposition spoke about. And that is the Jordan decision from the Supreme Court of Canada, which, Speaker, in my opinion and my conversations with our judiciary and our other partners, presents a very valuable opportunity for our entire justice system. Fair and timely access to justice is a core value, Speaker, of my ministry. And our government is in value that's shared and upholded by all Ontarians. We are actively working with our justice sector partners to develop strategies to address issues of delay both in the short and the long term, Speaker. And the supplementary, I will highlight to you some of those steps that we have already taken. Thank you. Final supplementary. Again, Speaker, the facts are as simple as they're frightening, but also in their duration. The justice system is either keeping innocent people behind bars or allowing criminals to walk free. Justice Parfit acknowledged in the decision and I quote, the justice system has failed the accused and the public. The auditor general has raised the alarm on the systemic failings for many years. The Crown Attorneys Association issued a statement on the crisis of trial delays and the press is consistently reporting on the outrage caused by the state and withdrawn cases. Everyone, legal experts or not, can plainly see that injustice is pervasive. Everyone, except the minister, I see appears. Speaker, when will the Attorney General stop locking up the innocent and stop setting violent criminals free? Thank you, Attorney General. Speaker, since the general decision has been released, I've been very much focused along with the Ministry of the Attorney General and our judiciary and other partners in the justice system on this particular issue. This time to trial is a very important issue and is fundamental to our justice system. Speaker, since July, my ministry has been working with Crowns, Court Services staff, the judiciary and the criminal defense bar and we have taken a number of steps. We have assessing the state of cases in the Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice. We've been organizing local bench, Crown and bar meetings to discuss local solutions and in September the Ontario Court of Justice and the ministry hosted a criminal justice sector workshop which focused on planning justice sector responses to the Jordan decision. Crown officers speaker are actively reviewing cases in light of the Jordan decision and developing strategies to actively deal with cases that may be in jeopardy. Speaker, this is an issue that impacts the entire country. I've had the opportunity to speak with my counterparts, other ministers of justice and they're all working on this issue together. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, my question is for the Premier this morning. Yesterday I visited Rachelle McDonald at her home in Smithville. Rachelle and her husband Justin have three children. The whole family struggles unfortunately with different illnesses that keep each of them on medication. She told me that for the past few months her hydro bill has been so high that she has been forced to choose between the medications her family needs and keeping the lights on. How is it possible that a family in this wealthy province, a family that works hard every single day is forced to make decisions like that? When will this Premier finally understand that people can't afford her sell-off of hydro one and put an end to it? Well, Mr. Speaker, I know that the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care will want to comment on the issue around medication but, Mr. Speaker, it is unacceptable that someone would have to make that choice. I completely agree with the leader of the third party, Mr. Speaker. But again, the leader of the third party is conflating issues. What is unacceptable to me, Mr. Speaker, is that there would be people who would be that burdened with electricity prices which is why we are working to take costs out of the system, Mr. Speaker, and to lower those electricity costs. But the leader of the third party conflates that issue with the broadening of the ownership of hydro one which is strictly about investing in infrastructure, Mr. Speaker, in transit, in projects like the Hamilton LRT, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that we have an inclusive economy that allows people to move around this province in the best way possible. Those issues are separate, Mr. Speaker. We're working to lower electricity costs. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, Rachelle had to tell her 16, 15 and 13-year-old children that the family was not putting up Christmas lights this year. It devastated her to do that because stringing the lights has been a family tradition since her first son was born. But thanks to her skyrocketing hydro bills, she just can't afford to light up her home for the holidays. Why doesn't this Premier understand, Mr. Speaker, the effects that her wrong-headed hydro decisions are having on the people of this province? She has her little lines all pat out, Mr. Speaker, and she repeats them every single day in this legislature while families are having to make untenable decisions about their family life and about the history that they expect to be able to continue when it comes to traditions like Christmas. Why won't she put the interests of families first, Speaker? Why won't she put the interests of people like Rachelle and other families ahead of the interests of her friends on Bay Street and start the sell-off of Hydro One? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I would say to the leader of the third party, as long as she continues to conflate issues that are not related, Mr. Speaker, then I will continue to tell her the reality and give her the real information about what is happening. Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned about the fact that electricity prices that have risen, Mr. Speaker, because of the investments we have made in the system, because we have cleaned up a system that was dirty, Mr. Speaker, that had been neglected for years, Mr. Speaker, by government after government. We have cleaned that system up, Mr. Speaker. There is a cost attached to that. And we recognize that there are people who are not able to cover their electricity costs, Mr. Speaker, which is why we are taking costs off their bills, Mr. Speaker, why we are working to make sure that they can afford that. But, Mr. Speaker, the Hydro One issue is about investing in infrastructure. Broadening the ownership of Hydro One is about investing in infrastructure. Final supplement. Mr. Speaker, it is this creamier that needs a dose of reality. She has to understand what the people of this province are dealing with because of her wrong-headed decisions in the Hydrofile. The reality is it is not just Christmas lights that are going to be missing from this year's Christmas at the Rochelle Home. Her and her husband have told the kids to expect fewer presents under the tree as well. Now, as a parent, I certainly understand how hard it must have been for her to tell her kids that Christmas would not include cherished family traditions like Christmas lights, like the kind of gifts that they expect. When will this premier finally stop spinning her message and instead show some real leadership on this file, put Rochelle and her family and families like them at the top of the agenda, put them first for a change and stop her stubborn, wrong-headed, unwanted, totally hated, sell-off of Hydro One. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I don't know the situation with Rochelle and her family. I don't know the specifics, Mr. Speaker. I don't know, for example, as the leader of the third party was talking about medication. I don't know whether she is eligible for support through the Trillium Drug Benefit. I don't know if the leader of the third party had the opportunity to talk to her about the Ontario Energy Support Program, Mr. Speaker, or the programs that are in place that would help her with her electricity bills, Mr. Speaker. What I do know is that she will see a reduction as of January 1, Mr. Speaker, because we're taking the provincial portion of the HST, which the leader of the third party is talking about, you know, we should make it permanent. That is a permanent change, Mr. Speaker. We have committed to that, made that commitment. In fact, we have. But, Mr. Speaker, it is very important to me that the leader of the third party and the people of Ontario understand we're going to invest in the transit, in the bridges, in the schools, in the hospitals that they need across the province. New question for the leader of the third party. Thank you so much, Speaker. My next question is also for the Premier. You know, the hydrofile is not the only area where the Premier is extremely disappointing people of Ontario. The Sudbury bribery scandal is a stain on the Premier and her Liberal Party, but more importantly, it has shaken trust in the government and our democracy. For months, the Premier stood by her top aide, Patsy Berra, until she was formally charged by the OPP, showing Ontarians that her priorities lie not with them, but rather in protecting Liberal Party insiders. We recently learned that, of course, the Minister of Energy is also implicated in this scandal. So my question is, will the Premier make the same mistake against Speaker with her Minister, or will she put aside her blind partisanship, ask him to step down and show Ontarians that she will choose them over Liberal Party insiders for a chance? Thank you. Jeremy General. Thank you very much, Speaker. And as the Premier has been very clear on this issue, she has answered questions on this matter, in this House, through the media, and she's been very upfront and transparent to Ontarians. Speaker, I've also stated in many instances that this matter relates to two individuals who were being charged under Elections Ontario Act. That matter is before the Court Speaker. Those two individuals do not serve in this legislature. And those charges do not relate to the Minister of Energy. He's not been charged with any offence, Speaker, whatsoever. And the subject matter of those allegations do not deal with the responsibility of the Minister in his role as the Minister of Energy, Speaker. So there is no such need for what the member is asking. Thank you. We'll continue to focus on our job, Speaker. Supplementary. Speaker, bribery is a very serious allegation, both offering a bribe and accepting a bribe. It's unconscionable that a member of the Premier's Cabinet should remain in... Any time now, Chief Government Whip will withdraw. We'll withdraw. I would like to ask all members to refrain from making any comments while I'm standing, number one. And number two, I'm listening carefully to everyone's conversation. And if I hear something on Parliamentary, I'll deal with it. Please finish, Member. It's unconscionable the member of the Premier's Cabinet should remain in his role if there's even a hint that he may have been involved in this scandal. As a province, we must be better than this, Speaker. We must be better than playing silly political games when something as important as people's faith in our democracy is at stake. The Premier needs to step... I'm particularly not amused by what's happening. And if I continue to hear the interjections the way I've been, I'll go to warnings and actually I may move to naming. This is going to get done properly today. Please finish. The Premier needs to step up and be the leader that she said she was going to be when she was elected in 2014. Will she ask her Minister to step aside? Well, Speaker, I find it a bit rich hearing from the leader of the third party who talks about political games who has taken a very serious issue and day after day is only making it a partisan issue. Speaker, she herself have recognized, the opposition have recognized that this is a serious matter, that this is a matter before the course. Their allegations are on certain individuals. And it is only fair, Speaker, in our system that we let the courts make the due consideration and due determination based on evidence presented to them, Speaker. It's not the time and the place to make it a part of a political ranker in this House. That's what the member opposite is doing. That is beneath of NDP in my humble opinion, Speaker. We should be all focusing on issues that are important. That's what the Premier has been focused on, Speaker. She's investing in our system. Minister of infrastructure from the water. She's investing in our healthcare. That's what the Premier's priorities are. That's what she ran in 2014 and she's delivering on it. Final supplementary. Well, Speaker, I'm disappointed. The people of Sudbury are disappointed. The people of Ontario are disappointed. I guess the Premier really does care more about the partisan politics and liberal insiders than she does about protecting the integrity and integrity of Ontario's democratic traditions. The Premier has a chance to do what so many premiers have done before her and I urge her to take that chance. Will the Premier acknowledge that the faith that people have in her government is more important than protecting Liberal Party insiders and ask her Minister of Energy to step down until the Sudbury scandal is completely closed? The Premier respects the rule of law. The Premier respects the independence of our judiciary. We ask the member opposite to do the same thing. The member from Sudbury is not some political insider. He is the elected member of provincial parliament for Sudbury, Speaker. He has been duly elected. Casey didn't hear it. The Minister of Infrastructure has already been spoken to. And there's a few other people, some of them not even in the receipts that will get my attention. The member from Sudbury has been elected not once, not twice, but three times by the people of Sudbury. Why? Because he continues to honourably serve his community. He continues to deliver for a community. That's the kind of man he is, and he will continue to do so. Thank you. Question to the member from Sudbury. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Two weeks ago, my constituent, Mrs. Karen Rukus, wrote to me to voice her frustration over excessive fees and charges on her hydro-bill. And let me just summarize her bill for you. Hydro-use each $179.58. Total cost of her bill, $512.20. Mrs. Rukus explains that of the whopping $512 total cost of her bill, 309 of it is government fees. Mr. Speaker, that's 60% of her bill in fees alone. Mrs. Rukus describes these hydro fees as, quote, a terrible scam on the people of Ontario, end of quote. And she finds it atrocious that she's being charged taxes piled on top of taxes. Question. So Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Rukus would like to know, will residents of Ontario be reimbursed for what she and many people call outrageous overcharges? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'd like to thank the Honourable Member for that question because he does bring forward a good point in which many folks in this province are having a difficult time, Mr. Speaker, with their hydro bills. And that's why in our speech from the throne, Mr. Speaker, we brought forward many programs, Mr. Speaker, to help families and to help individuals like that, Mr. Speaker. Come January 1st, there will be an 8% reduction on those bills. And if that individual is actually in one of the rural or remote communities, Mr. Speaker, she'll actually see a 20% reduction, Mr. Speaker. And on top of that, I hope the Honourable Member is also talking to her about the OESP program, Mr. Speaker, because that is a benefit, Mr. Speaker, that many families and many individuals can qualify for, Mr. Speaker. If this is a senior and if they actually heat their home with electricity, Mr. Speaker, they can get up to $75 a month on top of that, Mr. Speaker. That's a significant reduction to help, excuse me, Mr. Speaker, to help families that are actually having a difficult time. So for me, Mr. Speaker, I do hope that he is encouraging them to look at the programs, work with the LDC to make sure that they can get the benefits to help them reduce their bill, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Premier, the Mrs. Rookus isn't the only person worried about her hydro bill. Earlier this fall, my constituent, Mr. Richard Wiles, calling Woodrow to meet a voice, is intense frustration over the high cost of electricity in this province. And Mr. Wiles told me that taking the provincial sales tax off of hydro bills is a joke in his opinion. Too little, too late is what he said. And Mr. Wiles also noted that it's not right to pay huge delivery charges at the cottage when they're not there in the winter months. So Premier, my constituent, my constituents, our constituents on all sides of the house really want to know, rather than rebate programs and all that, what are you actually doing to get the system back on track? What are you actually doing to fix the problem over there? That's what they want to know. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, what we've done, Mr. Speaker, is fix the system that they left, Mr. Speaker, in tatters. In tatters, Mr. Speaker. We had to build 15,000 kilometers, Mr. Speaker, of lines to ensure families actually get power, Mr. Speaker. We've ensured that we've built a system that is safe and reliable, Mr. Speaker, that doesn't have rolling brownouts or blackouts, Mr. Speaker, that actually affect our overall economy and put all families in this province in the black, Mr. Speaker. We've made sure that we've invested in programs and systems that have a clean, reliable system. We no longer have to send out warnings, Mr. Speaker, telling Ontarians that they don't have to, you know, go outside and worry about breathing. We've eliminated coal, Mr. Speaker. We've made sure that we've got a clean, reliable system for all families. Something that that government, when they were in power, Mr. Speaker, they kept kicking this issue to the curb. We acted and made sure that we've built a system that would have all the members in the province, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. The member from Renfrew will come to order. The member from Leeds Granville will come to order. That'll probably be my last individual notice until I go to warnings. New question. The member from Kitchener, Waterloo. Thank you. My question is to the premier. study where you live is a determining factor in how much you pay. People who live in Malvern and Rouge areas of Scarborough and people who live near Jane and Finch in North York pay an estimated $1,000 more per year than those living in Forest Hill. Does the Premier think it's fair that people living in areas that have the highest number of new Canadians, the highest rates of immigration and some of the lowest average incomes in the province are forced to pay the most for their car insurance? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question. Recognizing, of course, we're all concerned about rising rates and what comes to auto insurance. It's why we've taken the steps, deliberate steps, to foster ways to reduce those cost of claims, enabling premiums now to have been reduced over this period of time by almost 9%. We're looking towards reducing them even further on average by working closely with the industry, by providing the most generous benefits to the people of Ontario. Noting, of course, as the member just made reference, there are certain regions and certain locations of the province that have higher rates of incidences and accidents. While in some other parts in the north, they do not. The member opposite is suggesting that maybe we should increase the rates in the north and subsidizing the south. We're not going to do that, Mr. Speaker. That is not up to us. We are going to take every step necessary to let the market forces prevail and ensure that it's fair and that everybody pays the appropriate amount and reduce those rates. Mr. Speaker, this finance minister is living in a completely different reality than the people of this province. They can't trust what this premier and this minister say about car insurance rates. After all, the Liberal government promised a 15% reduction in rates that New Democrats fought for in 2013, only to call it a stretch goal earlier this year. Just last month, we discovered that auto insurance rate increases were approved by this government twice in 2016. We know that Ontario pays the most in auto insurance in all of Canada. Between 2001 and 2013, the people of this province overpaid for auto insurance by an estimated three to four billion dollars. Can this premier explain to Ontarians why the high cost of car insurance doesn't matter to her anymore? Mr. Speaker, again, I want to reiterate, rates on average have been going down. We want them to go down further. Approximately 20% of the companies in Ontario has actually already reduced their rates by 15%. 50% of the market have already reduced their rates by over 10%. We're trying desperately to find ways to foster even greater cooperation and reduction in those costs. Part of it, of course, is that there has been fraudulent activity. There's been abuse in the system. There's been a number of interplays that is causing rates to be extraordinarily high in Ontario versus other parts of Canada. We're trying to bring more of that into line in order to enable those reductions. But the member opposite has to confer and agree to move more quickly on some of these matters instead of stalling, and then not approving the very measures that were taken to reduce those rates. We're going to continue doing our part, Mr. Speaker. We're going to reduce those rates to the people of Ontario. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And my question is for the Attorney General. And it's not a question I want to have to ask. But today we have the third incident in Ottawa of anti-Semitism, defacing of a couple of synagogue in my writing. I'm at Ziki Hadas right around the corner from my house. And at Beth Israel, that's in Mr. Shirelli's writing. And it's not my Ottawa. The Ottawa that I know. In the last year, I've had a mosque defaced and an Islamic school defaced. And these are really, given world events, these are really deeply concerning things. So to the Attorney General, could he please let us know what we're doing to address these kind of heinous and hateful acts? Thank you. These acts of hate are shocking. They're sad and absolutely unacceptable. Speaker, it's really troubling to know that this is happening in my community. I know, Speaker, that these acts of hate do not reflect Ontarians, in fact, Canadians. We, together, every single member of this legislature stands together against these acts of hate that has taken place in Ottawa over the last three days. Speaker, we must all work together to eliminate hatred, racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, all forms of hate. Speaker, if police believes that there are hate crime committed, they will conduct an investigation where appropriately a criminal charge. Ontario Crown Attorneys will prosecute these cases vigorously. Speaker, we will not tolerate hate crimes in Ontario. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the Attorney General. And, you know, if we look at the discourse south of the border over the last few months, and we see that it's apparently made it okay to openly be hateful, to openly mock people, to be misogynist, to be open about this. And I know that we think we and believe, and we do have a political culture here, but we are not immune. Don't believe that we're immune. There are shadows of it. We see shadows of it in the last federal election. We see shadows of it now in our communities. And we all need to stand together. This is a really serious, serious, serious matter. So I would like to ask the Attorney General what we do to prosecute these crimes and to help those victims suffering from these hateful acts. Thank you. Speaker, the member from Ottawa South is absolutely right. We all are in this together. We all have to protect each other. We all have to stand against acts of hate and racism, Speaker. There is no place for these type of vile acts to take place in our communities in our province. Speaker, in the Ministry of Attorney General, a team of Crown prosecutors, especially trained in the legislation and prosecution of these offenses provide support to the police, other crowns and communities across the province. It is Crown policy, Speaker, that hate motivated offenses be prosecuted vigorously, where there is a reasonable prospect of conviction, and it is in the public's interest. Victims of hate crimes, Speaker, have access to victim and witness assistance program on a priority basis after charges are laid. These services are available, province-wide, Speaker. Speaker, I ask all members of the House today stand together to say no to hate, no to racism, no to intolerance in our society. New question? Member from Wellington, Houghton Hills. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. In 2004, the County of Wellington established a green legacy program, which plants more than 150,000 trees across the county each year. It's grown into the largest municipal tree-planting program in North America. We need to take the county's green legacy program province-wide. Last year, the House unanimously passed my private members' resolution, calling to do just that, to celebrate Ontario's 150th anniversary within a United Canada in 2017. Government members were very enthusiastic in support of the idea. This past April, we followed up by arranging a meeting in my office with senior Ministry of Natural Resources officials, including the Deputy Minister. The government has now had more than a year since my resolution was passed. What specifically has the ministry done to begin planning to implement an Ontario green legacy program? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Member Opposite for the question. You know, we made a bold commitment on this side of the House a few years ago to plant 50 million trees in the province of Ontario under the Premier's leadership, and we are starting to accomplish that. In fact, Mr. Speaker, we've planted more than 22 million trees so far, so we're well on track to be able to accomplish that. I have spoken with a member and with some of the members of Green Legacy, and I really do applaud that particular organization for their implementation program, Mr. Speaker. They have a great way of getting the trees out to the school children and the other community groups. I'm going to continue to work towards ensuring that we have our commitment done, including the one million trees that we're planting within the urban areas, not only for beautification, but to also try and fill in the gaps where there have been ash trees lost to the emerald ash pours. Thank you. Well, I thank the Minister for that response, but I would say to her, we can do more, much, much more. The intent of my resolution, which highlighted the excellent work done by the County of Wellington, is to encourage the Minister to provide the necessary leadership, urging Ontario residents to get involved, to volunteer, to work with local community organizations and massively increase our tree planting efforts in Ontario. This would have so many benefits and serve as a tangible community response to the challenge of climate change. As members will recall this past September at the international plowing match, which was held in Wellington County, Warden George Bridge mentioned our idea for an Ontario Green Legacy program in his remarks. I was sitting on the stage directly behind the Premier. She turned around and told me she thought, quote, it's a great idea. My question is simple. If the County of Wellington supports it, the Ontario Legislature supports it, the Premier supports it, the David Suzuki Foundation and many other groups support it. Why aren't they doing it? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you for the supplementary, but we are already doing it. Mr. Speaker, about a month ago, I was at the TD Tree Day in Cambridge, and over 300 people turned out on a chilly, windy, rainy morning to plant all variety of trees. I myself planted a butternut tree, Mr. Speaker, in that area. This is ongoing work in every single community. School groups in my riding and surrounding ridings are out there. We are certainly on on track to get that 50 million trees. I know that a lot of people have been talking to me recently about using the opportunity of Canada 150 to plant the plant more trees as a legacy project in their area. But the benefits of urbanization or beautification, greenhouse gas emissions, reduction and certainly employing trees as a thank you. No question. The member from Canora Regie River. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Last month, the Ontario government reannounced a rebate program for energy efficient retrofits. But in the months between the first announcement, the government would do well to hold their applause. But in the months between the first announcement and the reannouncement, the government failed to make this program accessible to homeowners in the North. To qualify, homeowners are told they need a home energy audit, but there is not a certified energy advisor to perform one in the Canora Rainy River riding. The closest advisor is in Thunder Bay, which is 490 kilometres away from Canora. Does the Premier really expect people to travel 490 kilometres just to do a home energy audit? So Mr. Speaker, I know that the energy is going to want to comment, but let me just say to the member opposite that if there is that kind of challenge to getting these audits, we need to deal with that because it's very important that people have access to them, that there be the trained personnel within a reasonable geography to perform the Mr. Speaker. So certainly the Minister of Energy will want to hear more details about the situation, but we are committed to making sure that people have access to those audits, Mr. Speaker, so that they can work on the retrofits that are going to save them money, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Here are some more hoops that Northern homeowners have to jump through just to get one of the government's home energy rebates. First, homeowners need to reside in an area served by Enbridge or Union Gas, which leaves out whole communities in the North. For those who do, they must find an auditor who may be 490 kilometres away and pay their fee plus their travel expenses, which are limited by the program at $500, and then the homeowner must find a contractor who is available in their community to complete the work and have the auditor return to complete the final assessment within 120 days of the initial assessment. Northern homeowners pay the highest energy bills in the province, and they need this rebate the most, but they are the ones who are the least able to benefit from this program. What will the Premier do to improve access to this program for all Northern homeowners? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I'd like to I do want to thank the member for bringing that question up. As a Northerner myself, it is important for us to make sure that we have equal access to all programs that are out there, Mr. Speaker, and it is concerning for me to hear that it isn't something that is necessarily available to the folks in Canora and Rainy River area, Mr. Speaker, because conservation, Mr. Speaker, is key for all of us, Mr. Speaker, and making sure that we have the programs that we have out there and getting everyone involved will do several things, Mr. Speaker. It will reduce our GHGs, but it will also help us with the cost of electricity and the cost of heating our homes, Mr. Speaker, especially in the north. It's great, too, though, Mr. Speaker, that we have a $200 million loan program and a $30 million grant program being offered by the Minister of Infrastructure and the Ministry of Infrastructure, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that we can get natural gas rolling out to more communities right across our great province, Mr. Speaker. I met with the individuals from, you know, the mayor and others from that part of the province, Mr. Speaker, and they would really like to see natural gas in their part of the wood, and that's in their part of the province, Mr. Speaker, and it's a great program. Thank you. Thank you. New question. The member from Trinity, Spadina. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. First, I would like to thank the Minister for clarifying to my community that there is no plan for more condos at the Ontario Place. Speaker, this province is moving forward with a vision to revitalize Ontario Place into a vibrant year-round waterfront destination that builds on its legacy of innovation, fun, and life music, which engages residents and visitors of all ages. As part of this vision, the new urban park and William G. Davis Trail is on track to be completed by summer 2017. The newly designed William G. Davis Trail is located on the East Island, and that will add 7.5 acres of new parkland to Ontario through Toronto's waterfront. Mr. Speaker, I know the Minister was visiting the Ontario Place yesterday through you to her, and she told the member of this house more about the first phase of Ontario Place revitalization. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to take this opportunity to thank member from Trinity Spadina for his advocacy for Ontario Place, which is located in his riding speaker, to the benefit of the citizens of Toronto and the Ontarians more broadly. I want to thank him for that ongoing and effective advocacy. You know, Mr. Speaker, our tour yesterday gave us the opportunity to really look at the developing urban park and trail, and to look at not only what's been completed, but what's to come. And we're very excited about that. As my colleague mentioned, the urban park and trail will add 7.5 acres to our beautiful waterfront that all Ontarians will be able to access. It will be free, Speaker, and it's shaping up to be an absolutely gorgeous spot. I'm very proud of the work that's ongoing, and I just want to highlight a few of the features of this amazing space. In the transformation of what once was a parking lot and a flat parking space, we're creating a beautiful series of vistas 8 meters above the lake level, providing stunning panoramic views. I look forward to adding more in my supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Thank you, Speaker. I want to thank the Minister for an answer. The urban park and trail is going to dramatically transform Toronto's waterfront with new green spaces. It's fantastic to hear that this vision proposed a mix of outdoor and indoor features, including more green space, a water-based recreational blue park, and a waterfront trail around the entire site. This project continues to create and support jobs for Ontario workers. Nearly 300 people have worked on site, and the project has also involved businesses across the province. In fact, 99% of the construction workforce on the park and trail is based in Ontario. Mr. Speaker, through you to the Minister, can she tell the member of this House how the public and stakeholder were engaged in the designing process of this park? Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm proud to talk about the consultation process that's really being honoured now in the transformation of Ontario Place, and I'm happy to say that I was part of this consultation prior to being elected. I had the opportunity to join Ontarians in shaping the future of Ontario Place and engaging with them in that important process. They helped us to shape the park design, they played an important role in its creation, and overwhelmingly they said keep Ontario Place access to all Ontarians, and that's exactly what we're doing, Speaker. And through that revitalisation process, it will continue to serve as a vibrant venue for music festivals and events. Next year we will host a number of exciting events as part of the Ontario 150, and I invite all members of this House to join us in celebrating the reopening of the William G. Davis Park next year in July. Mr. Speaker, thank you very much. New question to the member from Whitby Oshawa. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. A resident of my riding, Tom, sent a letter to the Premier on October the 11th, 2016, and in that letter Tom expressed his deep frustration and anger over his last hydro bill received from Whitby Hydro. Speaker, $912.88. Tom also outlined in his letter steps his family had taken to use electricity more efficiently, for example using appliances at off-peak hours. In his letter Tom said, the sudden realisation by your government that we have an energy crisis in the province is laughable. Speaker, I support Tom in asking the Premier, why has it taken this government 13 years to realise that an energy crisis exists in Ontario? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Actually, it's taken this government 13 years to build up the electricity system that they left in tatters, Mr. Speaker. That's why it's been so long, Mr. Speaker. They actually, Mr. Speaker, never invested in the system. They actually used to import electricity from the United States, Mr. Speaker, at the cost of over $500 million, $700 million. The minister from, the when he was the minister, Mr. Speaker, the MPP from Simcoe Gray used to complain about that. They claim they want lower rates, Mr. Speaker, but they want to rip up contracts that will actually cost us over $20 billion, Mr. Speaker, and increase rates even more, Mr. Speaker. On this side of the house, Mr. Speaker, we've eliminated coal. We're now in warnings. Wrap up, please. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have eliminated coal. We're making sure that we have a reliable system, a clean system, a green system, Mr. Speaker, and we're working to make it more affordable, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker, and again to the Premier. Tom and his wife frequently spent time with friends from Manitoba, and they compared hydro bills. Manitobians pay one rate of .0793 cents per kilowatt hour, a number that is less than our bets off peak rate of .870 cents per kilowatt hour. Tom's Manitoba friend, Speaker, paid a hydro invoice for a period of time equivalent to Tom's bill of $244. That's good. That's good. Yep. Speaker, what's clear from this comparison is that a minor sales tax cut from our hydro bills fails to impact the dramatic differences in energy costs among provinces. When will this government recognize that escalating hydro bills have reached epidepic proportions and are hurting hardworking families? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, we've brought forward many of these initiatives, Mr. Speaker. That will help families come January 1st. We will help businesses, Mr. Speaker, as well. But when you're looking at the facts, Mr. Speaker, we are right in the middle of the pack when it comes to competitiveness, when it comes to prices right across North America, Mr. Speaker. Ontario's 2015 average for electricity prices was lower, Mr. Speaker, than New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and many other states in the U.S., Mr. Speaker. When it's looking at the average price, you don't have to take my word, Mr. Speaker. You can take the word of the Independent Financial Accountability Officer, Mr. Speaker. That officer outlined, Mr. Speaker, that when it comes to electricity prices, only British Columbia is lower than us, Mr. Speaker. When it comes to overall energy prices, Mr. Speaker, we're right in the middle of the pack. But that doesn't stop us, Mr. Speaker, from recognizing that some families are still having a difficult time. And that's why we brought our 8% reduction, our 20% reduction, and the OESP program, Mr. Speaker. New question. The member from London West. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. In the week since the Ontario NDP launched our new website and student.ca, stories have come flooding in. For example, Colleen Parkinson not only worked during university, she also moved back home to save money. She has now graduated, but at 25 years old, she expects to have to live with her parents for years. She writes that if interest was removed from her student loan, she would be able to pay off her debt and start saving for her future. Speaker, student loan debt compounded by interest on student loans is keeping young people like Holly from moving forward with their lives after they graduate. Well, the Premier act now to remove interest from student loans. Thank you. Are you sure advanced education and skills development? Mr. advanced education and skills development. Well, thank you, Speaker, and thank you for the question. And I think as everyone here recognizes, making sure that all students have access to post-secondary education is a very, very high priority for us. And that's why we're moving forward, Speaker, with changes to OSAP that are progressive that are generous. It will be simpler to use, Speaker. The benefits are enormous for those at the lowest end of the income, Speaker. Tuition will be free. Grants will exceed the price of tuition, Speaker. It's a fundamental principle for us that everyone should have access to post-secondary education based on their potential not on their pocketbook. We're making real meaningful changes, Speaker, and I will address the issue of interest on debt in the supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, the submissions made to our website tell a bleak story. Many students are working multiple jobs while in school only to graduate with huge debts and few opportunities for full-time employment. Suminder Parana was the first in his family to graduate from post-secondary but had to juggle three jobs in order to pay for his education. Now in his 30s and unable to find anything other than minimum wage work, he has $30,000 of debt and no real chance of paying it off. Speaker, how can this premier justify making a profit off the backs of struggling graduates by charging interest on student loan? That's a good question. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Speaker, we actually have taken the recommendation of the third party. We've looked at that recommendation, Speaker, and we have calculated that on average, students with student debt will have a relief of $6.11 a month if we were to move forward with the NDP proposal. We are making a much more profound change, Speaker. Our changes to OSAP will do far more than the changes that they are recommending. The benefit $6.11 a month on average, Speaker, we are offering free tuition for 150,000 students, Speaker. Far, far, far greater. Any questions? Maybe we'll just model ourselves. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Mr. Transportation. And when I'm knocking on doors in my writing, invariably, and I know we all experience this, what invariably people with children, when you knock on their door, the first thing that they talk to you about is road safety. The thing they talk to you about is the safety of their children going to school. They're concerned to ensure that their son or daughter gets there and gets back. And I know that we passed some legislation last summer about distracted driving and impaired driving and was with all support, support of all the members in this legislature. So I know that members support the safety of children as well too. But I know we need municipal partners because they govern that area of road safety. So can the minister please tell us what we are doing to partner with our municipalities to ensure the safety of our children going to school? Thank you. Minister of transportation. Thank you very much, Speaker. I want to begin by thanking the member from Ottawa South for yet again, a very strong question. Of course, he is an extraordinary advocate for his community of Ottawa South. But Speaker, through that member, through you, to that member and our other members in the Ottawa area and particularly the Attorney General and others who have spoken to me over many months about the importance and spoken to the Premier over many months about the importance to make sure that we move forward partnering with our municipalities to improve road safety, particularly Speaker, in the areas around school zones and community safety zones and also working with municipalities around what's known as the default speed limit Speaker. So in response to the overwhelming message we heard from a number of key municipalities including Ottawa, Toronto, York Region and other Speaker, we have moved forward with an initiative that will help ultimately protect our most vulnerable road users, pedestrians, cyclists and others in those school zones and community safety zones. Just a few days ago Speaker, I was proud to introduce legislation in this House which I'd be delighted to elaborate on in the follow-up answer to the next question. Thanks very much. Thank you Speaker and I'd like to thank the Minister for the answer to that question and you know it's not only the safety of our children going to school and I was very pleased to be there last week when we announced that in Ottawa but you know it's as other road users as well too so recently in my riding of Ottawa South Perley-Reedo Veterans on Russell Avenue they put a a seniors persons crossing because we have about 400 and actually about 700 people living in a concentrated area that go back and forth across the street to walk or to catch the bus so it is of great concern not just the parents of children but also sons and daughters of parents who are living who are living the system living or and long-term care so I would like to ask the Minister what this legislation will do for that aspect of road safety as we go for Minister Thank you very much Speaker of course I want to begin by saying again to the member from Ottawa South thank him for the question and also for the very important point that he made it is true that we made the announcement regarding introducing automated speed enforcement for school zones and community safety zones Speaker and certainly at the announcement that was made by the Premier in Ottawa and also by the Premier in Leeside Leeside in particular a community here in Toronto that was deeply affected by a road safety tragedy involving a young girl named Georgia Walsh a number of months ago a number of years ago Speaker the overwhelming message we received back from families in both the Leeside area and also in Ottawa and I know this is consistently applied in other parts of the province as well Speaker is that governments at all levels have to work closely together to collaborate to make sure that as it relates to protecting our most vulnerable road users we strike the right balance that's why we've introduced this legislation Speaker it's while we will continue to work hard on this initiative and I look forward to working with that member and all members in this House on these issues Thank you very much Mr Speaker on a point of order I just want to introduce two guests who are here today Les Liversidge and his daughter Glia Liversidge who have joined us here today welcome to the Ontario Legislature Thank you the member from the member from Mississauga Streetsville the other member from Mississauga Streetsville Thank you very much Speaker Speaker thank you for giving me the chance to introduce three guests sitting in the members East Gallery from the Consulate of India Rajinder Parindia the President of the National Association of Indo-Canadians Manmohan Singh and a Director of the National Association of Indo-Canadians Manoj Gowel welcome thank you for coming the member from with the Oshawa Thank you Speaker I'd like to correct the record on my supplementary question Manitoban's pay one rate of 7.93 cents per kilowatt hour a number that is less than our best off peak rate of 8.70 cents per kilowatt hour thank you Speaker the Minister of Economic Development and Growth Thank you Mr. I think I've got to learn to wait my turn sometimes but thank you for that I just want to introduce Page Captain Vishmin and Kahant Mother Subha who is joining us in the public gallery somewhere here today Thank you Thank you Member from Dufferin Callaghan on a point of order Thank you Speaker I have been waiting almost a week for an order paper question to be responded to from the Minister of Children and Youth and I would like your assistance to get that order paper filed No This is my It's I've been busy One moment please It is my understanding that it is overdue and I will turn to the Government House Leader for a response Apologies not our intention to not submit these on time I will ensure that the Ministry of Children and Youth Services tables this response as soon as possible Thank you Member from Beaches East York on a point of order Now thank you Speaker I just want a moment to introduce my friend Howard Brown who's in the House He's doing great work but the members of the opposition bringing to our Government I appreciate you having me here There are no deferred votes This House stands recess until 1pm this afternoon