 There'll be a none. It's time for question period. The Member for Larkin, Kent, Middlesex. Well, thank you very much, Speaker. My question this morning is to the Acting Premier. Acting Premier, under the McGinty win government, Ontario has lost 300,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs. But that's not all. Not only are we losing jobs at an alarming rate, but for those who have jobs in Ontario's private sector, wage growth is dead last in the entire country. Well, workers in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Newfoundland and none of it are seeing wages climb on a yearly basis. Ontario workers take home pay, remain stagnant and well below average. While your government has blown this off as a mere transition, in fact, only Tim Hudak and the PCs have put forward a plan to create jobs, grow our economy and modernize our labour policies. Minister, your government is simply limping from crisis to crisis. Why don't you have a full-time jobs plan for Ontario, and why do you believe it's okay for Ontario workers to be dead last when it comes to wage growth in this country? Where's the plan? Deputy Premier? Thank you, Speaker. And I think the member opposite knows this, but just in case he doesn't, we've actually had a net increase of 474,000 jobs. So they can focus on the losses, Speaker, but those losses have been far more than replaced. In fact, a net gain of 474,000 jobs. And I think all of us were delighted to see the job numbers that came out last week. Speaker, what is passing strange, though, is this focus on the right to work for less approach of the party opposite. They talk about increasing income for people, Speaker, but they're taking an approach that has been showing time and time again to reduce income for people. And in fact, some very prominent members of his own party have come out against this plan. Yes, they have. Thank you. Supplementary. Well, thank you, Speaker. Back to the acting Premier. You can spin the numbers all you want, but the fact remains that Ontario has lost over 25,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs since Kathleen Nguyen has become the Premier. Uh-oh. This plan in Leamington is just another example of your careless approach to the Ontario's manufacturing industry, and sadly, it won't be the last. Minister, while you were busy patting yourself in the back, Ontario's government unions like Opsu have grown by over 300,000 new members, while Ontario's private sector unions continue to face layoffs and job losses, losing 100,000 members over the same 10-year period. Minister, over those same 10 years, Opsu elitists, Warren Smoky-Thomas, has forcibly extracted over $500 million in annual dues from his membership. Why does your government choose to stand as union elites like Smoky-Thomas instead of the 1 million people who are out of work in Ontario today? Right on. Deputy Premier. Well, Speaker, again, strange. The party opposite is advocating further job loss. 2000 nurses, Speaker, they want to fire. They want to fire 10,000 education workers. That's our job plan that I don't think the people of Ontario want to see. But let's see what other prominent progressive conservatives have to say about your right to work for less plan. What John Tory says is, I don't think it's constructive right now. He says, I think it's probably the wrong thing to be advocating, and I don't even think it's going to be that good for the economy. That's your former leader, John Tory. But if that's not good enough, let's talk about Nick Kuvallis. I think you probably know, prominent conservative, Nick Kuvallis. He says, if PC members are willing to split on right to work legislation, then this is not a winner with the general population. Speaker, the member opposite would know that Alberta, under Ralph Kline, looked into this and decided against it. Final supplementary. Well, Speaker, back to the acting Premier. Acting Premier, as you know, union elites like Smokey Thomas forcibly extract hundreds of millions of dollars from their members without providing any disclosure or transparency as to where and how that money is spent. It is outdated practices like this that led to my launching our Opsu opt-out website this morning. Opsu opt-out is an opportunity for current and retired Opsu members to go online, leave their comments and feedback, and let us know why they want to opt out of their government union today. Minister, Ontario's middle class is being completely gutted under your Liberal government's watch. When will Ontario move forward, stop standing with union elites like Smokey Thomas, and instead remove unnecessary barriers to job creation and modernize our labour policies like Europe, Australia, the UK, and most of the United States have already done. Deputy Premier, Minister of Labour. Thank you very much, Speaker. I really baffle by the assertions that the member Opsu continues to make when it comes to job creation in this province because what he is talking about is absolutely a job-killer speaker in terms of what will happen in this province if they got to bring the right to work for less type of policies they continue to talk about. The facts are very clear, Speaker. If you look at the United States, the states that they have right to work for less type of legislation, what we have seen is that there is a net loss of jobs, there is reduction in wages and benefits for both unionized and non-unionized worker speakers and not to mention their weaker health and safety laws. We will not describe to those kind of anti-worker, anti-serve policy speakers and we reject their job-killer plan. We're starting to raise the temperature. I want to keep it down. The member for Nipir and Carlton. Very much, Mr. Sparigee. Good morning, Minister. On Saturday, hundreds of people protested your office. They are angry and fed up with increased hydro rates caused by poor government decisions by yourself and others over there. But the straw that broke the camel's back was quite simply when the Minister of Energy compared the cancellation of the Oakville and Mississauga gas plants as merely a, quote, cup of coffee. As one protestor put it, and I'll quote, it's not just a cup of coffee. It's one of our most basic monthly bills. I'm just working to pay them. This careless comparison by the Minister proves without a shadow of a doubt that the Liberal Party is not sorry for wasting 1.1 billion dollars in the last election. It also proves the Premier only apologized because she got caught. Will the Minister stand in his place and apologize for that careless characterization of the gas plants in that too? Minister of Energy. And, Mr. Speaker, last week the Justice Committee was discussing the costs associated with the relocation of the Oakville gas plant. The relocation costs have been verified by the Auditor General, Mr. Speaker. And I have said, and our party has said, that the relocation costs were unacceptably high. The Chair of the Ontario Power Authority provided information to the committee that the rate-based portion of the Oakville relocation would cost the rate payer for the 20-year recovery period between $1 and $2 per year, Mr. Speaker. That was from the Chair of the Ontario Power Authority. But I wonder to those 60 or 70 demonstrators who were in front of my constituency office, Mr. Speaker, whether the member for Nippeen Carlton told them what her leader, Tim Houdak, said when asked to be in freeze or lower rates, he said, I will not do that. Cue supplementary. Well, what the 300-plus protesters told me in front of his office is the GTA. In fact, it wasn't just the protesters that were seniors and family members. It was also the small businesses who were there that were telling me they're going to have to lay people off or shut their doors entirely because of this liberal government's terrible and disastrous decisions. Now, the protest in the weekend is just the beginning. I know we're going to do more in the next couple of weeks. How does this liberal government expect to create jobs and retain the ones that we have already got in Ontario if their energy policy is the single biggest factor? Minister. Mr. Speaker, I'm sure the member didn't tell those 70 or 80 demonstrators the number of mitigation measures we have to reduce the payment on their electricity bills, and she voted against every single one of them. But, Mr. Speaker, with respect to industrial prices, Ontario's industrial rates compare favorably with other jurisdictions despite what she shouts, Mr. Speaker. Industrial rates in Northern Ontario are among the lowest in Canada, lower than 44 American states. Industrial states in southern Ontario are lower than in Alberta, Michigan, New Jersey, California, and in line with states like New York, Virginia, and Tennessee. And, Mr. Speaker, they continue to state facts which are totally untrue. Mr. Speaker, they talk about hides, Mr. Speaker, leaving because of energy prices, and hides actually had for all the rest of our society, Mr. Speaker. They were not paying for the electricity bill. Mr. Speaker, they've got to come straight with the facts. Thank you. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, the biggest mitigation to make you sure that we can control energy costs in this province is by removing that power predicted herself last week in Gas Plants Committee, including the all of the bureaucrats. And this minister here couldn't even tell us last week whether the energy rates that are going up on things, Speaker. In the next six months, Ontarians will have a choice. They could continue to choose that party who puts politics over people's energy policy, or they could choose a party, the Progressive Conservative Party under Tim Houda, who understands that. I'm scared. Who actually has a plan for the floor of the assembly. Will the minister... Mr. Speaker. Will the member tell the people, and did she tell those 50 or 60 people in front of my constituency office that she and her party are going to proceed with a $15 billion investment at New Nuclear that will make it the great skyrocket, Mr. Speaker? And did she tell the people in front of my constituency office that she and her party voted against these programs? Ontario Clean Energy Benefit. 10% discount off the bottom line. The Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit saves qualifying individuals up to $906 to $3 per year with a maximum of $1,097 per year for qualifying seniors. That member and her party voted against those price mitigations that reduce electricity bills, and she should be embarrassed for voting against what's going to help electricity. Right there, Mr. Speaker. Here, here. Thank you. New question. The member for Toronto Dan Point. Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister of Energy. According to the Auditor General, the province sells electricity exports at a loss. Between 2005 and 2011, the loss was $1.8 billion. Can the minister explain to consumers paying the highest electricity prices in Canada why Ontario is selling electricity at a loss? Mr. Speaker, the member should know that, first of all, from the opposition party, they had accrued deficit in electricity. They had been importing at the cost of close to $1 billion a year. We invested heavily in the sector, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that we had a surplus. Because we have a surplus now, the member should be aware of how the trading in electricity works. Yes, sometimes we sell electricity cheap. Much more do we sell it at a profit, Mr. Speaker. From 2008 to today, the IESO will confirm to him I'll arrange a meeting for him. We can go through the books. We generated a $6 billion profit in the sale of electricity. Minister, for families, it's just another example of a system that isn't working. They saw the Liberal government spend over $1 billion cancelling private power deals. Spend millions more signing contracts for nuclear expansion plans that we're never going ahead. The only way to get affordable electricity from Ontario is to move outside the province. Does the minister think that makes sense? Mr. Speaker, I'd like to read a quote that I'm sure will be of interest to the critic from the NDP. I sure will. It's from Larry Alderis of the Power Workers Union. Union? It was great to hear that nuclear power will continue to play a key role in sustaining the province's energy needs into the future, referring to refurbishment, Mr. Speaker. The units provide a reliable source of safe, clean, and low-cost electricity while also providing a source of highly skilled jobs. The commitment to nuclear in the long-term energy plan will secure great jobs for current employees and hopefully will open the door for more employment opportunities into the future. 25,000 jobs more, Mr. Speaker. Wow. Thank you. Final supplementary. Well, Speaker, I guess answer period is not going to be part of today's agenda. The government talks about doing things differently, but all people see as a lot more of the same status quo thinking. And bills keep climbing higher. Instead of clamping down on private power deals or reining in the growing number of hydro agencies and their CEO salaries or taking some action to ensure that Ontario isn't exporting electricity for cheap while charging people more and more at home, the government offers more of the same. Does the minister think that's good enough? Mr. Omededin. Mr. Speaker, the member knows that we invested heavily to put ourselves back into a surplus. We've invested heavily to make the system clean. We've totally abolished dirty burn-calling generation, Mr. Speaker. That takes $4.4 billion off the bottom line. That's next for a question. The province's expenses in environmental and health care costs. But in the meantime, because of the pressure on prices, Mr. Speaker, we introduced a number of price mitigation measures which that party voted against in some cases. The Ontario Clean Energy Benefit, Mr. Speaker, takes 10% off the bottom line. The Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit says qualifying individuals up to $963 per year is the maximum of $1,097 per year for qualifying seniors. That members look in the mirror and ask himself why he went to describe our seniors of up to $1,000 a year off their electricity bill. Mr. Speaker, that was totally irresponsible. New question. The member for Kitchener Waterloo. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this morning, the government issued yet another vague announcement about reining in public sector CEO salaries. Will the government set a hard cap for the executive salaries? I said to the acting Premier. Yes, I did. Yes, I did, but you were yelling. If I could ask the member to at least declare who she's addressing the question to. To the acting Premier. Earlier this morning, the government issued yet another vague announcement about reining in public sector CEO salaries. Will the government set a hard cap for the executive salaries at twice the level of the Premier? Deputy Premier. Minister. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. There was nothing vague about this morning's announcement. We talked about the fact that the government will be moving forward with legislation in the spring when the House returns, which will outline ways in which we can establish a framework concluding hard caps for public sector salaries. The fact of the matter is, Mr. Speaker, and I think the leader of the third party learned last week with her rather ill-fated press conference, that this is a technical matter, Mr. Speaker. It involves study of what goes on in other jurisdictions. We want to make sure that broader public sector salaries are fair, Mr. Speaker, but they also have to reflect what is needed in that particular situation. As I told the House the other week, the honourable member of the honourable leader of the party in her press conference cited an example and then had to swallow herself whole by saying, well, maybe there's an exception for that. Mr. Speaker, this is not political ploy. We are actually going to have the work done and we're going to come forward with a framework which allows for fairness in terms of salaries in the broader public sector. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Protecting the taxpayers of Ontario is not a technical issue. This question is to the acting premier. While people feel like they've been falling further behind, they've watched as executives in the public sector have seen their paychecks grow by leaps and bounds. The province promised action, but all we see yet is another plan to have a plan. The minister talks about a hard cap on CEO salaries. If he means what he says, can he tell us what he's going to cap them at? Minister. Mr. Speaker, as I said, we are going to come forward. This is a very clear commitment that we will come forward with legislation which will give government the authority to establish frameworks going forward. And I would stress to the honourable member that that is frameworks for the entire package that senior members of the broader public sector receive, which includes salary, which includes perks and which includes severance arrangements. I note, Mr. Speaker, that the NDP bill, which the honourable member likes to talk about, did not deal with perks, did not deal with severance. Mr. Speaker, this is a broad study that will take place and will result in a framework. What this legislation does is this legislation gives government the power to impose caps and to impose a framework. Mr. Speaker, this is the responsible course of action and Mr. Speaker, to the firm commitment that that legislation will be forthcoming when the House returns in the new year. Thank you. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, people are tired of watching as public sector CEOs get pay hikes that are worth more than most families earn every year. Two years ago, this government said they backed a hard cap at twice the pay of the Premier two years ago, but they also sought every liberal MPP vote against a plan put forward by Andrew Horvath who received substantial salaries at twice the pay of the Premier joined by the PCs. Now they are making promises again, but without any details of what the cap will be. Why should people believe the minister this time? Mr. Speaker, again, let's talk about the new Democratic Party's bill. The leader of the third party went out and held the press conference. In the press conference, she had to swallow herself whole by outlining an individual who received a substantial salary that would have an exception under her bill. Mr. Speaker, this isn't about exceptions. This is about a proper framework. The other difference between our measures and that put forward by the third party, Mr. Speaker, is the third party talked about just the salary. We want to look at perks, Mr. Speaker. We want to look at issues like severance. We want to look at the entire package. Mr. Speaker, this is a complex matter. It's a technical matter. What this bill will do is give government the power to put in force a framework, including hard caps, Mr. Speaker, in a responsible way, which makes sure that taxpayer's money is properly used by the broader public sector. Thank you. New question. The Member for Nipissing. Thank you and good morning, Speaker. My question is for the Acting Premier. We've been holding economic roundtables all throughout Ontario and, Speaker, the news is quite disturbing. We're seeing company after company pulling up steaks in Ontario and heading to more open-for-business territories. Your high taxes, unaffordable energy and red tape are sending these businesses packing. How many U.S. steel, caterpillar, and Heinz announcements do you need to hear before you actually change the direction Ontario is headed? Acting Premier, we're in crisis mode here in Ontario. When are you going to do something for our struggling business community? Deputy Premier. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recognize the member opposite is making reference to a number of initiatives with his right to work with legislation, things that are actually going to kill jobs in our province. We will stand for that on this side of the house. We're going to take the initiatives necessary to protect those workers for health and safety reasons and not to sign, at the same time, provide highly valued jobs. That's why our jobs plan includes investing in people, ensuring that they have the skills necessary to succeed. We're going to continue to invest strategically in infrastructure and those initiatives that create jobs over a hundred thousand more, Speaker, as a result and a dynamic business climate. Even Roger Martin quotes Ontario's well-educated and active labour force is one of the best assets and also one of its primary sources of economic potential. And that was just done last month, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Acting Premier, what I'm referring to actually are your high taxes, your tape and your unaffordable energy which are driving businesses out of Ontario. And that's before your Energy Minister's announcement that our already triple hydro rates are set to skyrocket over the next five years. Not very encouraging news for business speaker or for families or for seniors. In Northern Ontario, Extrata Copper closed, terminated 672 employees and moved 115 kilometres over the border into Quebec to keep up with the deeper hydro. There are 60 mills in the north that are closed. That's 80% of all of the mills in the north are gone, never to open again under this government. Last week, Resolute Forest Products in Fort Francis shut down yet another paper line and sent 60 people home. What is it going to take for you to finally get it? Minister of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, let's be certain now that what we have in this house right now is Bill 105 to support small business. I would look to the critic opposite to ensure that we pass that bill to help small businesses right across this province. Over 90% would benefit. The member opposite also makes reference to energy prices. What we had left over from the Conservative Party, Mr. Speaker, was that $20 billion stranded debt. That's their legacy and that is still being paid for today by the people of Ontario. When it comes to taxes, Mr. Speaker, again, I quote, Ontario's tax system is now one of the most business-friendly in the OECD. Thanks to the adoption of Harmonized Sales Tax, the elimination of the capital tax, reductions in the marginal effective tax rate. Ontario businesses are well-positioned to thrive in a competitive market. The task force applauds the Ontario welfare implementing the necessary change to make Ontario's tax system smarter. We are one of the lowest in the OECD country. That's why countries and businesses are investing in our products. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Minister of Health and Long-term Care. Well, Speaker, the committees have finally received the forensic audit document, the document that was completed in June of 2012. It has been a year and a half. I find this time lap unacceptable. The public has a right to know the content of the audit it of what went on at Orange. When will the minister see fit to read the report and make it public? I did have the opportunity to read the investigation report. As you know, as I have said many times in this House, I read the interim report. When I received the interim report, that was enough for me, Speaker. What I read in that interim report made me realize the right place for this information was the Ontario Provincial Police. That is where that interim report went, Speaker. That's where it belongs. The committee has asked for the forensic investigation report, and they have now received that report. But I think it's worth noting that the committee has had the interim report for months and months and months. The result of the forensic audit belongs to the Minister of Health. She ordered it. She had a duty to read it. She had a duty to read from it, learn from it, and make sure that it never happens again. It continues to show that the minister prefers to hide behind excuses rather than admit it that she should have read the report and she should have released them to Ontario. There are no excuses for hiding information for taking away transparency. This is taxpayers' dollars that went into the pocket of private enterprise and of greedy people at Orange. When will the minister make the report finally public to all so that everybody can see the money that was taken away, everybody can learn, and everybody can make changes so that Orange never happens again? So, Speaker, as I have said before, and I will say again, the ministry officials determined that in an abundance of caution so as not to jeopardize an OPP investigation, Speaker, that this document be held in the ministry and shared with Orange. The ministry and Orange carefully reviewed that document. But, Speaker, a very high priority for me now that Orange is on the right track is to see that justice is done, Speaker, and I in no way want to jeopardize that investigation. A decision was made by officials. I tell you, I support that decision, Speaker, and if that decision were made again today, I would still support that decision because the OPP investigation must be allowed to continue without any political or any perception of political interference. Thank you, the member for our olives. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. Speaker, like residents across this province, those who live in Manitowage, a township in Northern Ontario turned to the provincial government to assist resolving issues surrounding infrastructure. I wrote the municipality of Manitowage was designated as an industrial road in 1963 and operated as such until a forestry company withdrew from the industrial road agreement in late 2012. Unfortunately, the industrial partner entered operations in the area and significantly reduced its maintenance activities on the road in 2010. More recently, the road has been closed since July of this year due to a washout. Mr. Speaker, what is the Minister of Transportation doing to help the residents of Manitowage access this important rural road? Minister of Transportation. Thank you. It's always great to have an engineer in caucus like my friend from Morales who pays such attention in detail to the infrastructure and I appreciate that. This is Kerramet Road that we're talking about in Manitowage. I have been working and I want to acknowledge my friend, the Minister of Northern Development and the Minister of Natural Resources. This has been a complicated and challenging problem. As you know, the road washed out last in just a few months ago and it was not maintained. You're quite right. There's been a number of jurisdictional issues. It was an industrial private road and it was a road normally maintained by the Ministry of Natural Resources. The municipality, whose landfill is on the site, Mr. Speaker, has not been interested at all in taking the road over. So I am pleased to announce that the Ministry of Transportation will open up the road, maintain it and work with the community to repair the full life of Kerramet Road in the coming months, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker, and back to the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. I'm pleased to hear that the Minister was able to find a solution for the constituents of Manitowage. This is an important access point for the residents of Manitowage and I know that they will greatly appreciate the support that our government is providing them. It is important that the needs of Northern Ontario are heard and addressed. This provides an opportunity to highlight what our government is doing in Northern Ontario. A number of my colleagues, including the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, the Minister of Northern Development and Mines, were in Timmons on Friday for the Northern Leaders Forum. There was great discussion that emerged from that forum that was very positive for Northern Ontario. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister please inform the Legislature how our government will continue to build on the positive momentum generated by the Northern Leaders Forum in relation to infrastructure in Northern Ontario? Thank you, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. Thank you very much. Well, Mr. Speaker, whether it's the seven kilometres that we're opening up right away to the landfill for the community of Manitowage or working over the winter on the larger road, I want to thank all of my colleagues and particularly the Minister of Northern Development and Mines for the Northern Leaders Forum on Friday where this and other issues were discussed. We have over $500 million, which I think is a record, going into Northern roads and highways, our important twinning projects, working with Northern Development and Mines and Natural Resources to open up those roads for the Ring of Fire and for the very quickly reviving forestry industry. I want to thank Mayor Mckekker, in particular, of Manitowage and the Council and the people for their patients and for working with our Ministry of Industry to resolve this issue, to get the landfill open and get those services available to the community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. New question, the Member for Whitley, Arshawa. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health. Minister Ontarians in rural and Northern Ontario find it very difficult to access the healthcare they need, especially in the winter months. Other provinces like British Columbia have introduced non-emergency medical transportation programs for people who live in rural and remote communities to make it easier to access their out-of-town medical appointments. British Columbia's North Health Connections Program, run by Pacific Western Transportation, is so successful that the number of riders have doubled over eight years. Minister, it's my understanding that Pacific Western has given a proposal to your ministry for consideration. Could you please give me a status report with respect to the proposal? Minister of Health? Thank you, Speaker. And the Member for Opposite raises a very important question, particularly in Northern Ontario. And the issue is the non-urgent patient transfer, people who need to be transported, but not—they don't need the care available by paramedics in a fully equipped ambulance. This is an issue that I have spoken many times with, with the people of Northwestern Ontario in particular, and in fact the Northwest Lynn is now working on resolving the issue so that people get the care they need, Speaker, and we also get the right care, the most appropriate care. So this work is underway right now. Thank you. Supplementary? Minister, we all know that Northern Ontarians rely on the Northern Health Travel Grant, yet your government has increased spending for this grant by 133 percent without improved customer service. Ontarians are having to wait up to eight weeks to receive reimbursement for medical services, putting Northerners out of hundreds of dollars. Pacific Western Transportation has put forward a proposal that would both save money and improve service. Minister, will you commit today to giving Northern Ontarians more options when travelling distances for healthcare and adopt Pacific Western Transportation? I find it interesting that the Member Opposite thinks there is one solution to this problem, and in fact it's much more complicated than that. What I will reiterate, Speaker, is that this is an issue that is being resolved. The people in Northwestern Ontario are working very hard to find the most appropriate solution for this particular issue. Thank you. New question? The Member for Timmons, James May. My question is to the Deputy Premier. Premier, last Friday you gathered in Timmons along with the Premier and others for your Northern Leaders Forum and where the Liberal Cabinet and the Premier tried to tell Northerners that everything is going to be better now. But as we wake up on Saturday morning, we find out we still have no real passenger service because your government confirmed, in fact, you're not going to do it. We still have the same bad forest tenure problems that we had before Kathleen Wynne became Premier. We still have the same and actually worst energy policies that we had before Mrs Wynne became the Premier of Ontario. We now are going to have a 33 percent increase in electricity over the next three years and our Northern Highways are still downloaded. So can you tell me what is different come Saturday morning after the Northern Summit than it was Friday morning when you arrived? Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I mean, I said to the Member, you were there. You saw what a positive meeting it was in terms of the commitment we made to work with Northern Leaders, Municipal First Nation, Métis, moving forward on the growth plan for Northern Ontario. You heard the comments by Northern Leaders such as Kim is Mayor Tom Loughran, whom you represent what an historic occasion this was. And also you've heard certainly a commitment on my part as Minister of Northern Adult Mind that indeed we will continue to look at all options moving forward for the Ontario Northland transportation. And we are committed and I am committed as Minister to a sustainable and a viable ONTC, something that makes a lot of sense. And we have changed the commitment from one of transformation to one of transformation. So Speaker, this was indeed an exciting day. Eight of my colleagues, the Premier, was there as well and an historic tremendous day at Northern Ontario. Thank you. Well, as I said on Friday, nobody's going to say not welcome to Northern Ontario. We're glad anytime somebody comes to visit us. But what we're looking is where's the beef? Where is there going to be change in the policies that this government has put forward that has hurt Northern Ontario? We lost extra to why? Because of high energy prices in the city of Timmins. We lost forestry jobs. Why? A large part due to your own forest and your policies that your government put in place. So I ask you again, tell me one policy that you've changed from Friday morning to Saturday morning as a result of that Northern summit. Minister? Well, Mr. Speaker, I mean, the member is being remarkably disingenuous, particularly related to the extraordinary work that we've done with Northern leaders related to the Northern Ontario growth plan. I think the member also knows in terms of the forest change and modernization that we are now seeing involvement by first nations in a way that we've never seen before in terms of management of our Crown Forest. We've seen new companies opening up and that's been an exciting part of it. Minister, I would ask you to withdraw. I'll withdraw. Oh, is it disingenuous? I'll withdraw. I didn't realize that was unparliamentary, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are we are working incredibly closely with the Northern Eastern and Premier Wynn has made it very clear our commitment is absolutely not something that we are just talking about. We're working with Northern if you've got a Northern cabinet committee put in place so we can put a Northern lens at all. And sir? We had a cabinet meeting in Sault Ste. Marie several months ago. We are up there with eight of our colleagues joining the Premier meeting with all Northern leaders, First Nations, Métis, to continue to work for it and all the economic development of the Northern including the Ring of Fire and putting working on making the best of the going. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Labour, the Honourable Yassir Nagvi. In your answer, Speaker, as members of this legislature are well aware there has been for some time a global economic restructuring occurring. This of course affects manufacturing, goods, services, resource allocation, exchange rates and in particular, labour demand. While the overall economy steps towards improvement, I still encounter constituents in my own riding of the Tobacco North who face particular challenges in the labour market. Though so many aspire, desire seek and come to Ontario with the promise of a better life, a good job and assured prosperity for the families, nevertheless particular obstacles remain. Recruitment fees and bills and lack of protection under Ontario's strict health rules of health and safety. Speak, would the Minister please inform this chamber why are certain employers able to continue to circumvent Ontario's labour protections? Mr. of Labour. Thank you very much, Speaker, and I appreciate the member from Tobacco North for a very important question. Speaker, our government is committed to standing up for Ontario's workers because safe and fair workplaces are the building block of a competitive and growing economy. Speaker, as you may recall just last week, the government tabled a bill to ensure that we are protecting vulnerable workers in our communities across the province. The bill, Speaker, is quite extensive. It makes it illegal for employers to charge temporary foreign workers, recruitment fees, or to take away their personal documents like passports. Also, Speaker, the member from Tobacco North will be happy to hear that we are requiring employers to provide information to their employees about employment standard rights, and we provide that information, Speaker, in 23 different languages besides English and French. Languages like Tamil, Hindu, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, traditional Chinese and more. And also, Speaker, we make sure that co-op students, trainees and unpaid lenders are also covered by Occupational Health and Safety Act through this legislation. Thank you, Speaker, and I would like to say shukria. Thank you to the minister and commandant for his initiatives and commitment on this file. I will likely be able to return to my riding with Tobacco North over the break and reassure my constituents that our government has heard their concerns, takes them seriously, and has begun to act. Speaker, safe and fair workplaces have been a hallmark of the province of Ontario, and with such workplace guarantees, prospective employees can focus on earning their daily bread, providing for their family, simulating the economy and ultimately building a more prosperous and just society. Even so, Speaker, unfortunately, I continue to hear from workers who have been taken advantage of by their employer. The workers who have worked but have nevertheless been left without pay, often with no recourse, remedy, or redress. Such workers are often unaware of their full rights, and that, of course, is a rescue disaster. Speaker, will the minister please inform this chamber? What is the Ministry of Labor proposing to ensure the hardworking Ontarians are paid for the work they do? Here, Mr. Laborer. Thank you, Speaker, and at his heart, this legislation is very much about making sure workers get paid for the work they have done and giving businesses who play by the rules a competitive advantage. This bill, Speaker, if passed would remove the current $10,000 cap on the recovery of unpaid wages from a Ministry of Labor order to pay. It would also increase the time limit to recover wages from six months or a year to two years. So, workers, Speaker, will be able to get money that they are owed. Speaker, in terms of temp agencies at work, which we should be very proud of, because we were the first government in all of Canada to bring legislation in 2009, we're taking the next step in protecting workers who get employment through TAP agency. Speaker, the proposed legislation will extend joint liability for both unpaid wages and workplace injuries, encouraging every business to make sure their workplaces are safe for all workers and that they are treated fairly. Thank you. Thank you. New question? The member for Newmark and Aurora. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health. We know that the Outer Generals report on Orange and the Ministry of Health was scathing about the lack of oversight on the part of the Ministry over Orange. Multi-millions of dollars were wasted and the lack of oversight rests with the Minister. Since then, we've heard often from the Minister that things have changed. I'd like the Minister to tell us how often she has met with the new chair and the CEO of Orange. Can the Minister tell us what the most recent financial statement of Orange is and how much of a deficit is Orange running here? What will the total budget for Orange be in this fiscal year? Well, Speaker, I'm very pleased to say that I meet regularly with the chair and with the CEO of Orange. They are very fine people, providing very strong leadership at Orange. Speaker, I can tell you that I'm looking forward to a period before committee on Wednesday because I'm hopeful Speaker at that committee meeting will be able to have conversations about the improvements in service at Orange, although I suspect that might not be where the member opposite will want to take that conversation. But I look forward, Speaker, to the report from the committee. I look forward to getting the legislation passed, Speaker. So the Orange is under new leadership. It's got a very strong, it's in a very strong position. It is saving lives, Speaker, every single day. Good supplementary. Well, Speaker, I didn't hear anything about the numbers. Obviously, the minister hasn't read her briefing notes about Orange and what the deficit is. I'm going to make this actually very simple. This is a very recent document, that Orange issue, and it is an RFP for the replacement of the interiors of the AW139s. Speaker, this is going to involve multi millions of new dollars for Orange. I'm going to ask the minister this very precise question. Has the minister read that RFP and does the minister know what the cost of that new installation for the 10 AW139s will be and what will it do to the deficit? I don't want to lose control. Minister of Health. Well, thank you, Speaker, and what I'd like to know is, has the member opposite read any of the 1.5 million pages of documents that have been submitted to the committee? It's pretty clear he hasn't read the interim report of the forensic investigation, because they asked for it again. They already had it. They asked for it again. I think that indicates maybe they didn't read it the first time. But, Speaker, if the member opposite is suggesting that we do not replace the interiors, then I completely disagree with him. It's essential that patients being transported get the best possible care that does require making changes to the interior. So I endorse Orange moving forward with retrofitting the interiors of those helicopters, Speaker. Thank you. New question. The member for Wellett. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Deputy Premier as well. Autism Ontario and all clinical experts in the field recognize the overwhelming evidence that early intervention and services for children with autism are critical. However, Patricia Dunkley from Niagara Falls has been facing huge challenges in getting appropriate help for her four year old son, Nathaniel. He has developmental delays and exhibits behavior that are similar links to autism. Nathaniel, nearly four years old, is trapped on a wait list to see a specialist, a wait that often exceeds two years. Deputy Premier, if your commitment to autism is well demonstrated, as you say, why is Nathaniel being forced to wait during this critical time in his development session? Deputy Premier. The Minister of Children and Youth Services. The Minister of Children and Youth Services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, thank you for bringing forward this issue and this case. And we agree that early intervention is critical to improving outcomes for eligibility for IBI. Absolutely, that's right. And we're determined to make further progress. That's why we've made investments in autism. We've made changes to the program. We removed the previous government's age six cutoff for eligibility. There's been a hundred and fourteen percent increase in funding for autism. And this year we invested over a hundred and eighty five million dollars in autism services. I do meet with parents, with children with autism, and I recognize that they face unique challenges, Speaker. We will continue to increase our investments. We will continue to work with our partners in the in the sector as well. While we continue to increase our investments, though, we know we recognize that the prevalence of autism has gone up as well. One in a hundred and fifty children used to be diagnosed. That has increased to one in eighty eight. We know that there's more to be done. We have a clinical expert committee looking at how our services are delivered. The view to delivering services in smarter ways to reduce weightlifts. Thank you. Thank you again, Speaker. I'm going to go back to the Deputy Premier. So without an official autism diagnosis, you're well aware that Nathaniel is ineligible for any government funding that would have a life-changing impact on his development. Even after receiving a diagnosis, there is that significant wait list for accessing treatment. Multi-year delays for diagnosis and access to appropriate treatment is unfairly harming the long-term well-being of young children like Nathaniel with autism. What is this government going to do for children like Nathaniel, whose entire life will be negatively impacted by these unacceptable wait times for diagnosis and treatment? Thank you, Speaker. And again, with respect to autism, we've tripled the number of children receiving intensive behavioral intervention. We recognize that there are waiting lists, Speaker. And that's why earlier this year, we invested an additional five million dollars for autism intervention program. This will help create additional spaces, relieve weightless pressures, and help more children and youth get the help they need. The Member for Hamilton Mountain, would you come to order? Our clinical expert committee is currently reviewing barriers to early intervention and access to diagnosis with the view to identifying opportunities for improvement. The committee is made up of top researchers, academics, and clinical experts and will advise the government on the latest research with the view to enhancing services. We remain committed to helping all our families and all our children achieve as much as they can. Thank you. New question to Member Buscar-Roy, your question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Community and Social Services. I understand last year, Mr. Speaker, the City of Toronto took the first step in an e-service strategy with the implementation of a reload debit card as a method of payment to Ontario Works. Sounds like an interesting project, Mr. Speaker. I have some concerns. I believe last year the Opposition Party talked about a debit card for assistance recipients, and they restrict the recipients to how they spend their money. I believe that the Opposition Party thinks that it was somehow magically that whether you could buy carrots or buy chips, or control how enterants can choose McTrois's. Putting this aside, Mr. Speaker, it sounds really impractical. Minister, can you please tell the House how is the debit card currently being used in the City of Toronto? Are there any restrictions on the social assistance recipients? Thank you. Minister. Well, thanks very much, Speaker, and I want to thank the member for her question and provide assurance to all members of the House that there are absolutely no restrictions on what recipients can invest or spend their money on that they receive from the provincial government. As with other payment methods, recipients are free to do what they want with their own money. Now, the majority of social assistance recipients receive their money through direct bank deposits, but there are some recipients who, for one reason or another, don't have a bank account. That's why these revoltable cards are made available, and it's a very convenient way, and it's worked out very well in the City of Toronto. We want to make sure, Mr. Speaker, that clients understand that it's helpful to have a relationship with a financial institution, but if they don't, we'll do everything and anything we can to assure that they get the money that they have coming to them, and they can invest and spend it in the way they want. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you, Minister, for that response regarding Ontario recipients can choose their method of payment on reloading the debit card, but also have the same freedom as all Ontarians. Their freedom to spend their own money as they see fit, and I know in my writing of Scarborough Asian Court, the residents will be pleased to know that there are options regarding reloading debit cards and will enable them to help to manage the money. Overall, the reloading debit card seems like a great idea, Minister. They also provide flexibility and more choices. They also allow the families and individuals to decide how they want to spend their money and how they manage the money. Speaker, through you to the Minister, can he please inform the House if the reloadable debit cards are something that other municipalities are considering? Minister? Speaker, it is a great idea. It's a pilot project that's worked very well in the City of Toronto. We're prepared to look at it for other municipalities should they want to do that, because we believe that's the right thing to do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Any questions? The Member for Mary Simon Stoker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Acting Premier. Acting Premier, last week, the plant manager of Kimberley-Clark in Huntsville, Renee Landry, wrote me concerned about high electricity prices. He writes, quote, Our annual electricity cost is approximately $4.5 million, and current rates in Ontario are among the highest in North America. The most relevant measure of electricity pricing for KC Huntsville is how we compare it with other KC facilities. Our competition for finite capital and job growth. Kimberley-Clark Huntsville Mill has the highest per unit electricity cost of any KC tissue mill in North America. If electricity rates do not become more affordable, Ontario risks losing important investments from companies like Kimberley-Clark. Those quotes. Translation? Question? Risking losing even more jobs because of your high energy prices. Acting Premier, what do you say to Kimberley-Clark? Deputy Premier? First of all, Mr. Speaker, what I would say to the member is I'm more than pleased to meet with the manager of Kimberley-Clark at his convenience to review his energy file. I can tell you that there are significant numbers of industrial companies across Ontario who are accessing demand response and demand management to reduce their energy in a very significant way. I'm happy to review those opportunities with him. I hope I saw what I saw right the other day. In addition, the letter makes reference to- The member for Kimberley-Clark, from North America has said earlier this morning that industrial rates in Northern Ontario are among the lowest in Canada and lower than 44 American states and industrial rates in Southern Ontario are lower than in Alberta, Michigan, New Jersey and California and in line with states like New York, Virginia and Tennessee. But the bottom line is I'm more than happy to sit down and meet with him, to review his energy file and see what we can do to accompany him. To the Minister, I'll take you up on that offer because we watch company after company pick up and move their operations to provinces and states that have energy crisis that are cheaper and Kimberley-Clark is a big employer in the town of Huntsville. 174 highly skilled Ontarians go to work there every day to produce Kleenex brand facial tissue. This letter from the plant manager is a warning loud and clear. He goes on, quote, reliable and affordable energy is essential going forward to help ensure a more competitive business climate which will help create jobs and bring economic growth to the province. So Minister, how do you expect our companies, factories and job creators to compete when they are forced to pay some of the most expensive hydro costs in Northern Ontario? As I indicated, I'm very willing to meet with the manager that you referred to. I have a quote here from the Canadian manufacturers and exporters of Ontario. The long-term energy plan review responds to a key priority for Canadian manufacturers and exporters of Ontario by providing greater clarity and certainty for manufacturers with respect to electricity rates going forward. The CME supports new initiatives to enable manufacturers to better manage their energy and associated costs. Importantly, the long-term energy plan will reduce overall system costs which ultimately translates into more competitive forward rates for businesses. And I'm happy to meet with them and see whether there's anything we can do more immediately. Thank you. Thank you. New question, the member for Toronto, Dan Ford. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the Minister of Education. In January of this year, the hard-working men and women who ensure that our schools are safe and clean signed a memorandum of understanding with this government. This memorandum of understanding contained important provisions regarding disability benefits for injured or sick workers. Provisions that are being ignored by a number of school boards. At a time when this government is making the centralization of education bargaining one of its top priorities, how does it explain to these hard-working men and women that a signed agreement with the Liberal government is not worth the paper it's written on? Minister of Education. Yes, thank you very much and I'm very pleased to respond to the question. As you know, we worked very hard when we first took office under the leadership of Premier Wynn to work with a whole host of education sector workers in order to make sure that we had memorandum of understanding with all of them and in fact over the course of that period we were able to achieve agreements with all of the teachers unions, with the support workers, the education support workers represented by QP, by OSSTF, by ETFO and in fact by eventually with the education support workers that were represented by various other unions. What's interesting about this speaker is that in fact the details vary from memorandum of understanding to memorandum of understanding so that the details with different unions are Q, supplementary? Well, Minister, it may be true that details vary from memorandum of understanding to memorandum of understanding but any successful collective bargaining relationship has to assume that once a deal is struck all provisions in that agreement are honored. The problem with the MOU that you signed or that your government signed with the province's education support workers is that a number of local boards are simply not honoring the disability provisions. This in turn is causing enormous difficulties for many sick and injured support workers, most of whom are making less than 40,000 a year. At a time when this government is asking hundreds of thousands of teachers and support workers to put their faith in centralized bargaining, how does this government explain a signed promise that was never honored? Minister? Yes, well actually though I don't think you are actually listening to quite what I said which is that there are different details depending on whether the education support workers are with OSSTF whether they're with ETFO or whether they are with QP so that in this particular case the discussion is around some of the, one of the areas in which the details between the three MOUs vary and the understanding that various people have of the difference in the details between the three different templates that go with the three different unions. Thank you. I beg to inform the House I've laid upon the table the 2012 annual energy conservation progress report volume two from the environmental commissioner of Ontario. There being no deferred votes this House stands recess until one p.m.