 It's therefore now time for a question period, the leader of Her Majesty's Royal Application. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Energy. I recently toured the Ottawa mission. They do fantastic work supporting some of the city's most vulnerable, the people that need our assistance the most. But now even the mission itself needs Ontario's help. They told me that one of the issues facing the mission and their ability to succeed is skyrocketing hydro rates. The Liberal Hydro Plan is taking important precious funds away from the mission, helping take care of Ottawa's most vulnerable. Instead the services that the mission wants to provide, they can't because of this hydro mess. Mr. Speaker, do the Liberals believe that places like the Ottawa mission should be paying for hydro over helping the most vulnerable? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased to rise to that question. And you know, Mr. Speaker, we've done on this side of the house many things that help actually residents that actually use the mission, Mr. Speaker, but also help organizations like the mission, Mr. Speaker, who are doing great work to actually find ways to reduce their energy consumption, Mr. Speaker. Come January 1st, Mr. Speaker, they're going to see their electricity bill, Mr. Speaker, reduced by 8% thanks to this government bringing forward that bill to permanently remove, Mr. Speaker, the HST from their bills, Mr. Speaker. Also many things that we are doing to help the residents that actually use the shelter, Mr. Speaker. You know, for those that actually need some assistance, they can actually get it from this side of the government. We also have a great minister looking into housing and poverty, Mr. Speaker. So we're doing many things to help these family. But I find it, you know, Mr. Speaker, very interesting coming from a party that has no plan on electricity, Mr. Speaker. They have no idea the only thing they want to do, Mr. Speaker, is go back to burning coal, Mr. Speaker. That's not what we will do on this side of the house, Mr. Speaker. We'll continue to advocate for a clean, reliable system. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, back to the minister. No one believes for a second that hydro bills are going down under this government. Years of liberal scandal, waste and mismanagement have created a hydro crisis in our province. And it's because of that crisis that Ontario businesses and families are struggling to pay their bills. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but because of liberal rate increases, many are faced with the prospect of closing their doors. Recently, I visited the Grimsby Diner. The Grimsby Diner is only open during peak hours. It has no choice but to pay the most expensive rates in North America. They can't choose when to serve breakfast. But within a one-year period, the businesses' hydro bills, I know the liberals don't want to hear this, and they heckle me they don't want to hear it. But this business, their bills in one year have gone up 25 percent. So my question to the Minister of Energy, rather than spin and attacking others, what are you going to do to keep small businesses afloat in the province of Ontario? Thank you. Minister. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm very pleased again to rise and to talk about the great programs that we put in place, Mr. Speaker, to help small businesses. We're going to see, Mr. Speaker, that 8 percent reduction as of January 1st for many small businesses right across the province, as well as family farms, Mr. Speaker. They're going to see an 8 percent reduction. We're also seeing the ICI program that's going to open up for another 1,000 businesses, Mr. Speaker. That's going to really help many of our small and medium-sized enterprises right across our great province, Mr. Speaker. You know what, when you talk about the ICI program, Mr. Speaker, we've had 80 new participants just recently come and sign up for that program, Mr. Speaker, because they know that they can actually save up to one-third on their hydro bills, Mr. Speaker, and that's something that they're very excited about. On this side of the House, Mr. Speaker, we're going to continue to invest in a clean, reliable system, Mr. Speaker. On that side of the House, they have no plan. The only thing that they want to go back to, Mr. Speaker, is burning coal. Mr. Speaker, back to the Minister of Energy. All we hear is false allegations and more liberal spin. Mr. Speaker, you hear the Minister of Energy? Start the clock. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Energy says they have an 8 percent rebate. What he doesn't mention is the 10 percent clean energy rebate is gone. That's right. Hydro bills are not going down, and the excuses on tar zones are growing tired of. And the fact that I heard that an Ottawa venue, a liberal campaign worker, told an individual struggling with his bill that they had to put on a winter coat and turn down their... You're not being helpful, Member from Leeds-Grinville, when I'm trying to get the other side's attention. And now I'm contemplating going into warnings. And I'll let you know quickly if you've decided you want that. Finish, please. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that Michelle in Ottawa venue didn't appreciate being told to put on a winter coat and turn down, and turn down the thermostat by liberal headquarters. That should... I'll give you a little piece of friendly advice. That shouldn't be your talking points. We want answers. We want solutions. And frankly, Michelle in Ottawa, he deserves an apology. So Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Energy, will the Premier, apologize for that? Some members are helping me make that decision very quickly. Particularly those that try to claim that they don't heckle. Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The only party that should be apologizing is that party for leaving our system in decay for so long, Mr. Speaker. And it was this government that actually had to step up and fix it, Mr. Speaker, making sure that we invested in a clean and reliable system, Mr. Speaker. We actually stopped hurting Poland. Mr. Speaker, on that side of the House, they have no plan. They have nothing to tell Michelle On this side of the House, Mr. Speaker, we have many things to tell Michelle. 8% reduction coming January 1st. Six programs that are there to help them, Mr. Speaker. And we also have great work in many other aspects when it comes to the energy, Mr. Speaker. So we don't have a problem, Mr. Speaker, standing up and talking about a system, Mr. Speaker, that we had to clean up from them, Mr. Speaker. We are very proud of what we've done and will continue to advocate for the people of this province. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. New question. The Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Premier. On my first day in the legislature, I stood up and called on the government to create a heroes fund for our province's first responders for the families that have lost a loved one, a hero in our community. I think back nine years ago, when a Midhurst resident just outside of Barrie, Detective Constable Rob Plunkett lost his life in the line of duty, it shook our community. I remember the impact it had on Barrie and Simkel County. And sadly, tragedies like Detective Constable Rob Plunkett happen far too often. And families of our fallen officers need the province's full support. On my first day as an MPP in the legislature, I asked this question, Mr. Speaker. The Premier said it would be considered. So here we are a year later. I'm asking the Deputy Premier to update us. Will we take care of our first responders? Will we take care of our fallen heroes and their families? Thank you for the question. Thank you. The Minister of Labor, I'm sorry. The Minister of Labor? Thank you, Speaker. And thank you for the question. I think all members of the House are pleased to see our first responders here with us today that are represented by our police officers in the province of Ontario. One of the things I think you can do to best serve the people that serve us, the people that are running into buildings when we're running out, the people that are going after the people that have violent thoughts on the mind and even violent actions, is to ensure that when they run into some trouble, when they find themselves in a situation where PTSD becomes a real reality to that person, in the past we put that away, in the past we haven't dealt with it. This government decided it was going to deal with it, it was going to deal with it up front. It bought in Bill 163, Speaker. It provides presumptive legislation. For those people that help us, Speaker, when we need that help the most, the best thing that any government can do to demonstrate its support is to ensure that its province leads the country. Mr. Speaker, back to the Deputy Premier. The bill on the PTSD only happened after the opposition shamed the government for six months. Mike, my question, Mr. Speaker, did not get an answer on a hero's fund, so I'll try something different. Need opposition members to arm chair whether or not I'm going to stand. Second of all, we're moving to warnings. It's what you asked for, you're getting it. And I'll be strict. Finish, please. Mr. Speaker, I did not get an answer on the hero's fund, so I'll try something else. The liberals have now cut pretty much across the board mental health facilities in the province of Ontario. And we'd read out in this legislature, the staff cuts at each facility. And in fact, this is actually causing the police to do work that they're not initially required or meant to do. Between 2007 and 2013, the OPP saw a 42% increase in calls for service related to mental health because we underfund mental health in the province of Ontario. So my question is to the Deputy Premier, will we see a real commitment to mental health? Because if you download it, you still pay for it. There is one taxpayer. We need proper support from it. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, let me set the record straight on the PTSD bill with deals directly with the mental health of the first responders that go out each and every day to help protect this community. Speaker, you were nowhere to be found when this bill started out. The board is warned. The member from Simcoe Gray is warned. Anyone else? The member will address the chair. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, there's an awful lot of people that have put an awful lot of work into the post-traumatic stress disorder bill that's going to serve the first responders, Speaker, that serve this community. It came from the first responders themselves, Speaker. It involved a roundtable. It involved summit meetings. It involved getting all the input to make this province a leader when it comes to post-traumatic stress disorder, Speaker. The member from Dufferin Callaghan is warned. Wrap up, please. Thank you. It came also with the support of a member of the third party, Speaker. Sheridan over the member from Hyde Park. Instead of just chairing on the sidelines, she had her sleeves rolled up and she was working on it. You see it, please? Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, back to the Deputy Premier. The shootings have continued in Ottawa and this government has canceled the funding for Ottawa's anti-guns and gangs unit. Now, Mr. Speaker, the Mayor of Ottawa, a former Liberal Cabinet Minister, Jim Watson, posed a demand and a question to this government recently in his Ottawa survey. Mayor Watson wrote, Ottawa has seen an increase in the number of shootings in our city. Would you support providing ongoing sustainable funding for our Ottawa Police Dirt Guns Gangs Team that has been cut by the province so that they can actually combat this serious challenge? The PC Party supports restoring the funding, but it appears the Liberals do not. So, Mr. Speaker, my question to the government is, will they commit today to restoring the funding they cut? And if they won't do it for the PCs, if they won't do it for public safety in Ottawa, will you do it for Jim? Will you support public safety? Thank you. The Minister, not helpful. The Minister of Children and Youth Services is warned. Thank you, Speaker. The Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Minister? Thank you very much, Speaker, and I appreciate the question from the member opposite. First of all, the member opposite needs to get his facts correct because they're wrong. The City of Ottawa Police Services received over $7 million in funding, $15 million, $16 million. Let's stop misrepresenting what Mayor Watson says. The member from Beaches East York is warned. Minister, we'll withdraw. So we'll call that inaccuracy and we'll go on to say that there's in fact an increase of $300,000 in funding at Ottawa Police Services. In fact, they've hired 25 additional officers and, Speaker, we continue to invest in these resources to support our police services. But here, let me read you something else, Speaker. This is really important. In the by-election going on right now, Bruce Chapman said this of the opposition. Your decision to endorse Mr. Moran is an insult to the work done by the thousands of men and women who have chosen policing as an Ontario profession. Etobicoke North is warned. And as a reminder to those who think they can still get quips in, once you're warned, the next time you're out. New question. The member from Bramilly, Gore-Multon. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The question is to the acting Premier. Pat Sabera was charged with two counts of violating the elections act. The first charge involves and relates to Andrew Olivier and includes a recording where Mr. Sabera allegedly says the following, quote, you're being asked to do the favour, I guess, to make the sacrifice this time. And that can also go a long way in terms of opening up options, end quote. The second count reads as follows that Ms. Sabera did, quote, directly or indirectly give, procure or promise or agree to procure an office of employment to it, to induce a person to it, Glen Tebow, to become a candidate contrary to section 96.1 sub E of the election act. Now, the Attorney General and the government continue to say that the Minister of Energy is not involved in this matter in any way whatsoever. However, OPP believe that he was directly offered a bribe, that there's an allegation of a bribe and he's a subject matter of it. Does the government believe that this is appropriate in any way? Well, thank you very much, Minister. So, Speaker, one of the things I did the other day is I looked at the member opposite's bio, to see what kind of things he's done in his life. And in his bio, he talks quite openly about it, passionately about that he was a defense council and he helped a lot of people within our criminal justice system, which is admirable, Speaker. As a lawyer, I can tell you that is admirable work and I thank him for doing that. But I also know, Speaker, that as a result of his education, of his legal profession, he very fundamentally believes in the presumption of innocence, Speaker. He also very much believes the role of our court system and how, Speaker, that individuals should have their time in the courts. The member from Essex is warned. That individual should have their time in the court. So, I hope, Speaker, that the member will remember all those principles, all those key aspects of our justice system when he's asking these questions in the House. He knows very much this is not the place to litigate a matter that is before the courts. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I absolutely believe in the presumption of innocence. I think it's a very powerful principle. Now, what the reality is, the reality is the Minister of Energy is the subject matter of a serious offence, even though it's an allegation. And the allegation is that Ms. Sobera is charged with allegedly bribing the Minister of Energy to run for the Premier's party. Given that direct allegation, it's appropriate for the government to do something. Now, if the government won't ask the Minister to step aside now, will they ask the Minister to step aside if Ms. Sobera is found guilty of this offence? Very true. Mr. Speaker, so the member opposite believes in the presumption of innocence, but he's made a determination in his mind that the Minister of Energy somehow is guilty. That's exactly what his question points to, Speaker. And this is not the place or the venue to have that conversation. Speaker, you have spoken about that issue, Speaker. The standing order rules are very clear that when it comes to matters before the courts that the most appropriate venue for that matter to be discussed is in the courthouse, not in the legislature. And we should not be engaging in doing anything that is going to prejudice the court's proceedings, Speaker. So I ask the member opposite. He knows his training well. I know his beliefs. He believes in the presumption of innocence. He believes in the fact that the courts are the venues where matters would be dealt with. And our standing order rules are very clear. I hope he respects the rules and let's discuss issues that are very important to Ontarians like this building this province up, like building our infrastructure, schools and hospitals. Thank you. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, again, the minister is confusing the issue here. We're not talking about whether the minister is guilty of an offense. He's simply the subject matter of an allegation. Given that he's a subject of an allegation or a subject matter of an allegation, it's appropriate for him to step down. If the government wants to show the people of Ontario, the people of Sudbury, that they're serious about running an open and honest and transparent government, it would maintain integrity and faith in the government if the government would do the right thing. Protecting Libra insiders that the OPP believed are the subject matter of an offense is not being open and transparent. The government is good at talking the talk, but they're not good at walking the walk. Walking the walk would require the government to do something to ensure that the people have faith in this system. So, when will the government finally do the right thing? And during these allegations— Remember, from Eglinton, Lawrence is warned. It's not guilty of an offense, but during these allegations, do the right thing and have the minister step aside during these allegations. Having something alleged against you, being a subject matter of an allegation as the member opposite puts it, does not make you guilty, does not somehow confirms that you did something wrong. I speak of there are no charges laid against the minister of energy. The matters and questions have nothing to do with the scope of his job as the minister of energy. I think, Speaker, what's happening is the third party, the NDP, cannot get over the fact that they lost their seat, that the member opposite, who used to belong to the NDP party, saw the light, became a liberal, worked extremely hard, got elected, continues to serve for his writing. Every single day, Speaker, with full vigor, they cannot get over the fact. So they're making a personal vendetta against the minister of energy, against the member of Sudbury, who is a passionate advocate for community. We stand with him. We stand for everything he's doing in his community, Sudbury, and he'll continue to serve his community. Thank you. New question. The member from Hamilton East, Tony Creek. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the acting Premier. Speaker, both the Liberals and the Conservatives have a disappointing record when it comes to health in West Niagara. Thousands of people had to rally in the 1990s to stop the Conservatives from shutting down West Lincoln Memorial Hospital. And they had to rally again, Speaker, in 2012, when the Liberals canceled the new hospital redevelopment project. Today, the hospital is still in desperate need of replacement. We're hearing about serious challenges in the emergency department. And now, through freedom of information, new Democrats have learned that the medical and surgical beds at West Lincoln Memorial have been operating at over 100% capacity for the past 12 months straight. Speaker, why is this liberal government focusing or forcing hospitals like West Lincoln Memorial to become dangerously overcrowded and forcing patients to pay the price? Thank you, Deputy Premier. To the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the nicely timed question today. Mr. Speaker, the provision of health services, including through our hospitals, is one of the top priorities of this government, obviously, as Minister of Health. It is my top priority. And that's why we continue to make investments, as recently as this week, an additional $140 million announced in the fall economic statement. It goes specifically this fiscal year. It goes specifically to operating costs for our hospitals. And that means this year in total, the increase in operating funding to hospitals right across this province is in excess of 3%, Mr. Speaker. And that includes, I can guarantee the member opposite that that announcement, this week, includes an increase in the operating funding this year for West Lincoln Hospital. And it includes, as well, earlier this year in January, where we announced it would be provided an additional $4.9 million to West Lincoln. West Lincoln is a preoccupation of mine. I know it's situated within the network that's represented by Hamilton Health Sciences. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Actually, the Minister, I'm surprised I didn't answer. Medical and surgical beds should have maximum occupancy of 85 to 90%. He knows that as a physician. That's what the local Linn said that you guys appointed, the Linn. But under the Liberal government, West Lincoln Medical and Surgical Beds have been forced to operate at over 100% capacity for 23 of the last 30 months. And this September, the occupancy rate soared to 120%. That's a shocking statistic, Speaker. The number represents real lives. It's real people who are forced to deal with overcrowded conditions and long waits in hospital hallways. When will this Liberal government get serious about the state of our hospitals? When will they finally tackle the dangerous overcrowding in Ontario hospitals? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I know that this is an important issue. We've received a proposal from Hamilton Health Sciences, the member opposite. I know that that network of hospitals has the responsibility, including for West Lincoln Hospital, they have submitted a proposal and they've prioritized certain investments that they believe are both opportune and appropriate for West Lincoln, as well as other hospital members of that network. And we're looking at that and we're working closely with Hamilton Health Sciences. I do also know that our member, or rather, I should say, hopefully the future member, the Liberal candidate running in the by-election in Niagara, Vicki Ringett, is strongly focused on working towards improving the conditions in the emergency, in the hospital general at West Lincoln. That's one of our top priorities. And I know that it's an issue that's important to the individuals in that by-election. I suspect that's why the member raised it today, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. West Lincoln Hospital has been operating at the current site since the 1940s. So on top of the dangerously high occupancy rate, the hospital's infrastructure is totally outdated. I toured it. It's pathetic. Once upon a time, the Liberal government knew that this hospital needed to be rebuilt. But in 2012 budget, the Liberals cancelled the redevelopment with a stroke of a pen. The people of West Niagara need quality health care in an updated facility. But under the Liberal government, West Lincoln Hospital is outdated, overcrowded, and antiquated. And this government is doing nothing to help patients and staff there. When will this government stop doing what the Conservatives did? Stop cutting our hospitals and finally rebuild the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital which serves as a large area and close to my consensus also. Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And again, I appreciate the fact that the member opposite has raised this issue. There is a process in place. I think that he would agree. I hope he would agree that it's incumbent upon us to work with the Linn and work with the local hospital network, the Hamilton Health Sciences Network to determine the priorities, to look to them with regards to recommendations on how we can continue to build the health services throughout that entire region, just like we've committed to a new Niagara hospital, just like we've built a new hospital in St. Catherine's, Mr. Speaker. That these are important investments and will continue to make them. In the meantime, I think that it is important that Ontarians and particularly the people that utilize that hospital understand that we made an additional nearly $5 million investment in the operating costs or the capital costs here this year, as well as an increase announced just this week, which will provide additional funds to deal with some of those pressures, Mr. Speaker. Question to the member from Prince Edward Hastings. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. My question is for the Minister of Education this morning. Minister, last spring, your predecessor was on the verge of closing the province's demonstration schools. That would have ended all hope for some of Ontario's children with severe learning disabilities. While the former Minister of Education insisted that money wasn't an issue, the public accounts tell a different story. The schools in Belleville, Milton, London, Brantford and Ottawa are paying $700,000 more per year on the electricity bills than they were in 2009. The Centre Jules Leger School, CJL in downtown Ottawa, and Sagan Aska School in Myriding have seen their hydro spike by 62 percent. That has an effect on the bottom line. Speaker, is the Minister okay with flushing that much money out of classrooms at CJL in downtown Ottawa and Sagan Aska? To pay for her government's disastrous energy poll. Thank you, Speaker. And I want to thank the member opposite for that question, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our government is very committed to ensuring that all students that require supports receive that support. And the work that we're doing in our provincial demonstration schools is ensuring that students who have a learning disability get the supports that they need, Mr. Speaker. I was very proud that after the consultation process had happened that we looked at how do we bring these great services that are happening in our provincial demonstration schools closer to local communities and in local school boards, Mr. Speaker. And that is exactly what we're doing. I had the opportunity to announce that we have a pilot program, Mr. Speaker, in eight boards that are looking at that exact question. How do we actually bring these great services to our local communities so that all students that need the support in the services have them closer to home, Mr. Speaker? Thank you. Supplementary. Speaker, back to the Minister. Millions of dollars are being flushed out of our school system because of this government's reckless electricity policy. The reason that we know how much is being pulled out of our provincial schools is because those provincial schools don't belong to a school board. But we don't know how much the other schools across the province are seeing their electricity cost go up, even though the government's own document states, quote, the increase in estimates from 2015-16 to 2016-17 primarily reflects increasing operating costs, including utilities. That has to be millions and millions of dollars from our school system. Parents deserve to know how much the liberal energy policies are having an effect on our education system. Speaker, can the minister tell us, can she address the electricity issue? How many educational assistance, early childhood educators and other support staff have been flushed out of our schools because of their reckless liberal energy policy? Mr. Speaker, it's really sad. It's quite unfortunate that the member opposite has forgotten that he ran on a policy of cutting supports and services in our school system. Mr. Speaker, 100,000 jobs. In fact, they were very, very proud of the fact that they were going to reduce supports for teachers and for education workers in our classroom. Mr. Speaker, this government has provided more education funding on a per student, per pupil basis than in any other time. The member from Windsor West and the member from Bruce Ray Owen Sound are warned. Finish, please. Wrap. Mr. Speaker, we've increased since 2002-2003, funding to our education system by 50. The member from Prince Everett Hastings is warned. Finish, please. Prease funding by 59%, Mr. Speaker. Wow. 59%. We've increased the per pupil funding, Mr. Speaker, by $4,500. And that includes all of our students in special education, Mr. Speaker, who need that support. Any questions? The member from London Fanshawe. My question is to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Far too many people in Ontario are living through a mental health care crisis because they can't get the care they need. My constituent, Jan, walked into the emergency department at London Health Sciences Centre in desperate need for mental health care. She was in complete distress after days of suffering alone, but Jan waited seven hours in emergency before being told that no mental health beds were available and the best she could do was to add her name to ever-growing wait list for mental health services. My question is simple. Why is this government still failing people like Jan who need mental health care in London and just can't get it? Good. Minister of Health, Long-Term Care. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I'm sorry that Jan did not receive the care that she deserved and we have a responsibility to provide in a timely fashion. Obviously, I don't know the specifics of the individual's situation, but I need to speak to the fact that we have made I would describe as remarkable investments in mental health in this province and not just financial investments, but I think we have created a culture where all of us acknowledge are more comfortable and more deliberate in speaking openly about mental health challenges that Ontarians face. It is one out of every five Ontarians and we have doubled added an additional $500 million to the mental health budget since we took office and we're adding to that more than $200 million more over the course of the next three years. Thank you. Speaker, the police association is here today and they know Jan's story is all too common and despite what the government says police in London know they're it excuse me the people in London know there is a crisis in mental health care. People who are thinking about suicide and living in complete distress cannot get the immediate care and support. We have a serious problem. We are at a tipping point yet this government refuses to tackle overcrowding in our hospitals and refuses to eliminate the waitlist for mental health care. What will it take for this government to listen to Jan and thousands of people like her who need mental health care but just can't get it. Well thank you Mr. Speaker and our priority of course has to be to focus on individual patients like Jan to make sure that she's getting the support that she needs but it's also important to recognize that that we are transitioning into what I would describe often I would describe as a better model of providing mental health services for many many individuals who face challenges and that's actually providing those strong supports within the community and in fact we've done just that in London itself where we have funded this year a brand new mental health and addictions crisis center that on an outpatient basis provides wraparound supports and intersections with other community agencies for more than 2,000 additional Londoners and people from the London region than were provided with that service before. So it's that combination of making sure that the hospital services are there for those who truly need hospital services but that our community supports are strong and are able to find the support as well Mr. Speaker. Question to the member from Barry. Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Children and Youth Services Minister as an educator and as a parent I know that being part of a stable family unit positively impacts the child's health well-being and potential for success this November marks adoption awareness month and we know adoption can provide a lifetime of benefits for children as an adoptee myself I have been the recipient of a very positive family organization I thank my biological and adoptive parents for this in Ontario there are many children and youth currently eligible and deserving of adoption it is important that these children and youth find good permanent homes with loving and caring families that can positively impact their lives Speaker can the Minister tell the House what are you doing to ensure children and youth in care find a permanent home with a loving and caring family Thank you Mr. Chair will the Minister start? Thank you Mr. Speaker and I want to start by thanking the member from Berry for this important question I know that she's a she's been a lifelong supporter of young people here in the province of Ontario as an educator thank you very much Mr. Speaker there's no question in my mind when a young person is placed into a supportive family that's caring that's stable that's permanent that they benefit from this we've taken a number of steps at our ministry to make sure we put in place a process that is more efficient and more effective to ensure that young people have permanent homes so Mr. Speaker we'll continue to make improvements and what we're doing is we've added program support to adopt Ontario that supports matching children and youth with families my ministry recently announced 15 new adoption recruiters here in the province of Ontario that will work right across the province to connect young people to families in addition we're partnering with Wendy's wonderful kids to support new recruitments thank you Mr. Speaker this is an ongoing supplementary thank you speaker and thank you to the minister for his response our province is working hard to ensure that children and youth in care find good families and permanent homes however speaker adopting children can have a significant financial impact on a family and be a potential barrier for a family looking to adopt families may also face financial barriers that limit the level of care that they can provide for an adopted child speaker can the minister tell us about what he is doing to support families who adopt and to ensure that all youth and children who are adopted have a chance to achieve their full potential thank you minister well thank you Mr. Speaker and again I want to thank the member for the question there is no question in my mind that financial consideration for families who are looking to adopt are something that they think about so we've put in place some measures to make sure that it's easier for families as they go forward for adoption Mr. Speaker families that decide to adopt or take legal custody of siblings who are eight years of old or older are provided with $1,035 for each child per month Mr. Speaker in addition to that we're providing $5,000 to families who provide customary caregiving to children from indigenous communities to stay connected with their communities so they can stay home and be raised in the neighborhoods in the communities that they're brought up in in addition Mr. Speaker my ministry recently announced that we will provide support for adoptive families who have young people in post-secondary education so we're going to continue to make improvements Mr. Speaker for adoptees across the province and their families thank you thank you thank you question to the member from Leeds Cardinal thanks Mr. Speaker my my questions for the deputy premier Speaker with the two by-elections taking place tomorrow I thought it would be timely to revisit a question I asked the premier on April 29th 2015 we know from a freedom of information request that Pat Cerbera called the deputy director of HR in the premier's office of public appointments and human resources on December 10th 2014 a day later Andrew Olivier taped a conversation in which Jerry Lahi Jr offered him appointments jobs whatever two days later Pat Cerbera was recorded discussing a fuller part-time job at a constituency office appointments to boards or commissions or the executive with Mr. Olivier Speaker did the deputy premier as camp liberal campaign co-chair authorize or have any knowledge that the premier's former deputy chief of staff made that call as part of the plan to get Andrew Olivier to quietly step aside well I wonder what she knew um stop the car I've delicately dealt with this as much as I possibly can and I'm going to ask the member to be very careful of how he places his questions and he's at that line that I asked people not to go to so I'm going to allow the question and and let him know that I'm listening very carefully to that and the response carry on Attorney General Attorney General thank you very much speaker herein lies the challenge which I think you are grappling with as well that the member opposite is presenting allegations like facts that's what he's doing speaker because everything that he's stating speaker are allegations in this matter and that is why speaker we have a court process we're a judge based on all the appropriate functions of a court and all the rules of evidence and constitutional guarantees that are courted to those who are alleged to have committed those those issues gets tested and a judge will determine speaker that is why speaker we have the subjudice rule in our standing orders this is not the place speaker to litigate matters that is what the member opposite is doing is an appropriate speaker you have spoken to it and I think the member opposite knows that and it should follow the rule thank you I'm going to bring a clarity to this I'm referring to standing order 23H as opposed to what the minister is saying so I'm very careful to make sure that I'm listening that the contravention of 23H is not made and I'm telling the member that he's desperately close and it shall not happen minister understands I'm not referring to what he's talking about carry on please back to the deputy premers still trying to get answers the people of Niagara Grimsby, Pelham West Lincoln and Ottawa Vanier simply don't believe the premier's deputy chief of staff would call the person responsible for public appointments all on her own and if she had why didn't the premier cut her loose after this call was revealed a year and a half ago she should have been furious with pats or bear for dragging her office even deeper into this scandal someone from the premier's office or campaign must have known or authorized so bearer to make the call speaker does the deputy premier and liberal campaign chair regret not advising the premier to have pats or bearer step aside earlier or does she agree with the premier and still believe as the premier stated while the OPP were investigating of course pats or bearer did nothing wrong thank you what did he know speaker I perhaps the member opposite trying to imitate Perry Mason or Colombo or one of the other characters from a television series in this house member opposite speaker knows very well that this is not the venue to these ask questions there are allegations against two individuals speaker who are who are not a member of this house speaker that matter is before the course the most appropriate place for those matters to be I speak it's never too late to receive a warning nor being named never the member opposite speaker can ask as many quotient as he wants to in this house he knows that this matter is before the course the most answer the most appropriate place for this matter to be discussed is at the course and we trust the course system speaker and we'll let that to be determined there thank you new question the member from park to LA park thank you Mr. Speaker before this question is to the acting premier before the last election the former minister of transportation promised that the union Pearson express would be electrified by 2017 but after the election the government said electrification would have to wait until as late as 2024 as a new environmental assessment is completed that EA was supposed to have been completed last month but it hasn't even started instead the government announced another quote pre consultation unquote further delaying progress on electrification will the minister tell us exactly when the last diesel train will run on the U.P. express good question thank you thank you minister of transportation minister of transportation thanks very much speaker I'd like to thank the member for her question this morning I understand not only in her community but in particular in communities like Davenport Parkdale High Park and York Southwest and there is a great deal of a great deal of interest in this particular topic speaker what I what I can tell that member and she would know this I believe is that in my mandate letter that I received from the premier in 2014 it was clearly spelled out that we were that I was responsible for delivering on-go regional express rail which happens to include the electrification of the kitchen or corridor in the entirety of the up express corridor all the way to the airport speaker and that consistent with our mandate from the people of Ontario that that work was to be completed within 10 years from 2014 the member knows this 2024 is the point at which we are committed to delivering on the full picture of go regional express rail and we are on track to deliver within that time frame thank you very much thank you Mr. Speaker again back to the minister the minister by the way also keeps delaying progress on go rail electrification but the minister is willing to accelerate the construction of a 1.5 kilometer bridge that will carve a scar through the Davenport neighborhood the minister refuses to consider the benefits of a tunnel or a trench as proposed by the city of Toronto instead of the super bridge and it's becoming clear that the trains running along this bridge will in fact be diesel not electric why is the minister fast tracking a 1.5 kilometer super bridge through Davenport and steam rolling over community concerns while dragging his feet on the electrification of regional express rail and the up express speaker thanks very much I actually don't know where to begin with all of the unfortunate allegations I suppose that are contained in that particular question I first of all let me say right off the top the member of provincial parliament for the riding of Davenport who's sitting right back there has been such a staunch champion for her community on this particular issue and all of the issues relating to this and the member asking the question would know that we conducted organized by the member from Davenport that we conducted a town hall meeting in that community so that I could specifically hear loudly and clearly the concerns of the community speaker but I find it remarkable that that member would on the one hand want to say why aren't you delivering transit more quickly and on the other hand say why are you working so hard to deliver transit so quickly speaker again it's completely consistent with the bizarre approach of Ontario's NDP they clearly want more but they don't want to deliver more speaker the member from Davenport our premier and this team are in fact delivering more thanks very much speaker thank you speaker my question is to the minister of community and social services now speaker as you know government values the idea that every member of a society should be supported especially at times when they are most in need early in our mandate I made a commitment to my constituents in beaches east short that I would address poverty issues in our community and I'm very proud of the work that our government is doing in this area so many vulnerable Ontario speaker are served by the programs at the ministry of community and social services administers and thanks to the work of our minister and our government there has been demonstrable progress to improve the supports that are offered by Ontario works and Ontario disability support programs for people who are in need and this government is creating a province that where every citizen has a quality of life that is deserved and we are given them the opportunity to find their independence and feel included in society so speaker through you would the minister please enlighten this house on the improvements made social assistance in Ontario Thank you Minister of community and social services Thank you Mr. Speaker and to the member for beaches east York for the question and also his advocacy on behalf of vulnerable Ontarians as minister of community and social services I was given a clear mandate by our premier to drive long-term transformation of the social assistance system our government has embraced this challenge and signaling its intention to transform social assistance as part of our broader efforts to reduce poverty and build a fairer society earlier this year we announced that there will be no provincial clawback of child support payments to families on social assistance so this means that nearly 19,000 families will see their income rise by an average of $282 more per month or $3,380 annually most of whom are single parent households we also became the first province to ensure that families receiving social assistance would not have the new federal child Canada child benefit clawback a benefit to 260,000 children supplementary well thank you minister thank you so much for that answer and for the incredible work that you are doing to support the most vulnerable in our society we know that Ontario's valuable resources its people they are the key to our collective prosperity that's why I'm very proud of our government that we are dedicated to ensuring all Ontarians reach their full potential through access to high quality education quality healthcare rewarding employment opportunities and very strong social services and so this government set out ambitious plans to help all Ontarians succeed including these investments in Ontario child benefit health benefits for low-income children a long-term affordable housing strategy and continued increases to the minimum wage as well as free tuition for low-income students Speaker through you to the minister will the minister explain how we continue to enlighten this house how our government is supporting Ontario's receiving social assistance Thank you minister Thank you Mr Speaker another initiative is that our government is simplifying the application process for young people with developmental disabilities and their families applying for ODSP as of last month once a person is deemed eligible for ministry funded adult developmental services they will no longer have to go through a second process to verify their disability to qualify for ODSP we're introducing improvements to the adjudication and medical review process for people with disabilities who receive ODSP moreover we have also introduced a reloadable payment card to ODSP clients as a safer easier way to access the benefits without having to use expensive check cashing services once implemented in ODSP we'll begin work to implement the card for Ontario as well this is just a snapshot of some of our improvements that we're making to the social assistance system thank you any question remember if you can help a little bit before the lecture the government's fall fiscal update is full of unwelcome surprises for Ontarians I for one was sadden but hardly surprised to find proof that they are failing to respond to the issue of human sex trafficking we read on page 135 of their fiscal update document that to date the Liberal government has spent only a meager 1.4 million on their strategy to end human trafficking when they promised up to 72 million that's not even 2% I was just in Ottawa last week meeting with victims police and support organizations where I heard that this urgently needed funding is nowhere to be found this is a critical issue in Ottawa and across the province and it requires immediate action not press releases there are victims every day when will this government finally give up on their game of smoke and mirrors and take this issue seriously Minister of women's issues Mr. Speaker Minister responsible for women's issues Thank you US Speaker and I want to thank the member opposite for the question this government takes the issue of human trafficking very seriously we know it's devastating crime a human rights violation and that's exactly why we launched our anti-human trafficking strategy on June of this year there is money attached to that speaker and we are working very closely with our federal partners and municipal partners and other stakeholders to move this strategy forward as the member opposite knows there's a very strong focus on coordinating all the services that are required to support victims and to support the victims who need services who face this devastating crime and the strategy also focuses on of course holding traffic is accountable we are very committed to this strategy work is underway now and it's a cross-ministering effort speaker with my colleagues supplementary well thank you you Mr. Speaker but this is a criminal issue for months all we've heard from the government about this issue has come from in the form of bits and pieces of information added to press releases now we understand why there is actually no real strategy when they made their announcement back in June it's almost five months of inaction meanwhile organizations in Ottawa and across the province they're waiting to see any of the support that they were promised by this government so once again how can the government possibly came that it is acting to address this urgent issue when their own numbers say exactly the opposite just acting minister the ministry of community safety and fractional services thank you minister community safety fractional services thank you speaker and appreciate the question from the member opposite this is not a partisan issue and we take this issue very very seriously we're committed to making the investment of 72 million dollars we are working to create an anti-human trafficking intelligence team inside the OPP and we are committed speaker to the work that is being done through the Ontario police college to raise the level of training with regard to human trafficking for four officers we continue to make investments to speaker right across the province in halton 38 thousand dollars in hamilton 159 thousand of their police services in Niagara 140 thousand in peel region 190 thousand winds are 162 thousand in york 132 thousand and very 85 thousand and Guelph 63 thousand speaker we're making these investments I take the concerns of the member very seriously thank you and we do on this side of the house as well thank you any question the member for messics thank you speaker my question is to the acting premier speaker three years ago I stood in this house and asked the premier to explain her plan for horse racing in the province when I asked her why she was betting the farm on the woodbine racetrack and handing more market share to a then-not-for-profit giant the premier answered that what I was saying was just not true so will the acting premier explain why Ontario racing is currently consulting on a 17-year funding agreement that would effectively hand over control of horse racing in the entire province of Ontario to the now for-profit woodbine entertainment group just as I had predicted three years ago thank you Mr. Speaker and I appreciate the question the member opposite and all of us in this house recognizing importance of horse racing industry as an economic industry in the province of Ontario and we want to maintain stability and growth within the industry and that is why we've made a commitment to a long-term sustainability of horse racing in the province recognizing as well to maintain the viability of some of those tracks now woodbine as a service provider would be enabling us to provide for some of those deliveries we haven't yet determined exactly what we'll be but those discussions run away with all the tracks and all those stakeholders that are engaged within this process but Mr. Speaker is critical for us to continue providing as a venue a source an enablement of providing some of that assistance to the to the racing community to the breeders and to ensure its viability we are working closely to determine the best avenue to go forward including coverage Mr. Speaker complimentary thank you Speaker Speaker I've met with the farmers and the breeders who depend on a vibrant horse racing industry for their livelihoods horse people do not support the Premier's plan to give total control of horse racing to the for-profit woodbine group small race tracks like the Lakeshore race track in my home community are worried about their future but they can't get straight answers from the Premier's plan because it's being developed without any transparency or accountability the government's first plan to modernize horse racing was a disaster that the auditor general said would kill rural jobs why should rural Ontarians believe the Premier's latest plan will be any better thank you Minister actually Mr. Speaker I agree with the member opposite we want to ensure that all members of the horse racing community are engaged we want to ensure transparency and governance overseeing some of that development we want to ensure that they're actually there prior to woodbine as a service provider of the funding Mr. Speaker it's why we do have a group with the Ontario racing community engaged within this and I would like very much to have engagement of all those concerned to ensure that viability and the use of funds is going to where it's supposed to be and that's to the horses and that's to the viability sustainability of this community thank you Mr. Speaker question the member from Northumberland for the work well thank you Speaker Speaker my question is the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Minister Ontario is a top destination in Canada for people to build a new life for themselves and their families just like my family did back in 1959-60 in my writing Northumberland when you asked a significant number of constituents rely on both provincial and municipal governments for information they need to access various programs Minister it is crucial to my constituents that they can easily access this information so they can settle and contribute fully to our province society and economy Speaker can the Minister share with us what programs within her ministry allow new commerce to access information so they can so they can succeed in Ontario thank you Minister of Citizenship and Immigration well thank you Mr. Speaker I would like to thank the hard working member for from Northumberland Quinty West for his important question he works hard for his constituency our website Ontario immigration dot ca and municipal immigration websites work in tandem to assist newcomers to access various information including how to get a health card for example or enroll in free adult language training programs to help local employers find and recruit the skilled workers that they need to be competitive and support local economies by attracting families and international students Mr. Speaker our ministry supports Ontario municipalities through two grand programs the first is the municipal immigration information online or so-called MIO program in the municipal fund innovative immigration initiatives our government is committed to providing information to newcomers and helping them succeed fully thank you yeah yeah compliment thank you Minister for your response Mr. Speaker I'm confident our government is doing everything I can to ensure that newcomers have the information they need to successfully settle and integrate in our communities in my writing many of the constituents rely on services and it's important to them in all Ontarians that information about these programs and service is easily accessible I am proud to say that since 2012 Northumberland County has received $348,000 through the municipal immigration information online a program and the municipal fund innovative immigration initiative to promote Francophone immigrants and showcase services in French Speaker can the minister tell us how these programs are encouraging Francophone question immigration immigration and ensuring newcomers have the information they need to succeed in Ontario thank you Mr. Speaker and I want to thank the member again for the question through the municipal immigration information online program our ministry has supported the development of 32 different municipal immigration websites which has given an online profile to over 160 communities in the province of Ontario incredible Mr. Speaker our government also remains committed to achieving our target of 5% Francophone immigration and we have provided funding to 19 municipalities for the development of dedicated websites highlighting services in French and we have been promoting French speaking communities as a destination for the settlement of Francophone immigrants Mr. Speaker I would like to encourage both municipalities and organizations to submit proposal to the municipal immigration information my program and sir the deadline is Friday November 18th thank you thank you thank you minister of tourism culture and sport on a point of order thank you Mr. Speaker I'd like to welcome to Queen's Park today a resident of Burlington Mr. Keith Strong welcome Keith welcome to Queen's Park thank you camera from Durham on a point of order thank you speaker I would like to correct my record I refer to run the hand in Tim Morrison and Brad Durst from the Durham Police Services Board it should be the Durham Police Association thank you we have a deferred voter of motion of closure on the motion of second reading of bill 45 calling the members this will be a five minute belt would all members please take their seats all members on October 27th 2016 Mr. Naqvi moved second reading of bill 45 an act to amend certain acts with respect to provincial elections Mr. Crack has moved that the question be now put all those in favor Mr. Crack's motion please rise one at a time dimension recognized by the clerk Mr. Crack Mr. Crack Mr. Naqvi Mr. Naqvi Mr. Bradley Mr. Bradley Mr. Dalduka Mr. Dalduka Ms. Sandoz Ms. Sandoz Mr. Sousa Ms. Sousa Ms. Matthews Ms. Matthews Mr. Hoskins Mr. Hoskins Mr. Shrelli Mr. Shirella Ms. McCary Ms. MacCharles Mr. McNicken Mr. McNicken Mr. Cole Mr. Cole Mr. Bernardinetti Mr. Bernetti Mr. Dilini Mr. Dilene Mr. Dillon Mr. Dylan Mr. Meredi Mr. Meredi Mr. Kotoh Mr. Kotoh Ms. Hunter Mr. Hunter Mr. Flynn Mr. Flynn Mr. Tebow Mr. Tebow Ms. Torozetti Mr. Padri Mr. Padri Ms. Mangat Ms. Mangat Madame Wallan Madame Wallone Ms. Dahmurla Ms. Dahmurla Ms. Megherry Mr. Morrill. Mr. Jassek. Mr. Zimmer. Mr. Zimer. Mrs. Albanese. Mrs. McMahon. Mr. McMahler. Mr. Ballard. Mr. Maidu Harris. Mr. Wedding. Mr. Wong. Mr. Wong. Mr. Fryzer. Mr. Fryzer. Mr. Freyser. Mr. Anderson. Mr. Anderson. Mr. Baker. Mr. Baker. Mr. Don. Mr. Don. Ms. Hogarth. Ms. Hogarth. Ms. Koala. Ms. Koala. Ms. Mollie. Ms. Mollie. Ms. Martins. Mr. Miller Hamilton East Stony Creek Mr. Miller Hamilton East Stony Creek Ms. Sattler Mr. Natashak Mr. Natashak Ms. Armstrong Ms. Fife Ms. Fife Ms. Campbell Ms. Campbell Mr. Montau Mr. Montau Mr. Hatfield Mr. Hathfield Ms. Gretzky Mr. Gates Mr. Gates Ms. French Ms. French the ayes are 46 the nays are 36 the ayes being 46 and the nays being 36 I declare the motion carried Mr. Naqvi has moved second reading of bill 45 an act to amend certain acts with respect to provincial elections is it the pleasure of the House to motion carry I heard no all those will pay all those in favor please say aye all those opposed please say nay I heard that's right so the my opinion the ayes have it call in the members this will be a five-minute bill Mr. Naqvi moves second reading of bill 45 an act to amend certain acts with respect to provincial elections all those in favor the motion please rise one at a time be recorded by the Mr. Naqvi Mr. Bradley Mr. Dalduka Mr. Dalduka Mr. Sousa Mr. Sousa Miss Win Miss. Matthews Mr. Dawkins Mr. Scholey Mr. Scholey Mr. Charles Mr. Mcmican Mr. Mcmican Mr. Cole Mr. Cole Mr. Bradley Mr. Bradley Mr. Delaney Mr. Dillon Mr. Mariti Mr. Mariti mr. Côto Mr. Ccerzo Mr. Hunter mr. Flinn Mr. Tebow Mr. Tebow Mr. 어오r's Eddie Mr. Cordry Mr. Quadri Mr. McMan, Mr. Ballard, Mr. Ballard, Mr. Nidoo Harris, Mr. Whong, Mr. Fraser, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Baker, Mr. Dome, Mr. Dome, Mr. Hogan, Mr. Hogan, Mrs. Harden, Mr. Miltchen, Mr. Miltchen, Mr. Miltjen, Mr. Potts, Mr. Rinaldi, Mr. Renalde, Mr. Renial, Mr. Hillier, Mr. Arnat, Mr. Hardiman, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Welcome, Mr. Jones, Mr. Brown, Mr. Clark, Mr. Fadali, Mr. Yacobusky, Mr. McNaughton, Mr. Scott, Mr. Berrett, Mrs. Monroe, Mr. Clarill, Mr. Bailey, Mr. Walker, Mr. Smith, Mr. Harris, Mr. Nichols, Mr. Tom, Mr. Pat Понies, Mr. Cove, Mr. Cove, Mr. Cove, Mr. Sing, Mr. Sing, Mr. Vantoff, Mr. Vantoff, Mr. De Novo, Mr. Miller Hamilton, East Stony Creek, Mr. Miller Hamilton, East Stony Creek, Mr. Sattler, Mr. Natashack, Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Fife, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Monta, Mr. Haffield, Mr. Haffield, Mr. Gretzky, Mr. Gates, Mr. French. All those opposed, please rise one at a time to be recognized by the clerk. The ayes are 84, the nays are zero. The ayes being 84, and the nays being zero. Declare the motion carried. Shall the... Sorry. Second reading of the bill. Just a lecture. Projet de loi. Shall the bill be ordered for third reading? Government House Leader. Speaker, I ask that the bill be referred to the Standing Committee or General Government. There are no... There are... Order of the member... Order of the member... The Government House Leader. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, as you know very well, November 16 is a very special day for the Métis nation, and today also marks the 200th anniversary of the Métis Nation's flag, which is a very significant moment. I believe there's a ceremony that will take place outside the house as soon as we adjourn this morning, and I encourage all members to attend. Thank you. Thank you. There are no further votes. The Senate stands recess until 3 p.m. this afternoon.