 It is now time for oral questions and I recognize the member for Brampton Centre. Thank you. My question is for the Premier and I hope he takes the opportunity to answer the question himself and speak directly to Ontario's parents. Yesterday, the Minister of Education refused to answer some basic questions about the Premier's attacks on teachers, even as he insisted that the Ford government shouldn't be blamed for the conflict and the cuts in our classrooms. The Premier has spent the last year on the job attacking teachers and calling them thugs and doing everything he could to pick a fight with them. So I'm asking the Premier and again, I hope the Premier will answer. Does he regret making those comments and is he willing to apologize? The question is addressed to the Premier. Thank you very much. Minister of Education. Standing orders allow Ministers to refer questions to other Ministers. Let's make that clear. They can choose to do so or not. The Prime Minister has been referred to the Minister of Education. Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Speaker. The Premier of this province, every member of this cabinet in caucus stands with the front line workers of this province. Our teachers, our nurses and our doctors, we believe, Mr. Speaker, so much that we want to see them succeed. It's why in the most recent labour negotiations, just yesterday, Speaker, we tabled a plan to move to mediation in order to get a good deal for the students of this province. The Premier has been very clear about his expectations of me. We remain constructive and reasonable and student-centric to get deals so parents of this province are able to keep their children in class. We stand with them on that mission. The supplementary question. Once again, the member for Brampton. Thank you, Speaker. And back to the Premier last April in response to thousands of high school students who spoke out about the government's education cuts. The Premier said, and I quote, this isn't about class sizes. This is strictly from the union thugs, the teachers' unions, end quote. The Premier went on to say he had the backbone to hold them accountable. How can the forward government claim to be looking for solutions with our teachers when the Premier has made it clear that he is desperate to pick a fight with them? Thank you, Speaker. The greatest solution we could offer families this province is a deal that keeps their children in class. Mr. Speaker, our plan is to move forward with mediation in the most recent deal we received with QP. We turned to a mediator to help us address the field-standing issues that remain. By doing so, we were able to deliver a good deal that was good for the workers, good for the government, and good for the trustees. That's a win-win-win proposition we seek. What is frustrating for those that observe is that every three-year speaker, we are back in the same position, irrespective of party, and I want to be clear. Parents deserve to have predictability. Their children ought to be in class. The team of learning should not be impeded because a bunch of lawyers can't get their act together. Families deserve that predictability, and our government seems to deliver it for every student in this province. Well, Speaker, for months, parents and students have watched as classroom cuts have taken their toll, and they've watched as the Premier attacks teachers in our classrooms, calling them thugs and making threats, and the Premier has yet to even apologize, Mr. Speaker. In fact, he continues to use the same language over and over again. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Education claimed that the Premier values these front-line workers. So today, again, I'll ask the Premier, and we need to hear this answer directly from him, Speaker. Does he consider this a good way to build a respectful working relationship with the people who teach our children? Thank you, Speaker. As I affirm yesterday, every member of the Progressive Conservative team believes and stands with our workers of this province. That's why, Mr. Speaker, we have yesterday in order to ensure that our teachers, the very subject of the question, remain working in class, doing what they do best, doing what they seek to do every single day, which is inspire the next generation of workers. Order. Mr. Speaker, that is why we've turned to mediation. I'd hope all members of the legislature would stand with the government turning to a reasonable proposition to consider mediation to get a deal. It is a path that worked for CUPI, it's a path we seek to replicate with our teachers. At the end of the day, the admission for the government is not just a deal, but a good deal for our kids. We did it with CUPI. We hope to do that with our teachers in the coming weeks. The next question, the member for Davenport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. When the Premier first announced plans to expand class sizes and take 10,000 of our teachers out of schools, he claimed parents and students would welcome the change and that it would improve education in Ontario, but it hasn't. It has made things worse, and it's only year one. My question is to the Premier, and I want to note parents and students want to hear an answer from the Premier himself. Will the Premier reverse this terrible course that's hurting so many of our children? Questions addressed to the Premier? Minister of Education. Thank you, Speaker. The basis of the question is premised on funding, and I want to be clear to the legislature that this government under the leadership of this Premier is spending more in public education than any government in the history of Ontario. Those are the facts. Another fact, we've just opened up a $515 million program to help renew schools and build new schools in the province. Over $1.2 billion in renewal, a $200 million four-year math strategy to lift math scores over time. Mr. Speaker, we're doing all this because we believe in the potential of our students and because we believe in the defence of public and Catholic education in the province of Ontario. Mr. Speaker, our plan is to help grow the economy, keep taxes low, but most importantly, it's about having the ability to invest in the social services that matter, $1.9 billion more in health care, $1.2 billion more in education. We're going to continue to invest in the priorities of working people in this province. The supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to return back to the Premier again, but I just want to say, I mean, this is complete fiction coming from this minister. Please. The spending, education spending in this province is down. The financial accountability office says it's down. You're talking about- Order. I'm going to caution the member of her language and ask her to put a place her question. The Minister of Education spent all day yesterday desperately deflecting blame, but it's not a mystery why there's been so little progress at the bargaining table. The Premier has threatened full-day kindergarten, eliminated thousands of high school classes, everything from construction technology to math and advanced physics courses. He's forced students into a misguided online learning program. Teachers think this is a bad idea. Parents and students think this is a bad idea. Why is the Premier so committed to these cuts? The question has been referred to the Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, I just want to respectfully reject the premise of the question. The fact of the matter is, Mr. Speaker, when it comes to areas of priority for students in the province, in mental health, we've more than doubled the funding allocation. For special education needs, it's over 3.1 billion. The highest allocation ever invested for special ed, for transportation at the highest levels, for French languages at the highest levels, for First Nations. It is at the highest levels ever in the history of this province. So, Mr. Speaker, to hear the rhetoric from the member opposite is simply not true. What we are also doing, Mr. Speaker, beyond the expenditure, is investing and improving our curriculum. I'm going to ask the Minister to withdraw. I withdraw. You can conclude his answer. What we've also ensured is that our curriculum remains updated with a math strategy that gets back to basics. Mr. Speaker, we're going to continue to focus on success of our students. The final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. I won't even refer to this spending shell game that the Minister is talking about. Here's what parents and students see right now. Teachers working hard, often paying out of pocket to provide education to our children. And a Premier who calls them thugs while firing 10,000 of them, forcing kids into untested online learning modules based on a program in Alabama and into overflowing classrooms. The Ford government claims that they want to avoid more chaos in our schools. Will the Premier start today by reversing his classroom cuts? Mr. Speaker, we're going to continue to build on our positive plan to improve education in the province of Ontario. We're going to continue to invest in our students. We're going to continue to renew our schools, update our curriculum with a more labor-focused alignment to ensure young people can get access to good-paying jobs. Mr. Speaker, our plan is to keep children in class, which is the first basis of this discussion. And our plan yesterday is nothing more than an objective to keep the parties at the table, to ensure that they know that we are serious through mediation to get a good deal, an enduring deal that allows parents to have predictability that they deserve. The next question, the member for Toronto, Dan Ford. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the Premier. Last year, this government insisted there would be no cost to cancelling renewable energy projects like the White Pines Wind Farm. To quote the then government house leader, quote, we put in a plan, a procedure, that is going to deal with this wind farm project without costing the taxpayers. In the public accounts for the Ministry of Energy, there is a strange little entry. It shows the government spent $231 million on some undetailed, quote, unquote, other transactions. Will the Premier confirm that this $231 million represents the cost of cancelling about 750 renewable energy contracts last year? Question to the Premier. Associate Minister of Energy. Forge of the Associate Minister of Energy. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to my colleague for his question. We thought maybe one would be coming at some point. Mr. Speaker, I want to be very clear right from the outset that this municipality was an unwilling host from day one. They did not want the turbines. We did the right thing. The member from the Bay of Quinty from day one said they did not want it and they would not have one there. At the end of the day, our government has been very clear, Mr. Speaker, that it would act to cancel any unnecessary contracts. Ontario has an adequate supply power right now. The capacity of this project would have provided is not required at this time. And Mr. Speaker, the environmental review tribunal actually decreased it from 29 turbines to nine turbines early in the sequence, again, which should have led to canceling the contract at that time. So, Mr. Speaker, at this point, the Turbines Termination Act happened July 25th, 2018, effectively terminating the project's contract with the independent electricity system operator and revoking project related permits. Mr. Speaker, they didn't want it. They don't have it. Thank you. The supplementary question. So, Mr. Speaker, I take that as a yes. So I appreciate that information. Wasting $231 million to cancel hydro contracts is the sort of thing that the previous liberal government did during the gas plant scandal. Order. The similarities are striking, Mr. Speaker. We saw what the liberal government did to hydro bills. And now Premier Ford is doing the same thing at the same time as his loving hydro prices increase. How can the Premier claim he's saving taxpayers and ratepayers money when he's throwing away $231 million not to build renewable energy? The House will come to order. Restart the clock. The Associate Minister of Energy to reply. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Let's start by most of the things of the Green Energy Act that the liberal government did put this province in a perilous state, Mr. Speaker. They spent billions and billions of dollars that our kids and grandkids are going to continue to pay for. This was yet one more project. We did not need the power. We have an adequate supply of power. We knew that from day one. They knew that from day one. And they continued to impose these on unwilling hosts like White Pines was, Mr. Speaker. At the end of the day, we knew that we didn't need this power. It was intermittent power at best, Mr. Speaker. And again, we did not need. So we are taking all actions that we can. The energy sector is, we went from the lowest rates in the confederation, Mr. Speaker, to the highest rates. We're still trying to figure ways to lower those costs and bring those down so that people can have some respite, Mr. Speaker. This is one of those projects we didn't need. We're taking any actions to make sure that they weren't there. And let's not forget again, 29 down to nine turbines by the environmental review tribunal. Why would we ever proceed when they actually said they weren't needed? Thank you. Brampton, West. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Premier, when our government was elected, we inherited an infrastructure system that was badly in need of repair. We had crumbling hospitals that were leading to hallway health care. We had a transit system that was forgotten and left in disrepair for years, leading to overcrowding and lacking in service. Premier, I understand that both yourself and the Minister of Infrastructure just delivered a keynote address at the C2P3 conference to over 300 major industry representatives highlighting our commitment to infrastructure for the province. Can you elaborate to the legislature what our government's plan is to expand and modernize the infrastructure systems for the province? The question's addressed to the Premier. I'd like to thank All-Star. Order. Premier, at the floor. I'd like to thank my All-Star member from Brampton, West. Great people out in Brampton. There's going to be two more seats in Brampton next time around, Mr. Speaker. Just want to give you heads up on that one. The people know all too well that infrastructure was neglected under the previous government. On top of hospitals, on top of schools, on top of roads and bridges and highways, they didn't think about building subways. That is why our government is taking the right actions and the right time to help move this province forward. Mr. Speaker, we're putting a historic investment into infrastructure. We're putting in $144 billion over in the next 10 years. $90 billion is going into transit. The balance is going into building new schools that the previous government canceled, 600 schools. We're going to be investing into hospitals, Mr. Speaker, and make sure that this province thrives and grows and prospers. Yeah. Supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back to the Premier. Premier, that is incredible news for the people of Brampton West Riding and speaks to our commitment to rebuild the province. I know many families in my region are very excited to hear about all those new investments whether transit-related that will cut down on gridlock or the great investments in new hospitals, schools, and other community projects that everyone depends on. But this can only be made possible by hardworking people of this province who builds the projects themselves. I know in my riding of Brampton West we have many amazing individuals who help support this industry. Premier, can you speak more about our support for the infrastructure construction workers of this province? Premier? Well, through you, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our great member once again for the question. All you have to do, Mr. Speaker, is walk by a construction site. The support is overwhelming. I call it the hard helmets. They're out there cheering, keep going, keep going. Had an opportunity. Had an opportunity to actually go to Leuna. Had a standing ovation on the way in, standing ovation on the way out. They know there's a government that's finally recognized as the hard work of the construction trades right across this province. We're going to continue flowing money into the trades, make sure we have proper training there, Mr. Speaker. But just keep in mind, every time you drive on a road, drive on a highway. Go take your kids to school or go to the hospital or go to a mall. Think of the hard working construction men and women that are out there doing an incredible job rebuilding this province. And guess what, Mr. Speaker? They're going to have $144 billion to do that way. Question, the member for Essex. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is with the Premier. Speaker, last week, the Globe and Mail reported that in exchange for a $20,000 donation, the Premier dined with a developer looking to redevelop Canada Place. The next day, that developer tried to line up more meetings on the topic with the Premier's staff. Speaker, this is concerning for the thousands of Ontarians who can't spare $20,000 to meet with the Premier. And it raises serious questions about who is meeting with the Premier and why. Will the Premier provide a full list to the public and to the integrity commissioner of every person who has paid money to meet with him? Questions to the Premier. Mr. Speaker, I have to tell you, that's probably one of the most disgusting comments I've ever heard down here in the House. What he doesn't know, it was at the Chiefs Gala, it was for victim services. People victims of crime, that they came up to me last minute and said, do you want auction off for dinner? There's no logging. People don't have to lobby, Doug Ford. Mrs. Jones would call me about a pothole and I'll show up to her door. There's never been, and by the way, I'm proud to say, I, Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to say that we raised $100,000 for victims of crime. And guess what, Mr. Speaker? I did it again. I did it this week. And the whole crowd, 1,600 people were applauding as I left it up to them. They appreciate raising money for victims of crime, unlike the NDP, that don't care about victims. Member for Northumberland, Peter Brulsow. Come to order. Supplementary question. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. What's truly disgusting is that victims of crime and victim services have to publicly fundraise because the Ford government has cut their budget and cut those services to the victims of crime. Speaker, for a Premier who says he can't be bought, he sure seems to make time for those with deep pockets. One of those businesses the Premier dined with is a lobbying group that is looking for more contracts with the government. Their lobbyist registered for... Mr. Gleber, training at Scales Development, and the Premier's number one insider, Chris Froggett. This is the kind of thing, Speaker, that was commonplace under the Liberals. But as with other files, the Premier has taken cash for access racket from... Government side, come to order. Speaker, why does it seem that the Premier only takes meetings with his preferred lobbyists and those with the cash to buy access rather than Ontarians who are simply trying to get ahead? Members, please take their seats. Premier to reply. Through you, Mr. Speaker, I just want to remind the member from Essex, the police chief was there. The police chief was there in the meeting. There's no lobbying, no nothing. I'm trying to help victims of crime. That's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to do... There's one thing, Mr. Speaker, they may agree or disagree with me, they may agree or disagree with me, but every single person in this province knows two things. Doug Ford can't be bought, and if someone calls Doug Ford to get something fixed, I'll show up to their door, I'll return your phone call, unlike the NDP that destroyed this province for the last 15 years. The House will come to order. Start the clock. The next question, the member for Ottawa, South. Very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Last week, we learned that the government is offering a contract to a consulting firm of up to $1 million to find half a billion dollars in savings in the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, most of which we've learned will come from developmental services. Speaker, savings is a euphemism for cuts. These will be cuts to the most vulnerable people and families in our province, families living with an adult child with a developmental disability. This government is headed down the same path they were with the Ontario Autism Program. So through you, Speaker, to the Premier, will he release the details of this contract and will he commit to not cutting funds for adults with developmental disabilities in this province, yes or no? Questions addressed to the Premier? The Ministry of Community and Social Services. For the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the member opposite for the question. As the member knows, there is a growing demand for developmental services across the province of Ontario every day. Kids are turning 18 and they require services in the developmental services sector. Our government is committed to improving this sector, Mr. Speaker, so that these individuals can get the kind of accommodation and the services that they require. And since becoming the Minister, Mr. Speaker, I've been out there meeting with families. I've been out there meeting with our service providers in collaboration to ensure that we can work together to get better results for the growing demand on developmental services in our province. Just a couple of weeks ago, I went to speak to the provincial network, the Oasis Group, Community Living Toronto. Response? Ontario, Christian Horizons, many of them when we talked about the fact that we were getting an outside set of eyes to look at how we can make the system better and work with them to ensure we're providing the services that they require in this sector, Mr. Speaker. A supplementary question. I think people in the sector would have more confidence if the Minister gave them their budgets before September. And I'll take the criticism that we all share here that we actually haven't done enough in the last 30 years for these families. And so I invite the Minister and the Premier to come to my riding to Clifford Bowie School at graduation time and see the parents. See the parents faces their joy at their child graduating and the fear that they know that they will no longer have support post-21 for their child. And they know that they're on their own. It's like stepping off a cliff, Mr. Speaker. It's a life of wait lists and precarious programs. Imagine being 75 years old and having a 40-year-old daughter and saying, I don't know who's gonna take care of my daughter when I die. This is what these families live every day, every day in this province. And it's something that should keep us all awake at night. So I ask the Premier again, Speaker, will he commit to not cutting funds for adults with developmental disabilities in this province, yes or no? Questions been referred to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. We know that this sector deserves better results for its clients. And we know that while we're investing $2.6 billion in this sector, Mr. Speaker, we're not getting the results that we should be getting. And that's why we've gone out, hired this second set of eyes to look at the sector. They've done a jurisdictional scan, Mr. Speaker, to look at best practices in other states and other provinces, in other countries where they're actually building the supports necessary while at the same time, the government, myself and my team are working with our partners in the sector to ensure that we're getting the results that we want. The previous government, Mr. Speaker, they made decisions. And with all due respect, they made the decision not to invest in this sector for 15 years. They made that decision. And you know, that's their right, Mr. Speaker, to make that decision. We're not making that decision. We are making a decision to work with the sector to ensure that we're getting better results for those. Thank you very much for Public Health Lake Shore. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health. Hallway healthcare is an issue that affects every Ontarian. Due to the previous Liberal government's mismanagement and poorly directed spending, more and more patients are experiencing hallway healthcare as pressures mount in our hospitals. Speaker, the people of Ontario shouldn't have to worry about how long it will take for them to see a doctor or whether the service they need will be available to them. It is time that some changes happen in our province. Can the Minister of Health please tell this House what funding our government has committed to in order to bring an end to hallway healthcare and reduce the pressures on our public healthcare system? Great question. Questions to the Minister of Health? Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member from Etobicoke Lake Shore for her question. It really is essential that we tackle the immediate challenge of hallway healthcare while also looking at the long term to make sure that future generations don't have to deal with the same problem. This year, our government has invested an additional $384 million in our hospital sector to address immediate challenges. Small and medium sized hospitals also received an additional $68 million to make up for years of frankly being short changed by the previous government. We're also addressing hallway healthcare by investing $27 billion over the next 10 years to build new hospital infrastructure and increase the number of beds available. Speaker, to be clear, our government is taking action to end hallway healthcare now while protecting the sustainability of our public healthcare system into the future. Thank you. Supplementary question. Well, I want to, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Minister for that, for all her hard work and for that answer. And while the opposition continues to engage in fear mongering, we are focused on taking real action to modernize our public healthcare system and end hallway healthcare. It is clear we've taken on the responsibility of cleaning up the mess that the previous government left us in and commit funding where it is needed most. Ending hallway healthcare is a complex issue that requires a multi-pronged approach to resolve. We are addressing the immediate problems with our long-term healthcare system while at the same time considering the long-term needs of our population. Can the Minister update this House on other investments we are making to give Ontarians access to more timely care and end healthcare now and in the future? Minister of Health, to reply. The fact is, Speaker, the people of Ontario elected us to take immediate action to fix our public healthcare system and that is exactly what we are doing. To help alleviate the pressures on hospital emergency departments, our government has brought forward new models of care for 911 patients to ensure patients receive care in the most appropriate settings. We've committed to investing a historic $3.8 billion over 10 years to build a comprehensive, connected, and integrated mental health and addiction system so that every Ontarian can be truly supported on their journey towards mental wellness. This year alone, we've invested an additional $174 million in more on-the-ground mental health services to support people, families, and caregivers in communities across Ontario. Speaker, these are just some of the steps we are taking to ensure that patients receive more timely and appropriate care in their communities while also helping to end hallway healthcare and reduce wait times. Thank you. The next question, the member for St. Catharines. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is to the Premier. Before we all return to our writings last week to honour our veterans in Remembrance Day ceremonies across the province, I ask the government why it does not allow veterans who served after the Korean War to access grants for emergency situations from Ontario Soldier Aids Commission, which is an unfair exclusion that treats post-Korean war vets as second-class citizens. But the government refused to answer, so I will ask again, will the government extend coverage of Ontario Service Aid Commission to all veterans, yes or no? Thank you. Questions addressed to the Premier? Minister of Children and Community Social Services. Referred to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Well, thanks very much, and thanks again to the member opposite for the question. I did answer the question last week before Remembrance Day, and I just want to say that we all were out at our cenotaphs last week and at our Legion dinners and meeting with our veterans and those who are currently in service, and I just want to say on behalf of the government of Ontario, we appreciate their service and we appreciate their ongoing support for our country, the greatest country in the world in which to live. As far as the Soldiers Aid Commission goes, Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that it was basically mothball for 15 years under the previous government. This is a very, very important part of the Ministry of Community and Social Services, and we're currently right now looking in how we can expand the mandate of the Soldiers Aid Commission. We're working with our military family resource centres. We're working with Seamless Canada to ensure we're providing at the provincial level. Thank you. Thank you. Just a few questions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope those mothballs come off quick. Ontario Soldiers Aid Commission helps veterans in emergency situations like those facing the threats of homelessness. Last week, Global News brought us a tragic story of Philip Kitchens, an Afghan veteran who returned home suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and was left living in a tent with his young child. This is shameful, Speaker. It can be avoided. It can be avoided if the provincial government stops treating some veterans as second class and turning them away from the important support funding as a mother of an active member in the Canadian Forces. I can say there is nothing second class about the service these brave men and women have provided for our country. Will the Premier tell this House how many veterans are turned away from Ontario Service Aid Commission program? Questions been referred to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Members, please take their seats. Minister. Thanks, Mr. Speaker. And I reject the premise of the question from the member opposite. I mean, there is no government that has done more in its first 15 months for our veterans than this government has, Mr. Speaker. I can tick off the list of different accomplishments for those in our armed forces. And keeping in mind that veteran services are a Canadian jurisdiction, right? But we are doing what we can at the provincial level to ensure that where there are cracks in the system, Mr. Speaker, that we're filling those cracks and we have a golden opportunity by taking the Soldiers Aid Commission, which again has sat idle for 15 years and make sure that it's meeting the needs of our current military members. And we're doing that by working with Seamless Canada. We had Seamless Canada representatives here earlier this year, Mr. Speaker, talking to members of the various caucuses who were here. We had a great turnout from the Tory caucus. I know there was a number of NDP members. I don't believe the member opposite. Was that that meeting with Seamless Canada? Take your seat. Take your seat. Next question, the number for Don Valley West. Question is for the Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, this government has made a series of policy decisions and cuts that will put students at risk. And one of the prime examples of that, Mr. Speaker, is the decision to make Ontario the only jurisdiction in North America to require four online courses to graduate high school, which will further reduce teachers in schools and to undertake this in less than a year from now. They made this decision, Mr. Speaker, without adequately consulting any experts in education. Research from the Public Policy Institute of California indicates that students are less likely to finish an online course and that online courses exacerbate existing achievement gaps. In a survey of 6,000 students, Mr. Speaker, across Ontario, the Student Trustees Association, 6,000 students, grades 8 to 12, 95% oppose the new e-learning mandate. So I ask the Minister, Mr. Speaker, will you listen to students across Ontario, reverse this reckless decision that will have complex, unknown, and negative impacts on many students? Questions to the Minister of Education. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, I think it would be prudent to note that our plan when it comes to online learning is about making sure young people have access to more core selections, utilizing a modern technology and a platform that is made in this country. Mr. Speaker, with great respect to the member opposite, I mean, you know, it is flabbergassing to be asked a question in the context of education when under her tenure as Premier, more schools were closed in this province than any Premier in the history of this province. And I think, Mr. Speaker, when you contrast that approach with our plan to spend over half a billion dollars each and every year to build new schools, to renew schools, to improve our curriculum, to give young people more optionality, more core selections, so they can achieve their full potential in the context of their journey of learning, I want the members of this House to know we will continue to support our students by giving them more courses and embracing... Response. Embracing technology as an opportunity in the modern workforce. The supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, I think the students who are not able to get their options this year because of increased class sizes would take issue with what the minister has said. But, Mr. Speaker, this is exactly the kind of badly thought-through decision that has poisoned the relationship between this government and educators in every school in Ontario. That poisoned relationship is on full display right now, Mr. Speaker. A government in the middle of negotiations fires its bargaining team, tries to distract from the lack of progress at the table by pretending that mediation is the answer. The answer, Mr. Speaker, is for the government to admit that its cuts and wrong-headed policies like mandatory online courses were a mistake and roll them back. Will the government take the next step and re-engage seriously with teachers in order to get an agreement at the bargaining table? Minister of Education. Thank you, Speaker. Indeed, it is the focus of the government to get deals for students in this province. That's why, Mr. Speaker, we've asked the parties yesterday to consider mediation as a viable tool to proceed and in order to get them to stay at the table, given the heightened levels of escalation across the board of all teacher unions. What unites the member and her capacity as a former Premier and the new Democrats when they were empowered in the 90s, Mike Harris, and every Premier in between is the fact that every three years, Mr. Speaker, we are in the same position of parents having the frustration of not knowing if their children will be in class on Monday. We seek a resolution. We seek an enduring solution that will help keep kids in class through a deal that is good for the children of this province. The next question, the member for Cambridge. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. My question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Mr. Speaker, Ontario is facing a housing crisis. There's no two ways about it. Under the previous Liberal government, people struggled to find homes they could afford, and not enough homes were being built to meet the needs of people in every part of our province. These challenges were compounded by unnecessary steps, duplication, and barriers to creating the housing Ontarians need. What is the government doing now to fix this problem, which was inherited from the previous government, and how are we providing relief to the people of Ontario to get new housing built? Good question. The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Merci, Monsieur le Président. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I would like to thank the member for her question. During our last session, we have put in place an action plan for more housing. Our plan will help fight the housing crisis that we are facing by building more housing in this province. The local Planning Appeal Tribunal would do a number of things. It would hear appeals and make the best decisions on important land use cases. It will also increase case management and mediation powers to avoid delays, and will appoint additional adjudicators to handle both late filing, processing, and also manage both the current and future caseload. Finally, we're going to put a far better and more autonomous and more accessible system. There are many things we're going to do to change the system. Response. And I look forward to the supplementary. The supplementary question. Merci beaucoup. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The local Planning Appeal Tribunal has experienced significant delays and a backlog of legacy cases that has impeded the construction of new homes in our province, impacting approximately 100,000 would-be housing units in Toronto alone. What progress has the government made with respect to unclogging the backlog of cases that's preventing new housing units from being built? Thank you very much. Minister to reply to the Attorney General, Speaker. To the Attorney General. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the minister mentioned in following the passage of the Housing Supply Action Plan, in August, we appointed Marie Hubbard, one of the most respected, well-respected authorities on land use planning. She was appointed as the Interim Associate Chair of the LPAT, the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal. We've also appointed eight new full-time members. We've appointed four new part-time members. And when we left this chamber in June, the tribunal had a backlog of 1,200 cases, some dating back to the 90s, Mr. Speaker. It was left to languish, and we picked it up. And this is so important. I'm pleased to report that the tribunal has already, since June, closed nearly 20% of the legacy cases. Approximately 900 cases outstanding. And we're just getting started, Mr. Speaker. The tribunal has no intention of slowing down. We plan to ramp up and further reductions in the backlog by the end of the year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Next question, the member from London Fanshawe. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. Over the past few weeks, I've been contacted by constituents worried sick about the rising hydrobells. Glenis Hill is a senior in my riding of London Fanshawe, living on a fixed income. Despite receiving OESP, her rising hydrobells are hard for her to manage. Glenis tells me that she has trouble staying up so late to do laundry when it's the more affordable time. She also reads by candlelight and wears a coat inside her house to avoid using electricity. But her bills are still too high. Glenis is at the end of her rope with these high hydrobells. What more would this Premier have Glenis do? Look to the government to reply. The Deputy Premier? The Associate Minister of Energy, please. Ferd to the Associate Minister. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you again for the question. You're right. It's truly sad that all of us are suffering from the highest energy rates this province has ever seen. Thank you again to the Liberals of 15 years. And let's not forget that you supported most of their Green Energy Act. All along the way that caused these rates. Order. Mr. Speaker, as soon as we got elected, Mr. Speaker, we canceled 750 renewable energy contracts saving the people of Enchero $790 million. We centralized conservation programs to protect the most vulnerable people in our province while saving up to $442 million for ratepayers. And Mr. Speaker, we've expanded natural gas service to rural Enchero, saving an average residential customer between $800 to $2,500 a year. Mr. Speaker, our government is working to lower the price. We're doing everything we can to clean up a mess of 15 years created by the Liberal government. We'll continue to do that. We'll continue to do whatever we can to bring the rates down for all people, including the person you're speaking of. The supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. This November, this government allowed hydro bills to go up. Despite a promise to fix the hydro mess the Liberals got us into. Bills continue to increase with no relief in sight and certainly not the 12% decrease like this government promised. For seniors like Glenis, this means more nights staying up to do laundry when the prices are the lowest and more nights reading by candlelight. It's 2019, Speaker. Does the Premier realize that he is hurting people like Glenis when he fails to deliver on a real hydro relief plan for Ontarians? Questions to refer to the Associate Minister of Energy. Thank you again, Mr. Speaker. And thank you for the question. And thank you, Glenis, for bringing this to us. Just think of what those rates would have been had we not canceled those 751 renewable contracts and the 790 bill and took action to stop more of the insanity of what the Liberals were doing with their ideology, Mr. Speaker. Again, we canceled 751 contracts, saving $790 million, Mr. Speaker. We've actually passed Bill 87, the Fixing the Hydro Mess Act, so that we actually replace the Liberal scheme, the accounting scheme with a new, more transparent on-bill rebate and hold the bills to the replacement. Something the Auditor General again wanted to happen so that the people of Ontario truly knew what the cost of electricity is. It is truly sad, Mr. Speaker. We all stand here sad of the price of our energy today because of the mass trade under the 15 years of Liberal... Response? ...supported solely by the NDP for that whole tenure, Mr. Speaker. We will continue to try to do that. We'll try everything we can to lower those rates and make sure that we have... Thank you. The member for Mississauga Centre. Merci, Monsieur le Président. Ma question is to the wonderful Minister of Municipal Affairs. ...to end the culture of waste and mismanagement and bring back fiscal responsibility, transparency and accountability. I know that the Minister, as well as the President of the Treasury Board, have been hard at work finding ways to ensure that every single taxpayer dollar is well invested and respected. Since this year is drawing to a close, could the Minister tell this House what steps his ministry has taken thus far to help municipalities, like the Region of Peel and others across Ontario, to find savings and efficiencies? This way. Minister of Municipal Affairs, how is it? Merci, Monsieur le Président. Merci, député pour la question. Thank you, and thank you for the question. In August, our government heard loud and clear from the municipal sector that they understand our fiscal challenges that this government faced. And the fact that it also compromises what matters most. That's why our government responded. We introduced the Audit and Accountability Fund, a fund which would provide $7.35 million to the 39 largest municipalities to help them become more effective and more efficient. And you know what, Speaker? We had 100% support, all 39 signed on because they want to work with our government to find savings for taxpayers. We also introduced the $200 million Municipal Modernization Fund, which helped the 405 smallest, most rural and most northern communities with their service delivery. We've provided these two funds to work with municipalities. And I'm excited, Speaker, to share the next steps in our government's journey with municipalities in the supplementary. A supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. I thank the minister for his answer and for his steadfast leadership on engaging with and building relationships with our municipal partners, including the Region of Peel. Last month, the minister announces continued commitment and support for helping municipalities across our province be more efficient. Could the minister please explain what new steps the government is taking to continue to work in partnership with our municipalities? Minister Ms. Fulveras-Helden. Thanks, Speaker. I am proud to outline our government's path forward. There's essentially four steps our government is taking. First, we're going to renew the Municipal Modernization Fund with up to $125 million over the next four years to those 405 small rural and northern municipalities. We want to help them modernize service delivery. Second, we're going to extend the Audit and Accountability Fund and we'll provide up to $6 million annually over the next three years to help those large municipalities with their effectiveness and efficiency. Thirdly, we're going to consult with municipalities on something that's been talked about for many, many years, and that is aligning the municipal fiscal year with the provincial fiscal year. And finally, another item that's been discussed for many years, and that's the fact that we're going to start the process of consolidating the municipal voters list with the chief electoral officer in Ontario, removing that burden from municipalities. But finally, Speaker, we're going to do something again. We're going to work with municipalities. Thank you very much. The next question, the member from the Steve Walk team still. Thank you, Monsieur le Président. My question is to the Francophone Affairs Minister. A few weeks ago, a teacher from a school had to call 911 for an emergency, and they had to repeat the question in English because the person at the end of the line could not answer in French. And a complaint was sent. Madam Minister, in view of that situation, do you really think that the unity in French language services would have the same mandate as the previous independent commissioner? Thank you, and I thank the member for his question. The safety of Ontarians is very important for the members of the government. Access to services in French is also very important. The Office of the Ombudsman is doing the work to replace the commissioner. They're independent. We are all waiting for them to nominate the replacements soon. They should have an office for complaints, and the commissioner continued to do the work in the past. And they will continue to do the work and have the same responsibilities as in the past. Thank you. Neither the commissioner nor the mandate nor the nature does do not require that the Ombudsman inquire on it. They should use all available means before turning to the Ombudsman. With the previous commissioner, he was done a few weeks ago. I put forward a draft bill recently in order to have an independent office. Madam Minister, I put the question that all French Ontarians were going to put to you. Are you going to reestablish the independent commissioner? Yes or no? Speaker, we trust the capacity of the Ombudsman to do the work and respect the law on French language services. But it's important that the member be aware of the important states for the francophones. They want economic development for the French-speaking community. They want to know that when they meet services in French, promote their interests. These are the important files for the French speakers. And this is the ministry continues doing. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the minister of government and consumer services. Yesterday, I had the privilege and thrill of speaking on a panel at the Ontario Real Estate Association Conference alongside the member from Guelph, the member from Ottawa South, and the member from Brampton Centre. And I must say, Mr. Speaker, I was encouraged to see members from all political stripes represented. Real estate professionals from across the province were in attendance to participate in an important discussion of the future of their industry. And it's great to see many of those professionals in attendance here with us today in the legislature. Mr. Speaker, as the minister responsible for overseeing the legislation that governs Ontario's real estate brokerages, brokers, and salespeople, can the minister please explain what work the government is doing to ensure that the industry is managed in a way that protects consumers and provides the hardworking real estate professionals in this province with the tools they need to succeed? Great question. Questions to the minister of government and consumer services. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the member from Willedale for that great question. And I also thank you for joining me and the Premier and the other members of the House in a very important discussion in terms of how do we move our real estate industry forward in Ontario? As you know, it's been nearly 20 years, Speaker, since the last acquist passed. And today's market is so drastically different with new technologies, increased access to market data, as well as changes to consumer expectations. And you know, in response to part of this change that is needed, we actually reached out to our real estate professionals. And we are so pleased with the results of the consultation. 4,200 real estate professionals responded to our online survey. And we had over 80 submissions to our consultation paper as well. And this valuable feedback will in response the legislation that governs the industry in this province going forward. I thank them for their feedback and their participation and their engagement. And I look forward to speaking more about this in this supplementary. Supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the minister for the important work that she is doing for the real estate industry in Ontario. It's no secret that real estate is a crucial part of our province's economy. In 2018, Mr. Speaker, there were over 86,000 registered real estate brokers and salespeople in Ontario and home sales of approximately $107.9 billion. As the minister said, it's been almost two decades since a meaningful update has been made to the Real Estate Business Brokers Act, and the market has changed significantly since then. I want to thank the minister for her leadership in taking on this important review, which impacts the livelihoods of so many Ontarians. Speaker, will the minister please highlight for the members of this House some of the changes that she is proposing? Minister, your reply? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and absolutely. Thank you to the member from Willowdale again, because yesterday was a good day where I was able to stand in front of the real estate professionals from across Ontario and tell them sincerely, we heard you loud and clear. We know that this act needs updating, and we intend to take bold action to bring this legislation into the 21st century. You know, changes and opportunities being considered are enhancing consumer protection. This means increasing choice for consumers and giving them greater access to information that they need. We're also looking at increasing the professionalism among real estate professionals and brokerages. This has been asked for, and you know what? We want to make sure there is a clear set of rules that are easy to understand for all parties. Thirdly, we want to ensure efficient and effective regulation for the real estate sector. We're going to be promoting a strong business environment, and also we're going to be reducing burden on their businesses. Thank you. Next question, the members of sector. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Speaker, the driving conditions in Northern Ontario have to do, that Northern Ontarians have to deal with every winter are disgraceful. On November 1st, we had our first winter closure of the season on Highway 11. The snowy road was closed between Cobalt and Tomogamy for almost the entire morning because of multiple collisions. Yet last week, Speaker, the conservative members of this House voted down my colleague, I apologize, the member from Muskegon, James Bay's private member, Bill, that would have improved winter maintenance on Highways 11 and 17. During the debates, government members from the south said that improving winter maintenance in the north would cost taxpayers a great deal of money without substantial benefits. Why does the Premier believe that the safety of Northern Ontario's drivers is not worth the money? Thank you. I look to the government to reply. Deputy Premier. The Minister of Transportation. I refer to the Minister of Transportation. And I'd like to thank the member opposite for raising the concerns shared by his caucus and their ideas regarding winter road safety on our northern highways. I think all of us, Mr. Speaker, in this House share those goals of maintaining Ontario's roads among the safest in North America, in the south, and in the north. And that's why we have some of the highest standards in North America for road safety and for highway maintenance. Over the course of a typical winter, Mr. Speaker, on average, bare pavement is regained on highways 11 and 17 within seven hours after the end of a storm. Much sooner than the standard time frames for both major highways, class 2 and freeways and urban highways, class 1. Over the past few years, the ministry has worked very hard to continue to enhance the quality of service on our northern highways and roads to ensure that they also are among the safest in North America. And we have done that, Mr. Speaker. We are committed to ensuring the safety and highway maintenance. Thank you very much. A supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the Premier. We may have some, but we don't have all. And I think seven, eight hours after a storm means a lot different in the north than is in the south. Frankly, I'm appalled to hear the minister opposite to defend our position. It simply puts the lives of children, families, and workers at risk. It's even more shocking to hear this concern that the member from Nipissing spoke in this House on multiple occasions in the past to improve winter maintenance on these same Ontario highways. When the northern member from Nipissing was in the opposition, he said, and I'm quoting here, constituents and municipalities want the minister of transportation undertake the evaluation and potential reclassification of all provincial highways to ensure adequate road maintenance. Speaker, that member was right to criticize the Liberals in the past for deregulating the maintenance contracts. However, what he forgot to mention was that the privatization of winter services began under the conservative Premier Mike Harris. Speaker, why does the government think that northern Ontario's should drive on poorly maintained roads and risk their lives every single winter? Good question. Minister of transportation is wrong. Mr. Speaker, first of all, the minister of economic development, job creation, and trade has been the fiercest advocate for the north and the north in this chamber. There are concerns. And the member from Nipissing and the minister of economic job creation, development, and trade has been a strong advocate for road safety in the north. And perhaps, Mr. Speaker, that's why we already have, we already exceed the standards that were called for by the member of opposition in his private member's bill. At seven hours to get to bare pavement, those standards are higher than the standards we have on class one and class two highways. I am very proud of the work that we're doing at the Ministry of Transportation to ensure the safety of our highways across the province, and especially in the north, where winter conditions make driving difficult. And we will continue to see how we can improve on our good record. We will continue to work to ensure the safety of our roads and the drivers who use them. Thank you. The next question, the member for Flamborough, Glenbrook. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And my question is for the Minister of Health. Mr. Speaker, for years, Hamiltonians have been facing long wait times in our hospitals. When our government was elected, the people of Ontario gave us a very clear mandate to fix this longstanding problem. And, Mr. Speaker, we are taking steps to end hallway health care now, while building a sustainable public health care system for the future. This is what Ontarians expect of us. Will the Minister tell this House what we are doing to end hallway health care in Hamilton and right across the province? Great question. Questions to the Minister of Health. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I thank the member from Flamborough, Glenbrook for her question for being such a strong advocate on behalf of her constituents. Investing in hospital infrastructure is a very important pillar of our plan to end hallway health care. Our government has committed to investing $27 billion over 10 years to build capacity throughout the system, including in our hospitals and in other community-based care facilities. In Hamilton, that means the Centre for Mountain Health Services is receiving $19.8 million towards annual service payments for their West Fifth Site. The Hamilton Health Sciences Stem Cell Transplant Capital Expansion Project is also receiving $10 million in funding for planned construction progress. These new investments in hospital infrastructure will accommodate the growing demand for hospital beds and for specialist services. Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue to build our health care system and deliver real results for Ontarians. For being no further business this morning, this house stands in recess until 3 p.m.