 time for question period the member from Prince Edward Hastings. Thanks speaker and good morning my question today is for the Premier. Last week we learned that nine companies built Ontario electricity customers out of 265 million dollars. Now we know one of those companies is run by your government Ontario power generation. OPG's turn at the trough cost electricity payers tens of millions of dollars in inappropriate expenses. That's after your government Premier was warned five times about the program that OPG was abusing. So speaker my question to the Premier is this did her government ignore warnings from the energy board because they enjoyed collecting the money that OPG was wrongfully taking from electricity customers. Thank you Mr. Speaker we're confident in the Ontario energy board and our system operator to run an efficient reliable and fair electricity market for rate payers across the province and both the real-time generation cost guarantee program and the congestion management settlement credit playing extremely important role in our electricity system Mr. Speaker these programs are required to keep the electricity system reliable for families and businesses across the province and stable for our neighbors and other jurisdictions if these programs were eliminated reliability would be put at risk when it comes to OPG Mr. Speaker they released a statement and what they said was in respect of some of what they thought were eligible costs OPG repaid certain costs claimed amounts after discussions concluded on what constituted eligible costs OPG promptly repaid the amounts to the ISO and full in 2015. Thank you supplementary. Speaker back to the Premier the Minister of Energy may be confident in OPG but the people of Ontario and the official opposition have no confidence none in this government to keep a watchful eye on what's happening especially in the energy sector the energy board issued five warnings to four different ministers of energy and two different premiers about the program that OPG was abusing the government ignored all of them Mr. Speaker now we find out that the government benefited to the tune of tens of millions of dollars this at a time when electricity prices were skyrocketing 600,000 Ontarians were behind on their bills 60,000 were being cut off. Speaker four ministers were warned and three of them are still in Premier Wynn's cabinet. How much would electricity break payers have to be out before the Premier finally held someone accountable. Thank you Mr. Speaker abuses within the system are completely unacceptable and that's why the system operator has investigated those market participants and where significant wrongdoing was present. Compensation has been recovered and returned to rate payers 168 million of the 200 million and in eligible cost has been recovered by the ISO Mr. Speaker the total annual cost for the real-time generator cost guaranteed program are now 23 million down significantly from 61 in 2014 Mr. Speaker and also according to the December 2016 market surveillance panel report many of the most problematic issues associated with the congestion management settlement credit regime have been brought to an end in large measure as a result of the panel having identified these situations and the ISO having acted to eliminate them the auditor general says our system operator does act when the board's market surveillance panel makes a recommendation but the panel itself disagreed Mr. Speaker final supplementary speaker the energy minister said a lot right there but what he didn't say was that he was going to go back and try and get the 92 million dollars that still outstanding electricity customers in Ontario have overpaid by that much and energy minister after energy minister after energy minister after energy minister four of them and two premiers sat by idly and did nothing despite the warnings as late as September 2016 ISO was still being told at public meetings that this program was a problem when we tried to have the justice committee review the ISO this October what did the government do they said no and stood firmly against accountability the liberals didn't want electricity customers to know that they were benefiting from this abuse of the program speaker the premier has shown that she thinks she's above accountability does she actually think she's above the law too Mr. Speaker as stated before abuses within the system are completely unacceptable and that's why we have our system operator act on these programs Mr. Speaker and that's why the system operator investigated those market participants where there was significant market wrongdoing present compensation has been recovered and it has been returned to ratepayers Mr. Speaker and one of the most egregious they were a record ten million dollars Mr. Speaker to make sure that we can recoup those costs for excuse me for all ratepayers but again Mr. Speaker more program updates are on the way in form of market renewal Mr. Speaker that again is rebuilding the foundation and which also increased the flexibility and efficiency within Ontario's electricity market Mr. Speaker the market renewal initiative is expected to result in more competitive marketplace answer that meets our system needs while increasing flexibility and efficiencies and will always rely on the OEB and the system operator to keep the system in check new question the member from Renfrew Nipissing-Kembroke last week the member from Barry lashed out at small business owners concerned about the impact of a 32 percent increase in the minimum wage she told business owners that they shouldn't be operating if they can't afford it a member of this government think struggling business owners should just shut up and close their doors speaker is that the official position of this government or will the premier insist the member from Barry apologize thank you premier the speaker and as the member of this could be the beginning very much mr. Speaker and as the member opposite knows I was I was not here last week I was actually overseas mr. Speaker in China and Hong Kong and Vietnam mr. Speaker over two billion dollars worth of economic activity over two feet for Ontario so it was a very successful trade mission I am however very happy to be back to answer the member opposite's question and to say that even though I wasn't here I am 100 percent certain mr. Speaker that the member for Barry supports small business in her community and across the province age mr. Speaker and can look after themselves and look after their families thank you you see it please you see it please start the clock I did did did did just calming everything down member sup thank you speaker back to the premier shockingly that wasn't the most ridiculous comment the member made that day Lawrence Vindham is closing his butcher shop because he can't afford to operate in liberal Ontario and the member from Barry responds by alleging he is closing his shop and blaming the liberals why because he's a progressive conservative she believes mr. Vindham is going out of business because of some grand p.c. party conspiracy to blame it on the liberals that is absolutely ludicrous mr. Vindham is heartbroken because his former employees are without jobs weeks before Christmas her comments were disrespectful they were shameful speaker mr. Vindham deserves an apology and an explanation we'd love to hear that right now you see it please thank you there are small businesses and medium-sized businesses across this province that are thriving mr. Speaker and in fact there were a hundred delegates who traveled with us on our trade mission mr. Speaker there was young one young man his name was Chad jakeman mr. Speaker and he processes maple syrup and he went to Vietnam with us mr. Speaker he signed a deal in Vietnam to bring Canadian Ontario maple syrup in Vietnam to support small businesses mr. Speaker we are also we are also working to make sure that the people who shop at those small businesses mr. Speaker the people who are the customers of those small businesses can look after themselves can feed their families mr. Speaker and can actually and can actually go into those businesses in barry and across the province and buy the products that those small businesses are selling the speaker final supplementary thank you back to the premium a member from barry isn't alone she might truly believe that businesses should close if they can't afford to operate under your government's policies her colleague from mississauga streetsville called the people who feel the impact of bill 148 bad actor employers the member for beaches east york said they need to rethink their business plan and the minister of labor said they should simply raise their prices it's clear the liberal policies to tell business owners in ontario it's our way or the highway they don't care about the jobs these businesses provide and they don't care if these businesses close speaker how many more liberal other liberal members have told businesses in their writings just to simply close their doors mr. Speaker i really believe that underlying this question is another question and that that is does this member and does this party support ends me and i think that it's important that the party opposite make it clear to the people of ontario whether they support an increase you see the face the signaling has been very clear we're in warnings and i'm all over it new question the leader of the third party thank you speaker the question is for the premier does the premier believe that prepaid hydrometers should be long in ontario does she believe that we should have prepaid hydrometers in this province thank you premier minister of energy minister of energy thank you mr. Speaker protecting ontario's energy consumers and ensuring greater fairness across the energy system are the top priorities of this government hydro one as we said before mr. Speaker over the last few weeks the member from land arc front net renix and adding to this one thank you mr. Speaker as said before hydro one is exploring this technology as an effort to ensure more customer choice this is part of a proposal that is before the ontario energy board who have to approve this technology before it's even allowed to be used mr. Speaker and the ontario energy board makes decisions and rules to ensure that consumers are treated fairly and they will factor this in when they make their decision about this new technology but let me repeat that mr. Speaker even if this technology is ever approved by the ontario board ontario energy board customers will have to opt in to be part of this program answer also no residential customer will be without power during the winter months regardless of any type of meter that they choose to have in the future thank you mr. Speaker supplementary speaker hydro one has filed paperwork to force families who are already struggling with sky high hydro bills to feed the meter before they can turn on their lights i want to ban prepaid meters from ontario that's why this afternoon i will be introducing a bill to do exactly the premier of this province agree and support a ban on prepaid hydrometers in our province again thank you mr. Speaker again even if this technology is approved by the oeb mr. Speaker and the oeb will review this and the oebs oebs mandate is to ensure that they have the ratepayers best interests at heart mr. Speaker even if they were to actually approve this customers will then have the member from timmons james bay is warned again mr. Speaker then it's up to the customers to choose if this is something that they would like if this is something that they want mr. Speaker then the customer can opt in to be part of this program also as stated no residential customer will be without power during the winter months this is just one of the initiatives mr. Speaker let the options that hydro one is examining to offer their customers more choice on how they can manage their electricity accounts it's important to note that this project again is still being reviewed by the oeb mr. Speaker final supplementary prepay utility meters were installed in homes across the uk under margaret thatcher they were so disastrous for family speaker that they banned them they subsequently banned them from that country yet this liberal premier seems bent on allowing privatized hydro one to use prepaid meters here in ontario a lot of people might be surprised and disappointed to see the premier following in the footsteps of margaret thatcher but then again i don't remember her campaigning on selling off hydro one either will this premier do the right thing and agree to ban prepaid margaret thatcher style hydro meters in our province mr. Speaker when that party had the right thing opportunity to do the right thing and vote in favor of giving everyone a 25 percent reduction they voted against it mr. Speaker it was this party it was this government mr. Speaker that introduced the energy consumer protection act and updated it in 2015 by banning door-to-door sales for energy contracts increasing consumer representation in the ontario energy board proceedings and enhancing the authority of the oeb to further protect electricity rate payers by boosting consumer protection we have made sure that we've acted on behalf of the people ontario we brought forward initiatives that will protect them mr. Speaker and we've brought forward a program that actually reduced their rates by 25 percent and even more mr. Speaker if they're low-income individuals or individuals that live in rural or northern parts of the province on that side of the house mr. Speaker they're talking about a pie in the sky program that didn't even consider first nations or low-income individuals mr. Speaker we acted to make sure that we protected those people thank you new question the leader of the third party for the premier speaker the privatized hydro one has applied for many rate increases already including a plan that will hurt first nations communities in the far north it's also planning to invest more than six billion dollars in a dirty coal burning american power company instead of putting that money to work right here in ontario upgrading our power system for ontario families and now instead of respecting the ban on wintertime connections hydro one is trying to find a way around it why is this premier still defending this private for-profit company that so clearly is not working in the best interests of families and businesses in ontario thank you mr. there is no way around the law mr. Speaker hydro one cannot find a way around the winter disconnection program mr. Speaker the law is in place there will be no winter disconnections once it starts they make it up as they go along mr. Speaker that's very clear when it comes to us to a vista mr. Speaker as we said before rates won't be affected here in ontario it won't affect local jobs either and it doesn't affect the the the maintenance that hydro one is doing on a day-to-day maintenance day-to-day maintenance of ontario mr. Speaker making sure that we have some of the cleanest and most reliable power in north america because mr. Speaker we no longer have coal on our system and we're working to continue to have a partner mr. Speaker and that's what hydro one is doing when you look at a vista they've made sure that they're lowering their consumption but when it comes to being the tip of the spear everyone looks to ontario it'll be the example that they want to represent last week the minister of economic development and growth said this about prepay hydrometers and i quote they're not evil there's nothing that affects vulnerable people in any way about this that's not true speaker when someone gets behind on their hydro payments right now the hydro companies will work with that person they'll work with that family to try to find an appropriate repayment schedule that works with that person's budget but with a prepay meter the option is completely removed it's either feed the meter or go without power that's what's going to happen how can this premier actually endorse a plan that means vulnerable families could actually have their hydro cut off thank you minister thank you mr. Speaker was this premier who actually created a plan who worked on a plan that actually helped low-income families reduce their bills by 25 percent or even more mr. Speaker and it's that party that voted against it it's this premier and this government that worked on a plan that brought forward a 40 to 50 percent reduction for those northern and rural customers and it's that party that voted against it mr. Speaker when it comes to protecting rate payers when it comes to having the best interest of the people of Ontario at heart it's this premier and this government mr. Speaker and the actions that we have taken are representative of that fact mr. Speaker when the opposition can continue to vote against things and fearmonger that's the scary thing mr. Speaker because at the end of the day there is no such plan in place it is being looked at right now the OEB is considering it and if it is considered mr. Speaker if it is considered by the OEB then it is an opt-in program and people will choose it if it's benefit for them and nobody else mr. Speaker thank you final Speaker premier prepay meters are also extremely expensive to install this liberal government has already wasted millions on not so smart meters i can't understand why they would want to repeat that unfortunate incident again the bottom line is that the private energy system in Ontario isn't working for families or businesses in this province rates have gone up 300 under this government power producers are gaming liberal energy regulators for millions and the private hydro one wants to install prepay meters that would hurt vulnerable Ontarians will this premier support a ban on Margaret Thatcher style prepay hydrometers in our province you see it please you see it please thank you minister thatcher is any thank you mr. Speaker once again i need to repeat there is no prepaid plan coming into place the OEB is reviewing it mr. Speaker and they will then make a decision if the decision of the OEB mr. Speaker is to allow this to move forward they will then do this with the decision of making sure that they're keeping the best interests of ratepayers at heart it is their mandate mr. Speaker to make sure that they keep costs as low as possible for all ratepayers and if they do decide to do this mr. Speaker and that's our quasi judicial organization that makes sure that they look at the impacts that this will have on ratepayers if they make that decision then it is still the customer's choice mr. Speaker if this is something that they want to do there is no back room movement mr. Speaker like the NDP constantly say will happen this is a plan that people will have an opportunity to choose to do if it actually gets approved and moved forward by the OEB mr. Speaker there still is nothing moving forward on this new question the member from neppising thank you and good morning speaker my question is for the premier this morning the financial accountability office released another indictment of this government they said quote additional measures to raise revenue or lower spending will be required if the province intends to achieve a balanced budget the premier called the media from china to say she can't understand how anyone can find any savings yet last week the auditor general found one billion dollars in savings in one report alone in just 14 programs speaker the pc plan will look to save two cents on every dollar that is spent speaker to the premier why is this government mired in waste scandal and mismanagement instead of helping ontario's families thank you very much mr. Speaker well i you know i want to thank the the FAO for his report mr. Speaker he actually confirms that ontario's economy is growing and he expects this growth to continue mr. Speaker and he also confirmed that under the accounting presentation that we've been using for the last 16 years mr. Speaker the budget is balanced and in fact there's a small surplus for 2017-18 mr. Speaker so the report actually shows that our plan is working the economy is growing our unemployment rate is the lowest it's been in 17 years mr. Speaker and more than 843 000 net new jobs have been created since the recession but mr. Speaker the fact is that we continue to work to create more fairness in this province mr. Speaker the reality is that there are still people who are not feeling the benefit of that economic growth mr. Speaker and that's exactly why exactly why we're raising the minimum wage mr. Speaker exactly why oh it plus will be in place as of january 1st mr. Speaker thank you thank you supplementary back to the premier well the FAO delivered a blistering indictment pre speaker so it's obvious that the premier read a different report than everybody else the pc plan is different than the liberal plan the financial accountability office said that government must either raise revenues or lower spending now the ontario pc plan will find two cents on every dollar through eliminating waste this government doesn't even believe exists the premier says savings are impossible well if they can't see how to lower spending speaker then the premier must be raising taxes so speaker to the premier will we know before or after the election which taxes they intend to raise thank you the member opposite is part of the party that has promised that they would cut 12 billion dollars out of mr. Speaker 12 billion dollars this province mr. Speaker every community across this province mr. Speaker the impact of those cuts would be felt so if the member opposite is asking whether we support cutting 12 billion dollars out of program and services in this province mr. Speaker the answer is no we're very appreciative of the FAO's report we're very appreciative that he recognizes the economic growth that we're seeing in this province that he recognizes that the budget is balanced mr. Speaker and we're going to continue to invest in the province and not cut 12 new question member from nickel belt thank you mr. Speaker to the premier last week holly pothio went to brampton civic hospital she was diagnosed with pneumonia at that very scary moment when she needed a hospital bed she was told that brampton civic hospital was too overcrowded they could not take any more patient just imagine speaker having pneumonia and being told that you can't get a hospital bed being told that the hospital is so overcrowded that it cannot help you holly was sent by ambulance to the emergency department at etobicole general that's where she spent two days in a night in a crowded hallway with many other patients in a warning sign rather than an isolation room why is this premier letting down people like holly by failing to stop the crisis of holly medicine inside ontario overcrowded hospital questions thank you well thank you speaker and thank you for this question and we strive to have the very best health care system in the country speaker we actually do have the very best health care system in the country but we know we constantly need to respond to to increases in population speaker to other factors that increase demand on hospitals and that is exactly why we're investing 140 million dollars in the hospital home and community sectors to open new beds new spaces to meet the patient to meet the needs of patients and build capacity across the continuum we have an excellent health care system people in ontario rely on it they know it is excellent but we need to be constantly responding to the changing demand and that's exactly what we are doing here thank you supplementary the premier's temporary bed are not a real solution holly knows that respected health care expert are saying the exact same thing take dr paul pageau president of the canadian associations of emergency physician and i quote says funding for temporary beds does not seem to match up with what a normal hospital bed would be funded at dr doris grinspen ceo of rnao says and i quote we will not succeed at staffing those surge capacity beds because people want permanent full-time work not part-time position that only last a few months why won't this premiere listen to the patient listens to the leaders in health care and fund permanent beds with full-time nurses that ontario need to stop this dangerous overcrowding in our hospitals thank you minister speaker maybe these numbers speak for themselves we're making over two thousand additional beds and spaces available this year to improve access to care for patients and families and to reduce wait times that includes 1200 additional hospital bed speaker that is the equivalent of building six new hospital speaker so uh in addition to that we're building affordable housing for seniors who need additional support so they can get out of the hospital and into a home and make room for someone who needs that hospital care speaker we're creating transitional care spaces for up to 1700 patients who don't require care in a hospital we're reopening 150 beds at humper river hospital a decision that that party ridiculed we're opening 150 beds and 75 more beds at u h n's former health care site we are committed to ensuring excellent care new question the member from scarborough agent court thank you mr speaker my questions for the minister international trade i along with my resident scarborough agent court was closely watching the government's trade mission to china and vietnam these missions are always exciting because they're not only promote ontario on a global schedule scale they bring foreign investment fuel economic growth and enhancing research collaboration they also highlight the great talents we're building right here in ontario with greater access to diverse markets come greater opportunities for ontario businesses workers and consumers in ontario alone mr speaker the international exports accounts for 36 percent of the gdp speaker scarborough agent court residents know that diversifying our trading partners with the goods and services in which we trade is paramount our government's plan to diversify our trade is integral part of prosperous ontario and we have seen this been implemented right now speaker three or two the minister can he please share with the house the success of the recent trade mission to china and vietnam minister of international trade thank you speaker speaker great to be home speaker i'd like to thank the member from agent court for asking this question now more than ever speaker ontario's priority must lie in the diversifying our trade routes is why the premier and i along with a delegation of over 100 businesses travel to china and this was the third premier land mission to china and ontario first ever trade mission to vietnam delegates met with local companies and institutions through the many business to business session and site visit this mission spent seven different cities with focused delegations in medical technology science and technology and the act food sector speaker overall the trade mission illustrates ontario world-class education system our competitive answer environment talented workforce and leadership in developing innovative technologies thank you speaker thank you to the minister for this response it is remarkable to hear ontario expanding the global footprint i know that such achievement positive affect all of ontario and especially my constituent scarborough agent court with china being ontario's second largest single nation trading partner and vietnam is a growing nation bursting with potentials ontario is taking full advantage throughout trade mission to create new relationship and strengthen existing bonds i was very excited mr speaker to hear ontario help meetings with byd jenzi and johnson electrics these businesses have committed to continue growing their businesses here in ontario fundamental demonstrate a stronger confidence in our economy and our talented workforce these trade mission mr speaker tangible evidence of a province and ontario businesses are working together demonstrate opportunities for growth here in ontario speaker through you to the minister can he please question the achievements made during this trade missions that will directly affect ontario's workforce thank you minister thank you speaker she can worry worry proud to announce that ontario companies and institutions side an unprecedented amount of agreements where they'll add about 2.3 billion speaker i would like to highlight a few of our accomplishments number one subsidiary of fear her international will set up kingston's first baby formula production facility which will recreate up to 277 jobs senior glass holdings has selected ontario for its north american facility with 450 million investment and we china will be hosting their 25th anniversary leadership seminar in ontario this event is expected to bring 10 000 people here in ontario speaker our government is at forefront of business and we are prepared to navigate new opportunities thank you my questions to the premier speaker as our st mary's hospital cardiac care providers earn national recognition for some of the best cardiac services in canada patients in a world region are wondering where their liberal government is to support those services january will mark another calendar year with patients still facing long way times before getting bust out of the region for cardiac electrophysiology it also marks five years five years since the liberal government promised funding for an urgently needed still undelivered ep lab at st mary's speaker the people's guarantee prioritizes cardiac care with a commitment to expand cardiac centers in the province will the premier and the dangerous waiting game and commit to expand warler region cardiac care shovels in the ground for the st mary's ep lab before the year is out 2017 thank you deputy premier deputy premier well speaker i know that the uh the minister will be more than happy to answer the specifics of st mary's but i do know that that is a project that is is underway but i know that i know that the member opposite will be very interested to hear generally speaking about our health care system and how we're doing when it comes to wait times the phraser institute has recently announced how ontario is doing relative to other provinces speaker we are only one of two provinces in canada to improve from 2016 to 2017 we have the shortest wait time from gp to specialist the shortest wait times in the country from specialist to treatment we have the shortest wait times for CT scans and the shortest wait times for MRIs we have the shortest wait for ultrasounds the shortest wait times for radiation oncology the shortest wait times for general surgery, and the shortest wait time for gynecological treatments. Well cardiac patients in the Warlew-Wolenton-Lin and surrounding area are continuing to wait and wait and wait. And so how many times do we have to stand up? Member from Kitchener's Centre is warned. Question. How many times do we have to stand up to this Liberal government just to get the vital services that they in fact committed to in 2012? How many more patient bus trips out of the region? How many more rides will this government take us on that end back where we started? Despite ministry staff admitting in committee that yes there would be a letter at the time approving the project last year, no tenders have gone out to move us ahead. In fact since then the ministry has used a separate St. Mary's request on top of the undelivered EP lab as an excuse to move the entire project in fact right back to the starting line. Let me make this simple to the Premier. This cardiac EP lab had already been approved. The Liberals promised it back in 2012 and again in 2016. Will the Premier tell the people of Warlew region exactly when their promised critical care cardiac plan will be up and running? Well Speaker as I said this is a project that is moving forward. We've put seven million dollars and the tendering work is underway. But let's think about what would happen under a PC government if they were to be elected. They've promised 12 billion dollars in cuts. Some of that must come from healthcare Speaker. They've promised 15,000 long-term care beds but have allocated money for 1,000. I have a handful I could actually warrant. To make a historic investment in mental health. From Stormont Dundas, Oakland, Gary has warned. The historic investment in mental health. That investment is one fraction, one-fifth of what we have done over the last, one-fifth of what we have done over the last ten years. The only thing historic about it is that it's historically... Thank you. Another question. It's a member from London West. Thank you Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Speaker, students across Ontario will forever remember 2017 as the year they gave up their dreams of a college education because of the Premier's refusal to use her influence and legislative authority to facilitate college collective bargaining. During the December 5th deadline for tuition refunds, the media's report... Stop the clock. Member from Lancaster Dundas, Glen, Gary, Westdale has warned. Finish. The media's reporting that thousands of college students have asked for their money back and are dropping out altogether. We don't know exactly how many because the government is stalling on releasing the tuition refund numbers nearly a week after the deadline. Speaker, Ontarians deserve to know the full impact of this government's inaction to end the college strike. Will the Premier release the tuition refund numbers today? Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and I know that the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development is going to want to speak to the specifics, but let me just say, Mr. Speaker, that I know that there are students and professors and instructors all over the province, Mr. Speaker, who are working to make up that time, and it was unfortunate that students were out of the classroom, Mr. Speaker, and I know that they are working very, very hard to get all of that work in place, Mr. Speaker. But I think what's interesting is that a member of the new Democratic Party is proposing that we should have used legislative authority earlier in the process to undercut the collective bargaining process, Mr. Speaker. That really is a pretty counter-intuitive position for an NDP member to take, Mr. Speaker. But I just want to say, Mr. Speaker, that we support all of the young people, all the students who are working hard now, and we wish them all the best, and there is funding, and I know that the Minister will speak to that in supplementary. Mr. Speaker, I want the Premier to know that facilitating collective bargaining is very different from legislating workers. Mr. Speaker, here's what we know from the media. More than 1,500 students have withdrawn from Centennial, one-third have no plans to return. Close to 2,000 students have withdrawn from Fanshawe, and about half do not plan to return. 1,200 students have withdrawn from Conestoga, 1,200 from St. Clair, 1,100 from Jordan, nearly 1,000 each from Mohawk and Niagara, almost 1,200 students from the five Northern Ontario College, which is more than double the average attrition rate. There's likely to be another wave of withdrawals before semester two from students who attempted the first semester but struggled with the compressed content. Mr. Speaker, think of the huge loss of talent this represents. Does this Liberal government have a plan to support these students to return to college? Mr. Speaker, I have to say, I am Mr. Fajardo. I'm terrified by this question, because that was the party who time and time and time again voted against getting students back to the classroom. That's what they did. Everyone was here. Hansard actually records that the NDP on record. Member from London West, there's one seatmate who is there too, pretty close. The NDP is on one hand on record as saying that they would never legislate back ever, so we still have a strike, and then we hear we should have used those legislative tools earlier and legislated them back earlier, Speaker. The important thing is, the students suffered from this. We've given them the opportunity to do what is right for them. Some of them have chosen to withdraw, Speaker, and they got full tuition refund. They can restart. We are encouraging that, Speaker. We want them back in college, and colleges want them back, so we're going to work together to get students who did choose to drop out to ... Thank you. New question. Member from Ottobock, North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This question is for the Minister of Francophone Affairs, Marie-François Lland. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to express my pride with respect to our government who is doing all that it can to give Franco-Ontarians the necessary tools to reach their full potential. Government has made the question of equity very important. This will make sure that more than 600,000 Franco-Ontarians continue to play an integral role in our province in French. Can the Minister remind us of our commitment towards the Franco-Ontarian population? The Minister. Thank you. I would like to thank the member of Ottobock, North, for his question. For several months, the Franco-Ontarian population has seen many advances through its various ministries. The government has strengthened this community. I would like to think of the advances made in health with an assistant deputy ministry minister who deals with French exclusively. There's been a pilot project. It's been made permanent with respect to access to French language services. There has been more investment in culture. We have moved towards making the Francophone University a reality. And there's also a new fund dedicated to Francophones, which will provide much important work on the international scale. I would like to thank Kathleen Nguyen, who's working with Franco-Ontarians. First of all, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the minister for her dedication and for this substantial list of things we've done for Franco-Ontarians, Mr. Speaker. There's no doubt that it's thanks to our government that Franco-Ontarians are best situated. This government continues to show its concrete commitment towards Franco-Ontarians. And the minister of Francophone Affairs tell us more about the importance of Franco-Ontarians for our government, the minister. Again, I would like to thank the member for a total cool. North for his question. He's always been the voice of Franco-Ontarians for his community and Franco-Ontarians throughout the province. I'd like to say to you, Mr. Speaker, that I noticed a small paragraph that's part of the magazine that was presented by the party opposite. And I would like to say how disappointed I was to learn that there was no vision for Franco-Ontarians. The official opposition has mentioned the Francophone University, a major project of our government that's already underway. All we see in the party opposite's commitment are vague references that show an ignorance towards the needs of Franco-Ontarians. I would like to assure you, Mr. Speaker, that our government remains committed concretely towards the Franco-Ontarian community. Thank you. My question is for the Premier. This morning's Globe and Mail article reinforced what many of us have known for years. If you need mental health care in Ontario, you will end up on a waiting list. According to a study in the Canadian Mental Medical Association Journal, the majority of people treated in emergency after a suicide attempt are not seen by a psychiatrist for six months. Mental health needs to be treated as seriously as physical health, yet in Ontario, people are waiting months for their first appointment. Under the People's Guarantee, the Progressive Conservative Party has made a commitment of $1.9 billion additionally from mental health services. Understanding that people are not getting the care they need when they need it will the Premier match our commitment? Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I know that the Deputy Premier will want to comment in the supplementary, but Mr. Speaker, the fact is that the promise that the party opposite is made is woefully inadequate over the last 10 years, Mr. Speaker. We've invested $10 billion, Mr. Speaker. We will continue to invest, Mr. Speaker, in mental health supports across this province. We know, Mr. Speaker, that there is more that has to be done over the last decade. There has been a hugely increased awareness of mental health in this province, and quite frankly, Mr. Speaker, across the country. So we will continue to make record investments in mental health as we have done for the last decade, Mr. Speaker, and to suggest that $1.9 billion is adequate, Mr. Speaker, as an increase over the next number of years, it's just not adequate, Mr. Speaker, and we need to continue to make increased investments. If you don't think $1.9 billion in additional funding for mental health services in Ontario is going to make a difference, you need to get out of Queen's Park and talk to the family. It's an odd request of a member from the same place where the question is coming from not to heckle the member that's asking the question. It's kind of odd. Finish, please. We need to talk to the families who are desperate for help. You need to talk to the individuals who are waiting on those wait lists, who've had a suicide attempt, Premier, and they don't get to see anyone for six months. Chair, please. $1.9 billion in additional funding for mental health. The study outlines that only 40% of those who attempted suicide saw psychiatrists within six months of their emergency room visit. That's 45,000 individuals in Ontario without the care they need when they need it. The variance mental health system is in crisis, and that's why Patrick Brown and the PC Party have committed to the largest provincial investment in mental health in King's Park. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The fact is that mental health has been a hidden, it's been a hidden issue in the health care system for decades, Mr. Speaker. That's the reality. So there's actually no argument among any of us in this House that there needs to be increased funding, which is why, Mr. Speaker, over the last decade, we've invested $10 billion, Mr. Speaker, so we continue to increase the amount of funding that goes into mental health supports. So when I say that $1.9 billion is inadequate, Mr. Speaker, I mean just that. I mean that there is going to need to be increased funding over the next... A member from Renfrew Nipissing, Pembroke, will withdraw, and now the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation is warned. Anyone else want to comment? Good. Premier, you may finish. Mr. Speaker, we recognize that there needs to be increased funding over the next decade. And Mr. Speaker, we have made commitments. You can look at our record, $10 billion over the last 10 years, Mr. Speaker, and that funding will continue to increase. That is over and above, Mr. Speaker, the money that was committed. We will continue to invest in mental health because it is increasingly a challenge across the province to meet the need. Thank you. Your question, the Leader of the Third Party. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Two years ago, in 2015, a riot resulted in a hostage-taking of a corrections officer at the Thunder Bay Jail. In May, the Minister said that a new jail was coming to replace the badly overcrowded, wholly inadequate, 100-year-old facility there. How much longer do the corrections officers, the staff and inmates have to continue to struggle in a jail that is considered a powder cake? Community safety and correctional services? Mr. Speaker, community safety and correctional services? Well, Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for a question. And certainly, every time an incident occurs in any of our institutions, it gives me great concerns and certainly a desire to see how we can improve the situation. And you know, when I look at the work that in the past few months that we've worked very closely with each institutions, each of our correction officers, men and women, correctional staff that works in our institutions in improving and working together, we committed to transformation change and we made a commitment to bring forward a brand-new facility in Thunder Bay. And we are working very closely with local representative from the jail and area individual. Mr. Speaker, for me, in moving forward in correction, it means transformation and not only just saying it but acting. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, there was a rabbley last week in Thunder Bay because nothing has changed in terms of the conditions of that jail. When I was in Thunder Bay last week, I learned that all of the conditions that led to the riot, the hostage shaking and the years-long isolation of Adam Capay still exist at the Thunder Bay jail. The 100-year-old Thunder Bay jail is not designed for the number of inmates that it houses. There are staff shortages, inadequate equipment and no sign that this Liberal government is doing anything but pushing the problem down the road. When can the people of Thunder Bay expect shovels in the ground on their new facility? Thank you, Minister. So Mr. Speaker, let me be very, very clear. We have agreed that the system needed to change. The system needs improvement. We have not shy away from this. This is actually why we brought in an independent reviewer, Mr. Howard Sapers, who brought us recommendation and we are working through those recommendations in not only acknowledging that we need to bring infrastructure to the system but also bringing new legislation, changing the way we identified, for instance, segregation. Mr. Speaker, I was also very proud of being part of an award recognition where the Premier and I attended, where we recognized the great courageous work that took place on that special night in Thunder Bay with all these wonderful workers that worked that night. And we did this because we appreciate and value the work. We made the announcement for new infrastructure, Mr. Speaker, and we will be moving forward in that transformation. Thank you. New question, the member from Barrie. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Mr. Speaker, last month, leaders from around the world attended the COP23 in Germany to discuss solutions to climate change. The Minister of Environment and Climate Change was in attendance and was able to share Ontario's environmental initiatives on the world stage. The Minister participated in the first international meeting of the Powering Pass Coal Alliance and was able to showcase Ontario's actions to eliminate coal, and shutting down coal-fired generation in Ontario. That action alone is one of the largest ever greenhouse gas reduction initiatives in North America. It's equivalent to taking 7 million vehicles off the roads. Speaker, can the Minister please describe Ontario's role as an international leader in reducing smog and greenhouse gas emissions? Thank you. Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. Well, thank you, Speaker. I have a hard-working member from Barrie for her very important question. Speaker, last month I was honoured to stand with our federal government and international partners in making a commitment to phase out the use of coal to generate power. I was especially proud to represent a jurisdiction that has made it a top priority to reduce carbon in the production of our electricity. Thanks to our leadership, Ontario's electricity system is more than 90% free of greenhouse gas pollution. In fact, since shutting down coal-fired generation in Ontario, we've seen a dramatic increase in the quality of air. In 2005, Speaker, there were 53 smog advisories issued in Ontario. In 2016, Speaker, there were zero. Phasing out coal has saved Ontario $4.4 billion a year in health, environmental and financial impacts. I'm really proud of Ontario. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for the answer. Speaker, Ontario is recognised as a global leader in taking tough action to fight climate change. Through actions like implementing a cap on pollution, we can collaborate with other provinces and states to achieve meaningful emissions and reductions. While some politicians refuse to believe that climate change is real and a threat, let alone take action, subnational governments like Ontario are leading the way in the fight to save our planet. Can the Minister please explain how Ontario is setting an example for other jurisdictions around the world to take serious, meaningful action on tackling climate change? Thank you, Minister. Well, thank you, Speaker, and thank you again to the member from Barrie for that question. As the member mentioned, Ontario is a global leader in fighting climate change, Speaker. We're proud to be leading the way with a plan that guarantees emission reductions at the cheapest price possible for Ontarians. And we're investing millions of dollars in green programs like home retrofits, bike lanes, incentives for businesses to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. Our plan, Speaker, encourages innovation, and it drives investment to help Ontario continue to be a leader in the low carbon economy. Meanwhile, Speaker, the opposition scheme would cost members of the public, would cost families and businesses significantly more money, Speaker. Our plan is helping Ontarians make more sustainable and affordable choices to guarantee a greener future for Ontario. Thank you. New question? The member from Elgin, Middlesex, London. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Speaker, last week's annual report from the Auditor General continues to shine the light on this government's waste and mismanagement. It was revealed that this government pays more for generic drugs than some Ontario hospitals, up to 85% more. That's an extra $271 million, dollars being spent on medication to do this government's inability to properly manage the system. That money could have gone to fund rare disease drugs or take home cancer medication. Perhaps the government needs to switch priorities and have the hospitals negotiate generic drugs on their behalf. Can the Premier explain the House why the people of Ontario continue to pay more and receive less from this government? Thank you, Premier. Well, thank you, Speaker. Thank you to the member for this question. We are determined to get better prices for our drugs, and that's why Ontario took a leadership role when we cut the price of generic drugs in half for all Ontarians. That was a policy that the member from Elgin, Middlesex, London actually opposed and ran for the Progressive Conservative Party because he opposed them that much. So, Speaker, I just don't think he has a lot of credibility when it comes to supporting the reduction of the price of drugs. Speaker, we have established the Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Pricing Network because so if we work as a country, Speaker, we will continue to drive prices down. And of course, bringing in pharma care for all people under age 25 will also give us more buying power, which will reduce the price of drugs in the future. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker, back to the Premier. And when this government wants to go low on personal attack, they'll go high. The waste and mismanagement is truly astonishing, but I think they've outdone themselves with this report. In 2015-16, the Minister of Ministry of Health purchased nearly $1 million in prescription drugs for those who were already deceased. Only $42,000 of that $1 million was recovered by the Ministry, which resulted in the taxpayers beyond the hook for over $950,000. This government refuses to pay for take-home cancer treatments for the series of the ill, and yet is fine with spending a million dollars on prescriptions for the dead. Will the Premier apologize for this gross oversight to those who continue to struggle to pay for medications, to pay for cancer treatments, to pay for rare disease drugs in Ontario? Well, Speaker, I don't consider it a personal attack when someone's on the record as opposing a reduction in... Never too late. Remember from the P.N. Carlton's warrant. As I was saying, I do not consider it a personal attack when someone is on the record as opposing a reduction in generic drugs in this problem. That is a fact that we've done on the Ontario-led pharmaceutical alliance has successfully lowered drug prices for people in Ontario and in the country, saving a billion dollars each and every year, Speaker. The cuts we made to the price of generic drugs, Speaker, is saving $500 million a year. It might be more now. That was the number of few years ago, Speaker. There is more work to do, and of course the member opposite knows, because he is a pharmacist, that sometimes there are drugs for people in the last days of their life that are not used. Thank you. There are no deferred votes. This House stands recess until 1 p.m. this afternoon.