 It is now time for a question period. The Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. The people of Whitby Oshawa sent this government a very clear message. They are tired of the cost of keeping their lights on. And the people of Whitby Oshawa don't support this Hydro-1 fire sale. I heard those messages at almost every door I knocked on. Mr. Speaker, it continues to be a disgrace that this Premier ignores families across the province. Whitby Oshawa told the Premier that life is harder under the Liberals because of their hydro policies. But she won't listen. Mr. Speaker, why is the Premier continuing with the Hydro-1 fire sale, despite a very clear signal across the province and in Whitby Oshawa, that you're offside with the residents of this province? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I know that the Leader of the Opposition is very aware that the building of infrastructure in this part of the province, in fact across the province, is of critical concern to every community, Mr. Speaker. If the Leader of the Opposition had the opportunity to speak with mayors across the province, including in the GTHA, he'd know that infrastructure is number one on the list. So in terms of roads and bridges and transit, Mr. Speaker, transit expansion, those are critical investments that must be made now, Mr. Speaker. And I think that the Leader of the Opposition is also aware that in order to do that, there must be funding, Mr. Speaker, and so broadening of the ownership of Hydro-1, which is a proposal that in the past the Conservatives might have supported, Mr. Speaker. That is part of the plan to build that very, very necessary infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier, quit the spin. Over 200, you talk about talking to mayors, over 200 municipalities have passed resolutions saying they're against the Hydro-1 fire sale. And in terms of infrastructure, Mr. Speaker, the infrastructure budget prior to the fire sale was $130 billion. It's $130 billion after not a single cent has been added to infrastructure. So let's talk about the facts. The Auditor-General has said this government will overcharge the equivalent of $450 each year for every person in Ontario. That is reflected on every bill. That's about $40 a month per person. Mr. Speaker. I've tried to simply ask for order, and if I'm not going to get it, I'm going to the individual, and I may go to warnings. We're not starting that way. Please finish. Mr. Speaker, the government may trivialize this cost, but to the average family, it means a lot. It can mean an extra night at a restaurant. It can mean new shoes for a child at the start of the school year. Mr. Speaker, why has the Liberal government made it so much harder for Ontario families to pay for their hydro bills? No more spin. No more excuses. Why? The Leader of the Opposition knows that it is critical that we make the investments in infrastructure that municipalities across the province are crying for, Mr. Speaker. They know that if they're going to be able to grow their economies, if they're going to be able to attract the jobs that they know they need, those infrastructure investments must be needed. We also know, Mr. Speaker, that... My comment was meant for all members, not one side. I understand, Mr. Speaker, that in order to make these investments, there are decisions that had to be made that are difficult. We understand that on this side of the House, but we also understand, Mr. Speaker, that if we're going to grow the economy, if Ontario is going to stay as a leader in economic growth and job creation in this country, Mr. Speaker, we must make those investments. That's why we've made this decision. In terms of hydro prices, electricity prices, Mr. Speaker, there are programs that we have put in place specifically to address the challenges of people who are on loan. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I hope the member of the opposition... Thank you. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. And no matter how many times you say it's about infrastructure, your infrastructure budget has not changed. So let's talk about the facts again. This is because of billions and billions of dollars worth of your energy scandals. It's the fact that Ontario will be paying neighbouring states and provinces to take our extra energy. It's just the first six months of 2015, Ontario paid $1.1 billion to give away our energy. Liberal waste and mismanagement are having real consequence for Ontario families and seniors. The consequences are seen every month on Ontario's hydro bills. Mr. Speaker, will the Premier finally take responsibility? Will she admit that liberal waste and mismanagement are the only reasons we are seeing higher hydro bills? Thank you. Premier. Mr. Speaker, we will take responsibility for the investments that we are making around this province. We'll take responsibility for the LRT that's being built in Ottawa. We'll take responsibility for the four-laning of Highway 17, Mr. Speaker. We'll take responsibility for the lines that are being built in municipalities across the GTA, Mr. Speaker. We will take responsibility for the support that we are giving municipalities across the province. Member from Durham County. That is the kind of investment that is necessary at this moment. Mr. Speaker, it's necessary. Member from London, Kate Middlesex. But it's also necessary for job creation right now. The member from Leeds, Grenville. $134 billion over 10 years to make sure that we are set in terms of our infrastructure to compete globally. We are not competing with other jurisdictions in Canada, Mr. Speaker. We are competing with the world. And in order for us to do that, we need to make those investments. We're making them, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Start the clock. New question, the leader of the opposition. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier, since I can't get an answer on energy, I'll try something else. It's been 10 months since the Premier held her first cap and trade photo op. The Liberals told us that details would be coming, but no details. Since then, the Premier and her ministers have made multiple announcements that have reminded me of the movie Groundhog Day. The same non-announcement time and time again. Families and businesses want to know the true cost of the cap and trade plan. George Smitherman said when he introduced the Green Energy Act that it would cost about $1 a day. The Auditor General has since told us that it's costing people thousands of dollars every single year. Ontario deserves to know exactly how much this cap and trade proposal will cost them every year. Mr. Speaker, will the Premier finally provide details and costs? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. While the Leader of the Opposition knows full well that we have introduced a strategy, he knows that we are linking our carbon market with Quebec and with California, with Manitoba, Mr. Speaker. But, Mr. Speaker, I cannot imagine in 2016 a more irresponsible position than a position taken by a politician that says we're not going to have a plan to address climate change. We're going to bury our head in the sand and we are going to pretend that we can continue to... I know that sometimes it's hard to hear the heckles. This is about taking decisive action. We've shut down all the coal-fired plants, Mr. Speaker. We're taking the next step. The fact that the Leader of the Opposition has no plan to address climate change, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier, that's exactly what we're talking about. There is no plan. Everyone in Ontario is asking, will the Premier finally introduce details to show Ontario that you have a plan? That's precisely our worry. The government has talked about cap-and-trade since 2008. Not a single detail. You've made countless announcements since last April, but no details. We have asked to see an economic analysis of cap-and-trade. Nothing. We've asked for details on carbon credits. Nothing. We've even asked the most basic question of what it will cost Ontario families. Minister of transportation. A food and heating. Alberta's Premier released details on the very first day they announced it. But in Ontario, nothing. Why do we get nothing from the Liberals? If you have a plan, you won't hide it. Question? Mr. Speaker, families need time to plan. Businesses need times to budget. Will you provide details at some point, or is this another Liberal secret that you're going to hide from the people of Ontario? Are you seated, please? Thank you. Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I trust that the Leader of the Opposition will read our climate change strategy that sets specific targets, Mr. Speaker, and demonstrates how we are going to reach that 80% below 1990 levels by 2020, Mr. Speaker. The fact is that the plan is being designed, and as we come up with the design features, we put those into the public realm, Mr. Speaker. I think that what is really important is that underlying this question, and I think people need to understand that, is underlying this question is an assumption that we don't need to do anything, that as a society we can just sit back and we can continue to emit greenhouse gases that we don't have to take responsibility for the future of our children and our grandchildren, Mr. Speaker, that we don't have to do anything more than just sit back and do exactly what we've been doing for the last 40 years, Mr. Speaker. Well, that's unacceptable. Answer. It's an irresponsible position. We are tackling this head-on. We have made huge advances. We have taken the biggest strides in North America by shutting down all the coal-fired plants. We're taking the next step, Mr. Speaker. I expect them to support. Thank you. Thank you. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier, and I will give the Premier a third opportunity. The details of the $2 billion cap and trade scheme should not be hidden from the public. If this system is to be successful, there needs to be proper monitoring of emissions, credit allowances, and trading procedures. The only information we have from this Premier is that they've already committed $312 million of money that she hasn't even collected. Well, that's a good gesture. It's well short of the $2 billion in revenue the government has predicted it will collect from this scheme. Mr. Speaker, when will the Premier tell us what she plans to do with the other $1.7 billion from Ontario families and businesses? Why won't you just be transparent? In a responsible way, Mr. Speaker. Of course there will be allowances. Of course all of those structures will be in place, Mr. Speaker. We've released our climate strategy. We've made it clear what the targets are. We've made it clear how we're going to be working with Quebec in California, with Manitoba, Mr. Speaker. And we will be putting those design features out as we develop them, Mr. Speaker. But the fact is that people in this country in this province, around the globe, are already seeing the impacts of climate change, Mr. Speaker. And to be in a debate with a party that has no plan, that has no idea of how they would deal with climate change and all they can do, Mr. Speaker, is present a critique that is hollow at its very, very best. So the fact is we know that... Finish, please. We know that higher food costs, Mr. Speaker. Extreme weather events, droughts and floods. All of those are related to climate change. And Mr. Speaker, all of those increase costs for families. We're going to tackle those as responsible member of the global community. Thank you. Thank you. New question, the leader of the third party. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. The people of Ontario have clear priorities, like creating good jobs and protecting the health care that we rely on. People expect their Premier to share those priorities too, Speaker. But instead, the Liberals are making deep cuts to health care that we rely on. Cuts that mean longer wait times for patients, fewer registered nurses in our hospitals and less care when people need it the most, Speaker. Why does the Premier think patients should pay the price for the cuts to health care? Thank you, Premier. Mr. Speaker, first let me just say that I absolutely share the concerns of the people of Ontario in terms of the need to make sure that services like health care and education are strong, Mr. Speaker. We rely on those every single day. I understand that right now we are having a real challenge as a country and as a, quite frankly, a global economy to make sure that we have good work for all of the people who live in our constituencies, Mr. Speaker, for all of our residents to make sure that our economies grow. So the fact is, Mr. Speaker, that we have a plan in place that is tackling those things. That plan does not include cutting health care, Mr. Speaker. That plan includes increasing our health care budget year after year, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker... Finish, please. What increased funding does not mean, Mr. Speaker, is never changing anything. It doesn't mean that. There have to be changes. Dealing with increasing health challenges, we're putting more money there. More money into community care, Mr. Speaker. All of those challenges are things that we're tackling head on. Well, Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are cutting hospital budgets four years running, heading into the fifth. It has been cut by $250 million, and another $250 million is... The minister of education has a priority for Ontarians to have a good health care system. It is a priority for the Democrats as well, Mr. Speaker. But it is not, obviously, a priority for the Supreme Court. Remember, for Newmark and Aurora, come to order. We're already waiting hundreds of days for home care. Thousands of seniors are stuck on wait lists for long-term care for years, Mr. Speaker. And now nearly 1,200 registered nurses have been cut from our hospitals, Mr. Speaker. In just over a year. And say she's not cutting our health care system. Thank you. Here, over a year, it will continue to increase if the member opposite she will see in the budget, Mr. Speaker. There is an increase to health care. And let's just go through the hospitals and health care centers around the province that are hiring, Mr. Speaker, that have jobs posted as we speak. The Ottawa Hospital in Ottawa... The member from Hamilton... Hamilton Health Sciences, Aralea Soldiers Memorial Hospital, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Care Group, Cambridge Memorial Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, Grand River Hospital, Health Sciences North and Sudbury, Mr. Speaker. There are institutions all over this province who are hiring, Mr. Speaker. They are posting jobs. The health care budget will increase. But we are making changes, Mr. Speaker. We are changing the health care system to deliver health care where people need it, when they need it. And that causes some disruption in the system. And it has to... Mr. Speaker, the Premier of this province should at least know what she's talking about when she talks about health care. The jobs she's talking about are casual jobs. They are unscheduled, part-time jobs. That is not the kinds of nurses and frontline health care workers. That is the truth. You talk to any CEO what's happening, Speaker. Next week's budget could bring the expect to see in next week's budget. And here's what that means to people, Speaker. When a patient in Windsor or Waterloo or North Bay needs help, the nurse that they need to rely on will not be there for them. That patient will have to wait longer for care, Speaker. Why won't this Premier think about patients for a change and stop her cuts to health care? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me just make some comparisons because the leader of the third party wants to talk about our record. Let's talk about their record where the number of R-ends... So they fired more than 10,000 R-ends. We have hired more than 10,000 R-time positions. The percentage of nurses working full-time under the NDPL by 3%, Mr. Speaker. The percentage of nurses working full-time have increased under our government by 14%, Mr. Speaker. They introduced more part-time nurses. We've hired more full-time nurses to the tune of 25,000 in the last year, including last year where the complement of nurses come to order by more than 1,000, Mr. Speaker. New question? Leader of the third party. Well, Speaker, the patients in Ontario I'm sure are not impressed with that minister's response. Speaker, my next question is for the Premier. For most Ontarians, life is actually getting harder. I keep meeting families across this province who are struggling. They can't find a decent job. And more and more people are trying to survive part-time work if they can find a job at all, Speaker. But rather than working to make life better for families, the Liberals are too busy helping private investors turn a profit on the sell-off of Hydro-1. Why is this Premier more interested in helping her friends when she should be working for all Ontarians? Well, Mr. Speaker, it's very interesting to me that in one breath, the leader of the third party talks about the need for jobs and the next thing out of her is about actually taking actions that would decrease jobs. The fact is, Mr. Speaker, the investments in infrastructure that we are making are creating 110,000 jobs a year, Mr. Speaker. Those are jobs that are happening right now. Never mind the jobs down the road because of the economic growth that that infrastructure will foster, Mr. Speaker. So the fact is that I would expect the leader of the third party would actually be supportive of investment in infrastructure. That the leader of the third party would understand that putting people to work and providing those opportunities builds prosperity now, Mr. Speaker, and into the future. I would think that the leader of the third party would be very supportive of the opportunities that are created by those investments. The investments that we are making in people's talent and skills, that she'd be supportive of in the future. Mr. Speaker, regardless of the way the Premier decides to weave her tail, we all know that the way that you build infrastructure is not by selling off Hydro-1. In fact, that is the worst way to pay for infrastructure. So we have to actually look at what is happening in Ontario today. Windsor has the highest unemployment rate in the entire country. Young people are struggling to work and to get a good start in their life. And families are starting to feel like there are two different worlds here in the province of Ontario. There's a world where this Premier helps her friends get rich off the sale of our public hydro system. And there's another world where families are falling further and further behind. People want to know why isn't this Premier working for them? It is a world where we have to make decisions and we have to work on a whole number of friends. I understand the challenges of people in Windsor, which is why we're doing everything in our power to make sure that the auto sector and manufacturing sector have our support. I was at a plant this morning where there's green technology that's being developed, solar panels are being developed and sold internationally. We're working to support a company like that that's going to expand. There are the kind of companies all across the province, whether it's in southwestern Ontario or eastern Ontario or northern Ontario, that we are looking to support the world I live in is the world where we have to make those decisions that are in the best interest of the people of this province. They're not always popular. It's difficult to make some of those decisions, but that's actually the role of government, to make those decisions so we make the investments that are needed today for the future of Ontario. That's the work we're doing. You see it, please? You see it, please? Thank you. Final supplementary. This premier needs to stop kidding herself. The sell-off of Hydro-1 is not a difficult decision. It is the wrong decision for the people of Ontario have told her that. In fact, the people of Ontario have clear priority speaker. They want to create good jobs, but the Liberals just are not working for Ontarians, rather than helping people. We see a premier who is focused on helping private investors profit off of the sale of Hydro-1. We see Liberal insiders facing criminal charges for their conduct in the premier's office, and next week we will see even deeper cuts to our public services. How can this question be so far to touch with the people of Ontario and their priorities? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Let's just look at the facts. Let's look at what is actually happening in Ontario, Mr. Speaker. Despite what the leader of the third party is saying, 2015 third quarter results showed Ontario's real GDP has grown by 0.9%, which has outpaced both Canadian and U.S. economies. We've ranked the first direct investment in North America over the second year in a row, Mr. Speaker. Ontario was the only province in Canada to gain jobs in January, Mr. Speaker. And since the recession, Ontario has created more than 600,000 jobs. 608,300 to be exact. Almost 99% of those are full-time, Mr. Speaker. The unemployment rate of 6.7 is beating the national unemployment rate of 7.2%, and we've invested more than $6.5 million in youth employment. Mr. Speaker, we are working on every front to make sure that we create the conditions for economic growth and prosperity in this province. Good question. Remember from here on, Mr. Speaker, Ontarians are rightly outraged with the waste and abuse of their money by the Liberals Tire Tax Agency, Ontario Tire Stewardship. When drivers are using EcoTax on each tire, they expect the money will go towards protecting our environment and increasing recycling. But, Mr. Speaker, the Toronto Star has revealed OTS has been blowing that money on Liberal Golf Tournaments, to be exact, lavish stays at luxury hotels and fancy dinners of Elk Tenderloin and wild boar chops. Mr. Speaker, there's only one way to stop this abuse of Ontarians money, and that is to scrap the Liberals Tire Tax Agency. So, Mr. Speaker, will the minister commit today to establish a clear legislative timeline to even make OTS? Mr. Speaker, I'm so glad the Toronto Star is doing its job because the opposition isn't. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, where the party opposite has been while this government has been working hard, presented a bill last year that eliminates the Tire Stewardship organization over the next year. And, Mr. Speaker, we didn't even have a question from the opposition for an entire year on this, and then they had to read the newspaper to realize the government already solved the problem. And, Mr. Speaker, maybe the member opposite who's so frustrated by the issues of donations from that could explain why the conservative party, not once, not twice, but three times took money from the Ontario Stewardship organization. Supplementary. It has nothing to do with the question at hand. Minister of Aboriginal Affairs will come to order. Please put the question. It is interesting, Speaker, when you can't defend something you try to deflect. So, we'll go back to this question. The minister has admitted his equal tax programs and agencies are holding the province back from achieving a higher rate of waste diversion. Last November, Speaker, the minister's office actually told the Toronto Star that to move forward with reform Bill 151 would scrap equal tax agencies like OTS. Unfortunately, when reading Bill 151, it's clear there are no guarantees that this will actually happen. This oversight proves, yet again, Speaker, that this government just can't get anything right. So, Speaker, will the minister commit to close this loophole and establish a clear legislative timeline to eliminate all equal tax programs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are no equal tax programs. They are all being eliminated. We've already done that. I know, I mean, it's clear, you know, Mr. Speaker, the the leader, the opposition party doesn't read the climate strategy. It clearly... Finish, please. Mr. Speaker, it's very clear that the opposition doesn't read the climate strategy. It doesn't read Bill 151, which very clearly outlines a schedule over the next five years for an orderly transition. Remember from here on, the Toronto Star, Mr. Speaker, because that seems to be the only journal of record. They have, they complain about donations from Ontario Stewardship but they're there running with their bag their bag men are running over there to collect the money, Mr. Speaker. It's an absurd moral conundrum they've gotten themselves into, Mr. Speaker. That's not deflection. That's painting yourself into a corner. But that sort of is your problem. New question. Remember from Toronto, Danforth. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the Premier. When the government set up a website to ask Ontarians for budget ideas, the second most popular idea was to stop the sale of Hydro One. People of Ontario know that Hydro One fire sale will drive up their electricity costs while costing the public hundreds of millions of dollars a year in stable long-term revenue. The Premier desperately wants to distract the people of Ontario from the sale of Hydro One but beer and wine announcements don't seem to be doing the job anymore. Is the government ignoring the people who spoke at budget hearings disrespecting this legislature and rushing ahead with early budgets just so it can change the channel on Hydro One? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I know that the member from Toronto, Danforth has been in this place for quite a long time but he keeps promulgating myth after myth after myth. Mr. Speaker he's the most myth taken man. That's too close. I'm going to ask the member to withdraw. Draw Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Mr. Speaker he should get his facts straight. First of all, in terms of Hydro One five billion dollars will go to paying down debt Mr. Speaker four billion dollars will be invested in infrastructure Mr. Speaker and that will not come from taxes, it will not come from increasing our debt and it will not come from cuts Mr. Speaker it is responsible fiscal management for repurposing our assets Mr. Speaker in order that we can provide more services and more economic development for the people in the province of Ontario. Thank you. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, Ontarians know the sale of Hydro One is not about them or their interests. They know it's about the interests of the Liberal Party and their base street friends. The sale of Hydro One shows a government that can't think beyond the next election of Ontario families. Will the government finally put the interests of Ontario families ahead of the interests of the Liberal Party and stop the sale of Hydro One? Mr. Speaker, the premise of the question is that electricity rates are going to be going up in Ontario. They've been saying that across the province over and over again Mr. Speaker. They know Mr. Speaker that the Ontario Energy Board is the independent regulator that controls prices. They've done it before the broadening of ownership from Hydro One. They're doing it afterwards Mr. Speaker. As a matter of fact the Ontario Energy Board in legislation that we've passed in this legislature is strengthening the role of Ontario Energy Board so that if any utility including Hydro One is not abiding by the rules they're subject to a fine of a million dollars a day Mr. Speaker on the order of the Ontario Energy Board. Under regulation the people of Ontario are better protected and Hydro One will not be able to raise its own rights. Thank you. New question. A member from Ottawa South. My question is for the Minister of Finance. You provided an update to the people of Ontario through the 2015 fall economic statement. In the update you talked about our government's work and plans to continue creating jobs and growing our economy. Minister, most recently we've heard that since 2009 Ontario has created over 608,300 jobs. Minister, like many Ontarians residents of Ottawa South would like to hear more about our government's plan. Minister, could you please tell us when the next update on our progress will be. Thank you. Minister of Finance. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I thank the member from Ottawa South for the question. Over the last few months the government has collected over 2,700 ideas and free budget submissions. We've heard from Ontarians through in-person meetings online with budget talks in writing and via telephone town halls. In total there were 20 in-person consultations in 13 cities where we heard from over 700 people. And what we heard consistently that people want to get to and from work more quickly and spend more time with their families. They want to know that they have secure retirement and they want a government that will invest in the people of this province while remaining fiscally responsible. And that Mr. Speaker is what we will do in a 2016 budget. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker and I thank the minister for that update. I had the opportunity as well to participate in the Tell Town Hall with a number of my caucus colleagues from Ottawa where we spoke with thousands of people, thousands of residents in Ottawa and we too heard the same thing that people want us want a government that they can count on to make their lives easier. One that focuses on the things that are important to them and their families. So Mr. Speaker, through you to the minister can the minister please let us know how our government plans to do, what our government plans are to do just that and when? Thank you. Good question Mr. Speaker and I again thank the member from Ottawa South for the question. Next week we will be providing an update to Ontarians on how we will continue to create jobs, grow the economy, invest in our young people, combat climate change and build key infrastructure. As a government we are focused on working together for the people of Ontario and with the upcoming budget we will provide a positive plan to do just that. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to presenting Ontario's 2016 budget in this very house on the 25th of February. Thank you. Thank you. My question is to the minister of health and long-term care. Connect for mental health and inexpensive program to help psychiatric patients leave hospitals and successfully reintegrate into communities has been dropped in London. The $106,000 program saved London hospitals roughly $2.9 million a year and provided an overlap of hospital and community care during discharge. Unfortunately due to this government's health care cut scandals and the freezing of the hospital to budget for the last four years this program that saves health care dollars cannot be funded. Due to the financial mismanagement of the scandals of this government health care services are being crowded out. Mr. Speaker, how long will Ontario suffer due to this government's incompetence? Thank you Mr. Speaker and I appreciate the question and certainly the provision of strong high quality mental health services in the London area is extremely important to this government. I was proud in fact not very long ago with the President of the Treasury Board to announce a new commitment of $1.2 million in London towards a brand new mental health and addictions crisis centre in that city that will provide intervention for adults aged 16 and up Mr. Speaker and this is such an important addition being run by the Canadian Mental Health Association Middlesex as well as the addiction services of Thames Valley it will work collaboratively, they'll work collaboratively of course with all of the health care providers within the community providing that crisis assessment stabilization beds Mr. Speaker and longer term community support. Thank you Mr. Speaker back to the Minister of Health Minister that program that you could operate could fund two crisis centres with that money saved Mr. Speaker it's unfortunate that this program is now getting lost in their own government's bureaucracy results from this program were released last year and found improvement in the quality of life for mental health patients and a savings of $2.9 million The Southwest Land has decided to work on developing a strategy for regional mental health for about 18 months to complete the Mental Health and Addictions Advisory Council that you mentioned has struck a working group to review this with no timeline in the meantime this program is going to be lost in London Mr. Speaker the minister knows that this program has already been studied and the evidence shows it works saves money and provides a better life for mental health patients will the minister show some compassion and save the program from the bureaucracy that this government has created Thank you Mr. Speaker and I know the member opposite because he's alluded to the review that the Linn is undertaking now for that those important community supports I know that he supports that review it's important that we continue to develop strong coordinated collaborative programs but I'm happy to announce Mr. Speaker that in fact this morning I instructed my ministry to ensure that interim funding is made available to this organization while this review this important review is ongoing Mr. Speaker so it's good news for London it's important that in this review period as we develop a comprehensive approach to mental health services in the London area that this program is allowed to continue Thank you Speaker my question is to the Premier yesterday the government announced the creation of an anti-racism directorate Here it is now so Speaker beauty groups have worked hard to make this happen and our leader and our members have and will continue to champion in Ontario where no one is left behind and everyone can share in the opportunities we create but to make a change a reality there must be a real commitment there needs to be proper funding and staffing and a clear mandate for this directorate Premier when will the government commit to attaching real numbers to the anti-racism directorate in next week's budget Minister of tourism culture and sport Minister of tourism culture and sport Thank you Mr. Speaker I just want to start by saying what an honor it is to take on this new responsibility and you can talk to any member in our caucus and you'll know that when it comes to racism it's an issue we all take very seriously Over the last four years as an MPP I have met with groups like Colour of Poverty, CAS the African legal clinic many different groups to talk about these issues and I know many members on this side of the legislature have as well and we're looking for ways to build the right type of mandate that's reflective of what community members see as important but also what the people of Ontario and people in our legislature think is important We made the announcement yesterday give me a couple of weeks at least to come back and we'll come back with a plan and I think people will be quite happy with it Thank you Thank you Thank you Speaker Racism continues to be a persistent reality for many Ontarians Thousands have joined the NDP's call to take action against racism to build a more inclusive Ontario Yesterday's announcement was an important step forward in addressing systemic racism in the province Now the government must take one step further and make a firm commitment to the directorate Premier, what can Ontarians expect to see in next week's budget Minister Thank you Mr Speaker I want to thank the member opposite and the members in the legislature for having this anti-racism directorate We know it's the right direction for Ontario I've been involved I've been elected now as a trustee and as an NDP for almost 13 years now At the Toronto District School Board we worked on issues and I know the Premier was at the school we worked on equity and as the former Minister of Education she brought forward a first equity policy for the Minister of Education This is something that's embedded deep in the heart of our party It's embedded deep in the heart of the Liberal mantra It is something we want to continue to build upon and I want to thank the NDP for supporting this proposal and this idea that we've brought forward as a government Thank you very much Thank you Mr Speaker My question is for the Minister responsible for women's issues Speaker, in Friday's Globe and Mail newspaper the public read that our government will be bringing forward a provincial strategy on human trafficking and that's going to happen in June of this year As we've seen in media reports in recent months human trafficking is a devastating issue that has long lasting sociological and psychological impacts on survivors and it overwhelmingly targets young women and girls who are those in Indigenous communities Our Minister responsible for women's issues and the Minister for Community Safety and Correctional Services are both showing very strong leadership on this issue Could the Minister please update this House on the steps that she is taking to address this very serious issue of human trafficking in the province of Ontario Thank you Minister responsible for women's issues Thank you Speaker Senator for this very important question and for her work on the select committee on sexual violence and harassment And she's absolutely right Human trafficking is a very serious issue that we're working very hard on I'm very pleased to be cold sharing our government's work on this with the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services In fact this morning Speaker is privileged to attend one of our government's consultations on these issues The chair of our permanent round table on violence against women helped us convene this meeting this morning with experts who provide supports to survivors of human trafficking They're helping us to design a strategy Speaker they'll be responsive to the needs of survivors This meeting this morning is just a first step in a broader process to develop our strategy and to ensure we hear from all the relevant voices the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services is holding a meeting this afternoon with enforcement experts and working together we can ensure that the strategy is survivor focused supplementary Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the Minister for her answer As you heard I chaired the select committee on sexual violence and harassment and we heard many first hand stories on human trafficking You come to understand how important it is that our government do take action strong action to end human trafficking in Ontario and it's very encouraging to hear that the strategy is going to focus on being responsive to the needs of survivors The insight that they share including the information that we did hear at this morning's consultation is going to be a very important part in forming our provincial strategy However it's also vital that Ontario's police services play a central role in coordinating our efforts to end human trafficking So Mr. Speaker could the Minister please tell this legislature what steps are being taken to involve law enforcement in ending this terrible practice Minister The Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services Mr. Community Safety and Correctional Services Thank you Mr. Speaker as our Premier and we all have made it very clear that human trafficking is absolutely deplorable and our government will do whatever it takes to combat and eliminate this heinous act and a key part of moving forward is further improving coordination and resources between local authorities like our police services government and community organizations That is why Speaker we have brought together experts from the front lines including from the enforcement community to advise us on how we can move forward The advice will help build on the important work already happening from an enforcement perspective The Ontario Provincial Police Speaker already play a provincial coordination role for investigative and intelligence operations against human trafficking and through Operation Northern Spotlight which involved 29 police services from across the country 18 survivors were rescued 9 traffickers were arrested and 33 charges were laid Thank you Speaker Thank you very much Speaker My question is to the Premier More bad news on the energy file Earlier this week it was revealed in the Globe and Mail that Windstream Energy is asking for damages to $568 million because your government abruptly put a moratorium on offshore wind developments Now we told the government it was wrong to approve turbines in the Great Lakes They went ahead and signed agreements anyway then they abruptly reneged on those deals because it was politically convenient and now taxpayers are on the hook Sadly we've seen this sort of behavior before When this government canceled the gas plants for political convenience it cost the taxpayers over a billion dollars Speaker can this Premier explain why we're going down this road once again and why her government just can't get anything right Mr. Speaker I know the Minister of Energy is going to want to comment on this but I can't resist saying to the member opposite that their position was that we put a moratorium on all wind turbines Mr. Speaker the member from Simcoe Gray an environmental concerns offshore wind in fresh water is in the early stages of development Mr. Speaker we thought that it was responsible to get more information about the impacts of the offshore wind the Ministry of the Environment is researching to ensure that a decision is made in the best interest of Ontarians Mr. Speaker as I say you can't have it both ways there was a moratorium on everything and then complain that there was a moratorium put on this particular aspect wow talk about wanting to have it both ways first you sign deals with companies to build turbines in the Great Lakes and when it's politically bad for you then you cancel them that's why we're on the hook for this kind of money Speaker it's clear that this government can't get anything right when the truth finally comes out in the end it always turns out to be wrong and they're the ones holding the bag remember when cancelling the gas plants was going to cost 40 million dollars remember with smart meters we're going to save people money windstream is not the only company suing your government T. Boone Pickens case is still before NAFTA will rate pairs have to pay 700 million and that's the settlement as well and then there's the Trillium Power Wind Corporation lawsuit that is ongoing because this government once again deleted emails and destroyed evidence and here we know the gas plants cost over a billion dollars will the Premier admit that the taxpayers may be on the hook for another billion dollars in another one of her energy fiasco thank you thank you Mr. Speaker as the member knows this matter is effectively before the courts and we can't make a particular decision Canada representing Ontario as presented a detailed counter position which is a public document Mr. Speaker and the process will take its usual route Mr. Speaker the member opposite is assuming that the case has been lost when the case has been determined Mr. Speaker I'd be happy to answer the premise of this question thank you new question the member from Oswell thank you Speaker and my question is to the Minister of Finance Speaker all Ontarians deserve to retire with dignity unfortunately this government doesn't seem to understand what constitutes all Ontarians since the day the ORPP was introduced this government has looked for ways to exclude people first they have slowly but surely decreased the number of eligible people now they're just delaying the plan entirely we want the strongest plan for the most people and this government wants the most watered down plan for the fewest Speaker pension plans are made stronger with more people participating and the government is scaling back this plan by the minute will the Minister please explain why every announcement they have made about the ORPP includes new exclusions, new delays and less retirement security for Ontarians thank you the Minister of Finance the Minister of Finance thank you Speaker and I want to thank the member opposite for this question indeed it is very timely Mr. Speaker we are very committed to ensuring that when Ontarians retire we can do so with dignity in fact it's our government's leadership that has moved forward to raise the issue of retirement security in this province and Mr. Speaker we have committed that by 2020 every working Ontarian will be part of a pension plan either the ORPP or a comparable pension plan Mr. Speaker just yesterday in fact we announced a commitment from the federal government to work with Ontario on the administration to ensure that we're working on efficiently implementing this plan in the best possible way Mr. Speaker we are taking action ensuring that Ontarians can retire with dignity thank you thank you Speaker less than a month ago the finance minister said Ontarians can't wait any longer for increased retirement security but now he seems to think that people can wait an extra year while they focus on a dynamic business environment Speaker the premier and her government have grown out of touch with the priorities of Ontarians these aren't small businesses or mom and pop shops that they're delaying this for they're the largest corporations in our province so Speaker why has the minister put the interest of big corporations ahead of the interest of the people of this province Minister Mr. Speaker I just believe that the member opposite has it wrong we are listening to business because it's important that we implement this plan in a responsible way so we are ensuring that in 2017 we enroll members of the plan and contributions will begin in 2018 but Mr. Speaker why I'm a little surprised at the member office's question it was actually her party that said that we should wait and wait for a federal government to respond to the issues of retirement security in this province Mr. Speaker we cannot afford to wait because we know that two thirds of Ontarians have no pension plan and that they need to ensure that when they retire that they can do so with dignity and with adequate income question the member from Kingston and the island thank you Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker last Friday the president of the treasury board along with the minister of environments and climate change announced that our government is committed to another new initiative would you please my apologies minister of the treasury has committed to another new initiative as part of Ontario's green investment fund introduced in the fall economic statement the fund is a $325 million down payment on the provinces cap and trade program that will strengthen the economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions building on previous investments through the fund which include retrofits for homeowners and electric vehicle charging stations this new project continues with the funds objective to direct money to efforts dedicated to fighting climate change while also creating jobs in Ontario Mr. Speaker through you can the president of the treasury board explain what this new initiative is and how it addresses both climate change and job creation thank you well thank you speaker and thank you to the member from Kingston the islands I was very happy last week with the minister of environment and climate change to make an announcement that I think every member of this house will be very happy to hear about we are continuing to put our climate change strategy into action and speaker last week we announced $92 million from the green investment fund into social housing retrofits that improve energy efficiency this is a triple win it creates jobs for people installing energy efficient boilers windows lighting insulation it also reduces the cost of heating and lighting and operating social housing and of course it reduces our GHG emissions speaker this is part of our plan for securing a clean, prosperous, low carbon future while ensuring strong and sustainable community thank you thank you Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker this question is for the minister of municipal affairs and housing I'm pleased to hear about our government's continued commitment to invest in climate change fighting projects like the recently announced retrofit program for homeowners another green investment fund initiative this program also recognizes the important role buildings can play in reducing energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions retrofitting older buildings is an important way of ensuring Ontario has housing units ready to face the climate challenges of today and tomorrow both programs also create jobs and yet targeting this investment in retrofits of social housing is a different focus Mr. Speaker this question can the minister tell us why our government is supporting energy efficiency in social housing buildings in particular to the minister of municipal affairs and housing thank you thanks very much for the question speaker many of the high rise social housing towers that were built in the 1960s and 70s had very different requirements under the building code these buildings have now reached an age when major systems need replacing and this of course the announcement provides an excellent opportunity to provide energy efficiency retrofits create significant energy savings which will be felt by social housing providers and will reduce their energy bills this will allow them to direct funds to other priorities such as further upgrades you know individuals who live in single unit housing quite often have to pay their own bills their own utility bills and this is going to help those who most need assistance with social housing and I'm proud to be part of the government thank you thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the associate minister of finance yesterday the minister of finance announced that the Ontario pension plan would be delayed for a year because the delay quote will allow us to look at ways to meet the goals of the Ontario pension within an enhanced Canada pension framework yet in November your premier has been you said sorry in November you said our premier has been very very clear that we are moving forward with the implementation of the ORPP in January 2017 minister why can you get the prime minister to join you in Whitby Oshawa for a partisan campaign rally but you can't get him to enhance the Canada pension question to drop this plan and protect Ontario policy thank you Mr. Speaker and I really want to thank the member opposite for this question we are absolutely committed to our goal of implementing the Ontario retirement pension plan the announcement that was made yesterday simply outlines the fact that we are working cooperatively with the federal government to ensure that we implement the best plan possible for the people of this province at the same time we remain committed to a national solution should that emerge and the member opposite should know that the prime minister alone can enhance CPP he has to work with the provinces in fact he needs a cooperation of seven out of ten provinces and two thirds of the population here in Canada so we want to ensure that when people retire in this province that they have retirement security and that's why we're moving ahead with the Ontario retirement pension plan and taking that leadership plan again to the associate minister we all want Ontarians to have a secure and stable retirement yesterday the minister of finance tried to assure us that the Ontario pension will be run at arms length and can invest in whatever project is best but then he changed his mind and said quote, pensions are pools of capital and gave two examples of the type of investments he would like to see but Mr. Speaker pension plans should be for pensioners minister is this delay to the ORPP just another example of your government's failure to get things right Mr. Speaker our announcement yesterday is a clear indication that we're listening we're listening to the needs of Ontarians including business who have asked us for the additional time so that they can ensure that their systems are ready and that they can comply with the expectations of the ORPP Mr. Speaker the assertion that the member opposite is making with regards to the purpose of a pension plan a plan is there for the benefit of the members that's enshrined in our legislation it is arms length from the government of Ontario it will be for the benefit of the members of the plan and will not form part of government's consolidated revenue that is part of legislation we're ensuring that there's a professional arms length body that will administer this plan and ensure that the benefits will be for the members of the plan and that's what we're doing so we are taking leadership on this side of the house to ensure that when people retire that they can use it with dignity Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker I beg your indulgence I'd like to introduce the newest member to the Ministry of Finance the new director of communications for the Ministry of Finance Mr. Fabbriz de Dongo welcome to the legislature and welcome to your new job Thank you Thank you Mr. Speaker I'd like to correct my record earlier I said that the number of nurses working full time only 4,000 fewer full time nurses while the number of nurses working full time under the liberal government rose by 14% Mr. Speaker I was wrong under our government the this is unbelievable for somebody to stand on a point of order and be heckled please that's not acceptable please finish your correction Mr. Speaker so I had said that under our government the number of nurses working full time rose by 14% I was wrong in fact under our government the number of nurses working full time increased not by 14% but by nearly 30% time to change on a point of order Thanks Mr. Speaker I would just like to welcome the people from the ports authorities here today they do great work in many of our communities they have a reception later I hope we'll all join them later this afternoon Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker I speak ask for your indulgence I was unable to announce the page for York Simcoe earlier today and I would like us to recognize Jesse Topowicz Thank you If there are no deferred votes this house stands recessed until 3pm this afternoon