 It is now time for Question Period, the leader of Her Majesty's Royal Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. You know, the question's to the Premier, Speaker. Premier, I was talking to a young man, my riding name, Justin. Justin wants to be an electrician. He's finishing off high school at E.L. Crosley, and he wants to get in the trades. But he has asked me, why do the Kathleen Wynne Liberals and the NDP stand in his way getting a good job in the trades? The Ontario College of Trades has locked in outdated apprenticeship ratios. They limit opportunities, and they're going to charge me new tax. And if I could do anything, I want to create a million jobs in our province. I want to see Justin achieve his dream of being an electrician in the province of Ontario. My question to you, Premier, is why are you standing in the way of Justin getting a good job in the skilled trades? Before I go to the Premier, a reminder that we refer to each other either by our title, specifically our title, and the riding. I appreciate very much your cooperation. Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and we very much want Justin to have the opportunity to develop a skilled trade. And I want to thank David Tabucci, who has taken on a leadership role with the College of Trades, Mr. Speaker. And what the College of Trades is about, Mr. Speaker, is making sure that people in the skilled trades, people who work in the skilled trades have decision-making power over what matters to them, Mr. Speaker. That is the professionalism that we had wanted to put in place, Mr. Speaker. That's what the College of Trades is about. So I very much hope that Justin, whether he has taken part in a specialist high skills major, which is a program that we have put into our high schools, Mr. Speaker, whether he is looking at getting into an apprenticeship at this point in his career, whether he had the opportunity to take part in a pre-apprenticeship program in high schools. There are many paths to skilled trade, Mr. Speaker. The College of Trades puts that professionalism framework around that, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Well, for some of my point, Premier, I mean, Justin can't find an apprenticeship position because you're, quite frankly, in the pockets of the special interests, including Pat Dillon, who runs a liberal negative ad. You, clearly, Premier would rather listen to Pat Dillon, who runs the liberal negative ad campaign, where I'm on the side of job craters and young people who want to get into the skilled trades. You know, a show I loved watching is going to the university in the late 80s saying elsewhere. Grey's Anatomy, a popular one today. And you don't see a flock of doctors around one intern going from patient to patient. You see a flock of interns learning from one doctor. Last time I checked, doctors cared very much about public safety. All I'm asking is go to one-to-one ratio. A mentor, apprenticeship ratio, like other provinces, including NDP, Manitoba will do. That will get Justin to work there, too, if that's the job in the skilled trade. That's the problem. Why not you? I'm prepared. I'm still standing. I'm quite prepared. I am quite prepared to get attention here, but the difficulty is I'm still hearing heckling when the question is being put from the same side. As I'm trying to get attention to the other side when the answers are given. My tolerance level will not be very high today. Carry on. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, the screenwriters for Grey's Anatomy are not the people who develop our policy, Mr. Speaker. That may be how the leader of the opposition develops his policy, but that's not how we do it. And if the leader of the opposition, if the leader of the opposition imagines that a doctor training or a nurse or a teacher, Mr. Speaker, has one mentor throughout his training or her training, Mr. Speaker, then that just is evidence that the leader of the opposition really doesn't understand how training works, Mr. Speaker, and how people learn a trade or a skill or a profession, Mr. Speaker. It takes many people to work with a professional, Mr. Speaker, and that is the reality. So we have put the College of Trades in place. We're very grateful to the people who have taken a leadership role there. We want people in the field of trades to have control over the important decisions in their professions, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. One more supplementary. Well, no, we know who writes your script. It's Pat Dillon, the Working Families Coalition. Goodness, Premier. It's almost word for word. So let me tell you where I get my advice from, and I'll help Justin and 200,000 people like him get good apprenticeship jobs in skilled trades. I see what Liberal-British Columbia does. I see what Progressive Conservative Alberta does. I even see what NDP Manitoba does. And you know what? I hear from employers. I hear it from young workers. And I hear it from Garfield Dunlop, who lives and breathes and walks with me. Frankly, Garfield Dunlop's probably forgotten more about the skilled trades and you and I would ever know combined. I think I've got the facts on my side. I've got jobs on my side. I'm on the side of young people to get jobs in the skilled trades. New Canadians want to put those skills to work in the province of Ontario. Why are you standing in their way? Why are you against 200,000 new jobs? Thank you, Premier. Training colleges and universities. Mr. Speaker, I'll tell you who's standing in the way of progress and modernization of the skilled trades. It's the leader of the opposition. I'll tell you who's standing in the way of $185 million we're investing every year in skilled trades and apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship programs. It's that leader of the opposition who doesn't support those investments. I'll tell you standing in the way of jobs in the skilled trades, like the $33 billion we're investing in infrastructure across this province. It's that leader of the opposition who refuses to support those investments. I'll tell you who's standing in the way of apprentices, Mr. Speaker, across this province. It's a leader of the opposition who doesn't want to be able to dictate the decisions in this game. The members can have the confidence in the people in the skilled trades, Mr. Speaker, to make those decisions. You see it, please? You see it, please? The member from Chatham, Kent Essex, will come to order. New question, the leader of the opposition. To the fact of the Premier, Premier, I don't think I've ever seen such a broad-based coalition that says we should eliminate the college of trade in Ontario. Just yesterday, the Labour's International Union, the in fact, the largest construction union in the entire province of Ontario agrees with us. They stand against compulsory certification for car producers. If you're a union leader that has no jobs, no opportunity, I stand with you. But if you're a union leader who's against jobs, wants to restrict supply and pad their own pockets, I stand with the Labour's International Union. I stand with the small businesses. I stand with the young people who want to get in the skilled trades. And I stand with new Canadians who find that you're imposing a thick wall between them and a good middle-class job. I clear or I stand, opportunity, hope, good jobs. Why, Premier, do you stand with a special interest? Mr. Speaker, you see it, please? You know, the plan that we are putting in place is a plan to bring jobs to this province, Mr. Speaker. It's a job, it's a plan that points to opportunity and security, Mr. Speaker. So we look at what's happened over the last few days. An increase of 13,400 net new jobs, Mr. Speaker. An employment rate that has fallen to 7.3%, it's fallen, Mr. Speaker. Thursday we announced revised deficit targets. We'll beat the target by 400 million, Mr. Speaker. We tabled Ontario's long-term report for the economic health of the province, Mr. Speaker. We announced investment in the Coffee Club that will support 400 more jobs, Mr. Speaker. So the work that we're doing on this side of the House is about creating that opportunity, moving forward, bringing jobs to the province, Mr. Speaker, and I understand that the leader of the opposition wants to make personal talks with these naming people in the House. That's not how we're going to function, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary? Well, you know, Premier, respectfully, the only plan you seem to have is an exit plan for young talent who are leaving our province ahead of west. I want to see that young talent get a good job in Ontario, to buy a home, feel the afford to pay a mortgage, and you know what, when you get a job in skilled trades, you get a lot of experience, odds are you're going to start your own company down the road, hire more people. That's the kind of opportunity I want to see in Ontario, and desperate to see Ontario working again. You're standing in the way. The Labour's National Union, the coalition of job creators, young people, they're all saying tear down this wall that stands in the way of getting good jobs in our province. The College of Trades has been an abject failure. Today is its one year anniversary. This is your opportunity to hit the reset button to say no to the special interests, and yes to more jobs in the province. Will you join the Ontario PC Caucus, say no to College Trades, and say yes to 100,000 good apprenticeship jobs in the skilled trades. Thank you. Thank you, Premier. I just want to make sure that the leader of the opposition understands that the point of the College of Trades is to make sure that skilled trades people are certified to do the work that they're performing. That's the essence of the College of Trades, and it seems to me that it would be a pretty precarious position for the leader to take that. People shouldn't be The member from Oxford would withdraw withdraw? That people shouldn't be trained to perform the skills that they are performing, the jobs that they're performing so that's the point. On the issue of compulsory certification, we believe that the decision to certify or decertify as a compulsory trade should be made by skilled people through the College. That is the point of the College of Trades, and the leader of the opposition knows that ratios have been reviewed. More than their government reviewed when they were in office. These are not decisions that should be made by politicians, but rather by skilled people. I'm disappointed that the Premier seems to exhibit such a patent disregard for what the largest construction in the province has to say. Your suggestion is that they're not qualified to do their job. We're talking about skilled construction professionals and what you want to do with your compulsory certification is you want to take them off the job site. You want to tell people who pick up a hammer and a saw every day that they're not qualified to do the job in Liberal Ontario. You want them to go back to school. You want to close down the businesses. This is not only me saying this is the largest construction union in the province. And you know what? I take what Garfield Dunlop says any day. I take what Leunis says is clearly captured by the special interest. I don't know why. You persist on this path of blocking your way into good middle class jobs. You won't listen to me while you listen to the largest construction union in the province. You don't want to compulsory certification and say yes to more of your jobs. I'll just in universities. Well thank you Mr. Let's talk about what the leader of the opposition stands for. He stands for right to work for less for every worker in this place. He stands Mr. Speaker for a party that denigrates the capacity of skilled trade workers to be able to govern themselves. Let me tell you what we stand for Mr. Speaker. We believe in the capacity of skilled trade workers just as 44 other professions govern themselves across this province. We believe that skilled trade workers are up to the job of governing themselves like nurses, like social workers, like doctors, like lawyers. It's too bad that the leader of the opposition doesn't have the confidence in our skilled trade workers as they do. He wants to make those decisions himself. He wants those decisions made like they have been for the last 30 years Mr. Speaker and spooky back rooms in the back rooms of Queen's Park. Mr. Speaker we're for modernizing the skilled trades. We're for giving skilled trade workers the ability. You've seen it please. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. New question. Leader of the third party. Thank you Speaker. My question is to the premier. When the premier took over the Liberal Party, the Ontario Liberal Party, she said this we are going to build on the legacy of Dalton. Does she still stand by that statement Speaker? Because the work that we have done since 2003 Mr. Speaker in our education system and our healthcare system and our healthcare system where wait times are down Mr. Speaker where we've got more home care in the system Mr. Speaker more doctors more nurses where kids in school Mr. Speaker where we had 68% of kids graduating from school and we came into office there are 83% of kids graduating from high school today Mr. Speaker I stand by that record absolutely every day. Thank you. You've seen it please. Thank you supplementary. Well Speaker the premier sat in cabinet when decisions on the gas plants were made and signed off on those decisions. We had a leadership role in the campaign when the decision was made to cancel the Mississauga gas plant. Does she agree that those decisions are part of the so-called legacy of Dalton? She answered that question over and over and over again. I have said that there were decisions made that I had nothing to do with Mr. Speaker there were fundamental decisions Mr. Speaker I have said that I have appeared before the committee and I have said that Mr. Speaker and I have worked since I came into this office to make sure that all of the information that has been asked for has been provided the committee has had hundreds of thousands of pages of documents Mr. Speaker the committee knows that they have the capacity to continue to ask people to come before them Mr. Speaker we opened up the process and we have moved to change the rules Mr. Speaker around the fighting of energy infrastructure which was at the root of this challenge Mr. Speaker final supplementary Speaker how signing a cabinet document has nothing to do with the gas plant scandal is beyond me but maybe this premier can justify it last February the premier said about Dalton McGinty the following and I quote I'm proud to have been part of his government unquote now the premier has been at pains lately to avoid even saying the name Dalton McGinty despite serving as key part of his team for 10 years he's now referred to as the former premier can the premier even say the words Dalton McGinty or does she think avoiding that name magically absolves her of all responsibility for the gas plant scandal Mr. Speaker I am very proud to have been part of a government that undid the real destruction that had been in place under the previous government because there was a government in place in this province from 1995 to 2003 that had no respect for our public institutions Mr. Speaker that undermined labor and that really changed the rules in terms of the supports for the citizens of this province that's why I got involved in provincial politics and the work that we have done Mr. Speaker is work that I am proud of were their decisions made that I think should have been absolutely and I have said that repeatedly I have taken responsibility I have apologized for decisions that were made but Mr. Speaker we are moving forward and I think that the leader of the third party it would be it would be a very helpful thing if she would talk to us about what for example her energy policy is Mr. Thank you. Mr. Speaker please Mr. Speaker please Thank you New question the leader of the third party Mr. Speaker my next question is also for the premier when did the premier become aware that premier's office computers had been wiped clean Premier Mr. Speaker there is an OPP investigation going on I am not going to comment Remember from here on Bruce come to order and I have as I have said the allegations that have been made as a result of that investigation our allegations against someone who did not work in my office Mr. Speaker so what we are doing on this side of the house is we are letting that we are letting that investigation go on Mr. Speaker and we are very very focused on putting in place the policies the investments to make sure that we have prosperity in the future Mr. Speaker that there is security for the people in this province that is what we are going to embed in our budget Mr. Speaker that we will be bringing forward and I know it would be very very helpful if the leader of the third party wanted to engage in any of those policy discussions Mr. Speaker Thank you supplementary It would be helpful if the premier answered my question Speaker The premier took charge of the liberal party her government was dismissing concerns about key liberal staff who said they routinely deleted emails now we know that unauthorized individuals are roaming the halls now we know that unauthorized individuals were roaming the halls tampering with staffs computers yet the premier still claims she is as shocked as anyone else can the premier tell us how she can possibly not have known that this was happening Mr. Speaker The reason that the leader of the third party is asking these questions is because we opened up the process Mr. Speaker Finish please Thank you very much Mr. Speaker So I was very clear when I came into this office that those questions needed to be asked and answered and so that is what has happened Mr. Speaker we will continue to cooperate obviously there is an investigation going on we will let that go on but Mr. Speaker we are very focused on making sure that we have a path forward that we have a path forward whether it is in education whether it is in health care and I would be happy to talk with any of the members on the other side of the house about any of those issues at any time Thank you Mr. Speaker this liberal premier can try to rewrite history as much as she wants but there is something called contempt that we all know occurred Mr. Speaker a government that is accountable to the people who are stuck paying the bill haven't forgotten that she was a key part of the team that steered us directly into this mess and all the documents all the dodging and all the denials in the world speaker are not going to change that the premier can start by answering some basic questions like when exactly did she become aware that premier's office computers had potentially been wiped clean Mr. Speaker so there is an entirely independent investigation, police investigation going on Mr. Speaker so I am not going to comment on that investigation what I am going to say is that we made it clear that there were changes that needed to be made we have worked to make those changes Mr. Speaker first of all we opened up the process around the questions around the relocation of the gas plants we have changed the rules around the siting of energy infrastructure we have changed the rules around the retention of documents we have made those changes in consultation with people like the Information Privacy Commissioner so that is work that we have done in order to make sure that these kinds of questions do not arise again Mr. Speaker because the decisions that are made will be made differently I am very proud of that work we have made to bring forward a budget that is going to work to ensure security Thank you, stop the conversation earlier I had mentioned the member from here on Bruce to come to order I did not mean to say here on Bruce I apologize I meant to say Bruce Gray Owensown who is working on his second one new question the member from Mr. Speaker I would like to welcome all the people that are here today and my friend David thank you David my question today is for the minister of training college and universities minister your latest tax grab is one year old today as a communications and consultation nightmare I don't think anything is more damaging than the fact that they are well on their way to the compulsory certification of the carpentry trade I asked you in this house to intervene on this decision and you have ignored me now the largest labor union Leuna and I understand the member from Essings is actually a member of Leuna that you put a moratorium on any compulsory certification of construction trades yes you are a proud member you should have voted me the other day your time is up don't talk to him talk to me sit down your time is up thank you Mr. Speaker somewhere to his leader the member seems to not be able to ask a question or make a comment on the college college of trades without tons of hyperbole without information that's generally not correct if you listen to the member in the last couple weeks he was saying 85,000 apprentices would be out of work April 8th well guess what there's no apprentices out of work sir when it comes to these issues finish please Mr. Speaker I look forward to working with the Ontario college of trades as we all do some of the issues they're going to be dealing with are very challenging they are going to have to take a very powerful approach to these decisions I'm very confident that they will thank you supplementary well thank you Mr. Speaker and I'm sorry I put too long that the first question but the supplementary I know that Jack the business manager of local 183 from Leona says this will drive up costs and put thousands of our members out of work and people are lining up fighting this Mr. Speaker now Federal Minister Jason Kenny has come out swinging against this idiotic proposal Minister Kennedy Kenny says a disaster decision like this warrants national attention order look I'm trying to get quiet over here you're not helping everyone should be able to put a question and answer a question uninterrupted carry on please Minister Kennedy says and I quote there is a growing concern that while most provinces in Canada are looking at ways to remove barriers to entering the skilled trades Ontario is heading in the opposite direction the wrong direction I ask you once again Minister to please immediately order more time on any new compulsory application of trades will you do that Minister Minister what is it about the arrogance of PC politicians to think that politicians know more about the skilled trades than skilled trades people themselves we've seen how that's worked the last 20 years Mr. Speaker the member wants to get rid of the college of trades just when it's getting up and running for some reason he thinks that skilled trades people aren't capable of making these important decisions affecting their professions we think differently Mr. Speaker we have confidence in skilled trades people that they will work in the spirit of self-governance we do not want to do what he wants to do he wants to bring that administration back into government that's what I call big government tax and spend politics something that I find surprising coming from the member opposite Mr. Speaker we believe that the people in the skilled trades will manage these issues very thoughtfully thank you Mr. Speaker to the Premier has the Premier talked to Christy Clark since New Democrats wrote a letter to her so we could ensure Laura Miller Deputy Chief of Staff could appear at the Justice Committee Mr. Speaker we had a chance to deal with this issue yesterday the fact of the matter is the Justice Committee which the Premier asked to be given very broad scope and extremely I would say broad powers in a sense that could sit at the call of the chair they can direct their proceedings as they see fit Mr. Speaker and they have the power and the authority to invite who they see fit to come and be witnesses and certainly Mr. Speaker we respect the work of the committee and we respect the fact that they have that opportunity to call who they see fit for witnesses as they undertake this work Thank you Mr. Supplementary Speaker I'm glad the government respects the work of the committee I'm just asking that they be helpful Speaker if the Premier hasn't done it already when will her or her staff be reaching out to the BC Liberals to ensure that Laura Miller can appear at the Justice Committee to give testimony Again Mr. Speaker the Justice Committee has the authority to invite witnesses to come forward and as any committee of this house there are steps they can take if they feel that they're not getting cooperation for witnesses so let's leave that Mr. Speaker with the Justice Committee we've all had our share of frustrations Mr. Speaker as members know earlier in this session there was a lot of frustration on our side because we wanted to hear from some of the candidates Mr. Speaker in the opposition parties the candidates who went into the last election making the exact same promise that the government made about the cancellation of the gas plants we heard it from the PCs we heard it from the NDP that if they were elected Mr. Speaker they would undertake the exact same cancellation that we did so Mr. Speaker there was some frustration on this side of the house but again Mr. Speaker let's leave this with the committee Mr. Speaker thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the minister of training colleges and universities Mr. Speaker for months we've seen article after article talking about an alleged trades tax being forced on skilled trades people across Ontario by the college of trades we've watched anti-college groups surface like stop the tax coalition we've heard accusations even today from the opposition that the college is trying to put people out of work and most recently we are hearing allegations that the government is forcing compulsory certification on voluntary trades people are overwhelmed and confused by all this negative rhetoric around the college of trades and want some answers through you Mr. Speaker will the minister explain to the house the truth to these accusations I thank the member for asking such a direct question because I think we have to be very very clear here the membership fee that the college of trades is putting forward is the lowest membership fee of all the regulatory bodies across this province what's it doing Mr. Speaker it's paying for the college of trades to ensure that those hard working skilled trades people who go to school who take an apprenticeship get their certificate of qualifications are protected from the underground economy that's important to those young people Mr. Speaker we want to build a skilled trade sector that's welcoming of young people that gives them a career for life that's one of the ways we're going to do that Mr. Speaker there's a number of other issues that the member raised that's very very important let's be very very clear as well the Ontario code I'm going to have to answer that in the supplementary Mr. Speaker and thank you Minister for that great answer and for standing up for Ontario skilled workers I know people will be glad to hear that the province is standing up for skilled trades people especially when the party opposite is not and I look forward to continuing to help inform them on how they can become part of that process unlike those that simply want to fight against it Speaker we've heard a lot today about the myths surrounding the college Speaker given that today is the one year anniversary of the creation of the college can the minister speak further on the important work of the college of trades and what they are doing to help support skilled workers in Ontario I certainly can Mr. Speaker I look forward to doing that but I want to respond a little bit to the last part of her first question let's be very very clear the Ontario College of Trades and the government of Ontario is giving a compulsory certification for any trades that's not something Mr. Speaker that we have the power to do that's something that ought to be put through a proper process which is what the Ontario College of Trades is there to do I think it's important that that's clarified Mr. Speaker over the last year what the college of trades has been able to do is provide enhanced consumer protection so that when our grandmothers and mothers are going to the mechanic it's there to fix their breaks Mr. Speaker they're providing a form of self-governance for the trades so the trades can make these decisions themselves they're ensuring Mr. Speaker that young people have access to the trades and promoting the skilled trades and they're protecting our hardworking skilled trades people to ensure Mr. Speaker that the qualifications that they have are respected Earlier I asked the member from Oxford to withdraw I was mistaken and I apologize to the member and to withdraw I will accept that New question Thank you very much My question is to the Premier Can the Premier tell us why Brianna Ames' computer was wiped despite the fact she did not work in the Premier's office until she began working for the Premier herself Mr. Speaker as I have said an entirely independent investigation going on I am not going to comment on that investigation Mr. Speaker and you know I think the member opposite knows that that is the case I have answered questions Mr. Speaker we have provided documentation we opened up the process but the investigation that's going on is independent Mr. Speaker Thank you supplementary There is an investigation also being done by the OPP today and they are probably going to be bringing more people forward I am wondering if the Premier can tell us if any members of her transition team or any members of her current staff or any members of her cabinet are to be contacted as a result of an Ottawa citizen story by the OPP on this ongoing investigation Could she please explain to the House if that is the case No I can't I can't tell the Leader of the Opposition what the OPP investigation is going to do over the next period of time because it is an independent investigation Mr. Speaker it is independent from Government I have heard of the allegations on March 27th the allegations are against the former Chief of Staff of the former Premier Mr. Speaker has nothing to do with the staff member that you mentioned Mr. Speaker and the fact is that I believe that it really is unfair for the member opposite to drag staff members names in here when there is an independent investigation going on Mr. Speaker I think that all of us should let that investigation run its course Thank you for your question The member from Hamilton is Stony Creek Thank you Mr. Speaker My question is to the Premier I am currently reviewing the Pan Parapan Am Games this review was struck in order to get to the bottom of all costs and to bring together all the fragmented pieces in the hope of clarifying responsibility and cost for the games as a whole yet the work of the committee members has been restricted from investigating the full scope of the games and something as fundamental as security Speaker does this Premier agree that the scope of the committee should be so restricted Mr. Speaker I think the honourable member needs to be very careful the work that is being undertaken by the committee is based on a motion that was passed by the committee by all members of the committee on November 4 which outlines the framework in which the committee will work I understand Mr. Speaker that the chair of the committee made an independent ruling that is a ruling by the chair that has nothing to do with any party in this house it is the chair that has gone forward so Mr. Speaker I think it should be very careful the committee's work which is being undertaken as I say is based on the determination of the committee at the same time Mr. Speaker I would remind the member that there are other committees of this legislature who are looking at the Pan Am issue including Mr. Speaker the public accounts committee which has asked the auditor general specifically to look into the security matters thank you obstruction is a wonderful word Mr. Speaker in spite of the restrictions we found out yesterday that $239 million embarked for security is only an estimate in other words we have no guarantee that the costs will not continue to skyrocket nor that we will get the best value for the security costs after question period today I will be moving a unanimous consent motion that will finally allow the committee to do their work and look at the whole picture Mr. Speaker the premier show that she really wants transparency accountability and clarity and say now that she will support this motion Mr. Speaker these are the most open and transport multi-sport games ever the government brought the games organizing committee of TO 2015 under the freedom of information of protection of privacy act I know that the minister responsible for the Pan Am games is holding the briefings Mr. Speaker for the media and interested members of the public we have been forthcoming to the various committees as I say the public accounts committee is specifically looking into the security issue in terms of the members unanimous consent motion that he's put forward I think he would agree that this is a matter that should be dealt with by house leaders that we don't interfere in what's going on in committees Mr. Speaker through a UC motion on the floor of the house the committee's mandate confirmed by the committee on November 4th there are a number of committees looking into this matter we have been very very open and transparent. Thank you Mr. Speaker thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the minister of labor between your permission Mr. Speaker I would like to congratulate Dr. Philip Kouya Premier elect of Quebec 21 believes to help families this act was debated in the legislature I spoke on behalf of my constituents but we were somewhat dismayed to witness the opposition put up speaker after speaker possibly to drag out the clock it's a bill that all parties support a bill about compassion every day the bill is stalled further Speaker on terms with a family member with a serious medical condition are missing out on the time they may be able to spend with their loved ones critically ill children federal funding might struggle financially unable to access it as a provincial worker and families whose children in fact have been murdered or have gone missing all of these individuals are affected so speaker to the minister what can we collectively do as members to make sure this legislation passes quickly Minister of Labor Thank you Speaker and thanks to the fine member from Etobicoke North for that question our government recognizes the importance of giving families the time to be with their loved ones and their positive effects that this bill can have on the lives of everyday Ontarians that's why on this side of the house we're doing everything we can to move this bill through the legislature but with respect speaker the opposition parties are needlessly extending debate on bill 21 listen to this speaker this bill has been in the house for over a year 14 different days 22 hours of debate 75 speakers listening to the debate it's being clear the majority of members in this house support this bill this signals is no true desire to have further meaningful debate on this bill and the only goal is to delay I'm calling on the opposition parties to stop stalling help us pass this legislation You see it in place Thank you supplementary Thank you speaker Minister as you said we certainly respect all members democratic right to speak on behalf of their constituents as well as their duty but a bill that's being delayed, dragged out filibustered that has a direct impact on the lives of many Ontarians including residents in my own riding that is not I think the best path forward we had representatives from the Ontario caregiver coalition the heart and stroke foundation Alzheimer's society of Ontario service employees international union Canadian cancer society and the Ontario home care association all of whom are on record to discuss expeditiously Speaker, yet we still watch an opposition talk about the million jobs plan other unrelated bills while engaging what can only be terribly called debate Speaker, can the minister please inform this chamber what has been the progress on this bill to date Thank you Thank you again to the fine member for that question As I mentioned in the last response the opposition has had ample time to discuss any possible concerns or amendments that they may have again the bill's been in the house for over a year 14 different days, 22 hours of debate, 75 speakers, we've had two full days of committee speaker where the republic hearings and amendments were made this is not the time to debate new amendments to the bill I believe it's respectful to everyone that could be helped in the province of Ontario by the passage of this legislation for the opposition to continue this irresponsible filibustering When we voted on this as a whole and committee, bill 21 received all party support and it was asked to be reported back to the house Remember for Kitchener Waterloo it's time to stop using this important ban which is going to help people to play politics let's get the bill passed we need the opposition to start showing their support can you see it please thank you new question, a member from Wellington Halton Hills thank you very much Mr. Speaker my question is for the Premier people of Wellington Halton Hills who are closely watching what's happening in this legislature no doubt were startled to read the Toronto Star on March the 28 no less than eight pages on the gas plant scandal including a bombshell allegation that the former Premier's chief of staff was using the deletion of internal government emails relating to the cancellation of the Oakville and Mississauga gas plants the Toronto Star reported that an outside person was given access to 24 computers in the Premier's office during the transition between the McGinty and Wynn Liberal Governments just over one year ago this is what was in the Toronto Star with all that's happened on this file and the recent Toronto Star disclosures how on earth does the Premier expect the people of Ontario to give her a vote thank you Premier Mr. Speaker I appreciate the fact that the honourable member was quoting from the media I'd like to just remind him what the media reviews have been about the performance of his party and in particular his leader on this file from the Toronto Star the publication that he quoted the leader of the opposition went far beyond what the facts show April 1st 2014 the leader of the opposition another quote from the same date is inventing fanciful scenarios about the first days of Wynn's premiership Ottawa Citizen April 1st the PCs asked repeatedly whether Wynn's computer was among those white which makes little sense the police are crystal clear that they're interested in computers in McGinty's office where Wynn did not work a global mail editorial April 1st 2014 on progressive Conservative leader Tim Houdak is on thin legal ice global mail editorial April 1st the leader of the opposition's claim that Premier Wynn was personally behind any wiping of government computers are continuous supplementary to point out that the possible criminal breach of trust took place before the member for Don Valley West was sworn in as Premier by taking this approach they throw their former leader Mr. McGinty unceremoniously under the proverbial bus the government would also want us to overlook the fact that the day that the member for Don Valley West was elected leader of the Liberal Party in January of 2013 she became the incoming Premier as incoming Premier the power and authority and trust of inherent in that high office immediately began to shift to her she can hardly claim that she has no responsibility for the transition period while blaming everything on the predecessor whose leadership she was proud to endorse through three provincial elections how in good conscience we should continue to blame all this on Don McGinty Mr. Speaker again we had the OPP appear in front of the committee and they told us two things first of all that this is directed towards the former Premier's Chief of Staff and the second is that MPPs should stay out of this investigation Mr. Speaker as I said yesterday I am pleased I am proud of the fact that the Premier is seeking legal advice in this matter and Mr. Speaker we look to the opposition to apologize and retract their statements as I said Mr. Speaker their critic the member from Nipi and Carlton has experience in it and I quoted yesterday Mr. Speaker from this news release on January 31st from the member from Nipi and Carlton said we are sorry for the negative perception that may have been created in terms of her allegations against Maureen Murphy-Macon and Rick Morgan for wrongfully implicating them in an erroneous story in January 2004 revolving around the decision by former PC leader Peter McKay not to seek the leadership of the new Conservative Party of Canada she apologized thank you new question the member from Tomiskimip Mr. Speaker my question is the Minister of the Northern Development Mines last week the government announced keeping Ontario Northland public but at the same time and the same amount of announcements said it was selling Ontario the communications arm of the ONTC the one part of the ONTC that actually isn't costing the government any money the sale to bella lion is for six million dollars but the fiber optic ring alone that Ontario owns is worth 23 million on top of that on top of that it will cost the government is 60 million to transfer Ontario to bella lion and 100 jobs will be lost why does this government keep signing bad deals and letting Ontarians pay the tab I was very pleased to be in North Bay last week to announce after a year of very hard and thoughtful work by Ministers Advisory Committee and a very thorough internal examination of a number of reports including a management union options report that indeed the province is keeping the ONTC motor coach bus division the polar bear express rail freight and refrigeration services in public hands something that would not have happened a year ago without the great work of the Ministers Advisory Committee we're making new strategic investments as the member knows 6.2 million dollars to purchase 11 new accessible motor coaches for the bus line 17 million dollars certainly I look forward to speaking to the one line that indeed we did make a different decision on in the supplementary thank you thank you speaker once again to the Minister of Development mines Ontario is an integral part of the ONTC it's part of the package this government is paying a private corporation to take over publicly owned business this deal will cost jobs in Northern Ontario and it begs the question is this government really long term committed to the ONTC or is it just selling it off or dismantling it bit by bit thank you Minister I really think the member might want to be careful about undermining the very good work of the Ministry of Advisory Committee I mean obviously Mayor Al Macdonald of the North Bay Alan Spatch of the President Marneena Walce of Engelhardt Mayor Lockburn of Timmins very very hard and indeed the decision to keep those four lines of public hands was important what needs to be said about the decision on Ontario was it was indeed a difficult decision for us to make but certainly for me as Ministry of Committee but I think there have been tremendous changes in the telecommunications industry I think it really ultimately came down to the fact that indeed I don't think it really makes sense anymore for a telecommunication company that's in direct competition with the private sector to continue to be supported by the government the proceeds of the sale are 6 million cash 10 million dollars and what you're not mentioning is is that bella line will be providing 50.1 million dollars in capital investment indeed match the sale is in a second period of I stay you sick a member from Vaughan new question thanks very much Mr. Speaker Speaker my question today is to the Minister of Consumer Services Minister 8 out of 10 citizens own some type of mobile device in Ontario today in my own community of Vaughan I've heard from many residents who have issues with their cell phone contracts many find the language used in these contracts difficult to understand and they also have concerns about unexpected additional charges to their monthly bills and large cancellation fees if they try to get out of a contract and that's why Speaker I was delighted to hear that the new wireless services agreements act came into effect at the beginning of April 2014 Mr. Speaker Minister please inform the House regarding how this act will provide better protection for consumers in Vaughan and across Ontario. Thank you Minister of Consumer Services I'm very pleased to talk about the wireless services agreement act now enforced in Ontario I'd also like to give a shout out to the Minister of Natural Resources the MPP from Sault Ste. Marie for all his tireless work on this before I pick up the call thank you so much and as noted by the member from Vaughan there's been an explosion in the use of wireless devices however unfortunately Speaker there's also been an explosion in complaints about contracts for wireless services and we understood this issue and we led the way for better consumer protection in Ontario and because of our swift action consumers in Ontario can now expect clear information fewer surprises when they enter a cell phone and wireless service contract as of April 1st of this month Speaker the requirements under this act must be applied to all new contracts so now people can expect plain contracts clear outline of fees charge and a cap on cancellation fees thank you Speaker supplementary Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I want to thank the Minister and also she mentioned echo her comments regarding the current Minister of Natural Resources for his long-standing advocacy on the issue Speaker I am pleased to hear the consumers in Ontario will now be better protected under this act and I know that many in my community of Vaughan will feel more confident regarding entering into contracts for their wireless devices confident consumers result in a much stronger marketplace and this leads to a stronger economy and I want to ensure that residents in my community who use their mobile devices for their jobs and to stay connected with their families at home are also protected by this act and there are many options available to consumers who believe that their contract was not properly made or for those who feel that they are paying for services that they did not contract for Thank you Minister Thank you very much and yes there are provisions to address the concerns that members raised under our new law speaker service providers who do not comply with the rules must provide consumers who cancel their contracts a full refund for up to a year of service if a provider charges for services after a contract is improperly amended Ontario consumers are entitled to get that money back most importantly we've enshrined the rights of consumers and I'd add strong enforcement provisions as well speaker when dealing with a wireless service contract we have legislation not a code this ensures consumers have a law they can refer to when utilizing and dealing with service providers protecting consumers and helping people in their everyday life is part of our government's economic plan that is creating jobs for today and tomorrow our plan is focused on Ontario's greatest strengths people and strategic partnerships and our plan is working speaker thank you Thank you very much Mr. Speaker my question this morning is for the Premier it's nice that she was able to join us for question period this morning I suppose though that when you're deeply embroiled in scandal and have as many senior liberals under OPP investigation as the Premier has that ducking the cameras and the hard questions here in question period is probably the only strategy that she actually has left you're hiding behind lawyers you duck question period to me and to the NDP and to the majority of people in Ontario you're clearly a government that's on the run but my question is this how much time have you spent since you're on the taxpayer's dime consulting your lawyers when you actually should have been doing the job as Premier of Ontario very much Mr. Speaker and you know I appreciate the question from the member opposite and I would ask him to join me any day any week and follow me Mr. Speaker to the people I connect with I surround 10 o'clock and in between is packed Mr. Speaker so I Mr. Speaker thank you very much for the invitation Premier there was nobody at your event yesterday so I can understand why you'd like to have some compared to Richard Nixon the only thing she's missing actually is that big green helicopter on the south lawn here at Queens Park she employed one of the central figures in the gas plant scandal only until his name appeared in the press and many McGinty staffers have actually been promoted under her watch but she wants us all to believe Mr. Speaker that she knew nothing and these are just coincidences and if you don't agree with what she says then you get served by the law firm of doing cheating and how Premier you're just not up to the job you're more interested in complaining to lawyers than making hard decisions then we should be creating jobs and balancing the books in Ontario how many other taxpayer resources are you using for your personal legal drama that's playing out here Mr. Speaker it doesn't hurt to apologize and retract as I said and I got caught off earlier let me tell you about a company or an organization BlueDraft.com it was a blog that was run in part by the member from Nepean Carlton and she had to put forward this statement January 31st 2005 the operators of BlueDraft.com is Lisa McLeod of course a member from Nepean Carlton Chris Frager would like to sincerely apologize to Maureen Murphy-Macon and Rick Morgan for wrongfully implicating them in an erroneous story in January 2004 revolving around the decision by former PC leader Peter McKay not to seek the leadership of the new Conservative Party of Canada we are sorry for the negative perception that may have been created since and may have harmed the solid reputation and high integrity of both Ms. Murphy-Macon and Mr. Morgan we admit that our sources were not reliable and proper accuracy Thank you Your question Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Health and long-term care deal with funding shortfalls as well as outdated and overcrowded facilities they consider the merger but had to back off the impact on patient care thanks to lack of funding from this government hospital management, physician staff and patients continue to tell this government how desperate their hospital are in needs of repairs and upgrade but now instead of helping Liberals MPP in the Scarborough area are blaming the hospitals will this government stop pointing fingers and tell the people of Scarborough what is their plan your well documented problems Thank you Thank you Speaker and thank you to the member opposite for the question and I can tell you that I have met with my colleagues from Scarborough on a number of occasions because they are working together to improve healthcare in Scarborough for the people of Scarborough and Durham I'm not sure where the member opposite is getting her information but I can assure you that the hospitals in working with our MPPs are determined to improve care for people in Scarborough today and in the future We know that in Scarborough hospital infrastructures are falling apart while emergency rooms are grossly undersized for the number ever growing number of patients that they serve the Scarborough community feels that they are being given second class treatment as health resources are being funneled to other areas of Toronto and now that liberals MPPs have started to point their fingers at the hospital as the cause of the problem it seems like any hope of improvement will once again be lost will this government tell the people of Scarborough whether they are prepared to stop playing games, prioritize patients care and fix the problem with the hospital infrastructure in Scarborough Thank you Minister of Health I would be more than happy to sit down with a member as we have done before on other issues to actually go through what is happening in Scarborough because the Linn and the hospitals are having productive conversations about how to respond to what is admittedly a need in Scarborough So Speaker the MPPs I really have to stress this MPPs from Scarborough and Durham have been working very hard to make solutions that will mean better care for people in that area of the province Thank you Mr Speaker my question is for the Minister of Energy creating jobs and retaining jobs is one of our government's highest priority and in order to do so we need to make Ontario a good place to invest for industrial companies and access to reliable electricity infrastructure I understand is the highest priority for large industrial electricity consumers according to the Manufacturing Competitiveness Committee of the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council Over the last 10 years our government has made unprecedented investments in electricity transmission, distribution and generation and as a result we now have clean, reliable and affordable systems Now that Ontario can provide reliable electricity energy costs are one of the impacts it puts that the industrial companies will need to factor in when considering whether to expand and create facilities in Ontario Mr Speaker through you to the Minister can you please tell us how we can help Ontario's companies Minister of Energy First of all I thank the member from York South Western for the question Mr Speaker the industrial electricity incentive program is helping industrial companies in Ontario grow and create jobs under this new program eligible companies qualify for some of the lowest electricity rates in North America if they expand an existing facility or build a new one in the province Last week in Pembroke I announced that Pembroke MDF paperboard plant was reopening using this program creating 140 direct jobs plus many indirect jobs in Whitby Atlantic Packaging is upgrading their mill using the IEI program and in the members riding of York South Western the IEI program is helping Irving tissue modernize and increase production capacity at their tissue mill Thank you Mr Speaker and thank you to the Minister for that answer helping industrial companies grow and compete in the global market place is an important part of our government's plan to create and support jobs of Ontario and it is excellent news that Irving tissue one of the largest employers in my community is expanding and modernizing their tissue mill I understand that in addition to programs like the industrial electricity incentive Ontario's updated long-term energy plan also reduces electricity costs for typical large industrial consumers by 3 million dollars over the next 5 years and by 11 million 20 years Mr Speaker through you to the Minister could he share with this house how the IEI program IEI program sorry provides additional benefit in how many jobs phase 2 of the program has helped create across the province Thank you Minister Mr Speaker this is indeed good news for job creation Detour Gold says the program will save 20 million dollars in 2014 while they expand what is expected to be one of the largest gold mines in Canada ASW steel in Welland is creating 45 new jobs Gold corp is expanding the muscle white mine in Red Lake and Resolute Canada will open a new sawmill manufacturing facility in Atacocca Mr Speaker across the province more than 350 direct jobs in mining, steel and pulp and paper sectors are being created from projects accepted into this new program Mr Speaker in addition to creating jobs the program benefits the electricity system by helping the province better manage its supply situation and because the IEI program is designed to take advantage of existing generating capacity will not have an impact on the cost for current electricity consumers and it will take some of the steam out of the opposition Thank you The member for the member from Hamilton Creek on a point of order Thank you Speaker I seek unanimous consent to expand the scope of the review of the TO 2015 Pan Parapam Am Games in the Standing Committee on General Government to ensure that every aspect of the games including security is able to be fully addressed during committee hearings Your page please You have this right Mr Miller seeking unanimous consent to expand the scope of the review of the TO 2015 Pan Parapam American Games in the Standing Committee on General Government to ensure that every aspect of the games including security is able to be fully addressed during committee hearings Do we agree? I heard a no I thank you very much Mr Speaker With the House's indulgence I just want to introduce a long time councillor in the township of Elizabeth Town-Kitley and a wonderful director of the OFA in Leeds County Eleanor Renault We have a deferred vote on the motion to third reading of bill 122 an act respecting collective bargaining and Ontario school system calling the members this will be a five minute bell First please take their seats First take their seats please On April 7 this sandals move third reading of bill 122 All those in favour please rise one at a time be recognized by the clerk Ms. Matthews Mr. Hoskins Ms. Charles Mr. Quinter Mr. Bardinetti Mr. Kohl Mr. Kansfield Mr. Dugard Mr. Groovell Mr. Mcneakin Mr. Chan Mr. Peruzza Mr. Murray Mr. Morrill Mr. Morridi Mr. Orzetti Mr. Kuto Mr. Sergio Mr. Flynn Mr. Balkasen Mr. Dixon Ms. Jassick Ms. Hunter Mr. Del Duca Ms. Wong Ms. Damerler Mr. Crack Mr. Tabin Mr. Marquesi Ms. Jelena Ms. Taylor Ms. Natasha Ms. Spite Ms. Forster Ms. Campbell Ms. Vantho Ms. Armstrong Mr. Manta Mr. Miller Hamilton-Estony Creek Mr. Gaines Ms. Sattler Mr. Hatfield Mr. Wilson Mr. Arnaugh Mr. Fidele Ms. Elliott Mr. Huda Mr. Yacobasky Mr. Miller Perry-Salmos Coda Mr. Klee Mr. Barrett Mr. Mcnaught Mr. Dunlop Mr. Holliday Mr. Jones Mr. Monroe Mr. Smith Mr. Harris Mr. Thompson Ms. Scott Ms. McKenna Mr. Walker Mr. McDonnell Mr. Hillyer Mr. McClaren Ms. Marto Ayes are 59 and nays are 34 59 and nays being 34 I declare the motion carried The bill tells you much It's a pleasure to do it Be resolved that the bill do now pass And be entitled as in the motion There are no further Votes this house stands Recessed until 3pm this afternoon