 The introduction is being completed, it is now time for question period. The member from Elgin will ask a question. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Yesterday this government's attack on doctors continued. The Minister of Health blamed so-called out-of-control billing by doctors as a reason for his mismanagement. He said doctors are overbilling hundreds of millions of dollars. Is the Minister insinuating that doctors are creating patient demand? Is it not true that doctors are billing for patients for services they have delivered? If the Minister is implying that doctors should deny service to patients to balance the budget, is that not rationing? And if the Minister wants to ration care and prevent patients from accessing care, then why does he just not do that and stop blaming the doctors? Mr. Speaker, why is this government blaming doctors for their inability to manage the healthcare system? Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I know that the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care is going to want to weigh in on this. I just want to say that we very much hope that the Ontario Medical Association, the OMA will come back to the table Mr. Speaker. We want to have that conversation. This is a conversation about physician compensation Mr. Speaker, that's what it's about. I know that there are some who would like to make it about something else but it is about physician compensation. It's entirely appropriate that the Minister would talk about physician compensation because that's what the discussion is about. We look forward to a productive discussion with the OMA. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you Mr. Speaker. And Premier, we understand that managing costs is a challenge but your Minister needs to take some leadership, stop playing the blame game in the media and sit down with doctors and come do an agreement. Back to the Premier Mr. Speaker, the government has been trying to divide this profession. It's been two years since these doctors have had a contract and in these two years this government has unilaterally slashed doctors fees to a tune of $815 million. And because of this clinics have closed, practices have shut down and doctors have left the province. This government is trying to divide and conquer rather than sit down and negotiate. Mr. Speaker, there are a handful of doctors sitting over there on the government side. Why are they letting their government slander doctors and cut services to patients? Well Mr. Speaker, our position hasn't changed at all. What I did yesterday is I implored our doctors through the representation of the OMA, I implored for them to come back to negotiations with us. As I have done many, many times over the past one year plus one, more than one year Mr. Speaker. So it's important that we get back to formal negotiations so we can work out an agreement which treats all physicians fairly. But what I was speaking of is how technological changes for example have resulted in procedures and services being done much faster in a much more expeditious way than in the past. With cataract surgery for example, it used to take more than an hour, now it takes less than 20 minutes. We need to make sure that what we're being fair to all physicians, that the compensation that we're providing to them reflects the work that they're doing and values that work. And what happens if we've got certain doctors that are billing in advance of those technological adjustments being made, it's unfair to other doctors like our family doctors or pediatricians or psychiatrists or medical officers of health who are working just as hard Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Final supplementary. Thank you Speaker. Back to the Premier. Premier. The Minister of Health is in charge. If he thinks that doctors are defrauding the system, he has the power to fix that, not to have them tack him in the media. Back to the Premier. When the Minister of Health and the government relaunched their attack on doctors yesterday, I found it pretty rich. This is the government that gave us orange. It gave us e-health. It overspent on smart meters. It's a government that budgeted $40 million to cancel a gas plant that ballooned over a billion. This is the government that's run nine straight deficits. This is the government that launches baseless attacks to smear doctors. It's disrespectful, but this government just doesn't get it. Mr. Speaker, will the government tell us what the billions of dollars squandered in scandal, waste and mismanagement could have done for our healthcare system? Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, our position has not changed. We continue to implore the OMA to come back to the negotiating table. We need to, and we want to work with them to get an agreement that is fair to all doctors and also helps us continue to provide the excellent care that our primary care physicians and our specialists across this province provide. It's important that they come back to the negotiating table, and to date, over the last year, they've refused to do so. I repeatedly asked them. My ministry has repeatedly asked them to come back to the negotiating table. We believe that there's an agreement that can be found, an agreement that provides us with a sustainable, predictable, increasing budget year after year after year for physician services, but we need the OMA at the negotiating table. I don't know if the member opposite is suggesting they shouldn't come back. We need them at the negotiating table so we can reach an agreement on a fair deal to all doctors. Thank you. Any questions? The member from Nipissing. Thank you, and good morning, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Speaker, there was a time in Ontario when families looked forward to their golden years. They worked hard. They provided a better life for the kids than they had growing up, and they were looking forward to looking back on what they have. But today, Speaker, that Ontario is very different for our seniors. They now worry about being able to pay their bills, the ones brought on by this government. Skyrocketing hydro bills, doubling costs for medication, gasoline taxes, increased natural gas, and the list goes on and on, all because this Premier cannot control spending. My question is, when will the Premier stop making seniors pay for her waste, mismanagement, and scandal? Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Let's talk about what, just in our most recent budget, Mr. Speaker, what we have put in place to support seniors. We've put in place an additional $250 million to expand capacity to deliver a high-quality home and community care, Mr. Speaker. An additional $75 million over three years in community-based residential hospice and palliative care for a total of about $155 million, Mr. Speaker. We're expanding access to low-income seniors' benefit for 170,000 more seniors, Mr. Speaker. That means that 170,000 more seniors will pay no deductible on their drug costs, Mr. Speaker. Making the shingles vaccine free for eligible seniors between the ages of 65 and 70. That saves $170 each for each of those people. We're removing the debt retirement charge, Mr. Speaker, on electricity bills, which will save Ontarians and seniors, Mr. Speaker. An additional $10 million annually in behavioral supports to help long-term care home residents with dementia and other complex behaviors. We understand that serving seniors is our responsibility, Mr. Speaker. Thank you back to the Premier. This government has made life more unaffordable for families, especially seniors. In my office last week, a large group of seniors gathered to talk about what life in Ontario has become under this Liberal government. Bonnie Beam was one of those seniors in my office. She told the media how she only turns her heat on in her bathroom because the hydro costs are astronomical. She said she cannot turn the heat on in her bedrooms and when the temperature falls below 30 degrees, she might turn a little heat on in the kitchen. This is a real story from a real person. All this is because the government has bungled the energy sector and sent her hydro bills soaring. Speaker, does this government realize just how unaffordable they've made life for seniors? Mr. Speaker, I just went over some of the things that we have done in our budget to actually make life more affordable for seniors. So Mr. Speaker, I hope that when the member opposite has constituents in his office, he's very clear about the programs that are in place to actually help people with their electricity bills, Mr. Speaker. So whether it's the Ontario electricity support program, Mr. Speaker, or whether it's the particular program that is targeted at seniors and property tax credits, Mr. Speaker. Let's stop talking. I don't want to get to the point where I would loathe to start your Easter break early, but I also would suggest to you that when questions are put and answers are put, that neither side provoke each other while the answer is being given or the question is being put. So the people on your own side, don't engage, please. Please finish. Mr. Speaker, you know, it is the job of every MPP in this house to make sure that constituents have information. It is the job of government to make sure we put those supports in place, but it is the job of the MPP for Nipissing to make sure that people in his constituency have all the information that is going to help him program. A supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the Premier. Well, excuse me. No matter where he sits, I know where the member is from. First-grade-owned sound will come to her. Carry on. A large group of seniors gathered in my office last week. Their prime concern was the rising drug costs. They're angry with the Liberals' decision to double drug costs for the vast majority of seniors. The Finance Committee this week, Deborah Cooper-Berger, chair of Ontario's seniors group, told this government that seniors will be forced to choose between food or buying their medication. That's the reality, Speaker, of what we have in Ontario. Our seniors rely on that medication to stay healthy and out of the hospital. Our most vulnerable deserve better. Will the Premier commit today to cancelling the planned increase to seniors' drug costs as outlined in the budget? Question? Thank you. Do you miss who is responsible for seniors? Do you miss who is responsible for seniors? Thank you very much, Speaker. The Premier was quite right telling the member to pass the information that it's available to our seniors. It doesn't matter where they live, Speaker. If they live in York West or if they live in the members' riding. 173,000 senior speakers, low-income seniors, don't pay anything for drugs anymore. In order to help the seniors that live in a single pension, very low-income speakers, this budget is great for the seniors that can't afford to pay the $70 hydro we have eliminated for the seniors that are low-income seniors that go to the hospital. We have reduced the parking fees by 50 percent, Speaker. The $30 emission test, we have eliminated that, $170 saving for the shingles vaccine, Speaker. This is all to help our seniors that can't afford the high cost, if you will, Speaker. And when we say thank you, Speaker, the leader of the third party. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Yesterday I asked the Premier whether she'd listened to the nearly 60 organisations representing hundreds of thousands of Ontarians who wrote to her and asked her, quote, not to respond by merely slightly increasing the user threshold at which the higher deductible will be charged, but to cancel the fee increase entirely and uphold the principle of universality, end quote. So the Premier, listen to them and cancel for plan, Speaker. Thank you. This is that. We're very pleased that 173,000 more seniors in Ontario are not going to have to pay any deductible going forward, Mr. Speaker, on their drug costs. And we have said that we want people to give us feedback on the regulation that is out for consultation right now, Mr. Speaker. And we will be listening to that feedback very, very intently, Mr. Speaker. And I've said that if we didn't get that part of it right, then we will make a change, Mr. Speaker. So I hope that the people that the leader of the third party is speaking to hear from her that they have the opportunity to give us that input right now, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. These organisations went on to say that, quote, universality and equity principles were written into the Canada Health Act. Those are the fundamental principles, Speaker, that ensure the health care services in this province and this country serve everyone. So why is the Premier abandoning that principle, Speaker? Why is she abandoning a principle which is written right into the Canada Health Act and leaving most of Ontario seniors paying more for prescription medication? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, Mr. Speaker, that's just not the case. It's just not the case. As many times as the leader of the third party would like to say it, it is not the case. The fact is that 173,000 more seniors in this province will pay nothing. They will have no cost associated with their drug care, Mr. Speaker. And I would have thought that that would be something that the leader of the third party would support. And we've said, Mr. Speaker, on the other part of the initiative that we will be seeking input. The regulation is out for consultation, Mr. Speaker. The decisions have not been made. We're still listening to people's commentary. And we will be looking at the action going forward. Thank you. Prime Minister. Speaker, it's not just my opinion that this budget, this act in the budget that the Liberals put forward is eroding the principle of universality. 60 organisations that range from health care advocates to seniors advocates are the ones that are naming exactly that, Speaker. Yesterday the Premier made it clear that for her this is about rhetoric and politics. It may be for her, but for new Democrats it's not. It is about people. It's about making sure that our health care system is there for people. The clock. Stop the clock. Come to order, please. Please finish, Leader. Who they are or what their income. It's about building and protecting a system where seniors can actually afford the prescription drugs that they need. Will this Premier explain why she is more concerned with politics and deficit reduction than she is with the protection of universality of health care and ensuring that seniors can afford the prescriptions that they need? Well, the Leader of the Third Party knows that the regulation is posted and we are consulting, including consulting with the organisations that she's referenced. You know, let's remind ourselves of their principles of universality, Mr. Speaker, because they cut the number of drugs offered through the drug program of the province by 10% when they were in power, Mr. Speaker, over 230 drugs. They closed 24% of acute hospital beds in the province. They closed 13% of mental health beds in the province. They reduced hospital funding by 1% in their last year of office. And that was in fact the second year of a budget which decreased health care funding for two years running. So that's their con—and they delisted home care from OHIP as well. That's their concept of universality. Well, our concept is to defend this health care system, defend the Canada Health Act, and we have a Premier who believes in universality and believes in defending that act, and I'm working with her to make sure we support it. Thank you. Good question. The Leader of the Third Party. Well, Speaker, yesterday the Premier accused people who were— Sorry, is this my— Question? This is my next question to the Premier. Good. Yesterday the Premier accused people, Speaker, who are worried about the cost of medication for seniors as setting a fire where there isn't one, Speaker. Earlier this month I met a senior named Grace who lives in Toronto in community housing who earns about $25,000 a year. She was already worried about how much she'd have to pay for her hydro bill, Speaker, and now she's worried about how much she's going to have to pay for her prescriptions. Speaker, as I said before, it's not rhetoric. It's about real people, and that's what this government has to get their heads around. Does this Premier really believe that this issue is no big deal? Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Well, Mr. Speaker, I hope that the Leader of the Third Party, when she engages seniors about this, that she does. In fact, I'm happy to share this chart with her that demonstrates that Ontario by far across this country has the most generous drug program for our seniors. In fact, and more than the NDP province, that in Ontario the average cost is $277, the out-of-pocket cost for a senior in this province. But if we look at Alberta, the average cost is $613, or if we look at B.C., it's $615. It's $982 in Manitoba. The average out-of-pocket cost for seniors. So we have by far the most generous drug program for seniors. I'm happy to provide her with this information. So when she does consult with those seniors, that she's completely transparent and holistic in the approach that she shows them just how generous we are being, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary. Speaker, the fact is that universal health care is a principle that has been upheld by governments of every political stripe. In that way it's a bit like the ability to build infrastructure at the same time as running a public hydro system. All parties have been able to do that. Here in Ontario we have a Premier who's undermining the fundamental principle of universality. Will this Premier do what leaders from every political party before her have done and actually stand up for the principles of universal health care? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, you know, and... It's hard to... I hope by now, you know, the leader of the third party understands how much this Premier and how much myself as the Minister of Health believe in and are defending the principles of universality when it comes to our health care system. But, Mr. Speaker, she... You know, let me give another example of what we've done for our seniors, because I've had many seniors come to me and complain that they get a prescription for a chronic medication. They might have been on it for years, Mr. Speaker, for high blood pressure, perhaps. And they take that three-month prescription to their pharmacist, but they only get a month's supply back. And part of the reason is we've incented our pharmacists up till now that they get paid, and in fact, the senior pays that co-payment every single time. Our pharmacists no longer do that. A maximum of five times a year. You take that three-month prescription to your pharmacist, you're going to get three months' worth of drugs. Thank you. You're saving tens, if not hundreds of dollars. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I hope by now that the Liberals understand how their budget bungle actually abandons the principle of universal health care. That's what everybody is telling them, Speaker. They need to admit it if they're going to make a change. Anyone in Ontario, in fact, who wants to tell the Premier what they think of her plan to double the cost of medication for seniors can actually call her right now. They can call her at 416-325-2228. That number, again, just to be sure the Minister of Health heard it, because he's asking whether we're telling people to get engaged in the process. And we are. Call the Premier. 416-325-2228, Speaker. Because apparently it isn't enough for Ontario Health Coalition, local chapters of CAR, Canadian National Pensioners Federation, the Raging Brandies, German seniors, major newspapers, worried seniors from across Ontario will already wait in. The Premier had said yesterday, Speaker, that she's listening to the people. How much more does she need to hear, is the question, Speaker. Thank you, Minister. Well, you know, since we seem to be in this position of exchanging information, I'll reciprocate that. As I mentioned, I'm happy to provide a very illustrative of comparisons across the country and demonstrating that we have by far the most generous drug program for seniors. No other province even comes close. The next one, the out-of-pocket posture, twice that. But also, and I'm happy to, you know, sit down and have a discussion about the Canada Health Act. They know, well, we know what universality means. You don't because you delisted home care and took it away out of the way. Mr. Speaker, we've got the regulation posted. We're committed to taking 173,000, so they no longer pay any annual deductible. They'll join about 300,000, so about a quarter of all seniors will pay no annual deductible whatsoever. That's even more generous to a program that's most generous in Canada. Much better. Member from Lineart Project, Lancaster, Addington. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Community Safety and Corrections. Speaker, the Minister, along with the Attorney General, met with me last month to discuss the failings of the justice system and what we can do to correct them. One thing that came as a shock to all of us, as I'm sure it will be to every member in this House, is that there is no electronic monitoring in Ontario to ensure dangerous offenders upon their release are tracked by the authorities. In Ontario, the best protection we can offer is a piece of paper. Speaker, why has this government continued to leave victims living in fear by not investing in simple, affordable, electronic monitoring technology of our most dangerous and violent offenders returning to our communities? Thank you. Minister of Community Safety and Corrections. Thank you very much, Speaker. I want to thank the member, first of all, opposite for taking the time and meeting with the Attorney General and myself. We had a very constructive meeting. It was a very detailed meeting and going through some, in quite detail in how the system works when it comes to inmates who've been back in the community and things that we need to do. Speaker, as I've been working along with the member opposite, I assure him that we have embarked on a very significant work around transforming our correctional services, both in terms of our institutions but the services that are provided in the community as well. And as a result speaker, in order to learn even more, I have been travelling and meeting with probation and pull officers to better understand the service provided and I would love to share more details in the supplementary. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Again, to the Minister of Community Safety and Corrections. As we talked, I've said the letter to the minister further expressing my concerns for our province's inability to track our most dangerous and violent offenders. Electronic monitoring isn't expensive, it isn't new, and it's being used in many places, such as Calgary, Edmonton, PEI, and even Canadian border services. There are numerous options providing cost-effective, proven results with this technology. One of these companies already does all the monitoring for the country right here in Ontario in Sudbury. Speaker, will the minister commit to this house today to bring a pilot project forward to equip our police and corrections officers with electronic tracking devices so they can monitor dangerous and violent offenders upon their release into our communities? Again, I thank the member. He gave me a letter just few days ago and I spoke to him in person and undertook to look into it. In fact, I think to have a subsequent meeting as well. I also want to make sure that I make it very clear that the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services have policies and procedures placed for the supervision of sexual and other high-risk offenders. Provision and parole officers receive specialized training to aid in risk assessment, supervision, and monitoring. And where an offender has a court order requiring treatment or intervention speaker or chooses to participate in treatment, probation officers work with the offender to access the appropriate programming. Information sharing protocols with local police are also in place. Please, Speaker, also have policies and procedures in place for monitoring high-risk offenders in their jurisdictions. Speaker, we need to continue to work on these issues. We need to make sure that victims are always safe in the communities and that we do provide appropriate rehabilitation services to offenders. And I look forward to working with the member opposite in working those strategies. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. Can the Premier explain why the Sunshine List will have a huge hole in it this year where Hydro-1 used to be? Thank you. Minister of Finance. Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that the salaries of the executives of Hydro-1 will be posted continuously in the public record for all to see at any time of the year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. An entertaining finance minister. Speaker, the Premier was elected on a platform, questions back to her. The Premier was elected on a platform that read the kind of abuses uncovered at Hydro-1 must never be repeated. We will insist that they disclose significant expense claims by board members and executives. That was the 2003 Liberal Platform page 9. Just because Hydro-1 is no longer public the salaries for all the top executives still come from the same place as it did in 2003. You and me and every other rate payer in the Ontario. The only difference is that now Hydro-1 executives won't appear on the sunshine list making it far more difficult to uncover any abuses. Again, can the Premier explain why Hydro-1 is not on the sunshine list? Thank you, Minister. So let me be clear, it's a publicly traded company. They have different oversight mechanisms and it's required in the executives to be displayed. That will be available on public record at any time. The disclosure is there to be seen any time of the year. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health in long-term care. Providing excellent community health care is an extremely important matter for constituents in beaches east York and indeed all Ontarians. I ran on in 2014. So, Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Health in long-term care outlined the progress that our government has made on our patients first action plan for health care. And those achievements include reducing the cost of parking at Ontario hospitals for patients and their families and loved ones. They include one billion of new health care spending this year which will help improve access and include more than 245 million in new funding for our hospitals. This also includes appointing Ontario's first ever patient ombudsman. But, Speaker, the Minister also reiterated his request that the Ontario Medical Association return to the table and work with our government to negotiate a new deal. Will the Minister of Health in long-term care please tell this health while he is asking the OMA to come back to the negotiating table to help us improve our system. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is immensely important to me as the Minister of Health that we resume negotiations and find that negotiated agreement together with the OMA so we can continue to build upon the success that quite frankly, our doctors are so proud of as they should be the success that they've been part of in making sure that they're providing the best quality of care for their patients. But also the fact now that 94% of Ontarians have access to a primary care provider and we couldn't have done that without the help and the hard work of our doctors and others in the front lines. But, Mr. Speaker, our position has never changed. After a year of negotiations when the OMA walked away from the agreement that was advised to them, the advice that they accept from the facilitator, we want to continue to work with them. We want to come back to formal negotiations. I've implored them to do that repeatedly. I ask them to come back to the table now. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. I thank the minister for that response and indeed I would congratulate the minister his entire ministry for the great work that they're doing transforming healthcare in the province of Ontario. Now I know my constituents are deeply appreciate the care and the support that Ontario doctors provide on a day-to-day basis. For most Ontarians, I think the family doctors are who we immediately turn to when we're concerned about our health or finding a way to return to first. But yesterday I saw a press release from the OMA that I think many Ontarians would agree it seemed to call into question whether they are prepared to come back to the negotiating table and work with our government to negotiate a long-term deal that would provide stability for Ontarians doctors and patients and improve conditions for Ontarians family doctors. So will the minister please clarify for the House what the government's position is on returning to the negotiating table so we can reach a meeting with Ontario doctors? Well, Mr. Speaker, while I continue to implore the OMA to come back to negotiations we continue to increase our healthcare budget. It went up this year by over $125 million it will continue to increase each and every year. But right now Mr. Speaker because most doctors in the province built for every service they provide they effectively set their own salary and over the past three years this has resulted in an over budget above and beyond what we budgeted in the ministry of hundreds of millions of dollars and a large part of this over spend has come from high billing specialists who continue to be able to bill high amounts despite technological changes. I gave the example of cataract surgery that used to take over an hour that now takes less than 20 minutes. Now these high billing specialists they often are two or three or even more times as much as an average doctor or family doctor. It leaves less money for our family doctors, less for our pediatricians, our psychiatrists, our community health center doctors and it squeezes our ability to invest in other areas Mr. Speaker. Thank you. No question. Do you have a question? My question is to the Premier. We warned the government repeatedly that it was a bad idea to authorize the construction of wind turbines in the Great Lakes. They went ahead and signed contracts anyway specifically with windstream. When they got flooded with opposition no pun intended and in order to save liberal seats they abruptly reversed their position and said there would be no wind turbines in the Great Lakes. As a result, windstream is suing and taxpayers could be on the hook for $568 million. I would ask the Premier if windstream is successful in their suit will the Liberal Party of Ontario reimburse the taxpayer for their competence and for once again showing that your government can't get anything right. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I'm not going to preempt a legal process Mr. Speaker. Obviously I don't have knowledge of what those decisions will be. What we know Mr. Speaker is that we need to make decisions that are based on science, that are based on evidence and Mr. Speaker there was a concern about the impact of offshore turbines but Mr. Speaker let me say that the fact is that Ontario has taken the largest step in North America in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by shutting down coal-fired plants by investing in renewables Mr. Speaker by jump-starting an industry that means that we are taking a leadership role not just in this industry but internationally. We're going to continue to take that role and that will include the implementation of our cap and trades for Mr. Speaker and part of that part of the work that we've been doing is about renewables and we're very proud of that work Mr. Speaker. Back to the Premier, taxpayers always pay for your incompetence. The Premier would know that the star witness supporting Windstream's case is none other than former colleague Mr. George and his disastrous feed entire program. While the government states in its defense that it was not prepared from a regulatory perspective to deal with offshore energy developments, Mr. Smilerman testified that when he was minister no one discussed with him that they were unable to accommodate offshore wind developments. In fact he stated that the ministers of the environment and natural resources express strong support for the program. Speaker I would ask the Premier that if she's not going to reimburse this case in case be successful, perhaps she can sit down with her ex-colleague and find out why George Smilerman is testifying against his former government. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Two major points here. One, this is a legal case so the member may be new to the house but he knows the government nor should he comment. Thank you. I know you didn't. So he knows that none of us should be commenting on this side or the other side of the house. Second. Member from Bruce Gray who on sound, second time. And second the question is entirely hypothetical Mr. Speaker. The third piece Mr. Speaker can the member point to any large inland body of fresh water that has wind turbines on it prior to those decisions? No they can't. And Mr. Speaker there was prudence taken by this government to make sure there was good science in place before they were deployed Mr. Speaker that's a sensible thing to do. The member from Windsor Thank you Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education. Yesterday I met Scott Myers at a Saginaska parent council meeting in Belleville. Scott is a single father from Petawawa who is trying desperately to enroll his daughter Jaina in this specialized school. His family worked on her application for over a year. Scott and I sat patiently as we heard testimonials from graduates, current students and their families about how Saginaska dramatically improved their reading and writing and boosted their confidence. But the Minister's decision to freeze enrollment next year is creating chaos for families like Scott's who now face an uncertain future. For students like Jaina it means that this liberal government is pulling the rug out from under them and they will not be given the same opportunities to succeed. My question is simple. Will the Minister of Education open enrollment and give students like Jaina the school year they deserve? Minister of Education Yes. Thank you very much Speaker and I want to assure everyone that we are committed to the success of all of our students. That includes students who have severe learning disabilities and in this particular case students who are struggling to learn to read. We agree with the parents and with the students who I talked to privately last evening that these programs at the four demonstration schools have made a tremendous impact on their life. In fact children who have been struggling their whole life to learn to read have been successful in learning to read through these programs. There is no dispute about that speaker. The challenge for all of us now is to figure out how we can support more students with the similar needs. Thank you. Supplementary Yes. Speaker yesterday the Minister said she is accountable for the actions of her department so will she please act on her claim and answer a direct question. Speaker back to the Minister. Families gathered in Belleville last night and asked how out of touch this Liberal government is with the realities of students with exceptional needs. The Minister asked what went wrong with students at their home school boards. Well if the Minister was listening she would know that it's not about what went wrong at district school boards but what is right about provincial and demonstration schools. Schools like Saginasca the Minister has capped enrollment and frozen applications for last for next year. Yesterday the Minister asked whether a single question from parents or students. So will she please answer one now. Is the closure of Saginasca or any provincial or demonstration school a potential outcome of this year's consultations. Thank you. Yes. Thank you very much and you know I beg to differ with the member opposite. When I talk to a student and their parents and they tell me that a student who has a severe learning disability who has an average or above average intelligence is in grade 8 or 9 and reading at a kindergarten or grade 1 level something went wrong and part of my job through this consultation is to figure out what went wrong because we know that there are thousands of students all over the province for which the services that we already have in place didn't click. We need to figure out what went wrong so we can put in place services that do click and that students do learn to read when they have the capacity to do so. That's my job. Thank you. Question? The member for Public Health Lakeshore. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. When it comes to how we shape our communities and how we work to create better access to affordable housing for Ontarians who need it most I've always believed in giving municipalities the tools they need to make important decisions at the local level. One of these powerful tools is inclusionary zoning. As members of this house are aware I've advocated for inclusionary zoning in my own private members bill. In many communities increasing house prices and rent costs are making it difficult to find housing they can afford. At last week's new long term affordable housing strategy announcement our government took action to achieve a fairer society. It was announced that we intend to introduce legislation that would, if passed, make inclusionary zoning a reality in communities across this province. Mr. Speaker, it's for you. Will the Minister tell us about the thinking behind this decision and the next steps ahead? Thank you Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I want to thank the member from Etobicoke Wake Shore as well as the member from Parkdale High Park who have been tireless in their efforts to advocate for inclusionary zoning. The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing we don't have a construction office down at the end of our wing. We're filled with bricklayers and carpenters and electricians and plumbers who wait for a call from a subscriber or Peter Burrow or Hamilton to come and build 8, 18 or 100 units. It doesn't work that way. It works by partnering together with our municipalities in the private sector to try to and not for profit, to try to encourage and send and plan for the provision of social and affordable housing. I've come to believe thanks to some of the advocacy efforts of other members in the House that inclusive zoning is a good way to go. We're meeting with our partners and we're going to come up with something very comprehensive and it's going to work. Thank you Mr. Speaker and I want to congratulate the Minister on his tremendous leadership and I'm also very proud of the action our government has taken in the long-term affordable housing strategy to make finding a home easier for low and middle income Ontarians and to empower municipalities to address their communities needs. Mr. Speaker, some people see inclusionary zoning as a magic wand thinking it'll be sufficient on its own to solve housing challenges and I'd like to urge the government to pass existing legislation as urgently as possible. Mr. Speaker, through you, can the Minister explain why simply passing one of the existing private members bills on inclusionary zoning that are already before the House wouldn't achieve these larger objectives for affordable housing? Thank you Mr. Well Mr. Speaker, inclusionary zoning has in some jurisdictions proven to be an effective tool if it's done right. We want to make sure we get it right and I recognize, our government recognizes that it's now time to take action beyond section 37 which could have done a lot of this kind of thing if properly applied but wasn't. That's why we're developing a broader set of legislative changes that will go beyond inclusionary zoning and that's why we want to talk to our partners because believe it or not the development industry and our municipalities and some of my colleagues in this House have got some great ideas that need to be rolled into that legislation we're going to make sure that happens and we're going to make sure we get it right. Mr. Speaker, I've written to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing about the challenges some of my constituents are facing in land lease communities where they live in Wasaga Beach. I've also questioned the Minister in this House. These developments are managed by Parkbridge Adult Lifestyle Communities. Three of these communities are petitioning the province to update the Residential Tenancy Act of 1991 to bring in better oversight and transparency of the fees they pay. Right now residents in these communities have no protection and many including Mr. Bill Dee say the annual land lease increases are too high. Another resident Mr. Tony Brady told local media and I quote, they can raise it to whatever they want. This year it's 4.2%. It could be 6.2 or 10.2 and we have nowhere to turn. We have absolutely no recourse end of quote. So Mr. Speaker my constituents and the government to come up with a creative solution. Will the Premier please commit to tackling this issue? Thank you. Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing the Premier will commit tackling this issue I can assure you and I appreciated getting a copy of the letter from the Honorable Member opposite. There are situations where this is a serious problem and we need to have serious people sit down and look for some serious solutions. I can commit to the Honorable Member that we're doing exactly that and I hope that in the not too distant future we can together come up with a solution that will work for your constituency and others who are in this situation. Thank you. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker I certainly appreciate that answer from the Minister. The residents are particularly concerned about their transparency. They see regular increases, steady increases in maintenance fees for example and the company unwilling to give them explanations. If they bought new lawn mowers or something like that they'd understand the fees going up but they never seem to get an explanation. There's about 40 of these communities across the province so a lot of us are affected by it. I just ask the Honorable Minister do you have a time frame in mind when we might come to a solution? Thank you Minister. The municipalities use section 37. We could have had this solved a long time ago too. I don't have a timeline. I can assure the member opposite that we're looking at it. We're looking at it seriously. We do think it's something that needs to be addressed. There are different ways to address it. You may know that the Landlord Tenant Bureau and how that operates is in fact a function of the attorney general so we're working in ministerially to look at the potential answers but Honorable Member I'll get back to you with some hopefully as quick as we can with some action. Thank you. Thank you Speaker to the Premier. This Liberal government is aware the residing Rainy River District Crown Attorney is retiring. Rather than immediately undertake a search for a replacement, the Ministry of the Attorney General has decided to hire a rent-a-crown from a neighbouring district hundreds of kilometres away. Despite the fact that the statistics show that the Rainy River District Crown Attorney has the highest case load per capita in Northern Ontario. Speaker, my question is simple. Can the Premier tell us whether there will be a permanent resident Crown Attorney for the Rainy River District? Thank you. Mr. Speaker I don't have the time frame on that I'm going to ask the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services to look at that but Mr. Speaker what I can say is that it would obviously be very critical that services would be in place Mr. Speaker that there would be access to those services at any time given the severity of cases Mr. Speaker so the fact that there hasn't been a permanent appointment does not mean that the services would not be available to the member's residents. Thank you. Supplementary? Thank you. All Ontarians deserve fair and equitable access to justice as a basic right. This latest blow to access to justice in the Rainy River District comes on the heels of a decision to not replace the resident judge and serves as a further erosion of services and a further marginalization of the area. A resident Crown Attorney has the knowledge of the area including the knowledge and sensitivity to First Nation issues as identified by the Gladue principle and just as importantly is available and accessible. No community should have to settle for whistle stop justice. Will the Premier commit today to hiring a Crown Attorney that resides in the Rainy River District without delay? Thank you. Thank you very much Speaker and I want to thank the member opposite for asking the question. I appreciate very much what the premier response is of course we take access to justice very very seriously Speaker that is a fundamental tenant of our judicial system is to make sure that all citizens have a timely access to justice by a speaker I am confident that the Ministry of the Attorney General is doing everything in his power to make sure that the services that are needed in all communities across the province especially Northern Ontario are available in a timely manner I know Speaker there has been a significant effort that has been put in place to ensure that we continue to modernize our justice system to better utilize technology in the delivery of justice system Speaker and of course Speaker to ensure that services are also being provided in the French language which is also an essential aspect of access justice Thank you. Thank you Mr Speaker my question is to the Minister of Northern Development and Mines Minister we are greatly involved in supporting communities and businesses in Northern Ontario recognizing that through strategic investment Northern Ontario is on the right track to prosperity investing in the north is a critical part of our plan to build Ontario up by supporting the construction of modern infrastructure and creating a dynamic and innovative business climate I understand that one of the ways that our government contributes to Northern communities is through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Mr Speaker could the Minister and the support that it is providing to people in the north Thank you. Thank you very much Through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund program our government is investing 100 million dollars each year in this economic development fund that supports new projects across the north that are certainly strengthening Northern communities creating jobs and helping more Northerners live work and build careers in this great province so we can go into all aspects of the fund but I am proud to say that it was a liberal government under Randy Fontaine who first introduced the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation back in the late 1980s it's our government who increased the NOHFC funding to an unprecedented 100 million dollar level program with the Speaker that has created or retained over 25,000 dollars 25,000 jobs that has actually brought forward investment triple in terms of the amount we have We're very excited Mr Speaker I look forward to Kelly talking about one of the announcements we made recently and I'll be able to get to that Thank you, supplementary Thank you Mr Speaker and I want to thank the Minister for his answer and clearly he is a very strong advocate for the north through the work of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund and it's great to hear that our government is making such important investments in Northern Ontario and that we're exploring innovative ways to help Ontarians who are living and working and studying in the north. I hear that the Minister was recently at Lakehead University to announce that they are making several investments through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund. Mr Speaker could the Minister please tell us more about these investments at Lakehead University Minister, thank you very much I was indeed at Lakehead University with my colleague the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry to make a great announcement at Lakehead University University System. It was here yesterday actually with us all and they continued to be a beacon of education in the north. What we were able to provide was an $814,000 Northern Ontario Heritage Fund investment to establish a five year industrial research chair a position in green chemicals and processes and additionally through another investment of dollars we were invested towards the development of a fire resistance testing laboratory at Lakehead University of great interest to my colleague so certainly we are very proud to support cutting edge research at Lakehead University and all across the north and by supporting that development and commercialization of new technologies we're contributing to future prosperity in Northern Ontario thank you Mr Speaker. New question a member from the Hall of Memorial Mr Speaker should have the premier we need to be a private members bill today and Ontario's black market illegal trade and trafficking continues to grow in scope and sophistication Ontario as we know is a major hub of human trafficking for sexual exploitation cocaine amphetamines heroin other narcotics like fentanyl have long financed organized crime cash is king we now see money laundering through online gambling e-commerce bitcoin contraband tobacco tax losses are at between 30 and 40 percent illegal weapons pervade premier as you would know much of this crime is organized my question do you feel as a society are suitably up to date and organized to fight that thank you Minister of Finance thank you Mr. Speaker I appreciate the question and certainly something that this side of the house also recognizes as important is why we have already taken action on a number of items that he seeks in his bill and we seek to address them positively it is why we're working very closely with the first nations communities in a balanced and respectful approach to try to find compliance measures to the issues that we face we have taken action in the 2016 budget in the 2015 fall economic statement we have four pilots already in regards to raw leaf, labeling and compliance including an OPP attachment to fine enforcement and Mr. Speaker when it comes to the underground economy over $930 million has now been retrieved last year as a result of the measures that we're taking so we will continue and when it comes to community safety I will defer to the Minister of Community Safety and Corrections thank you Mr. Speaker thank you thank you for that and I'll point out Ontario does not have a strategy for human trafficking and as with tobacco, drugs and illegal weapons there's a lack of tracking data there's a lack of statistics we do, I agree we do have task forces and ad hoc initiatives and this is good however we're told there's a lack of information sharing, a lack of collaboration among those who are fighting the criminal underworld again, organization is lacking my question would you support the establishment of a one year time limited commission of inquiry, not an inquisition nothing like that but a research based inquiry drawing on facts, expert testimony assemble the necessary knowledge the understanding, the best practices to provide advice further advice and recommendations to this government with respect to future action thank you Minister of Community Safety and Corrections Minister of Community Safety and Corrections well thank you very much Speaker and I was going to focus on the issue on human trafficking that the member raised in his question which Speaker I think we all we all recognize in this house in a society that is a deplorable activity and we have to do everything in our power to stop it Speaker just yesterday the minister responsible for women's issues and I attended a national anti-trafficking forum that is taking place in Toronto Speaker has been hosted by the Canadian Woman Foundation and Public Safety Canada where they have brought in all stakeholders and survivor groups and police services to come together to look at best possible strategies to combat human trafficking in fact Speaker as we speak my ministry and the Ontario Woman's Directorate is hosting a working lunch sharing with them what we have learned in our consultations as we develop the strategy to combat and human trafficking in the province of Ontario Thank you Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Minister of Health Minister as you know I have been across my riding from Fort Erie to Niagara Falls and into Niagara Lake and the message is the same seniors are worried about your Liberal Government's plan to increase cost of their prescription drugs it's unacceptable that they already struggle to pay their hydro and their food bills they simply can't afford increased prescription drug costs but don't take it from me Minister take it from the more than 60 senior organizations that has raised this issue with myself and you will your Government reverse this decision and tell the seniors in Niagara that they don't have to worry about higher co-payments and increase annual deductibles when it comes to their medications Thank you Thank you Mr. Speaker as always I appreciate the question from the member and as I said earlier Mr. Speaker the intent I don't think I said this portion of it but the intent of this action in the budget was to take 173,000 of the poorest seniors in this province and move them from a category where they currently pay $100 per year as an annual deductible towards their drug costs to move them into a category where they will go from $100 deductible to $0 deductible and they'll join a category which already exists of about 300,000 individuals who pay no annual deductible so that was the intent of putting this in the budget and I would think I expect that the member opposite supports and would even perhaps applaud that move at providing better access for those individuals we've indicated that we want to make sure that this right for all seniors we've posted the regulation we're engaged in consultation including I'm sure with many of the groups that he's wrapped Thank you Mr. Speaker Supplementary Thank you Mr. Speaker here's the problem with the $170,000 it's good that we're heading that way but here's the reality Minister one million seniors will have to pay more and that's a fact so let's be clear about that and that's the issue we double the annual deductible for seniors prescriptions and cause higher co-payments every time they fill prescriptions at their pharmacy I know this the members of this legislation know this and the seniors in my riding know this seniors made their communities great and they deserve better will you give the seniors in my riding and across Ontario an answer about your plan to reverse this decision and move towards universal coverage for all our seniors prescription medication for the one million people that will have to pay Thank you Mr. Speaker to continue the consultation including with seniors groups the member from the Tobaco center Thank you Speaker my question is for the minister of natural resources and forestry Speaker rising temperatures in April showers bring spring flowers but rising temperatures in heavy rains spring flooding the ministry of natural resources and forestry along with conservation authorities like the Toronto region conservation authority in my riding of the Tobaco center monitor surface water levels weather forecast and watershed conditions at locations across the watershed these measurements, weather forecasts and radar information on temperature and rainfall predictions along with historical data are compiled to develop a flood forecast and Speaker in 2013 flooding hit our province and hit our community and so I know my constituents are keenly aware of the importance of this type of service and these type of forecast so Speaker through you to the minister can the minister please explain to the house what is ministry is doing to ensure that communities in Ontario are prepared to respond to potential flooding emergencies Good question Thank you very much the ministry monitors watershed conditions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is able to contact stakeholders immediately with updates we work with communities, conservation authorities and environment Canada to forecast where and when flooding is likely to occur together with the ministry of community safety and correctional services we work to ensure that Ontarians are prepared for floods MNRF has an information website to inform the people of Ontario about potential flooding provide real time information about weather and flooding risks and provide tips on what to do in the event of a flood in areas where there is no conservation authority MNRF district offices are responsible for providing local flood messaging to municipalities and first nations our surface water monitoring centre performs a daily assessment for flood hazard potential and this assessment considers many dimensions such as weather, water levels and snowpack speaker Thank you the member from Ottawa or Leo on a point of order on a point of order Mr. Speaker I would like to introduce a few special guests who are here today Dr. Jean Augustine former MP for Etobicoke lecturers here today Thanks co-chair of Equal Voice Toronto Telma Meghalibri Vice President of Provincial Council of Women Ontario Madea and Edis Yazar from the business and professional women's club of Ontario and Joan Bilsma a champion of human rights in South Africa and member of Equal Voice Toronto joining us today for my motion debate this afternoon and finally I need to recognize it is a distinct pleasure to introduce Mr. Lloyd Lockock and his wife Alice Lloyd is the grandson of Ray Lockock Ray was one of the first female MPP elected to this chamber welcome the member for Etobicoke on a point of order Thank you Mr. Speaker the former MPP beat me to it but my former MP Jean Augustine is here and also a wonderful student intern from Ryerson University worked in my constituency office Eric Moots Thank you Mr. Speaker and it's really not a point of order I would just like to wish happy birthday to my seat mate who will be joining 29 on March 26 it's not a point of order I'm going to have it stricken from the record the associate minister of finance Mr. Speaker I have a point of order I'd also like to join my colleague in recognizing the presence of the honourable Jean Augustine who was the first black woman elected as a member of parliament and we're so honoured that you're here also I noticed my friend Nancy coldon is here as well would like to welcome her Thank you Not to be outdone, the members of the beach is each work Mr. Speaker, I'm really afraid to say this is not a point of order but if you beg your indulgence for a moment I would like to wish my seat mate in front of me from Glengarry Prescott Russell whose birthday will be April 2 next week we won't be here but I'd still like to wish him happy birthday Speaker Speaker I hope you'll entertain some generosity towards me as well with another birthday wish to my seat mate, our colleague Catherine McGarry from Cambridge the member from Cambridge is having a big birthday coming up and we just want to wish your all happiness and best wishes This feels much better actually so I don't mind doing this we have a deferred vote on the motion in second reading of bill 166 an act to authorize expenditure of certain amounts for fiscal year ending March 31st 2016 calling the members this will be a five minute belt I'll stick around All members please take your seats All members please take your seats Members please take your seats On March 23rd 2016 Mr. Gravel moved second reading of bill 166 All those in favor please rise one at a time be recognized by the clerk Mr. Matthews Mr. Nacky Mr. Bradley Mr. Sousa Mr. Dugan Mr. Charles Mr. Takkar Mr. Delaney Mr. Dillon Mr. Gravel Mr. McMeacon Mr. Murray Mr. Coteau Mr. Leo Mr. Flynn Mr. Albanese Mr. Dixon Mr. Crag Mr. Hunter Mr. Sergio Mr. Del Ducan Mr. Frasier Mr. Anderson Mr. Baker Mr. Ballard Mr. Hogan Mr. Mollie Mr. McGarry Mr. Miltcher Mr. Pott Mr. Rinaldi All those opposed please rise one at a time be recognized by the clerk Mr. Fidel Mr. Carter Mr. Wilson Mr. Clark Mr. Hillier Mr. Miller Mr. Thomson Mr. Barrett Mr. Houda Mr. Bailie Mr. Walker Mr. Martel Mr. McDonnell Mr. Cole Mr. Horvath Mr. DeNovo Mr. Taylor Mr. Nadeshaw Mr. Forster Mr. Campbell Mr. Hatfield Mr. Gates Mr. Gates The ayes are 52 the nays are 35 The ayes are 52 and the nays are 35 I declare the motion carried Order G 166 Third Reading of Bill 166 Third Reading of Bill 166 An act to authorize the expenditure of certain amounts for the fiscal year ending March 31st 2016 Comrade Housler Third Reading of Bill 166 An act to authorize the expenditure of certain amounts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016 Mr. Nakvi Mr. Nakvi has moved a third reading of Bill 166 Is it the pleasure of the House to motion carry? Carry I heard a no. All those in favor say aye Aye In my opinion the ayes have it Calling the members this will be a 5 minute down Same vote The ayes are 52 the nays are 35 The ayes being 52 and the nays being 35 I declare the motion carried Third Reading of Bill 166 Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion There are no further deferred votes I would like to make a quick comment to each and every one of you that you have a safe and happy Easter and spend some time with your families Thank you very much This House stands with us until one can this afternoon