 It is therefore time for question period, the member from Prince Edward Hastings. Thank you, and good morning. My question this morning is for the Premier. Does the Premier believe that a $6 million salary is acceptable for the CEO of Hydro-1? Thank you, Mr Speaker. Once again, we recognize that executive salaries are high compared to the vast majority of Ontario salaries. We remain committed to Hydro-1's regulation, accountability, and transparency through our government's involvement as a majority shareholder. That said, we have already seen the chaos created by the man in the White House who is governing by firing people all the time, and that is not working too well. The Opposition's gimmick and their Leader's gimmick will drag us down into that same mess and actually won't do anything to reduce Hydro bills either. As the company and its rates continue, Mr Speaker, to be regulated by the Ontario Energy Board. The member opposite knows that as well, Mr Speaker. The Ontario Energy Board is our province's independent regulator who has a mandate to protect the province's electricity consumers, and it continues to deliver on that mandate. Mr Speaker, the Premier has said in the House on numerous occasions that with the sale of Hydro-1, the very unpopular sale of Hydro-1, she retained and the government retained the right to remove the Board and ultimately remove the CEO. So I'll ask the Premier again, does she believe that a $6 million salary for the CEO of Hydro-1 is acceptable? Yes or no? Again, Mr Speaker, making sure that we reduce rates for the people of Ontario, that's what this government chose to do, and that's why, Mr Speaker, we brought forward the Fair Hydro Plan that reduced rates by 25%. What they're talking about on that side of the House, Mr Speaker, what their Leader is talking about won't reduce anything off of anyone's bills, Mr Speaker. We actually brought forward a plan that they voted against, Mr Speaker. They voted against a 25% reduction. That reduction, Mr Speaker, they then decided to keep in their people's guarantee. And then immediately, well, not immediately, a couple of months later, Mr Speaker, they actually tossed that out and are now back as the party that has no plan when it comes to the electricity sector and helping people reduce their rates, Mr Speaker. We came forward with a plan, reduced those rates by 25%, and we'll continue to advocate for the people of Ontario. Well, thanks, Speaker. The salary that they're paying the CEO at Hydro-1 is five times the salary of the previous CEO. It's 10 times the salary of his peers and other jurisdictions across Canada. $500,000 is the average salary for a CEO at a provincial run utility. Why in the world, and it astonishes me, Mr Speaker, that the Liberals will stand up in the House and defend this outrageous salary and compensation package of $6 million for the CEO at Hydro-1. So why won't the Premier stand up in her place after saying on numerous occasions that she retained the right, the government retained the right, to remove the Board and the CEO at Hydro-1? My question for the Premier is, why are you defending your $6 million man? Thank you, Mr Speaker. It's actually this Premier in this government that is defending the people of Ontario from cuts that that party wants to bring in, Mr Speaker. It is this party that is making sure that we brought forward a plan to reduce bills by 25%, Mr Speaker. They voted against it. It is very clear, Mr Speaker. It is very clear what they will continue to do. They will continue to cut. They will bring forward bumper sticker slogans, Mr Speaker. Well, we will bring substantive policy that actually helps the people of Ontario. When it comes to the electricity sector, we reduced rates by 25% right across the province. Hydro-1 customers have seen a reduction of anywhere between 35 and 50%, Mr Speaker, and they have voted against it each and every time. We will put policy over bumper stickers, Mr Speaker. Thanks, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Energy this morning. There remains serious questions, Mr Speaker, about the Liberals' very expensive hydro plan that the Minister was just talking about. In regards to Ernst & Young, Deloitte and KPMG, the Auditor General has said the sum of all this work does not equate to approval of the accounting of their scheme and the financial books. Mr Speaker, to the Minister of Energy, is the Auditor General correct? Thank you, Mr Speaker. So let's be clear, Mr Speaker. Families in this province asked for real and immediate relief on their electricity bills, and that's what we delivered, Mr Speaker. We made a policy choice, not a bumper sticker slogan, but a policy choice, Mr Speaker, to ensure that we continue to have clean, reliable, and affordable electricity for ratepayers of today and the ratepayers of tomorrow. The fair hydro plan, Mr Speaker, keeps the cost of borrowing within the rate base, not the tax base, because that's the logical thing to do, Mr Speaker. Electricity financing should remain within the electricity system. So officials from the Treasury Board, Finance, OPG, the ISO, and the Ontario Financing Authority, along with external advisers that included E&Y, KPMG, and Deloitte, worked with the accounting related to the fair hydro plan. They, along with the Office of the Provincial Controller, ensured that this plan was in accordance with public sector accounting, Mr Speaker. Supplementary. Well, thank you, Speaker. That was a lot of rubbish that really said nothing at all, Mr Speaker. The fact that the Minister can even refer to this very expensive hydro plan as fair is unbelievable to the people of Ontario who are going to be paying record high electricity rates after the next election because they're doing nothing to address the cost of electricity in Ontario. So to the Minister of Energy, he said this a while ago. Our plan has been approved by her, speaking of the Auditor General, by her peers at some of Canada's top accounting firms like KPMG, Ernst & Young, and Deloitte. The Auditor General has said that that's not true, Mr Speaker. Did the accounting firms really approve the plan? That's what we want to know. To the Minister of Energy, did those accounting firms really approve the plan? Yes, Mr Speaker. The official opposition is again up here criticizing a plan that has reduced electricity rates by 25% on average for all families and as many as a half a million small businesses and farms, Mr Speaker. That plan is saving families in eligible and rural and northern communities up to 40 and 50% on their hydro bills. So first, Mr Speaker, they voted against it and then they included in their own platform just a few months back and now their five month old people's guarantee is absolutely gone and so is any type of plan for the electricity sector, Mr Speaker. But let's see, Mr Speaker, what two world-class accounting firms had to say in their statements regarding rate-regulated accounting. Mr Speaker, KPMG said, on the basis of our extensive research, deliberations, and an opinion from another major accounting firm, we believe that the accounting policies adopted by the ISO are in accordance with the Canadian public sector accounting. Deloitte concluded that any regulatory assets and liabilities recognized are appropriate to the applications of these policies. I did spend a moment to try to see if you could go without my warning program put back into place. It took two rounds, but we are in warnings. We're in warnings. New question. Sorry, supplementary, the final supplementary. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Minister of Energy said, and I quote, of course we've worked with KPMG. We've worked with Ernst and Young. We've worked with Deloitte. All of them agree that the accounting standards are accurate. The Auditor General, the independent officer of the legislature, has said that that's not true. You know, I think anybody looking at this will realize that we can trust the Auditor General a heck of a lot more than we can trust the Liberal government and Ontario. So my question, Mr Speaker, was the Minister telling the truth when he said these things? Thank you. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Once again, KPMG said on the basis of our extensive research, deliberations and an opinion from another major accounting firm, we believe that accounting policies adopted by the ISO are in accordance with the Canadian public sector accounting standards. Deloitte concluded that any regulatory assets and liabilities recognized through the appropriate application of these policies would meet the criteria for recognition under the Canadian public sector accounting standards. Additionally, Ernst and Young is OPG's financial auditor and is consulted on an ongoing basis, Mr Speaker. And finally, the officials that work within these departments, the Treasury Board, Finance, OPG, ISO, and the Ontario Financing Authority worked on the accounting related to the Fair Hydro Plan, Mr Speaker, and all agreed with the Canadian accounting standards that we've moved forward, Mr Speaker. So we'll continue to. Thank you. My apologies to the member from Prince Edward Hastings and to the leader of the third party. It's now new question. The leader of the third party. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Why does the Premier believe that a mom who wants to go back to work should have to wait till her child is two and a half years old before having access to child care that she can afford? Thank you, Premier. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. And I want to say to the leader of the third party, I did read her platform in the dark early morning this morning. And I have to say that, you know, as I went through the document, I had my pen and it was like, okay, we're already doing that. That's in our plan. Oh, we disagree there. But overall, Mr Speaker, there is a lot of common ground between what we're putting forward and what the NDP has put forward, Mr Speaker. I'm happy to talk about some of the differences, but Mr Speaker, I think it is very, very clear that the real threat to the caring, supportive province that has been built up over decades, Mr Speaker, is coming from Doug Ford, is coming from the Conservatives, Mr Speaker. But I'm happy to talk to the leader of the third party about where we differ, Mr Speaker, because we do differ on a number of points. Mr Speaker, yesterday at the launch of the NDP platform, a young woman talked to me, a young mom with her little baby in arms, talked to me about wanting to make sure that her son had access to high quality, not-for-profit childcare so that she could go back to work, confident that her son was getting the best possible childcare. But she also talked about how hard it would be to pay for it. Now, I don't think that that mom or any parent should have to wait for two and a half years for childcare that they can afford. Why does the Premier? I believe that what the leader of the third party is putting forward will actually reduce choice for people in this province, Mr Speaker. My grandchildren went to a great little childcare in Orangeville before they, all three of them, went there before they got into into full-day kindergarten, Mr Speaker. Under the leader of the third party's plan, Mr Speaker, that childcare would not be funded according to her plan. So, Mr Speaker, I believe that parents need to have choices. We know that two and a half years is when there is a real bulge of demand, Mr Speaker. That's why what we're proposing is free preschool childcare for two and a half to four-year-olds and continue to subsidize for zero to two and a half, Mr Speaker. But, Mr Speaker, the reality is that there needs to be choice and there's more common ground between us and the NDP than not. And so I appreciate that she has stepped up and has put childcare in her platform. Speaker, the reality is that Ontario has the most expensive childcare in Canada. And here in Toronto, it is the most expensive in the entire province. Now, that didn't just happen out of nowhere, Speaker. It's because the Liberals have ignored the expensive childcare in this province for 15 years. If this Premier were serious about affordable childcare, we would have it already in Ontario. Why did the Liberals, Mr Speaker? Why did the Liberals ignore all of those parents for those 15 years and not bring affordable childcare to Ontario for 15 years? Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Leader Opposite for this important question, Leader of the Third Party. So I just want to make it clear that on this side of the house, our Premier designated someone as Minister Responsible for Early Years and Child Care. And I want to point out that that's the first time that has happened provincially in the history of this province. So we recognised more than a year ago, almost two years ago, that this was a priority and we made it a priority. And so while I'm pleased to see that the Third Party platform is embracing a number of key policies and priorities, many of them put forward by our party, we're a little bit disappointed by the plan that they have put forward actually puts at risk many of the progressive policies that we're moving forward with. So let me just tell you some of the things that we've done. We've done an affordability study, we've done a workforce study, we're building capacity for 100,000 more children in childcare, and we are building that solid foundation to move to the next step. Happy to answer more. New question, the Leader of the Third Party. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is for the Premier. Toronto Life's cover story is about a woman who spent 47 hours waiting for surgery in Sunnybrook's ER with shattered wrists, broken elbow, cracked ribs and internal bleeding. She was stuck in a hallway that was, and I quote, noisy with machines constantly beeping and people talking. There was nowhere for her husband and son to sit where they weren't in the way. It was like parking in a fire route. She was entirely dependent on the nurses who despite being clearly overloaded, she says, took excellent care of her. Rather than venting or getting snippy, they just kept apologizing. Does the Premier believe that that's acceptable in Ontario in 2018? Mr. Speaker, you know, it's not okay whenever someone has a frustrating, difficult experience in a healthcare setting, Mr. Speaker, whether it's in a hospital or whether it's at home, of course, that's not acceptable. And, Mr. Speaker, we know, everyone in this House knows, that our frontline healthcare workers work every single day to make sure that they provide the care that people need when patients walk into their facilities, Mr. Speaker. And our responsibility as government is to make sure that those frontline workers have the tools that they need. So, Mr. Speaker, we have continued to increase funding. We have continued to put supports in place for hospitals, but we recognize that there's more that needs to be done. $500 million last year, Mr. Speaker, and this year in our budget, we are including $822 million to support frontline to support hospitals, Mr. Speaker. I would suggest to the Premier that one of the tools that our frontline healthcare workers need in hospitals is beds and rooms for the patients. The Ontario Hospital Association said this, all across the GTA, you have seen hospitals spike as high as 140% at any given moment. This is in reference to the occupancy rate, hospitals need stable funding that recognizes the realities that they face. Getting people out of hallways means funding hospitals. I have a plan to do that, Speaker. The Conservatives under Doug Ford will privatize and further cut our hospitals and healthcare. Why did this Premier create this crisis in the first place? Well, Mr. Speaker, I actually didn't create an aging demographic. I may be part of that aging demographic, but I didn't create it, Mr. Speaker. I think that was a post-war baby boom that has created an aging demographic, Mr. Speaker. And what we have worked to do is put in place a continuum of care. So, Mr. Speaker, I agree with the leader of the third party. We need to put more funding into hospitals. We have $822 million that we recognize needs to go into hospitals on top of every year the increases that we've made, $500 million last year. But we recognize that there is more that's needed. But, Mr. Speaker, we have been investing in home care. The reality is that more people are looking for care at home. They want to stay at home, which means that they are at home longer. And then when they get into long-term care or supported housing, Mr. Speaker, they are actually sicker and older. And so we need to make sure that we build those long-term care beds. And continue, Mr. Speaker, to put supports in place so that people can get the care where they need it, when they need it, including in hospitals. Speaker, correct me if I'm wrong, but the aging demographic didn't just start this year. It was there 15 years ago when this government should have been planning for proper investment in long-term care for hospital budgets. And here's what the Toronto Life Story continues to say, quote, overstuffed hospitals are not just short on comfort and long on bad optics. Crowding actually leads to more deaths. As Premier, I will call the crisis what it is, a crisis, and I will fix it. The Premier won't even admit that there's a crisis speaker. And so she won't do anything to solve it. And we know for sure that as bad as things are with the Liberals, Doug Ford will make it even worse. Why did this Premier allow things to get this bad, Speaker? Mr. Speaker, again, you know, when I looked at the platform that the leader of the third party is bringing, that their party is bringing forward, there's a lot of common ground in terms of what we think the solutions are, Mr. Speaker. So we've said $822 million dollars we need to put into hospitals. There are a few million more that the third party is suggesting needs to go into hospitals. We recognize, Mr. Speaker, that there need to be long-term care beds built. The third party says we need to build long-term care beds. Mr. Speaker, I agree with the leader of the third party that there's more that needs to be done, Mr. Speaker. But the fact is that objective organizations have looked at our health care system and have said we have the best wait times in the country. We have a system that has the best survival rates for prostate, breast, colorectal, and lung cancers, and life expectancy is higher than average, one of the highest in the OECD, Mr. Speaker. There's more to be done, but we have an excellent health care system in Ontario. Thank you. New question to the member from Simcoe Creek. Questions for the Premier, Mr. Speaker? Yesterday the Liberals hosted four campaign-style events, and there are three more scheduled for today. They are clearly campaigning on the taxpayer dime each and every day. So I ask the Premier, will the Liberal Party reimburse taxpayers for their campaign-style events? Mr. Speaker, to say to the member opposite, I completely understand why he doesn't want me to be talking about a fair wage policy in this province, Mr. Speaker. I completely understand why he doesn't want me to be talking about childcare or care for seniors or more funding for hospitals, Mr. Speaker, because none of those things would be possible under their leader Doug Ford, because he's going to cut across government. Mr. Speaker, when we bring in a budget, every year we bring in a budget, we go out into the province and talk about that budget. That is what we are doing, Mr. Speaker. That is what their party did, Mr. Speaker. That is what the third party did. That is what governments do to make sure that people understand what is in the budget so that they will know what to expect, Mr. Speaker. That's how it works, and I know the member opposite knows that. Member from Renfrew and Nipissing, Pembroke has warned a few other Amie supplementary back to the Premier. Premier, you have told the people of Ontario that the budget that you just presented in this house is your campaign platform. So that means every event you have is promoting your campaign platform using your own bloody logic. Stop doing it, it's wrong, and repay the taxpayers. The Liberal Party owes the taxpayers for thousands and thousands of dollars by these campaign-style events, but you do the right thing and pay back the taxpayers. Thank you. Premier? Government House Leader? Well, Speaker, the Premier of this province is the elected leader of the province and of the government. In her capacity, she attends many events. In her capacity, she is out talking about important government policies that is going to improve the lives of Ontarians every single day. In that capacity, Speaker, she will speak about the budget that is providing a plan for care and opportunity. I totally get it why the opposition is all worked up on this because they know they will be cutting all those important programs. They know that if they come into government, they're going to cut OHIP Plus, that it's going to provide farmer care for youth under the age of 25 and for seniors over 65. If they're in government, they're going to cut funding for hospitals so that they can reduce wait times. If they're in government, they will cancel the OSAP program, Speaker. That's why they're worked up and they don't want Premier to talk about it. Thank you. New question, the member from Nipah Belt. Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is for the Premier. It depends on our local hospital, Health Sciences North, and everyone who works there helps to provide excellent care each and every day. But this Premier, inadequate hospital funding, has forced Health Sciences North to plan to cut 113 jobs. That's on top of the 352 jobs that have already been cut at North Eastern Hospital because of this Premier cuts and freezes to hospital budget. Let me be clear, more cuts in Liov at Health Sciences North are completely unacceptable to the good people of Sudbury in the Northeast. Why doesn't this Premier get it and why is she still underfunding North Eastern hospitals? Mr Speaker, I just want, I don't know if the member actually knows that over the past two years we've actually increased funding to Health Sciences North by $10 million. So there's been a substantial increase in funding to this organization. I know that the ministry has been working to understand the financial pressures that have been identified at Health Sciences North. Mr Speaker, that work is ongoing and is working, the ministry is working to support the Health Sciences North efforts to deliver patient-centered quality care as well as to achieve financial sustainability. But Mr Speaker, to suggest that this hospital, this system has not been supported, is just not accurate, Mr Speaker. Last week, Speaker, I saw something that I had never seen in my 10 years as health critic. On Wednesday, the board chairs of Health Sciences North, Dimmins District Hospital, Sault Ste. Marie Hospital and North Bay Regional Health Centre wrote an unprecedented step of writing to the northeast lens about the lack of hospital funding to say, and I quote, threatens basic financial survival. It's worth repeating, threatens basic financial survival. The leaders of our nerden hospitals are ringing the alarm bell. Their resources are shrinking and they face huge shortfalls once again this year. We all know what that means. It means longer wait lists. It means hallway medicine. It means fewer services for the people of the northeast. Frankly, Speaker, this is the last thing we need. As the Premier entered her last 50 days in office, does she care enough to stop the damage that she's done and finally do something to help northern hospitals? I know the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care will want to talk to the member, but what the member has said really does not accurately represent the situation. So, $10 million over the last two years, Mr Speaker, the Ministry is working to understand the financial pressures that have been identified at Health Sciences North. We've been working closely with the Linn and the hospital to ensure that there's no impact on patient care in the community, Mr Speaker. That's exactly why the Ministry is supportive of the Linn's decision to not support Health Sciences North's proposed plan and the hospital will be required to undertake an independent third-party review to look at potential strategies, mitigate any broader health system and patient impacts. We've advised the hospital and the board that we're fully supportive of the northeast Linn's resolution. That's the Ministry, Mr Speaker. The Ministry is working closely with them. We do care absolutely about patient care in Sudbury, Mr Speaker. Thank you for your question. The member from Etobicoke North. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Transportation. Speaker, in addition to the many developments in Etobicoke North, for example, Etobicoke General Hospital, Humber College and New Schools, I know about the pressing need to improve transit in the west end of Toronto. That's why the strategic investments in transit will improve options for commuters, regardless of where they live in Toronto or in fact the wider region. Speaker, I know that our government is moving forward on a number of projects that will make transit a more efficient option. For example, in my own riding of Etobicoke North, we have right now underway the Finch West LRT, a billion dollar expansion with eight stops from Humber College, Westmore, all the way to Kipling and Islington. But beyond that, I'd like to ask the Minister, could she provide more information on how our government is making more progress connecting more Etobicoke residents to our regional transit network through the Kipling Mobility Top? Thank you. Minister of Transportation. Thank you, Speaker. And I want to thank the member from Etobicoke North for his question and his unrelenting advocacy on behalf of his community. Speaker, the way people move around the GTHA isn't the same as it was a decade ago, let alone five years ago. And as a former resident of Etobicoke, I see the changes in the west end of Toronto. More and more people are making the switch to transit because they see it's a convenient alternative to taking their car. But we know that there's more work that needs to be done, and a huge part of that is bringing together different forms of transit, including the bus, the GO train, Toronto Subway System, and cycling in an integrated way. That's why the Kipling Mobility Hub is such an important project, and why I'm so pleased to say that we now have shovels in the ground to see this project to completion. Speaker, this project will not only serve commuters in Etobicoke, but also those coming from surrounding communities, like Mississauga. It's a great day for transit riders, and for those looking to hop on board, I look forward to saying more in my supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. I'd like to thank the Minister not only for the answer, but also for the integrated plan, which will benefit so many residents in the GTHA. Speaker, this past Friday, I know colleagues, for example, the Minister of Housing, the Minister of Responsibility for Property Introduction, and the member from Etobicoke Centre were excited to join TTC Chair Josh Cole, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Cromby, and Metrolinx COO Greg Percy to make an exciting announcement. Kipling already brings together GO Transit, the TTC and Myway buses. So, of course, it is a natural next step to bring them together in a more seamless, commuter-friendly way. I've heard from members in my own community who are excited to see how this project will unfold. Speaker, while our government has a proven track record of investing in projects like this one at the future Kipling Mobility Hub, not all parties see the value of investing in transit. As an example, as you might anticipate, Speaker, the Ontario Conservative Party is just running on empty. Ready to slash, cut, claw back, and trump up our social deficit. My question is, can the Minister please provide the members of this House more information? Thank you, Minister. I want to thank the member from Etobicoke North for that supplementary question, and I'd also like to thank the Minister of Housing and the Minister responsible for poverty reduction strategy for making this project a reality. As a city councillor, he fought tirelessly for the Kipling Mobility Hub, which I used to live nearby, and I'm so happy to see that his hard work is paying off. When this project is complete, it will seamlessly bring together municipal and regional transit systems to make it easier to move, for example, from Mississauga's My Way onto the Subway or to the Milton Go Line. At the same time, it will prove connections for those commuters who are looking to access the station by bike or by foot. It's a huge step forward, but it's only one part of the plan. We're moving forward with a historic $21.3 billion transformation of our Go network. At the same time, we're making your commute more affordable through initiatives, like reducing the cost of transferring between Go and the TTC. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Speaker, earlier this morning, I was joined by the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Treatment Society and Cystic Fibrosis Patients who urgently require access to life-saving drug or can be. Unfortunately, this government's back of the napkin approach to OHIP Plus coverage has resulted in children like Victoria, who is here today, unable to receive the life-saving treatment that she needs. My question to the Premier is, why is the Ministry of Health doing nothing to help the thousands of children requiring these life-saving drugs? And please refrain from talking about the Acceptable Access Program. Mr. Speaker, we have every sympathy for people who are struggling to look after themselves, look after their families, Mr. Speaker. Cystic Fibrosis Patients and their families struggle with debilitating effects of this disease and look for hope in each new drug that comes forward. I understand that, Mr. Speaker, and we empathize them. We want these people, we want these individuals and families to know that we are committed to finding solutions, Mr. Speaker. If we weren't, we would not have put in place OHIP Plus, which provides free prescription medication for young people from their birth till their 25th birthday, for 4,400 medications, Mr. Speaker, for all of the medications that are on the formulary. If we didn't care about this, then we wouldn't put that forward, Mr. Speaker. What we know is that there is obviously more that needs to be done as drugs are tested and more drugs come on the formulary, Mr. Speaker, but we are committed to finding those solutions, working with the scientists and with the sector to make sure that children and families get the support they need. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. Premier OHIP Plus has caused many barriers and actually reduced access to life-saving treatments for children across this province. Order. Please finish. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And if the government truly cared about children with cystic fibrosis, it's been over two years since this government has even tried to sit down with the makers of our candy and come up with a price. You have to negotiate to get these medications on to the formulary. But, Mr. Speaker, every day we hear of OHIP Plus failing Ontario's youth. Children aren't able to get their anti-seizure medication. Children aren't able to get the medication, helping them to breathe. They're losing access to medications they've had for years. Contrary to this government's talking points and this Premier, no one here is against youth coverage. We want to see OHIP Plus dealt with in a competent manner. My question to the Premier, will you stand up now and admit your policy has failed and work? Appreciating the sensitivity of the question and the answer, I will ask all members to come to order. Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, the member opposite must have taken his Chutzpah medicine this morning to have the nerve to stand up and to challenge this government on our record on putting in place support for children getting access to medication, Mr. Speaker. The plan that we've got in place and B is going to cut any access that young people would have to any of those medications, Mr. Speaker. New question to members from London, Fanshawe. My question is to the Premier. Don and Dave Warren have spent years trying to get better mental health services in London, and they have experienced firsthand the crisis of hallway medicine too. When Don needed urgent care, she was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. But instead of getting a proper bed, she was put on a gurney and not just for a few hours, but for five days. That is completely unacceptable. When people like Don and Dave need urgent mental health care, they need to be able to get it. No one, no one who needs mental health services, should ever fall through the cracks. So why does the Premier keep letting this happen and keep letting families in London suffer without the mental health care services that our city needs? Mr. Speaker, I completely agree with the member opposite that that should not happen. And as I've said many times in public that as a society, we are building a mental health care system that really hasn't existed in the past, Mr. Speaker. 40 years ago, Mr. Speaker, there was not the awareness of mental health challenges. We have put more money in mental health, Mr. Speaker, but we have, as part of our budget, we've announced the single biggest investment in mental health and addictions care in Canadian history, Mr. Speaker. $2.1 billion in new funding for programs that will literally reshape the mental health care system and provide more access for points of care, that will provide more ability to navigate the system, Mr. Speaker. And we've had expert advice on how to do that. I guess my question to the member opposite is why in their platform are they promising $500 million less, Mr. Speaker, than we have put forward? Supplementary? Mr. Speaker, our city needs a transformational a transformation of mental health care services. The mental health unit at London Health Sciences Centre is so overcrowded it's been running up to 165% occupancy. That's more than double the safe occupancy levels. Local psychiatrists have gone public saying that mental health supports continue to deteriorate, especially as the demand for services grow. And people like Dawn and Dave Warren, who count on our hospitals to provide the care they need, have been left bitterly disappointed by the overcrowding crisis that left Dawn on a hallway gurney for five days. It shouldn't be this way. New Democrats have a plan to end hallway medicine in our hospitals and transform mental health care for the better. Question. Why doesn't the Premier? We do have a plan and in fact the New Democrat's plan is $500 million less for mental health funding than our plan, Mr. Speaker. We agree. Premier. Mr. Speaker, I've said that on top of the mental health supports that we have already put in place, that there's more that needs to be done. $2.1 billion is what we have been advised is needed. That is the investment that we're going to make, Mr. Speaker. The NDP is proposing to put less money than that into mental health supports. Mr. Speaker, it makes no sense and applies in the face of the question that the member opposite is asking. Good question. The member from Berry. Question is for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. Speaker, as this week is Earth Week, I urge all members of the Legislature to encourage their constituents to do their part in protecting the environment. This could include small actions like I used to do in my classroom of taking the class out to clean up around the neighborhood like recycling, taking public transit and reducing energy consumption. In Ontario, we're making it easier for everyone to do their part by investing in cycling infrastructure and energy efficiency retrofits. Our cap on pollution for businesses has so far generated $2.4 billion in funding for green programs that help Ontario participate in the fight against climate change while saving money. Speaker, could the Minister please explain to the House how Ontario is taking action to protect our environment? Thank you, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. Well, thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the member from Berry for that important question and highlighting that this indeed is Earth Week Sunday. This coming Sunday is Earth Day. As the member mentioned, we've taken a number of significant actions to help protect the environment here in Ontario, and that includes our cap on climate changing air pollution. That cap, through the cap and trade system, has raised $2.4 billion in proceeds in just over a year, Speaker. And we are investing every single penny of those proceeds in green initiatives to fight climate change. And let me tell you about one. Our green on retrofits, which is allowing residents to make their homes more efficient at an affordable cost and helping folks fight climate change. Speaker, third party experts agree that our cap on pollution is the best plan to reduce pollution at the lowest price possible. We know that now is not the time to back away from action on climate change. Just yesterday, California Governor Jerry Brown was here in Toronto and he said, look, the scientists are clear, the world is clear through the Paris Agreement, the biggest country in the world, China is clear. So that's where the world is headed. Speaker, Governor Brown also said, scrapping cap and trade would be foolish. I repeat, would be foolish. Who would do that, Speaker? In Ontario, we're proud that climate change activists around the world are acknowledging the work our province is doing to reduce pollution and fight climate change. Speaker, can the minister please explain what actions this government is taking to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight climate change? Well, thank you again, Speaker, to the member from Barrie for that important question. You know, we were delighted, Speaker, to have Governor Brown here in Toronto yesterday to talk about the importance of fighting climate change and the inevitability of fighting climate change. It is a real thing, Speaker, as much as the PCs might like to turn tail and hide from it, it is here, it is real, we have to deal with it. We would have enjoyed having Governor Brown in the House, as all folks would have, but, Speaker, the PCs denied the opportunity to have Governor Brown come speak about climate change in the legislature. You know, climate change should be a non-partisan topic, Speaker. All parties should agree that climate change is real. You know, Speaker, the Conservatives have abandoned their carbon tax and they're walking away from any action to deal with climate change. Thank you. New question, the member from Renfrew, Nipissing, Pembroke. My question is to the Minister of Labor. Yesterday, the Globe and Mail ran a story describing the negative impacts that Bill 148 has had for Ontarians with intellectual and physical disabilities. Jobs for people with disabilities are being lost as a result of the rapid increase in the minimum wage, combined with the Liberals' elimination of the sheltered workshop program. As Susan Walroth, a mother of an adult with Down syndrome who lost his job, said in the Globe article, and I quote, But for those workers having a job, even one with a smaller paycheck, gave them a sense of purpose. Close quote. Speaker, how can the Minister justify playing crass political games with the minimum wage when the Liberals' policies are clearly hurting some of the most vulnerable among us, Ontarians with intellectual and physical disabilities? Well, Speaker, crass political games is not what was intended by Bill 148. What Bill 148, Speaker, was intended to raise the living. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, the premise of the question, as I understand it, is that despite the human rights code in this province, that the member opposite is prepared to pay somebody who has a challenge, whether that be physical or mental, is prepared to pay them less, is to treat them less, Speaker. The member from Prince Edward Hastings is warned, and the member from Haldeman Norfolk is warned. Speaker, what Bill 148 did and what the Conservatives voted against was that if you were working in the province of Ontario and you were putting in your 35 or 40 hours a week, that you would be able to pay your way, that you would be able to pay expenses for your family, that you'd be able to pay the rent, that you'd be able to put food on the table, buy diapers for the kids. We're in favour of that on this side of the house. It's a shame they aren't, Speaker. More of the political games. The Minister knew that playing politics with the minimum wage was going to hurt vulnerable Ontarians. Witnesses repeatedly told Liberals exactly that last summer during committee hearings. One sixth person was Mark Wafer, a business person who's widely known for his work advocating for and employing people with intellectual disabilities. There are a few people that would have more experience and a greater understanding of the workplace realities that they face. Excuse me. Minister of Government and Consumer Services is warned. Finish please. As I said, there are a few people that have had more experience and greater understanding of the workplace realities they face than Mark Wafer. He clearly stated that it was almost a certainty that they would be the first to lose their jobs. But once again, Liberals put questions before people. Speaker, can the Minister tell us why he has failed to protect Ontarians with intellectual disabilities? Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the members for that question. Speaker, I've sat down with Mark Wafer on a number of occasions with Mark Wafer and he's a fine individual speaker and he's got the best interest of people that are dealing with challenges whether they be physical or mental is right at the core of his being speaker. And what he has always maintained is that he doesn't hire people with challenges because he feels sorry for them. Not because he pities them, Speaker. It's because they're excellent workers and they deserve to be paid fairly. What the member is suggesting, Speaker, is that we have one level of pay for people that are dealing with challenges and another level of pay for the rest of us. That is shameful, Speaker. That is what Doug Ford and the Conservatives are all about, Speaker. This side of the house, we're not. Thank you. A member from Niagara West Glenbrook is warned. Somebody is warned already and I think the next move is a naming. New question. The member from Valgoma. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Stephen Blaisebrook from Goulay River has been taking prescription medicine for 24 years after experiencing a workplace accident at a steel plant. Stephen no longer has a family doctor and has to go to the ER in Sault Ste. Marie three days a week for prescription refills. That's a 70 kilometer round trip and the costs are piling up. Stephen receives ODSP and is struggling to pay for his travels to the zoo. He has been on a waiting list for a new family doctor, but there is a lack of doctors and other medical services in Northern Ontario. His government has failed many people in the same situation all across Northern Ontario. When will this government invest in Northern Ontario's health care to ensure everyone has the same quality of care? Mr Speaker, and I don't know the specific circumstances of this individual, but I know that if there are specific issues, I know the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care would like to address those, Mr Speaker. But what I do know is that we recognize that across this province, Mr Speaker, there must be the highest level of care and that doesn't matter whether you live in the north, Mr Speaker, whether you're in the southwest, in eastern Ontario, Mr Speaker, or in central Ontario. And so that's exactly why in our budget, Mr Speaker, we have increased funding across the board to all of the hospitals across the system, Mr Speaker. We've increased the Northern Ontario, the Northern Health Travel Grant, Mr Speaker, because we know that it that's a challenge when you have those distances to travel and we will continue to work to make sure that there is equitable distribution of care across the province, Mr Speaker. Again, to the Premier, Mr Speaker, Stephen's quality of life has drastically shifted since losing his family doctor as he cannot get out of the house some days due to so much chronic pain. The Sioux area hospital will not accommodate Stephen's case since he has to go through the ER and sees a new doctor every time. Healthcare Connect and CCAC cannot prioritize him higher on a waitlist and he does not live in Sault Ste. Marie so he cannot utilize some services as they are not open on the days that he is able to travel. Stephen is also on a waitlist for different family health teams and primary care clinics. This happens all across my writing. People do not have access to family physicians and nurse practitioners. How is this government going to ensure people in Northern Ontario have access to primary care? Thank you. As I said, Mr Speaker, we have been working to increase those supports, Mr Speaker. We've been working towards a system-wide health equity by addressing specific health inequities in the North, Mr Speaker. The patient's first action plan, its health equity is a fundamental part of that and it's part of the mandate of each of the local health integration networks, which are the planning bodies regionally, Mr Speaker, that their work is to address the needs of underserved populations and barriers to equitable access. Nurse-led, nurse practitioner-led clinics, Mr Speaker, are a perfect example of the way we are working to get that kind of primary health care to all parts of the province. We also introduced new Ontario public health standards in January that require public health units to embed health equity throughout their work. So, Mr Speaker, we recognize challenges, we recognize that because we raise the travel grants, we recognize that there's more to be done. We're questioning the member from Beech as East York. Well, thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Economic Development and Growth. Now, Speaker, we know that this government continues to make strategic investments in businesses across all sectors. And since 2004, this government has invested some three billion in various businesses, leveraging 10 times that amount in private sector investment, helping to create and retain 185,000 jobs across the province. And together, the people of Ontario and the government have helped make Ontario a world leader in many sectors. We continue to lead the G7 in economic growth, and we have the lowest unemployment rate in 17 years as we have helped create 820,000 new jobs since the recession. And just today, Speaker, Toronto Waterloo Tech Corridor was named one of the top 20 technology clusters in the world. And with our world-leading institutions, our strong innovation- Question. Economy on tariff has become a world leader in medtech. Can the Minister please tell us what we're doing to support the medtech sector? Thank you very much, Speaker. Of course, I want to begin by thanking the member from Beaches Historic for his question and for his advocacy. He is 100% right. The province of Ontario is, in fact, proudly a leader in the medtech industry, and we've made it a priority as our government to advance healthcare innovation. We are home to North America's third largest medtech research cluster, with more than 37,000 people working at more than 1,400 companies across Ontario. And our government has been making strategic investments to further this sector's footprint in every corner of the province. Just last week, I was very happy to announce that Ontario will be investing $50 million in response to Sanofi's $500 million investment to help them build a new state-of-the-art vaccine manufacturing facility here in Ontario. This will help create and retain over 1,250 jobs, Speaker. It will help Sanofi more than double its production capabilities and support Sanofi's largest manufacturing investment worldwide, Speaker. Also, last week, we announced that we were providing support a $7 million grant and a $9 million loan. Thank you. Thank you. Supplementary. Yes, you. Thank you, Speaker. I want to thank the minister for his clarification of what we're doing, and particularly for the $22.6 million investment we've made in food processing and the writing of Beaches Historic to support 450 jobs in my community. Leveraging, Speaker. I say almost seven times that amount from the private sector. Next, on investment. So, Speaker, Ontario is currently the largest life scientist jurisdiction in North America, employing over 60,000 people, generating something in the order of $38 billion in revenue in Ontario each year. And this reputable life science sector has attracted the world's top health science companies and billions in investments from firms such as Johnson and Johnson, Bayer and, as the minister noted, Sanofi. So, with investments in Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Ottawa and Windsor, it's evident our government is committed to supporting the life science sector across Ontario. So, Speaker, will the minister please inform the members of this House how we continue to support life science sector in Ontario? Minister. Minister of Research, Innovation and Science. Chair of Research, Innovation and Science. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I want to thank the member from Beaches Historic for that very good question. Mr. Speaker, this government has announced it's investing up to $50 million in the New Life Sciences Benjay Capital Fund initiative. This fund will ensure that companies specializing in medicine, regenerative medicine and digital health will have access to capital and thereby scale up and reach global markets. Moreover, in the 2018 budget, our government announced its continued support for the Ontario Brain Institute with an investment of over $100 million over five years. This funding, Mr. Speaker, will support research in cerebral palsy, depression, epilepsy, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Mr. Speaker, this government understands that improving the quality of life means making new and innovative investments in the province of Ontario. I want to go back. Thank you. New question, the member from Dufferin, Caledon. Thank you. And I'm asking this on behalf of the Region Appeal. Peel Region wants to know why the Liberal government has prevented the redevelopment of the Peel Manor long-term care home in Brampton. Peel Manor is over 100 years old, making it the oldest of the Region's five long-term care homes. Seniors in Peel Region are already waiting two to three years for long-term care beds. How long does the Region Appeal have to wait for the Liberals to allow Peel Region to expand beds and upgrade services at Peel Manor? Mr. Speaker, I know that the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care will want to speak to this specific, I actually don't know the answer to the specific question about that long-term care home. Mr. Speaker, what I do know is that we are redeveloping thousands of beds across the province, Mr. Speaker, that we are building thousands of beds, 5,000 new beds, Mr. Speaker, and then another 30,000 over the next decade. So, Mr. Speaker, we recognize that there need to be investments in long-term care. We have committed to those in our budget, Mr. Speaker. And as I said, if the member opposite would bring the specific information about that situation, we'll get an answer for her. Supplementary. Speaker, Peel Region and the Peel hospitals were the epicenter of hallway medicine. The region wants to upgrade Peel Manor to rebuild 177 long-term beds, including areas specialized for needs such as dementia. The plan is also to expand 24-7 adult day programming and respite, making it a hub for seniors' care. We need this in the region appeal. Instead of helping the region expand services for our seniors, the province so far refused to allow Peel Manor to provide the services Peel Region so desperately needs. Why does this government think that redeveloping Peel Manor is not a worthwhile investment? I don't think that that is at all the case. The reality is that we are working with Peel Manor, as the members from Peel have said, and we know, Mr. Speaker, that there is more work to be done, and no one in this side of the house has said that it's not a worthwhile project. There are thousands of beds across the province that are being redeveloped. There are long-term care beds that are being built, and we recognize that in Peel, where there is a growing population, and along with that growing seniors' population, that there is more need, we will continue to work with Peel Manor. We'll work with the regional local health integration network, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that in Peel and across the province, people's needs are being met. New question? The member from Windsor to come. Thank you, Speaker. My question this morning is to the Minister of Housing. Good morning, Minister. Speaker, landlord and tenant tribunals are essential, but under this liberal government, tenants are told it'll take months and months to get an opportunity to air their grievances. The lineups and the delays are growing longer and longer. Speaker, if a tenant files today in Windsor, they'll be told they can't get a hearing until the 18th of June. CBC Windsor has done a series on this crisis. We were told of babies swaddled in blankets, freezing, shivering in heat-deprived departments. The Liberals have to answer for this. What do they say to the parents of these babies and children, freezing with no easy access to a tribunal to listen to the grievances? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank the member opposite for the question when he first raised this with me. I immediately looked into the issue of whether there's vacancies on the tribunal. Indeed, there are three vacancies. I know they're in the process of being filled, and I would urge the opposition to assist that process in not delaying the appointments of any members to attend any necessary board. But, Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we are committed to helping tenants. We have a housing enforcement unit that assists tenants if they have an issue with their landlord. We've introduced the standard lease, which will also make it easier for landlords and tenants to understand what the rights and obligations are. That's in sharp contrast to Doug Ford, who's against rent control, and whose housing policy is about handing out $20 bills in a TCHC building and cutting the source of funding that we're offering to help refurbish social housing in this province. There being no deferred votes, this House stands recessed until 3 p.m. this afternoon.