 It is now time for a question period. The leader of Her Majesty's Laurel Opposition. I do Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. Premier once Ontario was the economic engine of Canada, and now we're a have-not province. And just last month alone we lost 34,000 additional jobs in the private sector. During the election campaign you avoided discussion about the huge fiscal mess that your government has created and that we're now facing as a province. Your campaign focused on spending promises that you claimed would bolster our economy. But now that the votes are counted, you're both spending and raising taxes. This time it's the aviation fuel tax. The executive director of the National Airlines Council says this puts Ontario at a competitive disadvantage. So I ask you Premier, how can you possibly justify putting this province at a further competitive disadvantage just to pay for your pricey campaign promises? Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Well, as I have said a number of times, there is a fundamental disagreement between us and the opposition Mr. Speaker. We believe that investing in transit is a very important part of the building up of this province and the future economic growth Mr. Speaker. So the reality is that in order to be able to invest in transit and transportation infrastructure, there is a need Mr. Speaker to put a modest increase on the tax rate on aviation fuel. One cent a liter for four years Mr. Speaker. And I would just say that these investments in transit and transportation infrastructure actually help and support the aviation industry Mr. Speaker. The Union Pearson Express is a really good example of that. As Minister of Transportation, I visited the Pearson airport, had a tour and saw exactly how the passengers are going to be assisted by that investment in transit Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary? Well, again to the Premier, the only passengers that are going to be assisted are those passengers that go to Buffalo airport. So I hope you'll build good infrastructure and good roads to Buffalo because you certainly have become their economic champion, not ours. Fred Lizar of York University concluded the tax site will hurt the Ontario economy, cut jobs and drive away tourists. He said the provincial GDP would fall between $67 and $97 million by 2017 resulting in a decrease of up to 2,907 full-time jobs and discourage at least 292,000 air travelers. Premier, you say you have a job plan to grow the economy but you implement policies like aviation fuel tax which hurts the economy and causes job losses, especially in our tourism industry. So will you commit today to putting that tax site on hold until you've fully studied all the implications of it, particularly with respect to the job losses that you can expect? Thank you. So Mr. Speaker, let's just be clear exactly what we're talking about. The cost difference that consumers see between Canadian and U.S. fares, which is apparently what he's talking about, is largely attributable to federal and federal, the airline's own surcharges, Mr. Speaker. And let's just do a comparison. And remember that this aviation fuel tax in Ontario has not been changed since 1990. So at 2.7... Remember from Haldeman, Norfolk, when I stand it gets quiet. Carry on, please. So Ontario's aviation fuel tax is significantly lower than these comparisons, Mr. Speaker. London Heathrow, 69.6 cents per litre. And remember, Ontario's is 2.7 cents per litre. Paris-De Gaulle, 54.6 cents. New York, JFK, 5.7 cents per litre. Chicago-Harris, 5.7, and Manitoba, 3. Thank you. Final supplementary. Premier Pyramid, this morning people went to work on the ramp in Red Lake as baggy channelers in Windsor at the customer service desk at the airport in Ottawa. Across our provinces, jobs depend on the aviation industry. But with your new tax hikes, those jobs are at risk. You're setting the stage for more job losses, needless job losses across our province. British Columbia, New Brunswick, Alberta, Quebec, and Saskatchewan have all eliminated the international aviation fuel tax. They've recognized that a healthy aviation industry means more jobs. And yet with your government's first budget, you're about to put those jobs at risk. Premier, do you know or do you care how many jobs you're putting at risk and how many jobs will be lost as a result of the full implementation by 2017? Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, and I guess I would ask the leader of the opposition whether he knows and whether he cares that we need to make investments in transportation and transit infrastructure. And he mentioned Red Lake, Mr. Speaker. It's very important that the roads and bridges in our Northern and rural communities are in good shape, Mr. Speaker. So that kind of investment is necessary. I will say to the leader of the opposition that I am concerned about some of the small Northern Air Force, Mr. Speaker. And so I have asked that we look at those particular situations and see if there is a way of mitigating for those very small communities, Mr. Speaker. But overall, we are competitive, Mr. Speaker, and the investments in transit and transportation infrastructure that are necessary in this province will create economic growth and economic well-being in the future, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Premier, last week you insisted that the province would commit $1 billion to the Ring of Fire, even though Page 288 of your own budget reads that the funding will be contingent on the federal government matching the amount. I think that you would agree that $1 billion is a lot of money to request without providing a detailed spending plan. Premier, infrastructure is key to developing the Ring of Fire and will be a huge asset for First Nation communities who call the region home. Premier, could you please explain your plan for how this $1 billion is to be spent? Specifically, will it be on a road or rail link will it be on an east, west and north-south quarter? Thank you, Premier. Mr. Speaker, all I would have to ask the member opposite if he's asking as a representative of Stephen Harper, whether he's asking as a representative of a Northern community in Ontario, Mr. Speaker, because the reality is we need that investment. We need the infrastructure built. We have committed to setting up a development corporation that would include all of the parties and we very much hope that the federal government is at the table, Mr. Speaker, because in order for that infrastructure to be completely developed and in order for that pro-light and mineral deposits to be realized, we need everyone working together. We've committed $1 billion, Mr. Speaker. We are firm in that commitment. We will work to set up a development corporation and so if the member opposite is speaking for Stephen Harper, I hope that he will let him know that we would like to have him at the table, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Premier. I'm asking about your plan. I didn't hear a response to my question. In November, as Cliff's resource was about to idle their operations, you rushed to announce the establishment of a new development corporation. In February, it was revealed that the development corporation wasn't even incorporated and that you would instead pay Deloitte to work out the details. Now you say it will be a done deal in just over a month. Premier, considering your government's track record on this file, why should anyone trust that you can meet this target that you set for yourself? Well, in fact, Mr. Speaker. The minister, the member from Prince Edward Hastings will come to order. In fact, Mr. Speaker, we have made huge progress on this file and I don't know if the member opposite in his haste to come up with a question that really doesn't take into account all of the work that's been done, whether he realizes that the work that has been done to get in place framework agreement with the Metau First Nations, Mr. Speaker, is a hugely significant piece of the puzzle in terms of making sure that everyone, all of the communities can take part. So the development corporation, Mr. Speaker, which is in the process of being established, will allow First Nations, the businesses, the federal government, the provincial government to take part in getting that infrastructure built, Mr. Speaker. The building blocks are in place and we hope very much that the federal government is interested in taking part in that process. Thank you. Again, to the premier, considering your miscarriage in the past, this is hardly convincing. In 2012, you would have thought the Ring of Fire would be producing now if you were to believe your government's own press releases. On May 9th of that year, you proclaimed that we were quote, thousands of jobs coming to Northern Ontario close. It's a project in the region. It's even more clear now that there was no concrete plan to back up your empty promise. Premier Wood, will you admit that you still have no plan to make the Ring of Fire job creating reality for Ontario? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, it's a bit rich coming from a member of a party that had nothing in their platform, no money in their platform for the development of the Ring of Fire. There is absolutely no process in terms of including all of the communities bringing in the federal government and the companies and making a concrete investment in infrastructure, Mr. Speaker. So I am very confident that the work that we have done already in the North, Mr. Speaker, the work that we are doing in order to set up the development corporation, Mr. Speaker, and our outreach to the federal government in the hopes that they will plan Labrador, Mr. Speaker. My hope is that they will see that this is a national project. But nonetheless, we are going ahead. We are working to set up the development corporation, Mr. Speaker, because we believe that this is an opportunity that will benefit not just the region, not just the province, but the country, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Will the Premier agree that financial uncertainty and confusion around the province is not in the best interests of Ontario? Well, Mr. Speaker, indeed we are moving ahead to reintroduce the budget that we ran on, Mr. Speaker, that we introduced at the beginning of May, and we are working very, very hard to make sure that there is exactly that certainty, that understanding of the investments that are necessary, the understanding that we are tackling our fiscal situation, Mr. Speaker. All of that is contained within our budget, and that certainty is exactly what we aspire to as we work to get the budget through the legislature, Mr. Speaker. Well, Mr. Speaker, tough questions are being asked about that budget and not just by new Democrats. The Globe and Mail says, quote, there's a lot of confusion about the budget. Moody's calls it, quote, credit negative. Even the Finance Minister, Speaker, admits that there are skeptics who simply do not believe the government's now. Does this Premier think that it's okay that there is skepticism and confusion around the province's finances when we already face considerable challenges in this province? Well, Mr. Speaker, I would suggest that there's a lot of skepticism and confusion around the NDP's support or lack of support for the issues that we have addressed in this budget, Mr. Speaker, so I would ask the leader of the third party whether she supports a $2.5 billion jobs and prosperity fund. Whether she supports the investments in infrastructure, the transit transportation, and hospitals and schools, $130 billion in public infrastructure investments, Mr. Speaker. $11.4 billion in hospital expansions. Whether she supports the Made in Ontario retirement pension plan, whether she supports increasing the Ontario child benefit, whether she supports $10 million to support adults with developmental disabilities. Does she support those initiatives, Mr. Speaker? I think it's a very legitimate question to ask her. One of the things I think that is true in this legislature, regardless of which side you sit on, is that nobody wants to see a downgrade in our province's credit rating. New Democrats certainly don't want to see cuts to hospitals and schools or more job losses for the people of this province. That's why it's time to actually clear up the uncertainty and confusion surrounding the government's budget. In 2004, the Premier supported a law that allows the Auditor General to review the government's estimates and assumptions for the coming years. Something that the Auditor did in 2007 and something that the Auditor did in 2011. Will the Premier join me today in calling for the Auditor General to review the government's fiscal plan and clear the air with a public report on her findings? Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General in due course will look at all aspects of our financial situation. But you know, Mr. Speaker, the leader of the third party is grasping at any justification that she can find to vote against our budget, Mr. Speaker. She ran on a fiscal platform that was identical to ours except she said that she would spend $100 million more, Mr. Speaker, on top of what we had already said we were going to do in terms of investments. So, Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the initiatives contained in this budget are initiatives that I think we have a legitimate reason to ask the leader of the third party whether she supports or not. Expanding low-income benefits $20 million for expanding the student nutrition program $42 million to prevent and reduce homelessness $50 million for a new local poverty reduction fund. Wage increases for personal support workers. Does she or does she not think that those are worth it? Thank you. A member from Hamilton East Tony Creek will come to order. Don't need rebuttal. New question. Premier, I hope for an answer this time. In the thrown speech the government committed to, and I quote, choose partnership over partisanship. Today, she can do the right thing and ask the auditor general to look at the estimates and assumptions of the fiscal plan and set the story straight. Only that independent speaker will provide the clarity that investors and credit rating agencies need to see. And only that clarity speaker will help secure the hospitals and schools that our families rely on. So my question again to the Premier do the right thing. Will she do the right thing and ask the auditor general to review the books? Mr. Speaker, we introduced a budget at the beginning of May. We reintroduced that budget and we are working now to get that budget passed. In that budget there are a number of initiatives that are investments in this province that are designed to build the province up. We also tackle our fiscal situation. We have laid out a path to balance we understand that there are constraints in terms of collective bargaining that need to be in place. We also have tackled the issue of revenue. I'm taking flack from the leader of the opposition, Mr. Speaker, because we recognize that we have to have revenue in order to invest in transportation and transit. Our budget is a well thought out and thorough plan, Mr. Speaker. And it is what is needed right now. The leader of the third party is looking for ways to do whatever her constituency is that she's not going to support that budget, Mr. Speaker. But we are going to continue. Thank you. Well, Speaker, perhaps the Premier isn't understanding my question. It's a pretty basic one. It's about the Auditor General's review of the state of finances of the province. And I'm shocked, frankly, that she hasn't responded to that question. All of us, everyone in this House, believes that Ontario's fiscal stability must be secured. But today credit rating agencies are breathing down our next speaker threatening our province with a downgrade that puts public services at risk. We cannot allow that to happen. We need the trusted Auditor General to have her say, Speaker. Will the Premier allow the Auditor General to review the Liberals fiscal plan or will she stand in the way, Speaker? Speaker, it is the Auditor General's job to look at the finances of the province. Every year in her report she looks at the finances of the province. What the leader of the third party is looking for is an excuse not to support a budget. In this budget, Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General will do her work. She will look at the finances of the province as she does every year and those, since we will receive in her annual report, Mr. Speaker, in the meantime, I want to know whether the leader of the third party supports increases for personal support workers and childcare workers. Mr. Speaker, perhaps the Premier is simply unaware of the process that her own government put in place a number of years ago. It's about a pre-election review of the state of the finances of this province. And of course, with an election in the form that we had this time, that wasn't able to be happening this time around. And that still needs to happen, Speaker. Now more than ever, in fact, families are counting on us to protect public services with so many questions swarming around, Speaker. And with such high stakes for families of this province, we need to get the full picture of Ontario's fiscal position. The Liberals thought a review by the Auditor General was a good idea in 2004. They thought it was a good idea in 2007 and even in 2011, Speaker. Why doesn't the Premier think it's a candidate? Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, come forward. Well, Mr. Speaker, we went into an election in this province because the NDP had an opportunity to support this budget. They chose not to do that. And so we went into an election, Mr. Speaker, and we are back reintroducing this budget. And Mr. Speaker, I welcome I welcome the scrutiny of the Auditor General as she does every year. She will look across government and she will make recommendations based on our financial situation, Mr. Speaker. But the fact is that we ran on a platform it is our responsibility to make sure that we implement that plan, Mr. Speaker. And that plan is contained in our budget which we reintroduced to this legislature immediately after the election. And in that budget, Mr. Speaker, is a plan to build this province up to help the families of this province, the very families that the leader of the third party is talking about. Those are the families that we are most concerned about. Those vulnerable families, the initiatives in our budget. Thank you. Thank you. New question, the member from Kitchener, Pettis Gulliver. My questions to the premier. We've all heard you say several times that there's no new money for wage increases. But we now know while you were making those comments you were in fact doing the exact opposite. Without any public scrutiny, you rubber-stamped a more than 8% wage hike for Metrolinx workers in the waiting days of the last election campaign. Once again, you put your own political interests ahead of the financial management of our province. Yes, you did. Premier, wouldn't you agree that saying there's no new money for wages and then doling out more than 8% increase to Metrolinx workers is blatant hypocrisy? Blatant. The member will withdraw. Let's draw. Choose again and the supplementary will pass. The member from Haldeman, Norfolk will withdraw. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I know that the President of the Treasury Board is going to want to comment on this, but I want to be very clear that there is no new money for wage increases, Mr. Speaker, and that the collective agreements that are bargained, including the Metrolinx, Mr. Speaker, though any increases would have to come from within the envelope and that is exactly what my contention and my statement is very, very clear and it stands that there is no new money for wages and salaries for in the collective bargaining process. That was the situation before the election when we introduced the budget. It's a situation now, Mr. Speaker, and it was a situation when the Metrolinx collective agreement was finalized. 8.45% is more than zero. So, Premier, now that the government has given into the ATU on the Metrolinx deal, other locals are looking for the same treatment. In fact, the ATU local for Guelph transit workers just rejected an offer that included a 6.8% wage increase just last night. One of the primary reasons was, of course, wages, money. And it's not hard to see why when their colleagues are getting more. Municipalities cannot take on excessive debt like the province, yet they will now be facing more financial pressure because of demands for larger wage hikes. Premier, will you admit your short-sighted politically motivated decision to dole out more than 8% wage increase to the ATU has now put already fast-strapped municipalities in a more difficult negotiating position? Well, Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear that we must be absorbed within existing funding and that's exactly what has happened at Metrolinx. And I refer you to the budget. I don't know if you've had a chance to read it yet, but it's on page 153 I'll quote from it. Any modest wage increases that are negotiated must be absorbed by employers within available funding and within Ontario's existing fiscal plan through efficiency and productivity gains or other trade-offs so that service levels continue to continue to be high. And if you don't know what the public needs, that's exactly what's happened at Metrolinx. Thank you. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. It has now been established that your budget calls for a 9% cut in real terms in program spending over the next three years. Even the communists closely associated with this government could result in 100,000 job loss. How can this government possibly call a budget that could result in a loss of 100,000 jobs a progressive budget? Premier. Minister of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, so it's appropriate for us to do the review and ensure that we are safeguarding the interests of the public by providing quality service while at the same time taking fiscal prudence that we must so that we can balance the budget by 2017-18. We're looking at a suite of opportunities by which to continue to invest in those initiatives that we can become more competitive in the future, but Mr. Speaker, we must look at our spending and ensure that we control them so that we can balance the books by 2017-18 and that's what we'll do. And Mr. Drummond has made recommendations and we're implementing over 80% of them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. A 9% cut in real program spending but still this government won't come clean with the public and tell them where those job cuts are going to fall. Will this government finally admit that their so-called progressive budget is really an austerity budget? And will it tell us what frontline workers and services are going to be cut over the next three years? Thank you. Thank you. So Mr. Speaker, we made it clear in the budget that we are going to control our program spending. We've done so at 1.4% year over year. We actually did cut spending year over year last year while not sacrificing our service and maintaining those jobs that are so important to provide those services. And we made it clear that we'll control that program spending in the years to come. My question though back to you is you've just stated in your platform $600 million more. How would you expect to do that? What were you going to cut? And who were you going to fire? Because we will not on this side of the house sacrifice the public interest. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Economic Development Employment and Infrastructure. Minister, our government has demonstrated their commitment to helping young people find meaningful employment through our youth job strategy. I know that the constituents in my riding of Burlington here help this government will continue to tackle the challenges we face collectively on youth unemployment. I'm particularly proud of the work that we've done on the youth job strategy developed after a series of consultations that brought together local business leaders, employers not for profits, educators labour and of course youth themselves. Minister, I know we've had some recent announcement on the success of these programs and I'm keen to hear about what we've accomplished. Speaker, through you to the Minister of Economic Development Employment and Infrastructure. Could the Minister please update the house on what we will continue to do to tackle youth unemployment in Ontario? Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you. I thank the member for that great question. We're committed to making the investments we need to make Mr. Speaker. To continue to invest in our people, continue to invest in infrastructure and building a strong climate for investment so that those young people Mr. Speaker can find jobs today and find jobs in the future. We're also committed to ensuring that those young people get the education, training and experience they need to be able to excel and succeed. As the member knows, we've committed to the youth job strategy in this budget. This $295 million strategy is creating 30,000 jobs for young people through four streams. The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Fund which will support young entrepreneurs. The Ontario Youth Innovation Fund which will support skills and industrial and commercialization and build on our emerging innovation acceleration hubs. The Youth Skills Connection Program and the Centerpiece the Youth Employment Fund which is helping young people get real job experience together with these programs. I'll help. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker. It's great to hear that our government is committed to youth jobs. As the member from Burlington, I'm often meeting young people searching for ways to enter necessary skills that will help them succeed. I'm very happy to hear that our strategy does just that. However, many of the youth in my writing have said they face the challenge of needing real work experience to apply for good paying jobs in their field but have no way of obtaining that experience or training. With youth unemployment at 15.4% in our province, we must ensure that our young people have access to these opportunities. Speaker, can the minister update the house on how the government will continue to ensure that our young people have the training they need to succeed in Ontario's growing economy while at the same time gaining real work experience? Question. I'm going to refer this to the minister of training colleges and universities and research and innovation. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member from Burlington for that question. Also I want to congratulate her on her election. Mr. Speaker, providing access to employment and training opportunities for our young people is a top as the minister just mentioned. We were very happy to announce that through our youth job strategy 20,000 employment opportunities have already been created. The majority of those numbers came from the Youth Employment Fund which has 195 billion investments to create 25,000 jobs for our youth. We are very pleased with the results of this program so far. Of the 4,800 youth who have completed their placements 95% of them retained by the employers or found jobs elsewhere. This is fantastic news Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Helping young people develop their talent and skills. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the minister of economic development employment and infrastructure. According to stats Canada 33,900 jobs were lost in June the same month the minimum wage jumped. In fact report after report links your policies. Minimum wage hikes, high apprenticeship ratios and rising energy rates to the 600,000 men and women currently out of work in Ontario. Looking forward your pledge to slap a new payroll tax on both the hardworking people of Ontario and their employers threatens to be at another roadblock to hiring in Ontario. Minister, please explain how you envision this payroll tax allowing small or big business to hire in Ontario. Minister of economic development Mr. Speaker, I may refer to the supplementary here but I'm pleased to take the first question at least. Mr. Speaker, this government has done a lot for our business community to make us more competitive. I think about the corporate tax cuts that we brought and they're giving us one of the most effective, lowest effective corporate tax rates in North America. I think about the HST which made Ontario a much more successful country. I think about our recent changes to accelerate capital cost allowance that encourages businesses to invest in capital and maintenance, Mr. Speaker, machinery. I think, Mr. Speaker, about our regional economic development funds. Over 90% of which have gone to the manufacturing sector, Mr. Speaker. There's a reason why we're up 460,000 net new jobs since the recession, Mr. Speaker. It's because we've been working in partnership with our businesses for the number one for foreign direct investment. Mr. Speaker, we're going to keep moving in that direction. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and back to the minister. Minister, what you've done a lot of has moved 300,000 manufacturing jobs out of Ontario. We'll talk about your regional economic development and hopeful that you're sincere in bringing some money to the Georgian College green emergency duties before that moves out of Ontario again. Minister, my writing is facing a staggering 21% youth unemployment rate, the highest in the province, and three times the national average. In light of the thousands of young people currently looking for work, I respectfully urge you to reconsider the consequences of putting yet another roadblock to hiring an Ontario. Or please explain again, minister, how do businesses afford to add more insurance to the payroll at the same time you're increasing their payroll tax? Mr. Speaker, the member talked about the youth unemployment rate, and this party agrees, Mr. Speaker, the fact is the youth unemployment rate is double the unemployment rate for everyone else, but I defy you to find a jurisdiction anywhere in North America doing more for our young people than this government here in the province of Ontario today. Mr. Speaker, our youth job strategy, and my colleague just mentioned it, 20,000 young people since the fall have received youth job experiences through that program, Mr. Speaker, of the 4,800 that have already completed their requirements, over 90% of them, Mr. Speaker, are still retained in employment. That's a program, Mr. Speaker, that's unique. It's a program that's working. We're also using that program, Mr. Speaker, to invest in youth that want to be entrepreneurs. We're using it to build our innovation. We're using it to create partnerships for training. Mr. Speaker, nobody in North America is doing more for our young people than this government. We're going to keep doing it, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question this morning is to the Premier. It's about a major fire that destroyed parts of a food processing plan into COMPSE last Friday. But first, Speaker, allow me to thank the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs for touching base and keeping me in the loop last Friday morning, as well as the Minister of Community Safety. Good morning, Premier. Premier, you have said you wouldn't want to go to the province that are represented by members of the opposition. After a major fire at the St. Albert Cheese Factory in Glengarry, Prescott, Russell, the province made a million-dollar grant available. Premier, I know it's early days yet, but all things considered, will the Bondiwell plant into COMPSE receive equal consideration as the St. Albert Cheese Factory? Thank you. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will want to comment. I want to just say first of all that I have spoken with the member and I reached out to the Mayor of COMPSE and I know that both the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs have had conversations with folks in COMPSE. So, Mr. Speaker, we will do everything in our power. I understand that there has been good progress there already, but obviously, Mr. Speaker, we will stay in close touch and we will do everything in our power to make sure that this business can thrive. AgriFood is part of our economy that is extremely important, Mr. Speaker. The money in our Jobs and Prosperity Fund, part of that is carved out specifically for processing, Mr. Speaker. So, I know that we will stay in touch with this business and make sure that we can do everything in our power to make sure that it thrives. Thank you. Premier, as you know, this fire caused an estimated 30 to 40 million dollars damaged. It couldn't have come at a worse time with peak production just a couple of weeks away. 700 people are normally employed during the corn harvest. 145 farmers grow crops for this plant. Actually, 95% of Canada's plant product comes from this facility. Whatever Ontario can do to sustain and grow this business would guarantee a brighter future for us all. Will the Premier or the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs commit to a speedy decision on what grants may be available and to visiting this plant and seeing firsthand the destruction this fire has caused? Mr. Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I learned of the fire at Bondiwale about 7am on Friday morning. I immediately called the Mayor of Takumsi, Mr. Mactamara. We had an extensive conversation with his worship. I then touched base with my colleague, the Minister, the member from Windsor-Takumsi, and later that morning I talked to the President and Conference call the principals of Bondiwale. Of course, I want to, at this time, all of our thoughts in this chamber are with the employees, growers, and the community during this very difficult time. I want to take this opportunity to thank the emergency responders that did such an incredible job with the mutual aid program for fire services within that community. The real challenge from a safety perspective, Mr. Speaker, there were abundant tanks in the warehouse. We remember the Business Saga train to Railbert and the safety from my colleague, the Minister of Community and Social Service, to respond to this particular emergency. Thank you. Your question? The member from Trinity Spadina. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to Minister of Labor. Speaker, while talking to constituents of Tunis Spadina, I still hear stories about the promise of a job only to find crippling recruitment fees and bills on the other side. And our young people seeking real world experience, trying to beef up their resume, establish a career, but not being protected by Ontario's strict rules on health and safety. And that's just not right. Mr. Speaker, through you to the Minister, is the government doing anything on this? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the member from Trinity Spadina for your question. He's absolutely right. And I want to thank him for being such a strong advocate for his constituents and bringing this forward. We're committed to standing up for Ontario's workers because safe and fair workplaces are the foundation of a strong and competitive and growing economy. So last week, Speaker, we introduced legislation that have passed would address the exact concerns the member from Trinity Spadina has raised and more. The bill will be handed out to employees to charge temporary foreign workers recruitment fees or to take away personal documents. His constituents in Trinity Spadina will now have access to information sheets on employment rights and health and safety rights, and that will be handed out in 23 languages. This bill will also bring co-op students, trainees, other unpaid learners under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, so they can get valuable work experience impacted at the same time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the minister for his answer. I'm sure my constituents in Trinity Spadina will be pleased to know that government hears their concerns and is taking steps to address them. Mr. Speaker, I also hear from workers that has been taken advantage of by their employers and in some incidents left with no pay or workers that assign most dangerous jobs simply because they were recruited through a temporary health agency. Mr. Speaker, through you to the minister, what is the ministry of labour proposing to ensure the hard working individuals are paid for the work they do? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks again to the member from Trinity Spadina making sure work is get paid for the work they do and giving businesses that play by the rules a competitive advantage is what the proposed legislation is all about. The bill if passed would remove the current $10,000 gap on the recovery of unpaid wages from an order to pay from the ministry of labour. But, Mr. Speaker, it would also increase the time limit from six months or a year. Now it will be two years of the bill passes. More workers will get the money they're owed. Our government was a first in Canada to introduce legislation specifically addressing unpaid wages from unpaid labour agencies in 2009. So this bill if passed would take the next step and would increase protections for other workers. It would extend this joint liability for both unpaid workers and workplace injuries. We believe that these proposed changes will lead to real and meaningful action for Ontario workers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The minister of transportation. It now takes six months to decide an oversized vehicle permit for travel on Ontario highways. This is a very long time to wait for a permit. And this problem is exacerbated when a vehicle is travelling to another jurisdiction where a similar permit is required. Timing is of the essence. All of these permits are time sensitive. Can the minister please explain why the permit which used to take eight hours to acquire. But now they take almost two weeks. Minister of transportation. Thanks very much Mr. Speaker and I do thank the member opposite for that question. Actually I don't mind pointing out to her and also to the House that one of my colleagues the minister of natural resources has actually raised this issue with me as well. I will be happy to take a look and to delve a little bit deeper into the issue and be happy to get back to the question and I look forward to working with you on this. Thanks very much. Minister the timing of these permits is crucial for the survival of businesses that must transport their goods across the province. And particularly for those vehicles that are going into other jurisdictions because they have to be able to purchase their permits according to how long their vehicle is going to be in that jurisdiction. How does this fit in with your open for business initiative? Clearly this is just another example of red tape and government making it harder for businesses to compete and survive. I've heard within the last year the waiting time for permits has grown worse and worse. When can businesses count on a more efficient expedited process for their oversized vehicle permits? Thank you again Mr. Speaker and I do thank the member opposite for that question for the supplementary. As I mentioned in responding to the original question I would be happy to talk to her and to work with members on all sides of this house and with individuals who are affected by this particular circumstance to try to come to a resolution. I do understand why it's an important issue and I certainly do acknowledge and appreciate that the member opposite shares our passion for making sure that we do find ways to reduce burdens that may exist in the economy continue to flourish. That's why it is so important in the budget that was introduced originally on May 1st and then again just a few days ago that the minister of finance spent a fair degree of time talking about the importance for opening up and for reducing the burdens that we discuss. As I said in my original answer I would be happy to work with the member opposite and try to find a resolution on this. Thanks very much Mr. Speaker. Thank you Speaker. My questions to the minister responsible for the pan, and games. Last week I asked the minister of infrastructure about the costly delay to completion of the Hamilton stadium his flip reply was to ignore the serious problem of venue construction delays and to wax on about future venue use. The people of this province aren't looking for typical responses from this government. They're looking for answers. Can this minister move past the liberal partisan playbook and admit that major projects are behind schedule and this is likely going to result in extra costs for Ontarians long after these games are done. Thank you minister responsible for the 2015 pan Parapan America Games. Well thank you Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member opposite for the question. The Pan Am Games and the Parapan Am Games are the largest multi-sport events that have ever taken place in the history of this country. And we have an incredible opportunity as the host to have our 60 municipalities come together the federal government the provincial government work together to build new venues so we can support our athletes here in the province of Ontario. We have 31 venues that are being built are retrofitted and 12 training facilities here in the province of Ontario. And Mr. Speaker, six of those venues have suffered some type of delay but we know that the member opposite laughed at the expression the reason I gave last week in regards to the weather but we went through a very cold winter we had a nice storm there were some delays but I can assure you that all of our venues will be well positioned for the games here in Ontario. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Actually we ran a steel plant 365 days a year there in case you didn't know. Speaker Ontarians want to know that promises made on pan-paraban venue completion dates are at cost matter it's not just the Hamilton stadium it's several venues we learned from the pan-paraban organizers quarterly report last week where completion deadlines have been or will be missed. TO 2015 is also missing deadlines on venues within their scope so speaker again on behalf of the athletes the taxpayers will this government finally come clean in this house about one the missed deadlines to what plan B is to complete these venues and three any cost overruns associated with their failure on this file. Thank you minister. Thank you Mr. Speaker and again I'd like to thank the member for the question I know he's a big supporter of sports and athleticism here in the province of Ontario and I think you know he finished his question by saying you know think of the athletes and that's exactly what we're doing here on this side of the legislature Mr. Speaker our athletes don't have to travel to California if they want to practice their specific sports they can stay right here in Ontario. Not only that Mr. Speaker people from right across this country can come into Ontario and I think we need to keep things in perspective our venues will be finished almost a year before the games the games are next year and these venues are positioned to be finished all in the fall the six venues and we have rebuilt our infrastructure for sport and athleticism here in the province of Ontario and now's the time for all of us to get together and to celebrate our athletes here in the province cut. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Speaker climate change is considered one of the defining issues of our time and requires continuous effort to address by governments industry and individuals it's important that our government take the necessary steps to ensure Ontario properly adapts to and mitigates the effects of climate change a failure to do so could be detrimental to Ontarians today and more so to future generations it's for these reasons that I'm very pleased to hear the premier and ministers announcement of a few weeks ago about the ending call for a cleaner air act I believe this to be a positive step in the right direction. Speaker through you could the Minister of Environment and Climate Change please update the House on our government's progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I want to congratulate my friend from Newmarket and also his concern his understanding of particularly the relationship between climate change and municipal infrastructure and his advocacy for it you know Mr. Speaker in 2005 when I chair the National Roundtable our emissions in Canada were 737 megatons today they're 702 and the only thing that's happened in Canada in that period of time was the closure of our coal plants. A matter of fact there is almost nothing that's been done by any other provincial government or national government that comes close and the challenge is to have Canada's GHG emissions coming down right now seems to be almost entirely on the way to provinces like Quebec and Ontario. Finally Mr. Speaker the cost to infrastructure and to the insurance industry are amazing. Nine of the past 11 years Mr. Speaker for the first time insurance claims on property damage related to climate change and flooding have exceeded premiums this is becoming an economic problem and an infrastructure problem for me. Thank you supplementary. Thank you Speaker again my question is for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Minister I'm pleased to be part of a government that is taking an issue of climate change so seriously. These are positive steps forward however it is important that I address the concerns raised by many of my colleagues in the climate market and Aurora. A common theme among their concerns relates to the protection of our natural water resources. They fear that the new weather norms which can already be attributed to climate change such as increased stormwater runoff and discharge are having a negative effect on nearby Lake Simcoe and bodies of water within our own writing. The harmful chemicals that increased stormwater runoff can bring into the city. Could the Minister of Environment and Climate Change please share with the House what efforts are in place to protect our water from the changing conditions of our climate. Thank you very much. Part of our challenge with water and sewer systems is there are a number of us over here who are mayors and former councillors who would tell you that we used to talk about things being one in 500 year events and you would not allow that to happen. You would try to build your sewers to one in 100 year events or one in 500 year events. The problem now is those one in 500 year events in the 90s in this decade are one in 10 year events. This government has been very vigilant with our municipal partners and not too concerned about the political stripes of the people representing that to an earlier comment. As a matter of fact Lake Simcoe authority was given $1,500,000 to develop innovative technology approaches to managing store water and the regional municipal of York as I know you've advocated for and were part of has given that community about $150,000 almost for green infrastructure. Thank you. My questions to the minister you've made grand statements about your efforts to combat bullying in our schools the laws and regulations enacted by your government requires principles to notify parents if their child has been harmed due to bullying or to outline the steps being taken and the supports being provided for the people in response to bullying. These are necessary legislative requirements but unfortunately there's a family my riding who due to a lack of school. Minister laws and regulations are only as good as the people responsible with enforcing them. What process does your ministry followed with your school boards comply with anti-bullying legislation how do you keep school administrators accountable and why has this process failed in my riding. Yes. Thank you very much and there has been as you've noted series of pieces of legislation to put in place both legislation and policy around managing bullying in our schools we have come a long way not every incident turns out to be managed 100 percent perfectly but I think one of the big strides that we are making is making sure that when we do training that we ensure teachers have the appropriate training certainly when we have new laws in place there was a lot of training for the teachers at that time but with the changes that we're making to our initial teacher education program at the faculty of education we will now ensure that every new teacher to be licensed in Ontario will have training on safe schools and anti-bullying protocols as part of their training to be licensed as a teacher in Ontario. Thank you. My question was about accountability and how the processes are monitored not training so maybe I'll get the answer to my first question but minister bullying is one of the most harmful things a child can experience while at school bullying imposes significant health and social consequences of our community and can adversely affect the developments of our students we fortunately moved past the notion that bullying is a natural part of the school and just want something that someone has to deal with and I believe that every party in this house has agreed that legislation is a tool that must be used to fight against bullying but unfortunately your government has one of the worst track records for oversight and accountability this leads to non-compliance which is undermining anti-bullying legislation Minister can you explain at least to the family in my writing why they had to pull their child from the school despite legislation designed to keep their child safe Thank you minister Yes and I'm pleased that you've noted that dramatic impact that bullying can have on a child because when you look at all the research it absolutely indicates that a child who has been bullied that it can have a dramatic life both on their current school experience and their future life in fact the same is true of the child who does the bullying a chronic bully you often see that they also have a negative outlook when you look down the road but and absolutely when a parent is concerned they need to be contacting their local trustee because it's in fact the local trustees who are accountable for ensuring that this legislation is put into place but I must say that it is extremely strange to be getting a lecture from this party which failed to vote in favor of the last piece of bullying legislation that failed 13 Thank you Good question, the member from Agama Manitoula Thank you Mr. Speaker and good morning to you my question is to the premier for seven years the isolated Lackawai reserve has pinned this hopes on a promising hydroelectric program partly bankroll by a Toronto philanthropist that could generate clean power and economic opportunity now it appears that this government has quietly stuffed out a promising hydroelectric project that could generate clean power and economic opportunity for the isolated reserve perched along the Minnesota border can the premier explain why it is destroying years of hard work that was the community's best chance to break the cycle of poverty and unemployment Thank you Mr. Speaker in total more than 35 First Nation and Métis communities are involved in wind solar and hydroelectric projects across the province and they are all required to abide by their contract and by the rules Mr. Speaker that is 240 projects representing over a thousand megawatts of clean energy I've met with the Lackawai First Nation and Gemini Power in the past and have offered another technical meeting with them Mr. Speaker they have an existing FIT contract with the OPA like all FIT contracts they have a fixed price and proponents are required by contract to pay the cost of connecting their project to the provincial grid the contracts are in place to protect rate payers and create clear expectations for developers it would be completely unfair to all other contract owners if the government were to increase the price of existing contract for only one project to cover the cost of transmission Thank you Again to the premier the major roadblock is a blotch transmission line without a proper connection the proposed run of the river dam is a non-starter Hydro 1 the government's own utility that is responsible for transmission claims it would cost roughly 16 million to build the transmission line but this cost is contested by many hydro experts familiar with this project why is this government blocking this badly needed project that could provide jobs and hope to this isolated community Thank you Mr. Speaker I can only repeat that the contract is very specific like all the other contracts that requires the proponent to pay the cost of transmission they have to assure themselves that it is available before they submit to win a contract for a fixed price with the responsibility to produce a transmission Mr. Speaker we have been exceedingly innovative in terms of our incentives for First Nations people to participate in our energy sector the contracts we have awarded to First Nations Mr. Speaker we are extremely proud of that and I certainly await a response from this particular proponent to come in and review the file once again which I provided to them that opportunity in the letter early in May Mr. Speaker Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport Physical activity is linked to minimizing cardiovascular disease risk factors enhancing positive health outcomes and has a positive impact on academic performance. Childhood obesity is on the rise and less than 10% of Ontario children and youth achieved 60 minutes of daily physical activity 6 days a week. The economic cost associated with physical activity in Ontario are estimated at $3.4 billion Mr. Speaker through you to the Minister can he please update us in which ways our government is working towards decreasing childhood obesity and increasing the amount of physical activity Ontario children and youth are receiving Thank you Mr. Speaker Thank you and I'd like to thank the member for the question. Before I answer I'd just like to recognize that the North American Indigenous Games are taking place this week in Saskatchewan and I want to wish all of our athletes from Ontario all the best Our government is committed to promoting and protecting the health of Ontario's young people with the opportunity for children and youth to participate in fun, safe and supervised activities that focus on physical activity recreation and sport to encourage active lifestyles healthy eating and nutrition education to help combat child obesity and personal health and wellness education to promote self esteem The after school program is a critical component of Ontario's poverty reduction strategy and our youth action plan and as a former school board trustee I'd like to support this program as we take on this new role in this ministry Thank you The minister of Northumberland, Queen T-West on a point of order I hope you indulge me to introduce my wife Diane and Maria and five grandkids that experienced gridlock in the GTA this morning but they're here along with my grandkids Lucas, Madeline, Monica, Maddox and Morgan right in the west gallery It's not a point of order but we welcome our guests There are no deferred votes this house stands recessed until 1pm this afternoon