 It is now time for all questions, the Leader of Her Majesty's Royal Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the Premier. Premier, yesterday your Minister of Finance said that Ontario was the lowest cost and lowest tax jurisdiction in North America. I think you know that's not even close to being true. Your lead on the gas plan committee compared the abuse of the gas plans to a rocket shot to the moon in terms of being a worthwhile investment. And you yourself, headline of the Toronto Story, April 3rd, said that the death of Ontario's manufacturing sector is a myth. Premier, I don't know if this simply reflects that your government's become out of touch, increasingly arrogant, whatever you want to call it. I ask you how do those types of attitudes attract a single job to the province of Ontario? Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Well, you know, I believe that talking up on Ontario and making sure making sure the people of manufacturing, Mr Speaker, arose out of the 10 jobs roundtables that I did around the province with some of my ministers in the cabinet, Mr Speaker, where we talk to people who are in manufacturing, who are hiring folks who are talking to us about how we can invest in innovation to, in fact, grow the manufacturing sector, Mr Speaker, and how important it is that we not lose sight of the fact that Ontario is an important manufacturing centre, Mr Speaker. So that's where that comment came from, that talking up Ontario, making sure we understand that we can draw industry and investment to the province, Mr Speaker, rather than denigrating the province, Mr Speaker, which makes no sense to me at all. Thank you. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I mean, respectfully, Premier, it's not the top that's going to get Ontario moving forward. It's making the right decisions to grow our economy, to rein in spending and to take Ontario down the road. But I do want to focus particularly on the play the manufacturing sector. We've lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs under the McGinty Win Liberal Government. Sadly, A.O. Smith in Fergus got the news recently there. Closing down moving to Tennessee and 350 jobs. My colleague from Wellington, Halton Hills, Ted Arnett, has been a champion for the manufacturing sector. He went to the plant himself to try to fight for those jobs to keep them here in the province of Ontario. Ted's doing the right thing, but it really hurts his ability to attract jobs to this province when the Premier says that the death of manufacturing in Ontario is a myth. Premier, will you apologise for making those dramatically out of touch? Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I spoke with folks in that situation. I had a conversation with the member. I spoke with folks in Fergus and the A.O. Smith plant, Mr Speaker, and I know that that's a difficult and painful situation, Mr Speaker. I understand that. But the reality is that if we are going to thrive as a province, we need to recognise that bringing business to the province is absolutely a possibility and it's happening, Mr Speaker. We have regained 400,000 jobs since the downturn, Mr Speaker. It's absolutely clear that we understand the conditions, making sure we understand what the infrastructure is that's needed, so that we can create those conditions so that business will come to the province. That's what we've been doing. That's what we will continue to do, Mr Speaker, and I would hope that the member opposite would be part of that endeavour. Final supplementary. You know, I talk about one individual. His name is Dan Bailey. I think, Ted, you've known Dan your entire life. Dan, being his early 50s, and he lost his job at A.O. Smith part of the decline in the manufacturing sector that you call a myth. Ted himself, Mr Arnott, Wellington Hills, I apologise, has now for probably eight years been highlighting the trend downwards in manufacturing jobs. He's brought good ideas to the table. He fights for folks like Dan Bailey. Mr Bailey, in his early 50s, is going to have a very difficult time getting back into the job market, provide for his family to pay off the mortgage. Premier, I'll ask you again. When you see this type of circumstance in Ontario, don't you think you're wrong to say the decline of manufacturing is a myth and isn't it your obligation? The question is that the member has brought forward to actually create jobs, open this up for investment and get on with it. Thank you. Premier? Well, the fact that nearly 32,000 manufacturing jobs have been recovered since the recessionary low, I think that's a good news story, Mr Speaker. I will just say, there are members here today of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. They have come from all across the province, Mr Speaker. That'll do. Thank you. You know, the members of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture know that it is extremely important that in Ontario we understand the importance of the agri-food industry, Mr Speaker, that we understand that manufacturing includes the agriculture community and includes the agri-food industry, Mr Speaker, and that innovation in that community, along with automotive and natural resources, in agriculture, film, small business, all of that, Mr Speaker. That is how we are going to thrive. That's why we've been able to regain 32,000 manufacturing jobs, Mr Speaker, and we're going to continue on that path as Ontario grows. New question. Leader? Back to the Premier, Speaker. I mentioned the challenges that somebody like Mr Bailey is going to face. The 300,000 jobs that used to be in the manufacturing sector have now left for other jurisdictions, like Tennessee, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana. And sadly, well, the Premier was visiting, I think Wellington County. She said the following in response to the loss of jobs at AO Smith. She says we're trending in the right direction. Premier, how can, when you look at the 350 jobs when we find that Westcast in Wingham just laid off more people yesterday, when Stan Pak in Smithville is constantly sending jobs to Texas instead of Ontario because of our hydro rates, don't you think it's time to take a different course to actually rein in spending lower tariffs if it hydrates under control? Premier? Thank you. Premier? We know that global competition for manufacturing... We recognize that we have to take strong action in order to be competitive. Which is why 32,000 manufacturing jobs have been regained since the recession, Mr. Speaker. So it's extremely important. I understand that there is a painful reality that when a particular plant closes or a particular business leaves but those jobs are lost, that is a painful reality. I understand that, Mr. Speaker. But we have to focus as a government and I would think everyone in this legislature has to focus on how do we make sure people have the right skills to make sure that they get the jobs that are available, Mr. Speaker, because that's one of the things manufacturers say to me is we're looking for people who have a particular skill set so our responsibility is to make sure we match the labor force with the labor market, Mr. Speaker. Those jobs will come to the province. We will have that investment, Mr. Speaker, but only if we are positive and we put the conditions in place. And the member from Chatham Supplementary. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't doubt that the Premier has empathy for Mr. Bailey and the 350 people who lost their job at A.O. Smith. Those lost their jobs at John here at Caterpillar. But the challenge is I don't think your government understands the cause of the problem. Nor do I believe, Premier, that the Liberal Government has an understanding of how to actually move us forward to the province who are out of work today. You know, we've brought forward policies to lower taxes. To drain that swamp of red tape and regulation and run around that is contrary to your finance minister's opinion the most burdensome in all of Canada. We put those ideas on the table. Premier, this should be an alarm bell for you to hit the brakes and go in the opposite direction. Thank you, Premier. We'll give our policies a plan and restore hope for those with those jobs. Thank you. Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I have to say that when it comes to A.O. Smith we're doing everything we can as the government to support those workers who are in a very precarious situation and certainly both through the ministry of training colleges and universities working with all partners, the unions to be involved, the local mayor and the other leadership including the member representing Wellington. So we're working hard to do that. I talked with the mayor last week as well and we've offered to make available to those communities that are communities in transition fund, our Southwestern Ontario Development Fund which of course the member opposite, the official opposition opposed its creation. So it's an issue that we're taking very seriously. We know those are jobs that are hard to make sure that those workers can transition to other opportunities but when it comes to the manufacturing sector and if in the supplementary I have an opportunity to speak to that, I enjoy that opportunity. Thank you, Speaker. I don't doubt that the minister is attempting to respond. It's called the mayor. I just wish you had taken action in the nine years before this plan came out. The member for Wellington, Halden Hills and those alarm bells eight years ago we've brought forward ideas to grow the economy, to create jobs. I believe that the manufacturing sector can make a comeback in Ontario. I believe her better days are yet to come but let me ask you this, if you've embarked on policies for nine years at ramped up government spending that plunged us towards doubling our debt you're contemplating raising taxes again don't you understand that's going to cost us more jobs, that's going to dig the hole deeper it's time to go down a bold new course we'll meet our plan we'll turn the province around and we'll bring good manufacturing knowledge Minister I agree our manufacturing centre in this sector in this province is making a comeback and it's making a comeback party because this party and this government supported the auto sector at a time when the official opposition didn't and let me also say in terms of manufacturing sales in February the member opposite to know that manufacturing sales rose in eight provinces in February led by this province led by Ontario and foreign direct investment this jurisdiction here in Ontario is the third best jurisdiction in all of North America for foreign direct investment and let me give you an example that in fact the speaker might be familiar with just last Friday an announcement was made in Branford where a company called Hematite which supports the auto sector $25 million from the south west Ontario development fund and the president of that company they're going to be creating their doubling employment to the next two years the president of that company John Houghton said without the south west and Ontario development fund thank you your question thank you very much Mr. Speaker my question is to the premier new democrats have been clear with the throne speech that if we're going to support a budget it has to create jobs it has to strengthen our health care and it has to make life more affordable when families sit down to pay their bills one of the biggest ones is their auto insurance bill this government has brought in changes to help make the industry more profitable but as told drivers time and time again there's nothing more they can do for them is the government finally prepared to take some real action to make drivers in this province have a more affordable insurance premium thank you very much Mr. Speaker we have said that this is an area of great concern to us that auto insurance premiums in Ontario are too high that we need to work to make sure that they are lowered as we have been doing quite frankly since 2004 Mr. Speaker as auto insurance rates did go down Mr. Speaker on average I think 11% across the province we recognize that they have risen again and we are committed to working to reduce those Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker here's a frustration for people in my community and for millions of Ontarians in this province they're paying the highest premiums in Canada they've seen the government bring in reforms that have put billions of dollars into the pockets of the industry but their rates keep climbing will the government give the financial services commission of Ontario the mandates and the tools to actually bring about a reduction in auto insurance rates by 15% thank you very much Mr. Speaker so I'm just going to contextualize this because there are a number of issues that have been raised by the third party auto insurance is one of them home care is one of them use employment is another one Mr. Speaker and I have said quite clearly that these are all areas that we are interested in and have been interested in working on Mr. Speaker there are things that I think absolutely need to be addressed and we are going to do that in a responsible way Mr. Speaker and we're going to do it in a way that is practical and doable that in fact can be implemented I have had a conversation with the leader of the third party and I know that this is a concern and I know that there's a particular approach that the NDP would like to take we have taken that into consideration Mr. Speaker and we are going to work to reduce auto insurance premiums in a way that is practical that's doable and that will ensure that people in the province will continue to be able to get auto insurance Mr. Speaker and at a reduced rate thank you very much Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker here's the problem people in this province feel like they're simply falling behind but we're determined to make sure they get results in this upcoming budget for years for years a government has promised that tax cuts to Ontario's largest corporations would trickle down into jobs for Ontarians that handing out six figure pay hikes to hospital CEOs that somehow make our patients healthier and that higher insurance industry profits would some excuse me the third party has the floor please thank you and that higher insurance industry profits would trickle down to drivers people are tired of the status quo that's simply not working for people here in Ontario it hasn't worked and it's time for some real results in this upcoming budget the government has already supported a motion to reduce auto insurance rates by 15% will the government thank you premier thank you Mr. Speaker and to the members question and he knows all too well the efforts and the work that we've done as a government to try to combat the issues of fraud recognizing that the root cause of this is the cost of our claims the cost of the claims in Ontario are 10 times higher than any other province we've taken the steps necessary to address those issues we recognize and agree that premiums as a result are much too high we also recognize and acknowledge that the companies did lose money in the previous years we are doing what's necessary to initiate the change we're going to work with all parties to try to ensure that we get at this to reduce premiums for all Ontarians and the 9 million drivers that exist in this great province we are going to do this we're going to work with FISCO to get it done thank you thank you Speaker my question to the premier Ontarians expect the government will put them first but instead this government seems intent on putting private power companies first like those in Oakville and Mississauga the Liberals gave a contract to one even though it was borrowing money at 60% per annum Liberals told the Ontario power authority to abandon its legal defenses when it came to settling with another why did the government put the interest of private power companies ahead of the interests of Ontarians thank you thank you Mr. Speaker I appreciate the question Mr. Speaker it's hard to believe but it was just last week that the auditor general reported on the Mississauga issue and at that time the very next day Mr. Speaker including members from the NDP and the Conservatives asked the question about costs at Oakville why don't you just tell us now the cost of cancelling Oakville another one release all the costs related to the Oakville do it now premier the people of Ontario deserve nothing less than the cost of the Oakville cancellation well last week Mr. Speaker the government did ask the Ontario power authority to come to committee with their most up to date costs on Oakville Mr. Speaker we did move a motion the government moved the motion yesterday to have the OPA here today and both opposition parties voted against it thank you supplementary Premier back to you two former energy ministers testified they had no idea that their staff were destroying information but the former chief of staff to those two ministers told us he was destroying information can the Premier tell us whether she can provide any assurance that her staff and the staff of all ministers are acting within the law when it comes to preserving information Minister of Energy refer to the government House leader Mr. Speaker the committee is looking to a whole variety of issues related to the gas plants and in terms of the production of documents Mr. Speaker the government has worked in good faith to comply with the committee's rulings to the point where with the encouragement of the Premier our members last fall move forward with a motion to have all government ministries in a very wide sweep produce all documents related to the gas plants issue to the committee and that member joined by his opposition colleagues voted against that Mr. Speaker there is a process in place whereby committees can ask for documents they didn't want to go the route that we suggested and we are working to comply with any request that come forward Mr. Speaker thank you final supplementary member from Leeds Grandville come to order kind of hard to provide documents Mr. Speaker kind of hard Chris Bentley the former minister of energy yesterday claimed the reason the government's bogus cost number was different from that of the auditor general was because the ministry used a different way of counting costs the auditor general used standard accounting when he determined the cost of the Mississauga cancellation. Premier won't say whether she still believes the $40 million figure for the Oakville cancellation is the one that in fact is true will the premier tell us whether the $40 million figure for Oakville was regular accounting or liberal accounting Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker the honorable member has the gall to ask that question and yesterday at the urging of the minister of energy and the support of government members we asked for a special session to bring the OPA forward where they could answer a whole range of questions on this issue that member voted against it and Mr. Speaker in terms of the production of documents let me share a quote from the member from Nipissing what he had to tell the committee yesterday listen to this quote you know the premier reminds us every day the documents will continue to be turned over and this is a reasonable request of timing of two weeks we ask for that day after day after day we've been asking that and listen to this and have been wonderfully receiving these documents Mr. Speaker we have been working in good faith to meet the committee's requirements we have gone beyond it in terms of transparency and Mr. Speaker the opposition reached a good tune here but they constantly put their hands up to vote against our motions thank you your question the member from Nipissing thank you speaker my question is for the premier premier you've admitted the gas plant cancellations were political decisions but at the justice committee your former energy minister twice removed swore that it was because the power was no longer required he also told the Toronto Star quote it won't be built anywhere in Ontario quote premier we finally uncovered documents that tell us what really happened this is from your justice ministry quote the government offered to make TransCanada whole by finding another gas plant from which it could make profits and in return TransCanada promised not to sue or otherwise embarrass the government now speaker we're finally getting to the truth of why this new gas plant is being built premier did you spend all that taxpayer money just to save liberal embarrassment it's it's astonishing that they stand here and they ask questions for information then they vote against they vote against the government motion to have the OPA come before the committee Mr. Speaker last night the premier showed up in this legislature to participate in the late show with the honourable member he chose not to participate Mr. Speaker Tuesday morning the government members have asked that the leader of the opposition that was good Mr. Speaker government members to come before the committee and you know what the opposition did Mr. Speaker they attempted that the official opposition attempted to block that motion so perhaps in the supplementary the honourable member will tell us the member from Simcoe Gray I'm trying to get somebody else on the other side just give me a chance minister of rural affairs come to order and especially when the president is going to have a meeting with Mr. Speaker he will tell us is the leader of the opposition going to play calendar on Tuesday or will he be there to answer our questions well speaker if I want to see dancing like that next time I'll buy a ticket to a chorus line premier as if your political motivations weren't enough let's look at how the testimony the former premier's chief of staff told the justice committee that it was he who came up with the five replacement site options his number one choice was in Napa knee hundreds of kilometers from Oakville I asked him what experience he had inciting energy plants and he said none he has no energy experience whatsoever premier given that liberal logic just throw darts at a dartboard you might have gotten a little closer to Oakville and save the taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars the premier again did you spend all of that taxpayer money just to save liberal embarrassment thank you I have the pamphlet let's talk about political motivation we've had tweets we've had YouTube I have here a conservative party pamphlet the minister of rural affairs will not put that up in the air again if he does he'll be admonished thank you Mr. Speaker I have here a conservative party pamphlet you can tell it's a conservative party pamphlet because the leader of the opposition is nowhere to be seen on it Mr. Speaker as is usually the case but let me quote it Mr. Speaker the only party that will stop the Sherway power plant is the Ontario PC party the Ontario PC elect Mary Ann DeMond Whalen authorized by the CFO for the Etobicoke Center Progressive Conservative Riding Association and he has the gall to talk about political overtones Mr. Speaker the progressive conservative party was 100% again thank you Mr. Speaker the minister of health and long-term care Lakeridge had another hospital that was affected by the diluted chemotherapy drugs Lakeridge had no idea that there was a gray area in regulation and had they known the process for securing those drugs would have been completely different the hospital is taking its responsibility and doing everything it can to close the gaps in oversight my question is will the minister be as forthright and admit that she failed both hospital and patients by failing to provide the necessary oversight Mr. Speaker what I can tell you is that when I became aware of the situation I took immediate and swift action the first concern of course was for the patients affected and I want to commend our hospitals very quickly identifying the affected patients for reaching out to them for facilitating appointments with their oncologists and providing them with answers to their personal question speaker I then established a working group of all of the affected partners in this speaker I've appointed Dr. Jake Teeson to lead an investigation of the cancer drug supply chain I've posted regulation directing hospitals to purchase from suppliers who are accredited the College of Pharmacists is developing a regulation to give them access that they need to these facilities speaker I'm very pleased that Health Canada is now taking ownership speaker as well they are moving on this issue they know this requires a national solution supplementary thank you Mr. Speaker I guess the question is there when she became aware why did it take so long to become aware the gray area was first identified in 1997 this is 15 years ago since 2009 a policy document outlining a decision making process between the two levels of government has been in place today we are learning that the problem does not exist in isolation but it extends to some of the biggest players in the healthcare system will the minister finally stop dodging responsibility and commit to doing her job and close this gap in oversight I have done exactly that and the member opposite knows that I have done exactly that it is clear this is a national problem it requires a national solution even the federal minister acknowledges that this requires a national solution Baxter is a company that supplies drugs to Ontario hospitals it also supplies to hospitals right across the province we are doing our part we are expanding the mandate of the college of pharmacists we are instructing hospitals to take this responsibility seriously it is very important that if the member opposite has suggestions on what more we need to do I would be most interested in hearing that and I assure the House that when I became a member of this I acted immediately I took the appropriate steps if there is more that the member opposite thinks I need to do I want to hear from you Thank you Mr Speaker my question is for the minister of natural development and mines Mr Speaker Ontario is blessed to have a beautiful North natural resources it is important to preserve the natural beauty of North but at the same time it is also important to promote and ensure sustainable development of natural resources the process of such development must take into consideration the interest and aspirations of all stakeholders and for the benefit of its minister will you inform this House the modernizing of mining act how will it help for the sustainable development of natural resources Thank you Mr Speaker I want to thank the member from Mississauga Brampton south of that great question certainly we want to acknowledge the process of modernizing the mining act a very important piece of legislation and now the supporting regulations are part of a very extensive consultation process certainly between a two year period in January 2010 and 2012 we held over 70 discussions, consultations such as with aboriginal groups and communities industry stakeholders environmental organizations and a series of municipal representatives one of our key stakeholders is the Ontario Mining Association I want to share a quote from Chris Hodgson the president of the OMA who members here will know you're a northern development of mines in the mid 90s here's their quote the Ontario Mining Association appreciates the consultative and focused approach to the development of the new mining act regulations Ontario competes with other jurisdictions for mining investment and a clearly defined regulatory environment is critical to ensuring the province continues as a mining speaker Supplementary Minister it's great to hear your work to ensure meaningful changes to the mining act so that Ontario remains one of the best places in the world for mining exploration and mining investment can them to share with this house how modernizing of the mining act will impact stakeholders, northern communities and economic growth great question thank you minister one of our goals of the modernized mining act speaker is to provide certainty and clarity and encourage early engagement obviously in ongoing relationship building with aboriginal communities we've instituted a permanent focus flow through tax credit of 5% to encourage investment in mineral exploration significant tax benefits for new and expanding mines particularly for new mines in remote areas extended to the northern industrial energy rate program subject to annual program funding approval which supports northern Ontario's largest industrial consumers in reducing energy costs sustaining employment and maintaining the sector's global competitive speaker we continue to invest in services and such a geological mapping and the digitization of geoscience information to help Ontario's mineral exploration sector identify areas of economic opportunity a hugely important piece of legislation Mr. Speaker and we're grateful for all this thank you thanks very much speaker my question to the premier premier yesterday we reached a new low in the growing gas plant scandal in an embarrassing spectacle at the justice committee two former energy ministers played dumb rather than providing answers throw in the current minister and the theme song for this debacle is three blind mice premier I'm worried now that performances like yesterday undermine your credibility not that there's much left what worries me is investors seeing this cast of characters the scandal has produced and questioning if Ontario is really a place to do business isn't it time to stop playing this dangerous game with Ontario's future by finally showing some leadership and providing the real cost to cancel the Oakville plant thank you very much Mr. Speaker stop the clock stop the clock just a moment please I'm going to mention this I'm not particularly impressed with the tone used although it did not use on parliamentary language it is not the race to the top that I've been requesting so I would ask all questioners and people giving the answer that you consider that please to keep this place in good decorum premier Mr. Speaker and I know the government house leader will want to speak to the events at committee but I really think that this moment in our history in the province that it's very important that all parties work together Mr. Speaker we're here in a minority parliament Mr. Speaker unfortunately the leader of the opposition has said that his party is opposed to the budget before having read it Mr. Speaker and I don't understand that way of doing politics but that's what's been said I don't think that we should parliament be intent on an unnecessary election Mr. Speaker I think that we should be trying to work together and I would invite I would invite the member opposite to work with us I would invite the party opposite to work with us Mr. Speaker I think that's what the people of Ontario are looking for as we go into this budget I would at least ask that the party opposite read the budget before they vote against it Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Well premier here's how bad it is the only one that seems to be making sense over there is the member for Mississauga Streetsville and last week people called him a space cadet withdrawn withdrawn you know I think he's finally come down from the clouds and I'm actually going to quote him it's a quote from the Toronto Star the member for Mississauga Streetsville said it's our responsibility as a government if we've got something new to add that we add it as soon as we know it premier you know the true cost of the Oakville plant now you just want to bring the OPA boss in to be your fall guy again well the buck stops with you premier not a bureaucrat will you take Mr. Delaney's advice and do something responsible and tell us the cost of the Oakville plant Mr. Speaker this is absolutely outrageous the government went forward yesterday you want to talk about yesterday's committee we went forward with emotion to have a special meeting where the OPA could come in and answer all the questions the opposition had they voted against it Mr. Speaker we asked the leader of the opposition to come on Tuesday morning they attempted to block it Mr. Speaker through a motion that we put forward Mr. Speaker the premier the premier came to this chamber last night for two late shows and two of their members chose not to participate in them Mr. Speaker if anyone has an apology about what happened yesterday related to the gas plant file it's the members of that party over there thank you your question the member from Hamilton my question is to the minister of health and long term care last year Hamilton fell in love with Nicole Cassavitas this 14 year old young woman her family battled numerous hardships while Nicole awaited a heart transplant tragically two weeks after the transplant Nicole died today is the first anniversary of Nicole's death her family is here today speaking publicly about their year long battle to get answers surrounding her treatment and passing at Sick Kids Hospital Speaker why does this family have to go through such great lengths to get answers in our health care system how can the minister help them today to get the answers they need minister of health and long term care well thank you speaker and thank you to the member opposite and I would like to welcome family members here this is a case that I am not familiar with it would have been preferable had the member notified me of this case so I could have more information for the family I would be more than happy to meet with the family after question period to understand what questions they have thank you speaker Nicole's family continues to be haunted by questions regarding her care they have quietly worked through all the proper channels over the past year but they still are without answers the buck needs to stop here minister the existing oversight in our health care system is clearly failing Ontarians for families like the Cassavetes having an independent third party to answer their questions would make a world of difference to them in many Ontarians speaker will this minister listen to the families like Nicole's and commit to ombudsman oversight of our hospitals today speaker as I said in the first question I will be more than happy to meet with the family after question period and I can learn more about this situation and make sure that you get answers that you deserve thank you thank you speaker minister of health and long-term care minister Ontario small and rural hospitals are an integral part of the communities they serve not only are these hospitals vital for providing care in a timely efficient fashion many Ontarians rely on their local hospitals provide a wide variety of services but there's no doubt people living in rural communities have unique challenges ensuring our small and rural hospitals continue to provide excellent care for all Ontarians of critical importance speakers for you to the minister of health and long-term care could the minister please update the house of what our government is doing to strengthen our rural hospitals thank you I thank a member from Ottawa for his passion advocacy on this issue I can assure you that we are committed to providing care for all Ontarians of critical importance in their communities I was recently in Seaforth where I was able to announce some of the projects that were being funded by a special 20 million dollar fund for small and rural hospitals I was very impressed by the innovation by the transformation that is underway in our small and rural a member from here on extremely impressed by the innovation that was being demonstrated by these projects that will strengthen access to care in small and rural communities speaker we are determined to provide all Ontarians no matter where they live with access to the right care the right time the right place speaker I was very pleased that four of the 23 new hospitals are in rural Ontario thank you thank you speaker and thank you minister I'm glad to hear the new Ontario government takes the need of small and rural hospitals seriously improving and modernizing these hospitals is critical to ensuring they remain effective, efficient and accessible to the communities they serve providing access to the right care at the right time and the right place supports Ontario's action plan for healthcare it is part of the new Ontario government's effort to build a strong economy and a fair society for the benefit of all recently heard some good news about rural hospitals funding in south western Ontario through you to the minister what are some specific examples of efforts our government has undertaken to strengthen and improve small and rural hospitals in this part of the province the minister of rural affairs the minister of rural affairs thank you very much Mr. Speaker I want to thank the member for his question of course we know that rural communities have unique healthcare that's why we're making important investments it is an opportunity to visit Wiggum the west coast of Ontario and Mount Forest and I experienced the warm hospitality from the member from here on Bruce and the member from Perth Wellington our government is supporting renovations and improvements at the Wiggum at District Hospital and in the Waterloo Lynn I was very pleased to join with the members and Mr. Speaker I had a great lunch at Wiggum at Grumpy's Cafe and all the talk there that day for two casting plants in Wiggum, Ontario it was a good news day to be in Wiggum Mr. Speaker we'll continue to make strategic investments in rural Ontario that's what our new government is all about and that's what we're doing each and every day thank you any questions? Mr. Speaker my question is to the Premier yesterday while the Premier was busy buying off the NDP or is there now known a liberal farm team Justice First of all sometimes it is hard to hear on parliamentary language because of all the chatter and second of all I got it the member will withdraw withdrawn Chair question please Committee heard from the former Energy Minister Dugud and Bentley Given the continued evasion and selective amnesia of liberal witnesses it's not surprising that both of them denied having any knowledge of a $712 million offer to TransCanada Speaker we can accept that Minister Dugud may not have known since Premier McGinty chose to cut him out not trusting him with his file what we can't accept though is that the Premier and the Energy Minister are as clueless as Minister Dugud the TransCanada negotiations went to cabinet we know that we also know that Premier... the Premier knows what it costs to cancel Oakville plan so why doesn't she just come clean right here right now Thank you Mr. Speaker it's just it's beyond incredible Government members yesterday went forward and put forward a plan Mr. Speaker where the OPA would appear in front of the committee to answer all the questions as technical as any member wanted to go through the entire process by which these various plans were dealt with they voted no Mr. Speaker they're demanding answers from the Premier she shows up for a late show last night and they don't participate Mr. Speaker we have some questions on this side of the House about the costing that the PC party had when they put out pamphlets late to one that I quoted from earlier and yet Mr. Speaker when we attempted to call the leader of the opposition they tried to block it so perhaps in the supplementary we will confirm to this legislature whether the leader of the opposition will appear next Tuesday at 8.00 a.m. to answer our questions Thank you supplementary Mr. Speaker back to the Premier it must be difficult for the Liberal members to watch the Premier's credibility evaporate each and every passing day and while the Liberal apologists in the NDP are willing to excuse any scandal no matter how large or how egregious as long as they get bought off we in the PC caucus are determined to get in no I got to point it out before you do the member will withdraw withdraw you know Speaker the gas plant scandal is knocking on the Premier's door she was the chair of cabinet her name is on the documents she was briefed on quote buckets of costs the Premier should save Minister Shirelli the run down the hallway save him the aggravation will she come clean and reveal the cost of the Oakville cancellation right here right now Mr. Speaker you want to talk about knocking on someone's door let's talk about the leader of the opposition who made a YouTube video Mr. Speaker a YouTube video where he stood there with his adoring PC candidates in a crowd of five or six on lockers and said if he was elected it would be done done done Mr. Speaker it was his candidate his candidate Mary Ann who put out this pamphlet saying the only party that will underline Mr. Speaker will stop the sure way power plant is the Ontario PC Mr. Speaker again why are all the honourable members over there failing to answer my very simple question next Tuesday morning 8 30 a.m will the leader of the opposition be there to answer questions because later in the day Mr. Speaker the Premier will be there to answer questions but they will not be able to come forward but they keep blocking it Mr. Speaker a new question thank you Speaker to the Premier it has been almost a year since the federal government decided to shut down the experimental lakes area a world renowned site after much pressure from within Canada and across the globe the Ontario government announced today that it has finally seen the light it has finally seen the light and recognized the importance of keeping the ELA your announcement didn't provide any details at all as to what funding it will put in place and what exactly you're willing to do to save the experimental lakes area the question is straight forward is the deal final and what commitment has your government made to ensure that this important site remains open thank you very much Mr. Speaker I am so pleased that the member opposite has asked this question I think it is just fantastic thank you Mr. Speaker and it was about a year ago that I was in Canora and I met with Mayor Canfield he was driving me around we were talking about bridges and roads and he talked to me about the experimental lakes area I was very concerned Mr. Speaker because there was a question about whether it was going to survive it is a federal project as the member opposite knows and so Mr. Speaker I am thrilled that we are stepping up to the plate that we are going to work with the government of Manitoba with the institute for sustainable development and we are going to come to an arrangement Mr. Speaker where this terrific and unique science endeavor will be able to go forward Mr. Speaker we know that the operating costs are up to $10 million we have said that we are going to support this there are some details to be worked out Mr. Speaker in terms of capital costs that's what the negotiation is about thank you Mr. Speaker I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone in my riding and across Canada who stepped up and fought hard to keep the experimental lakes open it was through their petitions their town halls their statements, debates in this house and press conferences across the world that this government has finally seen the light this site is not about politics it is about groundbreaking research and people are looking at what the government is going to plan we are getting there just settle down and I would ask the minister of the environment to take a bit of a break thank you as I said this site is not about politics it is about groundbreaking research and people are looking to this provincial government for a real plan this government is not providing the basic answers to some of the most important questions around the ELA people are desperate to know Who will pay the operating costs? Who will cover the liability? And what steps have been taken to ensure this site will remain open permanently? That's a question. Minister of Government. Minister of Governmental Affairs. Very much, Speaker. And I think it's a great day in Ontario when you see levels of government coming together to recognize the importance of the experimental lakes area in Ontario, which is a gem in which many scientists have come all around the world to study important issues. Climate change, the impact of pollution on our water, a whole variety of important scientific experiments have taken place there for so many years. What our Premier said today, Speaker, is that we would work with our partners, our partners such as IASD, the federal government, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the ministries in Manitoba that all have a role to play. And I think what you're seeing is a collaborative approach of coming together to say we all have a stake in this important investment that has been there for so many years. There's ongoing discussions right now. We look forward to work with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to make this a reality. Thank you. The members from Scarborough-Rage River. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the minister responsible for seniors. Every day, many seniors in my riding of Scarborough-Rage River consider moving into a retirement home as they enter a new chapter in their life. Seniors want a place where they feel comfortable and accepted. They want a place where they're cared for and treated with respect. And their families want to ensure their safety. It is important that residents feel safe and are protected in their new accommodations. With the concerns of seniors and their families in mind, can the minister please tell us what our government has done to protect those who decide to live in a retirement home in Ontario? Thank you. The minister is possible for seniors. Thank you very much, Speaker. My thanks to the member from Scarborough-Rage River. It is, indeed, a very good question. It reflects the genuine concern of the member himself, mine, and that of the government as well, Speaker. For many seniors, a retirement home is a place where they may be spending the rest of their best year, Speaker. Therefore, in 2010, our government took action and passed the Retirement Home Act. The first such legislation in Ontario. The act sets very clear guidelines and levels of care that our seniors should be receiving and entitled to receive in a living retirement home living, Speaker. The act, Speaker, provides safety, comfort, and peace of mind, not only for the resident themselves, but for the family members. And we will continue to see that, indeed, they will receive such a care, Speaker. And I thank you. Supplementary? Speaker, this is great news for our seniors. Speaker, many of our seniors are not fully aware of how the Retirement Homes Act offers protection or benefits to them. At times, many seniors and families are concerned about the potential of safety issues. But I know our government has taken strong action to keep seniors safe in Ontario. It is important, Speaker, that seniors are provided with the information on how the Retirement Homes Act protect their rights, safety, and standard of living. Speaker, can the minister now tell us, and all seniors across Ontario, how this act will be enforced and also what are the benefits to them? Thank you, Minister. Speaker, to you, to the member and to all our seniors in our province, let me say that the Retirement Home Act legislates strong protection for seniors and created the Retirement Home Regulatory Authority and independent body that conducts its own random investigations, inspections, oversees compliance and enforcement, mandates the level of care and safety standards, emergency plans, training for staff, and much more, Speaker. For the first time in Ontario, there is a public registry for retirement homes. And as of July 1, 2012, Speaker, all Retirement Homes in order to continue to operate in Ontario must indeed apply for a license. And since our positive changes, Speaker, and our helping seniors live in a safe, secure environment and continue to enjoy years of fulfillment and meaningful life, Speaker. First, to the member from North Central. To the Premier. Last Monday, the Auditor General reported that the Ontario Power Authority paid Greenfield $41 million in labor costs that Greenfield had incurred between 2004 and 2012. However, the Auditor General also tells us this amount was paid with no supporting documentation. No copies of payroll, no T4s, no other information. My question for the Premier is, is it not common practice to require this kind of documentation? Or can any company provide blanked out charges on invoices and receive money from the government to pay? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, the opposition is asking for detailed answers to a variety of issues related to the gas plan. And yesterday, government members went forward with a motion asking that the OPA come forward for a special session where they'd be able to cast light. I'm sure many of the issues that have been raised today. And you know what happened, Mr. Speaker? They voted against it, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last night, the Premier came to this chamber to participate in a late show. And two of the members that have called for it over there chose not to participate. Mr. Speaker, you can't have it both ways. You can't come here every day and ask detailed questions. And then when the government tries to provide those opportunities, we go before the committee and offer a government-wide search of documents. And, Mr. Speaker, that member's party votes against it. They can't have it both ways, Mr. Speaker. Your supplementary. Thank you. And back to the Premier, I hope you'll be able to answer for me on this question. This past Monday, a week after the Auditor General released his report on the cost of the power plant, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing responded to a question regarding reimbursement costs in Thunder Bay. And she said, and I quote, I plan to be in Thunder Bay later this week to talk with the mayors and councillors to make sure that we have the receipts we need because at the end of the day, we have an Auditor General we're responsible to. Linda's got it right. We have to provide the paperwork, but we want to be there to help that community. End of quote. Why does the federal government need receipts to help flood victims, but not the relocation of houses? Thank you. Governor and House Leader? Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General was a witness before the committee last week and had a chance to address many of these issues. And we offered to go farther, Mr. Speaker, by having the Ontario Power Authority come forward for a special session today. And Mr. Speaker, first the opposition voted against it. Then they attempted, Mr. Speaker, to block our efforts to have the Leader of the Opposition come before the committee. We're going to have the Premier there next Tuesday, Mr. Speaker, she's committed to it. But what we want to know, Mr. Speaker, is the Leader of the Opposition going to play calendar? And he's too busy to come forward to talk about his strong support for the cancellation of the gas plants. And why in the last election? He's so strongly promised, Mr. Speaker, to talk about his analysis that was done, his costing was done, Mr. Speaker. I am waiting for a member of the opposition and confirm that he will be there, Mr. Speaker, to explain why we went forward with such a strong support for the cancellation. Question, the member from Timiscan State. To the Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation. Minister, along with my colleague, the member from Timiscan State, we met about a month ago to talk about the state of the highways in Northern Ontario and about how the winter road maintenance that is going on right now is quite frankly, substandard, full of highway closures. I'm going to have a page come over here and show you the picture that was taken yesterday on Highway 11 outside of Hearst. The road there was closed, Minister, when there should have never been a closure. It's not as if it never snowed in Northern Ontario. What's wrong is the standard to which those contractors are being held to maintain the highways are lesser than they were when the Ministry of Transportation used to do them. You said you were going to look into this matter. Why are highways still being closed on moderate snowstorms in Northern Ontario? Thank you. Thank you for your transportation and infrastructure. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm quite happy to answer. I want to thank the member for the question and I also want to thank both him and his colleague for working with us on this issue. As the member knows, the standards have not changed. And, well, from, no, no, I appreciate the concern and I want to say, Mr. Speaker, I do believe this is a very sincere concern, one that I share. We are looking at ways and I've taken the advice of the member's opposite on how we can improve those standards. We are working very closely on that right now. We're reviewing that with the regions I will be up. Actually, tomorrow, Mr. Speaker, meeting with mayors in Northwestern Ontario to answer this very issue. And I will continue in my supplementary to give a more full answer, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you. Well, Minister, clearly this is showing that your privatization initiative isn't working. You're trying to get contractors to maintain a highway to a lesser standard than we used to ourselves when we used to maintain those highways. It's not as if, as I said earlier, it doesn't snow in Northern Ontario. It's been snowing for centuries in Northern Ontario and the difference is we used to be able to get the highways plowed. So I'm going to ask you again, will you reverse the decision of your government to privatize or at the very least increase the standards in those contracts so we can drive on those highways and not see closures like we did yesterday? Thank you. Thank you. Minister? Mr. Speaker, this is a continuing conversation I've had with mayors who have said that their own snow removal this year was particularly problematic because the nature of mix of precipitation and the challenges that they had. This wasn't uniquely to the Ontario situation. There are different weather patterns and there are different challenges. So very seriously. So that is part of it. I've also said to you and I very seriously that I think we can do a better job there and you've given this government some suggestions which we are taking very seriously. I will look into this particular matter, Mr. Speaker. I thank the member for it. I am again taking this review very seriously. I will be back in Northern Ontario literally tomorrow. Mr. Speaker, and I look forward to continuing into conversations with the member opposite. I appreciate it, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Speaker, great on a point of order. Mr. Speaker, on a welcome to the legislature today. Mr. Keith Currie, a director of the Interior Federation of Agriculture. Thank you, the member for Nipissing on a point of order. Thank you, Speaker. I rise on a point of order. While I intended to be at the late show last night, I was sadly at the side show. That's enough. That's not a point of order. And, you know, just because question period's over, it doesn't mean that I don't lose authority. Thank you. The member from Newmark and Aurora on a point of order. Yes, Speaker, on a point of order. I want to extend my apologies to the Premier for not being here last night. There was an error in my scheduling. I'm willing to reschedule that for tomorrow evening. If the Premier is willing. That's another way to do it. Minister of Finance on a point of order. Yes, point of order, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to make a formal announcement to the House that I will be tabling the 2013 budget on Thursday, May 2nd at 4 p.m. That is a point of order. And before we do recess, I do have a comment to make and I would really appreciate no comments. I'm going to say this as a somewhat sorry and frustrating. And at times, sad that members are taking to personal insults or commenting on individuals. I'm going to ask and challenge us that this does not help this place, our reputation and what we stand for. I'm going to ask you as honorable members, which I treat all of you as, to avoid the personal comments, the insults, or the comments about anyone's attendance. I think we can do better. And I'm asking us all to do that. This House, there are no deferred votes. This House stands recessed until 3 p.m. this afternoon.