 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of the official opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My first questions to the Deputy Premier. The government spent weeks setting the table for deep cuts in our schools, hospitals and the services that families rely on. And yesterday we learned that they're also revving up for a fire sale of public assets to their wealthy friends on Bay Street. The latest public relations exercise was unveiled yesterday by the Chair of Treasury Board, a report calling for deep cuts to services and a massive sell-off of public assets. Earlier this week I asked the Premier what he was going to cut, but now I have another question. What is his government going to sell? Is it another Treasury Board? Thank you, and through you, Mr. Speaker, to the Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Speaker, our government is working day and night to restore trust and accountability to Ontario's finances. While the new deficit party believes that the government can rack up unlimited amounts of debt without consequences, the reality is it cannot. In fact, the member for Hamilton West, Ancaster Dundas, earlier this month said, and I quote, Everyone knows the Liberals left us with a mess and a feud with our auditor general. Mr. Speaker, we know the Liberals left us a mess and unlike the NDP, we are fixing it for the people. Hear, hear. We have fixed the public accounts. We have fixed the feud with the auditor general. And our government's priority is to ensure that the fiscal responsibility of this province exists while protecting core public services now and into the future. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, what the people can't trust is a government that doesn't tell them what they're about to do during an election. Because I had him and on selling public assets and it wasn't in the throne speech either, Speaker. But yesterday, the President of Treasury Board was happily telling reporters that he's ready to get started. Where have I heard this before, Speaker? Given the history of disastrous privatisation in this province, does the Deputy Premier really believe that a fire sale of assets, of public assets makes a lick of sense? Mr. Speaker, our government has been working hard for the people of Ontario and has been in the strong trust and accountability for government. E&Y had a mandate to consider all options and present those to government. They did an excellent job and left no stone unturned. While the opposition has been breathlessly fear-mongering, we have been looking for solutions. The line by line audit presented some solutions to government. Just because an option was presented to the government doesn't mean it will happen. What I can say, Mr. Speaker, is this. We are not necessarily pro or against privatisation. We are pro the people. Every choice, every choice we make will be to modernise and transform government for the people so that they can continue to receive high quality public service now and into the future. Final supplementary. So I have to say the opposition doesn't have to fear longer the government's doing it themselves. Every day people, but it ends well for rel-connected insiders of governments. The last Conservative government never campaigned on selling the 407, but they did it anyways and stuck drivers with the bill, a bill they continue to pay today, Speaker. In 2014, the Liberals ran an election campaign insisting that they were not going to privatise Hydro One and within months they were doing exactly that. Now is Doug Ford pulling a Kathleen Wynne here, Speaker? We have to refer to the Premier by the Premier. Springing a sell-off of public assets on voters near weeks after an election where it was never mentioned once? Minister. Mr. Speaker, the goal of the line by line audit was not to just fulfil a balance sheet commitment, but to ensure that vital services meet the needs and expectations of the people. Ontario has accumulated the highest sub-national debt of any jurisdiction in the world at $338 billion on the current path our shared prosperity is not assured. Action must be taken. Our government is going to use the line by line audit as a guide as we move forward to transform programs, modernised services to ensure sustainability and value for money. Mr. Speaker, we will transform government into a modern institution that serves the people and by doing so will create a more sustainable Ontario for this generation and future generations. Restart the call. Next question, Leader of the Opposition. My next question is also for the Deputy Premier. The Conservatives shed crocodile tears when the previous government sold off Hydro-1 and now they have the corner offices and they're keeping the Liberals privatisation scheme in place. Will the Deputy Premier rule out further sell-offs of shares of Hydro-1 and other electricity assets like Ontario power generation, or is that one of the many things this Premier is ready to sell? The Treasury Board said we are not pro-privatisation. And while the official opposition might believe you can rack up un-tended, unqualified amounts of money without consequences, the reality is it cannot. In fact, the member for Hamilton West, Ancaster Dundas earlier this month said everyone knows the Liberals left us with a mess and a feud with our Auditor-General. Well, Mr. Speaker, we know the people of Ontario know that the Liberals left us with an enormous mess and unlike the official opposition, we are working to fix it for the people. We fix the public accounts, we fix the feud with the Auditor-General, and our government's priority is to ensure the fiscal stability of this province while ensuring high quality public services like healthcare now and into the future. Supplementary. Start the clock. Supplementary. Well, Speaker, the LCBO brings in $2 billion annually for the people and families of Ontario. Yet the Conservatives' high-priced consultants now say that they could sell it for a one-time cash payout. Wow. Will the Deputy Premier rule out the sale of the LCBO or is this yet another public asset that this Premier is ready to sell? EY had a mandate to consider all options and present those options to the government and they did an excellent job and left no stone unturned, and that's what we need to do in order to modernize government. Just because we've been doing things the same old way year after year doesn't mean it's the right things to do, but it also doesn't mean that we are going to accept all of the options that have been presented. There are many options contained in the report if you take the time to read it. And just because an option was presented to us doesn't mean that we're going to take them up on that. So, again, what I can say is we are not pro-privatization. We are pro-the people and we are going to make decisions that are in the best interest of the people of Ontario based on what we hear from them and to make sure that our system is going to be sustainable now and into the future because we are on a cliff right now. We need to make sure that we can have a system that people can rely on and as Mr. for health and long-term care, that is what my goal is. Final supplementary. Well, Speaker, I'm glad the Deputy Premier knows what a mandate is. They don't have one to sell off public assets. Government that didn't campaign on public selling assets turned around and did just that. Four years later, an arrogant government that didn't campaign on the sell off of hydro. The LCBO, our other public assets, is floating the idea of public asset fire sales. From the 407 to Hydro 1, we have seen this play out over and over and over again. With privatization, the government's friends on Bay Street make a fortune and the families of this province pay the price each and every time. The Premier did not campaign on selling off private assets. Why is he considering it now? Deputy Premier. Speaker, I would say to you, to the leader of the official opposition, we certainly do know what our mandate is. That's what got us elected on June 7th. We are here for the people so they can find jobs to lower their hydro rates, to lower their gas rates. That is what we are delivering on. That's what we're going to continue to do in the future. We are going to find efficiencies in government. That is what it's all about. Modernizing government. Modernizing the way that we do things. That's all and it's all for the people to make sure that we can have sustainable essential services now and into the future for our children and our grandchildren. Thank you. Next question, the leader of the opposition. My next question is also for the government speaker, but I'd start with a recommendation that they find a thesaurus and modernization and transformation are the same words that that government used to privatize public assets. So what the Treasury Board said that the government, this is to the Deputy Premier, said that the government would be willing to sell off public assets if, quote, it made sense. Does the President of the Treasury Board think that it made sense? I'm sorry, this is actually to the Treasury Board President. Does the President of the Treasury Board think that it makes sense to sell off Hydro-1 and the 407? Did that make sense? Well, Mr. Speaker, it might be a good idea for the leader of the opposition to actually read the Illinois report because, Mr. Speaker, there was actually no mention of selling off LCBO in the report. There are 48 pages, so it would help starting there. In fact, what the report did do, it did talk about ideas to transform government and savings, ongoing savings. In fact, there were 11 other categories, not just one-time savings. It behooves us for the people of Ontario to look at all options. The third party report has presented a range of ideas that other provinces have already looked at and executed to modernize and transform government, to provide services at a higher quality point and a lower price point. What a novel conscience. So Mr. Speaker, I encourage the official opposition to read the report and I'll answer their questions then. Families have been burned by these sell-offs time and time again. The Conservatives promise change and now they're playing from Kathleen Wynne's obfuscation and privatization playbook. I'm going to ask the member to withdraw. The Conservatives promise change and now they're playing from the former government's privatization playbook. Why does the chair of the Treasury Board think that his fire sale of assets will be any different than the fiasco around the Conservative 407 sell-off or the Liberal Hydro-1 sell-off? The President of the Treasury Board. Mr. Speaker, again I recommend the official opposition read the report because it's a wealth of great ideas. And you know, Mr. Speaker, we don't have a monopoly of good ideas just in this room, but we reached out to all Ontarians, including our Ontario Public Service. And Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to report that we received over 26,000 ideas of Ontarians on how to modernize this government and move forward. We don't need the same old, same old. That's not going to move us forward. That's not going to allow us to find the efficiencies to provide the financial foundation to provide core services that Ontarians expect from this government. And we will act now, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Next question, the member for Aurora Oak Ridges, Richmond Hill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the President of the Treasury Board. Mr. Speaker, our government has taken unprecedented steps in recent months to restore trust and accountability in government finances. This is what we promised to the people of Ontario, and this is what we're delivering on. In fact, it is my understanding that the line by line review was the most thorough review of the province's books ever undertaken in Ontario's history. With more than half a million lines of government spending reviewed, which span 15 years. Along the way, our government hasn't forgotten how important it is to listen to the people and to have an open government. That is why the planning for prosperity consultations, which closed last Friday, also fed into the audit. Can the President of the Treasury Board please inform the House how the planning for the prosperity consultations were taken into account during the line by line review? Thank you to the member for that very thoughtful question. Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. The financial issues facing this province are not province problems solely impacting one party or government. This is a 14 million person problem. Every woman, man and child in this province is impacted by government debt. That is why we launched the planning for prosperity consultations and asked EUI to integrate the results of the broad consultation with the people into their assessment. The consultation generated more than 15,000 survey results from Ontario's that are hungry for government that governs differently. Our consultation with the people is central to what we were elected to do. Our government is not here just to fulfill a balance sheet commitment. We are here to ensure that vital services meet the needs and expectations of the people now and into the future. Look, I thank the President of the Treasury Board for that informative answer. The government committed to changing how things worked at Queen's Park so that we could do better to serve the people of Ontario. The answers from the President of the Treasury Board make it clear that our government for the people is delivering on our promises. Where the Liberals were secretive, we are open and transparent. Where the Liberals shown consultations with people, we have embraced them. And as per the Auditor General's report, Mr. Speaker, where the Liberals manipulated the public accounts, we have corrected them. Can the President of the Treasury Board please inform the House as to what other insights the line by line offered into the Liberal spending spring? That's another Treasury Board. Mr. Speaker, and thank you again for the member from Aurora Oak Ridge's Richmond Hill for that excellent question. We have a massive challenge ahead of us, but we now also now have a blueprint for our path forward. What the audit shows is that we must acknowledge that reckless spending is the least compassionate path that any government can take, regardless of their intentions, because it jeopardizes the long-term sustainability of the core services of government. For instance, the review shows that if only the Liberals had shown some restraint and held expenditures to population growth, the government of Ontario would have spent $330 billion less over the last 15 years. That amount is almost exactly identical to the existing debt burden that we have today. Mr. Speaker, it is clear that we must now act to modernize government and make it more efficient so that we can create a more sustainable Ontario for today's generation and importantly future generations. The next question, the member for Kitchener's Centre. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Community Safety. Yesterday, the Premier was asked to clearly and definitively repudiate the campaign of Faith Goldie. Unfortunately, the Premier refused to do so. We now have learned that Faith Goldie is robo-calling voters across Toronto claiming to be the Doug Ford candidate. Does the Minister of Community Safety, the Minister responsible for the anti-racism directorate, believe that the Premier should unequivocally denounce Faith Goldie and apologize for appearing in a photo that's now being used as a de facto endorsement of her campaign by the Premier of our province? Minister of Community Safety and directional services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for the question. We've said it over and over again that there is no place for racism in the province of Ontario. I heard over and over again yesterday the Premier of the province repeat that and I think he's abundantly clear in his position with respect to racism. We are active. We are actively pursuing policies and we have an individual who has been put in place to assist in terms of the anti-racism directorate, our member from Brampton South. And I would encourage you and I'd encourage anyone else interested in pursuing those issues, really pursuing these issues and not to try to gain political advantage in a situation where it's not necessary to work with us and find a solution that is good for the entire province. That's what we should be doing. Supplementary. Wow, this is back to the minister. We have to do better. The people need the government to do better. There is a candidate, Ms. Goldie, who represents unvarnished, hateful, polarizing views about race and diversity that has appeared in at least two photos with the Premier. The Premier won't denounce faith Goldie specifically or apologize for taking these photos. Will the minister responsible for anti-racism initiatives in this government denounce Ms. Goldie's campaign and apologize on behalf of the government for the seeming endorsement, whether it was an intentional endorsement or not? Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I've stated previously, as the Premier has stated previously, there is no place for racism in this province. We've been very, very clear that this is an inclusive province and we will work as government to ensure that those policies are continued and they're put into effect. And I invite the opposition to work with us to ensure that those policies are pursued and developed and put in place so that the government and the entire province is rid of racism. Thank you very much. Next question, the member for Willowdale. Thank you, Speaker. A question is for the Minister of Finance. Throughout this week we have heard more about the shocking truth of the state of Ontario's finances after 15 years of Liberal government. The Minister's speech last Friday, the findings of the Financial Commission of Inquiry and the debate surrounding our government's motion to strike a select committee on financial transparency all point to a very clear message. We need action. We need to fix this. The public is depending on us. Could the Minister please explain why the select committee on financial transparency is so important in restoring accountability and trust in government? Mr. Finance. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member of Willowdale for the question. The importance of the select committee cannot be understated. We're not just dealing with billions of dollars of wasteful spending. The Liberals were known for making promises they couldn't afford to keep that taxpayers couldn't afford to keep. What we're really dealing with is a system of accounting schemes that kept this spending off the government's books rather than being upfront with the people of Ontario about the real cost of their disastrous policy decisions. The previous Liberal government buried the debt so the public could not see their true extent. That is why the select committee is so very important. The people of Ontario were not told the truth, and they deserve answers. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you, Minister. It's truly worrying to hear what the Liberals got away with for so long, but I am very relieved to hear that the select committee on financial transparency will get those answers. Our government campaigned on a commitment to restore accountability and trust, and now we fully understand why it is so important for us to keep that promise. The public's confidence has been shaken. They deserve to know where and why their money has been wasted. Could the Minister please explain what steps the select committee on financial transparency will be able to take in order to ensure that accountability and trust can be restored? Minister. Thank you, Speaker. What the select committee will do is clear. They will find the answers. They will find out how the previous Liberal government made up its own accounting rules. They will find out how billions of dollars in deficits were buried in convoluted accounting schemes. They will find out how the Liberals ignored the warnings of the Auditor General even after she called them out on there, and I'm quoting, Speaker, bogus accounting, and most importantly, the select committee will discover who ordered this massive scheme and will hold those responsible accountable. They will call witnesses, compel documents and gather evidence. Speaker, they will get answers because the people of Ontario deserve an explanation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education. So far this week, the Premier has been given five separate opportunities in this very House to denounce the neo-Nazi-supporting Toronto mayoral candidate Faith Goldie. After appearing in a photo with her and her supporters, he's refused each and every opportunity to do so. So I ask the Minister of Education, since you're responsible, Minister of Education, for providing guidance to over 100,000 educators and setting the policies that impact over 2 million school-aged children in this province, will you denounce Faith Goldie and her divisive campaign, or are you going to stick by the Premier and his refusal to do so? Minister of Education. Opposite exactly what I denounce, I denounce political games. And while I'm standing here in this House, though, I am pleased to share with you that the Premier, time and time again, has spoke about the importance of getting our students on the path to success. And that's why we're focusing on math scores. We're focusing on EQAO and make sure it's delivered and facilitated properly. That's why we're standing up to making sure that our students are prepared for the jobs of the 21st century, and our consultation will be inviting parents and families and people who want to exercise their voice across this province, excuse me, to have an opportunity to let us know what matters in terms of getting our students onto the path of success. And Mr. Speaker, I can't wait for the consultation to start, and we look forward to speaking about it more in the future. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, there are many issues that the Minister of Education and I might disagree on. I thought perhaps not this one, surely not this one. This should be pretty easy. You represent all. The Minister of Education represents all of the students in our province. And to not speak out against this kind of hate and show that kind of leadership is deeply disturbing. If the Premier or the Minister of Education won't denounce Faith Goldie and her extreme racist views, surely she'll denounce the man to the immediate left of the Premier in the same photo connected to the Goldie campaign, who after the photo was taken, tweeted, and I quote very unfortunately Muslims go to hell. Yeah. And the Minister, the Minister, will you, will the Minister denounce Faith Goldie's intolerant views and apologize on behalf of the Premier, if she must, to Ontarians for the Premier's appearance in a photo with a known neo-Nazi sympathizer? Absolutely denounce political games just for the hope of getting attention. And the fact of the matter is, we are embarking on a consultation that is placing every individual in Ontario on an equal basis. Every individual, every parent, every student, every teacher, every single individual that wants to exercise their voice in an equal manner has an opportunity to participate in our consultation that's coming up to help create a path to success for our students in the 21st century. And again, Speaker, as I said before, I can't wait for this consultation to start. We are treating people on an equal basis and we'll be facilitating it in a manner that it doesn't matter where you are in Ontario. You have a chance to contribute. We're going to have written submissions. We're going to have online consultations. And again, Telephone Town. Thank you very much. Thank you. The member for Don Valley West. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And Mr. Speaker, my question actually follows up in terms of a question that is dealing with the issue of racism and my question is for the Premier. Mr. Speaker, as we all know in this House and beyond, the history of Ontario and Canada has been told for generations without acknowledgement of or focus on the accurate relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Mr. Speaker, the fastest growing segment of the youth population on Ontario is Indigenous youth. These are young people, many, if not all, of whom have been affected by the trauma of the residential school experience forced on their parents and grandparents. They go to them and to all non-Indigenous students to make sure that we tell the truth about our history so that another generation does not grow up in ignorance of the travesties of the past. Given that the curriculum writing on social studies, history, geography, careers in civics that was underway was stopped as soon as this government took office, can the Premier assure the nearly two million students in Ontario that their history and social studies courses will reflect the truth about our history? Mr. Premier. Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Premier and Speaker. I'm pleased to stand today and address the issue that we are going to be doing everything we can to ensure, as I mentioned earlier in this House, that our students are on the best path to success in terms of the skills they need for the jobs of the 21st century. That includes science, that includes technology, that includes engineering, that includes mathematics. We heard loud and clear during this last provincial campaign that parents are worried about their students with regards to math scores, and so we're respecting parents. And again, we are encouraging every single member in this House to engage in the consultation that will be kicking off because there's going to be an opportunity to exercise and validate what's working in the classroom and what's not. And that's the important part right there, Mr. Speaker. We have an opportunity to have everyone participate in a consultation so that we can get rid of what's not working and make sure our... Thank you very much. Supplementary. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I have to say a consultation on smart boards is cold comfort to a generation of kids who need to understand the truth of the past so that they can create a different future. Mr. Speaker, on a related issue, it has been, and this is back to the Premier, it's been a practice annually for the Premier to meet with Indigenous leaders. Chiefs of First Nations, the Métis Nation of Ontario leadership, the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centre's leadership, the Ontario Native Women's Association, Mr. Speaker, to meet with each group separately to talk about issues like education, like healthcare, like economic development, like self-government, Mr. Speaker, in Indigenous communities and in our urban centres. These are critical meetings that help to set an advance in agenda and progress in those communities, Mr. Speaker. My question is, have those meetings already taken place or have they been scheduled and when will they take place, Mr. Speaker? Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And back to the member opposite. I want to assure her that we are engaging in the right avenues. Just yesterday, the chief, Chief Roseanne, had an interview that aired with Steve Pagan. And on air, she said that we are in conversation and we are taking steps forward and we're working forward in the sense of identifying what needs to be addressed in our curriculum. And again, there's no better way to do it. Chief Roseanne was on Steve Pagan yesterday stating the fact that we are in conversations and we are going to be working together. Thank you very much. Next question, member for Perth Wellington. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Energy. Mr. Speaker, we all know in this House that the Liberal government left us in an incredible mess. They left a $15 billion deficit that was driven by a lack of respect for taxpayers' dollars. Much of the debt was created through bad decisions and bad energy contracts. Speaker, can the Minister please explain why the Green Energy Act was the wrong decision for the province of Ontario? Minister of Energy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I want to thank the member for Perth Wellington for this question. Now, I like to generate my own talking points on these important matters, but I can't beat this one. Here's Rex Murphy again. He stated that the Green Energy Act was a hydra-headed monster of regulations and fiat that bludgeoned Ontario's rural communities, stripped Ontario's municipalities of every right to the slightest participation in their own planning, to dark-darking Paul over the manufacturing industry and impose the highest electricity costs in North America on some of Ontario's lowest-income citizens. Mr. Speaker, the Green Energy Act, the 750 Green Energy Projects, that helps explain it. It takes us a long way down the road why we're at a $15 billion sinkhole, Mr. Speaker. We're going to stand up for families, for small businesses, large employers, and cut hydra waves and make life more affordable for this province. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. Now, here's a minister of energy who is showing great leadership on this important part. Your cost for the people is one of our government's most important promises. I am proud that our government is taking steps towards this goal. Mr. Speaker, can the minister tell the members of this House why repealing the Green Energy Act is good for the people of Ontario and good for the economy of Ontario? Minister of Energy. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Repealing the Green Energy Act is just one important step in a series that we've made in an effort to cut hydro bills by 12%, driving efficiencies within Ontario energy sector, sending a strong message that the families, small businesses and large employers, have some relief, Mr. Speaker, in paying their bills so that we can hire more people so that families don't make choices between heating and eating or if they can enroll their children in a sports program, Mr. Speaker. This caused families to struggle. It is, without question, Mr. Speaker, one of the biggest transfers of wealth in the history of this province. That act needed to be repealed. We've repealed that act. We're repealing that act, Mr. Speaker. That's a promise made, colleagues. That's a promise kept. Next question, the member for Niagara Falls. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Labour. The announcement this morning of a 30% reduction in employers' workers' safety and insurance premium due to the elimination of the underfunded liability is a kick in the teeth for workers of this province. Yeah, yeah. This dramatic cut for injured workers dragging Ontario backwards, not moving them forward. Will the Minister of Employers and Labour explain to injured workers if they should be bracing for cuts or clawbacks of their benefits? Minister of Labour. Minister of Labour. Well, thank you to the member opposite for the question and through you, Mr. Speaker. Today's announcement that WSIB has eliminated its unfunded liability means workers can be confident that benefits will be there in the future. This is good news for Ontario. Today's rate reduction of nearly 30% for businesses across the province is a 1.45 billion injection into the economy. This is just one more example that Ontario is finally open for business. We conclude the good job today not only for businesses, but for injured workers. Complimentary. Mr. Speaker, back to the Minister. The underfunded liability was actually funded on the backs of injured workers. On the back of injured workers. That's right. Under 15 years, the Liberal Government injured workers' claims were increasingly denied. That's right. Putting money back into their bosses not for workers. These injured workers face barriers to having their claims accepted resulting in billions of savings already for big employers. Right. Will this Minister direct WSIB to undertake a massive reversal of how accessing claims not that our underfunded liability is? With a sleight of a hand Poof! Magically gone or is this about making a premier's big business friends happy not workers? Mr. Speaker, through you to the member businesses did participate in bringing down the unfunded liability. They had increased premiums. The best thing that we can do was to get the unfunded liability gone. And we did. And that helps the injured workers because if the unthinkable happens and an injury occurs at work, they need to be secure that there are services there for them. So this helps the future for security for injured workers but it also acknowledges businesses have contributed greatly and they have got an average 30% rate reduction. So Mr. Speaker, I don't really know why the member opposite is upset. This is a good news story for the province of Ontario. Next question, the member for Niagara West. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines. My beautiful riding of Niagara West, numerous wind turbines scar the landscape. It angers the members of my community because they know that these turbines produce energy we simply don't need. And so I was excited when last week our government announced the repeal of the 2009 Green Energy Act. I'm proud to be part of a government that is taking real action to stop wasteful policy decisions. Can the Minister please explain how repealing the Green Energy Act will protect my constituents in Niagara West for more needless energy projects? Minister of Energy. Once again I want to thank the member from Niagara West for his question Mr. Speaker. Many of our caucus members heard the same thing all over this province. We wonder sometimes what would have happened if industrial wind turbines had been planned or proposed for the Danforth, Mr. Speaker. Instead they were put out to municipalities in other regions of the province. They cost us a lot of money. They were projects we didn't need and projects that we didn't want. The Green Energy Act took power away from the municipalities and gave it firmly to the Liberal government of that time. The ideological crusade Mr. Speaker forced projects into communities who didn't want them. They ignored these peoples in their communities. The energy sector special interest groups and friends of the Liberals got rich for these bad contracts and families not for because of high bills. That's why we're repealing this act Mr. Speaker. Promise made. Supplementary Thank you Minister Rick Ford for helping our government put the people of Ontario first. Mr. Speaker back to the people of Ontario is one of the key reasons our government was elected on June 7th and we also promised Ontarians that we would make responsible policy decisions that will make a real difference in the lives of the people. So Mr. Speaker repealing the Green Energy Act signals the end of irresponsible policy decisions over the past 15 years and so could the Minister please tell the members of this house why repealing the Green Energy Act is a step towards better energy policy in Ontario. Minister. Thank you Mr. Speaker we heard loud and clear that the people of Ontario had no appetite for projects that they didn't want or need high taxes, big government, the largest carbon tax in the world they got election indigestion when the opposition suggested perpetuating the Liberals tax and spend buffet the bill turned out to be $5 billion more than it was intended now we know it was $15 billion quickly the opposition became the non-digestible party Mr. Speaker people of Ontario wanted a government to slim down cut the fat they placed their order with this government they asked for a fair slice of our plan for prosperity and that's exactly what we're delivering Mr. Speaker. The member for Scarborough Southwest Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Minister of Education parents across Ontario need affordable, high quality public not-for-profit child care public dollars should go into care for our kids not private profit for multinational companies but the premier seems more interested in helping corporate child care shareholders than parents or children and I want to share a message from a resident of Ontario with the Minister Lynn is a grandmother from Canora she said we need more reliable and affordable community child care in Canora not money going to foreign foreign owned corporations what does the minister have to say to grandmas like Lynn Minister of Education Thank you very much Speaker what I'd like to share with people from all over Ontario is that we're looking to respect parents parents deserve to have choice parents deserve to have day care early on years in their own backyard and that's what this government has pledged to do we had a mandate to respect parents in this past election being elected with an overwhelming majority we have heard the people loud and clear from this province and again I don't know what this party opposite has against choice and against expansion and easy access to day care that's what this government is standing up for and that's what we're going to be fulfilling it's going to be a promise made and it's going to be a promise made Thank you supplementary I really wish the minister would get out of something real last week the minister tried to pit parents against each other suggesting anyone concerned about the privatisation of child care just needed to get out of the bubble of Toronto maybe the minister should get out of the bubble of Toronto Laurie is a parent in thunder bay who said non-profit non-profit child care provides support and education for lots of families in our area and we need more of it giving money to big corporations isn't going to help parents in thunder bay well educators in peterbroke for example worry that rural areas minister rural areas will simply be left without child care if the premier turns child care over to private sector can the minister explain to parents in rural communities in big cities and everywhere in between why she thinks giving money to big corporations is more important than safe high quality non-profit child care very much mr. Speaker and to the member opposite I drive in and out of a bubble every week twice a week and with that said I am very well connected not only within urban centres across this province but throughout rural Ontario as well and I can tell you that parents that do not have cars and do not have a way to go 20 kilometres out of the way to turn around and get back to work 20 kilometres the opposite direction need choice our government is standing up to expanding the spaces that we are that the member opposite has in question what's wrong with expanding spaces what's wrong with choice what's wrong with respecting heroes I'm telling you this new democratic propaganda really has to stop because they're losing credibility day in and day out with this type of question again our government is standing up thank you next question the member for Mississauga, Erin Mills mr. Speaker my question is to the minister of environment, conservation and parks the effect of climate change are undeniable and costly that's why this government stands firm to lead with a climate change plan Ontarians know that this side of the house is committed to develop and made in Ontario plan one that does not include a regressive program like cab and trade carbon tax that made life harder for everyday Ontarian mr. Speaker when we were elected it was with a mandate from the people from Ontario mandate to get rid of the cab and trade program with that we are fulfilling our mandate while leading with an effective strategy to fight climate change can the minister update us on the government's plan to combat climate change Minister of the environment conservation and parks thank you to the member for Mississauga, Erin Mills mr. Speaker through you to the member a serious man made global problem Ontario is something that presents significant challenges to our air, to our land to our water, to locally grown food to our infrastructure Ontario has an important role to play in fighting climate change but we also know that families are stretched thin and we can't afford to pay more for expensive programs that don't deliver results that's why we're committed to delivering a made in Ontario solution a solution that protects our environment responsibly but also protects our economy so that it can create the opportunities for all of our citizens Mr. Speaker, that plan will strike the right balance between a healthy economy and a healthy environment Mr. Speaker I thank the minister for his response and still to him as the engine driving the Canadian economy Ontario has an important role in fighting climate change and mitigating the threat it represent to our prosperity and way of life and a significant progress it was actually a progressive Conservative government that initially took action with the environment and now this government is creating a strategy that encompasses environmental and economical impact associated with climate change and our collective need to take action today Ontario is in an enviable position of having one of the most effective electricity grid systems and best natural gas conservation programs in North America however the progress cannot come on the expense of families prosperity and overburden taxpayers can the minister explain how he blend to balance the need of Ontario families with that of the government Mr. Speaker through you to the member the members correct we do have one of the greenest electricity grids this is as a result of the concerted effort of individuals and communities across this province greenhouse gas emissions have dropped from 22% by 22% since 2005 I point out that Canada has seen its emissions rise overall 3% while Canada emissions declined by just 1.5% since 2000 Ontario's emissions have dropped by 20% in fact Ontario is well on its way to meeting the Paris 20 targets for Ontario the relief to Ontario share has done a lot but we will continue to do more climate change causes us to do two things it calls on us to build resilience against the effects of climate change the effects we are seeing today and tomorrow it also calls on us to curb greenhouse classes Mr. Speaker our plan will do both of those things we can protect the environment and protect the economy thank you very much Mr. Speaker my question is to the acting premier yesterday the corner released the report of the expert panel on the deaths of 12 children and youth in residential placements all were in the care of the children's aid society or indigenous child well-being society 8 of those 12 young people were indigenous all 12 struggled with mental health challenges despite the complexity and high risk the panel found that intervention was minimal they were let down in so many ways time for talk is over action is necessary now what specific resources will your minister provide to ensure children in care are put first and get the support that they and their families need I thank the member very much for the question that the deaths of these children is indeed a tragedy and children and youth in the care of children's aid societies are among the most vulnerable people in our province and we need to take special care to make sure that they are protected now the minister of children community and social services and the office of the chief corner have a joint directive that is followed by services when a child in service dies who was receiving services from a society at the time of death or who had received services in the previous 12 months so I know that the minister in the office of the chief coroner has a mandated process to help understand what happened and to identify opportunities where further deaths may be prevented we want to make sure that we work with service providers to make sure that all serious occurrences are reported first of all in a timely manner and the corrective actions are taken as appropriate supplementary sadly we've heard many of the reports findings before the panel was struck by the lack of awareness on family preservation and early intervention young people had minimal opportunity to have a voice in their own care many were placed far away from their home communities a lack of inspection of residential facilities inadequate training of staff speaker the provincial advocate for children and youth has called on this government to deliver an action plan within a hundred days that will fundamentally change the way in which the province protects children and supports families will the deputy premier make that commitment today deputy premier certainly while the minister and the chief coroner are following the mandated process that they need to follow based on the directive it is certainly something that both the minister, the minister of indigenous affairs and I as minister of health are taking a look at we know that there is action that needs to be taken to ensure that these children are protected and so I can tell you this is taken very seriously by our government and we are going to be looking at the circumstances as you have mentioned them there are a number of circumstances say you're quite right our issues that we need to take a look at and we will be doing that because we want to make sure that all children in the care of children's aides our societies are protected but certainly in this issue that you have mentioned so I thank you for the question next question the member for Simcoe North thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the minister of agricultural food and rural affairs farmers from my riding are struggling as they experience unpredictable losses in livestock due to predator damage they're looking for assistance and fair compensation for losses outside of their control the Ontario wildlife damage is a problem for farmers with economic losses due to conflicts with wildlife however farmers are feeling frustrated with the current Ontario wildlife damage compensation program due to changes made by the previous government the previous liberal government made it more difficult for farmers to submit legitimate claims to assist them with unnecessary regulations and pricing that did not reflect market values Mr. Speaker what is the minister for agricultural food and rural affairs and red tape for livestock farmers and demonstrate that Ontario is open for business again thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I thank the member for the great question our government for the people is taking immediate action to ensure that the Ontario wildlife damage compensation programs works as it was intended to support farmers who experience due to predator damage I heard concerns from our farmers and stakeholders regarding red tape and regulatory burden surrounding the current program and we have taken action on this this is why effective September 4th 2018 we have made two changes to the program one the farm business registration number requirement has been updated to allow applicants to apply to the program using a valid registration number or current number or the number from the previous year of the registration number and two the standardized pricing method has been updated to include separate pricing for steers and heifers these two updates provide both clarity on pricing and reduce red tape and regulatory burdens on legitimate claims for compensation losses due to previous technicalities and unnecessary paperwork this government listen to the people and is committed to making change thank you supplementary thank you minister for standing up for farmers in Simcoe North and across Ontario back to the minister it is great to hear that the minister has taken immediate action towards helping livestock farmers with the two most recent changes to the Ontario wildlife damage compensation program I know farmers across Ontario will be pleased to hear that the government is listening to the program Mr. Speaker through you to the minister how is the minister going to continue to engage stakeholders and the agriculture industry on improving the program in the future Minister this is only the first step of many to ensure our program works for the people and for our farmers we are committed to addressing the concerns of our farmers and stakeholders so that program continues to work or to make effective changes to ensure they work in the future going forward we will continue to seek input from our stakeholders first introducing more ways to prove petro damage has occurred to ensuring municipal investigators are properly trained to address the predation creating a separate appeals process that restores farmers confidence in independence and in the transparency in the process refining more areas of the standardized pricing model to better reflect market prices I look forward to working with our organizations and shareholders to introduce more effective changes in the months to come Ontario is open for business and I look forward to making life more affordable for our farmers so they can provide the best quality food thank you very much next question the members for Windsor to come see I think we are on the young議 ethics parade today because my question is also to the minister of agricultural food and rural affairs good morning minister Ontario's horse racing community is struggling the slots of race tracks program provided good jobs as well as a heck of a lot of revenue for the taxpayers of Ontario the premier and some of his ministers promised during the summer election to get our tracks healthy again Speaker, will the Minister give us a timeframe today when the government will live up to its election promises and reinstate the slots at race tracks program? I'd refer the question to the Minister of Finance. Mr. Finance. Thank you very much. Well, sorry, you don't get the Minister of Agriculture today. You're stuck with me, Member. We know, what we do know, Member, is that for 15 years the industry was neglected by the previous Liberal government and propped up by the NDP. Our government is committed to working with industry stakeholders and OLG to explore solutions for the issue you brought up. Our government understands the importance of horse racing industry all across Ontario. We support this important industry, which creates jobs that stimulate local economies. We look forward to working with representatives of the horse racing industry. Supplementary. Speaker, 30,000 jobs were lost when the Liberals killed the slots at race tracks program. My track at Windsor went out of business and was torn down. We lost more than 2,000 good-paying jobs in my area. The summer track in Leamington needs more race dates and an off-track bedding facility. Other tracks, such as Fort Erie, are struggling to survive. Promises have been made, Speaker. If this government is indeed for the people and open for business, when will horse people at our smaller tracks get what is owed to them? Thank you very much, Speaker, and thank you for the supplementary. Let's all remember the devastation to the horse racing industry that you're speaking about. It was the official opposition, Speaker, who helped pass the previous government's 2012 budget with policies aimed at killing the horse racing industry in Ontario. There's a mirror that you should be looking in for that. I'm proud to say that members on this side of the House, first of all, voted against that and actually stood up for the horse racing industry. Our government understands the importance of horse racing industry, particularly in rural communities, and I look forward to continuing to meet with representatives of the horse racing industry, the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Speaker, with OLG, to help the horse racing sector grow and prosper in Ontario. Thank you. We're so into standing order 38A, the Member for Kitchener's Centre has given notice of her dissatisfaction with the answer to her question given by the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services concerning denouncing faith gold. This matter will be debated today at 6 p.m. There being no deferred point of order, the Member for Bruce Gray, Owen Sound. I find everyone in the House there's a photo on the staircase at 12 noon for Rowan's Law today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. There being another point of order, Member for St. Catharine's. Thank you. I'd like to welcome a constituent from my riding today, Willie Noss. Willie is the President of the Ontario Network of Injured Workers and has been a long time activist fighting for working people in St. Catharine's. Welcome to the Legislature. There being no deferred votes, this House stands in recess until 2 p.m. This afternoon.