 It's therefore now time for a question period. The member from here on board. My question is for the acting Premier. There is no doubt that government's retaliatory unfair procurement legislation, Bill 194, is nothing more than an election ploy by an out-of-touch, out-of-ideas government. This is a government that does not understand business. And clearly, Speaker, this government does not even care to understand business. And this bill makes it painfully obvious, threatening Ontario's largest trading partners is not an appropriate response. So, Speaker, will the government come clean and admit? This is just a crass political ploy and not a real solution to help Ontario business. Thank you. I can confirm it. Speaker, Minister of Economic Development and Growth. Minister of Economic Development and Growth. Thanks so much, Speaker. You know, I find it deeply, deeply troubling, Speaker, that a member of the official opposition, a member of the Conservative Party, would stand in this ploy, Speaker, and make it abundantly clear that that party... Well, as nice as I was, I can be bad. The heckling stops, or we'll move into warnings. Carry on. Thanks very much, Speaker. As I was saying, that a member of Ontario's Conservative Party would stand here in their place and make it completely and abundantly clear that they have no interest. The member from Leeds, Grenville, is warned. Anyone else want to warn? Carry on. As I was saying, Speaker, and make it abundantly clear that the Conservative Party has no interest in standing up for the businesses and workers and families of this province, Speaker, is a very sad comment. I'm very sad part of this. Thank you. We're in warnings. Supplementary. Back to the acting Premier, Speaker. Rocco Rossi, President of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, summed it up pretty well. He said positive diplomatic relations should always be our priority when it comes to trade discussions. We are concerned with any approach that risks escalation of trade barriers, especially when it is taken only by Ontario. No other province in Canada has legislation in place that would escalate trade sanctions. Speaker, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce believes that the best approach for Ontario is the formation of positive bilateral cooperation with our American neighbors. Speaker, why is this Liberal government risking our province's relationships for their own political gain? Thank you. Minister, thanks very much, Speaker. I would say to the Conservative member opposite to not hide behind the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and just admit here in this chamber, admit here in this chamber that they have no interest in standing up for the workers and businesses and families of this province. Member from Niagara West Glenbrook is warned. Finish. Speaker, there is a reason that the economic track record in this province is so stellar and has been for a number of months, and in fact, the years, Speaker. Job creation, GDP growth, we're leading in the country, unemployment lower than it's been at any point in the last 17 years, and that's because our government makes the right kind of investments. And fundamentally, we stand up for the people that we're proud to represent. It's why the Premier is being engaging with American governors. It's why various ministers have been front and center on the NAFTA talks, and it's why, Speaker, we will never apologize for standing up for the workers, families, and businesses, because unlike the Conservatives, we are on the side of all Ontarians. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker, back to the acting Premier. The Liberals never seem to understand how business works in Ontario, and this legislation goes to show some things never change. As our leaders said last week, something this important cannot be rushed through. It's not the clock. Minister of Economic Development and Trade has warned. Growth. I wouldn't take the risk. Finish, please. This government's knee-jerk reaction is simply politics in place of good policy. They did not put forward a well-crafted, well-thought-out, meaningful response to American policies that could impact Ontario. The On Fair Procurement Act is simply making a threat. Speaker, will the Liberals put the province first once and for all, instead of their political ploys? Thank you. Minister. President of the Treasury Board. President of the Treasury Board. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, Speaker, it's rather rich, Speaker, to stand on this side of the House, where we're standing up for Ontario workers and businesses. To hear the rhetoric from the opposite side, Speaker, this in the absence of a coherent, cohesive response to what's happening south of the border. Speaker, it's important to note, you know that this party opposite derailed the debate on this important legislation last week. We are showing leadership, Speaker. We are out in front of this. Our Premier has been in front of it. My colleagues, the Minister of Trade... Member from Dufford, Caledon, is warned. ...the Minister of Trade and the Minister of Economic Development and Growth. If this party opposite had been paying attention, Speaker, they would have noticed that they've been in the United States talking to our key trading partners, and on behalf of Canadian and Ontario workers and businesses, that's where we stand, Speaker. I'm not sure where they stand, but this is where... Question to Member from Dufford and Caledon. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Finance. Today we're joined at Queen's Park by Ontario Chamber of Commerce. They've come from one corner of this province to the other. But no matter what corner of the province they come from, they have identified the same issue. The ability to recruit and retain top talent was identified as the number one issue by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. This skills mismatch was created and fostered by the Liberal government over a 15-year period. So, Mr. Speaker, we should be helping Ontario businesses grow. So why is this government and this Minister content on letting the skills mismatch grow in the province of Ontario? Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, thank you. And I do welcome the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, who have been a long time advocates for businesses in our community. And I appreciate their pre-budget submissions. We've had a lot of discussions. And it's extremely valuable. Those priorities do matter. And it's interesting, Mr. Speaker, that over the past number of budgets that I've had the privilege of presenting, we've included apprenticeship training programs. We've included more funding for skills training and experiential learning. We've allowed in the last fall economic statement $12,000 more to help apprenticeships in new sectors of the economy. We've also tried to enhance our provincial nominee program to incite even more immigration skills training to come to our province. And, Mr. Speaker, every single time that member and her party voted against those measures. Supplementary. This member and this party vote against those measures because you lost 51,000 jobs last month and of the Ontario businesses who attempted to recruit staff in the last six months of 2016, 82% experience at least one challenge in doing so because of your policies. It is unusually finding someone with proper qualifications is something that this province has not allowed. And of the new jobs created in the next decade, 40% are expected to be in the skilled trades. Yet here in Ontario, only 26% of young people are considering a career in these areas. And this government continues to ignore the problem and continues to ignore the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. So I ask again, Mr. Speaker, the skills mismatch in Ontario is real. So why then does the government ignore these problems? Why are they turning their back on Ontario businesses and young people who are trying to find work? Question? Thank you. Minister? So, Mr. Speaker, let me correct some of the record here. We have over 800,000 net new jobs since the depth of the recession. Just last year, year over year increases are better this year than they were in previous years, notwithstanding the seasonal fluctuation that happened over Christmas. Majority of jobs are private sector jobs. Majority of them are full-time, high-paying jobs, Mr. Speaker. And at the same time, we must continue to encourage the training and education that we put forward in our programs. And again, the Maropsis, with all due respect, voted against those very measures that enhances their capabilities, their skill sets in order for them to be more competitive long-term. We've also invested $190 billion more over the next 13 years for infrastructure spending. That creates 100,000 net new jobs in our province every year. We're already going on to an additional 300. And the member opposite knows full well, we lead the G7, we lead Canada, and we lead an employment we're at full capacity and the lowest unemployment in 17 years. No supplementary. Mr. Speaker, there's not one person that believes that in fact, in a recent Ontario Chamber of Commerce report, they said that majority of Ontario businesses do not have a lot of optimism for the future as a result of your government's policies. And if you want to talk about leading, you lead the world in the largest subnational debt in the world. And so let's get back to what the Ontario Chamber of Commerce wants. They want you to vote for prosperity, yet your government only wants to vote for yourselves. Liberal priorities have not long gone been Ontario priorities. They're too fast. Two rush policies are hurting Ontario businesses from Ottawa to Windsor. Many are closing up shop. They're laying off people. They're canceling expansion. The message from this government is clear. It's Liberals first, Ontarians second. And that needs to change, Mr. Speaker. Will the government put job creation ahead of their political crassness and their ploys? Thank you. Minister? I remember I have to talk about us as a subnational jurisdiction in the world. We are one of the largest subnational jurisdictions by way of GDP and economic strength, Mr. Speaker. We've grown from $600 billion to over $800 billion right now. We are leading the way in all of the world in regards to that. Furthermore, she makes reference about helping people, reference about helping businesses. We provide a capital cost allowances to accelerate their expense so that they become more competitive. We just reduce the taxes at CIT rate on small businesses. We are continuing to provide R&D tax credits to support them for providing some of these measures to provide for skills and employment. $2,000 per individual, that's a youth, to get to work so that they too can get the proper training. So the member opposite knows that, and I dare say, Mr. Speaker, that as a result of her desire to see people help, they're delaying minimum wage, they're delaying the support for those very people that we do want to support, that grows our economy, Mr. Speaker. New question, the member from Nicobel. Thank you, Speaker. On behalf of new Democrats, we stand in solidarity with the people of Chatham-Cant who have been dealing with floods in evacuation this weekend. I hope that everything will be back to normal soon. My question is for the acting premier. We are just two months into 2018, but this weekend we learned that Queensley-Carton Hospital had to call his second cold orange of the year, which is also the second cold orange in its entire history. Twice this year, not only was the emergency department overflowing all the beds in that hospital was full, all the surge capacity beds were full, all the unconventional beds were full, and dozens of people needing hospital care needed to be admitted. How does the premier plans to ensure Queensley-Carton frontline healthcare workers have what they need to care for the people who come through this hospital's door? Thank you. Acting premier. Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Minister of Health, Long-Term Care. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the question with regards to our hospitals, and I want to acknowledge and give my appreciation to the hard work of the frontline healthcare workers at Queensley-Carton and across this province. Mr. Speaker, it is true that they are facing some capacity challenges at Queensley-Carton as they are in some hospitals across this province. I know in the case of Queensley, the flu impact has been significant to their situation. In the month of January to give a reference point, their capacity at Queensley-Carton was 95%, Mr. Speaker. And in December of last year, the capacity of Queensley-Carton hospital was 89%, Mr. Speaker. They are facing some challenges, as the member opposite mentioned. That's why we have dramatically increased the number of acute care beds across this province. 1,200, the equivalent of six community care hospitals, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Everyone in Ontario, no matter where they live, should be confident that in the case of an emergency, if you need hospital care, it will be there for you. Hospital do not turn people away. This is like a basic of Medicare. But knowing that your local hospital has been so crowded already this year that they've had to call code orange twice, this shakes people confidence in our healthcare system, especially Ottawa family, who just last fall watched as the same hospital had to cancel 15 surgery because they were so overcrowded. They even ran out of IV polls. What is the minister doing right now for this hospital to ensure that Queensley-Carton does not have to call a third code orange this month? Thank you, Minister. Well, Mr. Speaker, I'm confident that the hardworking staff at Queensley-Carton are putting into place measures to not only combat the high volume of cases they're seeing in their emergency, in their hospital, because of the flu season. Fortunately, when it comes to influenza A, we are past the peak in most, if not all parts of the province, and we're on the down swing. So as we saw for Queensley-Carton, the 95% capacity in January, the 89% capacity in December, I'm confident that very, very soon, things will return to normal. We did provide them with additional surge beds to enable them to deal with this challenge. And of course, we increased funding, Queensley-Carton, by $3 million this fiscal year, half a billion dollars to hospitals across this province, 1200 new acute care beds, and we have actually recommitted to those beds and more, nearly $200 million for additional acute care beds across the province, including in Ottawa, for the next fiscal year. Thank you, final supplementary. Speaker, the minister make it sounds like hospital overcrowding just happened with the last flu season. It has been something working, not overnight, but because of this government shortchange of our hospitals for so many years now. The minister's solutions clearly are not working. If they were, Queensley-Carton would not have to declare too cold orange in the first two months of 2018. Why does the minister don't understand what needs to be done to ensure that families across this province have access to the healthcare and the hospital care that they need? Thank you, minister. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And we are working with our hospitals across this province, with our lens, with our healthcare leadership and providers, but what we won't do, Mr. Speaker, is what they did when they were in government. They closed, and I know they're saying here it comes, but it's a fact, it's clear knowledge to everybody. They closed 9,645 hospital beds. Imagine the impact of that, Mr. Speaker. If we were to consider anything even marginally a fraction of that, they closed 13% of the mental health beds in this province, 24% of the healthcare, the acute hospital beds in the province. They delisted home care. They cut healthcare funding across the board in their last budget. And in their last budget, they reduced hospital funding by 1%. I know they'd love to divorce themselves from that one time in distant memory that they were leading this province as government, Mr. Speaker. If they ever got close to leading this province again, we would see absolute across the board in the station in our healthcare sector from them. New question, the member from London West. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the acting premier. Speaker Chris Punter is a grandfather from London who needs heart surgery. He was scheduled to go to university hospital for what his surgeon expects will be a quadruple bypass on February 9th. Today, he is still waiting for this life-saving surgery. It's been postponed four times because the hospital is just too overcrowded to do it. Speaker, does the acting premier think that it is okay to keep Chris Punter waiting for his life-saving heart surgery? Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Mr. Minister of Health, Long-Term Care. Thank you again, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the question. I think we all agree anytime that there is a canceled surgery, it can be not only anxiety-provoking, but heartbreaking for a family. And so we work across the healthcare system to make sure that we provide that highest quality of care where and when individuals need it. So my sincere apologies for any family that has to, or any individual that has to go through that anxiety of having an elective surgery. This is what we're talking about, Mr. Speaker, elective surgery having to be postponed. But it's critically important that our system is built to serve those who need that most critical care and to serve them first. And that's why our hospitals, in fact, are built to triage those high-acuity patients to ensure that they receive timely and safe emergency access. Most of us, I think, probably wouldn't imagine that a London Health Sciences last year in emergency, they saw 160,000 patients, and they have over 50,000 scheduled operations a year through that hospital. I'm happy to talk more about the details of the supplementary. The supplementary. Speaker, a University Hospital VP put the blame squarely on the overcrowding crisis when she was asked why Mr. Punter's surgery has been delayed. She said, since the beginning of the year, London Health Sciences Center has consistently operated at over 100% capacity. Limited system-wide capacity in our region has created challenges, particularly with respect to critical care capacity required to meet the post-operative care needs of some cardiac surgery patients. Speaker, how can this liberal government continue to deny that hospital overcrowding is a crisis? Mr. Punter? Well, in fact, Mr. Speaker, London Health Sciences Center, the capacity in December, rather in December, Mr. Speaker, was 92% in November. It was 94%. In fact, in December, 99% of the cardiac surgeries that were scheduled took place within the province's targeted amount of time, 99%. And so, Mr. Speaker, there are over 50,000 scheduled operations a year, and this is not in any way to diminish the anxiety, the inconvenience, and the stress caused by this rescheduling of the elective surgery. But in a two-year period, the last two years, out of 150,000 surgeries performed on time, 66 surgeries in that two-year period had to be rescheduled, Mr. Speaker. 66 out of 150,000 surgeries were performed over two years on time. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, I can't believe the minister is questioning the data from a university hospital VP. Mr. Speaker, Chris's canceled surgery isn't the only evidence of a hospital system that is bursting at the seams. Just last week, this legislature learned about Danny Marchand. It took 11 days for Danny to secure a bed in his hometown of London so he could get the surgery he needed after a skiing accident in Collingwood. Speaker, we've heard from families in London, in Hamilton, in Toronto, in Sudbury. Speaker, you can't fix the problem unless you name the problem or admit that her cuts to healthcare have hurt these families. Thank you, minister. Well, Mr. Speaker, we continue to invest across the healthcare system, whether that's cardiac care, and I have to say we have one of the best cardiac programs in the bar none in this province that's being built up because of the hard work and the dedication and the commitment of cardiologists, of nurse specialists, nurse practitioners, that entire team of healthcare professionals that work so hard to do that. Mr. Speaker, across the healthcare system, I'm the first to acknowledge that we need to continue to make those important investments. We need to make improvements. But for the member opposite to suggest what she is and not to champion the fact that we have one of the best healthcare systems in the world, Mr. Speaker, with the best outcomes in this country, in the OECD, for almost all of the activities that we carry out. And that's a result of working closely in collaboration with all the hundreds of thousands of healthcare providers that do that excellent job every single day. Thank you. New question. The member from Krishna-Constable. Yes, thanks, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the acting Premier Speaker. This weekend we learned that not only did the now shuffled former transportation minister interfere with a Metrolinx decision for a $100 million GO station approval. He did it four times. That's right, Speaker. The Toronto Star has reported evidence of the former minister's outside push to alter planning evidence at Metrolinx on four separate projects. Speaker, we all of course know as MPPs, we advocate for projects in our writing, but only the minister was able to alter evidence. Speaker, will the acting Premier tell me if this liberal ministerial interference was what shuffled the meddling minister out of transportation? Thank you. Minister of Transportation. Minister of Transportation. Thank you, Speaker. Metrolinx's board of directors approved the addition of 12 new GO stations in June 2016. As they have stated, this decision came as a result of initial business case analysis, extensive consultation with municipal and regional representatives, community engagement, and also collaboration between the Ministry of Transportation and Metrolinx on wider regional transit and transportation plans. All proposed new stations require additional technical and planning analysis, which has been made very clear. My understanding is that Metrolinx has done substantial work on their business case analysis methodology. They've committed to posting business cases prior to the board decisions on projects being made. Metrolinx will also be providing an update at all stations at their March 8th board meeting. Our government is going to continue to build the transit that the people of the GTHA need and deserve. I look forward to seeing the results of Metrolinx's work and the upcoming board meeting. Thank you. Supplementary. Thanks, Speaker. Back to the acting Premier. I would encourage the now Minister of Transportation to perhaps pick up a copy of the star and read that article from Ben Spur. Look, what other ministers are changing documents ahead of the election to bolster their chances? We've seen it four separate times from the former Minister of Transportation alone now and instead of being moved from cabinet, he got shuffled, of course, over to economic development. Speaker, this was interference, plain and simple. Will the acting Premier tell us what documents have been altered from other ministries to get the Liberals elected in the next election? Mr. Chancellor, thank you. Thank you, Speaker. And when I stepped into this role, I knew that I was taking on a thriving portfolio. Under my predecessors watch, this region has seen the advancement of transformational transit projects like GO Regional Express Rail and rapid transit projects across the GTHA. I'm proud to continue the work that was started before my time. But Speaker, while we're moving forward, the PCs have a plan to take us backwards with billions and billions of dollars in cuts. That means under the PC plan, a GO expansion of this size would be off the table. And that also means no new Breslau station in the member from Kicher-Konestoga's own riding. We're going to get this right. I look forward to seeing the results of Metrolinx's work. We're going to continue to build Ontario up with a transit that all communities across Ontario need and deserve in this province. Yeah. New question? The member from Tinnitus, James Bate. My question is to the acting Premier. And this is a question I would have thought the official opposition might have asked today. But given what's going on, no, given what's going on with the allegations about ballot stuffing and different issues they have in their particular nomination battles, I can understand why not. So my question is, today one of your senior officials in court waiting for sentencing when it comes to the gas plant scandal that happened here in this province, not only did the Liberal government waste a billion dollars of taxpayers' monies that could have been used for things like healthcare and others, at the end of the day, you tried to cover it up. And I think that is the thing that is really galling on all of this one because what it really means is that you can't trust the Liberals. So my question is, does this government defend the actions of senior Liberal operatives who have been found guilty in court? Thank you. Stop the clock, stop the clock. I gave the member some opportunity to explain why he was asking in the manner that he was. He did indicate something to me that is not parliamentary and I'll ask him to withdraw. I withdraw. Acting Premier. Well, Speaker, thank you very much. And I know the member opposite wants to use this verdict in this case to score political points and it was very clear from his question where he was trying to do a two-way street attack here, Speaker. I think, Speaker, we need to be mindful that this matter is still under an appeal period and we have to respect that. And the Speaker, I think we also have to be reminded of that the individual we're speaking about was worked for the former Premier, not under this Premier. I speak under this government, under this Premier, we have taken our obligations very seriously when it comes to making our documentation, retention policies strong and being open, accountable and transparent. Speaker, in her report, the then information and privacy committee have credited our government for improving record keeping across the government and in the supplement, I would like to discuss the steps we have taken to enhance that process. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, the minister says, oh, he worked for the former Premier. I want you guys to look in the mirror. You all worked for the former Premier. You were in his cabinet and you were the guys who canceled the gas plant situation that happened. So I'm gonna ask you again, this gentleman has been brought to court, he has been found guilty, he is now waiting for sentencing and the question we ask you is a very simple one. Do you condone the actions of this gentleman and if not what, what are you gonna do about it? Thank you. Hi, Speaker, we take our responsibility very seriously to ensure that our document retention policy in the Ontario government is one of the strongest and stringent since our Premier came into office. Speaker, as I said, even the former Privacy Information Commissioner has praised the government for the steps we have taken. We have sent a directive to all political staff. We have developed mandatory training programs when it comes to document retention policies. We have appointed, Speaker, chiefs of staff who are accountable for record keeping. We've improved the archiving requirements. In fact, Speaker, also we have an Accountably Act which would prohibit the willful deletion of records and will create a penalty. And, Speaker, our offices have worked with the Integrity Commissioner and the Information and Privacy Commissioner. Speaker, we have taken concrete steps to ensure that the documents that are retained and kept to make sure, Speaker, that our system is open, accountable, and transparent. Thank you. New question, the member from the Tobacco Center. Thanks very much, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Research, Innovation and Science. Speaker, for decades, manufacturing has been the backbone of our economy here in Ontario. In fact, nearly half of Canada's total manufacturing output is located here in Ontario. However, with the emergence of new technologies, many economies around the world are adopting advanced manufacturing in order to become more globally competitive. Minister, I understand that our government is making investments in several tech projects to help Ontario companies in that regard. And I understand the federal government recently announced the successful applicants of the new superclusters initiative that has aimed at strengthening Canada's most dynamic regional innovation ecosystems. Minister, could you share with us how this program will benefit Ontario's economy and high growth businesses? Great question. Thank you, Minister of Research, Innovation and Science. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I want to thank the member from the Tobacco Center for that question. Mr. Speaker, since the year 2013, our government has invested more than $2 billion in support to Ontario's manufacturers, helping create and retain over 90,000 jobs. I was told to learn that an Ontario-based advanced manufacturing supercluster proposal was selected and it will be receiving up to $230 million from the federal funding. The proposal has been led by next generation manufacturing in Canada. This bid, Mr. Speaker, will link the technology and manufacturing sector by using big data and intelligent machines. The supercluster will introduce new investments and create high-quality jobs for our people in the province of Ontario. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our federal government for choosing Ontario for this proposal. Thank you. Thank you, Minister, thank you, Speaker. This is promising news, Minister. Thank you for that. You know, on Sunday morning, I was watching Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN and he actually had a really interesting piece which was talking about the importance of AI and how economies around the world are competing to be leaders in AI to drive their economies. That this is the next frontier. And so my understanding is that we here in Ontario are now home to a thriving artificial intelligence sector with more than 200 AI firms and institutions, which I think is great news. And nearly $3 billion has been raised by Ontario-based AI companies. Minister, I understand that an artificial intelligence proposal out of Quebec with deep linkages to Ontario was also selected for funding under the superclusters initiative that you were just speaking about. Could you share with us more about this supercluster proposal about this supercluster proposal and how it will benefit our economy and our growing AI ecosystem? Yep, Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I want to thank the member again for that question. Mr. Speaker, over the last year, we have committed nearly half a billion dollars to transformative technologies investments. That includes $50 million to vector institutes for artificial intelligence. I was pleased, Mr. Speaker, to hear that the AI-powered supply chain supercluster after Quebec was also selected for funding under the supercluster initiative by the federal government. There are 30 Ontario firms and several post-secondary institutions in Ontario that are involved in this supercluster. This project will complement Ontario's existing artificial intelligence capacity and the Solidify Canada's position as a global leader in artificial intelligence. Mr. Speaker, we will continue to invest in innovation economy as we move forward. Thank you. Thank you. New question? The member from Prince Edward Hastings. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the acting premier this morning. Today, the sentencing for the premier's most senior official is taking place in a courtroom just down the street from here. While the justice system has taken its course and there has been a guilty verdict, no verdict is going to return the $1.1 billion that the Liberal government wasted just to win seats in an election. Sadly, the gas plant scandal is just one example of the consistent pattern of political gamesmanship and malfeasance by this Liberal government. Mr. Speaker, those $1.1 billion that saved a few Liberal seats are worth much more to the people of Ontario. Now that the court case is concluding, Speaker, will this Liberal government apologize to the people of Ontario for years of political corruption? Stop, stop. I find that the member did use some unparliamentary language here. Withdraw. Withdraw. Enough. Thank you. Acting Premier. Well, thank you very much, Speaker. And the member opposite should be, I should be looking in the mirror before talking about corruption in this house, Speaker. Minister Withdraw. I withdraw. Thank you. Thank you very much, Speaker. Speaker, on this side of the house, under the leadership of our Premier, Kathleen Nguyen, our government is focused on ensuring that we're building fairness and opportunity for the hardworking people of Ontario. Speaker, on this side of the house, we are absolutely committed to ensuring that there is a $15 an hour living wage starting January 1st, 2019. Unlike party opposite, Speaker, who have decided that the hardworking people of this province should not get a living wage. Every single leadership contestant in their leadership speaker have clearly said that they will not have a $15 minimum wage, Speaker. That is an acceptable, Speaker. Similarly, Speaker, on this part of the house, we are absolutely committed to finding climate change by putting a price on carbon through a capitol system. Whereas the other side, the Ontario Conservatives are still stuck in 19th century and think there is no climate change problem. That is not acceptable. Thank you. Supplementary. You, Speaker, what a pile of rubbish. Honest to goodness, these guys will make up anything. A senior official in the Liberal government has been found guilty of deleting documents to try and hide the truth from the people of Ontario. Guilty as charged, Mr. Speaker. Following the campaign that was co-chaired by Premier Nguyen, the Liberals were only concerned about their political interests. That's it. Not the $1.1 billion that they wasted to save a couple of Liberals. Stop the talk. Stop the talk. Finish, please. Speaker, in short, this Liberal government can't be trusted any longer. Speaker, with only months to go until the provincial election, how can Ontario be sure that this Liberal government won't waste billions more to try and save their seats? Thank you. Minister. Well, Speaker, the member should be looking at his own party for pile of rubbish and rot. There was not mine when he's talking about that. Speaker, people of Ontario deserve a government speaker that is working on their behalf. People of Ontario deserve a government that is ensuring that hardworking Ontarians get a $15 billion in our living wage. That is the government of Premier Kathleen Nguyen delivering on it, Speaker. The people of Ontario deserve a government that takes climate change seriously and effectively deals with that. That is what the government of Premier Kathleen Nguyen is accomplishing, Speaker. Speaker, that are the kind of things we are fighting for. We are ensuring that children and youth in this province can get access to universal farmer care, Speaker. And that is why our government has brought in the way in which the party opposite voted against, Speaker. So before they start giving the rest of us a lecture, look at the record of this government and how we are standing outside of the people of this province. Thank you. New question, the member from the Kitchener wall of you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health. Last week, the chief nursing executive at St. Mary's Hospital said that the Kitchener Hospital is operating at 110% capacity. We all know by now that safe operating capacity is 85%. 14 patients were left waiting in the emergency department, and the hospital had no choice but to cancel surgeries at a last resort for dealing with this overcrowding crisis. Doctors were also asked to assess their patients to discharge them as soon as possible. Why does this minister think it's acceptable for patients in Kitchener to be held in the emergency department with no end in sight and for people's surgeries to be canceled because the overcrowding crisis has gotten so bad in this province? Thank you. Minister Falkwell, through care. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question. And as I had the opportunity earlier to talk about the measures that we're taking to work with our hospitals, the Ontario Hospital Association or frontline health care workers to address some of the capacity challenges that they are facing, we have taken such measures as invested an additional billion dollars in our hospitals over the last two years. Last year, 3.1% into the hospital system in the spring budget, Mr. Speaker. 1,200 new acute care beds across this province announced in the fall, the equivalent of six community hospitals. We continue to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to reduce wait times. We have programs specific to our emergencies across the province as well, giving them additional staff and finances to enable them to address the capacity challenges that they might find. We are making investments in our health care system, including in our hospitals, Mr. Speaker. Complimenting. Thank you. Again, to the Minister of Health. Listen, hospital administration and staff are doing the best that they can with the very limited resources that they have. 15 years of liberal government budget cuts and freezes combined with the last conservative government have caused this mess in our hospitals. People in KW are feeling the impact of hospital cuts when they are forced to wait in the emergency room for days or on a stretcher in a hallway. St. Mary says this problem is bigger than the typical flu, season surge, and we believe them. This hospital has been experiencing an ongoing volume increase for more than a year. Health care staff and resources are strained. It's directly impacting the health of families in my community. These problems don't just show up overnight. They are years in the making. Why does this government think that the people in Kitchener should just settle for a dangerously overcrowded hospital and canceled surgeries when our community deserves so much better? Thank you, Minister. Well, Mr. Speaker, I think it's important that her community remember what she said during the 2014 election. While the leader of the third party, her leader, refused to identify her $600 million in planned NDP cuts, Kitchener Waterloo NDP candidate at the time, now the member, was forced to admit health care and post-secondary education sectors had been singled out for their deepest cuts. In fact, the CBC reported on May 29th of 2014, the NDP platform is silent on exactly where that $600 million in savings might come from. One broad hint emerged on the campaign trail when Kitchener Waterloo NDP candidate Catherine Fife said the NDP's new accountability minister would look to find efficiencies in the health care and post-secondary education centers. In fact, the member from Kitchener Waterloo at the time went on to say, quote, I would go first to health. Unquote, Mr. Speaker. Answer, thank you. New question to the member from Northumberland, Quinty West. Well, thank you, Speaker. Speaker, my question to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Minister, this past November, our government reduced Safe Ontario Act, which represent the greatest transformation to policing in 25 years. This legislation has passed, will modernize policing and create stronger, safer communities where people get the service they need, when and where they need it the most. But even so, Minister, I'm getting letters and hearing from a few of my constituents and police officers that they think the Safe Ontario Act will make Ontario less safe. Some say that this bill will allow for the privatization of policing. Our government has worked on this bill for over five years. And I find it hard to believe that this is truly the case. Question? Mr. Speaker, could the minister clarify exactly what the proposed legislation would do in this regard? Thank you. Minister of Community Safety, Correctional Services. Thank you very much. And I want to say thank you to the member from Northumberland, Quinty West, for this very important question. Mr. Speaker, first let me say that law enforcement across this province do a tremendous job keeping our communities safe. And that's why we actually live in the safest jurisdiction in North America. To your question, I want to be very, very clear that we are not privatizing core policing duties. When you call a 911, when you call 911, a highly trained police officer will always answer the call. The reality is that the current Police Services Act is too permissive when it comes to privatization, effectively allowing government to hand over any policing council to private companies. So this bill will guarantee that any future government could not jeopardize the safety of our communities. Thank you. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the minister for her answer and for giving clarity to this matter. I know that the minister worked hard on this bill with all our policing partners, and will continue to do so as it moves through this legislative process. The proposed legislation is in part based on lessons learned from past governments. We once saw a former government try and privatize public safety services. A failed private jail experiment comes to mind, Speaker. This bill will in fact protect our policing system from such disastrously misguided efforts. To the right end, Mr. Speaker, could the minister inform this House on why this policing transformation is so essential? Thank you, minister. Thank you again, and thank you for the member for the supplementary. Mr. Speaker, time have changed. The pressure on our law enforcement are unlike anything we've ever seen before. We are relying on a model that is based on reactive policing, one that puts extraordinary pressure on police. There are days that an officer may be forced to be actually a social worker, a nurse, a doctor, all at the same time. It's unfair to our incredible police officers to be everything to everyone. The Safer Ontario Act represents a shift to a collaborative, proactive model of policing that would much better serve our communities. This collaborative approach is now limited to our efforts to modernize policing. Our government is using the same rationale to transform the court system, mental health care, our correctional system. Please change our all part of our vision for a truly 21st century justice system, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. New question. The members from the channel can ask it. Thanks, Speaker. My question is for the acting Premier. I know that the Minister of Municipal Affairs is visiting Chatham Kent today. He's surveying the state of emergency after recent flooding, to which I appreciate. Swollen by days of heavy rain and melting snow, the Thames River peak Saturday night in Chatham at five and a quarter meters above normal. That's over 17.2 feet. Houses and businesses have been ruined. Citizens have been working around the clock, monitoring their property and operating pumps. The municipality of Chatham Kent opened its convention centers to residents who have been forced to leave their homes. But the full extent of damage is still unclear. When a disaster is over, we're going to need government support. Well, my constituents, turn to your government for help. What are you going to tell them? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I just on behalf of the government and all members of this House, I want to obviously show our sympathy with the people of Chatham Kent, the people of Bramford who are going through this extraordinary circumstance. As the spring is arriving and ice is thawing and the rising levels in the rivers that we've seen. Speaker, just watching the images on television, and I'm sure the member opposite is personally involved in assisting his constituents. As Speaker, you are in your own community, you can see the distress and devastation. The Premier just last week, last Thursday, visited Bramford herself personally and assured the people around the entire region that the Ontario government will be there with all kinds of supports through various programs that we have in place to make sure that the communities, both residents and municipalities have the opportunity to work through the challenges that they're going through. Right now, of course, the immediate focus is to contain this flood. And I'm sure the Minister of Community Services will speak more to that effort. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. I spent the weekend touring my riding to observe firsthand the damage and distress my constituents were experiencing. This past Friday and Saturday, fire crews, dive teams, and EMS rescued many residents, including children, from their flooded properties in Chatham Kent. And I want to congratulate the Lord Thames Valley Conservation Authority for continually monitoring the severity of the flooding. I am so proud of how everyone pulled and worked together. The worst may be over, but until water levels go back to normal, our first responders are still going to have a tough time. People will still be out of house and home. So to the acting Premier, what specifically will the government do to support my constituents? The families and businesses affected by this. Thank you. Thank you. Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. So thank you again to the member for this question. And certainly our government has been engaged and involved. And I know my colleague has said the same for all the people affected. Our thoughts are with them. And we want to thank the first responders, our municipal leaders, and everyone that's been. And I know, Mr. Speaker, you are in your community, also in our six nation. So there is actually the Minister of Municipal Affairs actually moving forward today in going to Bradford and in your community and Chapman Kent to talk to our municipal leaders, our first responders, in looking at the possibilities of our program. So let me talk to you about what we're going to be doing. It's basically we're going to be assessing the damage caused sadly by the flooding. And this may lead to an activation of our Provincial Disaster Recovery Assistance Program. And that program is the only one in Canada that offers that support. Thank you. Your question, the member for message. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the acting Premier. Speaker, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce recently released their 2018 Ontario Economic Report. In it, they found that the government's rosy statements about the economy don't hold true for all regions of this province. The North can expect stagnant unemployment rates up until 2018. And Southwestern Ontario will lag behind the rest of the province when it comes to creating jobs. And Ontario's Nonpartisan Financial Accountability Officer agrees with their assessment. Last year in the North, the Southwest, and eastern parts of this province combined, only 1,600 new jobs were created. Speaker, why is this liberal government leaving whole regions of this province behind? Minister of Economic Development and Growth. Economic Development and Growth. Thank you very much, Speaker. I appreciate the question from the member opposite. I've had the opportunity over the last number of days here in the legislature to talk a little bit about the economic success that we've been having as a province over the last number of years. I know members from both opposition caucuses have heard us talk about the fact that since the recessionary low about a decade ago, Ontario has created over 800,000 jobs, nearly 850,000 new jobs, Speaker. And 90% or more than 90% of those being full-time, around 70% in above average wage industries, and about 73% of those, Speaker, were in the private sector. We also know that year over year, between October 2016 and October 2017, Ontario created about 128,000 job, Speaker. And we also know that we now have the lowest unemployment here in the province than we've had over the last 17 years. And for 33 consecutive months, our unemployment rate has been lower than the national average. I will have more to say about the regional issue that was posed in the first question in the fall. Thank you very much, Speaker. Thank you, Speaker. At the same time that this government allowed whole regions of this province to be bypassed by economic growth, cities that are creating jobs have become increasingly unaffordable places to live and to do business. The Chamber's report focused on the rising cost of living and the growing lack of affordable housing. The report says, and I quote, these factors not only negatively influence consumer activity, but also hinder the ability of industry to attract and retain talent as local housing options may be unaffordable or inappropriate. Speaker, why is this Liberal government standing by and watching while the cost of housing becomes out of reach for many Ontario families? Thank you, Minister. Thanks very much, Speaker. I know in his first question, the member from Essex alluded to what's taking place, for example, in areas like Northern Ontario, Speaker. So here's a couple of things that I want to reference because it was a question that were both questions that were regional and nature. So I'm going to use North Bay as a classic example, Speaker. In North Bay alone since about a decade ago, the unemployment rate has dropped from a recessionary high of more than 9% down to today's 5.8%, Speaker. And that's not just the unemployment rate. That's just the unemployment rate. This government's also helping to create jobs in Northern Ontario. In 2017, North Bay's labor force had the employment rate going up. We also know that with programs or vehicles like the NOHFC, Speaker, that we've invested through that program, $60 million, again, in the Nipissing region, and more than 400 projects helping to create or retain over 1,200 jobs, Speaker. There are regional economic development funds that exist for Southwestern Ontario, for Eastern Ontario. My colleague, the MPB from Peterborough, was doing fantastic work with respect to those regional economic development programs. And collectively, Speaker, it is all of the initiatives this government is undertaking that is making sure that our economy remains robust. Thank you very much. Any questions from the members from DCR? Well, thank you, Speaker. And my question today is to the Minister of Housing and the Minister responsible for the poverty reduction strategy. Speaker, we know it's invaluable to have a safe and affordable home and an adequate place that we can call home. Stable housing is the foundation upon which families on Terrell can build their lives and achieve their full potential. And I'd first like to say I'm extremely happy to see the work the minister is doing on inclusionary zoning. I've had the opportunity many times, Speaker, in the past few years to have a say on the benefits of an important regulation that this would be to bring more affordable and accessible housing to Ontario. And I'm looking forward to seeing the finalized regulations when they are released. Tenants in my riding of beaches, East York, have been burdened by leases, containing outdated, void, and oftentimes illegal terms and highly technical language. Question. So, Speaker, I understand the minister has made a recent announcement and updated a lease form. And could the minister please expand on that new standard lease? Thank you. Minister of Housing, responsible for... Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the member from beaches, East York for the question and his advocacy on behalf of affordable housing and in particular on behalf of tenants in his riding. Mr. Speaker, every Ontarian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. And I'm very proud that we just announced that starting April 30th, most landlords will need to use a standard lease for new residential leases. Mr. Speaker, we worked with landlords and tenants across the province to develop the standard lease. And landlords are happy that they're going to have a standard easy to use form. And tenants are happy that they're going to have a plain language form available in English and in French that's going to clearly lay out what their obligations and their rights are. Mr. Speaker, we even made this lease more accessible by providing a guidebook with... translating the lease into 21 different languages. Answer. Along with policies like a rent control, OHIP Plus, increasing the minimum wage, we're making it more affordable and more fair for Ontarians to access housing. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. And I want to thank the minister for his answer and I want to particularly thank him for his expertise in this field. As an architect, as a man who understands the planning imperatives that need to go into place for affordable housing in this province, he's doing an excellent job. So, Speaker, improving access to housing builds all Ontarians up. When we have access to safe and stable housing markets, we are healthier and we are better able to participate in our communities. And there are thousands of residents that I know in my writing who are benefiting from the implementation of very progressive provincial programs like those the minister mentioned. Rent control, of course, being just one of them. In my community, options for homes. Currently, in the process of building some 320 units that will help low to middle income families afford to own their own condominiums. And I'm extremely grateful to be there for the groundbreaking and I hope they'll be finished soon. So, Speaker, I would like to learn more and I know this House would like to learn more from the minister about the minister's response for housing and the poverty reduction strategy about what the ministry is doing to bring more fairness to Ontario's rental market in Ontario. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That through our fair housing plan, we've expanded rent control to virtually all Ontario residential tenants. Mr. Speaker, that guaranteed additional protection to another 237,000 private market renters in our province. And with rent control, our government is fighting for the rights of Ontarians to stay in safe and affordable housing. But of course, there's more to our plan than that, Mr. Speaker. Part of the long-term solution for affordable housing is to build more affordable housing. Our new $125 million program to rebate development charges for new rental projects in the province is one example of what we're doing. We've leveraged surplus provincial lands in a number of communities to create thousands of new affordable units. And of course, inclusionary zoning is on its way through some revised regulations. And Mr. Speaker, I look across the house and I see a party that doesn't even mention affordable housing in its platform. Thank you. Any questions for the member from Perry Sound, Muskoka? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Speaker, as I explained in a letter to the minister at the beginning of this year, the Perry Sound area is suffering from a doctor shortage. The situation was further aggravated by the tragic loss of one of our prominent physicians this past December. Perry Sound does not have a permanent walk-in clinic, though a temporary occasional clinic has been established by local doctors who are volunteering to address the needs of the community. And I want to thank the medical professionals for stepping up to help. Even so, with 1,200 patients suddenly without a primary care physician, we are seeing many go without adequate care. My office has heard from many complex care patients who are concerned for their health without access to consistent monitoring. So my question, Mr. Speaker, is, does the minister have any plans in place to help recruit physicians to high-need locations like Perry Sound? Thank you, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I always appreciate the questions from the member opposite, especially on an issue as important as this. And we know, Mr. Speaker, despite the fact that an estimated 94% of Ontarians have access to a primary care provider that may be a physician, it may be a nurse practitioner. We have 25 nurse practitioner-led clinics across the province. So 94%. But there's more work to be done. And we've made that commitment so that everyone in this province who does desire or require a primary care provider can find and become attached to that primary care provider, Mr. Speaker. So we have a number of programs in place. In fact, just recently, we announced our commitment to ensure that every sub-Lynn region, Mr. Speaker, of which there are approximately 80 around the province, will have an interdisciplinary primary care team. And we're putting the funding into that program, that initiative to ensure that across the province, including in the member opposite's riding, that we have access to those important providers. Thank you. Supplementary. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. One of the options available to alleviate a shortage of doctors is to have a locum or a doctor from another community temporarily practice in the area. But the criteria to qualify for a locum are based on the number of doctors in a practice rather than on the need of the community. So even in a community like Perry Sound, with a high need, the rules don't allow for a locum. So my question for the Minister, will the Minister review the situation in Perry Sound and approve a locum until more permanent doctors can be found for the area? Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And again, I appreciate the question. In fact, I worked at Perry Sound Hospital way back shortly after graduating from medical school. It's hard to imagine it was 1985. So it's 33 years ago this year. But Mr. Speaker, I am absolutely committed to ensuring that those providers, be they physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, occupational therapists, the whole gamut of healthcare professionals that somebody in the NDP, I think is just doing the math now in terms of how long that was ago. And I can hear them out of the corner of my ear. But I'm happy to work with the member opposite because this is not only important to him, it's important to me. So we'll see what we can do. Thank you. New question from the member from Welland. Well, thank you, Speaker. My questions to the Acting Premier. Last week, a secret Government Commissioned report came to light that describes how public service lawyers for this government may have been pressured or even had their recommendations overturned, when it comes to whether or not to pursue a case in court. The reason given for the pressure, Mr. Speaker, was political sensitivities. Can the Premier please explain if ever the Liberal Party's political sensitivities influenced whether charges were laid in a case or whether the province chose to pursue a civil case in court? And has the government done anything to investigate this issue? Thank you. We take these type of matters extremely seriously, as I've said before, harassment of any kind in any work environment is not acceptable. Our lawyers are agents of the Crown Speaker who give best legal advice to the government and dispense of their duties in accordance to their obligations to the law society. Speaker, as members know, the Ministry held an independent investigation. In this matter, the report in question is actually a result of interviews that were done over 200 lawyers with many recommendations. I know, Speaker, that the Deputy Attorney General is very much committed to implementing those reports and making sure that we have a harmonious and a respectful work environment in the Ministry of the Attorney General. The Minister of Transportation on a point of order. Just, Speaker, early this morning, my son and daughter-in-law welcomed a new baby girl into this world, so I'm delighted. Our loving congratulations go out to Rory and Anna McGarry and their new baby daughter, Eva Dogney McGarry. Thank you. The Chief Governor of the Republic on a point of order. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to, they have arrived now, I'd like to welcome to the legislature Mr. Bruce Sinclair and his grandson, who's turning 16 this month. Aidan Payne to the members gallery. Thank you. Welcome to the Minister of Advanced Education. Point of order, Speaker. Earlier this morning, I welcomed the Banna, our page, her family, but I neglected to say that today she is the page captain, so I want to congratulate her on a job well done today. We're in a mood as somebody snuck into the house today. There's no reflection on the sergeant at arms. Our guests are from Manitoba. These are the interns for the intern program of Manitoba. Please rise and be accepted into the house. My turn. There are, time for question period is over, therefore the house is recessed until 1 p.m. this afternoon.