 It is now time for a question period, the leader of Her Majesty's Royal Opposition. Thank you. As I begin, Speaker, I want to congratulate my new critic for finance, Vic Fidelli, and my new critic for accountability, John Collin. You know, you basically had a press conference yesterday and you said that if we don't pass legislation from the last session on tanning beds and local food act that you'd call an election. Quite frankly, Premier, that's like walking in here and saying, from every hand, saying that you've got no new ideas. You've spent the last eight months in conversations. You've spent the last three months of the summer in a province-wide hand-holding tour. Premier, you may have given everybody a group hug, but all you came back with was sore arms and no new ideas. The best you can do isn't a time to actually change this government and get our product. People in your own caucus speaking. Yesterday's comment applied, so I will start right off by going to the individual member and a warning means the last time. Premier? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I noticed that my arms are fine, actually. I've got quite strong arms. I was on a canoe trip and I was good. Mr. Speaker, I just want to clarify. I'm glad that the leader of the opposition was paying attention to my press conference. I noticed that he couldn't actually deliver the question with a straight face, but I appreciate that he listened. So, Mr. Speaker, I was using that piece of legislation, which actually is a very important piece of legislation, protecting kids from cancer and melanoma. It's very, very important. I was using that piece of legislation, among others, as an example, Mr. Speaker, and it was an example of this, that there are many things that we can work together on. There is a lot of common ground. Things that the opposition party and the third party have said that they agree on. I said, let's work on those things together. Let's make the legislature work. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. This comes from the tanning bed legislation. This is a government that wheeled out cancer patients to try to distract attention from their gas plan scandal. So please, don't give us any lectures on that kind of hypocrisy. So you want to cooperate. You want to work together. Here's an idea for you, Premier, because you don't seem to have any ideas when it comes to jobs. The Green Energy Act is economic suicide. It's driving up our hydro rates, it's costing us jobs. It's carrying down communities right down the middle. If you did your big group hug across the province, I know you heard it. Will you join with us? Will you cooperate? And will you end the Green Energy Act? Premier? Mr. Speaker, we're not going to go backwards. I just came from a meeting called Meeting of the Minds. It's happening at the brickwork in Toronto. People from all over the world, Mr. Speaker, have come here because Ontario is a hub of sustainability. Ontario is developing technology in clean water, Mr. Speaker. The leader of the opposition seems to want to take us, Mr. Speaker. We're going forward. We're tapping into our strengths. We're tapping into our innovative culture here in Ontario, Mr. Speaker. And those are the investments that we're going to make. Those are the investments we are making, Mr. Speaker. And we'll move ahead with him. Final supplementary. Not moving forward. You're barely treading water with your embrace of Dalton McGinty's agenda. And you know what? We're drowning in runaway hydro costs. It's costing us jobs. Now I know you're stuck in the past. You want to stick to the McGinty agenda. You won't accept our new ideas on any of the Green Energy Act. Here's another one for you. Your College of Traits is nothing more than a giveaway to the special interests. It's going to stand in the way of young people getting good jobs. It has runaway costs and involved a new tax on anyone from electricians to hairstylists. You want to cooperate. You want good ideas. And that College of Traits boondongle before it even gets going. Let's talk about some of the things that I've been doing since I came into this office and the investments that we've been making. Investments in business, Mr. Speaker. $17.6 million to support business in regions across the province. And that's leveraging $133 million in investments and retails, Mr. Speaker. That's the kind of investment we need to make. $50 million in us not moving forward. In fact, Mr. Speaker, he is stuck in the past. He has not ideas for how to move forward. How to create entrepreneurship. How that capital gets invested in new ideas, Mr. Speaker, that creates new business and new opportunities for people in the province. That's what $50 million of venture capital will do. That's the kind of strategic investment that we're making to create jobs and create the conditions for jobs to be created, Mr. Speaker. Your question. Leader of the opposition. Back to the Premier, Speaker. Look, we've put out over 200 pages of bold new ideas in our past of prosperity to turn our province around to get our economy moving again. And you can't find one single idea. You don't want to cooperate. You want to be stuck in the past of the Dalton McGinty agenda. Given you two ideas, you reject them out of hand. You reject arbitration reform out of hand. You may have written around in your canoe, but you haven't actually brought forward one single new idea to get our economy going to get spending under control. So let me try one more time. I know you're running scared of the public sector union bosses. You're basically in their pockets. Why don't you stand in your place and say no and you'll bring in and agree with the PCs at province-wide across-the-board waytrees that'll save us $2 billion a year right there. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. You know, the underpinnings of what the leader of the opposition is talking about today and often talks about is that we should cut services, that we should fire workers, fire 10,000 education workers, we should cancel programs and reduce those programs, reduce those services to people and, Mr. Speaker, that we should undermine organized labor. That is one of the pillars of his philosophy. We don't hold with that, Mr. Speaker. We believe that organized labor, that workers working together have created safe workplaces over the decades. A lot of good has been done in the name of collective bargaining. We believe in those processes, Mr. Speaker, but the leader of the opposition does not, and that is evident from those 200 pages that he has put out and it's evident in every question that he asks in the House, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Let me give another example of how the Premier is running scared when it comes to the government union bosses in our province. The very same union bosses that held our kids hostage, that canceled after-school activities, that canceled graduations, that held our kids and our grandkids hostage. What did you do? You gave away the ship. You gave them a raise. You ran scared from them, and you ran one of them as your candidate in London West. What does that say about your leadership? What does that say about your capacity to actually get the books back and balance the province? You want to cooperate? You want to get things done? You want to balance the books? That's what I just said, that the premise of many of the leader of the opposition's questions is about creating discord in the public sector. It's about labor unrest. It's about breaking relationships that are in the best interests of our children, Mr. Speaker, and the students in our schools. It is in the best interests of the children in our schools and the students all across the province that we have a good working relationship. We worked within the fiscal arrangement of additional money that went into the agreement. We came up with the savings that we had identified, but what we did, Mr. Speaker, was we changed the relationship, and what we've got, Mr. Speaker, is a working relationship with the education sector. We're going to maintain that, because it's in the best interests of every single child who's starting school today, who's been in school, and every student in this province, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. We've got the big deal in the store. We've got the biggest deficits and debts we've ever had in the history of the province of Ontario. Can't afford it. It's got to come to an end. You want to cooperate. You want to get things done. I put idea after idea on the floor to bring accountability for taxpayers and get our economy moving again. You've got across the province now for 8 months. You've given a lot of group hugs. It's time for action. We've got ideas. If you don't, we're ready to go. Let's actually put those ideas on the table and get our books back in balance. We're our great province of Ontario. We'll lead again. That's our plan. Premier? Mr. Speaker, and I spoke about a couple of the things that we have done. Investing in infrastructure, investing in business, investing in people, Mr. Speaker. If we do those things and if we do them strategically as we have been. So, for example, the investments in infrastructure that will come from the $100 million fund, Mr. Speaker, for municipal, bridges, roads, we've heard about, Mr. Speaker, for a number of years when I was Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, when I was Minister of Transportation, I would think that it would be the kind of thing that the leader of the opposition actually would support because it is going to support rural and northern municipalities who have aging infrastructure and who know that that infrastructure is one of the conditions to bring business to their communities. So, $100 million a year is a significant investment in that infrastructure. That's the kind of thing that I've ever thought that the leader of the opposition would have supported and it's the kind of thing, Mr. Speaker, that we are going to continue to do because that's what will create jobs, it will create opportunity in every community across the province. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. As the Premier knows, we expect the legislature to deliver the results that she promised Ontarians this session. Mr. Speaker, maybe a minute or so to explain exactly what her priorities are, Speaker? Mr. Speaker, I think I've been doing that. I've said that investing in people, investing in business, investing in infrastructure, those are the priorities that I believe will get the economy going, will create jobs, Mr. Speaker, and that is already happening. The investments that we are making, the support that we're putting in place, the changes that we're making, Mr. Speaker, is what is going to create those jobs and help people in their day to day lives. That's our priority and whether it's creating more opportunities and more services in home care, Mr. Speaker, or whether it's the youth employment fund or whether it's investments in transit, Mr. Speaker, those are the kinds of things that are going to get the economy going, are going to create jobs across the province, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, supplementary. Well, Speaker, media reports this week laid out some of the government's priorities for this session, and they included lowering auto insurance rates, establishing a financial accountability office and getting to work on putting people to work. Those are the things that talk to the list. Now, every one of those is a new Democrat idea, a new Democrat initiative. The Premier's own project, that's like her plan to hit families with new unfair taxes and road tools, are nowhere to be seen. Does the Premier have some secret priorities of her own that she hasn't yet shared with us or does she sincerely expect people to believe that new Democrats will just follow the government from implementing measures that we force them to adopt in the first place? Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and I, you know, it's tempting to have an ongoing debate about whose idea it was to support young people getting into work, Mr. Speaker, but I can tell you, that is something that we have been talking about for a long time. The leader of the third party can claim it for her own, but the fact is, it is an idea that needs to be acted on. We found common ground on it. It's in our budget as is our commitment to investing in transit, and that, Mr. Speaker, is an idea that I have not heard the leader of the third party talk about. Investing in infrastructure, investing in transit that we know is critical to the economy of this region, but also, Mr. Speaker, to the economy of the province, that's an idea that we are acting on, and that did not come from anywhere except from these benches, Mr. Speaker. Well, Mr. Speaker, here's what people see, a government that's promised action on jobs but seems more interested in photo ops than job creation. A government that's promised to close corporate tax loopholes but can't be bothered to even close any. A government that's promised to make life affordable and lower auto insurance rates are limited in protecting industry profits than drivers' wallets. Now, is the Premier interested in actually delivering results or does she just want to play the same old games that help the Ontario Liberals hold on to power and leave Ontarians falling further and further behind? So, Mr. Speaker, I know that the leader of the third party understands that the 43,600 jobs, net new jobs that were created in Ontario are a result of good policies, good fundamentals and our recovery from the economic downturn, Mr. Speaker, and I know she will give credit to the people of Ontario and the businesses of Ontario to support those businesses and to support the people of Ontario in that good work, and part of that is creating the conditions so that new jobs can be created and part of that is investing in transit. Mr. Speaker, the leader of the third party also knows that the reduction in auto insurance is underway, Mr. Speaker. We have made that commitment. The Minister of Finance has outlined the way that we're going to get there. We're acting on that. It was in our budget and we will continue to remove the costs from the system that will allow those average auto insurance costs to go down. New question, leader of the third party. So much, Speaker. My next question is also for the Premier. Yesterday in this place, the Premier said she will, quote, make sure that the questions are asked. They get answered. But when it comes to the actions of certain senior liberal insiders, some pretty key questions simply aren't being answered. Does the Premier think that's acceptable, Speaker? I'd love to answer that question, Mr. Speaker, but I don't actually know what the leader of the third party is talking about. I will just say in general, Mr. Speaker, when there are questions that are asked we want the answers to be forthcoming. That's what I've said all along. If she's talking about questions at committee, Mr. Speaker, we have provided the opportunity for questions to be asked of me and many of my colleagues, the former Premier, and we will absolutely continue to answer questions as they are asked. If the leader of the third party wants to be more specific, I'll be more specific in my answer. Final supplementary, sorry. Thank you, Speaker. Well, the Premier can actually keep her promise. She can make sure that when questions are asked, they get answered. She can tell her Government House leader to put this on the table and make it clear that questions about emails concerning senior liberals and their attempts to get the Speaker to fall in line are actually answered. Now, will the Premier ... I'd like to remind the leader of the third party that the ruling has been made and that that particular reference should not be used in the House. So I would ask the member to rephrase the question, please. I'm asking the Premier to allow questions to be asked at committee. This has got nothing to do with the point of privilege, Premier, that what this has got to do with is making sure that your promise that people's answers will be had, that their questions will be answered, actually occurs. And that's something that you have promised and it's something you can see happen as a leader, as a Premier make sure that the answers come to committee. Premier. Mr. Speaker, I have been categorical in my support for an open process at committee. The committee makes its decisions. The committee works within the rules, Mr. Speaker. The chair of the committee works within the rules. The committee works with the clerk's office, Mr. Speaker. And that process has to unfold within the rules. I am completely supportive of questions that are being asked being answered. But the committee has to operate as an entity with the advice of the clerk, Mr. Speaker. The Premier has a pretty easy choice. She can keep protecting liberal insiders or she can open up the gas plant committee so that when questions are asked they actually get answered. What is this Premier going to do? Is she going to continue to protect liberal insiders? Or is she going to take that leadership role that she likes to brag about transparency and openness and answering all the questions and actually make sure that committee is able to ask the important questions and get them answered. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So I will just reinforce what I said, which is the committee has my blessing and my support and my encouragement to do its work. When I came into this office I opened up the process. In fact, Mr. Speaker there have been 135,000 documents that have gone to committee 32 motions, 53 witnesses, 90 hours, Mr. Speaker. That committee has the right to do its work and as I say I encourage that work, Mr. Speaker. What I do take some offense at is the allegation that somehow I'm protecting or obstructing that process. That is not the case, Mr. Speaker. It is quite to the contrary. I have opened up the process. I want those questions answered, but you know, Mr. Speaker what I also want is for us to be able to do the work of the people of Ontario, make sure that we move forward. That's for the Premier, Mr. Speaker. Five years ago this week the world entered its deepest financial crisis in 80 years. Families suffered and Ontario suffered. Since then, other jurisdictions made the hard choices. They cut spending, they restored jobs and prosperity to Ontario, but not Ontario. Stop the clock. Attorney General will come to order. If a member for a topical north will come to order. Continue please. Your government has saddled this province with over $250 billion of debt with no plan to balance the budget. No plan to restore lost manufacturing jobs. No plan to provide hope for Ontario's youth. Even the Toronto Star today is questioning your lack of a plan and your piecemeal approach to governing. Premier, here's your chance. Tell the people of Ontario which drastic cuts you plan to balance the budget. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate the member on his new appointment as a member of Ontario. I look forward to a very collaborative approach and working on behalf of all Ontarians for the benefit of Ontarians. Mr. Speaker, it should be very careful and very honest in terms of what has been achieved. The member talks about having a plan which we've outlined very clearly in this budget. We have a six-point plan that talks about the path to balance. More importantly, Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we have released our public accounts about the achievements that this government has been able to do over the course of the last number of years as a relationship of budget and a relationship of decisions that we've made. Tough decisions that the opposition have not been prepared to make. But we have done so. We have done so on a very balanced approach and a very fair approach. Thank you. Let me refresh your memory. While governments around the world focused on rebuilding their economies, the government focused on keeping Liberal operatives employed, pouring $585 million into cancelled gas plants. While families wondered how they would plan for retirement or fund their children's education, unelected Liberals plotted to hijack an election treating taxpayers' dollars like Liberal Party donations. Good jobs keep leaving our promise and young people are leaving to follow that work. Your overspending is now hurting the things Ontarians care about. Look at your cuts to physiotherapy services. All the environment can do is simply jump from one scandal to another. Premier, level with us. Are you just too busy protecting Liberal institutions to be bothered to work on creating jobs and economic growth for Ontario? So Mr. Speaker, the province has been and the people of Ontario more importantly, have been working very hard to ensure its recovery. The member opposite has just contradicted himself twice. On the one hand, they want to cross the board cuts that will hamper our sensitive recovery. On the other hand, they complain when cuts occur. You can't have it both ways. It can't suck them below. We need to ensure a balanced recovery. And as a result of those decisions, Mr. Speaker, 180% of those jobs have been recovered. 477,000 net new jobs have occurred. And we have maintained and we have been very direct and very strategic in our investments. Which has enabled us to be more competitive in the long term. That is what's important, is a dividend that's going to accrue of those investments to afford the debt that's been accumulated. And we are going to consider and we're going to take every action necessary to protect Ontarians. New question, member of the transportation infrastructure. $85 million have been spent to create a transit plan for Scarborough. But last week the minister drew a line and two dots on the map and happily flushed this $85 million down the toilet. Will the minister tell Ontarians how much of their money he will waste in total as he pursues a shortened delayed and technologically uncertain subway? Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. We've been working very closely with Metrolinx, with places to grow. We've identified through our iCorder system Mr. Speaker which is now one of the most advanced planning tools the optimal route. Metrolinx's desire and their communications with me to this point is to try to not change the plan again or sticking with the original route. I think there's a strong agreement that in places to grow the Scarborough Town Centre is the focal point of intensification and the renewal of Scarborough and the creation of jobs. We have the Ministry of Transportation working. This is an evidence based system Mr. Speaker. No one's drawn line on the map. This is millions of dollars in planning in a plan that is on that route. Mr. Speaker, what we're doing to comply with many of the new Democrats at City Hall's demands is changing the technology Mr. Speaker, and running on the same line. I don't think this is complicated Mr. Speaker, this is pretty straightforward. This will cost about 1.8 billion dollars. Thank you. You see it please. Supplementary. A responsible minister, indeed a responsible government would take a moment to consider the costs Minister of Training College University has come to order. To consider the costs. And risks associated with a major change to an infrastructure investment particularly after the gas plant fiasco in Mississauga and Oakville. We know taxpayers will be on the hook for at least 85 million to derail transit plans in Scarborough. Can the Minister tell Ontarians exactly what the total cost will be for the confusion of the chaos and the delays and the waste of the Minister's transit musings. Mr. Speaker we have and I think my colleagues from Scarborough will tell you because most of them here have been working on this for over 20 years as city councillors to deliver on the promises of many which is to deliver a properly well-planned subway to the Scarborough Town Centre which is what we're doing Mr. Speaker and to do it cost effectively and to use it. Mr. Speaker I would invite the member opposite to join me this afternoon at the meeting of the minds where I will be outlining and demonstrating Geoportal and iCorridor and our advanced planning techniques. This government Mr. Speaker is prepared to go further into an open data model which my friend Mr. Malloy is leading. I am confused Mr. Speaker only by one thing here. I am confused about what is the NDP is doing in Scarborough. Do you support a subway? Do you not support a subway? How would you finance it? Where is the money coming from? What is the alignment you will use? I am absolutely bewildered by the 15 different positions the NDP seems to have on this Mr. Speaker. When they have one maybe we can have a conversation. Thank you. New question. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education. Speaker as the new school year begins we are reminded that our collective responsibility to ensure the safety of our students in the classroom. As a former school board trustee I know that our school boards principals and teachers take school safety seriously and have measures in place to make sure our students are protected. Paul Harvey principal of one of my schools at Taman Shanty public school my writing of Scarborough agent court tells me that parents drop off the sons and daughters in their school takes comfort to know that our schools are locked during the school hours. They serve and that protected our students. Parents in my writing also want to know what our government is doing to ensure that our students are safe in the learning environment. Speaker to you to the Minister of Education can she please inform the House what our government is doing to ensure our schools are safe. Yes thank you Speaker and the member from Scarborough agent court is absolutely right that the safety of our students must be our priority. Our government has worked very hard to make our schools some of the safest in the world so last year we reopened the safe welcome program with an additional investment of ten million dollars to give school staff more control over who enters the school during school hours. I'm pleased to report that over 3300 elementary schools in Ontario who have received funding from this program now have the safe welcome equipment installed in their schools. Any school that received this funding locks their doors during school hours in order to rig strict access through the school office and to keep their school safe. All school boards in Ontario also require to have emergency lockdown protocols in place which they work out with the local police force and we provided 1.7 million to support. Thank you I want to thank the minister for her response also congratulate on reopening the safe welcome program and all the work she has done ensure our schools are safe. A comprehensive approach to school safety is very important to every member of this house. The security of school is paramount but we also need to have a positive school climate inside and outside the classroom helping our students succeed. Many parents in my community are concerned about the safety of their schools and want to ensure the students have the support they need. Incident bullying come with harmful effect. Our students feel isolated and afraid to come to school. Miss Zhang a teacher at High Public Schools in my writing say quote I work very hard to provide safe and encouraging environment for all my students to learn because I know when a student is bullied and is fearful their academics and social well what this government is doing to come back bullying both inside outside the classroom. Thank you Minister. Thank you Speaker and thank you again to the member for this really important question because every student in Ontario has the right to feel safe and accepted while they're at school and that's exactly why our government passed the accepting schools act just last year. This legislation ensures that all school boards have policies and procedures in place for bullying prevention and intervention. For the first time ever we have defined bullying in legislation so that every student every teacher every principal and every parent knows exactly what we're talking about when we say bullying is not okay in our schools. The definition also includes the definition of side because we know that bullying that takes place over the internet out of school also has an impact on the school class. So we are making sure that we build a positive school class. New question? Premier, Madam Premier you are spending ten billion taxpayer dollars each year paying down the debt on the interest of the runaway debt that the Liberals have run up. You say your government is committed to investing in transit maybe you can tell transit riders how many kilometers the subway could be built with ten million dollars. I'm not sure who should be taking that question so I will take the question. I think what it's about is questioning the advisability of investing in transit. I believe and we believe on this side of the house is a critical condition for economic growth in this region and in fact in many parts of the province. So we're not going to back away from investing in transit. We are on track to eliminate the deficit by 2017-18. The Minister of Finance is going to present the public accounts this afternoon and the member opposite will be able to see that. But the fact is if we don't make these investments if we don't invest in transit and the other conditions for growth then we will not grow the economy and we will not create those jobs and I'm not willing to go there Mr. Speaker. Madam Speaker we can't build transit if you don't get your runaway spending under control. Without a sound plan for this province you can't deliver the solutions Toronto so desperately needs. You and your government had ten years to build subways in this city but you spent ten years running up instead. Now your transportation minister makes a new confusing announcement each week. You've spent ten years throwing away money we could have spent on subways. Why should transit riders trust you now? Thank you. Premier. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Well I think the member opposite should talk to the people in Brampton in Mississauga. The people who are taking the GO train from Kitchener Waterloo. The people who are taking the GO train from Barry. The people who are going to be taking the subway to York University Mr. Speaker. I think the member opposite should talk to those people about the investments that this government has made. The fact is that subsequent governments government after government in this legislature did not invest in transit or Mr. Speaker started to invest in transit and then filled in the holes Mr. Speaker. Since we came into this office the fact is that there are some contentious inconsistency from the city council of which the member opposite has a member. Mr. Speaker. We will continue to invest in transit. Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Premier you've recently indicated your support for a PC private members bill that would dismantle a long standing collective agreement between Alice Don and several building trades in this province. Your government has a record now of joining with the PCs to subvert and circumvent collective bargaining rights as it did last year with our province's teachers with the imposition of bill 115. Premier can you explain why the passage of a conservative private members bill custom bill for the benefit of a singular company is one of your key priorities. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and as I said yesterday when I was asked about this question by the press this is an anomalous situation that arose out of a decision that was made in the 1950s Mr. Speaker and my understanding of the private members bill is that it would rectify that situation and would actually level the playing field in terms of the construction industry in the province and to me Mr. Speaker it only makes sense for there to be some fairness in the system and so that's what this private members bill would do and in fact the next few years to approach the legislature to make this change so it's an anomaly that needs to be fixed in order to level the playing field Mr. Speaker. Thank you Speaker Premier you said that your tenure as the Premier was going to be different from your predecessor but it seems that bargaining rights in this province are no safer now than they were when Dalton McGinty was the Premier the people of the province of Ontario and they're concerned they're concerned when they see Liberals and Conservatives joining together working overtime to pass a bill that helps one single company especially when the women and men who work for that company have a major problem with this bill even the member from Lanark even the member from Lanark has a problem with this bill Premier why is it that you're so determined to team up with the Hootak Conservatives to ram this bill through the politics of trying to make this into an ideological fight that's not what it is Mr. Speaker it's a practical solution to an anomalous situation that happened many many years ago before the member was born I however was born and Mr. Speaker it needs to be corrected we need to make sure that there's a level playing field in the construction industry and I'm a practical politician Mr. Speaker I'm not going to get trapped in political rants because when there's a practical solution to a problem let's work on that and that's why Mr. Speaker we're supporting the private members bill Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities Minister as you know there are great many young people in my great writing of Oak Bridges Markham who attend post secondary institutions across the province some of these individuals are in tough and rely on the support of the Ontario Student Assistance Program or OSAP sometimes staying in school is still a struggle and we need to address the changing needs of our society Minister can you please tell me what steps the government is taking to increase accessibility to post secondary education in our province to ensure all students have the opportunities they need to succeed Thank you Minister Thank you Mr. Speaker I thank the member for an excellent question our government is very committed Mr. Speaker to making sure that our post secondary education system is accessible to all our students on the basis of ability to learn not ability to pay helping Ontario students with the cost of tuition is part of our plan to keep post secondary education accessible and affordable for all of our families that leads frankly to a stronger economy Mr. Speaker and it creates good jobs to introduce the 30% off tuition grant in January 2012 230,000 students across Ontario of low and middle incomes Mr. Speaker have benefited that's pretty spectacular Mr. Speaker it's a lot of help to our students since 2003 our investments have more than doubled the number of students qualifying for aid while enrollment has increased by 40% despite fiscal times this government will continue to ensure that students have access to affordable and high quality post secondary education for all of our students Thank you Mr. Speaker I'm pleased to hear that we are working to make post secondary education even more financially accessible to create equal opportunities for all students across Ontario each year in my great writing of Oak Ridge's Markham there are an increasing number of students preparing to enter their final year students need to know that on graduation they will have access to good jobs and have the assistance they need to pay off their loans however some students will still find it difficult to accomplish this promptly Minister what steps are being taken to support these students as they transition out of the post secondary system and into the workforce Thank you Mr. Speaker I want to thank the member for another good question while our students work towards obtaining a high quality education this is our responsibility to ensure that we provide necessary assistance after graduation that's why we've created the Ontario student opportunity grant to limit OSAP debt and the repayment assistance plan to reduce the burden on our students this program provides young people with income sensitive support during the repayment of their loans we've also created and we just announced this past summer the youth employment fund which is a long term employment through job placements that offer a chance to learn work skills experience the real workplace and earn an income at the same time our government remains committed to supporting young people as they work to build their lives and careers debt free in Ontario and Mr. Speaker we're going to keep doing everything we can through our youth job strategy ensure that our young people get a great start get into that workplace and help us build a stronger economy and for us into the future Thank you Mr. Speaker New question, Member from Cambridge Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Premier Premier you can stand here in this house and say that you've learned from your mistakes but the stark reality is that if you had the opportunity to cancel gas plants came along again you'd cancel them again stick taxpayers with the bill again and worry about the fallout afterwards after liberal backroom spin master canceling the Mississauga gas plant without knowing the full cost the Member from Nipissing answered it's no wonder the Liberals continue to raise taxes and shockingly Mr. Speaker the Member from Vaughan interjected and we win elections keep that Mr. Speaker this shows exactly how little regard the Member from Vaughan has for the taxpayers of this province that pouring $600 million down the drain is all in a day's work this is the culture of the Liberal Party if you win the election nothing else matters so Premier since you're busy dialing up the election rhetoric yesterday can you tell us what you have planned to buy votes in the next election Mr. Speaker I'd like to share with members a story of what happened to me this summer I was at a barbeque and a constituent came up to me and said you know on this gas plan issue I was shot to learn that both the Tories and the NDP wanted to cancel it as well you should tell that story Mr. Speaker so I plan to tell that story I have here a brochure for Marianne Monte Whalen the Ontario PC candidate she said the only party that will stock the Sherway power plant is the Ontario PC party on October 6 vote Ontario PC I have Jeff Yannisick Mr. Speaker the candidate in Mississauga south for the Conservatives and he said I quote the only Conservative leader Tim Houdak will cancel the eastern power gas plants slated to be built on Loreland Avenue and Mr. Speaker I can go on and I will in the supplementary because Mr. Speaker it was a promise they made and one that we capped Well I hope the Government House Leader told that person at that barbeque that you cited the gas plants that cost half a million dollars to cancel but back to the Premier the government is incapable coming clean to the public you're not transparent just because you use the word transparent actions speak louder than words and yours is a government that has tried to sell a myth a government that releases public numbers they knew to be low while concealing the true cost a government that says it wants to have all the answers but then stalls and respects what can be asked in committee a government that says the truth will be lost forever I have little interest in the number of documents you have handed over if 50 to 100 of the most incriminating have been deleted forever so Premier how can we believe anything you say when your actions are the exact opposite of your rhetoric government House Leader Mr. Speaker where's the emails on the 407 this is one of my favourite the text of the Mrs. Saga South PC candidate Robo Call they know a lot about Robo Calls over here hi there this is Jeff Yanisic your Mrs. Saga South Ontario PC candidate I'm calling about the McGinty Sousa power plant that the Liberal government decided to build in your backyard I'm against this power plant and as your MPP I will fight to stop the power plant from being built our team has been knocking has been out knocking on doors every single evening for several months talking about the power plant and making sure that we defeat the Liberals in this writing and put an end to their bad decisions Mr. Speaker the fact of the matter is that all parties in this House oppose that power plant they the PCs claim they were the only ones that would stop it Mr. Speaker we welcome the new member to their ranks from Etobicoke Lakeshore who himself opposed the power plant Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker 19 power plants were cited and 17 were done correctly Mr. Speaker thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Premier children's aid societies across the province are facing deep cuts to services following a $50 million cut by this government for the last five months some of our provinces most vulnerable children in Hamilton London Thunder Bay Niagara Waterloo and more than a dozen other communities are facing a future without the support they need my question is simple why does the government think it's okay to throw away hundreds of millions of dollars in gas plant scandals but cut services to our most vulnerable children services services services thank you for the question and we've had this discussion in this House in the last session with respect to the funding for the CAS across the province our funding for the CAS has not been cut we know that our investments still stand at $1.5 billion that budget has not been cut we know that we are implementing a new funding formula to make it more equitable to make it fair across the province in the past it has been based on historical expenditures we are now basing it on community factors socioeconomic factors and variables that will make it fair through this we are doing it in a fair way we are transitioning this across the province over the next five years these are changes that have been recommended by a commission these are changes that have been approved and recommended through the OACAS supplementary members from thank you speaker my question is to the minister as well in my well in writing a regionalized specialized facility for young people in foster care will be shut down in November resulting in the layoff of 20 of 45 staff this 37 year old facility has been a fixture in well and in Niagara and as the spokesperson for family and children services is reported as commenting the center was closed not because because it was not financially viable any longer to be clear this decision is not being made in order to improve outcomes for the 20 youth in this center home so what does the minister have to say to the youth to the family question to the workers and to the local long standing service who says it has no other choice but to close the doors thank you minister thank for that question let me reiterate that our priority is for our children our children that are in service now with respect to that are the kids are not being put at risk as are not being being glossed in this case the services and supports previously offered are going to be transferred to a nearby facility child protection services will not be affected the changes in the system will help create a more viable and sustainable child welfare system something that I think all of us are working towards so minister I think our overall provincial investment in this province it's not changing it remains the same we're making it fair across the province and we will always keep children at the center of all the decisions that we make with respect to funding in this province thank you thank you speaker my question is for the Attorney General I know that Ontario has been concerned about the non consensual distribution of intimate images for a number of years I also acknowledge that we have asked the federal government in 2011 to amend the criminal code to protect the people of Ontario from the harms of cyberbullying Mr. Speaker could the Attorney General please provide us with an update on the issue and what improvements our government has made in criminalizing the non consensual distribution of intimate images thank you Attorney General thank you very much speaker and I know that this member is concerned about this issue as we all are in this house it's I guess it's the result of technology this kind of situations have been are existing right now and something definitely should be done about this he's quite correct since 2011 both the Attorney Generals of the day as well as the Minister of Community Safety the Minister of Women's Issues have been calling upon the federal government to amend the criminal code to make the defence to distribute intimate photos or video recordings of a person without that person's consent the issue has been raised a number of times in federal provincial meetings I know I've had a a recent correspondence from the Minister of the Attorney General from Nova Scotia as well this issue will be raised again at our fall meetings and we hope that during this session of the federal parliament that this issue will be addressed and that a law will be made to make this an offence speaker thank you Supplementary thank you Speaker and I thank the Attorney General for that answer I'm happy to hear this government's continued commitment to amend the criminal code in order to make it an offence to distribute non-consensual images I know that taking action on this issue is a vital step in upholding this government's commitment to ensure our children are able to thrive in schools and communities that are safe, inclusive and accepting I understand that the Coordinating Committee of Senior Officials CCSO, Cyber Crime Working Group released a report along with recommendations on cyberbullying Attorney General please comment on the findings of the report Well he's quite correct the Coordinating Committee is a committee of senior officials in all the various ministries of the Attorney General around this country they've been working very diligently on behalf of the Federal Provincial Territorial Organization to deal with this issue they've come up with a report that recommends that a new criminal offence in order to address this issue I intend to take up this issue with the Federal Attorney General the new Attorney General Peter McKay as well within the near future we hope that the Federal Parliament will deal with this issue this year I think it has the support of all members of the Federal House as well it should be dealt with it's all about protecting our children and protecting our children especially in light of the tragic events that have occurred in various parts of this country over the last number of years so hopefully a bill will be passed federally so that we can deal with this issue once and for all Thank you Thank you very much Premier it's been three weeks since the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference where municipal leaders told you loud and clear that Ontario's broken arbitration system must be fixed there are beleaguered taxpayers can't afford a system awarding contracts that ignore the economic realities in communities like Skugog where firefighters received a 26.7% increase it's the top priority for municipalities and given the urgency I actually expected that you would table an arbitration reform bill yesterday on the first day that we're back in the legislature but just as you did when you voted against our capacity to pay act last spring you've let our municipal partners down so Premier can you tell me and mayors from small large communities to every corner of our province why arbitration reform isn't a priority for you Thank you very much Speaker and I thank the member opposite for asking this very important question an issue that I've been engaged in conversations with our municipal leaders as well all through the summer and especially at the AMO it's important that we remember some important information that will be helpful for all members as we chart a path forward on this important issue as for the most part Speaker the system that has worked 97% of agreements being reached without any labour disruption I think it's very important to remember that and we know that the majority of police and firefighter agreements are reached Speaker at the bargaining table without ever going to arbitration and that's something I think it's important we need to make sure Speaker of conditions for fair bargaining is always there at the table where municipalities and first responders are able to negotiate an agreement and provide those vital services to our communities Thank you Speaker I'm sorry Premier I'm sorry Minister that's not good enough it's actions not words that count we don't need another conversation we need to get to work Ontario PCs put a solution on the table in bill 44 last spring we handed AMO the pen and that bill contained everything that they wanted but you teamed up with the NDP to defeat AMO's bill our hostlier Mr Wilson he's committed that if you bring forward the terms contained in bill 44 we'll support it that's the arbitration bill that AMO and mayors wanted so I ask again will you make it happen while Speaker selective memory is something that I think we all suffer in this house once in a while I do want to remind this member that last spring in 2012 when we brought some very specific reforms to the interest arbitration system to make it timely fair and transparent that party the opposition party team toward the NDP and voted down those reforms their speaker a lot of the issues they're raising would have disappeared by now but we want to move forward we want to move forward we want to make sure that we are working very closely with AMO and fire and police we're bringing them together around the table so that we can have some healthy conversation so we can determine what's the right set of reforms that we can develop together and present to this house in the future thank you Speaker thank you Speaker my question is for the Minister of Energy for more than a decade consumers across this province have felt sticker shock after signing expensive long term energy contracts with energy retailers last week it was announced that the global adjustment which is added to consumers bills will double to 8.72 cents per kilowatt hour this means that families that are already feeling cheated by the shady tactics of these companies will be paying roughly 15 to 17 cents per kilowatt hour 24 hours a day nearly one third more than the peak price being charged to other consumers by hydro one my question is simple what steps will you take to help consumers Minister Mr. Speaker the Government of Ontario is very cognizant of pressures on the electricity rates across the province we've taken a number of very significant steps to protect the families across the province we've also got some very special considerations for people in the northern part of the province but the clean energy benefit Mr. Speaker generates a 10% discount off the bottom line of the family bills, electricity bills across the province of Ontario we actually have as well a Northern Ontario tax credit to assist people who have challenges meeting their electricity bills Mr. Speaker we are cognizant of the pressures on the government we've taken steps we're going to keep those programs in place Mr. Speaker and we'll go forward on that basis Minister electricity prices are high enough for those of us paying the market rate but for those who are stuck with energy retailers this really could be the straw that breaks the camel's back the government has made changes but the companies have just found new ways to sign up their hosts even an Ontario works administrator sign up dozens of our clients this needs to stop will the minister finally take the side of vulnerable consumers and put an end to the exploitive practices of energy retailers Minister of Energy Minister of Consumer Affairs serve Consumer Affairs I want to thank the member for the question and I'm always interested in hearing more about how we can protect consumers in Ontario I've actually been in discussions with the Minister of Energy about fair pricing for consumers fair consumer practices so that consumers know their rights and that they know they know exactly what they're purchasing I think we have a strong record in Ontario of fair market practices in this area but as I said I'm always open to discussions and happy to talk to the member for earlier thank you I've got a question this morning for the Minister of Northern Development of Mines in my writing of Oakville our constituents are starting to see the real benefits of a growth plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe by implementing this growth plan the province is creating conditions that bring a strong economy and a healthy environment and that will make this issue much different from those that are faced by Ontarians who live in Northern Ontario last month at AMO I had the opportunity to engage with Northern mayors and we talked about the growth plan for the Northern Ontario area will the minister please inform the house how government is working with Norrdeners to ensure the successful implementation of a growth plan specifically for Northern Ontario Good question for the question. Also for joining us last month at AMO in discussions with our Northern mayors and there's no question, Mr. Speaker, that certainly the government under Premier Nguyen wants to continue to ensure that our Northern communities remain on a positive track toward prosperity and growth. When Premier was in Thunder Bay last week we had a great job as Roundtable Premier with our leaders talking about growth plan priorities and certainly the engagement of our Northern mayors and stakeholders is absolutely crucial. We're going to continue to work to increase regional capacity building. That's hugely important in terms of the investment opportunities and just specifically in terms of the things that we've made investments we've made related to the growth plan. Annual funding of $100 million at Northern Ontario Heritage Fund to support projects that create jobs and invest that has been crucial. Certainly we have a regional economic opportunities partnership initiative, a speaker that will be supporting collaboration with the communities by providing enhanced funding to partnership proposals. We've also got the creation of the independent not-for-profit Northern Policy Institute, something Northerners called for, became part of our growth plan implementation as well as a multimodal transportation strategy which is hugely important and crucial particularly as we work to maintain a sustainable and efficient Ontario-Northern transportation commitment. So, we're very grateful for the opportunities we have to increase prosperity in Northern Ontario. Thanks Mr. Speaker, earlier at question period my leader was asking a question to the Premier in regards to expanding the scope of committee. I want to make this point at no time in that question was she calling into question your decision of yesterday, your decision regards to what you were deciding in regards to the discussions you had with Mr. Jean were the subject of your discussion yesterday. It is within the purview of this house, Mr. Speaker, within the purview of the standing orders by which the way that the committees have power. The committees are able to sit and do the things that they do because they're in the standing orders, but this house has the authority to be able to expand the scope of the committee and that falls within our right as members and I just want to put you on notice. You don't need to put me on notice because I will explain clearly to the member because he rose when he shouldn't have rose, rise. The matter of the alleged intimidation of the speaker had been dealt with. My perception, my perception was that the leader of the third party was going there and I asked her, well, you can stay and know all you want. I had a perception as speaker that the member was going there. I asked her to change or modify her question which she did and I'm thankful that she did do that and that's the point in which I stopped her to do it. So you do not need to put me on notice because I made the perception that she was going down a rude road that was already ruled on. So I'll leave it at that. The member from the committee and Carlton on a point of order. I do notice that my friend has left the gallery but Ed Sem is visiting from British Columbia. He's a former colleague of mine when we worked for Joe Clark many years ago. But second time around. Attorney General, I'm standing. We have a deferred vote on the motion from Ms. McCharles for second reading of Bill 55 and act to amend the Collective Agencies Act, the Consumer Protection Act 2002 and the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act 2002 and to make consequential amendments to other acts. Calling the members, this will be a five minute bell. Yeah, I would have helped. Members, take their sheets please. Members, take your sheets please. I thank you. On April the 23rd, Ms. McCharles moves second reading of Bill 55. All those in favor rise. Please rise one at a time and be recognized by the clerk. Ms. McCharles, Ms. Jeffery, Mr. Sousa, Ms. Wynne, Ms. Matthews, Ms. Matthews, Ms. Sandals, Mr. Hoskins, Mr. Quinter, Mr. Quinter, Mr. Bartolucci, Mr. Bardinetti, Mr. Dillon, Mr. Duga, Mr. Duga, Mr. Gravel, Mr. McMeekin, Mr. McMeekin, Mr. Chan, Mr. Chan, Ms. Peruzza, Mr. Murray, Mr. Shirelli, Mr. Shirelli, Mr. Lille, Mr.ians, Mr. Delaney, Mr. Delaney, Mr. Flynn, Mr. Flynn, Mr. Moro, Mr. Moro, Mr. McNeely, Mr. McNeely, Mr. Piethery, Mr. Muredi, Mr. Morirdi, Mr. Orzzetti, Mr. Kotow, Mr. Sedgio, Mr. Zarmareo, Mr. Nackvie, Mr. Zimmer, Mr. Zimmer, Mr. Valkerson, Mr. Albanese, Mr. Dixon, Mr. DIDXSON, Ms. Jazik, Ms. Hunter, Ms. Friazer, Mr. Congo, Ms. Deluca, Ms . Mr. Harris, Ms. Thompson, Mr. Yura, Ms. Scott, Ms. McCanna, Mr. McNaughton, Mr. Leone, Mr. Pettipies, Mr. Walker, Mr. McLaren, Mr. Nichols, Mr. Singh, Ms. DeNovo, Mr. Marquesi, Mr. Marquesi, Ms. Jellina, Ms. Taylor, Mr. Haddishka, Mr. Tavins, Ms. Forster, Ms. Campbell, Mr. Vanton, Mr. Shine, Ms. Armstrong, Mr. Mantha, Ms. Fyfe, Mr. Hatfield, Ms. Sattler, Ms. Polsky, I apologize, I won't have time to be naked tonight by the clerk. The ayes mean 96 and the nays mean 0. I declare the motion carried. Shall the bill be ordered for third reading? Ms. McCharles. We refer to the standing committee of the legislative assembly. Agreed. So ordered. There are no further diverged votes. This house stands adjourned until 3 PM this afternoon.