 It's now time for questions. The member from Renfrew, the member from Pembroke. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Premier, when the election was called, people across Ontario were still waiting to find out the facts about the billion-dollar gas plant scandal here in the province of Ontario. Now, you've apologized for the billion dollars over and over again. We understand that, but there's some unfinished business. Police investigation into criminal activity, possible criminal activity. We were waiting to hear at the Justice Committee from two very important witnesses, Peter Feist and Laura Miller. Now, Premier, I'm going to ask you this. When committees are reconstituted, will you ensure that we have the opportunity to interview and depose witnesses, Peter Feist and Laura Miller, who are central to this criminal investigation? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank the member opposite for the question. And I made it very clear during the election campaign, Mr. Speaker, that we believed that it was important that the Justice Committee should be able to complete its work, should be able to write a report, Mr. Speaker. As the member opposite knows, the committee had the opportunity to look at 400,000 pages of documents, Mr. Speaker, including 30,000 from the Premier's office. There were more than 70 witnesses that were in front of the committee, Mr. Speaker. So, really, I believe that it is very important that the committee have the opportunity to do the writing of that report so that the conclusions that it reached as a result of looking at all of those documents and hearing all that testimony will be in a report that can provide advice for the work forward. Thank you. Premier, I hardly think it's time for report writing when we have yet to hear from the two key witnesses. If Perry Mason found out that there was two eyewitnesses to the case, they would be hurt. Look that this report get written. It is not time to write the report. It is time to hear what Peter Feist and Laura Miller know. They are the central characters in this paper. They know what happened. We are talking about deleted emails, destroyed documents. This is a serious, serious case. You cannot put this off and say it's time to write the report. The people of Ontario have the right to know what happened. These people, they will not speak to the police as is their right. But they have said through their lawyers that they will testify before the Justice Committee. Will you not take the responsibility seriously and allow those witnesses to come before the Justice Committee? When I stand, nothing happens. Premier? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As a number of my colleagues on the side of the House have said, you are not Perry Mason, but your performance was worthy. There were some comments made by the member for Toronto Danforth on December 12, actually Mr. Speaker, last year. And he said at that time, I believe it's time for us to get down to report writing. We've amassed a large amount of evidence, both oral and in electronic copy. And at the same time, he made this motion, Mr. Speaker. I move that the Standing Committee on Justice Policy meet on the following days for the purpose of report writing, Mr. Speaker. So that was the member for Toronto Danforth on December 12, 2013. The member for Bramley-Gormel on April 29th of this year said, I move that the Standing Committee on Justice Policy begin report writing in open session. So Mr. Speaker, in fact, there were members of the committee who were fully apprised of what the committee had gone through, fully apprised of the information that the committee had in front of it who actually believed that it was time for report writing, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. I believe that I concur. Thank you. Final supplementary vote. Well, Mr. Speaker, I'm not pretending to be Perry Mason, but I will say this. At the time of that motion before the committee, Peter Feist and Laura Miller were not even known about. Nobody knew the role that they played. That was your premature, and you're wanting the people to hear what you want them to hear. But what the people really want to hear is what Peter Feist and Laura Miller had to do with this caper. They want to know what they're involved with, and who else is involved in this possible criminal activity? Yep, exactly. You have a responsibility, the Premier of this province. You have absolute power now. You've got your majority. You can compel this committee to see those two witnesses, so we will finally hear who might be responsible for the destruction of documents and the deletion of emails. I will maintain my request for decorum. New question? Remember from the PM, Carl? Oh, sorry. Let's all use our inside voices, please. Come on, House Leader. Thank you very much, Speaker. I thank the member opposite for his inspiring performance. Today we were missing him in the House, and I remind the opposite that he's also not the OPP speaker. There is a criminal investigation, as you're aware, in this matter. It is before the police. And I think it will be the prudent thing to do for all the members to let the police do its work. Speaker, in fact, I agree with what the leader of the opposition said on July 14, where he said that we'll have to rely on the OPP to do their business there. He was right, Speaker, and I urge the members to rely on the OPP to get the work done, and that is the most prudent course, and we should let the police do its job. Thank you very much. As subtle as it was, I would remind the House Leader and all members that we do not reference anyone's presence or absence in this place. I would ask the member from Prince Edward Hastings to allow me to try to get some decorum. Thank you. New question to the member from the Supreme Court. This question is also to the Premier. In this thrown speech, your government committed to Ontarians that would allow the Justice Committee to complete its work on the gas plant scandal. But as my colleague from Rep. Nipissim Pembroke pointed out, to date the Justice Committee has not been instructed to pursue that report writing. As well, the Liberals have made no effort to ensure two key witnesses and remaining witnesses, Laura Miller and Peter Feist, have come before the Committee. And I remind her that the NDP only asked for the report writing when they didn't expect there would be an OPP investigation into this government. So will the Premier live up to her promise and her commitment to the people of Ontario, strike the Justice Committee this summer and ensure that those two key witnesses appear before it? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I thank the member opposite for the question. Premier, as the Premier mentioned, the Justice Committee has been working on this issue for full two years. They have heard from 90 witnesses thus far on this very important issue. They have received about 400,000 documents to look at. 30,000 of those documents come straight from the Premier's office. Speaker, it is time for them to continue the work of writing report. They have ample information available to them. It is good time that they give advice to the government as to what steps can be taken to ensure that we have proper siting rules in place in the province of Ontario when it comes to large energy infrastructure. Thank you. I asked the Premier this question and I think it's important for her to answer Ontarians through this question. There are currently two ongoing open key investigations into your government, one at Orange and one here with the gas plant scandal. You may have given us 40,000 documents, but we need these two key witnesses to testify so that we can get the answers that we need, deserve and can continue to do the work that we've been asked to do by the public. I give the Premier credit as well as the former Premier credit for testifying before the committee and I'll also take her at her word that she wants to ensure that this will never happen again, but if the Premier truly believes that it is her job to prevent this from happening in the future, she will strike the committee this summer, she will ensure those two key witnesses appear before the committee, and she will allow the committee to report to this assembly. Therefore, I ask the Premier one final time, will you commit today to ensuring those two key witnesses appear before the committee and that is done this summer. Thank you very much, Speaker. As I mentioned earlier, there is ample information that has been provided to the committee. The committee has been doing fairly diligent work for full two years, and it is time that we get some guidance from the committee. In fact, even the members of the committee, as the Premier mentioned earlier, have started talking about report writing. In fact, there was a motion that was presented from the member from Toronto, Danforth, to do exactly the same, to start the work on report writing so that all the information that has been collected throughout the hearings can be used in a meaningful way to provide guidance to the government, and I really urge the members to start focusing on writing the report so that we can use that information for more useful purposes. Thank you very much, Speaker. Thank you, final supplementary. Again, back to the Premier. You made the commitment in your thrown speech that the committee would begin its report writing. That hasn't happened. You made a commitment to the public. This would never happen again, but you're refusing to allow us to talk to two very key witnesses. We are never going to get the $1.1 billion back that your government squandered in order to save five Liberal seats in the second-last provincial election. You promised us that that cancellation would only cost $40 million, and we found out that that wasn't true. So I ask you again, you made a commitment to the people of Ontario that you would allow the Justice Committee to pursue its report writing. You made a commitment to the people of Ontario that you wouldn't let this happen again. Why are you breaking the commitment? Why won't you live up to your obligations? Why won't you do what you said you would in your thrown speech? Please answer me. Government House Leader. Speaker, what the member opposite is asking is for us to insert ourselves into a police investigation. Speaker, that will be entirely an appropriate thing to do. Let the police do its work. They are the most capable ones to be able to accomplish that task. That's what we need to focus on, Speaker, and the committee needs to ensure that the evidence that they have collected, the information that they have gathered over the last two full years, with 400,000 pages of documents, over 90 witnesses who were testified that we now start the work of report writing, and I look forward for the Justice Committee to commence that work. Thank you, Speaker. New question, the Leader of the Third Party. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Yesterday the Premier said, and I quote, I welcome the Auditor General's questions. I welcome her scrutiny at any point, unquote. Yet the Premier is blocking new Democrats' calls for an independent report by the Auditor General on the Liberal's election budget, despite the growing questions about the gaps between rhetoric and reality. Gaps like the $1.1 billion hole where dedicated revenue funds for transit are supposed to be. Will the Premier acknowledge that the government has no intention of actually placing $1.1 billion annually from the gas tax into a dedicated legal entity like the Trillium Trust? Thank you. Well, Mr. Speaker, let me just say once again that we are committed to building transit. We are committed to putting money into the trust so that it can be clear to people what the projects are that we are going to build and what the money that's being spent on those projects, Mr. Speaker. And again, I think that what's happening is that the leader of the Third Party is looking for some reason not to support the budget. And just in terms of the general questions about our fiscal plan, Mr. Speaker, if the leader of the Third Party would read her own platform, she'd remember that she based her platform on our fiscal plan. She said, and I quote, we will balance Ontario's books by 2017-18 with significantly more fiscal space than the Liberal Plan. And she goes on to say our plan will provide an additional fiscal cushion of over $700 million annually. So she was using our plan as the foundation and she was going to... Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. The need for an independent review of the fiscal plan by the Auditor General is becoming clearer and clearer by the day. While the Premier claims to be dedicating billions of repurposed gas tax dollars to transit, she has chosen not to establish by law any dedicated transit funds in the public accounts. That raises, Red Flag Speaker. Will the Premier confirm that the Ministry of Finance still does not know how to account for the government's claims of dedicated funding or how much funding is actually going to flow for transit? Thank you, Speaker. I know that the Minister of Finance is going to want to comment on the specifics, but let's just listen to what's happening here. The fact is we made a commitment in our budget. We built a fiscal plan around investments in transit and transportation infrastructure across the province. They adopted it, Mr. Speaker. The leader of the third party and her colleagues adopted that fiscal plan. Then they said they were going to find $600 million more cuts, Mr. Speaker. But all the while they did not have a specific plan in addition to what we had put in place for building transit, Mr. Speaker. They did not have a plan that would build the infrastructure and the transportation infrastructure, transit and roads and bridges around the province, Mr. Speaker, that we know are so very necessary. We have that plan. We've got the pathway laid out for how we're going to do that, Mr. Speaker. I hope that is compelling enough argument that they will now vote for the budget and support that. Well, Speaker, the problem is that the Premier likes to talk about the path, but the path simply doesn't exist in the budget that she tabled here in this legislature. So my question remains to this Premier. Why won't she call on the Auditor General to conduct an immediate review and to address the questions like this one about the lack of a dedicated fund for transit for the repurposed gas tax dollars? Why she will not answer those kinds of questions that are swirling below the surface of her Trojan horse budget? Minister of Finance. So, Mr. Speaker, I think I just heard the member opposite from the third party saying that she wouldn't vote for the budget if it clearly states our support for the Auditor General. So on page 46, once the funds are established, the province would track new spending projects in street transparency and accountability for Ontarians. An online portal would report publicly on the project funding and implementation progress. On page 46, on page 180, we've outlined that the work we're doing on the reporting mechanism will work closely with the Auditor General to ensure accountability and transparency in the process. That's on page 180. On page 163, we state clearly, time and again, the government will not sell public assets for the purposes of meeting operating budget shortfalls. So, Mr. Speaker, we've said it's dedicated to infrastructure. We've clearly stated out on the budget. I now look forward to your support in the budget. Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport will come to order. You better start the clock. New question? My next question is also for the Premier. The Premier cannot brush off the questions that are being asked about the credibility of her fiscal plan. If she wants to dodge these questions, she should at least stop preventing the Auditor General from providing trusted and independent answers. Why won't the Premier allow the Auditor who has valuable expertise and experience to provide the public with the answers to the questions about what's really in her Trojan Horse Plan? I said repeatedly, I welcome the scrutiny of the Auditor General. The Minister of Finance has just gone over how we are clear that we want to work with the Auditor General as we set up this new process for investing in transit, Mr. Speaker, and transit transportation infrastructure. The Auditor General will do her work, she will report in the fall, Mr. Speaker, and as I say, we welcome that scrutiny. But Mr. Speaker, I think that it is very important that people understand that the fiscal plan that we put forward is exactly the fiscal plan that the NDP built their platform on, Mr. Speaker. They took the plan that we had put forward and then they said, we're going to find $600 million more in cuts, Mr. Speaker. So the fact is that the plan that we put forward is the one that they supported. I hope that they understand that and therefore will support our budget, Mr. Speaker. The fact of the matter is that this Premier, particularly this Premier, has talked a lot about dedicated transit funds. But with no legal guarantee that so-called dedicated transit funds will actually support transit projects, it's actually time to get the auditor's take on this fiscal plan. It's time to address the confusing gap between what the Premier says, what the finance minister says and what the budget actually does, Speaker. A gap that the Ministry of Finance officials are trying to figure out in the behind the scenes. Now, will the Premier call in the auditor to sort out the confusion for the public or not? So, Mr. Speaker, as we have said, the auditor general will do her work, will look at our plan, we have laid out clearly how we will engage her in terms of setting up these new processes. But Mr. Speaker, we're committed to building transit just as we are committed to a $2.5 billion jobs and prosperity fund. Just as we are committed to broader infrastructure investments, in fact, $130 billion in transit, transportation, schools, roads, bridges, hospitals, Mr. Speaker, all those public infrastructure investments that we know are so important for the economy. We're committed to $4.2 billion in school retrofits and bills. We're committed to a made in Ontario retirement pension plan. We're committed to increasing the rate of child benefit. We're committed to expanding student nutrition programs. I would have thought, Mr. Speaker, that the leader of the third party and her colleagues would have supported all those things, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, an open review of the assumptions, estimates and forecasts in this budget is the prudent and responsible thing to do. It's the way to promote transparency and confidence in our province. It's the way to protect our economy by providing the independent assurance to families, businesses and investors that they need to see. Why is this premier standing in the way of an independent review that can only provide clarity and help strengthen the confidence in Ontario's fiscal position? Mr. Speaker, what stood in the way of an independent review and a timely basis was an untimely call for an election, and that is what caused our problem. We are doing an audit on our books that's going to happen. It's going to come out in public accounts in the fall, so the auditor general will do her job. The member has already been advised that in the budget it talks at great lengths about how that transparency will work and the fact that it is dedicated funding to transit. So we're saying that's what it is. The auditor general will certainly support it after we put it forward, but more importantly the member opposite talks about that very critical, and that is an accountability officer which we were prepared to put forward, they delayed it, they called an election, now we have to put that in place as well, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. My questions to the Minister of Health. Minister, would you agree that it is a fundamental responsibility of the provincial government to ensure that all Ontarians have the fastest ambulance response times possible? I would. Thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, I can't help but think that this may be a trojan horse question. So I am anxiously awaiting the supplementary just to see where the member opposite is going on this, and of course having the best possible ambulance service in Canada, indeed in the world, is our aspiration as a government. It's important that individuals across this province when they have the need or a family member has the need for that type of service that they have access and I want to use the opportunity because I am certain the member is going to provide shine some more light on this in a moment, but I want to commend Mr. Speaker, the 7,000 paramedics across this province for more than 1,600 ambulances that they are working through and with many, many healthcare workers that do an excellent job every day providing that service for Ontarians. Thank you. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. In fact, I'll give you a bit of credit here. Your government did take steps to streamline dispatch in the region of Niagara in 2005 and as a result local officials were able to shave two minutes off emergency response times. The region of Waterloo has put forward a similar proposal yet your government has stood in the way of this life-saving solution for more than two and a half years. Former Waterloo Region Police Chief Larry Greville found that by moving forward with the region's plan to bring all dispatch centers under one roof local officials could improve ambulance response times by one minute and 16 seconds. Minister, why does your government think that improving ambulance response times in Niagara Region makes sense but not in Waterloo Region? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do appreciate the question and as the member opposite no doubt knows that the province is responsible for dispatch municipalities have responsibility for operating our emergency medical services and it's important that this partnership work extremely well and it also be a seamless operation so at the end of the day we have to look at the patient experience and ensure that what we're providing as a service in a coordinated fashion is indeed providing that high quality service that Ontarians should and need to expect. I'm happy to look into this I know that there are several jurisdictions that want to or are having this conversation with my ministry and I'd be happy to follow up on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the minister for Panparapan Games. Infrastructure Ontario is a crown corporation wholly owned by the government of Ontario. In other words, the people of Ontario. Our responsibility for infrastructure Ontario is to manage delivery for the people of Ontario. We have just learned that infrastructure Ontario is now threatening to withhold $89 million for overseeing the construction of the Hamilton Stadium because construction is not on schedule and the stadium wasn't done in time for the July home games of the current tenants, the Hamilton Tiger Cats and probably, Speaker, won't be done for all of August. Speaker, will the minister tell Ontarians how this on budget, on time project now has to have the government step in and threaten to withhold payment to the foreign private contractor it picked if the contractor doesn't pull it together and get this job done? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The minister responsible for economic development, trade and infrastructure. Minister of economic development It's a long title. The challenge I have with this is your position, your party's position comes to AFP projects. Mr. Speaker, the idea of AFP projects and the new way that infrastructure Ontario does these projects is it takes the onus off the taxpayer and places it on the contractor. You oppose that, Mr. Speaker. It's ironic that you would ask this question because if you had your way the taxpayers would be on the hook for any cost to delay. The way that infrastructure Ontario has wisely put this contract forward takes the taxpayers off the hook. The goodness Two things. Questions to the chair, answers to the chair which prevents the member from Hamilton East Tony Creek being asked by me to come to order. I'll certainly comply with that. I don't know if that'll help but I'll certainly comply with that, Mr. Speaker. The good news here is the Hamilton Tiger Cats will soon be in a brand new spanking stadium, Mr. Speaker. Something that we all can be very proud of and celebrate. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker. We also learned that the city of Hamilton has agreed to intervene with your people that aren't doing the job and the contractor to press the issue of the million dollar contractual obligation made to the Tiger Cats for every home game they've missed. The city of Hamilton realizes that the seriousness of this problem Ontarians realize it. It's not just clear if the minister realizes it. Speaker, where's the accountability? Will the minister guarantee that the penalty paid to the Tiger Cats for every home game they missed due to construction delays will not be underwritten by Ontarians? Don't forget, Speaker, to the minister. They're going back to Spain. Good luck trying to collect it in international court. Mr. Speaker, the only guarantee here is that had we have listened to the member opposite party when it comes to these kind of infrastructure projects, Ontario taxpayers would be on the hook for any delay costs, Mr. Speaker. And the fact is the way these contracts are done are written, Ontario taxpayers are not on the hook. That's good news to Hamilton taxpayers. It's good news to Ontario taxpayers. It's also good news, Mr. Speaker, that the record of infrastructure Ontario when it comes to these kind of projects is almost unheard of around the world. 29 out of 30 projects that they've done through the AFP process have been on time and on budget, Mr. Speaker. That's a pretty good record. At the end of the day, this project will get built in time for the games, which is priority number one, and in time for the Tiger Cats to run on to the field and celebrate a brand new stadium. The member from Hamilton East Oni Creek is warned. And the minister from Aboriginal Affairs will come to order. New question. Mr. Speaker, my question is also to the Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure. Minister, Ontario's economy continues to grow, creating jobs and business opportunities for Ontarians. The global economic environment although showing signs of recovery remains challenging. This means that in a highly competitive world, we have to work tirelessly to create conditions for our companies and people to succeed both now and in the future. We must build on our momentum and move forward with a balanced approach to grow the economy and create more jobs for Ontarians. I know that my constituents and Halton, along with residents across Ontario want to know what this government is doing to ensure a robust and competitive future for Ontario's economy. Mr. Speaker, through you to the Minister, could the Minister state the House on how the government will help Ontario's economy foster competitiveness and innovation and create jobs? Thank you. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member for this very important question. There's no question. Our government's top priority is to grow our economy and create good jobs in every region of the province. Mr. Speaker, our efforts have helped make Ontario number one in North America for foreign direct investment to build on that success. That's why as part of the 2014 budget our government introduced the new 10-year $2.5 billion jobs and prosperity fund. This fund follows up on a recommendation from Don Drummond to consolidate cross-government business support programs to create a more coordinated, one-winder approach with consistent accountability and measurement systems. The fund will improve Ontario's ability to attract significant business investments and support our future economic growth in the regions around the world compete fiercely for these investments. This government is absolutely committed to competing and winning in the global economy. Thank you. Stop on the tree. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure for the update. My constituents will be pleased to hear that our government is moving forward with key initiatives that will help grow Ontario's economy, foster competitiveness and innovation Minister, the agri-food industry is an important contributor to our economy. Ontario food processing companies provide jobs for close to 96,000 people. In my writing of Halton we are fortunate to have a strong food processing sector. For example, Dare Foods Limited continued to produce innovative, high-quality products for consumption around the world. But Minister, Ontario's food processing faces intense competition from other jurisdictions, both North America and internationally. Many of my Halton constituents want to know how the Jobs and Prosperity Fund will assist those trying to provide quality food in a competitive economy. Speaker, can the Minister please provide details on how the Jobs and Prosperity Fund will ignite job creation? Minister Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs, please. Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I bought my feet this morning. I had the opportunity last Tuesday to visit the community of Tecumseh and visit the Bondiwell company that was devastated by a fire last Friday. And I want to thank the member from Halton for a question. In fact my brother and sister-in-law, Doug and Jane live in the great community of Milton and they know that in Milton the food industry is an important contributor to the economy. We look forward to what our 2014 budget is approved this afternoon. The $40 billion for food processing to province of Ontario to build on the $34 billion that the agri-food sector contributes to Ontario's GDP 740,000 jobs in that sector. And I look forward to working with the member from Halton for even more jobs in this sector, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much, Speaker. Good morning. My question to the Minister of Energy. Good morning, Minister. Every day I see a lot of companies in my riding and across the province crunch numbers to compare the cost of operating in Ontario to other jurisdictions. Good paying jobs that built our province and support communities like Brockville hang in the balance of these calculations. And with our industrial electricity costs among the highest in North America, Ontario's competitive advantage has disappeared along with those jobs. But there is still a lot of work to be done to maintain our manufacturing base. Can you tell the manufacturing workers still employed in my riding who are worried about their future why you stubbornly refuse to import cheap green hydro power from Quebec? First of all, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question. The member will remember our budget that we introduced in May in which we reintroduced and hopefully we'll be finished today. Mr. Speaker, this is an industrial electricity incentive program, Mr. Speaker, which actually uses our surplus energy to incent new businesses to establish here in Ontario and expand existing businesses. Mr. Speaker, that gives them in excess of a 25% reduction on their industrial electricity rates in the province of Ontario. We've already done a number of these programs, Mr. Speaker, and we've taken up 100%. We're expanding the program, Mr. Speaker, and it is creating jobs in eastern Ontario and every other part of the province, particularly in northern Ontario, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Speaker back to the minister. Minister, the infrastructure exists for us to get this cheap power. You know that because you already use it to pay Quebec to take our expensive excess wind power. A lack of buyers here isn't the problem. It's you clinging to a failed ideology. Put away your comments about your programs and let's deal with what's happening in the real world. Jobs are vanishing and I fear there's worse news to come for our economy and in my riding if you continue to do nothing about these increased rates. Meanwhile, manufacturers in Quebec enjoy electricity prices 55% lower than ours. When is the light bulb going to come out there? How many more manufacturing jobs do we have to lose? Put away your failed plans and start negotiating with Quebec. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, the member might know that Ontario and Quebec are already significant electricity trading partners. In fact, Mr. Speaker, Ontario can import power from Quebec when it is cost effective to do so and the member should also know that Quebec has the need for Ontario power. This January, Mr. Speaker, over a period of four or five days, Quebec did not have enough power to serve its own population and they were importing some of our surplus power, Mr. Speaker. They have electric heating across the province, Mr. Speaker. In fact, the member should know and he's not listening, Mr. Speaker. The member is not listening, Mr. Speaker. He should know that our long-term energy plan has a provision in it that requires us to start discussions between Quebec and Manitoba and Quebec with respect to more energy trading. He should also know, Mr. Speaker, that takes significantly more infrastructure in terms of transmission and interties at significant costs to make it happen. Mr. Speaker, we're very, very responsible on this issue. Thank you for your question. The member from London West. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Labour. He does not exist in Ontario and he is not sure if this is a growing problem. Speaker, the thousands of young people in this province who are asked to work for free after they graduate know that unpaid internships exist and the thousands of Ontarians who agree that this government needs to take action know that the problem has increased since the recession. Speaker, how can the Minister deal with an issue when he refuses to acknowledge this? Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member for this important question again. Let me be very, very clear what we're saying in the province of Ontario that is if you perform work for somebody else in the province of Ontario they derive a benefit from that work you're entitled to get paid under the Employment Standards Act. What I would have said, Speaker, is that unpaid internships are illegal. There's no such thing as an unpaid internship. What there is is a job in the province of Ontario that you're entitled to receive paid for you get coverage under the Employment Standards Act as much as anybody else in the province of Ontario we've been out on a blitz on this we respond to phone calls we respond to anonymous tips if there's anybody in the province of Ontario right now that is performing work and is not being paid please call contact the Minister of Labor we will enforce the act we will ensure that these people get the coverage they deserve and need. Speaker, there are estimates that as many as 100,000 people are working as unpaid interns in Ontario. There are too many employers who are ignoring their obligations under the Employment Standards Act or are not aware of them. There are too many unpaid interns who are desperate for any kind of work experience and are fearful of lodging a complaint Speaker, unpaid internships are ethically wrong and they are bad for the economy. Will the Minister commit to amending the Employment Standards Act to prevent the exploitation of unpaid internships? Thank you again for the supplementary question. On average the Ministry of Labor receives about 18,000 employment standards claims per year and we act on each and every one of them. We do the investigation and we ensure that everybody in the province of Ontario that is performing work for somebody else and that person is receiving a benefit from that work. That person is covered under the Employment Standards Act. We had a blitz that started April 1 of this year. It was a 10 week blitz. It ended in the middle of June Speaker. We expect to have the results of that available very, very shortly. We'll be acting on that as well. But during every single all proactive inspections that are done in workplaces in the province of Ontario today the issue of illegal unpaid internships is raised and investigated. It's something we're very proactive on. Something we're very concerned upon. And I'm quite happy to work with the member on the private members bill to ensure that whatever coverage we can give to these young people is given. Any questions? The member from Kingston in the audience. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Associate Minister of Health in long term care with responsibility for long term care and wellness. There's no better time than the summer to go outside to get active and to stay fit. And since healthy kids grow up to be healthy adults, it's especially important for young Ontarians to put that video game controller or shut the computer down and get outdoors. I have two teenagers and know only too well how difficult it is to motivate our children to make the right choices for their health. Yet thousands of Ontarians try to do just that every day whether it's parents taking their kids to the beach or volunteers at a summer camp. My question for the minister through you Mr. Speaker is what is our government doing to help parents and communities keep kids active and healthy. Thank you Minister Associate Minister of Long term care and wellness. Thank you Speaker. I'd like to begin by thanking the member from Kingston and the Islands for her question and like you, I also have a teenage daughter and I'm very concerned and motivated to ensure she grows up to be having healthy habits. The fact is that the habits that we get in our childhood are the ones that endure. So if we want our children to grow up to be healthy kids, we have to give them a healthy start. And that's one reason we have so much on our youth and on our school children. One such fund that we have that we are continuing to invest in is the Healthy Communities Fund. This fund was established in 2009 to support grassroots locally driven wellness initiatives. The fund helps communities plan and deliver programs that improve the health of Ontarians particularly high risk and underserved population with a special focus on our youth. To motivate Canada's Activate Ontario Youth Initiative, this project trains young leaders to play an active role in improving physical activity, self-esteem, and youth leadership. Thank you, Minister. Speaker, this sounds like exactly the initiative that will encourage kids to stay physically active. There is nothing quite like being physically active when it comes to increasing confidence and engaging our youth in their communities. I am proud to represent a university town where there are many young leaders who are looking for work in their community. So I know that young people in my writing would be interested to know more about initiatives like this. I know that many parents like myself and yourself realize that reaching out to young people and getting our youth involved can sometimes be difficult. Could the minister, through you, Mr. Speaker, tell this house how these initiatives are reaching out to young people? Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Speaker. And again, the member for Kingston Islands asks a very pertinent question. I'm pleased to tell her and this house that the initiatives supported through our Healthy Communities Fund have been remarkably successful at engaging young people at all ages. Since 2009, the fund has provided almost 14 million to 81 organizations to deliver health and wellness projects. More than 300,000 Ontarians have benefited from these initiatives. To give you another example, the Federation de la Genes Franco Ontarian Youth Healthy Living Initiative is reaching out to young Franco Ontarians to provide education and resources to young people who are living and active living. And 80 cities, doable neighbourhood projects are small scale interventions to improve the health of our young and we will continue to invest in this. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Your government keeps pushing through a proposal in my writing to build eight 500 foot tall wind turbines that will be built in the north of the city of Calingwood Regional Airport and on the flight path of the Clearview Airport, despite opposition from surrounding municipalities and despite safety warnings from the airport boards and pilots. Airport Board Chair, Calingwood Airport Board Chair and engineer Charity Tatum has told provincial officials that the location of the turbines will be built hitting a wind turbine near the airport. If this project goes ahead, it won't be a question of if there will be deaths, it will be a question of when those deaths occur. So Premier, I ask you again, is it still your plan to allow this project to go ahead despite vast opposition from the community and the dangers that it will create? Premier. I thank the member for the support. The member will know that under an existing contract, we cannot simply unilaterally cancel that contract, Mr Speaker. It has a lot of the repercussions to do so, Mr Speaker. We do have a process, Mr Speaker. I will refer the supplementary to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, but there are federal regulations as well, Mr Speaker, that deal with airports. They are in play here, in one other circumstance. The federal government has required the moving of the turbines because of safety concerns, Mr Speaker. There is a process for that, and I will refer that to the Minister of the Environment, Mr Speaker. Supplementary. I'll just say to the Minister, but my question is really to the Premier and I'll address her in a moment, but Minister, this airport isn't registered in the same way. Neither airport, Clearview One, is neither calling what isn't happening. There are no rules. This goes back to when Chris Bentley said to me there were all kinds of rules and federal regulations and that, and he said no, do your homework, and I guess nobody in your department is doing their homework because the fact of the matter is there's no rules because nobody thought a government would be so stupid as to put 500-foot wind turbines on flight pass to airports. Premier, you appeared in the writing of your leadership campaign. You were interviewed and you said three things. The Green Energy Project should not be allowed to move ahead in face of community opposition that an airport shut down because of wind turbines doesn't make sense, and you committed to review the situation at the Collingwood Airport. It's been a year and a half since you made that commitment. What's happened with the review? We've certainly heard nothing. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. If the member was a little less confrontational and had a little more humility for his party, we could get this resolved. Mr Speaker, this should be and is a federal responsibility and there are guidelines for airports and the federal government, and this is not an Ontario issue, my friend. It is a national issue because this problem has come up in other provinces with other types of structures. The ministry is reviewing that right now. I have already met, Mr Speaker, with a number of I've already met with a number of and I control your voice and I'm going to remind all members you do not use anyone's name other than their title or their writing. It's got to stop. Just a wrap up, please. Thank you very much. So we're approaching the federal government. I'm very happy to sit down after the question periods and sit down with the member. If he actually wants to resolve this issue, I'm happy to work with him. If he's trying to play political football with it, Mr Speaker, that doesn't help this. This is a problem that ministers of the environment and ministries of energy across Canada right now are trying to work on a framework. The federal guidelines are very soft and problematic and we need Thank you. Mr Speaker, my question is to the premier as you should know next Tuesday is a running of the 79th Prince of Wales stakes at the Fordy race track. Last year's race attracted over 10,000 spectators and again this year with 11 horses already confirmed to run in the Prince of Wales. They are expecting close to 12,000 fans from across Ontario and the United States. I've been proud to stand here in this year, time and again, to speak of the importance of the track to the community, the Niagara region, including St. Catharines. Will the premier join me on Tuesday, July 29th for the Prince of Wales stakes to see how important the race track is to the community and the Niagara region. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Well, first of all, let me just say how thrilled I am that there is racing at Fordy. The race season at the track this year and there is a racing season, Mr Speaker. We made that happen. I want to commend the community, the community that worked hard, partnered with us and made that happen, Mr Speaker. I have less than no control over my calendar, Mr Speaker in terms of where I will be but I really appreciate the invitation. I know how important the track is to the community, Mr Speaker and I certainly appreciate the member extending the invitation. Thank you. I'm guessing that that might be a no but I'll go to this because I want to answer your question. There are 1,000 direct and indirect jobs tied to the Fordy race track. It is a cornerstone of this community. A few months ago a few months ago, the audio general said that the slots of the race track program was cancelled without proper planning, without proper community consultation and without any consideration of what this would do to the tracks like Fordy or the local economy and two-year response. We need to re-instate the slots of the race track program and increase the racing schedule from 37 days to at least 74 because you can't run the track and protect 1,000 jobs with 37 days. With the Premier sit down with the representatives from the race track and the Fordy community and work out a plan to assure a long term. Thank you. Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs. Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. I'm very pleased to answer the question from the member from Niagara Falls. Of course, we have put in place a five-year, $500 million program to support a very important industry in rural Ontario. Whether it be thoroughbred racing, standard bred racing or quarter horse racing. I had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the horse racing industry at the Queen's Plate a couple weeks ago which is the first leg of Canada's triple crown. We look forward to seeing a big crowd at Fordy next week for the second leg of Canada's triple crown and then the third race will be how it went by later. Mr. Speaker, I want to forward the house. Our course is the 50th anniversary of Northern Dancer winning the Queen's Plate perhaps Canada's most renowned racehorse and all of us celebrate the good news in Ontario's horse racing industry as we brought that industry back. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Associate Minister of Finance. Minister, generations of Ontarians have been well served by the Canada However, for many of my constituents in Etobicoke Lakeshore and across the province we know that a pension gap has emerged. Mr. Speaker, the time has come to close that pension gap, particularly for middle income earners with no access to workplace pension plan. Last December, provincial finance ministers from across the country came together and called on the federal government to collaborate on moving forward with an enhancement to the CPP. Unfortunately Mr. Speaker, the federal government has made it clear they're not willing to take action on this issue. As a result, the Ontario government has decided to move forward with a made in Ontario retirement pension plan. Mr. Speaker, through you to the minister can you please make it clear to this house why this government decided to move forward with an Ontario pension plan rather than waiting for the federal government to finally come to the table on CPP enhancement? Associate Minister of Finance, thank you Speaker and thank you to the hardworking member from Etobicoke Lakeshore who's already making such a difference in this legislature. Indeed, this is a serious gap. The fact of the matter is that the middle class is not saving enough for retirement. Our objective with the Ontario retirement pension plan is to build Ontario up. We know that two thirds of Ontarians don't have a workplace pension and voluntary measures are simply not enough. This is not enough to survive on. The maximum benefit is $12,500. Economist David Dodge report shows that this is an economic imperative. The ORPP will allow for a predictable stream of income that future retirees can depend on when they need it most. Enhancing the CPP is the preferred option but the federal government has unilaterally blocked CPP enhancements. Mr. Speaker, Ontarians expect leadership and we will lead the way with the Ontario retirement pension plan. Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the Minister for thoughtful and detailed response. I'm pleased to hear that Ontario is leading the way moving ahead with the Ontario retirement pension plan. I've spoken with many of my constituents who are genuinely concerned they will not be able to save enough for their retirement. Many of my elderly constituents are concerned about my daughter's generations future. Youth in this province are more likely to be working for multiple employers throughout their lifetime which can lead to a patchwork of workplace pension coverage or no coverage at all. Mr. Speaker, if they're lucky enough to be part of that one-third of Ontarians who do get access to work-based pension plan that might still not be enough. Mr. Speaker that's why many of my constituents are concerned about the design and implementation of the ORPP because they know that's the way it's built and implemented will also affect businesses. Mr. Speaker through you to the Associate Minister of Finance can you please explain to the House how the ORPP will affect businesses. Thank you Mr. Speaker the ORPP is an enhancement to our economy and it will support 3 million Ontarians that live to save. It's about ensuring everyone has a secure, stable retirement with a predictable stream of income. Our government will provide leadership on this. We will support Ontarians in saving through a new ORPP. We will consult widely with people including business. We're listening to businesses concerns. We've struck a technical advisory group that's providing input. We've sought the advice of former Prime Minister Paul Martin and we have an introduction lead Mr. Michael Norbrega, former CEO of OMERS. We will introduce a plan in 2017 to coincide with a phase down of EI premiums and we will phase in the introduction starting with the largest businesses first. This is about leadership this is about building Ontario up and providing for those in their retirement years. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker Thank you Mr. Speaker A question to the Minister of Health. My consistency office in Sturmont as in South Congarier receives daily enquiries from residents who are having difficulties accessing health services that they deserve. Some families have registered with Health Connect for more than four years and they're waiting for a doctor. Numerous constituents who require long-term care facilities for a family member are forced to wait years to have their needs met. In fact according to the Auditor General waiting almost three years for bed. The Minister, according to the Champlain Lynn, my riding in Stormont-Dendas in South Conguery is oversupplied with both physicians and long-term care beds. Minister, clearly your data does not add up. When will you get serious about meeting the needs of my constituents? For either your data is wrong, or they are not doing a really bad job with this oversupply. Thank you. Minister of Health, long-term care. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question from the member opposite who may not know that we made an important commitment in our platform, which is a commitment to provide every Ontarian with a primary care provider. We're almost there. And we're almost there. In fact, more than 90% of Ontarians have access to a primary care provider. And I understand that as we continue the transformation or action plan for health care and moving more services closer to where people need them and require them, that best quality care, timely care, and transfer, quite frankly, Mr. Speaker, more of that care into the community, whether it's home care, long-term care that was referenced by the member opposite. We will continue to make sure that we get that balance right. Because at the end of the day, it's important for us to make sure that we're providing that quality of care as close to home as where people need it and ensuring that it's of the highest quality. Thank you, supplementary. Back to the minister. Minister, the facts are clear. The land is stated that we have enough long-term care beds to meet requirements beyond 2030. By which time, according to the Auditor General, the population over 75 is subjected to increase by almost 50%. He also stated the constituents in Eastern Ontario are waiting up to three years for a long-term care bed, the worst in the province. Minister, when my constituents come into my office because they have a loved one who can't be placed in a long-term care facility or find a local practitioner, they are insulted with your ministry that says our writing is oversupplied with both physicians and long-term care beds. When will you address the problem and provide the health care that we are paying for and that we deserve? Thank you. Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And we are making those investments. We're making those investments in long-term care, but in fact, we've seen a decrease in the wait times for long-term care across the province, specifically because we're investing more in home and community care, where the member opposite, I'm sure, agrees that when appropriate, it's much better to support individuals and their families in their home or as close to home as possible. That may be a long-term care facility, Mr. Speaker, but often it isn't. It might be a residential setting, a retirement home, a home care environment. And of course, for those times when they do need a higher level of supervision and support, we provide that. But I just encourage the member opposite, partly we're investing and it was in our budget, to invest more in home and community care. I would hope that the member opposite would support our budget and vote for it today, because those are the kinds of investments that we need to do to do precisely what the member opposite has asked us to do, Mr. Speaker. Do you have a question for the member from Nickelodeau? Mr. Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the premium. The province canceled the slot at racetrack program and announced a bold plan to build casinos. The government certainly moves fast at canceling the slot at the racetrack, like at Sudbury Downs. And we suffered immediately. The province said it would issue a request for proposal in 2012, but we're now July of 2014. There is no sign of an RFP, and there certainly are no casinos. In Southern Ontario, the RFP for casino operator must include horse racing. The premier said that she was thrilled that they were racing at Fort Erie, but in Northern Ontario, there is no racing. Sudbury Down has been canceled. 100 jobs have been lost along with terrible blows to the agriculture industry. The question is simple. Will the premier give Northern Ontario the same deal it give Southern Ontario and make sure that the casino operator in Sudbury includes horse racing? Thank you. Minister of Agriculture for rural affairs. Minister of Agriculture for food and rural affairs. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member from Nickel Belt for this question. I did have a discussion with her earlier this week. Sudbury Downs, Mr. Speaker, was offered a fair deal in their negotiations with the Ontario Racing Commission as part of the overall partnership plan. For reasons unknown to me and there was a question with regards to horse supply for Sudbury Downs, I did indicate to the member that we would take a second look at Sudbury Downs in terms of the 2015 racing season. I did take the opportunity to talk to John Snowblin, who was part of, along with John Wilkinson at Elbury Buchanan, and that put in place the five-year, $500 million plan for horse racing in Ontario. We've moved ahead of the file, and I'll certainly get back to the member with regards to Sudbury Downs. We have a deferred vote on the motion of third reading of Bill 14, an act to implement buzzer measures and to enact and demand various acts. Calling the members, this will be a five-minute bill. All members, take their seats, please. All members, take their seats, please. See what you've done. See what you've done. On July 23rd, Mr. Nackley Mood, third reading of Bill 14, all those in favour of please rise. One at a time, be recognized by the court. Mr. Shurelli. Madame Mayor. Ms. Wynn. Ms. Matthews. Mr. Hoskins. Ms. Sandals. Mr. Dugud. Ms. McCharrals. Mr. Quinter. Mr. Cole. Mr. Toccar. Mr. Bwardinetti. Mr. Dillon. Mr. Quadri. Mr. Orzetti. Mr. Gravel. Mr. McMecan. Mr. Murray. Mr. Chan. Mr. Moriti. Mr. Cotto. Mr. Leal. Mr. Flynn. Mr. Zimmer. Mr. Delaney. Mr. Balfasen. Ms. Albanese. Mr. Dixon. Ms. Manga. Mr. Crack. Ms. Wong. Ms. Hunter. Mr. Sergio. Mr. Moro. Ms. Jassek. Mr. Del Ducca. Ms. Dahmerloch. Mr. Fraser. Mr. Anderson. Mr. Baker. Mr. Balor. Mr. Dung. Ms. Kuala. Ms. Kuala. Ms. Malie. Ms. Martin. Ms. McGarry. Ms. McMahon. Mr. Miltjen. Ms. Nadu Harris. Mr. Potts. Mr. Rinaldi. Mr. Rinaldi. Ms. Brineal. Mr. Arna. Mr. Hardiman. Mr. Hardiman. Ms. McLeod. Ms. Elliott. Ms. Elliott. Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson. Mr. Yacobusky. Mr. Yacobusky. Mr. Hudak. Mr. Hudak. Mr. Miller-Parisan-Mascocca. Mr. Miller-Parisan-Mascocca. Mr. McNaughton. Mr. McNaughton. Ms. Jones. Ms. Jones. Mr. Barrett. Mr. Baylor. Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith. Ms. Harris. Ms. Matao. Ms. Matao. Mr. McDonnell. Mr. McDonnell. Mr. Bissau. Mr. Bissau. Ms. Doni Cree. Ms. Miller-Hamilton-East-Doni-Cree. Ms. Sadler. Ms. Sadler. Ms. Taylor. Ms. Taylor. Ms. Armstrong. Ms. Armstrong. Mr. Sainz. Ms. Foster. Ms. Forrester. Ms. Campbell. Ms. Campbell. Mr. Hatfield. Mr. Hatfield. Ms. Gates. Ms. Gates. Ms. Gretzky. Ms. French. being 37 I declare the motion carried. Bill 12th of next year pose it a lot. Be it resolved that the bill do not pass and be entitled as in the motion. The member from Brampton wants on a point of order. Mr. Speaker we have some special little people visiting here my kids, Sajid, Robin and Todd and as well my niece, Meenies and Nethny, we visit from India. Just before I make this proclamation I want to thank all members and again I'm not making assumptions but if there are assumptions to be made I wish all of you a safe and happy summer with your families and also know that I know and we all know that that you work very hard in your constituency offices during the times in which the house is not sitting and I wish you safe safety with you and your families. Debates this house no further votes this house stands adjourned until 1 p.m. this afternoon.