 So, it's now time for question period. The member from Renfrew, Nicholson, September. Thank you very much, Speaker Nightwood, too, at this time on behalf of our leader, Patrick Brown and the PC Caucus. Like to offer our congratulations to Prime Minister-elect Justin Trudeau for his victory last night. We wish him the very best in governing Canada. I would also like to congratulate Thomas Mulcair and Prime Minister Harper for their campaigns, and thank Stephen Harper for his 10-year service of Canada. Question? Thank you. To the Minister of Energy. For years now, we in the opposition have warned about the dire consequences due to the government's reckless handling of the energy system. Families and businesses cannot afford liberal energy policies, yet the government continues to go down the same path. Last week, those fears were confirmed again when a substantive increase in hydroids was released under the cover of Thanksgiving constituency week. Ontarians are tired of the Liberal government not being open and transparent with them about their hydro bills. Speaker, will the Minister admit that the reason the government always releases these numbers when the House is not sitting is that they recognize how damaging these increases are to families and to the province's economy, and it underlines their disastrous management of our electricity system? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, the member knows that our 2013 long-term energy plan projected rate increases over a 20-year period, and that the increases announced last week are below those projections, Mr. Speaker. In addition, Mr. Speaker, the member knows we are continuing to mitigate rates with the new Ontario Electricity Support Program that will reduce rates for modest income families by $360 per year. In addition, the debt retirement charge imposed by the Conservatives is being removed from the bill starting in about nine weeks, Mr. Speaker, saving homeowners another $70 per year. These are in addition to existing programs which give seniors a property tax credit of up to $1131 per year, and Northern Ontarians have a tax credit of up to $221 per year. Thank you. Another shell game proposed by the Liberals, but the people in Ontario are not being fooled. As announced last week, on November 1st, rates are up again. At peak, they will be $0.17.5 a kilowatt hour. That is more than four times what they were when the Liberals came to power. Last winter, our offices were inundated with messages from residential and consumer and commercial ratepayers who had no idea how they would pay their hydro bills. Now, in less than two weeks, power is going up a staggering 8.7 percent for on-peak rates, rates that were already too high. Speaker, how can the minister justify these extreme price increases to seniors trying to stay warm in their homes, on a fixed budget, and to Ontario families who have no idea how they're going to pay their bills this winter? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, prices in neighboring jurisdictions starting in the United States typically experience higher residential rates than in Ontario. Comparing on our peak or highest price, to U.S. states, we see higher rates in New Jersey $0.17 per kilowatt hour, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island at $0.19, Mr. Speaker. In Connecticut and New York, prices are roughly $0.22 per kilowatt hour, and states like California, Mr. Speaker, $0.18 per kilowatt hour also experience prices higher than those in Ontario. While Ontario has already made the necessary infrastructure upgrades to transition off dirty coal, many of these jurisdictions still rely on coal for a significant part of their supply mix. And this means prices could likely increase as they switch to cleaner forms of generation. And many jurisdictions like Michigan, North Georgia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania... Thank you. You have fun with numbers like that reference to a cup of coffee, but the people know better. Once these new rates come into effect, it will further entrench Ontario as one of the most expensive energy jurisdictions in all of North America. I can remember when the minister called these incentives nothing more than a cup of coffee. However, with this increase, the average rate per will pay over $120 more per year and more if you're in an detached dwelling. Speaker, the minister knows that energy poverty is a fact in this province, and it is hurting Ontario families. It is deepening due to the arrogance of their mismanagement of the file. Ontarians cannot afford the projected hydro increases due to your reckless energy plans. Speaker, can the minister stand up now, stop serving coffee, and acknowledge the harm he is doing to Ontario families, or does he just not care? He doesn't care. Thank you. Minister. Mr. Speaker, the member chooses to ignore the fact, Mr. Speaker, that we're starting a new Ontario electricity support program that will reduce rates for modest income families by $360 per year, Mr. Speaker. I've already indicated as well, Mr. Speaker, that the debt retirement charge is coming off the bills. But most importantly, particularly for rural areas, Mr. Speaker, we're doing a very significant initiative to expand gas to rural communities, natural gas, which will enable them to use less or get off electricity, Mr. Speaker, which is causing rates to go up because they're bound by that. They don't have the benefit of natural gas. We have a program coming on stream for a loan program. We also have a grant program, Mr. Speaker. The rural wardens love this program, Mr. Speaker. They know it's going to help their communities. Thank you. Thank you. New question. A member from Prince Edward Hastings. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the Minister of Energy. Last week I saw a slide that was meant for potential Hydro One investors. It said, quote, formal agreement ensures the government is investor, not manager. Another fine example of liberals saying one thing and doing another. To the people, they say, don't worry. The government's in control. To the investors, they say, don't worry. The government isn't in control. We've been saying it all along. The government is giving up majority control. Obviously, they're losing control of the company. Mr. Speaker, will the Premier or will the Minister admit in this House that they will have no control over Hydro One as prices skyrocket and more seniors and other folks have to choose between heating and eating? Good question. Minister. Mr. Speaker, speaking of saying one thing and doing another, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to remind the member that during the 2014 election, both he and his party campaign on a platform of, and I quote, opening both Hydro One and OPG to investment, that initial sale could later be followed by a public offering of shares to both institutional and retail investors. Selling part of these two provincial assets will free up money to pay down debt and customer prices will continue to be protected by the Ontario Energy Board. The PC Energy Policy White Paper is the latest and only policy on energy that the PC Party has released. Order. The member from Renfrew come to order. Wrap up please. And the new leader of the PC Party, Mr. Speaker, has not disavowed that particular policy which the previous leader had adopted, Mr. Speaker. So they are supportive of public expanding of the public ownership of Hydro One. Like the minister, Speaker, to actually answer the question, who will have control of Hydro One when this is all over? Because on June 5th, a headline in the Oakville Beaver Red government will still control Hydro One after privatization, Energy Minister Bob Turelli tells an Oakville audience. And then on October 9th, and the Canadian press says, the Liberals insist the government will maintain control of Hydro One. Despite that not being possible as the government is giving up majority control, we fast forward and the government is admitting to Bay Street that they're simply just another investor. So which is it, Mr. Speaker? What is it going to be? Is the government going to have control? Or is the government just another investor looking to maximize profits through increased Hydro rates for its customers? Mr. Speaker, the member knows that by law the largest single shareholder in Hydro One will be the government of Ontario. The preliminary practice, which he has a copy of, outlines a legally binding governance agreement that serves both the public interest and the interest of investors. The agreement details the relationship between the government and Hydro One confirming the government's rights as a principal shareholder, but not allowing Hydro One to be free to operate without political interference in its operations. Led by the board and new management team, the company is committed to focus on improved performance, Mr. Speaker. The reality is, no other shareholder will be able to have more than 10%. There will be broad sale at the retail level to broaden ownership. And Mr. Speaker, with the combination of our rights and appointing the board, plus all these other factors, we're confident that the public interest will be protected. Thank you. Final supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government will have 40% control. Everyone else will have 60% control of Hydro One. This liberal government is clearly no longer in it for the people of Ontario. Order. Finish, please. Hydro One's a monopoly controlling 97% of transmission lines in Ontario. The people in Ontario don't have a choice to get their power anywhere else. It's the only electricity highway in the province, and the government is giving that away. Mr. Speaker, that's why this is a bad deal, and that's why we oppose it. The government isn't giving people choice, but instead giving them higher hydro bills with no way out. The loss of majority control means this government won't be able to stop skyrocketing prices and won't have a say in the expansion of transmission lines. Mr. Speaker, why won't the minister stand up for Ontarians, tell the truth, and admit they're giving up control of the company? Mr. Speaker, I want to start by saying that Hydro One distribution represents 24% of the distribution in the province of Ontario. Certainly in distribution, it's not in a monopoly situation. Mr. Speaker, and again, if you will want to consult any corporate lawyer, you will know that where you have sales and shares broadly to the public, like the banks, no more than 10% can be owned by one shareholder, Mr. Speaker, that there is a certain reality there that enables the public interest to be protected. Also, the Ontario Securities Commission, Mr. Speaker, has very, very strict rules on transparency, including transparency on salaries, quarterly reporting, audit statements, Mr. Speaker. There's a lot more there than he's prepared to admit in terms of where Hydro One sits with respect to control. Thank you. New question. The leader of the third party. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I also want to begin by congratulating Prime Minister-elect Justin Trudeau, thanking outgoing Prime Minister Stephen Harper for his years of service, thanking Thomas Mulcair, the leader of the federal new Democrats, as well as new Democrat candidates and volunteers. In fact, candidates and volunteers from all parties, Speaker, for their participation in the federal election. Question. The first tranche of the Premier's sell-off of Hydro One shares was supposed to raise the government $2.25 billion. Now we've learned that it's only expected to return about $1.7 billion. That's more than half a billion dollar short, Speaker, a 25% loss for the people of Ontario before a single share has been sold. This bad deal, Speaker, is getting worse by the day. Will this Premier admit that it is a bad deal and stop her unnecessary sell-off of Hydro One? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and I want to acknowledge that last night was a very exciting night in this country, and the Blue Jays won. Exactly. Every person who went out to vote, I want to thank all the volunteers from all the federal parties and all of the leaders, Mr. Speaker, and their families who put their names on a ballot and sacrificed so much. It is such a wonderful process. We're blessed to live in this country, and congratulations to you. And, Mr. Speaker, on the issues before us, they are related to the issues that have been talked about in this federal election, Mr. Speaker. We must make investments in infrastructure. We must invest in the roads and the bridges and the transit that we know are going to allow us to thrive as a province, Mr. Speaker, and as a country. The broadening of the ownership of Hydro One, Mr. Speaker, is part of that process. The leader of the third party knows full well that this is just the first step, that the price has not landed. What she also knows is that we must invest now, Mr. Speaker, to create jobs now and to create prosperity in the future. That's right. Thank you. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, if the Premier's sell-off of Hydro One continues down the path that it is currently on, she could come up with $2 billion short on the sell-off that was always a bad deal for Ontarians, Mr. Speaker. The people of Ontario have watched over and over again as the Liberals have handed billions of dollars away to their friends. And now this Premier expects them to simply accept that she's going to sell off our most important, our most treasured public asset for a fraction of what it is worth. Until this Premier start behaving responsibly, Speaker, acknowledge that this is a mistake and stop the sell-off of Hydro One. Mr. Speaker, we are going to make the investments in infrastructure in this province that are necessary for jobs now and for future prosperity. We ran on that, Mr. Speaker. We are implementing that plan. And part of that plan was to leverage current assets, Mr. Speaker, in order to invest in the assets that we need for the 21st century. Mr. Speaker, the leader of the third party knows that the Hydro One, the broadening of ownership of Hydro One has many steps. This is just the first step in that process. And she also knows that the final price has not yet been set. We are on track to realize that $9 billion, Mr. Speaker, and we are going to make those investments in infrastructure that we know are so critical. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, at every turn and at every opportunity, this Liberal government has been creative with their numbers to the people of Ontario, from the gas plants, to orange, to e-health, to the sell-off of Hydro One. Now this Premier is poised to sell off Hydro One for likely over $2 billion less than what the government said it was worth, and we all know many, many people have weighed in to say that the government's estimates are seriously low ball. This is a bad deal, Speaker, and it keeps getting worse. Will this Premier stop this wrong-headed sell-off of Hydro One? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we know, it's still under review. The prospectus is going before the public. We haven't finalized what that price will be. We recognize that in the prospectus, a billion dollars was actually put out through a dividend which goes to consolidated revenue for the people of Ontario and the ratepayers. But what's really important to note, we are broadening ownership. We're not selling 100% of this corporation, only 50% as a first tranche. We recognize that it's going to be controlled by the OEB when it comes to protecting consumers and ratepayers for pricing. But more importantly, unlike what has happened in the past, we're reinvesting dollar for dollar into infrastructure, into other assets for making Ontario competitive and more prosperous in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Next question is also for the Premier. The Premier has said many times, Speaker, that the government will somehow maintain de facto control over our hydro system. But the sales pitch that the Premier is flogging to investors, Speaker, is saying something quite different. Quote, the company will operate with an independent board and autonomous decision-making. The Premier is saying one thing to investors, Speaker, she's saying something completely different to Ontarians. Will this Premier admit that the government will not have control over hydro one, de facto or otherwise? Well, no, Mr. Speaker, because that's not true. The fact is that there is a balance that has to be reached. And that balance is that we need to broaden the ownership of hydro one to make it a better run company, Mr. Speaker, to leverage that asset in order to invest in the infrastructure that we know we need now and in the future. And at the same time, Mr. Speaker, we need to put the protections in place that were not put in place, for example, in the sell-off of 407, Mr. Speaker, protections that would guarantee that four major decisions, the people of Ontario would make those decisions, Mr. Speaker, because there would need to be two-thirds of the board that would agree, Mr. Speaker. With 40% ownership of the board, that would require that the people of Ontario have a say, Mr. Speaker. To retain control of the removal of the board, the removal of the CEO. So, Mr. Speaker, those protections are in place. At the same time, we are leveraging this asset to make the investments that we know we need to make. Mr. Speaker, Ontarians are worried about what losing control of their public hydro will mean for reliability and for already soaring electricity rates. While the Premier is telling Ontarians that the government will retain control, her sell-off roadshow to investors proudly proclaims that the formal governance agreement, quote, ensures the government is an investor, not a manager, end quote. Now, will this Premier admit that investor profit will be the prime motivator in Hydro One and that she has no plan to exert any public policy control over Ontario's hydro utility just like she's promising to the investors? Thank you. Well, Mr. Speaker, what the leader of the third party is saying is just not accurate. The very protections that we have put in place are to guarantee, Mr. Speaker, that the 40% ownership that will be retained by the people of Ontario is able to exert some control, Mr. Speaker, but it's true. The company needs to be run better, there need to be improvements, and those improvements will be made. Most importantly, Mr. Speaker, we said clearly to the people of Ontario that we were going to make investments in roads and bridges in transit, Mr. Speaker, in order to be able to move goods more efficiently in order to be able to move people, to improve people's quality of life, Mr. Speaker. That is what we are doing. By leveraging this asset, we are going to be able to invest in the assets, all of those pieces of infrastructure, Mr. Speaker, that we know we need for now in order to create jobs, but also in the future and for our economic prosperity. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, the loss of control over Hydro One is particularly troubling to Ontario, since this Premier has stripped Hydro One of all independent oversight. Ontarians have endured a quadrupling of their energy rates under this Liberal government, and the Liberals just announced that the rates, in fact, are going to increase by more than $100 a year. It is obvious that shareholder return on investment is more important than controlling rates for families and businesses. It is obvious that this deal is a bad deal all the way around, Speaker. The Premier has a chance to do the right thing. Will she stop the unnecessary sell-off of Hydro One? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, Mr. Speaker, you know, it is very important that we understand how critical the investments are that we need to make, and I truly believe that one of the reasons that we have the new Prime Minister that we have in this country is that he understands investment. He understands that if you believe in infrastructure and you're going to invest in it, you have to have a way to pay for it, Mr. Speaker. Hydro One, Mr. Speaker, we've put protections in place. We've made sure that the big decisions require two-thirds of the board, Mr. Speaker, and that the people of Ontario retain 40%. But we are going to move forward, Mr. Speaker, and now we're going to move forward in partnership with the federal government that shares the same value, Mr. Speaker. No, no. The member from Windsor to come so you can just come to order, please. New question. The member from Nippison. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Finance. When the Liberals took office in 2003, revenues in Ontario were just over 66 billion. Mr. Speaker, today revenues are 124 billion, but sadly, expenses are 132 billion. It's clear we don't have a revenue problem in Ontario. We have a spending problem, Speaker. On W5 last week, the Treasury Board President emphatically announced we're out of money. She then stated, quote, we have to do everything we can to raise revenues. So, Speaker, my question for the Minister is simple. Which taxes are you going to raise this time? Thank you, Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, Ontario's GDP has now increased 14.4% from the recession low and is now 8.9% higher than it was during that time. So we have grown our economy and we're continuing to do what's necessary to provide greater prosperity for the people of Ontario. And we are being disciplined and determined ensuring that we control our program spending. And as a result, Mr. Speaker, year over year, we've exceeded our targets and we've done what's necessary to bring down our deficit. As we said, we would. And we'll go to zero by 2017-18, ensuring that we invest in our economy while protecting those programs that are essential to the people of Ontario, healthcare, education and social programs. Thank you. Supplementary. Back to the Minister. It's alarming to hear the head of our Treasury announce to the entire country, quote, we're out of money. And then last week, the Minister reported meager economic growth in Ontario. In fact, he showed we're stagnating. He reported annualized growth of only half of what was forecast in his spring budget. Because the Liberals simply cannot control their spending, they will come up short by hundreds of millions of dollars. This happened last year too. They came back with cap in hand for a further $500 million. But this time, they've already blown through their contingency budget. So again, Speaker, I asked the Minister which taxes are you going to raise this year? Thank you. Minister of Finance. President of Treasury Board, Mr. Speaker. President of Treasury Board. Good morning. And I am delighted to actually give the quote in full, Speaker. And actually, the documentary did carry the quote in full. And this is a quote that I am fond of using. A physicist named Ernst Rutherford, a New Zealand physicist, had a project. And here's what he said. He assembled his crowd together when they hit a financial problem. They said, gentlemen, we have run out of money. Now it is time to think. And, Speaker, that is exactly what we're doing at Treasury Board. We are thinking through all of our government expenditures. You are the party that is standing up, looking to raise compensation for physics. Finish, please. You were the party speaker that rejected our plans to reduce the cost of a generic drug speaker. We were able to bring... A member from Renfrew, second time. We were able to bring down the cost of drugs by 50%. And you said, no, don't do that. Keep those drugs as high as you can. You even had pharmacists running. One of them got elected. Thank you. On the platform of... Speaker, thank you. My question to the Premier. The government is promising Bay Street high cash dividends for investors who buy Hydro One stock. But these dividends are paid for by electricity consumers and their bills are going up. Last week, the latest government price increase will mean that a typical household will pay more than $120 extra per year for electricity starting this winter than last winter. Peak hour rates will be 25% higher this winter than they were the last. Why is the government promoting rising electricity rates to Bay Street as the main selling point of Hydro One instead of keeping these rates affordable for Ontarians? Thank you. Can you serve energy? Can you serve energy? Mr. Speaker, the member doesn't seem to be able to recall that there are three very, very significant controls over the electricity sector, including Hydro One, Toronto Hydro, and all the others. Number one, the Ontario Energy Board controls rates, Mr. Speaker. They have the ultimate control of how to set rates and the rates have to be justified by the cost from all of these different agencies. The Ontario Securities Commission, Mr. Speaker, requires automated financial statements four times a year, Mr. Speaker. They require disclosure of salaries to senior officials, Mr. Speaker. And they watch like a hawk on all of the operations to make sure that they're properly done and done responsibly. The ISO is responsible, Mr. Speaker, for planning the system. They've expanded their authority to make sure that they can create the infrastructure that's required in the province of Ontario. Mr. Speaker, there's tremendous control. Thank you. Supplementary. Well, Speaker, peak hour electricity rates will be 25% higher this winter than they were last winter. A 25% increase in just one year. These are the regulated rates approved by the Ontario Energy Board. The minister says the OEB will keep rates affordable once Hydro-1 is privatized. Just talked about how they'll be controlled. If the OEB can't keep rates affordable now, how will it keep rates affordable once Hydro-1 is privatized? Especially when the government is promoting rising Hydro-1 profits to Bay Street investors as a key selling point. How? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, encouraging consumers to shift to off-peak consumption helps reduce the need for costly new-peaking generation which would significantly drive rates up. The auditor general, whose appointment the NDP and the PCs both supported, said that the on-peak-to-off-peak ratio needed to be broadened to further incent conservation. The former Environment Commissioner also supported by both the NDP and PCs called for the very same thing, stating that a bigger differential between off-peak and on-peak would help Ontarians conserve electricity. Ontarians told the OEB that they want electricity pricing to provide greater incentives to conserve. Giving customers incentives and opportunities to manage their bills by shifting time of electricity use is a key objective of the OEB's price plan following the direction from the auditor general and the Environment Commissioner. Thank you. New question. Member from Barrie. My question is to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Last week I was pleased to join the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport at the first-ever cultural strategy consultation in my riding at Barrie. The McLaren Art Centre is a heritage building in Barrie that has been transformed into a dynamic cultural hub. We were joined by Nova, Batticharia, a choreographer and dancer, Peter Lynch, a filmmaker and documentarian and over 100 members of the community from all walks of life, ethnicities, age and background to discuss what culture means to us. It was an energetic and exciting night with many fantastic conversations and ideas. Minister, can you provide us with some detail about the cultural strategy and the process of this session? Question? Thank you. Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to start by saying how proud I was to join the MPP from Barrie in her town. It was an incredible event and there was a lot of excitement and a great conversation took place. Minister, our government is committed to this effort because we believe that art and culture is important to the quality of life here in the province of Ontario. We also believe that it's an indicator of well-being and it enhances our sense of place and it helps shape and enrich our lives and communities. Not to mention that it is a huge economic driver for the province. Nearly 4% of our GDP represents $22 billion in our economy and employs over 280,000 people. But we also know, Mr. Speaker, that so much has changed in the last decade. There's a change in the fiscal situation, the demographics, the digital changes within the sector and we want to take creativity and innovation and leverage it so we can continue to grow our knowledge-based economy here in the province of Ontario. But most importantly, we want a strategy that reflects the needs of Ontarians. Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Minister. I'm proud of the successes our government continues to make in the area of arts and culture. The arts can have a profound effect on our lives. As an educator, I know that for children and youth, participating in the arts can lead to better social skills, better grades at school and lower dropout rates. Simply a better start in life. For seniors, participating in the arts can lead to better health and well-being. Arts and culture strengthen the economy, attracting people to live in, visit and spend money in communities and creativity plays an important role in innovation which in turn plays a pivotal role in economic development. Minister, can you inform the members of this House how they and their constituents can take part in the culture strategy? Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I want to thank the MPP from Barrie. We're hosting 11-town halls throughout the province from Sudbury and Thunder Bay in the north to Ottawa and Kingston in the east and Windsor in the southwest. And the next cultural strategy, Mr. Speaker, will be held this Thursday in the beautiful town of Thunder Bay on October 22nd. Town halls are just one way where people can voice their opinions. I encourage everyone to join a live conversation online at Ontario.ca forward slash culture talks. Another forum for people to have their say, Mr. Speaker and to talk about culture and what it means to them is to join the conversation on Twitter by O.N. Culture. It's important and we believe that this is an opportunity for Ontarians right across the province to talk about what culture means to them because we know, Mr. Speaker, by maximizing our resources and building culture and art here in the province of Ontario, we're building Ontario up. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, to the Minister of Finance, we know this government is aware of the immediate threat to employees and retirees at U.S. Steel Canada specifically to their pensions and benefits. This government has announced a three million transitional health benefit fund. However, across Alderman Norfolk, Hamilton, Niagara, we now have 20,000 vulnerable retirees who are struggling with the grim reality that they were asked to take pensions and pension increases in place of wage increases. Minister, apart from supporting U.S. Steel Canada's restructuring process and apart from the transition fund, my question, what specifically will this government be offering to questions? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's an appropriate question and I appreciate the concern the member opposite has as do all of us for the families that are affected by the proceedings of the U.S. parent and the bankruptcy that's taken place. We have stood by the retirees and the workers throughout this process recognizing how important it is to them to ensure that they're protected after this very unfortunate situation. It's why we continue to negotiate on their behalf. It's why we've put forward a transition for the next six months to protect those families and it is why we're demanding and asking the federal government to release the agreement that they made with the U.S. parent that was done in secret that has serious implications for these families. We would like to know what has taken place, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, supplementary. Well, Speaker, we also know the assets of U.S. Steel Canada are now in play. Land, plant, equipment are now on the market for new bidders. In addition to valuable workers are valuable assets, including carbon, hot-stripped mill, the galvanizing line and very large acreages at both Hamilton and Lake Erie Works. I can attest that Lake Erie Works they truly have put their shoulder to the wheel. They're vigorously pursuing new orders for steel. They're rooting out waste and inefficiency. Will the minister explain to this House just what are the government's plans and action steps that will be and are being actively pursued in conjunction with your government's strategy to support Ontario's steel industry and more specifically to support the restructuring of U.S. Steel Canada. Thank you, sir. I appreciate the direction that the member is taking because what he's suggesting and I think all of us should appreciate is we want to make certain that U.S. Steel Canada remains a going concern. I think it's a big risk right now because of the actions taken by an agreement made by the federal government that has yet to be released by the actions of the U.S. parent that is stripping away the very assets and value from the Canadian operations including Lake Erie. So, Erie Works. So, we will continue to work to find ways to protect the industry. It is essential industry in the automotive sector and I should say in Sault Ste. Marie all of which provides support to this critical sector and this industry. We will work and continue to work alongside the member as well to find ways to foster means to make U.S. Steel Canada going concern or a legible Thank you. My question is to the Premier Ontario pay more by far for auto insurance than anywhere else in the country. This government promised that they would reduce auto insurance rates by 15% within two years. That was over two years ago. A recent York University business study of insurance rates found that over the same two years Ontario's were over billed their auto insurance to a tune of $1.5 billion. That's outrageous. Mr. Speaker, will this government commit today to reduce auto insurance rates by 15% Premier Mr. Finance. This government has been committed to find ways to reduce the cost of claims and reduce ultimately the premiums of those claims. It was the member opposite and his party that actually delayed the ability for us to provide for those programs and legislation to enable those reductions. That is taking place and will continue to do what is necessary to support a very sustainable lower cost industry. It's not about reducing rates at one point in time but being able to enable the industry to have lower costs on an ongoing basis. We have reduced rates substantively we have to do better and as a result of recent legislation that we put forward it's starting to happen and we continue to fight for those consumers and we continue to do so. Mr. Speaker the fact is this government isn't anywhere near their slated commitment of 15% reduction in auto insurance rates for consumers. The minister responsible have gone from promising to reduce the rates by 15% in two years to no longer committing to a timeline. That's because this government is placing too much emphasis on reducing costs for the insurance companies today while it waits and sees the approach for Ontario leaves people struggling to keep their cars on the road. Mr. Speaker will the premier commit today by reducing outrageous auto insurance rates for all Ontarians by 15% immediately you have a majority government you can do it right away. Thank you Mr. Finance. Mr. Speaker just last week I announced the ability to reduce rates by an additional 5% to 10% through installing winter tires for example we've also we've made took steps to reduce dispute resolutions. We took steps to protect consumers with respect to the amount of payment of interest that they have on monthly costs all of which enables consumers to pay less and enables those insurance companies to charge less. I also encourage the member opposite to tell this constituent and others that it is a competitive industry well over 100 companies offering insurance and you have to give them an opportunity to shop around because when they do they'll be able to find even greater reductions because some insurance companies have reduced their rates by 10% and 15% already some have not I encourage them to shop around and ensure that they get the best rate they can and in the meantime we will continue to find ways to reduce those costs by the programs that we put in place including the elimination of storage costs Mr. Speaker. Thank you, my question is for the Minister of Government and Consumer Services in the 2014 election Ontarians voted for a government that would create a business climate that encourages companies of all sizes to grow and create jobs something that's very important to my community of Cambridge and indeed the region. I understand that this has been an important priority in various ministries. Strategic planning to increase competitiveness in Ontario helped make our province the number one North American jurisdiction for direct foreign investment in 2015. While it's an important achievement I know that our government continues to work on streamlining business laws ensuring that they're responsive to changing priorities of a prosperous economy. Can the Minister please speak to the work that his ministry has been doing to ensure Ontario is open for business? Thank you. Minister of Government and Consumer Services. I just want to take a quick moment to congratulate Terry Sheehan, our new federal MP in Sault Ste. Marie. Thank you. I want to thank the member from Cambridge for asking a question on this important issue and for her advocacy. We are strengthening opportunities for business in Ontario. Ontario has over a million active businesses with over 60,000 new businesses registering each and every year. In order to help these businesses grow and create jobs our government is undertaking a comprehensive review of corporate and commercial statutes. Through this review the first of its kind in 10 years we are exploring innovative business structures to solidify Ontario's position as a jurisdiction of choice for new businesses including entrepreneurs who are driving innovation and competing to attract investment globally. As part of this process we are going to be implementing changes that will modernize government structures that will make it more attractive to do business in Ontario and changes that will streamline reporting requirements so businesses will want to come to Ontario. Thank you. Thank you to the minister for his response and the commitment that his ministry has made to modernizing Ontario's business law. This is an important component of our government's plan to build Ontario up. I know that the minister has been personally engaged with provincial and territorial counterparts on ways to reduce burdens on the many businesses that call our province home. Many businesses have asked for the opportunity to offer feedback to ensure business laws keeps up with the evolving trends and technology. I understand that the ministry of government and consumer services as part of our open government commitment has made sure that expert and public feedback would influence its business law modernization. Speaker through you can the minister please speak to the consultations and work with the experts that his ministry has conducted to help make Ontario a dynamic business climate. Thank you minister. Thank you speaker and again to the member from Cambridge thank you for the question. I'm pleased to report that our government's work on this initiative has effectively utilized expert recommendations in this past spring in fact an expert stakeholder panel met for several months to consider priorities that would support a dynamic business climate in Ontario and solidify Ontario's position as a jurisdiction of choice for businesses. The panel's report to government was posted on the regulatory registry this September and the feedback we received will be an important impact to our review. I want to thank my Parliamentary Assistant Chris Ballard the MPP for Newmarket Aurora for his work on this initiative and for his work with our new advisory council the council's creation will follow up on the recommendations made by our stakeholder panel ensuring that any changes are responsive to the business priorities and support a prosperous economy in Ontario. Thank you. I have received reports of falling debris from industrial wind turbines in the municipality of Bluewater farmers harvesting their crops were warned to stay a minimum of 300 metres away from these turbines and according to a CKNX 920 report Bluewater council has asked staff to look into reports that parts of wind turbines are falling off the blades. Mayor Tyler Hessell reported a few residents have told their councillors that they've been told by the wind energy company officials not to take crops off near the turbines until they notify the company so they can slow down the turbines. Speaker, will the minister order an immediate and thorough safety inspection by an impartial third party of industrial wind turbines in Ontario and commit to halting any turbines deemed unsafe? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member from Huron Bruce for her question and her vigilance because we all take public safety in any piece of public infrastructure very seriously. I want to thank you for that and I will also meet with her at her convenience to review this particular file and ensure that we are fully enforcing our safety standards and laws Mr. Speaker. Wind turbines are just about the safest technology we have out there certainly compared to coal plants which for seniors for kids, asthma, air quality issues, there are challenges with every technology transmission lines to nuclear the enemy of good is perfect but we face a climate crisis Mr. Speaker, the minister of energy and I and the premier are working very hard to deliver safe, affordable clean energy to Ontario as that continues to be our priority Mr. Speaker. Thank you. This is a matter of safety today and we're talking about potential harmful direct impacts that we've worried about for years. We all know the liberal green energy scheme has been a complete failure speaker contributing to yet another electricity rate increase as of November 1st and now industrial wind turbines are reportedly literally falling apart Speaker, why won't the minister commit today to an immediate and thorough safety audit of industrial wind turbines in Ontario? Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker we look very carefully at every single piece of infrastructure every industrial site we have strong inspections I have been personally in the members riding this summer visiting with farmers and visiting with community leaders listening to concerns I think that's actively our responsibility as a member of this assembly to our own constituencies and listen to Ontarians this is an issue Mr. Speaker of concern but to generalize it and suggest this is a problem with particular technology Mr. Speaker I think is premature we take these things seriously I will work with the member opposite because I share her concern for public safety and I will be open in sharing the results of any inspections with her Mr. Speaker Thank you very much. No question Mr. Speaker my question is to the Premier Speaker in April 2014 the government arbitrarily shortened the length of the partner assault response program the only government program for men who abuse in order to cram through an additional 2200 offenders across the province violence against women agencies and par providers sounded the alarm hiatus house in Windsor and woman act in Toronto are no longer delivering par because they believe the changes are putting women at risk everyone except the government understands that there is a crisis in the design and delivery of par programs why is the premier refusing to listen to experts and frontline agencies who are pleading for a halt to these changes and for meaningful consultation on the review of par Mr. Speaker thank the member for our question but like I said many times in this house we have not reduced the amount in the budget on the contrary you know there was a review that was done because you know some some area they were very very busy and not enough money to to cover the the program so there was a review done and we reviewed the program and redirect the money where it should be moreover we look at the number of sessions that was provided and there was yes there was a waiting list and by reducing further to consultation with the expert by two two sessions we were able to eliminate the the waiting list so we always review and we work with we thank you supplementary thank you speaker putting more offenders through on the same budget represents a cut the premier knows that you can't make good policy without good data yet woman act was instructed to stop collecting data on par perhaps because their data was showing that the new 12 week model was creating a revolving door and compromising the program's effectiveness speaker will the premier commit to collecting data from all par programs in Ontario and to working with qualified researchers to analyze the data against the evidence of what works from similar programs in other jurisdictions thank you Mr. Speaker as I said you know we work with the expert we look at what is done what is working what is not working we we change the program accordingly like I said like last year we change the format of our program to reduce wait time I said that in my answering the first question the new 12 session model allowed the program to serve an additional 2200 offender per year and which is an increase in the program capacity of more than 22% so this means that offender can enter the program more quickly and victim will have easier access to support service so these changes do not impact the objective of the program offender will continue to be accountable to the inappropriate and relevant program curriculum thank you Mr. Speaker thank you thanks for allowing some latitude I want to take the opportunity to congratulate Kim Rudd the newly elected MP for Northumberland Peterborough South and Neil Alice the new MP for the Bay of Quenty Writing to the question Mr. Speaker my question is the Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs Minister we know that investment in infrastructure across our province are key to economic growth besides playing a big part in the quality of life investing infrastructure is one of the most important things we can do to jumpstart our economy in a short term and improve our productivity and competitiveness in the longer term and whether we are building highways in Northumberland and Quenty West or in the public transit in downtown Toronto we all depend on high quality infrastructure to keep our communities moving forward infrastructure challenges must be addressed in every corner people need their highways widening their bridges secure rural and small town Ontario cannot be left behind investments behind our savings Minister could you please inform this House on what this Government is doing to enhance rural infrastructure thank you Mr. Speaker well thank you very much Mr. Speaker I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome a new Federal Member of Parliament in the riding of Peterborough Quartz of Marion Montsef who was victorious last night I also want to thank the question from my good friend and colleague the member from Northumberland and Quenty West prior Mr. Speaker to his arrival here in 2003 the member from Northumberland and Quenty West was a very distinguished Mayor of Brighton, Ontario and I remember because I was in municipal politics those days I was a champion for additional infrastructure investment not only in his community but certainly in eastern Ontario and we do know through our 100 million dollar Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund where we provide 50 million dollars to an application based process and 50 million dollars due to 4 million allocations is something that our rural municipality leaders have been asking for and Mr. Speaker thank you Mr. Speaker thank you to the Minister for that update Minister I'm glad to hear and I know my constituents in the riding in Northumberland and Quenty West will also be happy that this government takes the needs of our small town and rural northern communities seriously this fund delivers on some long-standing municipal needs by offering permanent predictable formula allocation that will help address local priorities by consulting with municipal leaders it is clear our government believes in our working collaborative with other levels of government to ensure we do what's best for this for the province but there is always more we can do our small rural northern communities need a full range of public infrastructure support from roads and bridges water supply network to green energy and run by community Mr. Speaker could the minister inform the House of further action that is being taken to support development outside of GTHA Mr. Speaker well thank you very much Mr. Speaker I want to thank the member for his supplementary question you know both the member from Northumberland Quenty West and I were in municipal politics in the late 1990s and that was the period of time where we had that famous who does what committee and in fact we renamed that committee to the who got done in committee and of course in eastern Ontario 43% of all the roads and bridges in eastern Ontario were downloaded in our part of the province and through this government since 2003 through the Ontario community infrastructure fund and the small community fund gradually we're digging under that ditch so the reason we're digging under that ditch is leadership from the member from Northumberland Quenty West and we will keep living together to invest infrastructure in Ontario because that built a dynamic in the future. Thank you Mr. Speaker my question to the Attorney General we have approximately 40 subordinate legal tribunals which were created to provide low cost expeditious access to justice for people and the minister as the chief officer of the Crown is responsible for the administration of justice in our province senior administrators in the ministry of government and consumer services have long recognized the failings of the safety licensing appeals and standards tribunals or slasco for short in meeting these objectives and have even gone so far as to admitting that the system is broken and dissuades people from seeking remedies and justice. Speaker what guidance, advice and actions has the Attorney General undertaken to rectify and remedy the failings of the slasco tribunals in general and specifically with the license appeals tribunal Thank you Attorney General I disagree with the member from the opposite party because we have a very professional individual working on these tribunals and we have expert as the chair of the tribunal and this individual who is in charge of the tribunal it's a very experienced person and we always review the tribunal a few years ago we have started a clustering of different tribunals so to reduce costs and to improve the experience and the expertise of the member to accelerate the cases to be heard so there is more people that are cognition of these clustering tribunals it's worked better Thank you Supplementary Not surprisingly Attorney General disagrees with me but I have a document here and then it is a quote from Frank Denton Assistant Deputy Minister of Government and Consumer Services in regards to homeowners dissatisfaction and difficulties in taking action at the LAT and I quote a less litigious and adversarial process would address the concerns of homeowners who are dissuaded from pursuing LAT appeals process is not transparent is complicated time consuming and unbalanced that quote is from October 2014 and the problems still persist today when will the Attorney General take the administration of justice seriously and finally modernize the broken and dysfunctional tribunal system in this problem Thank you Attorney General my job very seriously and when there is first of all let's say this I don't direct the member of tribunal how to do their work there is a chair of this tribunal and they are independent but on the administrative side there is always a way to improve the quality of the work and also the timeliness to make a decision so it's important for us to make sure that this is that we will continue to improve the situation but if there is a special situation I will be willing to forward the concern to the chair of the tribunal so thank you for bringing that to my attention make sure that I have the back to be approved by my colleague on the other side Pursuant to standing order 38A the member from Haulman Norfolk has given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to this question given by the Minister of Finance concerning US Steel Canada this matter will be debated today at 6pm today in the gallery we have from Stony Creek in the 38th parliament in the east members gallery please order thank you Mr. Speaker arriving during question period was Mr. Rick Perth Executive Director Hospice Pellet of Care Ontario thank you there are no deferred votes this house stands recessed until 3pm this afternoon