 Therefore, it is time for Question Period, the leader of Her Majesty's Royal Office. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier, but first of all, I just want to say on behalf of the Ontario PC caucus, our deepest condolences for the loss of Gord Downey to his family, his friends and his fans, he will be missed in Ontario and in Canada. Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General's report was a scathing indictment of liberal political corruption and their contempt for the people of Ontario. She said the scheme was needlessly complex, that the government is improperly accounting for billions of dollars, that Ontario will be paying $4 billion more than necessary. This is an egregious abuse of power and someone must be held accountable. Mr. Speaker, who will this Premier hold responsible? Which minister is she going to hold responsible? Very much, Mr. Speaker, and I'm happy to answer this question, but I also want to extend my deepest condolences to the family, to the friends and all of the fans of Gord Downey, Mr. Speaker, across this country. Gord lived every single day of his life with grace and resilience. His music was a quintessential part of being Canadian, Mr. Speaker, and I know that there are millions, literally millions of Canadians who are in mourning today, and I want to just say that he will be greatly missed by all of us. Mr. Speaker, families in this province in Ontario asked for real and immediate relief on their electricity bills, because, Mr. Speaker, there had been billions of dollars of investment in a degraded electricity system, Mr. Speaker, in 2003 the electricity system had been neglected. It had to be built up, Mr. Speaker. We made those investments and our fair hydro plan. The member from Renfrew, Nipissing, Pembroke, too late of a catch, come to order. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier. The question was, who will the Premier hold responsible? The Auditor General's Report is very clear. We're going to waste $4 billion because the method this government chose, $4 billion that families are going to have to bear the cost of, because of the calculations that this government made for their own re-elections. So, Mr. Speaker, my question once again, given that we're going to see $4 billion wasted, given the Auditor General saying that government's making up their own rules, which minister is the Premier going to hold responsible? Who is she going to fire? Thank you. Premier? Well, again, Mr. Speaker, I'll just finish what I was saying, which is that the fair hydro plan is delivering that relief, Mr. Speaker, an average of 25% rate cut to residential rate payers. And I guarantee, Mr. Speaker, that electricity rates will not rise. Member from Renfrew, second time. Finish, please. That electricity rates will not rise beyond the rate of inflation for four years. And we've been clear from the start, Mr. Speaker, that our plan does smoothing out of the costs over a period of time and that there is a cost associated with that. We've been very clear about that. But we've also been clear that the fair hydro plan cost of borrowing in order to do that smoothly, Mr. Speaker, within the rate base, not the tax base, because that is the logical thing to do, Mr. Speaker. That is what our plan does. It allows people to get that relief immediately, Mr. Speaker, and it smooths out those costs and keeps the costs within the rate base. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. One newspaper read, hiding billions of dollars the Ontario government is borrowing to lower electricity bills for a few years will cost hydro users an extra $4 billion. This is what it's about. It's about an additional $4 billion that families are going to have to pay. The newspaper article continued, the government, citizens and auditors and the giant institutions that lend the profits money are pretty much operating in a post-truth universe. We're what the Liberals say is going on with Ontario's finances have begun to drift from any previously understood shared reality. It's the Liberals' world and we are just living in it. A world where they can spend $4 billion for an unfair hydro plan that has nothing more than a self-interested election ploy. So, Mr. Speaker, I guess to the Premier, nowhere else in Canada would making up your own rules be acceptable. Nowhere else in Canada would blowing $4 billion be acceptable. Thank you. So, to the member when I stand, you sit. Premier. Mr. Benarty. I know, Mr. Speaker, that families in this province, as the Premier said, really asked for real and immediate relief on their electricity bills and that's what we delivered, Mr. Speaker. We made a policy choice, Mr. Speaker. A policy choice to ensure that we continue to have a clean, reliable and affordable electricity system for ratepayers of today and the ratepayers of tomorrow. The fair hydro plan, Mr. Speaker, it keeps the cost of borrowing within the ratebase, not the tax base, because that's the logical thing to do, Mr. Speaker. Electricity financing should remain within the electricity system. Well, the Auditor General is welcome to her opinion, Mr. Speaker. Our plan has been approved by her peers at some of Canada's... Mr. Speaker, member from Renfrew Nipissing, Pembroke is warned. I set the trap, you eat the bait. Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our plan has been approved by her peers at some of Canada's top accounting firms, including Ernst & Young, KPMG and Deloitte. In the development of the fair hydro plan, we also consulted with numerous third-party advisors in the application of accounting standards, Mr. Speaker. ISO's management, ISO's audit committee. Member from Leeds, Granville, come to order. You have a wrap-up sentence, please. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Even the Office of the Provincial Controller all support this accounting treatment, Mr. Speaker. New question? The Leader of the Opposition? Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier, I can't believe she can sit here and accept an attitude by the Minister of Energy that is so condescending to an officer of the Legislature. It's shameful, Mr. Speaker. This is an independent officer of the Legislature and, frankly, the Auditor General knows a lot more about accounting rules than the Minister of Energy. Frankly, she knows a lot more about energy than the Minister of Energy. The reality is this is all about politics. This is all about partisan self-interest, Mr. Speaker. Foreign House Leader, come to order. Question? Mr. Speaker, this is about politics over people. Four billion dollars wasted, and they're trying to spin their way out of this. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier, given the fact you've got a Minister who has been caught deliberately hiding the facts, the government's making up their own rules, you've wasted four billion dollars. Withdrawal? What am I withdrawing? The benefit of the members, he has a right to ask that question. Know your rules. You said something on parliamentary, and I asked you to withdraw. Carry on. Mr. Speaker, my question for the Premier. You've got an instance where the government, according to the Auditor General, is making up their own accounting rules. Four billion dollars is being lost. Will the Premier do the right thing and fire her Minister of Energy? Minister. Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, as the Leader of the Opposition knows, we adhere to Canadian Public Service Accounting Standards, work closely with experts from KPMG, from Deloitte, from Ernst and Young Mr. Speaker, and the reality. Member from Nipissing, come to order. Minister of Finance, come to order. Minister of the Member from Leeds-Grenville, come to order. Second time, the Minister of Government Services and Consumer Services, come to order. We're now in warnings, and by the way, I don't need to give warnings. To name people. Raise to the top, please. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as government, we have to solve problems in this province. We have to find practical solutions to problems. The first problem that we had to solve, Mr. Speaker, was a degraded electricity system, a system that was not reliable, Mr. Speaker, and was not clean. The second problem that we had to solve, Mr. Speaker, was that the cost of investing in that system to make it clean and reliable had a cost that was burning residents and rate payers across this province. That's the problem that we had to solve, Mr. Speaker. People needed rate relief, and we've delivered them rate relief, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. This government created this mess. They're about solving problems. They created the problem. This is a hydro mess, and I know they're trying to put a spin that this is not as bad as it appears. This $4 billion is not as bad as it appears, but it is. Mr. Speaker, just listen to what the Auditor General had to say. She said the scheme would be unacceptable in the private sector, and we maintain that it is also unacceptable in the public sector. She continued that if the consolidated financial statements are so unreliable that an adverse opinion is warranted, terms like balance, budget, deficit, asset, and net debt will be meaningless under this government. The reality is they fudged the numbers. The numbers are an absolute... You have to withdraw. Draw. John? Do not add up that numbers are an absolute scam. So, Mr. Speaker, how can the Premier defend her Minister of Finance? She's here defending the Minister of Energy, but how can you stand in the House and defend the Minister of Finance when the numbers are not believed by anyone? The Minister of Education will come to order. Premier, Mr. Treasury Board? Yes, thank you very much. Speaker, our government, our cabinet, made a very simple decision. When we listened to the people, when we listened to the people of Ontario who asked to have their hydro bills lowered, we decided that social programs should go on the tax base and that electricity should go on the rate base. Now, the leader opposite is claiming that somehow we made up the accounting rules. But let me tell... Sorry. Stop the clock. I even forgot my own rule. A member from Stormont don't ask so when Gary is warned. Carry on. Rate-regulated accounting is the norm in the electricity sector. The Ontario OPG uses rate-regulated accounting. It has been approved by this and other auditors and continues to be. Hydro-1 uses rate-regulated accounting. It has... A member from Bruce Gray owned sound is warned. Answer, please. It has been approved by this and all the other auditors general. The old Ontario power authority. I will... Final supplementary leader. Page 8 of the report reads, I quote, the government's ongoing spending on private sector external advisors had exceeded $2 million when we completed this special report. The President of the Treasury Board holds the purse strings and yet she allowed the government to spend millions on lawyers and consultants to try to hide the true state of the books. Mr. Speaker, that's not right. It's unacceptable, it's shameful, and it's disturbing. Mr. Speaker, can the Premier tell us if the President of the Treasury Board still has her confidence when clearly it's not the opposition saying you made up the rules, it's the auditor general? How can the Premier... Please. Thank you. President of the Treasury Board. So let's continue to talk about the rules. The Ontario power authority, when it existed, used... The member from the PN Carlton is warned. Inches away from being named. Carry on. The Ontario power authority, when it existed, used rate-regulated accounting, which was approved by this and other auditors general. When OPA was consolidated into IESO, IESO decided it should use rate-regulated accounting for that part of the business, which came from OPA. It received a clean audit from their auditors. Now, let me tell you about other organizations like the IESO in North America. The equivalent organizations, Alberta, New York, Michigan, Texas, Midwest, Eastern Seaboard, and New England, have equivalents to IESO. They all used it. Thank you. The member from Simcoe Gray is warned. President of the Treasury Board is warned. I will do my job. Thank you. You're just stretching. Yes, I'm sorry. He's warned. New question. The leader of the third party. Thank you, Speaker. I'm also going to take the opportunity, on behalf of new Democrats, to extend our condolences to the friends, families, family, bandmates, fans of the iconic Gord Downey. He and his band, The Tragically Hip, were inspirational artists of Canada, and they gave us a goodbye and a long tour that I think will always live in all of our hearts. Yesterday, my questions to the Premier Speaker. Yesterday, the Auditor General told Ontarians exactly how bad the Premier's $40 billion hydro-boring scheme really is. So bad that the Premier is putting an extra $4 billion on people's hydro bills just to cover it up. Once again, it's the Premier putting herself and her party first, and the people of Ontario last. Why did the Premier sign off on a scheme that will cost Ontario families an extra $4 billion? Thank you. So, Mr. Speaker, let me just say again that what the Fair Hydro Plan does is put the people of Ontario first, Mr. Speaker. The people of Ontario said to us, because of the cost that had been incurred, because we had to invest in an electricity system that was degraded, Mr. Speaker, over years, that their electricity costs were going up too high and they were going up too fast, and Mr. Speaker, the leader of the third party was hearing those same voices, and she brought those voices to the legislature just as I did, Mr. Speaker. And so we acted, we put in place a reduction, Mr. Speaker, keeping that reduction on the rate base, Mr. Speaker, understanding that people needed immediate relief, and that's exactly what we have done, Mr. Speaker. We also were very clear that the smoothing out of costs over time would have a cost associated with it. We were very, very clear about that, Mr. Speaker, but the motivation for us, Mr. Speaker, in the first instance, was to respond to people who needed to see rate relief and they needed to see it immediately. Thank you. Supplementary? Well, Mr. Speaker, Ontario families and businesses know that they're paying far too much for hydro. They see it every month when they open their electricity bills. The premier solution, Speaker, is to implement a plan that will actually end up costing Ontarians more in the long run and then use public money to hide the damage that she is doing of the well-being of Ontario families. Yet? Sure, better take it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is important again to reiterate it's that families in this province is in 500,000 small businesses and farms are seeing real relief and immediate relief, Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Fair Hydro Plan, which was, Mr. Speaker, a policy decision, a policy decision that we made, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that we continue to have a clean, reliable and affordable system of electricity here in the province that is there for the ratepayers of today and for the ratepayers of tomorrow, Mr. Speaker. The Fair Hydro Plan keeps the cost of borrowing within the ratebase, not the tax base, meaning electricity financing actually remains within the electricity system, Mr. Speaker. It is important to see that we keep that cost within that ratebase because for example, Mr. Speaker, when Guelph Hydro goes out and builds a new transformer and they borrow money or when OPG builds a hydroelectric dam, Mr. Speaker, all of that money stays in the ratebase. It doesn't come on to the tax base, which is the way it's always been done. Thank you. Final supplement, please. Why was this government's concern for families, businesses and farms when they increased their hydroelectricity? She and her Liberal government are completely out of touch with what Ontario families are going through. The Premier is making Ontarians spend an extra $4 billion extra for plastic Ontarians while families are struggling just to hide the damage that her hydro scheme is going to do. How can the Premier defend this massive breach of trust with the people of Ontario? Thank you. Minister of Economic Development and Growth is warned. The member for Lancaster-Dundas-Westdale is warned. Carry on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, 25% reduction for families, small businesses and farms is the immediate and real relief for the people of Ontario, Mr. Speaker. Something that we heard loud and clear and acted upon, Mr. Speaker. But when it comes to what we've talked about, Mr. Speaker, today, it was a policy choice, a policy choice of this government to ensure that we continue to have a clean and reliable and affordable electricity system. And that all of the borrowing done within the electricity system, Mr. Speaker, stays within that system. It does not make sense, Mr. Speaker. For Hydro-1, for OPG, for any of our utilities that need to borrow money, that need to invest to keep that clean and reliable system going, that that money would then come onto the tax base. It doesn't make sense, Mr. Speaker. It's never worked that way. And so what we've done, Mr. Speaker, is we've kept with common practice, we've kept with accounting standards, and we're making sure that we're keeping bills as low as possible with a clean system and a reliable system in this province. Thank you. Any questions? The Leader of the Third Party. Here are my next questions also for the Premier. You know, the Attorney or the Auditor General also revealed that the government knew that the cost to hide their borrowing scheme was going to reach the astonishing additional amount of $4 billion. When did the Premier know what the cost of this scheme was going to be? And when did she decide that $4 billion was an acceptable price tag? Thank you very much. Again, Mr. Speaker, and I know that the President of the Treasury Board will want to comment, but, Mr. Speaker, we heard from Ontarians across this province. They said quite clearly that the costs that had been incurred because we had to rebuild the system, Mr. Speaker, the system was degraded. It was unreliable. It was dirty, Mr. Speaker. It's clean. It is reliable. We made investments, Mr. Speaker, so that it would be... $70 billion. That's a cost associated with making those improvements. We made a decision, Mr. Speaker, that we would smooth out the cost of making those improvements over a longer period of time. We were very clear that there would be a cost associated with that, but that this was an asset that would be in place not just for this generation, Mr. Speaker, but for the future. And I've said quite clearly, Mr. Speaker, that we understand that. We understand that there was a cost associated with smoothing those costs. But, Mr. Speaker, in the immediate term, people are needed to see relief, and they are seen. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General has been very clear about this. The government knew that this financial trick would cost the people of Ontario an extra $4 billion. And they did it anyways. The AG has the emails that prove it, Mr. Speaker. Was the Premier or any member of her office one of the officials that the Auditor was referring to when she told Ontarians that the government knew the cost of this scheme? Mr. Speaker, the Treasury Board? Is there any of the Treasury Board? Yes, thank you very much. I do need to note that the number that keeps getting thrown around here is an estimate that came from the FAO. It's not a number that ever came to cabinet for decision-making. So the fact that it's out there is something the FAO put out there. But I want to go back to the issue around the accounting dispute because clearly, with all due respect to the auditor, we are having an accounting dispute with the auditor. And the auditor did a very peculiar thing yesterday. The auditor announced in advance how she would rule on the province's books a year from now based on a transaction which has not yet occurred. Now, the auditor says that the transaction is debt that should be created like credit card debt or like the stranded debt. Thank you. Final supplementary. Speaker, after the gas plants cover up, which two liberal staffers are on trial for right now and the Sudbury bribery scandal, which another two liberal operatives are in court for right now, the Premier promised that she would finally be open and transparent with the people of this province. Here is the Premier's opportunity to be true to her word. Finally, will she release those emails that the auditor general referenced immediately? Sure. That was intractable. Yes, thank you. And as I was saying, the auditor says that this is just like credit card debt. It's just like the stranded debt that we can't turn that debt into an asset. On the other hand, we have three firms, E&Y, Deloitte, KPMG, the Provincial Controller, who all say no, we should be using right-regulated accounting. We clearly have a dispute. But the interesting thing is the transaction hasn't occurred. The market will decide who is right because if the market buys the asset, it's a regulated asset. The market will be the referee when OPG completes that transaction. Thank you. Question and then we'll send Christopher Hastings. Thanks, Speaker. My question this morning is for the Minister of Energy. Speaker, it may be a new Minister of Energy, but it's the same old lack of transparency and accountability and openness from this minister. Every single ministry and government agency was able to comply with the order to produce emails to the auditor general in advance of her report, but your ministry was singled out for failure to comply. So how come every time, how come every time this liberal government makes a multi-billion dollar energy decision, and let's be honest, to save its own political hide, it ends up in another email scandal? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I know the member opposite heard the answer from us yesterday in estimates, so I'll repeat that. When it comes to the release of emails, over 13,212 emails, to be exact, Mr. Speaker, have been released by the Ministry of Energy to the auditor general and were continuing to provide the auditor general with more. When the scope of the ask came from the auditor general, there were 80 custodians that were identified with 40 actual words or phrases that needed to be captured. That produced over 2 million emails, Mr. Speaker. All of those emails then had to be worked through, Mr. Speaker, 145,000 of those 2 million emails were then identified. We have the Ministry of Energy going through all of those emails, Mr. Speaker. We continue to keep the auditor general updated on the progress of this, but, Mr. Speaker, we've ensured that we've complied with that and provided over 13,000 emails today. Thank you. Speaker, with all due respect to the current minister, we've seen this movie before here in the legislature, where ministers of energy said, no, no, no, we've complied. We've turned over all the documents and then another couple of weeks would pass. No, no, no, you now have all the documents and then a few more weeks would pass. No, now you have all the documents. It ended up in a billion-dollar gas-plant scandal and we're seeing the same kind of ethical deficit coming from the Ministry of Energy. Again, we learned that the government has retained a major Bay Street lawyer firm who had a retainer of $500,000, a half a million dollars, to help them to decide which emails they were gonna turn over, Mr. Speaker. Does the minister not understand that the act that governs the auditor general says that it's supposed to get any and all documents that she asks for? We're seeing a court case downtown right now on this issue. Speaker, why is the government spending thousands of dollars on lawyers to tell them which documents to turn over? Thank you, minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again, I'll have to explain the process of what we're going through, Mr. Speaker, to the member opposite. We've already complied. As the auditor general has said yesterday, we continue to work with our office to provide her with all of the emails, Mr. Speaker. Over 13,000 emails have already been brought forward to the auditor general's office. We're gonna continue to work, Mr. Speaker, and provide her with all of the emails that she asked for. But when you start with 80 custodians, 80 people that actually would be involved with this, Mr. Speaker, and 40 catchphrases or words, that created two million emails, Mr. Speaker. We wanted to make sure that she got access to this, Mr. Speaker, so we brought that down and recognized that there were 145,000 of those emails. We have the Ministry of Energy working through this, Mr. Speaker. 13,000 have been provided right now. We'll continue to work with the auditor general and provide those emails. New question, the member from Toronto, Dan Forth. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, my question to the Premier. The people of Ontario deserve to know who authorized an accounting trick designed to hide the cost of the Premier's hydro borrowing scheme. The auditor general has been clear based on emails she accessed as part of her investigation that the Liberal government knew the astronomical cost and did it anyway. But the Premier won't admit that she knew and when and neither will the Minister. Will the Premier stop telling Ontarians that she is open and transparent and actually be open and transparent and release those emails right now? Mr. Vanerjee. Mr. Vanerjee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, when it comes to the emails that we are providing to the auditor general, when it comes to the fair hydro plan, we are in compliance, Mr. Speaker. We're continuing to work with their office. We've identified 80 custodians of the request, Mr. Speaker, with 40 catchphrases or words. That produced 2 million emails, Mr. Speaker. We then had the firm narrow that down to this specific file, Mr. Speaker. That produced 145,000 emails with these phrases. We then have the entire Ministry of Energy, Mr. Speaker, working on identifying all of the emails that will comply with the ask from the auditor general, Mr. Speaker. So we are complying, we are acting right now. Those emails, we have over 13,000. 13,212, to be exact, Mr. Speaker. We've made sure that we're going to continue to provide those emails to the auditor general and we'll continue to work with their office. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, the people, sorry, Speaker, to the Premier again. The people of this province have had enough, enough of this Liberal government's partisan maneuvering. They've had too many vague statements, too much political doublespeak and way too many I don't recalls from the Premier. The government set aside $500,000 for a lawyer to assemble these emails for the auditor general. It should be easy for the Premier to release those emails to the public. Will the Premier release those emails now? Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said before, and as I'll say again, Mr. Speaker, there were 80 custodians identified that were involved in the Fair Hydro Plan. Of those 80 custodians, 40 catchphrases or words were then identified that need to be turned over. That produced 2 million emails, Mr. Speaker. Those 2 million emails then were reviewed by the firm in which we've paid approximately $40,000 to. We will not be going over $60,000 in this, Mr. Speaker, but that firm then identified those 145,000 emails, which the Ministry of Energy is now identifying and releasing. We've released 13,212 emails to the auditor general. We're going to continue to work with the auditor general's office. We're going to continue to provide the emails as we identify those 145,000 that pertain to this case, Mr. Speaker. We'll continue to work with the auditor general on this file, Mr. Speaker. New question, the member from Anacastor Dundas, Larnborough and Westdale. Thanks very much, Speaker. My question's for the Minister of Housing and the Minister responsible for poverty reduction. Minister, we know that the Local Poverty Reduction Fund is an important component of our government's renewed poverty reduction strategy. These funds help community organizations provide innovative and local solutions to poverty in their area. Yesterday, sir, I was pleased to join with you announcing that food for kids in Hamilton will receive $250,000 as part of the Local Poverty Reduction Fund for their Weekends Without Hunger program. This program helps single-parent families by delivering food directly to their homes on weekends when school nutrition programs are not running. I was pleased to hear this round of funding as a special focus on food security issues. That's good. Mr. Speaker, can the good Minister tell us more about the Local Poverty Reduction Fund and what kinds of initiatives were supported through the third round of funding? Thank you, Minister of Housing and the Minister responsible for poverty reduction. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank the member from Anacastor Dundas, Larnborough and Westdale for the question and for his career-long commitment to poverty reduction. Through the Local Poverty Reduction Fund, Ontario is helping to break the cycle of poverty for children and youth, increase employment and income security, increase food security, and end homelessness in Ontario. The Local Poverty Reduction Fund announced in April 2015 is investing $50 million to support sustainable community-driven initiatives that measurably improve the lives of those most affected by poverty. Through the third round of the LPRF, Ontario is providing more than $16 million to 48 projects across Ontario, including specifically $4.5 million for food security. And we know there's much more to do, and we continue to make strategic investments such as these to help break the cycle of poverty in the project. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, again to the Minister of Housing and the Minister responsible for poverty reduction, I'm pleased to hear that the third round of funding for the Local Poverty Reduction Program has been distributed to such helpful programs. I speak, I urge all members of this House to be aware of the Local Poverty Reduction Fund and to highlight the successful work we're doing together to reduce poverty across Ontario. What makes the Local Poverty Reduction Fund unique is that we are in fact collecting the data. And we can measure whether it's successful and whether it should be replicated or not. So can the Minister tell this House how the Local Poverty Reduction Fund is helping to gather evidence to measurably improve the lives of those most impacted by poverty? Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So our poverty reduction strategy sets bold targets to ensure that our efforts are having the greatest impact and ensures that we tackle poverty in a comprehensive and coordinated way. Through our government's Local Poverty Reduction Strategy Fund, we're evaluating what works so that we can replicate those successes elsewhere throughout the province and lift more people out of poverty, Mr. Speaker. These projects focus on local community partnerships, including a third-party evaluation component, which is important because better data will help communities develop better solutions to increase food security, better employment, reduce homelessness, and help people find jobs and keep their homes. Mr. Speaker, we're continuing to make sure that people have the resources they need and they're able to take part in the economic growth that we know they can participate in. Great. Thank you. I have a question. The member from the Pee in Carlton. Mayor of Ontario. Like her government, Enron also hid large depths off of the balance sheet. It became one of the worst corporate scandals of all time. Here, the unfair hydro plan is on track to becoming Ontario's worst political scandal. And that's a feat. Why? Let's put it in perspective. This costs more than the $1 billion wasted at eHealth, $1.2 billion in cancelled gas plants, and the $2 billion smart meter ripoff. And it all happened under the Treasury Board President's watch. The unfair hydro scheme is $4 billion in unnecessary interest payments that Ontarians will be paying for decades to come. The question for the Premier, does she condone the gross incompetence of her Treasury Board President? Thank you. Thank you. President of the Treasury Board. President of the Treasury Board. Oh, dear. Where to start? Let's go back to where this really did start, Speaker. This started with the people of Ontario who said to us, we appreciate the fact that you've got cleaned up the air and shut down the coal plants, but this is really costing too much on our hydro bills. And we said, yeah, you're right. And Cabinet made two important decisions. The first of those decisions was to separate what was social programs out of the hydro bill and put them on the tax base. In fact, that amount to over, just to remind people, because this number was also provided yesterday, that's $7.7 billion over five years that has been shifted because it's social program to the tax base. Thank you. The Premier does condone gross incompetence. If they want to start from what they said where to start, they don't know where to start. How about we start with the truth? This isn't the first time the Treasury Board President has proven to be incompetent. When it comes to the public accounts of Ontario, she has had quote, ongoing accounting disputes with the auditor over the pension assets, which have left a $5 billion hole in their budget. Now the minister is claiming, quote, accounting dispute with the auditor, who found an additional $4 billion in unnecessary interest. The auditor is using standard and accepted accounting practices. The financial accountability officer agrees the Liberals are just making it up again. They are making Bernie Madoff look ethical. Does the Premier condone this type of political corruption? Here, here. That's what we'll withdraw. I'm sorry, I put the wrong word in there. So let's look at the part. One part of the decision was to put social program on the tax base. The other part of the decision was to put things that have to do with electricity system onto the rate base. And that's where we get into an interesting conundrum, because what the public sector accounting standard says is that no rule of general application can be phrased to suit all circumstances or combinations of circumstances that may arise. As a result, matters may arise that are not specifically addressed in the primary sources of gap, generally accepted accounting principles. It is necessary to refer to other sources when the primary sources do not deal with the accounting and reporting and financial statements. What we have done is exactly what the public sector accounting standards ask for, which is to refer to other standards about rate rate. Thank you. New question, remember from Nicobal. Merci, Monsieur le Président. My question is for the Prime Minister. It is from across the province and want to applaud their work and their advocacy. Communities Health Centre know that in Ontario today, up to 3 million people cannot get the dental care that they need. Why, Speaker? Because they cannot afford to pay for it. And there's no government support to help them. The Premier has promised to expand the dental care for low income, but she's making them wait till 2025. No offence, Speaker, but there's a good chance she won't be Premier by then, which basically means that she's not going to help them. She's not going to do it. My question is simple. Why does the Premier think that she can leave the most vulnerable adult working on tarions without access to the dental care they need and wait for another eight years? Thank you. Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Minister of Health, Long-Term Care. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'm also honored that we're joined by so many frontline health care workers that represent the community care that's being provided through community health centres and other important facilities, Mr. Speaker. And it is true that we are, in fact, we have expanded our Healthy Smiles program. We have several years ago integrated six different programs. Added 70,000 more kids that are eligible. So any kid in Ontario that is under the age of 17 or younger, Mr. Speaker, and meets the eligibility criteria through a myriad of options are able to have that all-important dental care, which gives them that important start in life because a healthy mouth means a healthy heart and a healthy body, but it's so important for self-esteem and for everything from employment and other. So with regards to adults, the Premier and this government have made the commitment that by 2025, because as everyone can appreciate, it is a costly exercise, but it's one that we're working with their partners on. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. New Democrat, frontline workers, community health centre. We all know that Ontarians, adult working Ontarians, need access to dental care. Yet this liberal government refuses to make it happen. People today with a two-take or a mouth pain are forced to go to the emergency room. Every nine minutes, someone visits an emergency room and all they'll get will be painkillers. Those emergency room visits are not free, Speaker. They cost Ontario $30 million a year, but don't address the problem. Family physicians are also worried. They try to care for over 200,000 patients every year who need dental care, but can't afford to see a dentist. Why is this Premier and her minister refusing to provide dental care to every vulnerable Ontarian who need it now? Thank you, Minister. Well, Mr. Speaker, we are absolutely committed to this objective. I know the member opposite understands that there is a process underway that we're working with our partners, that the nearly half a million Ontarian children, 17 and younger, that are now receiving access to dental work, including emergency, but also preventive dental care through a public health unit, through private dentists office. It's really a remarkable program that is working exceptionally well. We will and we need to expand that to other age groups, including the working poor and adults of low socioeconomic income. That is a commitment that we've made. It is a commitment that I think needs to be captured in the essence of the other important investments that we are making in health care, including OHIP Plus for all those 25 and under who will get absolutely free access to 4,400 prescribed medications starting January 1st, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. New question, the member from Ottawa, but you? Oui, Monsieur le Président, ma question. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Health and long-term health. We're going to ensuring that Ontarians have access to health care close to home. And last year, I understand we passed the Patients First Act among which requires that the Linn have pay attention to health equity. So we are concerned, obviously, to reduce all health disparities between regions, but also between different population. Now, given that this week is community health and well-being week, can the Minister explain how these community health center bring us closer to reducing health disparities? Can the Minister of Health fall into care? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if I may, I want first to add my own condolences and that of my spouse, Samantha, not to the family and friends of our friend, Gordouni, to Laura and therefore children to Rob and Gord and Paul and Bobby, we mourn with you. Mr. Speaker, it's safe to say that War Child Canada, the charity that Sam and I founded, would never have existed without Gordouni and the tragically hip. At the charity's benefit concert launch in 2000 in Winnipeg, outdoor at the Forks, in front of 80,000 people, Sam was on stage employing the crowd to donate cash into buckets. Buckets being carried through the crowd. Only $10,000 had been raised. Then Gord walked on stage, took Sam and the microphone by the hand and calmly said six words, put the money in the cup. Half an hour later, we had raised over $300,000. Such was the influence that Gord had. Gord was an incomparable artist, musician, poet, humanitarian champion of indigenous rights, immeasurably talented, and incredibly generous. And he put Bob Cajun on the map and he'll be missed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Turn to the member from Ottawa, Benye, for a supplementary. Yes, I want to congratulate the minister for expressing all our feelings today about the great loss that Ontario and Canada suffered. And maybe at this point he can explain a little bit more how we are getting to reducing health disparities in Ontario. Thank you. Thank you, Minister. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And last week, I had the opportunity to make an announcement in my riding of St. Paul's in the Oakwood Vaughan area, which is a challenged area, if I can describe it that way. We announced an investment of $1.6 million for a new clinic that will provide preventive care and social support for people living in poverty. It's an extension, a satellite of a community health centre run by Unison. It will help isolated seniors, vulnerable youth, non-insured patients and people with complex mental health issues. It will help nearly 1,000 residents in that underserved community with high needs and allow them to access regular health services from a doctor, a nurse practitioner, a registered nurse, a social worker, and a health promoter. But we're also making improvements across the province where we invested $146 million between now and 2019-2020 towards recruiting and retaining health care professionals for primary care teams. $100 million over three years to support the expansion of intra-professional primary care teams. Many investments that reflect the vital importance of our frontline community health workers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Question to remember from Perth Wellington. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. As reported on News Talk 1010, senior liberal officials worked in secret to cancel the Slosset racetrack program in 2012, knowing full well the devastating impact it would have on the horse racing industry. Court documents and emails show that the Liberals ignored all evidence and abruptly cut off the program with no transitional support to racetracks and horse people. The result was catastrophic. Former Liberal MPP John Wilkinson predicted 23,000 job losses and 27,000 dead horses. The lawsuits coming our way will likely add up to $500 million, and you'll be lucky to settle for $250 million. My question is why did the government ignore all evidence and scrap the Slosset racetrack program at the expense of rural Ontario, thousands of beautiful horses, and good-being jobs? Come here, come here. Premier. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question. The member opposite references a decision to ensure that more of the money that's being raised without the industry goes to the horsemen and the horses. And frankly, we not only looked at the way it was being done, which was not as transparent and not to the benefit of the horsemen. That is why we are committed to the long-term sustainability of the horse racing industry. This Premier took it upon herself specifically to make sure more money goes to them. $100 million more annually is going to the horse racing partnership right for the horsemen. We are doing everything to make it a sustainable industry on an ongoing basis, recognizing the importance where the money should be. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the government is being sued by a group of standard-bred horse breeders over their political decision to kill Slosset racetrack. The government is trying to block witnesses from testifying, including former Premier Dalton McGinty, former finance minister Dwight Duncan, and the current Premier of Ontario. Now we know that the Liberals have been lying, have been trying to hide, and a long trail of documents shows that senior Liberals conspired to scrap Slosset racetracks. A top advisor to Premier McGinty wrote in an email, and I quote, meeting with the Premier just ended, he was inclined to go to $0 for horse racing. They rushed to cancel the program without doing any real economic analysis or consulting with the horse racing industry. Again to the Premier, why was your government willing to devastate the horse racing industry with 23,000 job losses, 27,000 dead horses? Was it because the front-up damage would fall on rural Ontario? Hear, hear. Minister. Mr. Speaker, we are committed to supporting the horse racing industry. It is why we are taking and obtaining the resources necessary to provide for the revenues. We are supplementing much of the horse racing tracks right now, both operations and their purses, Mr. Speaker. We are providing a funding program. We have the Ontario Racing which has been formed to provide giving you greater transparency and oversight with horsemen and the horses at the top of the chain of command, Mr. Speaker. We support greater transparency within the industry. We support greater use of funds. We are providing more money than they had before through slots. More money is going to where it needs to be. That's where the horse is to protect them and in planning for their years to come. We recognize that cycle does take time. We want to partner with the horses. We are doing so, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, a member from Kitchener Waterloo. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. This week we learned that since at least 2009, engineers at the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change have been raising serious concerns about safety at Ontario's petroleum refineries. We also learned that this government has been muscling these engineers and they buried a 2014 report showing the health impacts of air pollution on families living in South Sarnia and the Amjinang First Nation. The engineers claim that the ministry meets regularly with industry officials while shutting out its own engineers. Why is your minister more interested in listening to industry lobbyists than your own engineers and your own ministry of the environment? Good job. Climate and climate change. Well, thank you, Speaker. And thank you for a very important question. You know, Speaker, as I said yesterday, Ontario takes the quality of air very seriously. Everyone across this province has the right to breathe clean air. My ministry is carefully reviewing the report that was provided to them by the union representing engineers. And we take very seriously the concerns that it brought to our attention. You know, Speaker, we take advice from a wide variety of people. Inside our ministry, we have a very transparent methodology to collect information and move it through the pipeline. We post that publicly, Speaker. We talk to a variety of stakeholders whether from right across the spectrum in order to get it right. But, Speaker, I'll reiterate that I'm taking this very seriously. My ministry is reviewing it and I'll have tough questions for them. Thank you. What's up, commentary? Well, Mr. Speaker, again, back to the premier, it would be good if you listen to your own engineers and your own ministry here. And here are some of the concerns that have been raised by the minister's own engineers. Poorly regulated flaring of acid gas and emitting unsafe levels of sulfur dioxide in Chemical Valley. After a hydrogen sulfide incident in 2010, children at the Om Jinnong daycare began vomiting and needing medical care. Even U.S. regulators have flagged Ontario's lax air pollution standards and enforcement. But instead of taking action, this government told its own engineers to remain silent, which is actually against their own code of ethics as engineers. When will the minister stop muscling his own engineers and take the necessary action to keep Ontario families safe in this province? Minister? Well, thank you, Speaker. And again, thank you for the follow-up question because I think it's very important to talk about what we're doing in our ministry. You know, I've managed to, I visited two First Nation communities in Sarnia recently and had these conversations with their leadership and with members of the community about the air quality that they have, about the quality of water and the quality of land within their communities. And they have concerns. And I share those concerns to Mr. Speaker and have committed to moving forward. We will continue to improve air quality for the folks who live in First Nations, Sarnia, and quite honestly, Speaker, right across Ontario. I can tell you, in Sarnia, specifically, Speaker, we have reduced sulfur dioxide by 64%, nitrogen dioxide by 23, and we've greatly reduced benzene level since the 1990s. Thank you. Question? Remember from the government group, US. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Seniors Affairs. Minister, I read last week, you were at the fire station in Toronto to announce a new funding program to enhance fire safety in retirement homes. Changes to the Ontario fire code will take effect in January 2019, mandating that all licensed retirement homes have automatic fire sprinklers in individual suites. Many retirement homes are already sprinkled or partially sprinkled. However, others like some in my writing in Port Hope, Brighton and Trenhill's are struggling to meet this deadline due to financial constraints. Minister, can you tell this House what help there is for these homes which could not fully cover the cost will be able to ensure its completion time? Will the Minister of Seniors Affairs inform the House about this new funding? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, responsible Minister for Seniors Affairs. Thank you, Speaker, and I want to begin by thanking the member from Northumberland, Quinty West, for this very important question. New sprinkler retrofit program. And I'm proud to say, Mr. Speaker, that Ontario became the first province to make the retrofit of fire sprinklers mandatory in licensed retirement homes. We're not stopping there, Mr. Speaker, because as the MPP for Northumberland, Quinty West pointed out, some retirement homes did come to us and say it's going to be a little bit challenging for them to be able to retrofit with sprinklers. And so, Mr. Speaker, because as a government, we are so committed to the safety of our seniors, we have announced funding of up to $20 million in funding to address the financial challenges that retirement homes across Ontario have raised through a balanced... Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Minister for her answer. I'm pleased... It's a good answer. I'm pleased to hear that we are making investments that will enhance fire safety in retirement homes for Ontario seniors. I am appreciative of this government's action ensuring that vulnerable Ontarians are given the safety and protection they need. While the number of seniors in Ontario is growing, to record numbers with more seniors moving to retirement homes, it is important that they feel confident in their safety so they can live healthy, active lives. Could the Minister of Seniors Affairs describe to this House the expected impact of this program on Ontario retirement homes? Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I again want to thank the member from Northumberland, Quinty West, for this very important question. As I was saying, Mr. Speaker, I was earlier last week, along with the MPP for Trinity Spadina, I announced up to $20 million in funding to address financial challenges that retirement homes across Ontario have so that they can go ahead and retrofit their homes. The model that we have, Mr. Speaker, is cost-sharing with our new program over 150 small or rural licensed retirement homes representing over 6,000 suites, Mr. Speaker. Once again, I want to emphasise that 6,000 suites are now eligible for funding to provide them with the assistance they need to become fully equipped with power sprinklers by January 1st, 2019 deadline. The funding follows a cost-sharing model, as I said, with the government providing between 50% and 75%. No question, the member from Nipissing. Speaker, and good morning. My question is for the Premier. You know, the worst thing we learned yesterday from the Auditor General is that this government knew, Speaker, they knew that the cost was billions of dollars more, yet they plotted to do this anyway. They co-opted Crown agencies to be complicit in their cynical, multi-billion-dollar election ploy. The Auditor's Report clearly states, quote, cabinet was regularly briefed and provided details. The Premier, the Finance Minister, the Energy Minister, in fact, all of cabinet, they knew that families would be on the hook for $4 billion more. And not one of those people had the integrity to stand up and say, whoa, this isn't right. Instead, it wasn't that minister or that minister or that minister or that minister. None of them stood up, Speaker. To the Premier, I say, why in God's greener should families ever trust a word you say again? Never! Never! Premier. Energy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's because this government stays true to its word and brought forward a 25% reduction for all of its families, Mr. Speaker, right across the speaker. When families in this process asked for real and immediate relief, it was this government that delivered. We made a policy choice, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that we continue to have a clean, reliable and affordable system that ratepayers can enjoy today. And of course, it'll be there for ratepayers of tomorrow. The fair hydro plan, Mr. Speaker, keeps the cost of borrowing within the rate base, not the tax base, Mr. Speaker. Electricity financing should remain within the electricity system, Mr. Speaker. And of course, we've worked with KPMG. We've worked with E&Y. We've worked with Deloitte, Mr. Speaker. We've worked with the Provincial Controller. All of them agree that the accounting standards are accurate, Mr. Speaker. Minister of Health, long-term care and appointment of work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe when I was referring to OHIP Plus, the Child and Youth Pharmacare Program earlier, I said it was available to all those 25 years of age and under, in fact, it will be available to those up to their 25th birthday. That is 24 and under. The member has the right to correct his record, which is in order. I beg to inform the House that pursuant to standing order 98c. Am I finished? Thank you. I beg to inform the House that pursuant to standing order 98c, a change has been made in the order of precedence on the battle list for private members' public business, such that Ms. Forster assumes ballot item number seven and Ms. Horvath assumes ballot item number 51. We have a deferred vote on the motion of closure. The motion is second reading of bill 148 and act to amend Employment Standards Act 2000 and the Labor Relations Act 1995 and to make related amendments to other acts. Calling the members, this will be a five-minute bill. All members, please take your seats. Please take your seats. On September 12th, 2017, Mr. Milton moved second reading of bill 148 and act to amend the Employment Standards Act 2000 and the Labor Relations Act 1995 and to make related amendments to other acts. Mr. Chan has moved that the question be now put. All those in favor, Mr. Chan's motion, please rise one on a 10. One at a time and be recognized by the court. Mr. Bradley, Mr. Del Ducat, Mr. Sandals, Mr. Sousa, Mr. Sousa, Ms. Nguyen, Ms. Matthews, Mr. Hoss, Mr. Hoss, Mr. Shurelli, Mr. Shurelli, Mr. Dugan, Ms. McCharles, Mr. McMeakin, Mr. McMeakin, Mr. Tecara, Mr. Tecara, Mr. Cole, Mr. Cole, Mr. Bardinetti, Mr. Bardinetti, Mr. Delaney, Mr. Dillon, Mr. Dillon, Mr. Ballard, Mr. Ballard, Mr. Chan, Mr. Chan, Mr. Rinaldi, Mr. Reneal, Mr. Reneal, Mr. Randeirosia. All those opposed, please rise one at a time. Be recognized by the court. Mr. Wilson, Mr. Arna, Mr. Arna, Mr. Arna, Mr. Arna, Mr. McLeod, Mr. McLeod, Mr. Jones, Mr. Clark, Mr. Clark, Mr. Fidele, Mr. Yacobasco, Mr. Miller, Perry, San Mascuca, Mr. McDonnell, Mr. McDonald, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Monroe, Mr. Monroe, Mr. Yurek, Mr. Smith, Mr. Smith, Mr. Bailey, Mr. Bailey, Mr. Romano, Mr. Romano, Mr. Ostra, Mr. Ostra, Mr. Walker, Mr. Rawak, Mr. Harris, Mr. Harris, Mr. Nichols, Mr. Nichols, Mr. Marto, Mr. McDonnell, Mr. McDonnell, Mr. Pettipies, Mr. Coe, Mr. Coe, Mr. Cho, Mr. Cho, Mr. Horvath, Mr. Tabbins, Mr. Tabbins, Mr. Miller, Hamilton, Eastonay Creek, Ms. Sapp, Ms. Taylor, Mr. Natashab, Ms. Angelina, Ms. Fight, Ms. Forster, Mr. Monca, Mr. Adfield, Mr. Hattfield, Ms Gretzak, Mr. Gates, Mr. French, Mr. McClaren. The ayes being 51 and the nays being 42. I declare the motion carried. Mr. Milchin has moved second reading of Bill 148, an act to amend an Employment Standards Act 2000, Labor Relations Act 1995, and to make related amendments to other acts. Is the pleasure of the motion carried? I heard a no. All those in favor please say aye. All those opposed please say nay. In my opinion, the ayes have it. Calling the members, this will be a five minute bell. Mr. Milchin has moved second reading of Bill 148, an act to amend the Employment Standards Act 2000, and the Labor Relations Act 1995, and to make related amendments to other acts. All those in favor please rise. One at a time you'll recognize by the clerk. Mr. Flynn. Mr. Flynn. Mr. Natchez. Mr. Bradley. Mr. Bradley. Mr. Del Ducat. Mr. Sandler. Mr. Sousa. Mr. Sousa. Ms. Wynn. Ms. Matthews. Ms. Matthews. Mr. Hosskins. Mr. Hosskins. Mr. Shurelli. Mr. Shurelli. Mr. Dugan. Mr. Dugan. Ms. McCharles. Mr. McMeakin. Mr. McMeakin. Mr. Tecar. Mr. Tecar. Mr. Cole. Mr. Moridis. Mr. Moridis. Mr. Koto. Mr. Koto. Ms. Hunter. Mr. Hunter. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. Madame DeRosier, Miss Forrester, Miss Horvath, Miss Orvath, Mr. Tabin, Mr. Miller Hamilton and Stony Creek, Mr. Sadler, Mr. Kailer, Mr. Nataschak, Mr. M. Jelen, Ms. Fight, Ms. Yamonta, Mr. Hatfield, Ms. Gretzky, Mr. Gates, Ms. French, Mr. McClare, Mr. Maylor, Mr. Romano, Mr. Ostra, Mr. Walker, Mr. Harris, Mr. Harris, Mr. Nichols, Mr. Nichols, Mr. Marteau, Mr. Bithidow, Mr. Coe, Mr. Coe, Mr. Cho. The ayes are 66, the nays are 25. The ayes being 66, and the nays being 25, and declare the motion carried. I'd like to refer the bill to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. So, in the members gallery is Mr. Chris Crawley, who is a table officer of OTF, resident Brantford, and president presently. So, welcome, Chris, to one of the third votes. This house stands adjourned till 3 p.m. this afternoon.