 Mr. Speaker, to the Premier, every one of us in this legislature knows someone who doesn't have a family doctor. There are over 800,000 on tarot loans without one. The government's response has been to cut clinical care funding by more than 7% over the last three years. We all know someone battling addiction, whether you know it or not, and the government's last addiction services funding by 50%. The government ignores the struggle of these at-risk patients, the risks they face every day. Mr. Speaker, these cuts target each and every community in Ontario. Will the government reconsider their health cuts before the end of the year? So Mr. Speaker, I know that the Minister of Health and Long-term Care is going to want to comment on the specifics, but I also know that the leader of the opposition understands full well that health care funding in this province goes up every year. Over year, funding has increased, Mr. Speaker. He knows full well that the needs are expanding in the province, and that's why funding for health care continues to go up. Mr. Speaker, there are thousands more doctors in this province, thousands more nurses in this province, since we've been in office, Mr. Speaker, because we understand how critical it is that people have the care that they need where they need it. I think, Mr. Speaker, it's more than 90% of people in this province have access to a primary care practitioner, Mr. Speaker, and we've made a commitment that by 2018 everyone in the province will have access to a primary care practitioner. That's one of the reasons, Mr. Speaker, that funding continues to go up. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier, if you take into consideration federal transfers, the health budget actually went down. These cuts are having real effects. In Kingston, five family doctors were unable to join a local practice group. They were turned away from practicing. In Peterborough, a family doctor was unable to join a family health group. President of Treasury, Mark. 750 patients stranded. In Oakville, a family doctor closed their practice, leaving 900 patients without a doctor to see. In Richmond Hill, five doctors abandoned their plans to open practices, leaving 5,000 patients waiting to find a new doctor. The government should be ashamed. So, Mr. Speaker, my question to the Premier is, did the members from Kingston, Peterborough, Oakville, Richmond Hill stand up and speak for their patients, or did you ignore them? What has really happened? Mr. Speaker, I would say to the leader of the opposition, what did he say as a member from Ontario of the federal legislature, federal House of Commons? What did he say when Stephen Harper cut the federal transfer by $8 billion, the health transfer to Ontario? What did the leader of the opposition say at that point, Mr. Speaker? Because... Finish, please. Tell the leader of the opposition that this has been a conversation of acute interest at the Premier's table, Mr. Speaker. And we are going to be putting healthcare on the agenda in our conversations with the new Prime Minister. Because when that $8 billion was cut from federal transfers to Ontario, Mr. Speaker, I didn't hear any voice from the leader of the opposition. I didn't hear any concern from the leader of the opposition. Who was an Ontario member in Ottawa, Mr. Speaker? Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier. While federal transfers continued to increase, you cut $54 million. Those are the cold, hard facts. Right here in Toronto, a blood monitoring clinic couldn't stay open because the government's last round of cuts. Those patients have seen dramatic delays and discharges and it has resulted in longer wait times. In Ottawa, two dermatology resident students left the province rather than set up shop here when wait times are already far too long. In Ajax, 12 doctors aren't able to offer flu vaccination clinics affecting 8,000 patients. Again, all in Liberal Roddy's. I can tell you countless stories from our side of the aisle as well. Mr. Speaker, the Premier has either silenced to our own members or ignored them. Why won't anyone on this side of the aisle stand up to the Premier and to say that the cuts to health care in your Roddy's is wrong? You won't know when. Just to remind the member to speak to the chair. Thank you. Premier. For health and long-term care. For health and long-term care. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I know that the leader of the official opposition was a member of the federal government at a time when they cut off refugee health care to deserve any involvement of people in this country, Mr. Speaker. And I know he was a part of the federal party, the Federal Conservative Party, when they decided to eliminate any health accord with the provinces. And I'm so pleased that the new Liberal government in Ottawa has made that commitment to negotiate a part of this decade, Mr. Speaker. So, and the truth is, and the member opposite knows this, I know that the Progressive Conservative Party does have a history of being challenged when it comes to the numbers, but he knows that the figures that he's using are estimates. If he was to actually look at the actual numbers that are available for the country. The member from the Fianne Carlton, come to order. Answer. The health care budget year after year after year. And we'll continue to do that, Mr. Speaker. Good question. The leader of the opposition. Mr. Speaker, to the Premier, the global male headline was Ontario Long-Term Climate Strategy Short on Details. The national post headline reads, Ontario leaves many questions unanswered and new climate change strategy. The post online said, Ontario climate plans shy on details. CBC headline, expect climate change plan details in new year. Mr. Speaker, was this just another example of photo-op environmentalism, or do you actually plan to do something before you get off for Paris? Well, Mr. Speaker, let me just say to the leader of the opposition that we have a plan. They had no plan. They don't talk. So, Mr. Speaker. I'm not going to tolerate shouting people down. Yes, that the leader of the opposition read the stories underneath those headlines, Mr. Speaker. And he will see that the outline that we have laid out is exactly what we said we were going to do, Mr. Speaker. We made it very clear that we would bring out a strategy at this point, that we will be bringing out a detailed five-year plan in the new year, Mr. Speaker. And that is consistent with the work that we've already done in terms of shutting down the coal-fired plants, the work that we are doing right now on the design of the cap and trade system. But, Mr. Speaker, there are members in his caucus who don't think we should have a plan at all and think we should scrap what we are doing, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier, I read those articles and they all said, all those descriptions of your press conference and it was a news conference without news. A news conference without a plan. We need to do our part to fight climate change. We must leave Ontario a better place for generations to come. Goes both ways. Finish, please. In that spirit, I asked the minister and the Premier, as they always said, what's the cost of doing nothing? By looking at the headlines, their climate change strategy did just that. But what I want to know, Mr. Speaker, a reasonable question is, what is the cost of doing something? Mr. Speaker, will the Premier release details today or before she leaves for Paris? What is the cost for the average household of your climate change plan if there is a plan? I'm glad that the leader of the opposition has gotten to the real point of what he wanted to ask, which is that he doesn't think we should do this. His environment critic doesn't think we should do this. They don't think we should have a plan because they are unwilling, Mr. Speaker, to acknowledge that the cost of doing nothing... I did hear something I didn't like, and if I knew who it was, I'd ask them to withdraw it. And it stops now. Finish, please. Increased insurance costs, Mr. Speaker, the degradation of the environment, costs of food. All of those costs, Mr. Speaker, are costs that we cannot, as the human race, we cannot afford those costs, Mr. Speaker. It is imperative that we take action along with jurisdictions around the world to curb this development, to decrease our greenhouse gas emissions. That's why we're working to put a cap and trade system in place, Mr. Speaker, and I know they... Thank you. The member from Prince Edward Hastings come to order. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier, everyone agrees we should fight climate change. Our concern is you had a news conference. It was a photo op. There is no plan. What we're asking for, very simply, is share with us your plan. You know, I... Minister of Tours and Culture and Sport. But I will narrow it down for... Member from Barrie. British Columbia, the Auditor General, ensures that every dollar from the carbon tax goes back to families and businesses to help reduce emissions. Mr. Speaker, since we are still waiting for the details from the Premier, will she at least commit to us? Will she commit to the legislature that our cap and trade program will have A.G. oversight and B. revenue neutral? The member from Renfrew, Nipsey and Pembroke come to order. I'm changing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, we just finished a five-year plan, which I don't think they've even read, which successfully reduced our emissions by 6% and had no negative impact, did not raise any prices. Period. Our intention with our next five-year plan is to achieve the same objectives. And, Mr. Speaker, we're the only jurisdiction in North America that has actually closed-closed plans and has actually achieved its objectives. Save Quebec. Mr. Speaker, the document here is quite detailed. It is more detailed than Alberta's, British Columbia's or any others. Maybe the Leader of the Opposition should take a basic reading lesson, because it's about grading English if he can't understand it. Mr. Speaker, to answer this question directly, the plans that we are introducing will make life less expensive for Ontarians than in action, and that's been demonstrated. Thank you. New question. The member from Bramble League, Ormold. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Yesterday, the Premier told Ontarians that learning from other provinces where hydro rates are cheaper and they invest more in conservation is, I quote, trying to drive wedges among the provinces. The Premier ought to know that learning from others isn't wedge politics. The Premier knows it's simply doing the right thing for Ontarians. But why is the Premier so stubborn in refusing to look at other provinces? Is it because she knows that Manitoba, B.C., Quebec, provinces with public hydro systems have lower rates and invest more in conservation? Is that why? Thank you. So, Mr. Speaker, I actually have found that sitting at the table with my colleague Premiers across the country has been a very valuable experience for Ontario. And in fact, Mr. Speaker, the member opposite might know that we have, as a result of those conversations, forged agreements with Quebec on the exchange of energy and peak and off-peak periods, Mr. Speaker, for us as a province. We have worked to create, to write a Canadian energy strategy, Mr. Speaker, and there were lots of voices across the country who said you'll never get agreement among all of the provinces and territories because the geography is so different and the systems are so different. Well, we did get that agreement, Mr. Speaker. We got an agreement. The Canadian Energy Strategy is a foundational document, and it's actually a document that the new Prime Minister has signed on to. And as we go into the Paris Summit, Mr. Speaker, it's very much going to inform our position there. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, the Premier suggested that Ontario had nothing to learn from our neighbouring provinces. When our neighbours invest more in conservation and have lower rates, I think we should be learning from those provinces. Why is the Premier so determined to push ahead with selling off Hydro-1 when all the evidence shows that it's bad for the environment? It's bad for families who are struggling to make ends meet. It's bad public... Minister of Energy will withdraw. Draw, Speaker. It's bad for the environment. It's bad for families who are struggling to make ends meet. It's bad public policy. It's simply bad for Ontarians. I'd have it both ways. If we look across the country, you will find examples where there are private distribution companies, Mr. Speaker. And in fact, you look in this province and there's a mixed distribution in terms of private and public. So the fact is, it is one of the questions when we were having our conversations about broadening the ownership of Hydro-1, I actually said that. I said, let's look across other jurisdictions. Show me what the impact is of having private... some private ownership of a distribution company, Mr. Speaker. And the fact is that if it's a well-run company, if the services are met, if it's exactly what we want to have happen with Hydro-1, Mr. Speaker, then there is no negative impact. In fact, there can be a positive impact. So I am absolutely determined to learn from other jurisdictions. I work with my colleague, Premier's, and I will continue to do that for the benefit of the people of Ontario. Thank you. We have evidence, Mr. Speaker. We know that in provinces where there's public Hydro, the rates are cheaper. And we know that in provinces where there's private Hydro, we have the evidence. When electricity bills are cheaper in provinces with public power, we should be learning from them, not insulting them. When provinces with public power invest more in conservation, that's a lesson. When public Hydro puts money into infrastructure, that's a lesson. But instead, the Premier is committed to selling off Hydro-1 and putting the province into a worse financial situation so does the Premier really think that Ontario has nothing to learn from those neighbouring provinces? Mr. Speaker, I've answered that question a number of times in terms of working with my colleague, Premier's. I will continue to do that. We are, in fact, collaborating to an unprecedented extent with provinces across the country. I will continue to do that. But the fact is, Mr. Speaker, what the member opposite is not talking about is the differences in geography. There is different geography across this country. There is different water power accessible to different provinces, and we all have to operate within our own geography. So, Mr. Speaker, I will continue to look for absolutely the best deal possible for the people of Ontario. That's why we're working with Quebec, that's why there are conversations with Manitoba. But in the interim, it can be, and I also know, Mr. Speaker, that we must make those investments in infrastructure if we are going to be competitive, not just in the country, but internationally. No question? Thank you. My question is to the Premier. The Liberals promised that selling Hydro One would magically fix transit. The fact is, the money brought in by the sale of Hydro One will come close to delivering real help to families and cities coping with gridlock. In fact, the sell-off of Hydro One with building transit and the Premier knows it. TTC riders in Toronto are being asked to pay more for cash fares. City councils across the province are asking for support, yet transit riders everywhere are being asked to pay more for services while services are being cut. Why is the Premier failing commuters? I just have to say the magical thinking is not on this side of the house. The magical thinking is on the other side of the house in the third party where somehow all the projects that are needed across the province, the roads, the bridges, the transit systems, that somehow those can all be built without making one tough decision. The fact is that's not the case. So I would say to the member opposite when he goes down the list of projects that we are building, whether it's the Kitchener Line which will be partly electrified and the weekly trips will go from 80 to 250 or the Lakeshore East Line the annual ridership will go from 10 million to 32 million or the billion dollars for the Hamilton LRT or the support for SmartTrack which is the single most important project that the Mayor of Toronto wants to implement. Which one of those would he cut Mr. Speaker because of his magical thinking? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, the Premier knows it and the entire caucus knows that selling up hydro and is not the solution. There are far better solutions and far more solutions and it's not the way to do it. The Premier may not realize this the Premier may not realize this but people who rely on transit also order hydro bills. Selling hydro one off will actually hurt families twice once as they continue to wait for the bus or sit in traffic on their commute and again when they finally get home and open up their hydro bills. Does the Premier realize that selling up hydro one actually hurts families twice? What hurts families is if they don't have the roads and the bridges and the transit they need Mr. Speaker what hurts Ontarians is if they don't have an excellent company delivering their electricity Mr. Speaker and what hurts Ontarians is if they don't have all the facts and the reality is Mr. Speaker the member opposite when he's doing because there's a political campaign that he's engaged in right now with his party to fear monger among people about what's going to happen because we are investing in infrastructure and we're broadening the ownership of hydro one the reality is Mr. Speaker he doesn't talk to his constituents and the constituents in writings around the province about the investments that their municipalities their communities are going to get because of the decisions that we are taking we know Mr. Speaker that there is not a municipality in this province that doesn't need infrastructure dollars we're providing those infrastructure dollars Mr. Speaker making the tough decisions in order to do that Mr. Speaker what we know is the vast majority of Ontarians don't want this government to sell off hydro one what we know is the vast majority of municipalities don't want this government to sell off hydro one people are stuck in their cars or packed like sardines in transit and they're looking for some relief selling off hydro one doesn't actually build transit and according to the FAO it could raise as little as 1.4 billion dollars selling off hydro one hydro one and the Premier knows this and her entire caucus knows this TTC is Toronto's second biggest electricity consumer and the go electrification is going to mean more electricity consumption for go transit higher rates are going to have real impacts on these transit providers Thank you the member from Essex and the member from Eglinton Lawrence it's enough you have one second to wrap up please higher rates are going to impact transit providers and that means higher fares will the Premier stop the sell off before she does any more damage to this province Thank you very much thank the member of course for his question this very same debate and discussion has come up several times over the last couple of weeks and it's interesting again that the deputy leader of the NDP would ask us or would talk about what's on the minds of our caucus on this side of the house I said this last week Speaker what's on our minds is making sure that we build the province up what I think is important though Speaker is that the leader of the NDP and the deputy leader of the NDP have a conversation with backbenchers on that side of the House Speaker because every single one of the NDP caucus colleagues that he has has a specific request or a desire to see infrastructure projects occur at each of their ridings whether we're talking about London Toronto or Essex or Niagara Falls Speaker or the North four landing highways every single region of the province Speaker why won't you level with the people in your own Questions and Answers are directed to the chair and if it continues with anybody I'll cut you off now that you've had your say the member from Renfrew Nipissing Pembroke his second time new question remember from Nipissing my question is for the Premier today the government will present its fall economic statement all be 11 days late thankfully the financial accountability officer already gave us some insight into the state of Ontario's finances he told us of the provinces deteriorating economic performance slower GDP and weaker labour market outcomes what he said was the government continues to miss lofty revenue forecasts but continues to spend the money they didn't take in we were told the only way to write the ship is to lower the growth outlook to 3% and spend accordingly the globe and mail concurred going so far as to suggest the government is living in a fiscal fantasy land Speaker my question is will we finally see the truth about the state of our finances in Ontario Thank you, Premier let me just go through the realities that we're dealing with year over year we have beaten our deficit targets and the financial accountability officers report said that we're on track to beat our targets again this year so that's exactly what the FEO has said and we're doing that because of the plan that we have our plan is to build Ontario up including investing in people's talent and skills including the infrastructure investments that we were talking about in the previous question including fostering a dynamic business climate and working with businesses so that they can expand so that they can become exporters Mr. Speaker and including creating a secure retirement pension plan those are the four pillars of our plan Mr. Speaker we're unlocking the value of assets Mr. Speaker so that we can make that investment of over $130 billion for roads and bridges and transit and hospitals that'll support 110,000 jobs a year Mr. Speaker this session Ontario's created more than 500,000 jobs 559,600 to be exact Mr. Speaker those are the fundamentals that we'll be talking about in the finance supplementary back to the Premier I question whether the fall economic statement will discuss the facts the government attempted to bury in order to lower their deficit this year on page 162 of a 167 page finance bill there's one line Speaker that tells us exactly what the government has been up to all along schedule 22 section 7 item 1 authorizes the government to use the Trillium Trust money to fund quote or reimburse quote the crown for the construction of infrastructure so exactly what we've been saying all along Speaker is now laid bare by their own document the proceeds from the sale 2021 are not to fund transit their quote to reimburse the government for money that was already budget questions Speaker will the Premier now confirm that this has been a transit sham all along Mr. Speaker we've been clear about our plan to use the Trillium Trust to build key vital infrastructure projects Mr. Speaker transportation projects Mr. Speaker that is what we are going to do with that money the money is in the Trillium Trust and it is going to go to build those projects Mr. Speaker and I think that actually the member opposite knows that because he understands that there are jurisdictions all over the province including in northeastern Ontario that need those infrastructure investments but let me just talk about the track that we're on Mr. Speaker Ontario's unemployment at 6.8% is under the national unemployment rate of 7% Mr. Speaker according to the conference board of Canada Ontario's on track to grow about 2% this year outpacing the projected 1.1% GDP increase for the country Mr. Speaker Ontario is the first in North America for foreign direct investments for the second year in a row Mr. Speaker so the reality is we're on track we're going to stay on track Mr. Speaker Thank you new question the member from Welland Thank you Speaker my question is to the Premier under bill that the government is about to ram through healthcare workers will no longer have the democratic right to choose the union that represents them in the case of a health sector merger under this legislation if 60% of healthcare workers are in one union 100% of workers will lose their right to choose the union that represents them in a merger in a memo prepared by the Ministry of Health obtained through this information it clearly states that quote unquote no broad based consultation was done before this section of the bill was tabled and cites consultation with only one stakeholder why were there no broad based consultations done before the government decided to strip away health sector workers fundamental right to a democratic vote to select the union they wish to represent them in a merger with the Ministry of Labor Thank you Speaker and thank you to the member for the question the public sector labor relations transition act provides a framework to resolve a number of labor relations issues when there's a restructuring in the broader public service when there's an amalgamation of a hospital a school or a town or city two unions have to amalgamate perhaps in that circumstance where one union has a large majority what is being suggested and proposed in the legislation that this legislation have passed will say we don't have a vote it goes to the largest sector to the people that represent the most there's a difference of opinion within the labor movement speaker I'll admit to that some unions think it's a good idea some unions have concerns with it the bill is act committee it's at the social policy committee I understand that each and every social justice committee each and every one of those I look forward to the committee work on this speaker Thank you In fact on what appears to be the government's very first piece of its massive health transformation plan they admit they've done no broad consultations and in the memo that we obtained through FOI from the ministry of health they admit that quote unquote the ministry has admitted this issue is not even a problem and yet the government is stripping health care workers of their most basic democratic right the right to choose Speaker will the premier tell hundreds of thousands of health care workers in this province why it's willing to actually strip away their rights without even having done consultation for something the government admits isn't even a problem Thank you Thank you speaker and thank you once again to the member as I said there's a variety of opinions in this and those variety of opinions come from within the labor movement itself speaker some people have suggested that the amendments that are being put forward would reduce the potential for delay and the disruption that's often associated with these votes it would remove the large costs associated with it and will contribute to more harmonious labor relations other have a difference opinion speaker I respect those opinions in the public venue in a very way this morning this afternoon those stakeholders are bringing forward their concern speaker they're addressing the committee on this issue and I suspect the committee will give this a good and true deliberation and will bring forward it's best amendments if they are needed speaker thank you Thank you new question the member from Newmark to Aurora My question is to the minister of tourism culture and sport as every member in this house is aware the pan-pair-pan-am games hosted here in Ontario were the largest and most successful in the history of the games the ministry of tourism culture and sport has previously addressed the members in this house about the success of the pan-pair-pan-am games many suggested that no one would buy tickets to the games Mr. Speaker fans bought 1.2 million tickets to the games many suggested that no one would chair for the games Mr. Speaker in fact more than 1.4 million people attended the pan-pair-pan-am celebrations Mr. Speaker Ontarians are proud of the success of these games Through you to the minister I'm interested in hearing more about the legacy of the pan-pair-pan-am games and I'm interested in learning how the legacy has benefited amateur sport in Ontario Thank you minister tourism culture sport Thank you Mr. Speaker I want to thank the member of the new market Aurora Mr. Speaker I'm proud to say that not only did we host the largest and most successful games in the history of this country we did it on time and on budget Mr. Speaker because of that success Ontarians have been left with a strong legacy of sports which will be felt for many years to come Ontario demonstrated that we can increase our athletes success rates by winning the most medals of any pan-pair-pan-am games Ontario proved that it could be inclusive when we held the most accessible games and Mr. Speaker on Thursday I was at Ryerson University announcing Ontario's government to build a new plan to increase the success of our athletes in Ontario by announcing a sports strategy called Game On Mr. Speaker this is the first sport in Ontario in over 20 years by leveraging what Right after I mentioned he decides to do it again so just being lenient is a Wednesday carry on Mr. Speaker by leveraging what we learned from the games we will bring forward more change the Game On plan for Ontario represents another long lasting legacy out of the pan-ampair-pan-am games to benefit Ontario Well thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you Minister I'm happy to see the minister is using the momentum of the games and to promote healthier it's well understood that sport creates positive and lasting benefits for health and wellness we know that physical activity contributes to healthier body weight better cardiovascular fitness for our youth and that physical activity can help to prevent chronic diseases later in life like heart disease or cancer while we know of the benefits of physical activity Mr. Speaker we also are aware that there exists a gender gap in sport one that widens with age every adult female engaging in sport there are two males Mr. Speaker as an MPP and as a father of two grown daughters what are we doing to address this gender gap and what is our government doing to build up amateur sport Mr. Speaker well thank you very much Mr. Speaker again I'd like to thank the member Mr. Speaker our sports plan focuses on three key areas participation, development and excellence we know that in different parts of Ontario depending on where you live and family income there are barriers to achievement in sport we also know that participation by women and girls in sport is half the participation level of that of men with the help of an advisory panel this year Mr. Speaker we're going to look for new ways to advance athleticism in sport for women and girls in Ontario by increasing the amount of role models that exist Mr. Speaker in the last winter games held out in BC only 11 of the 108 coaches were female but we also know in contrast to that Mr. Speaker of 400 female executives that were surveyed 97% participated in sport so it's my hope Mr. Speaker that we can take what we've learned from these games and continue to advance sport in Ontario forever Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Economic Development the passage of Bill C-40 to establish the Rouge National Urban Park this past January was a great day for Canada in creating the largest urban park in the world some 20,000 acres however this Minister threw the entire project into jeopardy by reneging on an agreement signed January 2013 to transfer provincial land to the Federal Government to create the new park while the Minister cited inadequate environmental protection as the Government's rationale for going back on its word a fundraising email sent out by the Minister made it clear that the Government's motivation was purely partisan they made up an excuse because they didn't want the Harper Government to get credit for the new park prior to the next election it's that simple now that there's a new Government in Ottawa will the Minister commit to stop holding up the Rouge National Urban Park and agree to transfer the land Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker I was planting trees in the Rouge Valley before I even knew what partisan politics was about when it comes to the Rouge Valley I and my colleagues from Scarborough and all of us on this side of the house recognize that we have a responsibility Mr. Speaker nothing to do with partisan politics it's to do with our responsibility to the next generation to ensure that we pass on this gem of an ecosystem of a park to that generation the Government that you spoke about the Harper Government didn't take that responsibility seriously thank goodness Mr. Speaker the new Prime Minister and the new Government does and we're looking forward to working with them to put in place a real National Park for the Rouge that's going to ensure it has the protections that we have in place today or maybe perhaps protections and I'm looking forward to working with that new Government to get that done supplementary Mr. Speaker it's absolutely ludicrous for the Government to claim that Parks Canada does not provide some of the highest standards of forest protection and management as the Minister has done in the past the Provincial Environmental Commissioner recently said that the Government and I quote from her report lack of dedicated funding makes it nearly impossible to protect new parcels of environmentally sensitive land the former CEO of Parks Canada Alan Latorell when as far as to say and again I quote any individual or organization that directly or indirectly implies that the federal legislation for Rouge National Urban Park does not meet the standards of the current provincial legislation for Rouge lands is misleading the public and quote Mr. Speaker the member will withdraw because you cannot say indirectly what you can say directly this Government has held up the Rouge National Urban Park for far too long will the Minister listen to the experts submit comments on the Rouge National Urban Park Management Plan and transfer the lands he committed to do in 2013 Thank you Mr. Speaker the member from Redfoot Nipesting Pam Brooke is warned Mr. Speaker it is this Government Mr. Speaker that's worked so hard over the last 10 years to ensure that the policies are in place to ensure that that park is protected for future generations it is this liberal Government that in the 1980s Mr. Speaker under David Peterson saved those lands in the first place this is something we feel strongly about Mr. Speaker it's nothing to do with partisan politics and the question from the member was about as partisan as you possibly could get this is about working together with the federal Government to get this done right we finally have in place Mr. Speaker a Minister of the Environment Federally and a Government that cares about the environment that's determined Mr. Speaker to save this planet determined to ensure that we preserve those gems those ecological gems like the Rouge Valley we're going to get this done we're going to get this done with Prime Minister Trudeau can you see the please can you see the please just to remind the Minister when I stand you sit and remember from Ashla thank you Speaker and my question is to the Premier in December of 2013 communities across the province were hit by a massive ice storm at the time municipalities were assured that a hundred percent of eligible disaster costs would be reimbursed by the Ontario Government but communities across Durham region have received just a third of that so far with no timeline in place for the remainder residents of Durham want to know that they are not going to be left out in the cold because Speaker winter is coming will the Premier please explain why she has broken her promise on ice storm funding to the people of Durham region I know that the devastation that was caused by the ice storm I was out I was meeting with people I was at the warming centres and I know that it was a real trial for municipalities I also know that municipalities are working with the ministry I know that there has been some money that has flowed there is more money that I know needs to flow we will continue that cooperation Thank you Speaker it has been almost two years since communities were hit by the ice storm two years they have been left to wonder when they would see the support they were promised if at all communities like Whitby Whitby is still waiting for half a million dollars and my community of Oshawa is waiting for over a million dollars does the Premier believe that two years is an appropriate time for these communities to be left in the dark or does she believe that her government can and should do better Speaker will the Premier commit today to ensuring that communities like Whitby and Oshawa have their promised funding immediately yes or no Thank you she would know that claims are being reviewed she would know that 28 claims have been fully reviewed and final payments have been issued we have flowed over 62 million dollars as of September 2015 and in addition municipalities and conservation authorities the government has issued interim payments because one of the issues that I recognised when I was Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing is that often there isn't upfront payment that is needed we know that that is sometimes what is needed but the claims have to be reviewed that's why the ministry is working with the municipalities and we are doing that as quickly as we can but there are two parties to that review process and municipalities are going to be working with ministry and vice versa Thank you Thank you Speaker my question is to the Minister of Municipal Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs Minister we know that climate change is already impacting our environment and our economy extreme weather events create challenges for agricultural production around the world we also know that to find solution to the challenges that we face we must work together across industries to tackle climate change our government has demonstrated and continues to demonstrate its support for farmers in the broader agricultural industry in this mission in supporting the entire sector through a range of business development programs that include advice, partnership and research that governments encourage innovation Ontario farmers are excellent environmental stewards they understand the impact of climate change they are already in practice to fight it Speaker Speaker can the minister please inform the House about proactive measures Ontario farmers are thinking to reduce environmental impact Minister of Agriculture Rural Affairs Thank you very much Mr Speaker I want to thank the member from Northumberland Quinney West for his question this morning again and to let the House know that the new thriving kale industry is actually centered in his running in Northumberland Quinney West we do know Mr Speaker that there's 52,000 family farms in the province of Ontario and of those 52,000 family farms 35,000 of those 52,000 have been involved over the decades in volunteer environmental farm plans contributing to our government's plan for climate change and through their activity David improved the environment by some 353 million dollars of on-farm activity to improve their environment in February this year we announced a program of 60 million dollars over four years to improve the water quality particularly in Lake Erie we're looking at ways to contain phosphorus loading and prevent the algae blooms that are now developing in the Lake Erie area Thank you Mr Speaker Thank you the minister for that answer it's great to hear that Ontario farmers are engaged in efforts designed to protect the environment taking action to modernize innovate and adapt allows our industries including agriculture to put themselves on a sustainable path forward Minister I know our friends from Ontario pork joined us at Queen's Park yesterday Speaker could the minister inform the house on steps the agricultural group is taking to modernize become more sustainable and protect the environment Thank you Minister Mr Speaker I want to recognize the great work that's being done by Ontario pork outside the house yesterday I had the opportunity to attend their reception and they just produced a new report talking about social responsibility for the pork industry the province of Ontario they've highlighted five key things that they're doing to promote social responsibility in their industry they're looking at farm management they're looking at economic performance they're looking at environmental stewardship animal care and food safety and their relationship with the broader consumer community and province of Ontario we all know on all sides of the house that farmers are great environmental stewards I'm proud of the work that they do each and every day and I want to salute Ontario pork and Amy Cronin who with her husband Mike I just got recognized as the certain farm families of Canada just recently in Epi Ted Alberta a good example of what they're doing in that industry to further the social responsibility in Ontario Thank you Mr Speaker My question is to the Minister of Health Speaker in September Nelson and Kathy Samuel of Gravenhurst went public with an issue that they are facing while on a vacation to Whitehorse to visit their daughter Nelson's knee became infected to the point that he had to be transported back to Vancouver for immediate treatment it saved his life the Samuels are now facing a bill of $18,400 they're seniors on a fixed income and this cost would be a big hit on the retirement savings they even checked with OHIP before making the trip to make sure they had coverage so Speaker to the Minister what assistance can be provided for Nelson and Kathy in their time of need Thank you Thank you Mr Speaker I appreciate the member opposite raising this issue and I think with the permission of the family I would be interested in learning more about the specific circumstances involved a number of members of this legislature have come forward to me directly when such a circumstance does take place and thus far Mr Speaker I think that we can say that we've made significant efforts to resolve these specific challenges but it does point out that I think I would describe it as nationally for people when they are travelling out of province we have arrangements with all the provinces and territories and the federal government for reimbursement of health care costs but to date and this is partly due to because of when these measures were put in place they haven't accounted for the type of air transport that the member opposite has alluded to with this example the minister for that response but through the Speaker again to the Minister of Health Speaker it has been over a month since the minister spoke to CTV news about this specific case and he said quote we want to make sure that Ontarians when they travel that the right to have an expectation that urgent and immediate health care costs will be covered recently there was a case in Alberta of an Alberta mother who gave birth prematurely in a Timmins hospital in the end she had her emergency travel costs covered jointly by two separate provincial governments Minister the clock is ticking as the Samuel's bill has now been transferred to an agency for collection so through the Speaker will the Minister commit to help my constituents Kathy and Nelson with the massive bill they are now facing thank you thank you Mr. Speaker in fact the Alberta case that was referenced was in fact it was covered by the private insurance that the family in question had but that being said I made the commitment at that time and we have a federal provincial territorial meeting coming up in January in British Columbia that I've asked our partners across the country to have a discussion about this specific issue I think it's important and timely that we update the reimbursement that is available between provinces and territories it doesn't and as I mentioned currently cover air transport of this nature often individuals and I would certainly encourage any individual or family traveling outside of the province to have private health insurance to cover all necessities of travel if untoward circumstances do arise but I have asked for this specific issue to be put on an agenda so that we can address it in a comprehensive fashion across the country thank you new question to the Minister of Health Mr. Speaker my question to the Minister of Health for the fourth year in a row I rise to ask the Minister of Health for an investigation into the substandard care of Demetra de Scalos who passed away in a Toronto hospital in February of 2011 family of Mrs. de Scalos is still waiting answers and this government has failed to provide them daughter of Demetra Maria de Scalos is here with us today I've sent numerous letters to your predecessor asked questions in the House made statements and presented a petition of 1,400 signatures I sent this Minister a letter last February 2015 the family still doesn't have answers to the questions that it asked Mrs. de Scalos was treated as a bed blocker and the hospital was clearly in violation of infection control guidelines when she was housed with other patients with an antibiotic resistant disease will the Minister commit to investigation of this case thank you Minister I appreciate the question and I want to acknowledge speaking to you directly acknowledge your presence here today and my regret that the experience that did happen to you and I can only imagine the devastation that it has caused Mr. Speaker to the family and loved ones of this individual and I would be happy to discuss as well afterwards the specifics of this case and in the supplementary I think that I would like to also talk about changes that we put in place that hopefully will provide avenues for individuals and families that do go through these tragic circumstances thank you supplementary thank you Speaker Speaker I just want to note as well that was almost a year ago this government decided not to give the ombudsman power to investigate these kinds of cases once again I asked this Minister to launch an investigation into the substandard care of Dmitri Daskalos received while a patient at the downtown hospital and her subsequent death apparently due to the hospital's failure to comply with infection control protocols although hospitals are independent corporations directly responsible for the quality of care they provide the legal accountability and enforcement of breaches and hospital protocol rests squarely with the Minister of Health and long-term care Minister why were infection control guidelines violated Minister well thank you Mr. Speaker and I'm very proud that what we have done as a government is we've created the office of the patient ombudsman specifically four cases like this where individuals or family members where an incident occurs perhaps in a hospital environment or a long-term care home if they're unsatisfied with what takes place in the hospital if they don't receive remedy for what they see as a grievance against them they now have very shortly will have an avenue that they can go to a patient ombudsman within the Ministry of Health or rather the reports directly to the Minister of Health within health quality Ontario which will work to address their concerns we do have a responsibility as a government Mr. Speaker to make sure that our patients Ontarians are provided with the highest quality of care when procedures aren't followed correctly we have an obligation to make sure that action is taken that's the commitment that we have and our patient ombudsman will help us through that process Mr. Speaker Thank you Thank you Mr. Speaker My question is for the Minister of Economic Development Employment and Infrastructure Minister you informed the House on Tuesday that Mars West Tower project is currently 84% occupied and this is great news for our province as well as our economy stands to benefit from the expertise and innovative research that Mars will attract to Ontario every day I receive questions and calls from my local residents especially the young people in Scarborough Asian Court inquiring about the West Tower project Speaker through you to the Minister can we please update the House on some of the important projects that's coming to Mars West project Thank you Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and the members right Mars West Tower is indeed a resounding success as the member stated Mars is now 84% least it is expected to be fully leased very soon what's key Mr. Speaker is the tenants located in this building are exactly the mix of tenants originally sought there is a healthy mix of institutional tenants that drive research and innovation with a growing number of sector tenants that drive innovation, commercialization and job creation Mr. Speaker which is exactly what it was all about to begin with companies like Facebook, Airbnb J-Labs, League Synaptive, Kindred Tekanon and many more Mr. Speaker have picked up leases there and will soon if they're not already operating in that facility Mr. Speaker just two weeks ago we announced the addition of Autodesk Thank you Mr. Speaker Thank you Mr. Speaker and thanks to the minister for the answer and for all his hard work in this particular file Ontario has quickly become one of the strongest jurisdiction for tech innovation this is truly a proud record Mr. Speaker Autodesk is a key part of innovation in information technology cluster and exciting addition to Mars Speaker through you to the minister can he please provide the house with more information about Autodesk addition to Mars and what it means to protect the products of Ontario Thank you minister Mr. Speaker the members absolutely right one of the greatest competitive advantages that Ontario has is our strength and tech innovation the fact that Ontario now ranks number two to only the Silicon Valley in ICT with 19,000 ICT companies innovating in our economy is absolutely huge our world is changing exponentially fast technology disruption is occurring in almost every sector of the economy and of our lives jurisdictions that want to compete in this new economy need to have strengths in disruptive technologies like 3D printing, super computing strong tech engineering capacity and the internet of everything Autodesk is a company that is a global leader in all of these disruptive technologies Mr. Speaker the sighting of an Autodesk R&D center at Mars will be an incredible asset to our globally innovative innovation capacity in Ontario and make the Toronto Waterloo super technology corridor even stronger Thank you to the premier last week I spoke with the leading experts in anti-human trafficking who say that the province is not providing the resources needed for victim services we have not heard anything specific to anti-human trafficking funding since 2011 the government says they take this crime very seriously but not seriously enough to initiate a provincial task force just days ago 3 people were charged with over 20 offences related to human trafficking and sexual assault of a 13 year old girl Mr. Speaker when will the premier commit to creating a provincial task force and keep women and children safe Thank you Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker I want to thank the member of my critic for this very important question I know we are on the same page in agreement that human trafficking is a deplorable activity that unfortunately overwhelmingly targets women and girls is one I take extremely seriously as the minister responsible for women's issues we have begun work on this issue by investing over $9 million in next three years in programs like our language interpreter services and we want to continue to help support victims and provide increased services to them and funding will also help victims in healthcare, legal and social services human trafficking I believe also is an issue that cuts across ministries there is a role to play what the member is asking about with our attorney general and our minister responsible for community correctional services and community safety Thank you Mr. Speaker we need programs specifically for human trafficking it is a very separate and specialized crime that is not being taken seriously as I would like it to be I called on the task force because that was the provincial coordinating network that was encouraged to be set up by all the front line workers so I am not seeing that it is a priority for this government I appreciate what the minister said but it is not a priority enough as I said the task force would see the coalition of the front line workers providing specialized victim centered care some of the victim services when they are available and we can rescue victims from the abyss of this perverted insidious crime they have to actually google human trafficking I just want to clarify that the services aren't there so I just want a simple yes or no answer Mr. Speaker finally implement the task force Thank you Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services No such thing as a yes or no Thank you very much Speaker first I want to echo what the minister responsible for women's issue this is human trafficking or sexual trafficking is a deplorable activity and we all have to collectively work together with our partners out in the community to stop this practice this is an issue speaker that has been very actively being worked on through the violence against women round table just yesterday there was a special meeting that was held where this issue was referenced the premier had the opportunity to attend that meeting along with the minister for women's issues and minister for community and social services speaker my ministry with community safety and correctional services is also working very closely with the Attorney General's office on this in terms of the joint working group on violence against Aboriginal women and the FPT working committee not to mention there's about 1.4 million dollars being invested in our communities to deal with sexual trafficking Thank you Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the minister of health and long-term care minister it's been one year since this house unanimously passed my motion to create an action plan on Lyme disease within a year Lyme disease is a significant and growing health issue across our province to date the provincial government does not have a plan adequate medical testing and treatment and many health practitioners are not Lyme literate thousands of Ontarians are still suffering and seek medical attention outside the province and country minister we all in this house gave people suffering from Lyme disease hope it's devastating to many that the liberal Lyme action plan is all talk and no action health Canada predicts that there will be up to 18,000 cases of Lyme per year in Canada by 2020 in Ontario currently has the highest number of cases in the country minister it's been a year when will this house thank you where is the will of this minister of health long-term care thank you Mr. Speaker and I want to thank the member opposite and acknowledge that he has for quite some time being a very strong and positive advocate for individuals who are suffering from Lyme disease in this province and I know he does know that the government and I personally very committed to protecting the people of Ontario from Lyme disease and in fact we have an action plan Mr. Speaker but we've committed to updating that and strengthening that action plan and what we've done and the member knows this as well is that I believe in the summer and I attended the group's first meeting that we actually created a Lyme disease stakeholder group which is comprised of many individuals who in fact have Lyme disease themselves or family members who have Lyme disease or are strong and powerful advocates for people living with Lyme disease and we've launched that group that stakeholder group to in fact include our review of a Lyme disease action plan and educational process and all those elements that the member opposite has rightly pointed out need to be done and strengthened Mr. Speaker it looks like we've got a few so let's be patient and get this over here on Bruce. The freedom of speech is a very powerful tool in this legislature speaker but it should never be used for political purposes earlier today the Premier knowingly made an incorrect accusation about me and I would the member also knows that only members themselves can correct their own record the member from Perry Sound, Muscova Thank you Mr. Speaker I see that in the members east gallery the Mayor of Canora is down visiting the sunny south Dave Canfield welcome to Bruce Park Thank you I think the Minister of Northern Development and Mines wants to get in on this so I'm offering him the opportunity to do the same Well you're very kind thank you to the member of Perry Sound, Muscova but it's just great to have the President and Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association Mayor of Canora and a great Northerner with us today so welcome again Dave Canfield Thank you Mr. Speaker I believe we have a guest of mine from Scarborough in court Paige Aislin Perry's parents Don Perry and Jillian Hutchison are here today I want to welcome them to Queensville Thank you Thank you Speaker I'd just like to recognize my very good friend Dave Canfield the Mayor of Canora he's over here in the restaurant Thank you We have with us today the Mayor of Canora Welcome Thank you We have a deferred vote and an amendment to a motion for allocation of time on bill 144 an act to implement budget measures and to enact an or amend certain other statutes calling the members this will be a five minute bill put all members please take their seats On November 25th Mr. Bradley moved Government notice of motion number 44 Ms. Jones then moved an amendment to Mr. Bradley's motions as follows that the paragraph starting starting the standing committee on finance and economic affairs be authorized to meet be struck out and replaced with that the standing committee on finance and economic affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday December the second 2015 from 9 a.m. to dispense no to 10 15 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday December 3rd 2015 from 9 a.m. to 10 15 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. for the purpose of public hearings and consultation with committee chair be authorized to arrange the following with regards to bill 144 dispense dispense is it the pleasure of the house sorry I'll get this right all those in favor of Ms. Jones amendment to the motion please rise one at a time be recognized by the clerk Ms. Jones Mr. Harden Mr. Brown Mr. Miscoka Ms. Scott Mr. Thompson Mr. Hootak Mr. McLaren Mr. Walker Mr. Smith Mr. Mictanelle Mr. Pettipies Mr. Bisson Mr. Singh Mr. Tavis Mr. Miller Hamilton Mr. Taylor Ms. Armstrong Ms. Campbell Mr. Montau Mr. Hatfield Mr. Gates Ms. French all those in favor of the house please rise one at a time be recognized by the clerk Mr. Nackby Mr. Bradley Ms. Win Ms. Matthews Mr. Huskies Mr. Dugas Mr. Winter Mr. Cole Mr. Dillon Mr. Orazetti Mr. Gravel Mr. Murray Mr. Chan Mr. Mooredy Mr. Kuto Mr. Flinn Mr. Zimmer Mr. Zimmer Mr. Kodry Mr. Balthasen Mr. Luka Mr. Dahmerla Mr. Wong Mr. Fraser Mr. Anderson Mr. Baker Mr. Ballard Mr. Ballard Mr. Dome Mr. Hogarth Mr. Mollie Mr. Martin Mr. McGarry Mr. McMahon Mr. Bowden Mr. O'Hare Mr. Mor Warriors Mr. O'Hare Mr. Balthasen Mr. Balthasen Mr. O'Hare Mr. Barthal Mr. Barthal Mr. O'Hare seats. Mr. Bradley has moved government and notice of motion number 44. All those in favor, please rise one at a time, be recognized by the clerk. Mr. Nacky. Mr. Nacky. Mr. Bradley. Mr. Shurelli. Mr. Shurelli. Madame Mayor. Madame Mayor. Ms. Wynne. Ms. Wynne. Ms. Matthews. Ms. Matthews. Mr. Hoskins. Mr. Hoskins. Ms. Sandals. Ms. Sandals. Mr. Dugud. Ms. Dugud. Ms. McCharles. Ms. McCharles. Mr. Quinter. Mr. Quinter. Mr. Cole. Mr. Cole. Mr. Bardinetti. Mr. Bardinetti. Mr. Delaney. Mr. Delaney. Mr. Dillon. Mr. Dillon. Mr. Orzetti. Mr. Orzetti. Mr. Grevelle. Mr. Grevelle. Mr. Murray. Mr. Murray. Mr. Chan. Mr. Chan. Mr. Moriti. Mr. Moriti. Mr. Couto. Mr. Couto. Mr. Leel. Mr. Flynn. Mr. Zimmer. Mr. Zimmer. Madam LaLonde. Madam LaLonde. Mr. Codrie. Mr. Quadrie. Mr. Balthas. Mr. Balthas. Mrs. Albanese. Mrs. Albanese. Mrs. Mangat. Mrs. Mangat. Mr. Crack. Mr. Crack. Ms. Hunter. Ms. Hunter. Mr. Morrill. Mr. Morrill. Ms. Jassy. Ms. Jassy. Mr. Del Duca. Mr. Del Duca. Ms. Domerla. Ms. Domerla. Ms. Wong. Ms. Wong. Mr. Frazer. Ms. McMahon. Mr. Milch. Ms. Milch. Ms. Nidu Harris. Mr. Nidu Harris. Mr. Potts. Mr. Potts. Mr. Rinaldi. Mr. Rinaldi. Ms. Reneal. Ms. Reneal. Mr. Tebow. Mr. Tebow. All those opposed please rise one at a time to recognize the clerk. Mr. Arnott. Mr. Arnott. Mr. Hardiman. Mr. Hardiman. Ms. McLeod. Ms. McLeod. Ms. Jones. Ms. Jones. Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown. Mr. Clark. Mr. Clark. Mr. Fidelli. Mr. Fidelli. Mr. Miller Perry Sound Muskoka. Mr. Walker. Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith. Mr. Nichols. Mr. Martow. Mr. Martow. Mr. McDonnell. Mr. McDonnell. Mr python. Mr. Pedipies. Mr. Pedipies. Mr. Bissang. Mr. Bissang. Mr. Singh. Mr. Singh. Mr. Vantock. Mr. Vantog. Mr. Tabbings. Mr. Tabbings. Mr. Miller Hamilton East Stoney Creek. Mr. Miller Hamilton East Stoney Creek. Ms. Sattler. Ms. Sattler. Ms. Taylor. Mr. Natashack. Ms. Natashay. Ms. Armstrong. Ms. Armstrong. Ms. ��� Bytteft. the nays are 36 the eyes being 52 and the nays being 36 I declare the motion carried there are no further deferred votes this house stands recess until 1 p.m. this afternoon