 It is now time for oral questions, and I recognize the leader of the official opposition. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Education. Parents and students are anxiously watching the news about Ontario schools this week and looking for a government that's ready to work with educators in our classrooms. Yet, for the last year, the Premier has relentlessly attacked teachers, even referring to them as union thugs. The government refused to apologize for those remarks, Speaker, when given a chance earlier this year, so I'm asking the Minister now, does he think that the Premier's comments were acceptable? The question is addressed to the Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Indeed, it is the Premier and every member of this team that values our frontline workers, our teachers, our nurses, our doctors, those who have value that improve the quality of life of every citizen in this country. It's why, Mr. Speaker, today, part of an announcement I made today, this morning, to encourage all parties to turn to mediation so that we can ensure we get a deal for the children of this province, so we can ensure that kids remain in class. Mr. Speaker, under the QP deal, we turned to mediation. It was a prudent tool. It was an independent point of contact that helped bring the parties together, bridge the gap and get a good deal for all parties. We seek to replicate that with our teachers because, again, the day our focus for this government is keeping kids in class. A supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, I dare say if the Minister was serious, he would be actually offering mediation straight to the unions and not through the media. That would be the respect of the friends, respect the work done by teachers in the classroom, but for the last year, the Premier of Ontario has really only been insulting them. He's blamed them for the failures of his own policies. Last spring, when the students across the province walked out of the classrooms to protest the government's education cuts, the Premier claimed that they were ordered to do so by their teachers. And he stuck by that claim, even when students came out here to Queen's Park to tell them that he was wrong. Does the Minister think that this is the way to build a respectful relationship? And if not, will he apologize on behalf of the government that he serves under for the Premier's comments and his actions? Again, the Minister of Education. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The objective of this government since day one was to land voluntary settlements with all unions to ensure the children of this province remain in class. Today, we offered mediation both to the unions, but also to the public, because we want families to know that our government is going to be constructive, remain mission-focused on getting deals. Mr. Speaker, when we faced an impasse with QP, it was the government and the parties that turned to a mediator and an independent third party that was able to bring the parties together and get a good settlement, and we sought to achieve the objectives we sought as well as ensuring we reinvested more monies in the front line that had over 1,000 front-line workers hired in this province. Mr. Speaker, we're going to continue to negotiate in good faith with all unions to get deals for the children of this province. The final supplementary. Well, Speaker, something about negotiating through the media action... Order. Something about negotiating through the media actually belies this minister's assertion that he is respectfully negotiating, Speaker. For over a year, the Premier has made it clear he was spoiling for a fight with the women and men who teach our kids. He called them union thugs. He claimed they secretly ordered high school student walkouts across Ontario last spring. He even blamed them when he was booed at public events. These aren't the actions of a leader or a government who want to work productively with teachers in the classroom. So can the minister tell us why has the Premier worked so hard to pick a fight with our educators? Minister of Education. Thank you, Speaker, to the member opposite. In fact, the Premier and every member of the government is working hard to get deals for the children of this province. And Mr. Speaker, the reason why today we've turned to mediation is because we've accepted that of the critical few issues that remain at the table, that we want to utilize the talents of the people of Ontario who can help bring the parties together to get a voluntary settlement. And Mr. Speaker, every objective we have achieved so far through this process has been focused in good faith bargaining. One union in specific has actually opted to publicize the offers table. That has been the decision of OSSTF, not the government, but obviously our commitment is to negotiate in good faith with one mission in mind, a good deal that keeps children out of trouble. The next question, Leader of the Opposition. Thank you, Speaker, back to the education minister. It's not just the Premier's words that are concerning parents and students, Speaker, it's his actions. One of his first acts as Premier was to put a plan in place to fire 10,000 teachers. And despite months of denial, that plan is actually still in place. The Premier claimed that he consulted thousands of educators and students about their hopes for education. These were consulted about the Ford government's plan to take 10,000 jobs away and how many parents asked for more crowded classrooms. Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, parents of this province have asked us overwhelmingly to do everything we can to keep children in class. That is the issue that the member of the Opposition chooses to avoid. Mr. Speaker, 100% of families want this government to be constructive, student-centric and to get deals. And we adopted a strategy where we worked in good faith, notwithstanding the deadline bargaining, notwithstanding the natural ebb and flow and the frustrations from those observing. We got a deal and we seek to do that with our teachers. What is frustrating, Mr. Speaker, for families is that every three years they have to face the cyclical and omnipresent reality of labor strife where their children may not be in class on Monday. That is unacceptable. We want a deal that provides predictability to the people of this province. The supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, if the minister were actually listening to the advice of parents as he claims, he wouldn't be negotiating through the media by suggesting that mediation should happen to the public as opposed to talking to the unions directly. Students and parents are looking to government to support excellent public schools that will allow kids to thrive. But for the last year, the Premier has been tearing down the people who make those schools work while making deep cuts in the classroom. After unilaterally the government unilaterally and unconstitutionally imposed a salary cap. How can the four government make unilateral classroom cuts, unconstitutional intrusions into bargaining, call teachers name, bargain through the media and have the brass to claim rather that they are not looking for a fight with teachers? Mr. Speaker, we seek a resolution with our teachers because we value their work. It was this government that opted in the last budget to allocate over 1.5 billion dollars to ensure teachers remain in class. It was this government who announced in this most recent economic statement another 200 million more dollars. The highest investment ever recorded in the history of this province under this progressive conservative government. Mr. Speaker, it was this government that more than doubled the funding on vote for mental health. It is this government that hired really 200 psychologists and psychotherapists for secondary education. It was this government that is revamping our math curriculum, going back to basics. We're focused on student success and we're not going to be deterred. We're going to focus on keeping kids in class and we hope every member of this legislation would stand with the government, stand with parents in achieving that objective. The final supplementary. This minister knows very well that with taking into consideration student population growth and inflation his raw numbers really mean nothing. They've already seen layoffs for teachers and education workers. Expanded class sizes are a reality. The elimination of thousands of high school classes have taken place and programs like full day kindergarten are put at risk. Instead of working with the teachers and education workers who make our schools work, the premier has called them names. Parents and students across Ontario deserve so much better than that speaker. Is the government going to start undoing the damage or putting the kids in the classroom and picking fights with the educators who make our schools work? This government is going to invest in the students of this province. We are on track this year to spend more than $1.2 billion more than we did last year. We're investing $200 million more in this economic statement announced by the Minister of Finance. We're doing all of this, more expenditure for health and education and the services that we provide to our families while keeping taxes low and on track to return to balance. This is a plan for every person in this province where the next generation will not have to be burdened by the last generations transfer of debt. We believe that by investing in children, by investing in education we build a society where everyone could achieve their potential, get access to a good job and be able to contribute to this country's development. This morning, parents heard more concerning news about talks with teachers and disrupted in our schools. My question is to the Minister of Education. For months, the Premier has done his utmost to pick a fight with teachers in the classroom. And today, instead of backing down from their cuts, the minister goes to a press conference and tries to blame anyone but the Premier himself who started this fight. Bargaining was literally, bargaining with the Minister of Education and the Minister of Education and the Minister of Education has made today because the minister had to hold yet another press conference. Why is the government more focused on escalating tensions and trying to avoid blame instead of working toward a solution? Mr. Speaker, thank you and thank you to the member opposite. I often reflect as a student of history on what is the commonality, the ideology or the value statement or the party or the fact that in each, in every example, unions have opted to escalate. The fact is, Mr. Speaker, our mission, our practice is to thwart us on getting deals. We have seen this story before and the objective of the government is to say to families, we will do everything within our toolkit to get deals. Mr. Speaker, today I opted to turn to mediation, encouraging the members to consider it as a viable path to get deals. It is a constructive option and it is a third party option and it has worked for QP just weeks ago. Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the minister to go back to history class but it has probably been cut under his government. Our teachers, students and families all deserve better than the cuts and the chaos that this government is serving up. Their efforts to succeed and create a crisis in our schools. Catholic teachers today describe chaos, chaos at the bargaining table with a government changing teams and proposals mid negotiation. Instead of working with teachers in good faith to fix this mess, they are going to the press trying to avoid blame. When will the government reverse their cuts to education and start fixing the damage instead of exacerbating it? Thank you, Speaker. And to the member opposite, what I will affirm to the member opposite is that since day one, we have done everything we can to get a deal. When QP, when we face challenges with our partners in QP, we offer more days. We turn to a mediator. We did everything we can to be constructive because families in this province deserve to know that there are forces in this province to make sure that we are able to do that every day. And, Mr. Speaker, it is not an abstraction. It is not a theory. It is a real reality that we got a deal overwhelmingly ratified with QP by advancing that mission of keeping kids in class and investing in the front lines. We seek to do that again with our teachers. We value their contributions. We know that they work hard and they do not miss it. It can help reach deals that keep all of our constituents' children in class. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Durham. My question is for the associate minister of small business and red tape production. The people of Durham and all across Ontario expect us to work towards and take measures that ensure clean air, clean water, and an environment that is protected for future generations. I know that is one of the guiding principles the minister used in developing his proposal, the better for people, smarter for business package. Would the minister please tell me how the better for people, smarter for business act, is ensuring the environment is protected for future generations? The associate minister for small business and red tape production. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I know that the minister has been very concerned about the environment and is always looking for ways to work together with industry and others to ensure that our environment is protected for future generations of this province. The better for people, smarter for business act, we are taking a thoughtful, sensible, targeted approach to fixing Ontario's broken regulatory framework. One of the most important things to do is to ensure that our environment is protected for future generations of this province. The better for people, smarter for business act, we are taking a thoughtful approach to fixing Ontario's environment. Smarter regulation is not at odds with this priority, Mr. Speaker. When operating properly, these principles go hand in hand. That's why our package for future generations of this province is always looking for ways to protect our environment for future generations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the minister for his work on this file. It's not good enough to have laws on the books without any consequence for violations. I'm really pleased to hear that the minister has been thoughtful in his approach to protecting our environment for future generations of violations accountable. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Right now, only 140 facilities in this province can be fined for violations through administrative monetary penalties. The better for people, smarter for business act, if passed, will increase that number to up to 150,000 facilities in the province. Mr. Speaker, we're strengthening enforcement and adding new tools so that if a company is breaking the rules and making and benefiting financially from doing so, not only will they be fined under this new system, they will be charged for the economic benefit as well and could be further referred for prosecution. We've made it much tougher on environmental violators, Mr. Speaker. What we're doing through this package is adding yet another tool for environmental officers to do important work of safeguarding our environment on behalf of all Ontario's and protecting our future generations. Thank you. The next question, the member for Essex. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Attorney General. As the Attorney General knows or should know judicial appointments are lifetime appointments and keeping the appointment process fair and impartial is vitally important to the justice system. The Attorney General has revealed that the Ford government is planning changes to the judicial appointments process and to quote one legal expert, the reason is obvious. He said, quote, they want a bunch of names so they can look down and find a nice soul mate Tory and quote, Speaker, why is this government trying to change the appointments process to make it easier to hire their friends? I was told in the morning and the papers actually talked about the announcement that I made last week in a speech so no shock at all. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can tell you, I hear over and over again about our justice system and how we can always do better. And this is not a notion that I came to in the last couple of months. 30 years ago I was working training new judges on how to do paperwork. I probably dealt with more judges than anybody else in the public administration for courts, Mr. Speaker. And then I did a law degree, Mr. Speaker. And then I worked in the judicial system for several, several years. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you, legal aid, I took legal aid certificates. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, I can... Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll have more to say in my supplementary. The supplementary question. Thank you very much, Speaker. As we just saw with the minister's response, we've seen with the Ford government in action and we know that this government can't take jobs to their friends, relatives and insiders. Whether it's hiring a 26-year-old, the cross-playing buddy of the premier's chief of staff to a six-figure job in Manhattan, or trying to install the premier's friend as chief of staff or chief of the Ontario provincial police, rather, or firing the acting commissioner of the OPP when he had the courage, the courage to blow the whistle. We know that this government can't be trusted and the provincial appointments process is working well. Why is the Attorney General trying to change that? The Attorney General has applied. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is so much more that we need to do and I'm drawing on my experience as an executive member on the Ontario Bar Association on my volunteer time with the lost side of Ontario. I'm consulting with former Attorney General to talk to several former Attorney Generals both federally and provincially. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, to make our system even better. And, Mr. Speaker, this suggestion the suggestion that we would not be able to improve the system that we need what we need. Mr. Speaker, if you look at these young pages, these young pages around us, that was me when this system was brought in. Things change. We need to modernize. We need to move forward. We need to attract the best. Next question, the member for Glen Gary, Prescott Russell. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Deputy Premier. For months and even years now, the husband of one of the government caucus members, the member for Etobicoke Lakeshore, has consistently been viciously attacking members of the Francophone community, making hateful and racist comments. Just recently he targeted a Francophone reporter mocking his French nationality. I could reference so many examples but here's just one. He posted online that the President of the leading organization had his nose up in a specific body part of the former French language commissioner. Ask the member to take her seat. The question has to be about government policy. Could the member rephrase her question? That's related to a caucus member's position. Stop the clock. Will the member please take her seat? Have to be able to hear the member? Once again, the question has to be about government policy. I'll give you a chance to rephrase your question, put it. For that. Okay, we're going to move on. The next question. The next question. The member for Niagara West. Thank you very much. My question is for the Minister of Health. Over the past 15 years in Ontario, we have seen the problem of hallway health care grow and grow and I'm proud of our government's plan to end hallway health care. The previous government supported by the NDP ignored the problems with our public health care system and it was especially true of the problems faced by small and medium hospitals. We recently announced increased funding for hospital operations across Ontario to help address these many years of neglect. Speaker, can the minister tell this house how about the investments our government is making to end hallway health care across this province? Questions to the Deputy Premier? Well, thank you Speaker and I'd like to thank the member from Niagara West for the question. The member is quite right. The previous government failed to address changing demographics and prepare our hospitals for the pressures that they are currently facing. Ending hallway health care takes smart investments in our public health care system and a relentless focus on patient care. That's why our government made a $68 million in-year investment for hospital stabilization and relief. This is in addition to the $384 million more that Ontario hospitals have already received this year. This investment addresses problems with the funding formula that saw small and medium sized hospitals short changed for years. This government will continue on our path to end hallway health care and work with patients, families and frontline providers to build a sustainable public health care system for years to come. The supplementary question. Thank you very much Speaker and I'd also like to thank the minister for her work for hospitals across Ontario including my riding of Niagara West. The previous government's funding formula saw small and medium hospitals lose out on the operational funding they needed. But our government invested $68 million and I know this will make a significant impact in small communities like Brockville, Calgary, communities across Ontario. Speaker, hallway health care is a very complex issue and one that no one single solution will fix. But it's why our government has a plan to tackle hallway health care that will encompass many different factors. Could the minister tell the House a little bit more about our government's plan to tackle hallway health care for my constituents and all citizens across Ontario? Again the minister of health. Thank you Speaker and as the member mentioned, hallway health care is a complex issue and one that's going to take a comprehensive plan to fix. As part of our plan we will place a focus on health promotion to keep Ontarians healthy and out of hospital. Understanding that hospitals aren't always the best place for people to receive care. We are also working to ensure that access to the right care is available in the right place to all Ontarians regardless where they live. We are also better integrating care to improve patient flow and ensure patients who are ready to leave the hospital can return home with the supports and services that they need. Finally, by investing $27 billion over 10 years in hospital infrastructure projects we will build capacity throughout the system including in our hospitals and in other community based care facilities. Speaker, we made a commitment to the people of Ontario that we would end hallway health care and our plan as well in its way to doing that. The next question. Member for Kingston and the Islands. Thank you Speaker. My question is for the acting Premier and through you. Today the Toronto Star is reporting something that residents of Tottenham have known for years. Their tap water is contaminated with dangerous chemicals including trihalomethane which are linked to pregnancy complications cancers damaged to the heart liver and central nervous system. What's worse Mr. Speaker these documents show the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks has known about this contamination for years Speaker. The Liberals knew about it the Conservatives knew about it and no one has done anything. How could the Government let this happen? The Deputy Premier to the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Thanks very much Speaker and thank the member opposite for that question and thanks to add to the record the correspondence between 2017 between the MECP and the municipality shows that the province advised the township to address its halomethane problem with additional treatment measures and operational practices. The letter was from district manager Cindy Hood. The proposed strategies from the Ministry were considered but eliminated by the township for various reasons. The Ministry which are not a legal requirement we hopefully the Miss Valley has taken the proper actions going forward but Mr. Speaker I can tell you one thing that the water systems across this province are in good excellent shape we hope we will continue to work with the town to ensure that the water is going forward and I have more to say on the supplemental on further what's going on in the area. The supplementary question the member for Niagara Centre Speaker for more than 15 years politicians and health officials in Ontario have known that the tap water in Tottenham was unsafe and yet they didn't feel it was necessary to let people know and it's not just Tottenham in 2016 more than 80 communities have exceeded the allowable guidelines for THM in Ontario including North Bay Innisfil, Corthill Lakes and Timmins among others the Liberals downloaded the cost of source water protection on to municipalities and the Conservatives have followed the same pattern further cutting municipal and conservation authority funding why does the acting Premier believe saving a buck is worth getting people sick. Question for the minister of the environment Thank you Mr. Speaker the town will continue to monitor the THM levels in Tottenham drinking water by sampling in accordance with the requirements of the Tottenham drinking water license that the town expects to begin construction in 2020 of a transmission main which will connect the Tottenham drinking water system to the Collingwood Allison pipeline construction expected to be completed by 2022 in addition Mr. Speaker the aeration system the pipeline is also expected to help reduce THM formation in the Tottenham drinking water we are working with the township I can't answer for the previous governments in action but Mr. Speaker we're putting action in working with the town to ensure we clean up the water systems here and we remain committed to ensuring Ontario has the highest standards of drinking water protection and will continue to work with all our partners across Ontario with businesses private owners, residences schools and indigenous communities Mr. Speaker we will maintain Ontario's world class drinking water system in this province The next question the member for Kitchener Conestoga Well thank you Speaker my question is for the minister of health last week our government announced the digital first health strategy Speaker Ontarians have been frustrated by a system that's incredibly outdated we've all had to tell our stories over and over again to different doctors we've had to carry around paper files or send information by fax Mr. Speaker it's time that we put an end to this kind of system that's why our government is building comprehensive solutions to these problems and making a difference in the lives of patients can the minister tell this house how our digital first for health strategy will help Ontarians access the care they need The minister of health Thank you Speaker and thank you to the member from Kitchener Conestoga for his question our government's digital first for health strategy brings the patient experience into the 21st century and helps end hallway health care by offering more choices and making health care simpler, easier and more convenient for patients this strategy will enable innovation in our health sector so that frontline care providers are provided access to better and more connected tools thanks to these changes the new Ontario health teams will be able to use secure digital solutions to improve patient care with the patient with the potential to reduce travel for patients in rural and remote communities this phase of our strategy will also expand virtual care options so the patients will have the option of video visits from their care providers when it comes to bringing Ontario's health care system into the 21st century our system and our government is just getting started Supplementary question Thank you to the minister the digital first for health strategy is addressing many long standing issues with how care is delivered in this province it is clear this plan will not only help achieve a modern and fully connected health system but also help with reducing hallway health care I am pleased that our government is continuing to make investments to expand digital health solutions that will achieve the real results that Ontarians have needed for so long with private sector data breaches becoming an increasingly common issue around the world Ontarians are very concerned with the privacy of their information can the minister tell this house how the digital first for Ontario health strengthens protections for Ontario's medical information and the minister of health to reply Thank you speaker and as part of this strategy our government is strengthening the personal health information protection act so that Ontarians can be confident that their medical records are going to be protected our government did engage with the information and privacy commissioner as we develop this strategy and we are very pleased that the commissioner is supportive of the initial proposed changes stricter penalties for misuse of personal health information including creating new offenses for re-identifying a person using their health information our government believes that patients must have control of their health information and private consent in how it is used and shared our digital first for health strategy is about harnessing the imagination and capabilities of Ontario's digital health innovators while of course protecting the privacy Thank you very much the next question member for university thank you speaker my question is to the minister of transportation last week Ontario's financial accountability office published its analysis of the ministry of transportation spending plan the FAO found the government is planning a massive 40% cut to transit spending how can this government keep its transit promises when this government is cutting funding for the provinces transit capital plan this is a massive 40% question is addressed to the minister of transportation well thank you and we thank the financial accountability officer for his report as outlined in our budget in 2019 our government plans to spend $67 billion in transit over the next 10 years this is a 10 year plan that reflects a realistic forecast of construction timelines for major projects that are planned or underway in keeping with actual expenditure patterns the FAO report only focuses on a 5 year time frame I think everyone in this house knows that our government is making significant investments in transit infrastructure like our multi-billion dollar commitment to get subways built in Toronto and we have a realistic plan to deliver supplementary question back to the minister of transportation the FAO found that not only did this government cut transit spending by 40% but it's cutting funding for metro links by 36% as well metro links has already made drastic cuts to GO bus service and because of the government's funding cuts this has left riders from Bolton to Oshawa stranded metro links has also hiked fares on the union Pearson express and they plan to eliminate the GO TTC fare discount next month so on paper this government likes to make a lot of fixed ticket promises but in reality this government is making congestion worse by cutting service and hiking fares how can this government say it's helping commutes when transit cuts are making congestion worse Minister of transportation the associate minister of transportation the associate minister of transportation Thank you to the member for the question and thank you to the minister for letting me address this I think our government has been very clear over the last year and a half we're getting Ontarians moving we have made historic investments in public transit in the city of Toronto and in New York region spending $28.5 billion forming a partnership with the city of Toronto getting the city moving again across this province infrastructure projects so that we can reach our two way all day GO service we have improved all of the lines in our core key segments including Niagara, Lakeshore East the Kitchener line and increased service by 48% which I know my colleagues Mr. Speaker not to mention children 12 and under don't pay for the fees and of course bring a Wi-Fi to the GO network next year Mr. Speaker public transit is a priority for this government The next question the member for Perry Salma Skolka Thank you Mr. Speaker I have infrastructure Minister my pastoral is critic for northern development in mines I traveled around northern Ontario and saw the infrastructure needs across the region I trust our government is working with the federal government, municipalities community groups, indigenous groups and businesses to ensure important infrastructure projects move forward for the benefit of northern Ontarians I recently noticed our government is investing over $33 million in transit infrastructure for the city of Sudbury can the minister provide the house with details on these important investments for the city of Sudbury Minister of infrastructure Well thank you Mr. Speaker I'd like to thank the member for Perry Salma Skolka for his great advocacy for the north because he's quite right our government is investing more than $33 million for transit infrastructure for funding for their accelerated bus fleet replacement program so Ontario is investing more than $11.5 million in addition we have committed $11 million for the design and construction of a major mobility hub for greater Sudbury transit we're also putting more than $8.7 million towards the design of bus rapid transit quarters in the city which together with additional investments in various technological improvements and traffic signal renewal will result in improved transit for the people of Sudbury Sudbury officials told us these were their priority projects that's why we're committing to more than $33 million in total transit infrastructure investment Mr. Speaker The supplementary question Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the minister for confirming our government's commitment to investing in priority infrastructure for the people of Sudbury those are the kinds of investments that can really have a positive impact on the daily lives of families but most of northern Ontario doesn't have access to public transit these areas need investments in roads and bridges to ensure people and products can travel safely around the north so aside from the transit in the city of Sudbury can the minister tell this house if there have been investments made in other northern Ontario communities Mr. Speaker the member is quite right our government is investing nearly $31 million in communities across northern Ontario from Timmins to Algoma to Cochrane to James Bay for road for transit infrastructure projects in Timmins Ontario is investing close to $1 million for improved transit infrastructure including two improved accessibility and the purchase of two new low floor accessibility paratransmit mobility buses in Red Lake we're investing more than $1.6 million for the rehabilitation of priority roadways and in Pickle Lake we are committing more than $1 million for the reconstruction of the Pickle Lake road across Algoma, Manitoulin we're putting more than $13.5 million in road bridge and airport infrastructure which is crucial to northern Ontario municipal officials told us these were priority projects and our government listened and I hope the official opposition supports us in this way thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Minister of Education incidence of racism in Ontario schools continues to be a growing concern for students, their families and for teachers students deserve answers and we know that empty words won't help students and families feel safe, welcome and respected in their schools recently the Minister of Education announced a review of the Peel District School Board in light of reports of anti-black racism resisted under the liberals and persists under the conservatives the previous liberal government spoke a lot of pretty words after hearing from concerned communities and took no concrete action and this government has already cut funding from anti-racism initiatives that should fund initiatives just like this can the Minister please provide details today outlining how students, teachers and families concerns will be taken seriously this time questions to the Minister of Education thank you I want to express my gratitude to the member opposite for the question indeed in this province there is no tolerance for racism for prejudice against any child in the case of the Peel District School Board as I've communicated with her over the weekend and with various members of the chamber in the opposition that I take this seriously and I find it unacceptable when serious allegations emerge of anti-black racism or racism that is targeting children, visible minorities, racialized students that is unacceptable in this province and in this country that's why Mr. Speaker almost immediately after finding out about these allegations being raised by the chair and the vice chair as well as one of the directors of education I immediately took action by calling in two reviewers who will be bringing forth recommendations to me in the coming weeks on an expedited basis those reviewers will be in the schools and the boards in a matter of days and weeks and more importantly it gives me the ability under the act to impose recommendations to improve equity and improve the experience of every child in the classroom in Peel and across the province. Supplementary to member for Brampton Centre. Thank you Speaker and back to the minister of education since the ministry announced their review of the Peel District School Board due to the reports of anti-black racism we've been hearing concerns from parents and students in Peel that this government will just file another report that will be swept under the rug Racism in our schools cannot be tolerated Mr. Speaker and we all have a responsibility to ensure that racialized students feel safe and welcome at their schools and in our communities The minister promised this review would be transparent but after promising no teacher would lose their job this feels like cold comfort Will the minister ensure that the review has the resources to fully investigate the culture of racism at the Peel District School Board and that a concrete plan of action and those recommendations will be made public Thank you Minister of Education I want to express my gratitude to the member for Brampton Centre for the question at the end of the day it is very clear that I think every member of this chamber does not accept any form of racism or discrimination for any reason and the anti-black racism and the allegations that have emerged in Peel I've spoken to both members on this side of the chamber from Brampton all members from Mississauga and the members opposite and in each and every communication I've made clear that we are called in the reviewers with one mission which is to investigate systemic allegations and circumstances of bias and prejudice and to root it out with recommendations that will be made public that will come to my table this year that I will impose on the board this year to ensure every child feels more safe more welcomed and included in the classrooms of this province Thank you the next question the member for Flambro Thank you Mr. Speaker and this is also the Minister of Education Mr. Speaker bullying is a painful reality for the majority of Canadian children whether they are the ones that are being bullied or the ones being aggressive towards others students may find talking to adults about bullying difficult even though adult intervention is the key to bullying prevention in 2001 Ontario designated the week beginning the third Sunday of November as bullying awareness and prevention week 18 years later the goal of promoting safe schools and a positive learning environment is more important than ever we know that the longer a child is bullied the more likely they are to develop physical emotional and psychological scars that can last a lifetime can the Minister of Education please tell the legislature and the government what it's doing to address bullying in our schools Thank you Mr. Speaker I want to thank the member for her leadership in Hamilton and across the province in raising awareness to combat bullying in all of its forms I believe it is bullying awareness and prevention week and I think all members of this House speak with one voice in the denouncement of this form of increasing violence that could target young kids increasing form of hate and discrimination Mr. Speaker in this province we have a zero tolerance policy and I believe that there are too many examples and too many circumstances of young women and men emerging with stories and their narratives being told of them feeling that the system has not been responsive to their needs and today and in the coming days there will be more steps more announcements that we can take to improve enforceability improve training and support for these children and victims of bullying and ensure that there is accountability against those who perpetrate these types of heinous activities Mr. Speaker we are going to work every single day work across party lines to ensure every student in this province is safe from bullying supplementary the member for Burlington Thank you Minister for your response Minister, I was pleased to join you Minister on October 12th I came together with Natalie Pierre for my writing of Burlington for your announcement on mental health education that day you provided Natalie the opportunity to share the story of her son Mike a grade 12 Corpus Christi High School student who in 2017 sadly took his own life Minister, can you please give this legislature some concrete examples of how we can help some concrete examples of the actions our government has taken to address bullying Minister Thank you Speaker, I want to again thank the member from Burlington for her leadership and for introducing me to Natalie Pierre who is an incredibly courageous woman who tragically lost her son and it is for Mike for that young man and it is for so many other victims of bullying in isolation that we speak united today to say bullying must end in this province Mr. Speaker, in our government we announce a health and physical education curriculum that in the earliest years of grade 3 starts to remove the visible and invisible differences in the eyes of our young people we are trying to change the culture in the classroom so people appreciate the inherent dignity of every person irrespective of faith, heritage, orientation or place of birth Mr. Speaker, we have invested money to support our principals on de-escalation training more resources for our teachers more support for our victims strength and enforcement strength and data collection to understand how pervasive the problem is and Mr. Speaker we are going to take additional support to support victims of these crimes The next question the member for Nickel Belt Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Deputy Premier once again the flu season is upon us despite everyone's best effort many people are getting sick this government Bill 47 will allow employers to request sick notes before workers can go back to work we have seen this movie before the majority of Ontarians feel forced to go to work sick rather than get a sick note getting a sick note for a minor illness is not quality care much to the opposite people going to work sick spread their disease people getting a sick note will often be in a waiting room spreading their germs too often sick people around them will the acting Premier reverse the decision regarding sick notes for minor illnesses questions addressed to the Deputy Premier to the Minister of Labor referred to the Minister of Labor training and skills development Mr. Speaker I'm proud to stand up every day in the House to talk about our record in the last 16 months when it comes to standing shoulder to shoulder with workers across this province Mr. Speaker we've created in 16 months over a quarter of a million new jobs in the province of Ontario Mr. Speaker we have the lowest unemployment rate in nearly three decades today thanks to the measures that our government have put in place and Mr. Speaker wages are going up in the province of Ontario and the one thing that I've yet to hear the NDP compliment this government on I will see that I'm most proud of as Minister of Labor training and skills development Mr. Speaker is the fact that in 2019 people earning under $30,000 per year in the province of Ontario will pay zero income Supplementary question the member for London West Thank you Speaker this Premier promised to end hallway medicine but first he cancelled the two days sick leave now he's forcing people to get minor illnesses actions that are going in the opposite direction they are making hallway medicine worse when workers feel they have no choice but to go to work potentially making others ill Speaker will this government listen to healthcare professionals who overwhelmingly agree that asking people to get a sick note for a minor illness is not only a waste of resources it is dangerous will the acting Premier reverse the provision of the NDP Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker well thank you again very much Mr. Speaker as a member opposite knows this is not mandatory it's optional but Mr. Speaker we assumed office after 15 years of reckless decisions made by the Liberal government of the day supported by the NDP Mr. Speaker 300,000 well-paying manufacturing jobs were obliviated sent south of the border sent to other places around the world Mr. Speaker because of the decisions of the Liberal and NDP parties in those 15 years Mr. Speaker as they said in the first quarter in 16 months Mr. Speaker over a quarter of a million new jobs have been created in the province of Ontario wages are going up unemployment is at a 30 year of Ontario Mr. Speaker those making $30,000 a year or less will pay no income tax in Ontario next question is the member for Richmond Hill thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Labor Training and Skills Development since we taking office we have been working to make this province open for business while maintaining the rules that keep people healthy and safe our government has shown what it means to truly put the people at the centre of every decision that we have it is the spirit that the history of hard working men and women in Ontario should be shared with everyone in our province can the Minister please tell us what the government is doing to promote the history of Labor in Ontario Minister of Labor Training and Skills Development well thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank you to the honourable member for Richmond Hill for that excellent and important question Mr. Speaker it is my pleasure to share with a member in this House that Archives of Ontario has launched a new online exhibit titled Ontario at Work this exhibit commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Ministry of Labor Training and Skills Development since taking on this new portfolio in June Mr. Speaker I have had the opportunity to meet now with over 150 members of the Ontario province many business leaders and countless workers in Ontario Mr. Speaker with every conversation I learn something new about Labor and the diverse workplaces we have right across Ontario as our government lays the groundwork for a safer, fairer and more harmonious future I encourage everyone to visit this new exhibit I encourage everyone to visit ontario.ca forward slash archives congratulations Minister on the launch of this new exhibit and thank you for your answer Mr. Speaker our government making the province open for jobs businesses and Labor in my riding of Richmond Hill has benefitted a lot from it jobs in Ontario and around the world have certainly changed a lot over the past 100 years I'm sure that the opportunity to look back at the past is as exciting and insightful as we prepare for the future this journey through the history gives us knowledge and never had before can the Minister please tell us more about this exhibit and what it means for the people in Ontario again Minister of Labor well thank you again to the member of Richmond health for that question Mr. Speaker this exhibit shows three principles that I firmly believe first it demonstrates that a safety first approach is both good for workers and good for the bottom line second it makes clear that stable and constructive Labor relations supports a competitive and sustainable provincial economy and third Mr. Speaker it illustrates the role of the Minister of Labor to be fair to workers and responsible to taxpayers I'm proud to note Mr. Speaker that 98% of Labor negotiations are resolved without disruption and Ontario is a leader in health and safety since we form government our province has 256,200 brand new jobs unemployment is down and wages are up Mr. Speaker make no mistake we're building Ontario together the next question the member for Windsor West my question is to the acting Premier in the Premier's very first budget he cut $1 billion from the Ministry of Children, Community Services for people who depend on support from the Ministry particularly those with developmental disabilities such as autism, Down syndrome cerebral palsy and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder this was devastating news after 15 years of underfunding and neglect by the Liberals but now we've learned that this conservative government isn't listening to families but they are willing to pay up to $1 million for a consultant to tell them how to carry out these deep cuts to programs that support people with developmental disabilities will the acting Premier explain why they continue to purposefully force people with disabilities to bear the brunt of their short-sighted cuts questions addressed to the Deputy Premier to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services thank you very much Mr. Speaker everything about that question was counterfactual Mr. Speaker it just was not true Can I ask the Minister to withdraw I'll withdraw that Mr. Speaker Fine Mr. Speaker, as the member knows there is a growing demand for developmental services right across the province I've actually sat at a table with the member opposite in her own riding of Windsor West meeting with families myself has taken to the streets we have taken to every community across the province and we will be continuing to meet with those who are involved in the sector families children who are affected we'll be meeting with those who provide the services Mr. Speaker it's the government that will be doing that certainly we know we can do better in this sector after 10 years of zero investment in this sector by the previous Liberal government she was right about that Mr. Speaker we have a lot of work to do we're going to work together with the member opposite to make sure Thank you very much the supplementary question actually the minister did come to Windsor and he sat across the table from families and individuals with developmental disabilities as they cried and begged for help and yet he still chooses to spend a million dollars on a consultant to cut the services and supports they need for what developmental disabilities and their families are worried sick to cut provide crucial supports like respite, day programs and in-home caregivers programs that some families aren't even able to access because they've been on a wait list for years agencies in the developmental services sector who haven't seen a base funding increase in over a decade still do not have their annualized budgets seven months after the fiscal year began they're completely in the dark about the future of their funding and I think it's important that we approach here at a committee that determined five years ago that the families were quote being pushed to the brink of disaster how can she continue five years later to purposefully cause anxiety and chaos for Ontarians with disabilities and the people that support them members please take their seat minister to reply Mr. Speaker I can tell you that we are committed to helping the families that need the help Mr. Speaker as I mentioned I sat with the member in her own riding and talked to those families I understand the challenges that they are facing they are the same challenges that they have been facing in this sector for the last 10 to 15 years and the previous liberal government did nothing when it came to this file Mr. Speaker we recognize the challenges we are spending 2.6 billion dollars in this sector now in Ontario Mr. Speaker and that's why we have hired the services of an outside firm while at the same time meeting with those who are providing the services in Ontario to ensure that we are going to get the investment and the better outcomes that these individuals deserve the wait list has grown and grown under the leadership of the previous Liberal government Mr. Speaker we are going to do something about it to make it better to help these families remember for Niagara West this is 2 weeks ago the minister stood in this house and explained the ways in which data has the potential to be a limitless resource for jobs and economic growth in this province Mr. Speaker the minister was absolutely right and the minister was also right to point out the massive potential the data economy needs to be nurtured and we need to ensure that the personal information of Ontarians is protected Minister could you explain how Ontarians have had the opportunity to say in the provincial data strategy through your consultations and can you tell us more about what our government has been doing to ensure that the people and business owners of this province are having their voices heard on this important issue Minister of Government thank you for your thoughtful question because everyone needs to be assured in this province that our government is focused on creating jobs and growing businesses and the data economy is the industry where we can expect massive growth Mr. Speaker that's why our government is well on its way to launching its first of its kind provincial data strategy that will help foster economic growth protect the data of Ontarians and enable smarter more accessible government we know that business leaders and community members across this province know best and that's why I'm very pleased at the results of our consultations that we've had in Ontario we've consulted with people and business leaders in Toronto, Stratford, Ottawa Peterborough most recently in Sarnia and Sault Ste. Marie as well I want to thank my colleagues for helping out with those consultations and I'd like to give a shout out to my parliamentary assistant Bob Bailey for the great work he's done so participate thank you very much the supplementary question and answer and also for giving Ontarians the opportunities to have their voices heard when it comes to the development of the first ever provincial data strategy in Canada I know that many Ontarians were glad to have been given the chance to meet with you and your staff and other members of this government to discuss how our government can ensure economic growth in the data economy is also keeping their personal data safe Minister you've spoken in this house about some of the elements that will form our data strategy including things like the minister's task force could you please provide an update to this house about the work that has been undertaken so far by the minister's digital and data task force thus far and can you tell us more about the next steps for this task force Minister very much I'm pleased to share with everyone the appointment of my minister's digital and data task force is a critical part in the development of our overall provincial data strategy the task force is another way in which our government is listening to people our government is giving business leaders, academic experts and world class practitioners the opportunity to bring their experience and their valuable insight to the policy making process since meeting for the first time in July our task force has been meeting regularly and we're going to be assessing and making concrete recommendations in response to the consultations that we've had and I look forward to reporting back on this very important initiative thank you very much thank you very much this house stands in recess until 1pm