 Okay, it is now time for a question period, the member from Renfrew, Nipissing Pembroke. Thank you very much for my questions to the Minister of Energy. Minister, there's been much speculation but few hard facts about your selling off of Hydro-1. It's very worrisome how secretive you've been throughout this process. Hydro-1 is the property of the people of Ontario, and they have every right to know your party schemes to sell their assets to dig you out of the fiscal mess that you and your Premier have created. Your leader constantly talks about running an open and transparent government. Now is your chance to live up to her words. Minister, when do you intend to reveal to the people exactly what you plan to do with Hydro-1? The good deal and the fullness of time. Mr. Speaker, I think the Premier and other members of cabinet have made it very, very clear that decisions with respect to our assets and our repurposing of assets will likely be included in the next budget, Mr. Speaker. And I think the question implies something terrible about the timing, Mr. Speaker. The reality is Mr. Clark has been working on this now for 10 months. He has a team of very experienced, sensitive, responsible people who are looking at all of our assets, Mr. Speaker, to see how they can be repurposed in order that we can fund the infrastructure and fund the projects that the members on the other side are continually asked for. They stand up and are asking for transit. They're asking for transit in all parts of the province, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. And now we're going to... Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you very much. Minister, Hydro-1 is paid for by the electricity consumers of this province. They are the ones who have built the assets. They are the ones who own it. The company's operations, employees, and pensions have been paid for by the electricity ratepayers. Minister, you've already socked it to the... Minister of Agriculture, Condor. ...paying among the highest energy prices in North America. You've suggested that any plan, that your plan, you plan to take any proceeds from the potential sale and invest it in infrastructure. How can you justify putting the cost of infrastructure onto the hydro bills of the people of this province? Thank you. Minister. Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the member that the directions and instructions that we have provided to those experts who are advising us is that the interest of the ratepayers shall be paramount, Mr. Speaker. And we believe there will be opportunities, Mr. Speaker, for significant mitigation of rates under a new structure that we would set up, Mr. Speaker. In addition to that, Mr. Speaker, the members know that this is a regulated industry, that the Ontario Energy Board manages the rates in this province for gas, Mr. Speaker, for electricity and frequently requests for increased rates are rejected or they're lowered by the Ontario Energy Board, Mr. Speaker. We have a strong advocate for the consumer in the Ontario Energy Board. Regardless of what happens, the Ontario Energy Board will continue to strongly represent the interest of the consumer. Thank you. Minister, in 12 years, you have never put the interest of the energy consumer first, not once. They don't trust your government on the energy part. They've seen their hydro bills more than triple since 2003. Disasters, scandals and fiascos are the legacy of your energy policy. The people are worried that because of your desperate need for cash, you will sell off Hydro One at far below market value. Minister, will you commit to the people of Ontario today that before any deal is signed, you will put it in front of the financial accountability officer and the Auditor General so that they can vet it to ensure that Ontarians are getting fair market value for the asset that they owe. Minister of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Wow, this is really rich coming from this side of the house. I tell you, that's the party that messed it up in the first place and left us with a legacy of stranded debt that is costing repayers to this day, Mr. Speaker. And what we're going to do and what we've made very clear in the budget in 2014 is to do a full review of these assets, which are rightly owned by the people of Ontario. And that is exactly who we're fighting for. That's why we're going to do everything we can. Now, I may also say that it's premature to make any responses because decisions haven't been made specifically on the report that's being done right now. But the principles are guided by the fact that public interest must be remained paramount and it's protected, that decisions are aligned with maximizing value for Ontarians and that decision process will remain transparent, professional and independently validated. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Any questions? My question is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Minister, there's a problem at the Housing Service Corporation that can't wait for your review or the passing of my private members bill. Housing Services Corporation is pushing housing providers to make tenant insurance mandatory and tenants are only being told about the HSC's tenant insurance. The insurance company, the broker, the general managing agency who are doing the work are getting paid, but tenants are also paying 5% to go back to the HSC's office. Mr. Government Services. Do you approve of HSC getting a 5% kickback on insurance premium paid by the people who can least afford it? Well, what I understand, Mr. Speaker, is that the Housing Services Corporation is operating under the legislation passed by the Government Party opposite when they were in government and the regulatory regime around that was spelled out by them including the pooling and some of the financial aspects of that. Speaker, I've answered this question before. Very simply put, we're doing a review. We're doing a review because we put accountability measures in place that weren't there. We discovered there were some difficulties. I share the concern of the member opposite and we're responding to fix the problem. It's as simple as that. Thank you. Minister, this is taking advantage of people who are living in social housing and it's happening today under your watch. In Oxford, staff simply called the local insurance broker for a quote and got a lower rate than HSC's kind of insurance. Probably because HSC insurance is inflated to pay than a 5% kickback. Under your watch, HSC is taking money from special housing tenants and spending it on trips to Europe, bottles of wine, lobster and questionable investments in Manchester, England. Minister, will you contact the HSC today? Ask them to stop the kickback, lower the prices and refund the money taken from tenants in the social housing unit. Thank you, minister. Well, Mr. Speaker, let me just share some of the anecdotal comments that we've received from some of the municipalities that... Member from Redford and the member from Oxford, you asked the question. I'm sure you want to hear the answer. Thank you. Thanks, Mr. Speaker. HSC works for us housing providers by leveraging our combined buying power in the private market, making sure we get the best deals. Peel Housing Corporation. Through the gas program, we've seen stable pricing and value-added programs tailored to our local needs. When it comes to insurance, they've helped to guide us through the risk management by giving us a better understanding of where we might be vulnerable and how to manage that risk. Windsor, Essex, Community Housing. I've been very impressed with HSC's work together. Final supplementary. Minister, your government is famous for trying to dodge responsibility. The Premier has been doing it for weeks on the Sudbury Mass, delaying her meeting with the OPP and refusing to hold her staff accountable. But your efforts to dodge the blames are hurting people in social housing. Minister, most of the problems in Social Housing Services Corporation started in 2007 until now, long after your government was elected. Now you know that your review doesn't cover any of these problems. You're only doing a review for the last two years. So Minister, will you call in the auditor? And will you contact HSC today? Ask them to stop the kickback, lower insurance and refund the money to tenants and social housing. I think I heard a heckle that I'm not happy with, but I don't want to assign it to someone. Minister. Yeah, Mr. Speaker. I think the party opposite, the member opposite, insists on too strict a paradox that we do well what they weren't prepared to do at all. Precisely. The reality is... Precisely. The way, Mr. Speaker, it's a challenge that we can easily rise to to do well what they didn't do at all. In terms of dodging responsibility, we didn't do that. When I reviewed reports, Mr. Speaker, outlining some of the difficulties I wrote to the board, they're now buying into Cabinet and Treasury Board. A member from Simcoe North will come to order. Finish, please. There are no expense guidelines. There have been some changes at the board and they've requested us to work with them to bring in a third party evaluator. We're looking at what's broke and how to fix it. Answer the concerns of the member opposite. We depart on what the solution is. Thank you. No question, the leader of the third party. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Deputy Premier. Is the Deputy Premier under the impression that the Liberal... Ontarians want to actually have the Liberal Party, the Liberal government, privatize their Hydro-1 and their local Hydro companies? Deputy Premier. Well, Speaker, what I can tell you is that the people of this province, across this province, are very, very interested in seeing enhanced investments in transportation, in transit, in that much-needed infrastructure. So, Speaker, the notion that we have assets that we own where we could get more value for those assets, to convert existing assets into new assets, is something that I think has tremendous appeal for the people of this province. Thank you. The Liberal seem to think that we can't have both public hydro and public transit in transportation infrastructure. We can have both, but it will mean ending Liberal waste in competence and corruption. That's right. What we can't do is be short-sighted about assets that put money in the bank and actually help us pay for infrastructure year over year. Are the Liberals so short-sighted that they think selling off assets like Hydro-1 that makes a profit year in and year out, putting money into schools, into healthcare, and into services is a way to build for the future? Well, Speaker, I have to say that we had an interesting Opposition Day motion yesterday debated in this House, and it was a bit surprising that I think about half the NDP caucus was here to actually vote on that on that Opposition Day motion. I listen carefully. I try. The member knows that we do not make any reference to attendance in this place and I would want you not to do so. Withdraw. Because it wasn't an individual. However, what that motion... No. A withdrawal is a withdrawal, and only a withdrawal. Draw, Speaker. But I did want to point out that there were many, many factual errors in that motion. Let me give you a few examples. In fact, they said that we cut 6% out of nearly every ministry in the last budget. That simply is not true. Thank you. Final supplementary. Speaker, let's cut through all the rhetoric here. Can the Deputy Premier tell Ontarians whether the Liberals are going to privatise Hydro One or the local hydro companies that people rely on to deliver electricity to their homes and businesses? Are they going to privatise it? That's the question. Our budget has laid out our path to balance. We have a very large deficit. We are getting to balance on that deficit. We have a number of strategies. We are looking at every program across government to making sure that we're getting the best value for each of those programs. We're managing compensation costs, Speaker. We're ensuring that everyone pays their fair share of taxes solely at the underground economy and we are determined to unlock the value of our provincial assets. These are assets, as the Finance Minister has said. These are assets that are owned by the people of Ontario and if we can unlock the value to add more infrastructure to add more... Answer. Then that's the right thing to do, Speaker. Thank you. Back to the Deputy Premier, Speaker. Perhaps the Deputy Premier and Chair should look at her own budget. On page 244 of the 2014 budget, the Deputy Premier will find a line that says ministries are going to be cut by 6% in 2014. In 2015. In 2016. And in 2017. That means people will lose their jobs, Speaker. And services are going to be cut. Now can the Deputy Premier tell Ontarians how many more people are going to be fired as part of the 2015 budget? And how many more services are going to be cut by Liberals as a result of the 2015 budget? Thank you. Speaker, I actually would refer the member opposite to actually look at the page of the budget that she has just referenced. And what she will see is that overall spending is actually increasing. So to mislead the... I'm sorry. You have to withdraw. Speaker. To cherry pick one line without looking at the big picture Speaker does not tell the whole story. But they've been wrong on other things as well. They said that we're cutting healthcare. In fact, our budget in home and community care has went up $270 million on top of the $260 million the year before. Overall the healthcare budget is going up. When it comes to education, they're saying we're cutting, spedging on education. That is simply not accurate. We're increasing spending on education. They say we want to fire 100,000 people. They got that mixed up with the PC platform, Speaker. We are continuing to build the services. Thank you. Supplementary. Last December the auditor general said, and I quote, the tangible costs of P3s such as construction, financing, legal services, engineering services and public management services were estimated to be over $8 billion higher than they were estimated to be if the projects were managed by the public sector. End of quote. The Liberals insist that the well has run dry and the only solution for transportation come to order. But somehow the Premier can find $8 billion that's totally wasted on P3s. Now are the Liberals going to keep firing nurses at the same time as they keep feathering the nest of well connected construction companies? Thank you. Anybody watching at home would be interested to know if they actually looked at the robust nine page platform of the NDP party in the last election they would see that their financial assumptions were the very same as ours. Except in addition the member from excuse me we've got a two-way conversation going on behind the scenes here and I want it all to stop. Please finish. So let's get this straight, they ran on our numbers and then said they can do way better the member from Kitchener Waterloo said she could cut $600 million more. So I don't know where they're coming from seems to me they're in a bit of disarray over there. Thank you. I'll supplement you. Speaker two words, $8 billion. They put a P3 out there look and fired across Ontario Speaker but when it comes to wasting billions on P3s, the checkbook comes out schools are being closed across the province Speaker but when it comes to bankrolling billions in new corporate giveaways the checkbook comes out public hydro companies are going on the auction block because the Premier says the cover is bare but when Liberal Waste and Probably Poverty becomes a political headache or a few Liberals see their jobs threatened comes out. Will this Liberal Government change their priorities and the cuts and stop blowing billions on scandals and corporate giveaways and pay attention to the people of this province. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I'm encouraged by the question only because I believe now the member, the leader of the third party may actually show up for lock up at the next budget and actually get into the details of what the reference to show up in the economy. Mr. Speaker I think there's a lot of people that should be doing a lot better and I don't need that kind of comment either please finish Mr. Speaker so had she read the budget recognize that we are looking at a number of initiatives including the assets to maximize those returns so we can reinvest into projects that matter make us competitive she should also note that the leader to the next budget will do new question I guess the finance minister lost count my question is to the minister of Labour minister yesterday I asked you whether you were aware of slush farms being operated by the WSIB apparently neither you nor your Premier seem to have any understanding of the funding question Minister an internal briefing note WSIB states there was no oversight as a direct result of political pressures. It also states that government policy on expenses was directly contravened as a result of those same political pressures. Minister given a direct connection between your Premier's Chief of Staff and the WSIB, can you explain to this House exactly what political pressures were applied to keep this such fund operating and by who? Speaker it's a pleasure to rise in the house today because certainly I think we're getting two very different opinions. I'd like to give you what I believe are the facts that the people of Ontario should know. That is a WSIB grants and research program is delivered by the WSIB with funds that are collected from its employer premiums. It's a program that was bought into place in 1990, Speaker. It funds several organizations, several partner organizations including the Ontario Federation of Labor. What they do is they provide help on training on claims management specifically for workers to navigate the claims system to facilitate that return to work. In 2012, shortly after some new leadership took over at the WSIB, an audit was conducted, perfectly good business practice to learn what changes could be made to the system Those changes have been put in place, Speaker, as of 2016 everybody will be operating in a new manner. Thank you, Speaker. Let's go back to the fact, here's the briefing note, Minister, if you like we'll send you a copy of it after the introduction of freedom of information. My question is straightforward and the KPMG audit was 2014. The briefing note says there was political pressure applied in multiple situations related to the operations of this slush fund. The KPMG audit found that this program is worthless and does nothing to prevent workplace accidents. And yet the best we can tell is that the Premier and Sid Ryan continue to scratch each other's backs with these taxpayers' money. Minister, exactly what political pressures are being applied to keep this million dollar slush fund operating? Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. As I mentioned in my previous answer, this is a grant program that's managed by the WSIB. What it does is it funds partner organizations to help injured workers return to work or to train for new employment. Perfectly good business practice speaker, an audit was conducted that covered the period from 2009 to 2012. They found there was a lot of good in the programs. They found there were some areas where some improvements could be made. As a result of the work that was done by KPMG, that information was brought forward to the WSIB. It's made those changes, informed its partners, we're in a transition year. Those changes come into effect in 2016. This is about making sure that injured workers in this province receive the help they need, return to work quickly, and are treated in a manner they should speak of. Thank you. A question to the member from Kenan strange state. My question is of the Deputy Premier. Can you tell me why you as the Deputy Premier, the Premier and other ministers of the Crown won't answer any of the questions as to the Premier's role in the bribery of Andrew Olivier in the Sudbury by-election? Stop the clock please. Before I call on the Minister or the Deputy Premier, I'm going to just offer a caution that the language is starting to get really close to what I know you would realize is not parliamentary. So I ask you to be cautioned, please. The Premier and others have spoken dozens of times on this very issue, Speaker, and you know we take this very, very seriously. You know there is an investigation underway. You know that that investigation is being performed by people who actually have the skills and have the knowledge to conduct a fair and complete investigation. You know that the Premier is cooperating perfectly, Speaker, I do think it's it's important to read once again into the record what the electoral officer said. I'm neither deciding to prosecute a matter nor determining anyone's guilt or innermost. Thank you. Is it supplementary please? Speaker, the public has the right to know what it is the Premier did or did not do and in this House members of the opposition has done numerous times in order to ask very direct questions in regards to what happened within that whole fiasco in the Sudbury bribery scandal. So I ask you again, is the reason why the Premier is not answering any of these questions is because she's afraid to answer those questions without having her lawyers beside her because she was the one giving the orders in order to do this. We've used many examples of when others in the House are involved in investigation and they say they cannot comment because they're an investigation going on, Speaker, and the NDP has done exactly that. In fact, our very own member from Timmins-Jane Bay has said you do have a larger responsibility to make sure you're careful in your use of words so you don't interfere in any way. The member opposite is right. Why he can say that and expect the Premier to do something different is beyond me. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Finance. Minister, I understand that on Monday evening you took part in the launch of Canada's first Chinese currency renminbi trading hub and I heard a lot of good things about Soushan Main's remarks. Minister, I also understand that this means that Toronto is the only jurisdiction in all of the Americas that will be able to clear Chinese currency and it's a big deal for importers, exporters, and investors. I know that the constituency in my writing of Tunis-Spadina are excited of our government's lead on making Ontario a global leader in investment and trade. Minister, could you please tell us more about this fantastic opportunity for Ontario? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was a great pleasure to be at the RMB hub launch with the member from Tunis-Spadina as well as the Minister of International Trade, recognizing the union between Canada and the Chinese authorities. Toronto, Ontario now becomes the only financial centre in all of the Americas, North America and South America, to be able to do this currency trade, to provide tremendous savings to businesses, makes us competitive and enables Ontario, Canada, to be more prominent in these activities and it's very good for Toronto, very good for Ontario, very good for British Columbia, who we worked with closely over the last 18 months to make this happen. Mr. Speaker, I'm very proud of what happened a couple of days ago and it's going to improve relations with China. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister of Finance for that answer. It sounds like the launching of RMB hub is not only a huge economic opportunity for the province, but also for the entire nation. It's clear that our government is committed to building Ontario up to a global leader and an economic partner. The Premier's recent trade mission to China, underlines the importance of this economic relationship. To date, the mission has attracted nearly $1.1 billion to Ontario in new deals and creating nearly 1,900 jobs. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister of Finance please inform this house as to what future economic opportunities this RMB hub will facilitate? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The member is absolutely correct. The work that he's done as well as the Minister for International Trade, the work that the Premier's done and her trade missions to China have enabled some of this to come to fruition. But I also give tremendous credit to the federal government and the Minister of Finance, federally, who took a lead on this, as well as Mike Dion, the Minister of Finance for British Columbia. In the end, the Canadian RMB trading hub will facilitate increased investment in trade, strengthen Canada's competitive position in global financial markets, build on our financial services and foreign exchange market expertise and infrastructure right here in Toronto, and strengthen Canada's broader economic relationship with China. Congratulations to all who made this happen, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you. Any questions to the member from the keynote panel? My question is to the President of the Treasury Board. Earlier today it was revealed that the Ottawa Hospital had to eliminate another 35 full-time equivalents in healthcare. This is on top of cuts at the Chio Hospital in my city. We know that North Bay, for example, has lost close to 100 full-time equivalents in their healthcare. These are the direct consequences of ignoring deficit reduction targets. It is cuts to healthcare and into education. The Minister can laugh all she wants. But the Fraser Institute reported this morning that ballooning public sector salaries have increased by a rate of 47 percent. While inflation has only increased by 15 percent, today Ontario public servants are being paid 11 percent higher than those in the private sector. So my question is very simple. Can the Treasury Board President tell me how many additional job cuts we can expect in healthcare and education over the next few months as a result of ballooning salaries at the public sector? Thank you, President Treasury Board. So, Speaker, I think this is an important question we should all favorite for this question because it is both a spending and a cutting question all in one. You heard the member opposite say that she's concerned about cuts in healthcare. In fact, the Ottawa Hospital has had an increase of funding of 49 percent since 2003. That's over $200 million more. Yes, it's true. The healthcare system is changing and that does mean changing where people are working and the kind of care that is provided in hospital and out of hospital. But we have a very clear path to balance, Speaker, and we are on that path. It does involve restraining compensation. And if the member opposite would actually look at that Fraser Institute report, she would see that, in fact, compensation has been flatlined for the past five years when you're on an individual basis. Thank you, Supplementary. Let's bring Pollyanna back to reality here. The Fraser Institute was pretty clear that public sector wages in Ontario... We will not accept that. We either mentioned the person's title or their writing please and nothing else. Treasury Board President isn't being clear with the Assembly or the people of Ontario. We know public sector wages are 11 percent higher than they are in the private sector. We know, for example, those wages have increased 47 percent when inflation only rose by 15 percent. These are dramatic consequences, Speaker, when we see health care cuts and when we see education cuts. Each time a salary raises beyond the level of inflation, there will be compromises to public services that we value. Member from Ben, Mary, Jessica, Russell, and Norris. Will the Deputy Premier talk about the deficit that she has rung up with her colleagues as she did earlier in question period, and talk about the fact that the increases to public sector salaries are compromising health care services in the city of Ottawa and elsewhere in the province of Ontario? So, Speaker, I don't often quote the Fraser Institute, but if you would turn to Page 9 of the report that was released today, you will see that the compensation per provincial government job in 2009 was 76,337. It is now down to 75,960. This is a chart that says our plan is working, that compensation restraint is underway in the public sector in Ontario, Speaker, and that's an important piece ongoing as we get to balance. We are determined to get to balance by 17-18. We're on the path to get there, Speaker. It's not easy work, let me tell you, but it's important we do it at the same time as we protect the services that matter to the people of this province. Thank you. New question to members from Sano-Vanport. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, my question to the Minister of Energy. The Liberals have talked about selling off Hydro-1. We've heard about breaking up Hydro-1 and selling it for parts. We've heard about plans for an IPO for Hydro-1 so that Bay Street can hoover up the profits that we need for our hospitals and for our schools. We've heard about forced consolidation of local utilities. Of course, none of this came up during the election. Can the Minister please tell Ontarians what Liberals are planning for Hydro-1? Good question. Thank you, Minister of Energy. Mr. Speaker, I can tell the member that no final decisions have been made with respect to the Asset Council. They have neither been approved by Treasury Board or Cabin, Mr. Speaker. We have very, very confident people advising us, Mr. Speaker, on options that we can bring forward. We will bring forward options, Mr. Speaker, that will be in the best interest of the people of this province. We have directed our experts to place the highest priority, Mr. Speaker, on protecting the interests of the rate payer, Mr. Speaker, and most of all, Mr. Speaker. Since this Premier was elected Premier, February 2013, Mr. Speaker, she's investing in people, she's investing in infrastructure, Mr. Speaker, and she's creating a dynamic business community. Mr. Speaker, I will speak to the issue more completely in the supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, Speaker, I think the minister is being overly modest. I think the Liberals clearly do have a plan for Hydro One, but apparently it's a secret. They didn't tell anyone during the last election, and they won't tell anyone now. Can the minister end the suspense and tell Ontarians just what the plan is for Hydro One and local utilities across Ontario? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I implied from the question that he does not support power in private hands, Mr. Speaker. He has a member who is advocating that we continue to invest in private power, Mr. Speaker, as I've indicated that before. But most importantly, Mr. Speaker, the NDP claims to oppose the privatization of Crown corporations, but Manitoba's NDP, their balanced budget fiscal management and taxpayer accountability act specifically contemplates, the privatization of Manitoba Hydro, the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation, the Liquor Control Commission, the Manitoba Lottery Corporation. Mr. Speaker, they have no plan. They haven't had any plan in a whole range of significant strategic issues. And Mr. Speaker, they should get to work and put forward something that they think might work instead of simply criticizing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Minister, a recent national survey found that over 4 million Canadians still smoke tobacco. It was the lowest national smoking rate ever recorded, but statistically unchanged from the same survey two years ago. Just this past Monday, we saw in the news that Montreal City Councillors are putting great pressure on Quebec's government to tackle the prevalence of tobacco use in that province. Our government is working hard to toughen tobacco laws, ban smoking in public places, encourage more Ontarians to quit altogether, and protect our kids from ever taking up smoking. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please tell the House what our government is doing to help bring down smoking rates in our province and how we are protecting our youth from the dangers of tobacco? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Thank you, Speaker. And I want to begin by thanking the member for that very important question. And she's very right, Speaker. We are doing and we're working very hard to reduce smoking in Ontario. And I know we are working hard, and we have partners here like the Heart and Stroke Foundation, who are very valued and who have been with us every step of the way. And I'm pleased to say, Speaker, that as partly as a result of our joint efforts, smoking rates have decreased in Ontario from 24.5% in 2000 to 18.1% in 2013. That's 332,000 smokers less. Mr. Speaker, but I know we also have to do more. And if you're going to reduce smoking in Ontario, smoking rates in Ontario, we have to do two things. One, we have to ensure that that next generation of smokers never begins. And second, we have to help those who smoke now, but want to quit. We need to help them. And that is why, Mr. Speaker, we have invested over 350 million for tobacco prevention, cessation, and protection. Thank you. And in my supplementary, I want to speak. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, my question is for the Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Speaker, in that same Statistics Canada survey, close to 700,000 current or former smokers who had tried e-cigarettes said they had used them to help quit smoking. At this time, I understand that the jury is still out in terms of the effectiveness of e-cigarettes to help people quit smoking. And also, there is uncertainty as to their health impacts. As a consequence, Ontarians are concerned about the limited research to properly address these issues. Earlier this month, in fact, the Federal Standing Committee on Health called upon the federal government to fund research into these very same questions. Mr. Speaker, through you, could the minister please tell the House what our government is doing to learn more about e-cigarettes? Thank you. Thank you. Minister? Thank you, Speaker. And I thank the member for that supplementary question. I believe, Speaker, that there is a role for government to protect people from what may be emerging harms. And that is what electronic cigarettes. It's an emerging technology. And there is currently no regulation at all in Ontario around electronic cigarettes. What this means is that a 16-year-old could walk into a store and buy an electronic cigarette. And that is why Ontario is being a leader. And what we have proposed is legislation that is passed would, among other things, ban the sale and supply of electronic cigarettes to youth under the age of 19 and restrict vaping in designated public areas. With this legislation, Speaker, we are trying to balance, a, the potential benefits that might be there of electronic cigarettes and helping adults, you know, quit cigarettes. But, on the other hand, also making sure that that next generation never begins to take up electronic cigarettes. Thank you. Your question to members from Halliburton, Fourth of Lakes Park. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Minister? Corther Downs is a vital asset to the horse racing communities in both of our ridings. Last year, after only being approved for 18 racing dates in a last minute deal, as opposed to the traditional 92-100, Corther Downs went on to host a very successful season with attendance and wagering second only to woodbine racetrack across the province. Sadly, despite all the success, Corther Downs saw no reward and were denied their request for additional race dates this season. Why would you do that? Why? They also still have no commitment from this government on a long-term deal. Minister, will you today make a commitment to Corther Downs and finalize a long-term transfer payment agreement for this track? Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I do appreciate the question for the member from Corther Lakes, Halliburton, Brock. A number of years ago, we appointed three very competent individuals, the Honourable Albert Buchanan, the Honourable John Snowblood, who had a very distinguished career in those benches, and the Honourable John Wilkinson, who put together a framework, a plan that was indeed put in place, and frankly, when it comes to Corther Downs, I had the opportunity, in fact, I go to Corther Downs. I was there on four or five occasions to see the excellent work that was being done by Skip Abros and Corther Downs and the horse racing industry right across the province of Ontario. In effect, just recently, Sue Leslie gave extended compliments to what we're doing for the horse racing industry, so we know it's important to rule Ontario, and we're going to move the horse racing industry forward. Well, I do hope you move the horse racing industry forward because you put it back 100 steps. So it doesn't explain why Corther Downs is the only track in the province without a five-year deal. You know that these long-term deals are vital to the horse racing community, so stock can be purchased and maintained. So Corther Downs has one of the smallest purse pools across the province, and no announcement has been made by your ministry if they will receive their requested increase. So if they remain at 18 race dates and at $35,000 per night, it will slowly lead to the death of horse racing in our area and across eastern Ontario. So minister, you're the one responsible. Will you commit to horse racing in our area and help assist Corther Downs by increasing the diverse pools and committing to a long-term transfer agreement? We see the horse racing industry as very important to rural Ontario. We had three very distinguished individuals, Mr. Ube Cannon, Mr. Snowblad, Mr. Wilkinson, put together the five-year plan for horse racing in the province of Ontario. We're hearing very positive comments coming back by colleague. The finance minister has been working with us. The previous Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Ted Bick Meakin, and the Premier herself has made a commitment to horse racing in the province of Ontario to make sure it drives a rural economy. But Mr. Speaker, let me tell you a story. Two years ago, when they thought Corther Downs was going to close, that member was there. The former member from Northumberland, Quinnigieg West, was there. They were there because they wanted to put the curtains over Corther Downs. I was there to make sure Corther Downs was going to be there. New question, member from Hamilton, East Stony Creek. My question is to the Minister of Transportation. We learned yesterday that instead of doing proper planning for the Pan Am games, the government is asking Ontarians what could be called a faith-based transportation plan to stay off the roads, miraculously reducing the congestion by 20%. Instead, we learned that they've done absolutely no modeling for how the Pan Am and Parapan Games will impact city streets, even if we trust the projections for the highways. Every journey starts and ends on municipal streets. Did they simply forget to do the breakdown and research on this, or did they not do it because they didn't want to hear us complain from the public? Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member for that question. Yesterday, I did have the opportunity to update the public with respect to our transportation strategy for the upcoming Pan Am, Parapan Am games. We have a very, very strong plan speaker that draws on the expertise brought to us by individuals responsible for the successful transportation plans that were used, for example, the Vancouver Olympics and the London Olympics. Both communities that were able to meet or exceed their reduction targets, the targets of 20%, that we've also identified in our plan speaker. In addition to that, we've created a games route network that calls for HOV lanes that will be operating throughout that network. We did announce some of the details relating to the modeling itself. But on the question about municipal streets in particular, it's important to recognize that our team at MTO and the rest of the TO 2015 team have worked really closely with all 30 partners we have across the entire affected region, which would include the municipalities that are participating. Those municipalities are well aware of the impacts that will occur on their streets and their planning for that impact. Thanks very much, speaker. Well, thank you, Speaker. The transit system in Toronto and the GTHA are bursting at capacity now. And the government's plan is to shift tens of thousands of commuters and a quarter million visitors onto that system. Minister, where are they all going to fit? They are spending $7 million on enhanced transit service for the biggest sporting event that Canada has ever seen. Unfortunately, London, England invested £7 billion in transport systems for the Olympics. Quite a contrast. We don't have backups in our network and we don't have a plan B. What will happen when we have another subway breakdown like we had yesterday? How many hours will be added to the people's commute? Thank you. Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. So as I said in my opening response, we are working closely with all 30 of our partners across the affected region. We have a strong strategy in place that we will achieve our targets. I think what's most important that the member opposite didn't recognize is that currently in the GTHA we have over $16 billion worth of transit that's under construction. We'll be delivering the Union Pearson Express in advance of the games themselves. And Speaker, I would also note it's interesting this question is coming from a member representing Hamilton, because if that member had showed up to yesterday's technical briefing, Speaker, he would have known that the James Street North Go Station that we are currently building will be in service in Hamilton for the Pan Am Parapan Am Games. New question, the member from Halton. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Agriculture and Food. Mr. Speaker, my riding of Halton is home to a diverse and active farming industry. Take a drive along any side road in Halton and you will see farms and livestock operations in the region. I asked the member from Hamilton East Tony Creek to come to order. The member from Hamilton East Tony Creek is Warren. Carry on, finish your question please. This includes a large variety of farming types. Now we all know that workplace safety is vital. No one wants to have a loved one head off to work and come back home injured or not at all. However, most of us don't usually think about farms and farming practices when it comes to workplace safety. In Ontario we have close to 50,000 farms and 75,000 farm operators working daily. It's important to ensure their safety. That's why the Canadian Federation of Agriculture established this week as Canadian Agriculture Safety Week. I know this government is committed to ensuring farmers like the ones in Halton are safe. Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the question from my colleague from Halton. And I know how she works tirelessly on behalf of the agriculture sector and that great area Halton. And we do know our government is quivite for providing safe working environments for farms across the province of Ontario. And if members had been in the House yesterday, the member from Haldeman Norfolk shared an example of a personal friend of his that experienced a very devastating farm accident that had long-term implications for that particular family. Our ministry has been working hard with the workplace safety prevention services for over 15 years to improve farm safety. Only Canadian Agriculture Safety Week gives us the opportunity to emphasize that working on safety programs on farms is a top priority for all of us. And we can accomplish this through three ways through the Ontario Farm Safety Network, the agricultural safety days, which is a focus on safety education and training for children and families with the goal of reducing child industries which have occurred in our agriculture sector. Through growing forward to, we also fund a number of initiatives for farmers right across Ontario that promotes farm safety. The Speaker and thank you to the Minister of Agriculture and Food. Farmers are an important part of our economy, but the work they do is often hazardous. Just recently, the Guelph-Mercury said that farmers are five times more likely to be killed or suffer work-related disability than those in other occupations. Many of the people in my riding work in the agricultural sector and face these inherent risks each day. Sergeant Farms, for example, is a family-owned and operated poultry processing business that has operated in Ontario for more than 65 years. This business, along with hundreds of other high-quality farms, are pillars of our local economy. I understand that in 2006, our government extended the Occupational Health and Safety Act to include farming operations for the first time. Mr. Speaker, through you to the Minister, can you tell my constituents what else our government is doing to protect the health and safety of Ontarians who work in our agricultural sector? Thank you, Minister. Minister of Labor, Mr. Speaker, I'm really pleased to be able to take such a timely question from the member from Halton, who's my neighbour in Oakville. The Ministry of Labor, Speaker, has over 200 trained inspectors. They've got expertise on issues that are very inherent to the health and safety of Ontario's workers, including those who work in the agricultural sector. What we do at the Ministry, Speaker, is we conduct both proactive and reactive visits to farms right across this province to ensure that the best practices are met and to actually charge those who are not performing safe work. To address and continuously improve farm safety in Ontario, we work with the Farming Technical Advisory Committee. So, Speaker, the Ministry of Labor continues to make great progress. We've still got more to do, but we want to ensure that Ontario farms are safe places to work. Thank you. A new question from the Leader of Oman. This is a lot of opportunity. Here is to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Minister, in her most recent report, the Auditor General pointed out that the hospice sector in Ontario is providing high-quality care, but then she went on to describe a patchwork approach across the province. During the election campaign, your government committed to fund 20 new hospices. You reaffirmed that commitment in last year's budget. Matthew's House Hospice in My Riding is one example that does not receive operational funding. Minister, you're about to release a new budget. Well, you've yet to fulfill your commitments in the last budget. People cannot put off dying to wait for your government to do the right thing and provide compassionate, cost-effective care. When are you going to take some pressure off our local hospitals and properly support hospice care? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I commend the acting Leader of the Official Opposition for. I know he is a very strong supporter of palliative care and the valuable work that our hospices do. And I know he's going to want to join me, because we so infrequently do this, Mr. Speaker. Is to celebrate and acknowledge and thank the many, many healthcare professionals and other professionals, as well as the communities and individuals as supporter hospices and work in palliative care. They do important work across this province every single day, Mr. Speaker. And we have made a commitment to fund the operating costs of 20 new hospices. We're already providing that support to over 30 hospices in the province. And I'm happy to say as well that my parliamentary assistant, John Fraser, has taken upon himself the extraordinary challenging exercise to develop a palliative care strategy for the entire province to take upon him as well the responsibility of focusing on the hospices in those additional 20. Thank you. Well, Speaker, back to the minister. Minister, there's 12,000 people in this province dying in hospital each year because there aren't enough hospice beds. The auditor general points out the hospice care is much cheaper than hospital care. As an example, in the first six months of last year, Matthew's house in my riding cared for 64 people at a cost of $254,000, all of that money raised by the community. Comparable care in hospital would have cost $608,000. In other words, minister, as you know, care in a residential hospital is less than half the cost of hospital care. Your party platform promised more end of life care and specifically, as you mentioned, the funding of 20 more hospices. It's been 10 months, minister. I know your heart's in the right place, but they're people dying unnecessarily where they don't want to die, and that's in hospital. They rather do hospice or at home, but you do the right thing and live up to your commitments. Thank you, minister. Well, Mr. Speaker, that's why we've made this commitment, because we do value the work that hospices are done. I don't think the Speaker will mind me referencing hospice and his riding. Actually, Steadman Community Hospital that I visited before the new year, which is providing extraordinary service, not only within the hospice itself, but within the community through its outreach programs. So we have made this commitment. The member opposite as a former Minister of Health will also know that we were the first government, this government, the Liberal government to actually provide funding to hospices in Ontario. The former Minister of Health will also know that we were the first province, rather the first government in Ontario, to provide an end of life strategy in this province. We're going a step further. We're developing a palliative care strategy so that the care provided is uniform across the province. Part of that strategy is to fund an additional 20 hospices. They're operating costs as we've committed to do. Thank you. You have a question for the member from London Fanshawe. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health. This morning, patients in London are shocked to learn that elective surgeries have been cut by two thirds for two weeks in a row. That means dozens of surgeries won't be done. Anyone with a loved one waiting for surgery will be outraged by more delays. And everyone in London has one simple question. Will the Minister stop these cuts, or will he stand by while patients suffer? Well, Mr. Speaker, thank you for the question. I appreciate it. And the member opposite knows that we aren't cutting healthcare spending. In fact, the percentage of government funding that goes into healthcare has increased year over year as long as we've been in power. Mr. Speaker, and I will continue going forward. So, of course, from time to time, hospitals are independent entities. They work closely with the Linn, the local health integration networks within their localities. They make decisions based on not only the financial realities, the budgets that they've been provided with by the ministry, but also from time to time, there are changes that happen. I don't know the specifics in terms of the occurrence in London, but I certainly will be looking into that. But our funding for hospitals, Mr. Speaker, has, over the past decade, has on average increased by 50%. We are making significant investments in our hospital environments, but the funding has increased by 50% over the past decade. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. Despite what the Minister says, this reduction in elective surgeries in London is just the latest in the growing list of liberal cuts to London's hospitals. 52,000 nursing hours cut, 80,000 cleaning hours cut, 37 million dollars cut. Frontline nurses say these cuts are having, quote, a horrendous effect on patients. How can the Minister of Health stand by and allow patient care to deteriorate in this way in London? Well, Mr. Speaker, I don't allow that. And I have an expectation of all our hospitals that they maintain the highest quality of care and services that they're required to do. And I know also that they work closely with their lens to do that, with their local health integration networks. That is an expectation that I have. And certainly, as I mentioned, with the funding increasing year over year, not only the global health care budget, but the funding that we're providing to hospitals has increased by 50% over the past decade. Our hospitals are doing incredible work. We're measuring the outcomes. We're measuring the quality of services that they're providing. They are working to find efficiencies and provide innovations and develop and change programs so that they're able to provide even better care. I know they work in concert with their local communities, with the patients that they serve, and the boards that govern them, but certainly with the lens as well that have the responsibility for patient care and quality of care. Thank you. New question, Member, from a topical center. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, most of the time when I've risen in the house to ask questions, I've asked questions about issues that are of specific interest to my community in a topical center, but today I want to ask about something that's of concern to all our communities, which is, and it speaks to what the government's doing to ensure our fiscal sustainability while also providing important services to Ontarians. My question this morning is for the Minister of Northern Development and Mines. Minister, when our government made the decision last April to keep the motor coach, the Polar Bear Express rail freight and refurbishment business lines of the ONTC in public hands, we committed to transforming the ONTC to ensure it was financially sustainable and a strong transportation network for the people of Northeastern Ontario. Minister, the ONTC has recently been in the news around this transformation. This transformation is, of course, critical to these commitments. Could you update us on the status of the transformation? Thank you. Thank you. Good question. Good question. Thank you. Member, from a topical center, it's really a great question, and our government is absolutely committed to transforming the ONTC less than a year ago, Mr. Speaker. I was up in North Bay announcing that, indeed, we would be keeping four of the five important lines of the Ontario and North line in public hands. And at that point, we also made announcements related to strategic investments to ensure that the ONTC continues to support economic growth in Northeastern Ontario. And just this past month, or during this past month, we have appointed a new board, a new commission of members from Northeastern Ontario who are bringing experience in financial management accounting, organizational restructuring, and governance. And we're very pleased to have that. I am particularly pleased, may I say it. I know that I think other members of the House are as well that Tom Loughran, the former mayor of Timmons, has agreed to serve in the role of the commission. His knowledge and passion for Northern Ontario is going to make a real difference. We're excited about his work. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Minister. And I expect that this new board will bring the strong leadership and the skills required to make sure that the transformation is successful. Minister, given the nature of the ONTC's business, I imagine that labour is an important part of this transformation. And I know that there's ongoing collective bargaining between the ONTC and its unions. There's recently been news regarding these negotiations. And I'm wondering if you could update the House on the status of the ONTC's labour negotiations. Thank you, Minister. Thank you again to the member from Tobago Center for asking that question. And certainly it's an important one because there's no question that from the very, I think the beginning of our discussions relate to how we were going to transform the ONTC. It's been, I think, understood by all parties that labour is certainly a critical component of transforming the ONTC to a truly long-term sustainable organization and certainly continue to support our very strong commitment for public ownership. What we're very happy about is that the ONTC and the United Steelworkers have recently reached an agreement. The ratification of a new five-year collective agreement passed this past Friday with 88% of the USW members voting in favour of the deal. Obviously, that's very good news. So I am very much commending the efforts of ONTC management and the USW in working together to negotiate an agreement that balances the business needs of the ONTC, the interests of employees, and the need to provide a sustainable and affordable public service. Thank you very much. Pursuant to Standing Order 38A, the member for Oxford has given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to his question given by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing concerning the HSC's Tenant Insurance Program. This matter will be debated at 6pm today. There are no deferred votes. This House stands recess until 3pm this afternoon.