 is now time for Question Period, the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. This year's budget is only days away, and the Ontario PC caucus is looking for a few assurances. Liberal scandal, waste and mismanagement have led to hydro-bills that have skyrocketed in our province. Energy is now unaffordable, and many vulnerable seniors and families simply can't afford their hydro-bills. Therefore, this budget must include a credible plan to make energy affordable in Ontario, and any credible plan must include halting the fire sale of Hydro-1. Mr. Speaker, does the Premier appreciate that any budget without a plan for affordable energy will be viewed as a failure to all those seniors, families and businesses across Ontario struggling with a liberal hydro mess? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And once again, let me welcome Lauren Koh to the legislature. We look forward to working with you. Mr. Speaker, in 2003 we were elected on a platform to deliver clean, modern, reliable electricity in this province because there wasn't clean, affordable, reliable electricity in this province. There were huge investments needed to invest. There was an artificial cap that had been put on the price of electricity that created huge problems down the road. I would say to the Leader of the Opposition that I hope he acknowledges that the investments that have been made in our electricity system mean that it is clean, mean that it's reliable, Mr. Speaker, mean that thousands of kilometres of line have been upgraded. Order, please. It's coming from all sides. Answer. Mr. Speaker, we did make a decision to take the whole province off coal, Mr. Speaker. There's a cost associated with that, but we have that clean, reliable power. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier. And let me say that scandal, waste and mismanagement is not code for investments. This government must be looking at ways to make electricity and hydro bills more affordable. Just look at the story of the plenum resident, Kathy Van Breda. I recently read her story in the Chatham Daily News. She is a 74-year-old widow. Her last hydro bill was $813. She said that was $500 more than what she usually pays. Mr. Speaker, does this government understand that their scandals, their mismanagement, their waste means higher hydro bills for residents like Ms. Van Breda? Will the Premier apologize to Ms. Van Breda? Will she apologize for this atrocious bill because of your government's incompetence? Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I hope that the member for that citizen of Ontario would make it clear to her what the programs are that would help her with her electricity bill, Mr. Speaker. Because we recognize that investing in our... The member from Leeds, Grenville and the member from Renfrew, Nepesing, Pembroke will come to order. Mr. Speaker, I have said quite clearly there are costs associated with investing in a system that had been neglected and degraded, Mr. Speaker, by a previous government. Those costs, Mr. Speaker, have meant that we have now got a system that is reliable, that is clean, Mr. Speaker. We're ahead of the curve in terms of a clean electricity system. Well, I will move right to members directly. And my next warning will be, I will move to warnings. The member from Simcoe Gray will come to order and the member from Prince Edward Hastings will come to order. I would say to the leader of the opposition, if he is suggesting that we should go back to coal or we should subsidize and create more debt, Mr. Speaker, we're not going to do that. That artificial cap that was put on by the previous government, the burning of... The member from Glen Gary Rusk just chirped one too many. I'm now moving to warnings. You have 10 seconds. Mr. Speaker, we are not going to go back to burning coal. If that's what the leader of the opposition is suggesting, we're not going there. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier. The voters of Whitby Oshawa didn't buy that smear either. You need to announce the phase out of coal. So don't try any of these diversion tactics. The reality... Just to make sure the members understand at any given time you will get a warning when it gets too loud by everybody. I'll stop. Finish, please. Mr. Speaker, we've obviously touched a nerve. The Liberal government doesn't want to talk that this is their fault. They must own up to it. The Honour General said very clearly it is because of your mismanagement. So let's go back to what this is about. This is about seniors across the province who can't afford their bills because of your political interference in the energy sector. So Ms. Van Bretta, she has done everything possible to lower her bill. She doesn't turn the TV on till the late afternoon. She keeps no lights on during the day. She actually cleaned up her attic to put insulation in and it's still $800. Will you apologize to the seniors in this province? This is because of you. Thank you, Premier. Mr. Speaker, let's be clear. The Leader of the Opposition is saying we should not have invested in those lines around the province, those transmissions lines, Mr. Speaker. We should not have upgraded the system. We should not have continued to shut down the coal-fired plants, Mr. Speaker. We should not have a clean renewable electricity system, Mr. Speaker. And the Leader of the Opposition is suggesting either that we return to coal, or, Mr. Speaker, that we do, as the previous Conservative government did, put an artificial cap on electricity prices, which will actually increase the cost to the people of Ontario, Mr. Speaker. So, I would say to the Leader of the Opposition, we have a plan he knows full well that the broadening of the ownership of Hydro1, which will allow us to invest in infrastructure, has nothing to do with electricity prices. If the last episode was a test, I will pass the test and warnings will be distributed. New question. The member from Renfrew, Nipissing, Pembroke. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. For years it has been clear to us on this side of the House how damaging your government's reckless and dangerous energy policies truly are. The phone calls to my office and my colleagues' offices just haven't stopped. We hear from constituents every day who are desperate for help because they can't afford their hydro bills. Many people in Ontario don't know how they're going to pay this month's bill. Mr. Speaker, why does this government stubbornly refuse to do anything to make energy more affordable in Ontario? Mr. Speaker, I hope when those people call his office that the member opposite is very clear with them that we do understand that there are challenges. We do understand that there was a cost associated with shutting down the coal-fired plants, that there was a cost associated with making a degraded electricity system, a reliable electricity system, Mr. Speaker. And so that's why we have removed the debt retirement charge, Mr. Speaker. We have put in place the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, Mr. Speaker, which is targeted particularly at seniors, Mr. Speaker, to allow them to reduce their electricity costs. We've put in place the low-income energy assistance program, Mr. Speaker. We've put in place the Northern Ontario Energy Credit, Mr. Speaker. We've made it very, very clear that there are mitigating programs, Mr. Speaker, to deal with the cost. But the fact is, Mr. Speaker, we had to have a reliable clean energy system that was not left by the previous government, that we've built in Ontario, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary. It's just a rolling shell game. You know, your former minister, George Smitherman, said that Green Energy Act was going to cost 1% a year. That's where the costs have gone. The auditor says $9.2 billion more than it should have. This government's out-of-touch response is more than just a mere band-aid for the gaping hole that is skyrocketing hydro bills. It's not just families and seniors in this province that are struggling to pay them. As hydro prices rise in Ontario, our businesses become less and less competitive. The Liberals have driven job-creating businesses right out of Ontario into the arms of neighbouring states and provinces. Job creators like the Leamington Greenhouse Operator who chose Delta Ohio over Ontario to invest $61 million in his expanding business. And if this government doesn't reverse course on damaging policies, more and more businesses will follow suit. Speaker, how many more businesses have to leave Ontario before this government introduces an incredible plan to make energy more affordable? Mr. Speaker, the member refers to the industrial rates or the business rates. The member must know, Mr. Speaker, that the Ontario price is lower than probably 25 or 30 provinces and states in the U.S., Mr. Speaker. That's the record, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. And I want to say that I appreciate very much, Mr. Speaker. The member from Simcoe Gray is warned. And Mr. Speaker, the member mentions going forward, what are we going to do? The Conservatives supported our refurbishment program, Mr. Speaker. Because the next 30 years, they're going to put into this province electricity, which will cost about $0.75 to $0.08 per kilowatt hour going into the grid, Mr. Speaker. And it'll be clean and emissions free. We did announce a couple of days ago $100 million that went into conservation that will help reduce rates, Mr. Speaker. And there's much more I'll say in the supplementary. And God's the question. The question is about prices today. And since you were elected, hydro costs have increased by more than $1,000 a year for the average family. This government spent the last 12 years recklessly wasting billions of dollars on canceled gas plants, expensive green energy experiments, and smart meters that were anything but smart. If they hadn't done all that, hydro bills would be much more affordable and the auditor general has said as much in her last report. And without the waste on canceled gas plants and smart meters, this government wouldn't have to resort. Minister of Finance is warned. Excuse me, I'm not looking for any attention. Without that waste, you wouldn't have to resort to the fire sale of Hydro One. Speaker, will this government finally do something to address skyrocketing hydro bills for ratepayers? Will Thursday's budget, Mr. Finance Minister, include a credible plan to make energy affordable in Ontario? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I think there's a lot of exaggeration coming from the other side. Mr. Speaker, if you look at the average daily price for electricity, if you take the price of electricity that's been paid in the province, the average by the residential is $5.26 per day, Mr. Speaker. That's less than most transit fares, return transit fares in the province of Ontario. Take public transit back and forth, Mr. Speaker. It costs less per day than what they're paying for electricity. There are one or two computers, one or two televisions, all their lights, Mr. Speaker. All of that, Mr. Speaker, is $5.26 per day. It's less than a return trip on any public transit system in Ontario. It's less than one go-trip, one-way go-trip, Mr. Speaker. It is value that people are getting. And we're taking steps to bring it down, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. New question, the Leader of the Third Party. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I do want to begin by, on behalf of Ontario's New Democrats, welcoming the new member for Whitby Oshawa to the levels. People expect their government to work... This is to the Premier, Speaker. People expect their government to work for them and to invest in their priorities, Speaker, like supporting our children's schools and reducing wait times in our hospitals. But this government just doesn't seem to share those priorities, Speaker, for four straight budgets. The Liberals have chosen to freeze hospital funding. That's forced hospitals to cut millions of dollars from their budgets, close beds, fire thousands of nurses who provide frontline care to patients. People deserve to know, Speaker, how much deeper does this Premier want to cut healthcare services that people count on in this country? Thank you, Speaker. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I know that the Leader of the Third Party actually knows that we have increased funding to healthcare year over year, Mr. Speaker, every single year. Since 2003, hospital funding has risen from $11.3 billion to $17.3 billion, Mr. Speaker. A 53% increase, Mr. Speaker. And that has been every single year more money has gone into healthcare, Mr. Speaker. For small rural hospitals, we've invested over $17 million since 2003, Mr. Speaker. So just in terms of hospital funding alone, you can see the increases that we've made because we recognize how important those hospitals are to communities, how important healthcare is to the people of Ontario, Mr. Speaker. And you will see as we go forward, we will continue to increase investments in healthcare across the province. Thank you. Well, Speaker, in public, we promised to protect healthcare, but behind closed doors, she's cutting the care that we all rely on. Nearly 1,200 nursing jobs have been cut since the start of 2015 alone, Speaker. And hospitals say that they are now... Minister of Economic Development is warned. Gary Anfield, please. And hospitals say that they are now at a critical turning point. Families know exactly what that means, Speaker. Longer wait times when our loved ones are sick, fewer nurses to provide critical care, fewer beds in our hospitals, more overcrowding, and even more worry for families and loved ones. How can this premier keep cutting healthcare when she knows that those cuts are hurting Ontarians? Definitely. I understand that it is somehow in the political interest of the third party to the third party leader to sow this kind of fear. Mr. Speaker, the reality is that I think it would be a much more productive discussion if the leader of the third party said, you know, we recognize that you're putting more funding into healthcare, but here's the plan that we would like to see in place. Because the fact is, Mr. Speaker, we're hiring more nurses. She doesn't... The leader of the third party doesn't know as she talks about changes. She doesn't know that there is hiring going on at the same time, Mr. Speaker, as the other changes are taking place. We acknowledge that there are more healthcare workers being hired, Mr. Speaker, to work in the community, to work in hospitals, to work in health sciences centers. The fact is, Mr. Speaker, healthcare needs are growing as the population ages. The changes are needed in terms of delivery. We're making those changes. We're increasing funding. We will continue to do that. Appreciate it, please. Appreciate it, please. Thank you. Final supplementary. What I wish is that the Premier would actually start paying attention to what's happening to healthcare in Ontario. People are waiting months on end, Speaker, for the home care that they need. Thousands of seniors are stuck on waiting lists for long-term care in this province, Speaker. And the Premier's freeze on hospital budgets, which she cannot deny, she has frozen hospital budgets four years running, and those freezes, that freeze has forced hospitals to cut nearly 1,200 nursing jobs since the start of 2015. That's just the fact, Speaker. That's what this Premier needs to recognize, the facts. But the Premier is too focused, Speaker, on helping private investors profit off the sale of Hydro-1 to even notice that healthcare is suffering because of her liberal cuts. It begs the question, how can this Premier actually think that profits for private investors are more important than patient care? Well, I don't, Mr. Speaker. I am very focused, as is our government, on helping people to deal with the challenge of their day-to-day lives, Mr. Speaker. And the fact is that there have been investments in community care, that that's the side of the story that the leader of the third party omits as she talks about a partial story, Mr. Speaker. The reality is demographics are changing. The reality is delivery of healthcare is changing, Mr. Speaker. And we need more investment in home care. And, Mr. Speaker, we continue to make those investments. We continue to increase funding. And we continue to hire healthcare workers across the province, Mr. Speaker, because we know that that kind of community care is what people need. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to discussing the budget after Thursday. And I hope that the leader of the third party will then be able to comment on those further investments that we are making. Thank you. New question, the leader of the third party. Mr. Speaker, the Premier is failing miserably because she's actually making day-to-day life a lot worse for people. My next question, Speaker, is for the Premier. Protecting our hospitals and our children's schools is a priority for the people of Ontario. But the Premier just isn't listening to parents, students and education workers. The Liberals cut $250 million from education last year. They've shut down nearly 100 schools in four years. And now families are worried that Thursday's budget will bring even deeper cuts to Ontario schools. Why is this Premier cutting education when she knows that it's students that will pay the price? Thank you. We're not cutting education funding, Mr. Speaker. In fact, we're increasing education funding. We've increased education funding year-over-year. And in fact, face of declining enrollment. So there are fewer students in the system, Mr. Speaker, but there is more funding in the system. And that means, Mr. Speaker, that there are more resources in place for boards to deliver services. So, Mr. Speaker, we are seeing the results. The graduation rate in Ontario, Mr. Speaker, I think is at 83%, 84%, Mr. Speaker, after high school when we came into office, the graduation rate in this province was 68%, Mr. Speaker. Students have gotten more support. They have gotten resources that they need, Mr. Speaker, and that has allowed their achievement to improve. We will continue to work with education leaders, Mr. Speaker, with parents. The parent reaching out grants were announced last week, Mr. Speaker. That was a grassroots initiative that came from parents. We'll continue. Thank you. The Liberals have already cut $250 million from education. That's the fact. And they've said that up to half a billion dollars could permanently be cut from schools by next year. Parents, trustees, and community advocates who are here today know exactly what those liberal cuts mean to our schools. They lead to bigger class sizes, Mr. Speaker, a growing backlog of critical repairs to buildings, Mr. Speaker, broken heaters in the middle of winter and even more school closures. People want an answer from this Premier, Speaker. Why is she cutting education when she should be protecting our children's schools? Thank you, Premier. Minister of Education. Yes, thank you very much, Speaker. First of all, let me repeat what the Premier said. We are not cutting education. The grants for students need $22.5 billion. A couple of years ago, they are still $22.5 billion. But let me give you an idea where we have been investing money. In 2014, to keep schools in a good state of repair, the ministry announced an investment of $1.25 billion for the school condition improvement over three years. And just to give you an idea, Speaker, the way that grant works is it's actually based on the facility condition index. We look at each board and customize the grant based on what condition are the schools in that board. And that's how we distribute the funding. And I'd be happy to give you some more information in the next one. Well, Speaker, it's like the Premier and the Liberals don't actually know what's going on in Ontario when it comes to education. They should look at their own last budget, which on page 230 clearly states $250 million coming out of education, Speaker. The Auditor General says that the Liberals have failed to keep up with urgent school repairs. And here's what that means, Speaker. When old heaters break, students are forced to wear their jackets in class just to stay warm. Ceilings leak in classrooms and libraries. And today, a quarter of the schools in Toronto are in critical condition and desperately need to be fixed. Yet this Premier is too focused on selling off Hydro-1 to even notice what's happening in our school, Speaker. When will this Premier start paying attention to the urgent needs of students in our classrooms and stop her liberal cuts to education? Thank you. Yes, thank you. In addition to the School Condition Improvement Fund I told you about, we also have the School Renewal Fund, which is $325 million, $325 million this year. In fact, when you add up all the grants that have to do with school renewal, school retrofit, we actually spent $825 million on just that one area last year alone. We've also said to the school boards, number one, we have 750 million school consolidation fund. And if you consolidate those schools with empty spaces, we'll help you. We'll help you do the renovation. We'll help you do the repair. We'll help you with the additional that you need. And we've also directed the boards that if they sell a school, that they must invest the money carrying the schools they cat. Thank you. General Reminder, I stand, you sit. The member from Conservative District. My question this morning is for the Premier. More than 80% of Ontarians oppose the sale of Hydro-1. Two weeks ago, the voters of Whitby Oshawa spoke loud and clear sending this government a resounding message that they don't want the sell-off to continue. They don't want another skyrocketing Hydro bill to pay for big raises at Hydro-1. So, Speaker, will the Premier listen to the people of Whitby Oshawa and will she have her finance minister announce in the budget on Thursday that they won't be selling off any more Hydro-1 shares or will she continue to insist that she knows more than the people of Ontario? Good question. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And again, I look forward to working with the new member from Whitby Oshawa. And Mr. Speaker, I know from having listened to people in Whitby Oshawa that a huge concern of the people in that riding is about transportation and transportation infrastructure, Mr. Speaker. Transit infrastructure that needs investment. It's a community that wants that connectivity, Mr. Speaker, whether it's local infrastructure, whether it's the road, Mr. Speaker, whether it's the Highway 407 or whether it is transit and increased go service, Mr. Speaker. So the reality is that if we are going to make the investments that we know are necessary, not just in Whitby Oshawa but across the province, Mr. Speaker, we have to have the resources to do that. That's what the broadening of the ownership of Hydro-1 is about, Mr. Speaker. Investing in that infrastructure, it's going to allow our economy to thrive. Thank you, Speaker. And it's clear from documents that were put before this house, before Christmas, that the money from Hydro-1 isn't going to infrastructure. And if the Premier was actually listening in Whitby Oshawa, why would she waste Justin Trudeau's time in dragging him into an election that they were going to get resoundly defeated in? Speaker, one small business in my riding recently received a bill for $27,000 for a vacant LCBO building. When they challenged the bill, Hydro-1 had to admit that it had no idea that the LCBO had moved out and they just continued to bill as if there was still an LCBO inside. Hydro-1 ended up settling instead of $27,000 for $3,600 after they actually looked at the meter reading. People have lost faith in Hydro-1. They've lost faith in this Premier. They've lost faith in this government, Speaker. Will the Premier stop the further sell-off of Hydro-1 in this Thursday's budget? Thank you. The Premier passed it to the Minister of Energy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, I want to remind people that the province still owns 84% of Hydro-1 today, Mr. Speaker. And I also want to remind members opposite, Mr. Speaker, that of the proceeds from a partial sale of Hydro-1 shares, $5 billion is going to reduce provincial debt, Mr. Speaker. $4 billion is going into infrastructure, Mr. Speaker. And that's investment. Those are investments that are paid down of debt that's not coming from taxes, cutting programs, Mr. Speaker. It is very, very smart fiscal management. Besides which, Mr. Sparker, Mr. Speaker, it is a better managed company today, and it will become better as we go down the road, Mr. Speaker. They are making decisions now in this short time period that is adding value to their shareholders, Mr. Speaker. And I must repeat one more time, Mr. Speaker, that Hydro-1 does not control rates. They're controlled by the Ontario Energy Board. So a better operating company. Thank you. Any more questions? Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education. Schools in this province are falling apart. Over the past five years alone, this government has underfunded school repairs by $5.8 billion. Add that to the previous repair backlog, and we now have a shortfall of $15 billion. That's billion, Speaker. Kids are being forced to wear winter coats inside because classrooms are 12 degrees. Roofs are collapsing, and children are being injured by broken infrastructure. While this government starves school boards of the resources they need to address these issues, students and families are being left behind. My question is simple. With a budget on the horizon, Ontario families want to know will this government stop cuts to the classroom and commit to fixing the disrepair in our schools? Thank you. Minister of Education. I'm pleased to report that, in fact, we have continued to increase education funding. If you look at the amount of funding that was received in 2003 and compare it today, it's up $8.1 billion. That's 56% out of time when the number of students have decreased. So, a billion with a B. So, the amount per pupil has gone up. The absolute amount has gone up. The amount of funding for school renewal has gone up. This amount of school for school renovations has gone up. The amount of money for school repairs has gone up. Everything is up. And while there do continue to be schools that are not in great shape, we have actually continued funding models. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. That just shows how out of touch the ministry is because the needs of the students have increased. The cost of electricity has increased and the cost of transportation has increased. This is not sufficient. Again to the Minister, Ontario boasts highly qualified education and childcare workers, bright students and parents who want what's best for their children. This morning, organizations like Fix Our Schools, the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario and the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care held a press conference at Queens Park to demand answers. Directors of education, trustees, and students also attended. The Minister of Education needs to put our students first. Kids are paying the price for her misplaced priorities. This government must recognize that it's unacceptable that kids are wearing winter coats in classrooms. Will this government repair our schools and finally provide a safe and equal opportunity education for all Ontario students? Thank you, Minister. Yes, thank you very much. It might interest you to know, because it sounds as if you don't actually realize this, that every year when we review the operating funding for school boards, we really do increase the operating funding based on increases in utility costs so that in fact the school board funding is adjusted for increase in electricity and natural gas costs each year, every year, as they occur. So that is factored into the school board. But it might also interest the people in the gallery to know that we've spent $13.9 billion to build 755 new schools in Ontario. We have built, in addition to that, 720 renovations and major additions. We have been significantly investing in our schools. Thank you. And there's another $11 billion. Thank you. New question? The member from B2Z Short. My question is to the Minister of Finance. Now, Speaker, just last week our government made a very important announcement that will boost consumer convenience and choice in Ontario. And it seems only a few weeks ago that I stood third in line behind the Premier and the Finance Minister at the Leslie Street Law Blaws as I purchased my first six-pack of Molson Canadian and Steam Whistle beer. And now last week, Speaker, we announced that in total up to 300 grocery stores, both large chains and independence will also now be selling wine. So by this fall, 70 grocery stores will be authorized to have wine as well as fruit wine, beer, and cider being sold on their shelves. So, Speaker, will the Minister please tell us about the great economic opportunities that this much appreciated announcement will create? Thank you, Mr. Finance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the member from B2Z Short for the question and also for his advocacy on this matter. I know that he's been a champion for the beverage alcohol industry, and I thank him for his continuous work. The changes will create a win-win-win outcome for the province's wine lovers, for Ontario's local domestic wine producers and the farmers who support them, as well as for wine from all over the world. By selling wine in grocery stores will also help to boost economic growth and preserve jobs in Ontario's wine agricultural and tourism sectors. This will also help to maintain a vital source of economic growth and opportunity for the province's farm sector. Thank you. Well, cheers, Mr. Speaker. And I would like to thank the Minister for his answer and for this well-deserved and this well-received initiative. Because these changes really are a win-win-win for farmers, consumers, and retailers in Ontario. I'm particularly pleased with the fact that as part of these changes, cider and fruit wines will also now be available in grocery stores. I know that Ontario's producers in these emerging categories, cider, of course, being the fastest growing segment at the LCBO, and I'm excited to await the successes that they will achieve when afforded wider market access. So, Speaker, will the Minister share with this House how also this government will benefit members by these changes? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And again, I'd like to thank the member for the question and for the cheers. I appreciate that. I too share the excitement for the potential growth for cider producers in Ontario with these changes. As we've announced, wine and beer producers will benefit greatly from this change along with craft brewers and distillers. Craft distillers are important here as well. They will now be able to deliver directly to restaurants and bars a change that is long advocated for, and they will also now receive better-selling commissions on that and their on-site stores. All of these changes have taken place while our government maintains our strong commitment to social responsibility wherever beverage alcohol is sold. Thank you. A new question to the member from Caliburton. We have continuously demanded that the Liberal government do something to address the damage resulting from this energy policies. Policies that have driven the price of electricity from 4.3 cents per kilowatt hour to 17.5 cents on peak. They're driving people into poverty just to pay off their hydro bills. And what do we get from this government? They continuously make excuses, put new packaging around shell games, confuse taxpayers, ratepayers even more. So the bottom line is when people pick up their hydro bills they see them continuing to rise at alarming rates. It's not only hurting ratepayers it's seriously damaging our economy. So Speaker, will the Minister commit to a credible plan to bring in affordable energy rates in this year's budget? Thank you. Mr. Speaker I might remind the member that just several days ago we announced $100 million to assist people, 36,000 people in this province to reduce the energy bill. And I might remind the member as well that that party supported us with the nuclear refurbishment projects that we just announced several months ago which will show electricity going into the grid at 7.5 to 8 cents per kilowatt hour Mr. Speaker. It's a very, very major initiative and the National Energy Board projects are increased in electricity prices over the next 16 years for residential owners to be 1.7% Mr. Speaker, which is around the rate of inflation or less because of the investments and the decisions that we're making in the system today Mr. Speaker. Well Mr. Speaker I have more people in poverty than ever before and it's because of their hydro rates the first thing the government needs to do is stop doing what you have been doing because it's clearly not working with rates four times higher than when you came into the office you have a scathing order generous report which shows that consumers are paying 37 billion more than they should have paid shameful. It clearly highlights there needs to be a policy reversal so thanks for the 100 million but you've already over charged the 37 billion so what will the minister commit today to create an energy plan that's credible and will bring affordable energy rates and stop signing those exorbitant contracts of unreliable energy that are continuing to drive up hydro rates even further Thank you. Minister of Energy Mr. Speaker one of the things that's happening to reduce rates is a conservation program at Hydro One Mr. Speaker they've initiated a project which is saving those who participate particularly in the rural areas between $800 and $1200 a year. It's a heat pump program Mr. Speaker where they subsidize the installation of the heat pump and the record in Nova Scotia and now in Ontario with the program that they've started it's saving customers between $800 and $1200 a year Mr. Speaker that's something that's really really concrete in addition to the 100 million dollars we just invested for retrofits Mr. Speaker in the province we are taking very significant action in many different ways Mr. Speaker and I would challenge the member to come to my office for a briefing on all of the things that we're doing for the electricity sector Mr. Speaker and perhaps then the questions will be more informed. Thank you. New question to members from Toronto Danforth. Thank you Speaker my question to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. Speaker people don't want money from a cap and trade program to be used as a liberal party slush fund they want to see this money is actually tackling climate change helping families to reduce their carbon footprint and to save money and yet the government announced several spending programs recently including a $3000 rebate on a $150,000 electric car without showing how much greenhouse gases would be reduced by the program if any. Will these spending programs include transparent evidence based projections showing that they will actually help families in the climate rather than just the Liberal Party of Ontario. Thank you. Thank you very much and I'll take that as support from the member opposite for the initiatives the entire dynamic about how we measure GHGs your points well taken that will be part of the five year action plan these are programs Mr. Speaker the electric vehicle program run by my colleague Mr. transportation extraordinary leadership brings down the cost of an electric vehicle to be extraordinarily affordable in some cases but if you're buying the Chevy Spark it's a few thousand dollars it actually means that for seniors and for families and it also means an electric vehicle Mr. Speaker that this is creating a lot of jobs opening up our ability to track more investment in the electric sector and making lives much more affordable the same thing with our social housing vector fed programs these are good news stories they help make life more affordable they create jobs and it's good news Mr. Speaker Thank you. We've seen the Liberals have fun with numbers before the government created the Trillium Trust as a dedicated fund for infrastructure in 2014 but then dissolved the fund as a special purpose account just one year later the only way we can be sure that cap and trade money won't be used is to keep the money separate the Canadian Environmental Law Association recommends that revenue from a cap and trade program flow into a separate and transparent special purpose account and not into general government revenue will the government keep cap and trade funds separate so their use is transparent Good question. Thank you Mr. Speaker you don't get much more transparent than three hundred and twenty five million dollars in specific allocations announced by the President of Treasury Board each one of those programs is being run in most cases by a third party Canadian Manufacturers, Exporters Association and other partner organizations they submit and they account for directly that funding and you can't get much more transparent than that Mr. Speaker you'll see when the climate change legislation because I know the NDP is very good at spending money we'll find out in the next week or two of the they'll actually support a price on pollution which I hope they will and if they'll support a price on pollution you will see the accounting exercise being very very clear we have to meet the same standards as Quebec and California under the western climate initiative Mr. Speaker and we have third party review by the compact of regions that were actually making progress Mr. Speaker there isn't a jurisdiction that's being held under the New Yorkers Good question. Remember from Barry Thank you Mr. Speaker I'd like to direct my question to the Minister of Economic Development Employment and Infrastructure Last month Ontario gained nearly 20,000 net new jobs which adds to a long line of months of growth of jobs in this province in fact I understand that in the last two months alone Ontario has gained a net of 50,000 jobs while it sounds like steady growth I recently heard the leader of the opposition on CPE24 insinuating that Ontario is actually losing jobs if the leader of the opposition is incorrect in that statement I'm concerned that Ontarians may not be getting the straight facts on the strength of Ontario's economic growth I would certainly encourage all legislators to refrain from talking Ontario's economy down and instead act of effect Minister please advise this house on how Ontario is doing in attracting Thank you Minister of Economic Development Employment and Infrastructure Thank you Mr. Speaker I'm very pleased to confirm to the member that Ontario's economy continues to grow Ontarians are being inundated however with economic news about challenges in the overall Canadian economy Oops Remember from Hamilton East Stony Creek is warned Okay Mr. Speaker The national news often is inundated with tough times that are taking place in our sister province in Alberta The fact that Ontario's economic performance has been much stronger than the national picture and is trending in a much more positive direction can sometimes get lost Mr. Speaker in that national coverage Ontario continues to lead this country in growth and in top creation Here are the facts Mr. Speaker Since 2009 Ontario has gained 608,300 new jobs Thank you Supplementary Pleased to hear that overall of Ontario's economy continues to be on the upswing That's good news for Ontario workers and for families all across this province Many of us will be joining our municipal partners later today at the Ontario Good Roads Association conference While Ontario is excelling in job creation overall I know some regions of the province are still struggling Some parts of the province were hit harder by global recession than others and still need some support to enjoy the overall level of growth experienced province-wide as well our manufacturing sector is still transitioning to global initiatives Can the minister share with this legislator some of the measures he is taking to drive regional economic growth and growth in manufacturing Thank you minister What an important time to have a question while Ontario has led North America for two years in a row and attracting foreign direct investment we continue to lead Canada in job creation and growth The fact is though some regions of our province were hit harder by the global recession than others and some are still struggling That's why we ignored the advice of the opposition and took the advice of our local municipal partners when we established regional economic development funds We've invested $170 million through our regional economic development funds which has leveraged $1.8 billion in private sector investment and has created or supported over 41,000 jobs in eastern and southwestern Ontario The vast majority of those investments Mr. Speaker are in manufacturing In fact Mr. Speaker over the last 12 months alone 15,000 net new manufacturing jobs added to this province Mr. Speaker we're not done we have more work to do but we're going to continue to diligently invest in these programs This week is the start of the rural Ontario Municipal Association annual conference You may remember the Premier's speech in 2015 where she promised We will reform the provincial land tax We will bring forward proposals that can be implemented this year While minister it's been a year and still silence from your government Mr. Speaker my question is simple When will the minister finance table reforms that will find a meaningful solution for both municipalities and Ontarians living in unorganized territories or is this just another stretch goal Well thank you for the question I appreciate the concern because it's something we all share recognizing the impact it has on municipalities We also understand the issue with regards to unincorporated lands and unincorporated properties and regions around those respective municipalities Those consultations has been undergoing and has been proceeding and we recognize that those neighbouring municipalities want a component share of that the Premier made that commitment we are working with that and in the upcoming budget we'll have more to say Thank you Mr. Speaker Minister finance this is an issue of global leadership and a real commitment to the people of northern Ontario both unorganized territories and in municipalities because of this liberal government's cuts to the Ontario municipal partnership fund northern municipalities need financial assistance now more than ever and the minister promised to help but now he's nowhere to be found Mr. Speaker when the minister finance speaks to the rural and northern mayors at the minister's forum will he apologize for breaking yet another promise Mr. Speaker we made a commitment to actually provide $505 million in unconditional funding through the OMPF that OMPF combined with municipal benefit results from the provincial uploads totals $2.3 billion in 2016 nearly four times a level of funding provided in 2004 this is the equivalent of 13% of municipal property tax revenue in the province the member knows perfectly well that the OMPF has been revised but that supports for those communities is continuing and frankly it was a result of the uploads and the downloading of the previous governments that created a lot of havoc a lot of stress in the system we've uploaded we're providing support there's net benefits going to those municipalities much more will be said in the budget that's going to provide them with great degree of support we hope we can count on your support for them as a result thank you Mr. Speaker thank you very much Mr. Speaker my question is to the premier Mr. Speaker this government has created two worlds in Ontario there's one world where the rest of us live in and there's the other world where the liberal government and their powerful lobbyists live in like the auto insurance industry which currently enjoys record profits at the same time where Ontarians pay the highest auto insurance premiums in the entire country now the government was pushed by new democrats in 2013 to reduce auto insurance premiums by 15% the government responded and said they would complete this promise within two years well over that timeline is long gone they haven't even achieved half of that promise in response the premier said oh that was simply a stretch goal something they never intended of completing anyways question the timeline is passed the liberals have broken their promise new democrats call this stretch goal a broken promise how can Ontarians trust this government to fulfill any commitment thank you thank you Mr. Speaker I appreciate the question and I remind the member opposite that had we proceeded with the work we did on time and as scheduled some of that benefit would be had now but because of the delays and the obstructions by the member's opposite we've now had to provide for legislation that was later than expected the fact of the matter is insurance rates are going down not up and many insurance companies because it's a competitive industry have already started to provide 15% reductions in their insurance premiums furthermore Mr. Speaker it's not at a point in time that matters most it's on an ongoing basis to ensure that there's a structural change in the system to provide for lower costs of claims and better benefit for the 9.5 million drivers that exist Mr. Speaker we're doing our job we hope we can count on their support going forward thank you thank you very much Mr. Speaker let's be clear this government this liberal government, this premier have the power and the ability to reduce their insurance premiums but they won't because it's not a priority for this government the government has made it clear that they're continuing to break promise after promise but the premier likes to call those simply stretch goals promises that they make but they never intend of completing anyways in the upcoming budget Ontarians want to see some real commitments they want to see investments in healthcare they want to see commitments to ensure that we have good paying permanent jobs in this province they want to see continual slashing and cutting of our benefits they want to see investment that actually builds transit in this province but they know better than to trust this government they know that this government is going to just make more stretch goals so my question is simple Mr. Speaker what other stretch goals can we look forward to in this upcoming budget Mr. Speaker Ontario currently has and will continue to have the most generous benefits anywhere in the country the member opposite is well aware that a number of changes are being proposed in terms of making the processing claims more efficient to provide greater benefit to the victims and those that are in need and to enable more affordability and more efficiency in the system those are the proposed changes that we're making as well as antifraud measures and other things that enables the system to be less expensive we put those changes in place they delay them and now we're trying to still catch up as a result of those delays we're getting there Mr. Speaker many of these companies are competitive they are providing for lower rates and they'll continue to do so provided the member opposite doesn't obstruct them any further thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Labour I was pleased when the Minister introduced the Supporting Ontario's First Responders Act First Responders are at risk of PTSD due to the traumatic situations that they have to engage in and the accumulative effect of experiencing these traumatic events for example during a shift as a nurse in the emergency room at Cambridge Hospital a child came in with no vital signs from a car crash a police officer guided the stretcher and a paramedic and firefighter performed CPR we couldn't save him they were very upset but had to attend to other incidents that shift the same paramedics attended several other traumatic events to help them cope one paramedic was later diagnosed with PTSD she was delayed in getting WSIB hampering her recovery can the Minister please inform the House what this legislation entails and the significance it will have if passed thank you Mr. Speaker I'd like to thank the member for a question and for the interest of all members of the House in this very important topic last Thursday I introduced Ontario's First Responders Act now I know that all members in this House recognize the post-traumatic stress disorder is a very significant risk to the health and to the well-being of first responders in this province physical injuries Speaker we can spot pretty clearly psychological injuries take a lot more so if passed by the House this bill is going to create a presumption that PTSD diagnosed in first responders is a result of the workers employment their claims to the WSIB will be automatically approved after that Speaker this will provide for immediate identification of the issue immediate intervention immediate treatment for the first responders Speaker I'm very proud of this bill I hope it gets the support of the entire House thank you thank you Speaker and thank you Minister for your response I know he has worked hard to advocate for our first responders and some of them including some firefighters from my community of Cambridge came to Queens Park to show their support when the Minister announced the proposed legislation these changes if passed would make a big difference in the lives of dedicated professionals who experience traumatic events in the course of their work this legislation supports those who are already suffering from PTSD I know that this Government has emphasised a comprehensive plan that supports cultural change to overcome stigma provides the mental tools necessary to respond to events and build resiliency as well as to help prevent PTSD from occurring in the first place can the Minister please share with the House the prevention pieces of this comprehensive PTSD strategy for our first responders thank you Minister thank you Speaker that is an excellent question because it points out that we need a comprehensive strategy on this that while it's important that the bill pass that the legislation in the House pass it's also important that we have preventative legislation preventative programs in this regard so with the full support of the Premier I bought forward what I think is a comprehensive plan that addresses the legislation portion that also addresses the prevention portion for prevention initiatives we're going to have an awareness campaign you'll be hearing on the radio very soon Speaker a leadership summit the first responders want to see duplicated the success we had last year an online toolkit for all employers in this province so that you can come from the smallest municipality you have access to the same information as the City of Toronto Speaker there's more research emerging on this issue Ontario's going to stay on top of that research we're going to be a leader in this regard thank you my question is for the Premier a few days ago the province approved the WPD wind turbine project in my riding a simple gray this project will result in eight 500 foot wind turbines placed literally right next door to the Collingwood regional airport the municipalities in my riding don't want this project and I've said several times in this house the people of my riding aren't in favour of it either the municipalities have done a study that shows the turbines will hurt the local economy and future investment at the airport furthermore this project endangers pilots and public safety the towers will be the tallest structures in all of rural Ontario throughout Canada they're as tall as the TD office tower in downtown Toronto Mr. Speaker given all these points can the Premier tell us why her government is ignoring the safety of the simple gray Canada's pilots and the local municipalities in allowing this project to proceed thank you Minister of the Environment and Climate Change thank you I thank the honourable member for his question Mr. Speaker we've had this conversation a few times as he knows in this case there are three measures to consult adding well maybe they don't know this Mr. Speaker but extending our standard six Mr. Speaker I can't even hear myself never mind the opposition we thank you Mr. Speaker we had a we added to six months to the standard review over two years we considered over 350 public and agency comments and looked at the economics but Mr. Speaker I want to be very clear about this Nav Canada not on once not on two times on three times reviewed this and they set the standards for air navigation and they found no problem with it Mr. Speaker thank you the member from Prince Edward Hastings albeit late is warned but there's always time for another one supplementary business well Mr. Speaker I've heard this gibberish from the minister before he doesn't know what the heck he's talking about on this issue Nav can told me a year and a half ago the deputy minister of transportation that they didn't have any rules for this sort of situation because they didn't think any government would be stupid enough to build 8,500 foot when you have this situation can say move your towers they can't do that in Ontario and you've ignored everything you've heard about this issue and you keep hiding behind Nav Canada and Nav Canada told you don't put the towers change your runways move your runways we're expecting tens of millions thank you Minister thank you very much Mr. Speaker let's just review this carefully on January 5th 2016 Nav Canada gave their first opinion saying that the fareboat project will have minimal impact on the current or future operations of the CRA on January 7th Transport Canada said the same thing and on January 14th Nav Canada again provided their comments based on the town's analysis that this is not interfering with their requirements now Mr. Speaker we had his party in power federally and this is a federally regulated standard we appealed to the federal minister to review it she did not return my phone calls Mr. Speaker maybe the minister office had the same but this is within Nav Canada standards and guidelines it is not a provincial responsibility and finally Mr. Speaker it is not my decision it is a decision of the director of the public servant and the members suggesting I politicize it by inserting myself and illegally in the decision thank you there are no deferred votes this House stands recess until 1pm this afternoon