 Therefore, it is now time for a question period, the leader of Her Majesty's Royal Office. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. The people of Ontario will pay for this government's loss of the windstream lawsuit for years and years to come. The $28 million judgment is just the tip of the iceberg. The tribunal stated that the $5.2 billion contract is still valid and enforced. That means the Liberals have two choices. Build the project and pay out $5.2 billion or enter into settlement negotiations to try to convince windstream to take less. Either way, Ontario is on the hook for billions. Mr. Speaker, when do the Liberals plan on handing over $5.2 billion to windstream? Mr. Speaker, is this gas plant 2.0? Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from the member opposite. As I've said, we can confirm that we have been advised of the tribunal's decision. What's interesting is that the tribunal dismissed the majority of claims made against Canada and Ontario. The final award was significantly less than the damages being sought by windstream. Ontario is reviewing the decision. Officials are reviewing the decision. I understand that Canada is doing the same in order to determine next steps. It's interesting, Mr. Speaker, as I hear the heckling from the other side. I caught it. The member from Renfield will come to order. Carry on, please. Taking a cautious and a responsible approach, Mr. Speaker, to offshore wind to allow for the development of research and coordination. Particularly in the area of decommissioning requirements and noise over water, Mr. Speaker. So we're looking for evidence and research in those areas. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. Not only will we be on the hook for billions of dollars because this government had to save two liberal seats, and not only are we going to have to pay $28 million to windstream already, there's untold millions of dollars spent fighting this case. The legal cost involved with this. We know the Canadian government sent 10 representatives to the tribunal at a cost of $8 million in legal fees. Ontario sent 20 representatives to the tribunal. It's fair to assume the cost will be significantly more. So my question to the Premier. You may not want to talk about the $5.2 billion, but at least tell the legislature, tell the people of Ontario how much you've spent in legal costs, and how much taxpayer dollars have been spent fighting this windstream contract that you mistakenly committed Ontario to. Appreciate it, please. Very good. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm very happy to rise and outline to the Leader of the Opposition what truly is happening right now, and Ontario is carefully reviewing the decision. And we understand that the federal government is doing the same in order to determine next steps, Mr. Speaker. It's been less than a week that we've been advised. Not very good. Let's bring it down, please. Finish. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So Ontario has been advised of the tribunal's decision in NAFTA Chapter 11 dispute between Windstream and Canada, and the tribunal despised the majority of claims with the final $25 million being significantly less than what was originally sought, Mr. Speaker. But when it comes to dollars and wanting to know the amount, when they want us to rip up contracts, Mr. Speaker, that's billions and billions and billions of dollars, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to know what their amount is, Mr. Speaker, because they don't have... I'm seeking some assistance from members to allow me to hear the complete answer or the complete question. I may have to make a decision to move to areas that you know I don't like, but I will. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. First, it was the complete botching of the OESP and paying $9 million in consultants instead of helping low-income families pay their hydro bills. Now it's millions and millions of dollars spent to lose a lawsuit that cost us $28 million so far and likely to be significantly more down the road. Why won't the Liberals tell us how much they spent? We know the federal government spent $8 million in legal fees. We know Ontario had a much bigger delegation. I couldn't get the answer from the Minister of Energy. I'll ask the Premier again, how much did this government... how much did the Premier's government spend on legal fees trying to fight this foolish commitment that this Premier has made once again on energy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it's important to let the Leader of the Opposition know that we're still reviewing the decision and it's really too early to jump to conclusions. The member from Bruce Grio and Sound come to order and I have two others in my mind if they say it again, we'll go to you. Carry on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, you know what? We're going to let, you know, it take its course, Mr. Speaker. The member from Stormont Dundas, South Glen Gary. And because of that, we'll move to warnings. Thank you. As soon as I sit, the member from Glen Gary, Prescott Russell, is warned. Anyone else? Thank you. Finish. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, we're very proud of renewable energy on this side of the House, Mr. Speaker. Unlike the pro-coal party on that side, Mr. Speaker, we will continue to ensure that we invest and do the right thing when it comes to renewable energy in this province, Mr. Speaker. But, you know, I know the Leader of the Opposition talked about the OESP program and the OEB, Mr. Speaker. The OESP program is actually doing great work. We're actually helping 145,000 families, Mr. Speaker, with $21 million in benefits so far. And that's only in 10 months, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. No question. We're leaving the opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. The Auditor General revealed that Ontario overpaid by $9.2 billion for renewable energy contracts. That's the Auditor General being very specific, an overpayment of $9.2 billion. We also know the Ontario Liberal Party received $1.3 million in donations from 30 companies that received renewable energy contracts. So, Mr. Speaker, my question is straightforward to the Premier. And I realize it may be uncomfortable for her to answer, but why did Ontario overpay by $9.2 billion for renewable energy contracts that every single Ontario is now paying on their hydro bills? Can you see the face? The member from the European Carleton is Warren. Thank you. Premier? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I know the Minister of Energy is going to want to speak to this question. You know, Mr. Speaker, we made a decision to complete the shutdown of all of the coal-fired plants in Ontario, and we made a decision to replace that energy with clean electricity, Mr. Speaker. The electricity grid is 90% emissions free in Ontario. And I know that this side is coming from a party that wouldn't have done that, doesn't believe in it, doesn't believe in clean energy, Mr. Speaker, would take us back to coal generation, Mr. Speaker. We know that having no small days is in the best interest of every person in this province, but especially, Mr. Speaker, it's in the best interest of kids who are growing, whose lungs are growing, growing kids who might have asthma. It's an incredibly important initiative that we have taken, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is our responsibility to remove pollution from the air. We've done... Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier, I know it's the Liberal talking points to say this is about coal. It's not about coal. The Progressive Conservatives announced a phase out of coal. This is about an overpayment of $9.2 billion. This is about the Liberal Party accepting $1.3 million in donations. I'm tired of the diversions. I'm tired of the Liberal speaking points. People in Ontario are struggling and they seem oblivious to it. Mr. Speaker, $12 million to pay for high-priced consultants and ads for the OESP. Untold millions of dollars spent fighting the wind-stream lawsuit. Overpaying $9.2 billion that's on our bills now. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to Liberal energy policies, my question is this. Why is it always Liberal lawyers, Liberal consultants and friends that get rich while the people of Ontario are stuck with higher and higher hydro bills? Thank you. Premier? Do you have energy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm very pleased to rise and answer the opposition's question once again because, you know what, the leader of the opposition, it makes it very clear that they wouldn't have built any new supply, Mr. Speaker, that they would have continued to left the system crumbling, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that when we have a blackout like we did in 2003... The member from Oxford is warned and the Minister of Transportation is warned and there's a couple of others up here. Mr. Speaker, back in 2003, we didn't have enough generation. We didn't have enough capacity. So when we took over, Mr. Speaker, we had to build that capacity and we made sure, Mr. Speaker, that we built that capacity making it green. I'll play this all day. The member from Hamilton, East Stony Creek is warned. Carry on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So we're very proud that we've made a green system. We've eliminated coal, Mr. Speaker. We no longer have to send out warnings to families right across the province telling them that they don't have to go outside to breathe, Mr. Speaker. That's something that we should all be proud of. Unfortunately, this government is very proud of it. The opposition is not. We know they're the pro-coal party, Mr. Speaker, because they want to continue to find cheaper ways to make electricity. We understand that some families are struggling. We've got programs to help. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. You know, the Minister of Energy has said they're helping. They've got programs that are helping. Well, let's talk about their programs. There are still 355,000 low-income families in Ontario that have yet to receive the Ontario Electric Support Program. Stop the clock. No, no, sorry. Start the clock. The Deputy Premier is warned. The member from Kitchener Waterloo is warned. Finish, please. So, Mr. Speaker, to talk about the programs, because they spent so much on consultants rather than helping low-income families, 350,000 low-income families in Ontario that were meant to get this help aren't getting it. And then there's the 1.2 million rural families in Ontario that the Liberals have excluded from the rural or remote rate protection. What kind of help is this? The only people that I can see that are being helped by this government's foolish energy policies are Pennsylvania, or Michigan, or New York. By question to the premiers, when are you going to stop making America great and make Ontario proud? Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I know the leader of the opposition keeps quoting Donald Trump because he believes in Donald Trump's philosophy, Mr. Speaker. But on this side of the House, Mr. Speaker, we do not lump Trump's hate, Mr. Speaker. And what we've done, Mr. Speaker, is make sure that we've invested in programs like the OESP program. In 10 months, Mr. Speaker, in 10 months, 145,000 families have been helped by the OESP program. We don't believe that's enough, Mr. Speaker, so we've budgeted $225 million to get as many of them as possible onto this program. Mr. Speaker, this is a great program to ensure that every MPP actually promotes this. And I know when I was at AMO, there was opposition party mayors that were coming from their writings, and they said they didn't know about the program, Mr. Speaker. So you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to make sure that my ministry and MPP, these OESP programs again, so they can ensure that these families get on this program when they need it. I think I've made it kind of clear that I want a semblance of respect here. Thank you. No question. The leader of the third party. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Will the Premier rule out privatizing some or all of Ontario's eHealth assets? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, we've been very clear. I've been clear the Deputy Premier's been clear. The Minister of Energy has been clear. The Minister of Health has been clear. He's been clear, too. The Minister of Health has been clear. We are not selling eHealth, Mr. Speaker. We are not selling people's patients personal health information, Mr. Speaker. There have been millions of dollars that have been invested in digital medical initiatives in this province through eHealth, Mr. Speaker. And we need to understand the value of that. We need to understand how we can improve service to patients. That's what this is about. That's what the Minister of Health has asked Ed Clarke to give us advice on, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Yesterday, the Liberals said they would be valuing our digital health assets. And after valuing, leveraging them, Mr. Speaker. That's what the Liberals said yesterday in this chamber. It sounds a lot like what the Liberal Plan was for Hydro One, which the Premier called unlocking value and leveraging our assets, Mr. Speaker. How many private companies has Ed Clarke or the Government spoken to about being either a private partner in our eHealth services or purchasing our assets? So, Mr. Speaker, the leader of the third party might know that Canada Health InfoWay has estimated roughly a billion dollars in annual benefits to Ontario as a result of the investments that have been made in eHealth, Mr. Speaker, and almost six billion dollars in cumulative benefits since 2007. It's important that we undertake this review so that we can better understand the value of the digital assets and the implementation for digital health in Ontario, Mr. Speaker. The mandate of eHealth expires in 2017, Mr. Speaker. And, you know, I've mentioned in this House before that Ed Clarke also conducted important work to improve the LCBO and beer store to maximize the value of our assets, Mr. Speaker. And that's what's happened. There's been no sell-off of the LCBO, Mr. Speaker. And I know the leader of the third party is very different. But in terms of an asset that's owned by the people of Ontario, it is the same thing, Mr. Speaker. How do we make sure that we understand the value and how do we make sure that we maximize the value of that for the people of Ontario? Thank you. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, if the government wants to improve eHealth, they should improve, excuse me, eHealth. But it's not what the Premier has said. The Minister has said that it explains why they need to open or to provide the open market value to find out the open market value of our eHealth assets in order to improve it. Nothing that she has said, the Premier, nothing that the Minister has said, nothing that Ed Clarke has said tells us why they need to know this open market value. And she continues to not answer that question today, Speaker, Mr. Speaker, the Minister has been given instructions to talk to private companies about private partnerships to provide eHealth services or the private operation of parts of our eHealth system. Mr. Health and Long-Term Care. Mr. Health and Long-Term Care. Well, Mr. Speaker, we are not selling or privatizing eHealth or Ontarian's personal health records. Full stop, period. I can't understand why the leader of the third party doesn't realize the value as Canada Health Infoway has to actually look at the investments made. So with a mandate due to end at the end of 2017 with incredible opportunity in the digital health realm including in this province looking at the investments that we've made where 80% of family doctors are using electronic medical records or diagnostics are digitized we have incredible opportunity it behooves us quite frankly to have an expert like Ed Clark look at the assets look at how we can actually improve upon the system that we've created. New question, the leader of the third party. Thank you, Speaker. The answers did not make me feel very confident. My next question is also for the Premier. When the Premier decided to privatize Hydro-1 Hydro-1 was given a $2.6 billion tax holiday by the Liberals. A $2.6 billion tax holiday was given to Hydro-1 when the Liberals privatized it. Hydro-1 wants to keep the benefit of that tax holiday for its investors. New Democrats think that that tax holiday that $2.6 billion speaker should benefit Ontarians who are struggling with their hydro costs. Will the Premier ensure that this $2.6 billion tax break goes to Ontario payers and not to private investors? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I know the Minister of Finance is going to want to weigh in on this on the supplementary but, Mr. Speaker, let me just say this, that the leader of the third party does not support the investments that we are making in infrastructure roads, bridges, transit as a result of the decisions that we have made, Mr. Speaker, including the broadening of the ownership of Hydro-1 she doesn't support those investments she doesn't support, I suppose by extension, the economic growth that we are seeing in this province as a result of those investments, Mr. Speaker Ontario is one of the leaders in the country in terms of economic growth Mr. Speaker, we're outstripping other provinces other states OEC North American jurisdictions and G7 countries. So Mr. Speaker the growth that we are seeing as a result of the plan that we are implementing including investment in infrastructure is not something that the leader of the third party supports, Mr. Speaker, but she should Thank you Mr. Speaker, nobody believes what this Premier says at the best of times and they're certainly not going to believe that but what they want to hear Mr. Speaker, that's what I'm asking this Premier to come clean about with the people of this province Hydro-1's annual report says that keeping this $2.6 billion tax gift will and I quote result in net cash savings over the next five years due to the reduction of cash taxes payable by Hydro-1 end quote they warn their shareholders in their annual report in the same report that the OEB could actually force them to ensure that the benefit of this $2.6 billion actually goes to rate payers instead of private for-profit shareholders so the question is is the Premier going to stand with Hydro-1's private investors or are they going to stand with the people of Ontario Thank you Minister of Finance Thank you Well thank you Mr. Speaker and I appreciate the question and the references made as to how we were able to facilitate greater value for a corporation owned by the province and the people of Ontario which we still retain by the way at this point and we will continue to always be the largest shareholder benefiting from those endeavors furthermore the exemptions that were put in place were in lieu of taxes which are still then going to be benefited to the province so the member opposite makes reference to the transaction that enabled us to at the same time with the OEB independently will continue to foster and look at those rates which by the way was zero increases this time around recognizing the tremendous opportunities that Hydro-1 and others have been able to be more efficient in their systems and of course that will also benefit rate payers in the end and all of Ontario Thank you The Liberal privatization speaker of Hydro-1 is definitely getting this $2.6 billion tax break the Minister of Finance just acknowledged that the OEB is absolutely going to decide whether that benefits Ontarians or whether that is going to benefit private investors the government can issue a directive today in fact I'm asking the government straight up today to commit to putting a directive forward to the OEB that the savings of Hydro-1 that they're getting for that tax break that $2.6 billion is actually directed to the benefit of Ontario rate payers and not to the benefit of private investors will they make that commitment to the people? So Mr. Speaker the transaction that ensued as a result of that very exemption all of it is going to the benefit of infrastructure and investments to be made by the province of Ontario it's going directly into the Trillium Trust for the benefit of all Ontarians and the people of Ontario the member opposite should know that and if she doesn't she should see how the transaction transacted occurred so that we could reinvest those proceeds in other activities and other projects again something that the member opposite in that party has no plan to ensue and we will Mr. Speaker reinvest those monies dollar for dollar for the purposes of making greater assets for the province of Ontario New question the member from Leeds Grendel My question is to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport Speaker a so called regionalization scheme to slash Ontario Trillium Foundation's catchment areas from 16 to just 5 continues already Trillium is allowing its 16 grant review teams to wither away these volunteers are the programs heart and soul who truly understand their communities the minister should know that her ministry's memorandum of understanding with Trillium requires those teams to have at least 18 members but according to the agency's website only Toronto now has the minimum the average of the others is just 9. Speaker will the minister tell Trillium to stop downsizing by stealth and uphold its agreement by acting to fill those vacancies Mr. Speaker thank you and I want to thank the Honourable member for his question the reason I want to thank him is because I know that he knows as I do that Trillium remains one of the most important mechanisms in our country for funding the not for profit sector and for building capacity in organizations right across our province that's why speaker on this side of the house we're investing in the Trillium Foundation we've held the funding steady and in fact speaker I'm proud to say that next year with our 150th anniversary on the horizon we're investing even more in programs and projects we're investing in the Trillium Foundation speaker about his ideas on how we can make a more robust infrastructure I'm happy to listen to them we can have that conversation we remain committed to Trillium we're filling those vacancies of pace speaker in our local communities and those local grant teams and I look forward to the supplementary thank you Mr. Speaker back to the minister speaker I raised this with the previous minister and he was obviously surprised by what was going on and his full steam ahead under this minister's watch our review teams are being starved of volunteers critical to ensuring granting decisions have the most local impact multiple catchment areas have no local staff to help volunteer groups navigate the application process so if the minister doesn't believe me that this is wrong I ask her to talk to frontline staff they know their hands on work with agencies cannot be replaced by a 1-800 number Trillium wants this plan finalized but it can't happen unless this minister signs off will the minister commit to maintaining Trillium's local roots by pledging not to sign a new MOU with fewer than 16 catchment areas you know speaker the only thing again I'm happy to take the membered opposites question the only thing that surprises me people on this side of the house is that the honourable member would ask that kind of question and he knows full well that this government has been committed to the Ontario Trillium Foundation four years and will continue to do so that commitment remains strong speaker and our local grant teams are critically important as the honourable member knows why because they give us the kind of local advice that helps us and helps them to make the critical investment decisions that further the work of our of our non-for-profit sector finally speaker I just want to tell the house that as a former Trillium funded organization and a leader of a non-for-profit organization the Trillium Foundation I, my ministry, our entire government are committed to see those local teams remaining strong and in place so that we can continue to fund a robust non-for-profit sector that's what we're doing on this side of the house speaker thank you very much can you see it please can you see it please thank you new question the member from Nickelodeon thank you Mr. President my question is for the premier for knee surgery you should be able to look at the official government wait time for surgery website and trust that what is written there is actually accurate but the good people in London and across western Ontario know that they can't trust those numbers they are waiting months longer than the government will admit or publish for the surgeries that they need in fact local surgeons say that the real time for hip and knee surgery in London are twice as long as what the ministry published data online states why does the premier think that it is right to publish surgical wait time that are not accurate Minister of Health I know that the member opposite is talking about there are different aspects obviously once a decision has been made to refer to a specialist and that individual may or may not require surgery at the end of that visit with a specialist and then there is a separate period of time if the decision by the specialist by that frontline clinician is made that surgery is warranted then there is a period of time obviously that ensues prior to that operation taking place so it is important for all of us I think to recognize that it is largely at the discretion of the frontline clinician and specialist to determine the level of priority for both of those situations so we are working closely with the frontline providers but we are also investing incredible amounts of money $2 billion only on wait times to bring them down to be able to provide more hip and knee surgeries and other types of surgeries we have invested in the last decade approximately more than roughly $2 billion thank you I know exactly how the wait time is calculated in Ontario and so do the surgeons in London and the what you have on your website is not accurate in northern Ontario or throughout Ontario people should not have to wait 200, 300, 400 days for the surgery it just should not be happening but in London after the surgeon says that yes you need a hip and knee surgery after the clock start ticking for this website wait time the government says you will wait 7 months but every surgeon in London knows that it will be at least 11 months before you will get your hip or knee surgery will the premier stop publishing inaccurate wait time and even more importantly make sure that the people get access to surgery in a timely manner well I know the member opposite understands the difference that I described earlier between wait ones and wait twos and it's critically important that we reduce both of those waiting periods and we're doing that but I have to recall from the Fraser Institute and I think if the Fraser Institute is saying this we not only need to be surprised but I think we can appreciate with confidence what they're saying they've given us straight A's in their wait time alliance report card in five key service areas including hip replacement surgery knee replacement surgery, cataract procedures cancer radiation and coronary artery bypass graft. Is there more work to be done? Of course there is. Are we looking at wait times including their measurement? Yes we are. I need to remind that party as well as the PC party that neither party measured any waits at all when they were in government. We're doing it we're at the top of the list in terms of the shortest wait times in this country and we're continuing to improve Mr. Speaker. Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation on Tuesday the Minister was in Ottawa for a very important event marking an historic moment for Canada, the province of Ontario and the Algonquins of Ontario now we've heard that unlike many First Nations the Algonquins of Ontario never entered into a formal treaty with the Crown with a claim dating back 250 years the Algonquins land claim is one of the largest and most complex in Ontario Speaker could the Minister please elaborate on the significance of the event that took place on Tuesday Thank you Minister Yes thank you Speaker it was a truly significant event the signing of a historic agreement and principle between the federal and provincial governments and the Algonquins of Ontario it marked the start of a new treaty relationship working together in the spirit of reconciliation to resolve a very long standing land claim that covers an area of 36,000 kilometers, square kilometers in eastern Ontario more than a million people share this land with the Algonquins of Ontario the historic treaty will provide balance for the rights and interests of all concerned and allow long overdue reconciliation to provide economic opportunities by creating an environment of true partnership with all. Thank you Speaker Thank you Thank you Speaker and I'd like to thank the Minister for his response it's very encouraging to see that the government has worked very hard in partnership with the Algonquins of Ontario and the federal government to reach this very significant milestone and might I add that we are pleased now that we have a federal party a federal partner in Ottawa that cares about indigenous issues and has actually come to the table land claim and treaty negotiations give us the opportunity to resolve long standing disputes concerning land in a balanced way that respects the rights of indigenous peoples it's a remarkable example of reconciliation in action Speaker could the Minister please tell us what Ontarians should expect from this historic agreement in principle Thank you Minister Yes thank you Speaker let me highlight some of the key components to the Algonquin agreement in principle the agreement was first shaped by consultation with 10 Algonquin Algonquin Ontario communities and other indigenous groups the agreement sets out the main elements of a settlement including the Algonquins of Ontario to receive capital funding from Canada and from Ontario and the transfer of provincial crown land to the Algonquins importantly no privately owned land will be taken away from anyone to settle the claim and no one will lose access to their private property importantly very importantly Algonquin park will remain a park for the enjoyment of all Speaker and to members of this chamber I can tell you that the negotiating parties took great care to craft this agreement Thank you Speaker Member from the State of Please Thank you New question the member from Simcoe Great Thank you for my questions for the Minister of Health Recently Mr. Robbie Ross of Collingwood wrote to me to say that he requires knee replacement surgery Mr. Ross met with his orthopedic surgeon at the Collingwood General Marine Hospital who told him recently that the joint surgery budget is used up for this fiscal year which is now on a waiting list and the fiscal year for the surgery budget doesn't start again until April 2017 and Mr. Ross has no idea how long he'll be on that waiting list Mr. Ross is frustrated and his surgeon is too this type of situation is unacceptable Mr. Speaker it signifies how the government's wasteful spending, mismanagement and scandal has harmed our healthcare sector and we warned you Minister and Premier Speaker what does this Minister have to say to Mr. Ross to the many other residents in my riding who have similar stories Minister of Health long term care Well Mr. Speaker I would say to Mr. Ross that it's important that he work with his local primary care provider with his specialist there are some specialists Mr. Speaker that have longer wait times than others the Linn is in a position and often does with individual patients Mr. Speaker works with them to find perhaps a specialist, a surgeon a hospital, a nearby that has a shorter wait time but it's also the responsibility of that specialist to prioritize and so those that truly most urgently do require that hip or knee replacement or cataract surgery it's completely within the realm of that hospital completely within the realm of that specialist to actually put that person at the top of the list Mr. Speaker so we need to make sure that triage we need to as a province invest as we are $2 billion just to reduce wait times for important procedures that's what's got us to the top of the list in Canada for the shortest wait times across the board Mr. Speaker Well clearly Mr. Speaker the government is going to have to do better we're only half way through the fiscal year and hospital after hospital surgeon after surgeon has run out of money you blamed us for not voting for your budget well your budget passed and made things worse so thank God we didn't vote for it Lisa Henderley is a 46 year old Boussaga Beach resident who needs hip surgery but like Mr. Ross she's been told that there's no money left for her procedure and so she has to wait until at least April 2017 Ms. Henderley says she's in pain she says it's hard for her to work and do physical activities with her children and Mr. Speaker Mrs. Henderley has a question for the minister and it's this if the minister's wife or mother needed to have surgery but there was no more funding left for them and they had to wait a year or longer question and he saw them in such pain on a daily basis would the minister find this acceptable thank you Mr. Speaker well thank God Mr. Speaker that Mrs. Henderson and her family that they didn't need that hip surgery 15 years ago when that government was in power because it would have taken her twice as long we've reduced the length of time to wait for hip surgery by 50% since we came into government and in fact 86% of Ontarians receive a knee or hip replacement within 6 months in this province and that's 7% better than the national average and it's better than almost every jurisdiction around this world they voted against additional investments to further reduce those wait times and when we came into government they didn't even measure it when we started measuring wait times they left the worst wait times in this country we fixed it we're continuing to do the job no thanks to you a reminder that you're a speak to the chair new question the member from Parkdale High Park thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Premier this week we learned that the here Ontario LRT is going to be run by a private company it will not be run by any public transit agency the NDP strongly supports LRT project but we strongly oppose the government's aggressive push into privatized transit privatized transit is more expensive and since this government refuses to provide funding for local transit operations we know that Mississauga riders will pay much higher fares will the Premier keep Mississauga public transit public by removing maintenance and operations from the scope of the here Ontario LRT contract thank you Minister of Transportation thank you very much Speaker I do thank the member opposite for the question about the project a project in Peel region that will help transform not only Mississauga and Southern Brampton but the entire greater Toronto and Hamilton area as it relates to building the seamless and integrated transit network that we are committed to build Speaker I can tell you just a couple of days ago I was very proud to be in Mississauga at Mississauga City Hall alongside my colleague the member from Mississauga Cooksville the minister responsible for seniors in the neighborhood of a couple of hundred residents who are there for an open house on this particular project Speaker this is most members in the house will know is a project this LRT line along here Ontario that will have 22 stops including 3 stops within downtown Mississauga Speaker it will connect into some of our go corridors that will connect and support the municipal aspirations and as per usual on the transit file the leader of Ontario's NDP and that particular member of the House Speaker Miss Ghia Thanks Thank you Thank you Speaker again back to the premier the auditor general found that Ontario's public private partnerships cost 8 billion dollars above base costs this is equivalent to a 30% cost overrun on every single P3 project most of this extra money went to the banks P3s take longer to build as well the TTC has a centuries worth of experience with surface rail transit and could get the Ontario LRT running in 4 years but the government will waste an extra 2 years just to package this into an investment vehicle for private finance years will the premier save time and hundreds of millions of dollars including this public transit project public Thanks very much Thanks very much Speaker I don't think members in this legislature need to take my word for exactly how transformational the Ontario LRT will be Speaker in today's Toronto Star Speaker there was a wonderful article entitled 15 years to mid-rise Manhattan it is all about the renaissance that Mississauga is going through Speaker on today's Toronto Star highlight specifically that this government's LRT project along here Ontario will help with a $56 million investment and a brand new Mississauga research and development facility Speaker it will lead to along the LRT corridor a planned 166 acre urban farm including historic farm buildings and about 33 acres of mid-rise residential development including street level cafes, restaurants, boutiques and restaurants. The article goes on to deliver so much more good news because we're investing in Mississauga because we're investing in this LRT we're getting it right the question is thank you I'd like to remind the member that when I stand you sit I found that inappropriate dismissive thank you new question member from Kingston in the audience I need you to you in the comments you a few weeks ago you told us about the ambition of Health, you announced free shingles vaccinations for seniors aged 65 to 70, providing peace of mind and financial relief to 850,000 seniors. But even with these important investments, it is still vital to support basic accessibility projects that help seniors continue living in their communities. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Seniors Affairs please inform the House what support the Ontario seniors secretariat is providing communities in order to meet the needs of their seniors? Thank you, Speaker, and I'd like to start by thanking the hardworking member from Kingston and the Islands for her question. Mr. Speaker, I'm delighted to update the House and let them know that since becoming the minister responsible for seniors, I've toured the province to learn firsthand how our seniors are benefiting from the programs that this province has created specifically for seniors. One area that I do want to focus on today, Mr. Speaker, is the idea of age-friendly communities. As Ontario ages, the one thing Ontarians are telling us is they want to live on their own for as long as they can. And that is why, Mr. Speaker, we are funding 56 communities across Ontario to help them become more age-friendly. Thanks to this program, communities from Antpire to Wawa will now have the tools and knowledge to make their communities easier places for seniors to live in. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Minister for her answer. I'm pleased to hear that this government is making investments that help seniors who want to stay in their communities. And I'm proud to be part of a caucus that recognizes the valuable contributions that seniors make to Ontario. As our population ages, it is vital that we make these investments today in order to accommodate the needs of tomorrow. And by sharing experience and guidance with local communities, we eliminate messy or ineffective guesswork. I am, however, still very interested to hear how the senior secretariat helps communities prepare for the future needs of seniors. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please inform the House about the specific supports that are offered to communities who are working to become age-friendly? Thank you, Minister. I thank the member for her very important question. And I'm happy to speak more specifically as to what we are doing around age-friendly communities. In 2013, as you may know, we released the Age-Friendly Community Planning Guide, which offers age-friendly planners a great deal of resources. In 2014, we launched the Age-Friendly Community Planning Grant, which provides $1.5 million to 56 communities across Ontario. Let me give you some examples of the communities we are funding. As my neighbour, the MPP, for Ottawa Orleans, just reminded me, the City of Ottawa has received funding to help develop a plan to install automatic doors in city buildings and add ventures to parks and roadways. In Hamilton, this programme has improved accessibility to retail centres and raised awareness about services for seniors. So Mr. Speaker, here are some examples of how we are making Ontario age-friendly one city at a time. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Any questions? My question is to the Minister of Health. Ottawa resident Lisa Garland has three beautiful children and two of them have cancer. If that's not horrific and stressful enough, Lisa tells me that the injections alone cost $3,000 a month. The anti-vomiting drugs cost over $800 a month. And that's not all. Special food, taking time off work and parking at the hospital, added up for Lee Centre family. They were forced to fundraise, which is why I think Ontario needs a compassionate and catastrophic care plan for our patients in exceptional circumstances like Lisa Garland's family. Minister, a top priority for all Ontarians is healthcare. I just want you to be part of this plan, and I'm hoping that you agree with me that Lisa's family shouldn't be fundraising for her children with cancer. Thank you. Minister of Health, long-term care. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question. I do agree with you that there are families, regrettably often it's too common families that are facing catastrophic situations, particularly when they involve children. They're difficult, I think, for all of us to imagine just how challenging that can be for a family to cope with and manage. We do in the provinces, the member opposite does know, we do have a catastrophic drug program that does provide support to families, including families with children, for a variety of medical drug challenges that they might face. It is an important program which has provided, I think, together with other programs offered by the province. It does provide a degree of support, which is reassuring to a lot of families that do find themselves regrettably and unfortunately in that extremely challenging and difficult situation. Thank you. I appreciate the words from the Minister, but I think that we could be doing more because more and more people are maxing out their credit cards. They're setting up GoFundMe campaigns or they're doing other fundraising events. Others rely on the generosity of drug companies. Brian Monti and his wife Erica also live near Ottawa. His wife has multiple melanoma and incurable cancer from blood plasma. She's undergone a stem cell transplant and was prescribed Revlim and it has kept her alive for three years. Private medical insurance covers up to $100,000 a year, but that runs out by September, leaving $36,000 that they're left at the mercy of the drug company for the rest of the year. This year, that's changed and Brian is afraid his wife might die without the drug and that is why Ontario needs a compassionate and catastrophic care plan. She's only alive at the mercy of a drug company. Question? Will the Minister take the lead on this today and will you support my motion for compassionate and catastrophic care plan for the province of Ontario? Thank you. So I appreciate the clarification at the end because this is actually about the member's private members bill or motion this afternoon which I think I do understand that it actually goes quite beyond what we've been discussing at least in the first aspect that talks about creating a fund to fund experimental treatment for individuals and I think Ontarians appreciate the fact that we do have Trillium which does provide support for individuals and families that do find themselves in catastrophic or extremely challenging financially challenging situations but we also fund and 96% of the applicants that come forward many many thousands who do fund treatments for them and procedures for them that may not be available in this province. I know the private members bill that the member opposite reference at the very end actually speaks largely about a different fund which is to fund experimental treatment we need to make sure that our funding is focused on focus on evidence best clinical practice and guided quite frankly by the specialist that should be making this decision in the first place. Thank you. Thank you. My question is to the Premier. Last month I began collecting hydro bills from my constituents to show the Premier what the reality is for hydro users in Ontario. Families in my community are at a breaking point and I have got over 100 bills sitting here on my desk to prove it. While dropping their bills off I've heard from families and seniors in Oshawa that set alarms to do their laundry in the middle of the night and lower their food budget just to keep the lights on. This is the reality in my community. Will the Premier offer real solutions to hydro users in Oshawa or should we just continue living in the dark. Premier. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker and I'm very pleased to rise and answer the question from the member of the opposition. It is important for us as a party to ensure that we do put programs in place to help families like those in Oshawa, like those in all parts of the province Mr. Speaker and that's why yesterday I was so pleased to see that our bill that helping families with the 8% reduction pass through this house unanimously Mr. Speaker I think that's very important. We also have the OESP program which I know Mr. Speaker helps families save up to $45 a month and in some cases if they qualify Mr. Speaker if they have a medical condition that they need to use equipment for they can get up to $75 a month and some other good news that's going to help families Mr. Speaker is yesterday the Ontario Energy Board has announced that residential and small business electricity prices will not increase Mr. Speaker for the next six month period. So we've got the OEB as a quasi-judicial organization you know making sure that they're protecting Ontario rate payers as well Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. Thank you Mr. Speaker and back to the Premier. Under the Liberal government hydro bills have nearly quadrupled since 2003 and it's Ontarians that have been forced to pay for Liberal mismanagement and mistakes. While dropping a hydro bill off at my office a constituent named Jeff told me that his plan for the winter is to turn his thermostat down to 62 degrees and rely on a heavy house coat and warm slippers. Again this is the reality in my community. Will the Premier commit to lowering hydro rates in Ontario or should my constituents just keep turning the thermostat down instead. Thank you Mr. Speaker again thanks for the supplementary question and I think the important thing that we can tell all of our constituents is as of January 1st rates will be going down in this province by 8% Mr. Speaker that's something that I know this government is very proud of Mr. Speaker because we recognize Mr. Speaker that some folks are having a difficult time when it comes to paying their electricity bills. We understand that Mr. Speaker and that's why we acted. We had to do all the heavy lifting Mr. Speaker to ensure that we have a clean safe reliable system and we've done that Mr. Speaker. We've got the OESP program. Thank you Mr. Speaker so to ensure that they have the OESP program there's the LEAP program in place Mr. Speaker and as I mentioned we've also eliminated the debt retirement charge and we're also making sure that come January 1st that they will actually have an 8% reduction on their bills Mr. Speaker. We're doing a lot to help families right across the province. New question for the member of the model itself. Thank you very much Speaker. My question is for the Mr. Transportation. We all know that school buses carry a precious cargo and when a parent or a care giver ways goodbye to a child stepping under a school bus they want to know that their child will have a safe ride to and from school. Ontario is known for the safety of its roads and I know the minister reminds us of the safety of its roads and safety of its houses often that are roads are among the safest in Ontario. Speaker we all know when it comes to safety of our children on tears the net an extra sense of security that safety is our top priority. Speaker with the minister please let the members of this House know what our government is doing to ensure the safety of children on school buses. Not only on not only today but for years to come. Thank you minister transportation. Thanks very much Mr. Speaker. I think the member of model of south for the question of course. Speaker this is a school bus safety week. It is a school bus safety week that is not going to be a year round. But it is particularly at the forefront of my mind this week as it is school bus safety week. The member from Ottawa south is absolutely correct parents and all caregivers. Deserve the extra assurance. That at the end of the day a school day their child will return home safe and sound that's why I'm proud to say. That school bus transportation is the safest form of transport. For school children in Ontario according to research by the Department of Health. I'm proud to say that the school bus is 16 times safer than traveling in a regular motor vehicle based on the number of passengers and kilometers traveled speaker we'll continue to work diligently on this file because our government is committed to continually improving the school bus safety. And we want to ensure all families that safety will always be a top priority for our government. Thank you. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you Mr. Speaker and I want to thank the minister for the answer to the question. Our government and our schools but also when they're on the road to get there. Transporting over 800,000 students a day is a huge safety responsibility and I know that families in my community and communities across Ontario will be reassured by the safety record of school buses in this province. It is especially critical for all of us to have the opportunity to talk about the importance of public awareness in ensuring the safety at the success of safety campaigns like school bus safety week. Mr. Speaker would the minister please be able to provide members of this house with any additional information on the importance of school bus safety week. Thank you minister. Thanks very much speaker again. I thank the member from Ottawa South for the follow up question. I want to start off by saying that I'm extremely pleased as always to work alongside many of our ongoing safety partners in all aspects of road user safety speaker and these campaigns, the campaigns that our partners are responsible for developing and delivering alongside MTO are critical drivers with respect to raising public awareness about road safety and issues specifically around school bus safety speaker school bus safety week sees such success stories because there are organizations in the province of Ontario that care as much about the safety of our roads as we do speaker. This is another great example of how we can make Ontario stronger by working together. So speaker it's my privilege to say to the member from Ottawa South and of course to all of our road safety partners how grateful we at MTO are for their extraordinary work and I look forward to having the chance to work alongside them for many years to come. Thanks very much speaker. Thank you and the question from Oxford. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Premier I've heard from hundreds of people about the hardships caused by their hydro bills. They've told me their stories and wanted me to ask the Premier for her response. One pensioner said he has to work two part time jobs just to make ends meet because of the hydro increases. His wife is on disability. He has said he wants to stay in his own home and not before to move at his age. But the price of hydro is making this harder and harder. The government assistant programs aren't solving the problem. What does the Premier have to say to this pensioner working two jobs just to pay his hydro bill? Thank you Mr. Speaker and I thank the Honourable Member for the question and it is very important for us on this side of the house to ensure that all families, all seniors know the programs that are available and one of the important things that we do have to do is to make sure that the government and one of the important things that we do have Mr. Speaker is the OESP program and I know I talk about it often but the one section of the OESP program gives seniors up to $75 a month Mr. Speaker. I hope that the senior has contacted his local LDC to find out what he qualifies for Mr. Speaker because that $75 I know can go a long way when you put that on top of the things that we've already done Mr. Speaker to help making sure that we've eliminated retirement charge which is a $70 a year piece Mr. Speaker as well on top of the 8% that he will see on his bills Mr. Speaker come January 1st so we recognize that some families and some seniors are having a hard time with those bills Mr. Speaker and that's why we acted and we're very proud that that bill passed yesterday Mr. Speaker. Well Mr. Speaker if the Premier cares I think my constituents would like to hear her response the rebate and assistant programs that the Minister speaks about are not enough another story I receive comes from a senior who lives on a fixed income in a mobile home that is 12 by 60 feet since 2010 her hydro rates have increased by 150% after paying for hydro each month she only has $57 left to cover the cost of food soon she will have to make difficult choices between eating and paying for her prescription drugs what does the Premier have to say to this senior who is choosing between paying for hydro or basic necessity and I'd like to hear that Mr. Speaker from the Premier Minister thank you Mr. Speaker and I do again acknowledge that you know the question from the Honourable Member and the importance of making sure that there are programs in place to help families and to help individuals Mr. Speaker with their electricity bills we have done a lot of the heavy lifting Mr. Speaker we have invested in making sure that we can have a clean, safe reliable system Mr. Speaker I've talked about the OESP program Mr. Speaker you know what in his writing Mr. Speaker I hope he's talking about the OESP program and also talking about the Ontario energy and property tax credit that these families and individuals can apply for Mr. Speaker if they need help Mr. Speaker right away in an emergency situation we have the OESP program conservation Mr. Speaker helps them reduce our bills and helps the overall supply Mr. Speaker it's a very important program and something very key for families to be part of Mr. Speaker we have many programs that are in place 8% coming January 1st Mr. Speaker Thank you For soon with the standing order 38A the member for Leeds Grenville has given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to his question given by the Minister of Culture and Sport this matter will be debated next Tuesday at 6pm there are the point of order from the member from Ottawa Mr. Speaker I'd like to correct my record I believe in my initial question I said we have the safest roads in Ontario what I meant to say was the safest roads in North America Thank you Thank you It is a point of order and all members are free to correct their own record there are no deferred votes for this matter and I think it is a point of order and I believe it is a point of order for the members of the board to correct their own question given by the Minister of Culture and Sport and the member for Leeds Grenville Mr. Speaker I would like to correct my initial question given by the Minister of Culture and Sport and all members of the board to correct their own record and all members of the board to correct