 It's now time for a question period. The member from— Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Premier, in a letter dated August 15, your health minister told 12-year-old Maddie Vanstone that the province will not fund the medication Kaleidiko solely due to its high cost. In other words, you and your government callously sent this young lady home to suffer with cystic fibrosis. Premier, disregard for the well-being of Maddie is simply wrong. Your government is willing to squander billions when it comes to gas plant cancellations, orange and e-health, but no money for a sick child. For seven months, Maddie's classmates, teachers and family and friends, many of whom are here today, have helped Maddie pay for this medication out of pocket. Thanks to these people, she is now symptom-free. This afternoon, I'll be presenting petitions that they have collected on Maddie's behalf. Premier, is this the Ontario we can expect from your Liberal government? We're 12 years old and have to fundraise to keep their friend alive. Thank you, Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I was very pleased to meet with Maddie and her mom, Beth, this morning, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care and I had an opportunity to sit down with her in my office. I just want to commend her for her courage and for her very articulate expression of her situation. The decision on funding drugs, Mr. Speaker, as you will know, is one that has a process. The Pan-Canadian Alliance, Mr. Speaker, is negotiating, but, Mr. Speaker, we have been obviously pushing behind the scenes. We want to fund Kaleidiko. There is no question that the government wants to fund Kaleidiko, Mr. Speaker, but we are part of a creating process, Mr. Speaker, so that children like Maddie and people like Maddie across the country will have access to this drug, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. I have more to say in the supplementary. Supplementary? Remember the supplementary, Asha. Mr. Speaker, Premier, you know the facts. You know that Kaleidiko is the only medication available that treats the underlying causes of Maddie's cystic fibrosis. It allows her to breathe, to play with her friends, to go to school in short, to have a life. Yet you continue to deny Maddie funding for Kaleidiko solely on the basis of costs and keep hiding behind this Pan-Canadian Alliance. Minister, how much is too much to save a child's life? Will you commit today to funding Kaleidiko for Maddie? Thank you. Premier? Speaker, and of course we don't put a price on a human being's life, Mr. Speaker. So as the member opposite knows, and as Maddie and her mom, Beth and the minister and I talked about this morning, the negotiations are being led by Alberta. Alberta has made three proposals to the manufacturer and they have rejected each one, Mr. Speaker. We need Vertex, which is the company, to step up and be a partner in these negotiations because, Mr. Speaker, we need this drug, we need this drug to be available to children and people across the country, Mr. Speaker. So it is not responsible for Ontario to undermine other provinces. We are going to do everything in our power to expedite this process. That's the conversation we had with Maddie and her mom this morning, and we are going to push very hard and make it very clear that it is inappropriate that Vertex would not engage in this process in a very responsible way. So we are going to push on that, Mr. Speaker and work to expedite this as quickly as possible. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, my question is also to the Premier. Premier, Maddie's classmates are also from my riding and I agree with my colleagues. Your single cold concern seems to be the cost to the system. In fact, you said it in a letter. The drug is too expensive. But I want to ask you, have you ever thought of the cost to the system if you don't fund this life-changing medication? Days and days stretching into months in ICU, a lung transplant at some later date when a donor becomes available and the recovery that goes with that, thousands and thousands of dollars will be spent. Maddie needs this medication now. Premier, there are very few people who have the power to make a life-saving change for someone else. This is a life-saver for Maddie and a defining moment for you. Are you ready to commit to funding? Thank you. Before we start, I've been hearing some very, very quiet people during the question and I hope to hear the answer as well in the same respect. Premier. Thank you very much. Middle sex will now come to order. Carry on. Very much, Mr. Speaker. I and the Minister of Health made it extremely clear to Maddie and to her mom this morning that we want to fund this drug, that we want this drug to be available to her and to all of the children across this province, across this country, Mr. Speaker. And so we are going to push, Mr. Speaker. We are going to push the company. But very clear that this process needs to be expedited, Mr. Speaker. What we know is that the way that the research was funded for this drug was funded through charitable dollars, Mr. Speaker. And so we believe that it is inappropriate for the process to have to drag on. We are going to push to expedite the process. That is what we said to Maddie and we will keep her and her family in the loop. I think it is commendable that the community is taking such an interest in this and we are going to do everything in our power to make it move more quickly. Thank you. New question. Member from Pittsburgh, Hastings. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question this morning is for the Premier. Premier, last week, disturbing and disgusting comments made by the Minister of Culture were brought to light. Just prior to the Thornhill by-elections, the Minister made comments trying to pit Ontario's Jewish community against Ontario's Chinese community for political gain, trying to pit communities against one another. Premier, is this the kind of behaviour that you have led your ministers to believe is acceptable? Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. There is not a member in this House who is more committed to inclusion and pluralism and multiculturalism than the Minister of Tourism. It is my understanding that the Minister has offered an apology last week to the members of the Jewish community if there was a fence taken, Mr. Speaker. The Minister is an unwavering supporter of multiculturalism in this province. What he believes, Mr. Speaker, and what we believe is that every community should be treated equally, Mr. Speaker, and everyone in this community, in this society, should be treated with respect and with fairness. That is what he believes. That is what guides his behaviour, Mr. Speaker. It's what has guided his public and his private life, Mr. Speaker. Do you have a question? The supplementary, sorry. Mr. Speaker, those comments were out there for three weeks. I believe that the Minister of Culture stood behind those comments because he got caught, Mr. Speaker. In his comments, the Minister played some of the worst stereotypes applied to the Jewish community. He did all this while trying to persuade members of Ontario's Chinese-Canadian community to send a message along ethical political lines. This old Chicago style ethnic politics doesn't have a place in Ontario. If you don't fire the Minister, you're condoning his behaviour. Show some character, make the Minister answer for his actions and then demand his resignation, Premier. Thank you, Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I'm sorry, but coming from a member of a party that intentionally works to divide people, Mr. Speaker, I really... When I stand, you're all out of order when you keep talking. Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that the Minister commended Stephen Harper for supporting non-cultural communities and simply suggested that that support be broadened to support all communities. That is our position, Mr. Speaker. The member from Renfrew, Nipissing Pembroke will come to order. The member from Oxford will come to order. Carry on, please. We're finished. That this Minister knows better certainly than I do the importance of a diverse society that includes and supports all communities, Mr. Speaker. That is what motivates him and that is what motivates us. The member from Glen Gary Prescott the member from Glen Gary Prescott Russell will come to order. I have these in my mind, I remember, but it takes so long to get attention. The member from Dufferin Callaghan will come to order. The member from Leeds-Grenville will come to order. Don't point at anybody. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. My riding of Thornhill is in the same area as that of the Minister. It is one of the most diverse areas in Ontario. I got that. The stop the clock. The member has to direct the question to the member that it was placed to in the supplementary. Carry on, please. Please read her. Sorry. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. My riding of Thornhill is in the same area as that of the Minister in question. It is one of the most diverse areas in Ontario including in the diversity of our significant numbers of Chinese and Jewish residents. As a member of the Jewish community in Thornhill I was proud to put my name on the ballot and be elected to represent all of you can, of course imagine my disappointment to hear of the Minister's hurtful comments about the Jewish community in the Chinese media. Comments that are obviously in direct contrast to the Ministry his task with promoting. Mr. Speaker is the Minister prepared to resign immediately and seek training to better enable him to represent all. Thank you. Sorry, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Thank you very much for the question and I'm not resigning. Speaker, along with all experience, I take pride in our repetition as an equal, inclusive and multicultural society. In fact, Speaker, this is why I chose to immigrate to Canada. To recognize the important contributions made by all our cultural communities including Filipino, Salvation and Chinese-Canadian. Speaker, it is important to extend support eagerly to all cultural communities in our great province. We are fortunate to have so many of them in Ontario. It is what makes Ontarians so unique. Thank you, Speaker. Can you see it please? New question. The member from Toronto, Danforth. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the Premier. Does the Premier think that private energy traders should be allowed to siphon off profits and leave Ontarians paying the bills? We have a mixed system in Ontario. We have public companies participating. We have private companies participating in the energy sector. The investment that the private sector has made in Ontario is in the multi-billions of dollars the energy system spends roughly $18 to $20 billion per year. It is an enormous operation. There is unbelievable expertise and experience in the private sector. We are in partnership with the private sector in operating the system. I am waiting for the supplementary because I have some questions for that member. I look forward to answers, Speaker. It would be novel. It would be welcome. Ever since Ontario's private energy experiment began Ontario has been the wild west for privatized energy trading. The regulator says there are presently no market rules aimed at market gaming. And in not having such a rule the Ontario market stands alone. And the regulator says it's unrealistic to expect that private energy traders aren't exploiting those loopholes. Can the premier tell us when we will see some action to protect consumers? Mr. Energy Mr. Speaker when the NDP party last formed government they signed nine private power generating contracts for natural gas plants in a five year span. I would like to know from the leader of the critic from the third party what their plan is for the energy sector. I believe they're opposed to new nuclear they haven't said yes to new nuclear. They're against refurbishment Mr. Speaker. They're talking about 50% plus or minus of the energy system. Now how are you going to replace that when you eliminate all nuclear? When will you start? How much will it cost? And most importantly how many jobs will it cost? Thank you. Final supplementary. Well Speaker sometimes I think the premier is just debating a question but in this case I don't think they understand the question and I'll give it another shot. The liberal government has had 10 years to address the issue of companies playing games with the private market. For people stuck paying the highest electricity bills in the country. This is just another example of a government that just doesn't seem to care about the mess in Ontario's electricity system. After years of inaction the regulator is now consulting on how to solve the problem but we've seen consultations stretch for years. And people looking at their bills trying to pay them need to know that their interests are going to be protected. Can the premier tell us whenever she plans to make some action on people gaming the system? Mr. Speaker I was fortunate enough to be out of politics for three or four years several years ago and I was more fortunate Mr. Speaker to have been on the board of the independent electricity system operator, IESO which manages the system. Not only do they manage the system but they work cooperatively with every other jurisdiction in North America to manage the system so that it's secure safe and that there's no gaming. Mr. Speaker, you can find the banking industry, you can find the legal profession you can find any operation where people are trying to break the rules and try to tighten them up. The IESO is among the most respected in North America in terms of managing the electricity system including the energy market and you should be aware of that after all these years. Thank you, new question from Charles Danford. Yeah and frankly they say the rules aren't in place to protect the system. Another question with your indulgence speaker to the Premier. That was just another example of a system that's not being run to protect the people of Ontario. Jane from Toronto wrote to us being on a fixed income, every dollar counts and to have hydro being dumped cheaply to the U.S. is simply unacceptable but the Premier has told Ontarians that bills will be going up 42% over the next five years and our ministers dismiss concerns about subsidizing energy exports to the U.S. Does the Premier think that the status quo is working for Jane? Thank you. Mr. Speaker we initiated a program for price mitigation about 13 or 14 months ago the industrial electricity incentive. Mr. Speaker there are companies who are benefiting by power reduction costs by about 50% accessing that and to be clear Mr. Speaker the way they're financing those lower prices is by using our own surplus power. We've gone from a deficit Mr. Speaker to a surplus in power we're using that surplus of power Mr. Speaker to reduce prices for industrial consumers. Mr. Speaker we also have a significant number of mitigation but Mr. Speaker we'll talk about our long-term energy plan in the supplementary. I would appreciate it more if you would answer my question in the supplementary. Speaker people are working harder than ever just to stay afloat. Internal federal government reports say the middle class is being hollowed out because the cost of living keeps rising. Alex from Ottawa wrote to us I agree that the high energy costs in Ontario are not favorable to the hardworking middle class. Does the Premier understand that skyrocketing hydro prices are making it harder for people to get into the middle class and to stay there when they get there? Minister Mr. Speaker our government is paying maximum attention to mitigating electricity prices we spent $31 billion making the system reliable and clean Mr. Speaker that puts some pressure on prices moving forward Mr. Speaker we are taking costs out of the system and the same price increase that he's referring to the same graph the same data shows that over the next 20 years our average increase will be 2.8% and 2.3% for industrial Mr. Speaker they don't have a policy on energy Mr. Speaker I want to hear what they're going to do their leader when asked can you lower prices said no final supplement Mr. Speaker people know that hydro bills are taking a bigger and bigger chunk out of their household budget Claire from Burlington knows the effect on her family she wrote to say quote I make a good living and the high bills still really hurt our family budget I can't imagine on the strain on workers who make less for 10 years hydro has been getting more expensive and the Liberal government has said those bills will go up 42% in the next 5 years 42% what does the Premier have to say to people like Claire Mr. Speaker I would hope as a good MPP he would tell his constituent that first of all we put the 10% discount on every bill secondly Ontario energy and property tax credit Mr. Speaker for 963 dollars per year for qualifying individuals medium low income people Mr. Speaker that also gives a benefit of 1097 dollars per year for qualifying seniors did that member advise that constituent that those benefits are there that those privileges are there by tax credit did you yes or no thank you do you have a question I remember from Barry Mr. Speaker my question is to the Minister Minister you're spending money like it's the Russian Olympics during my morning coffee this Saturday I came across a half page colour ad intended to convince me temporary construction jobs for Pan Am are a huge win but the only win here is that the Minister Pan Am job is actually temporary especially given your recent alienating comments show us that you're the minister responsible for these multicultural games and tell us how much of our money you spent about the temporary Pan Am jobs and then resign Minister responsible for the Pan Pan games Thank you very much for the question Speaker one example one of the largest item in additional investment is the athletic village which is about 700 million dollars that makes up about 70 percent of the 1 million dollar Speaker the village has always been the responsibility to host the restriction and outside the 1.4 billion operating budget Speaker TO 2015 is the organization that run the game in terms of staging in terms of planning, overall planning and also PPAP is responsible for transportation and for security and we are working very hard as you know there is only one year about five months to the game so this is what we are at the moment but we are sure that we are going to complete a good TO 2015 come July Thank you Thank you Minister I'm really glad after two years you finally came clean on the Pan Am village by the way but that wasn't the question Minister let me tell you how much you blew on these ads you blew exactly $41,000 on this one off Pan Am ad for color that cost her an extra $15,000 that's way too much you could have skipped the color alone and sponsored an athlete yourself your priorities minister are totally out of line and your peers know it too in fact a full-time babysitting team has been put in place requiring the minister to report bi-weekly to the premier's office and to cabinet offices the truth is he's a designated ribbon cutter and later he's going to be the liberal fall guy Minister save yourself step down and allow someone who has their priorities straight to actually lead these games once and for all Thank you Minister Thank you very much for your question I would like to I'm very pleased to inform that the Pan Am game the Pan American game is on time on budget perhaps and also under budget Speaker the member opposite this allegation had zero credibility allow me to give you some example he issued his own press release about the village cause but told the public he did not know it wasn't in the $1.4 billion budget afterward Speaker he says is a human resource expert but has not heard of a completion incentive program that's new to me Speaker he claimed security is going to cause $1 billion which is absolutely wrong Speaker he publicly claimed our past reception in October was on time the actual cost those are zero credibility allegation Thank you Thank you very much Mr. Speaker my question is to the minister of energy last week Gamco issued a report confirming what most of us already know namely that Ontario has by far the highest hydro rates for industrial users of any comparable jurisdiction and no one knows this better than the residents of southwestern Ontario where tens of thousands of good paying manufacturing jobs have been lost because of this government's high hydro rate policies this simply can't go on when are we going to see an end to the job killing hydro rate policies that have crippled manufacturing in southwestern Ontario and throughout the rest of the province Thank you minister of energy Mr. Speaker we meet regularly with Gamco we have a very good working relationship with them we regularly accept their advice Mr. Speaker the numbers that were in the star article referring to that particular survey do not include price mitigation programs Mr. Speaker price mitigation programs such as the industrial electricity incentive which reduces rates for qualifying companies by up to 50% Mr. Speaker the industrial conservation initiative which reduces prices by 20% Mr. Speaker many of the members of Gamco participate in that particular program the northern industrial electricity rate program Mr. Speaker creates the industrial rates in northern Ontario among the lowest in Canada and lower than 44 American states we're working hard to mitigate prices Mr. Speaker and we're continuing to do so Thank you supplementary Thank you very much it's interesting to hear the minister of energy counter the Gamco report it's the reality for the rest of the province tens of thousands of good paying we hear that the government's own long-term energy plan calls for a 30% increase in industrial hydro prices by 2018 while Ontario still struggles with an unemployment rate of 7.5 cities in the southwest are even harder hit London 7.9 Niagara 8.8 Sarnia 10% outrageous hydro rates and increases are killing jobs across southwestern Ontario and across the province Ontario jobs hang in the balance how can this government possibly justify a 30% increase to the highest industrial hydro prices in North America Mr. Speaker she's referring to increases that are yes referred to in our own long-term energy plan looking forward to the future but if she looks at the same graph she looks at the same data if the numbers that she's giving have any credibility because they're in the same graph in the same document the price increases for industrial commercial electricity moving forward over the next 20 years Mr. Speaker is 2.3% that compares to at least 3.0% and the five large provinces in Ontario have higher projections but Mr. Speaker she's got to look at the price mitigation programs Mr. Speaker under the industrial electricity incentive program last month Detour Gold was one of the successful proponents in the first round and claims that the program will save them $20 million in 2014 I met with one of the conservative congress members with one of his comrades and we went through details of that company and if they get in touch with their LDC and IESO they can find ways to reduce the rates Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Thanks very much Mr. Speaker my question today is for the minister of Northern Development and Mines as parliamentary assistant to the minister of finance I have spoken on a number of occasions with a variety of northern Ontario organizations and I've had the opportunity to visit municipalities like Timmins and like Elk Lake and Espinola Speaker I am very proud to be part of a government that understands the importance of the north and the importance of mining the mining sector for our province Ontario is among the top 10 mineral investment jurisdictions in the world as a result 24 new mines have opened here over the last 10 years and that's more Speaker than anywhere else in Canada currently the prospectors and developers association of Canada is holding its 2014 annual convention here in Toronto Mr. Speaker can the minister of Northern Development and Mines please update the house with respect to this annual convention and explain how it is showcasing Ontario's mining sector Thank you Minister I hear you tell the members of the legislature about the prospectors developers association conference PDAC started yesterday with the premier I was able to host our annual Ontario reception welcoming many of the delegates municipal leaders industry leaders First Nation a number of my colleagues great to have them here a wonderful event and certainly PDAC is a tremendous opportunity for us to showcase the many successes of the province as mining sector Ontario Pavilion which we are actually opening up this afternoon officially at one o'clock and we ask you to join us it's a remarkable convention well over 25,000 to 30,000 delegates every year certainly one thing we want to continue to make clear is that the province remains one of the most attractive destinations for mineral exploration investment in North America 2003 explorations were 193 million last year over 600 million look forward to providing more details in my supplementary Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I think through you to the minister I thank him for not only his response but the extraordinary work that he's doing on behalf of the people of Ontario and I want to thank the minister for his update I mean frankly speaker those figures that he referenced are impressive and I'm certainly pleased that Ontario is hosting this important international conference and I'm certain that the international delegates that are here will enjoy all that our city here in Toronto has to offer and hopefully they'll also have a chance to explore other beautiful parts of our province as we all know speaker the mining industry is very important not only for northern Ontario but for the entire province and I know that our government continues to engage both corporate and First Nations partners to make sure that we are creating the dynamic and innovative business climate that we need for this sector Speaker through you to the minister showcasing our support for such an important industry at this convention question thank you minister for the question because it certainly is important for us to create and to support a dynamic business climate for the mining sector and it really is about also achieving a balance Mr. Speaker we are providing tax credits we're providing grants and geological data that is so crucial to the sector we are very much demonstrating our leadership working through of course the historic modernization of Ontario's Mining Act and that again is promoting a vibrant competitive industry helping to keep Ontario world leader in the industry we need to work at the mining companies with First Nations our Métis Nation other government partners municipalities to improve our province's competitiveness without compromising our environmental responsibilities by attending this tremendous annual event we're able to strengthen our relationship with our key partners in the mining sector and continue to grow the economy thank you Thank you My question is to the minister of health and I want to ask the minister about her decision to ration personal support services for Ontario seniors Speaker when the minister announced that governments assisted living for high risk seniors policy what the minister did not tell us that up to 80% of current applicants would receive no benefits under the current rules she also didn't tell us that seniors who are now getting essential services on site in their seniors buildings would be cut from those services here's an email speaker many of which my my colleagues and I'm sure hers are getting from across the province it reads as follows the seniors are devastated because recently found out that the province is defunding the alternative community living program and chats will not be available seven days a week 24 hours a day question is from this constituent how is it possible to have these disabled seniors lose their services I'd like her to answer Thank you speaker and I'm delighted to talk about how we are strengthening the community care sector this is our single most important priority speaker and our money is where our mouth is on this one in the last budget we increased community and home care support by 6% we were able to achieve that only by holding steady on a number of other elements of our healthcare system as a result of our investments 200,000 more seniors are getting the care they need in their home in their community the home care sector is an increasingly important part of our healthcare system as we shift services to the community where people get the care they need in the place with the highest quality for them and that is in their home whenever possible we are expanding services in the community speaker that rhetoric is not going to go over with the seniors in this province who are losing their services in a memorandum dated June 19 2013 the community and health services department of York region announced that the new ministry of health policy would have serious implications to seniors in York region not only would the level of personal support services be reduced but according to that memo it warned that more than 80% of current applicants would not receive any services the minister said the money is where the mouth is it's in scandals, it's in e-health lost precious millions it is in gas plant losses it is in her track record of not giving precious medications and prescriptions to people who need the most it is in her lack of oversight at orange that's where the money is and that's why they are now rationing services for seniors in this province I want to know from the minister will she resume that policy today thank you minister well speaker I think it's important that the member opposite actually hear the facts about what is happening and I will be the first to say speaker that we are changing how we are delivering care in this province and we are changing it for the better CCAC's help over 650,000 people get the care they need in the community that is 200,000 more people than when you are in office speaker we've increased the number of patients who are going home after a hospital visit by 26% these are people who otherwise would have been destined for long term care they're getting more supports in their home where they can live with a high quality of life speaker where they want to be over the past two years alone we've increased the number of people receiving home care services by 76,000 and we are continuing to expand speaker in order to do that we need our PSW's working in home care and we have plans for that as well thank you thank you thank you my question is also for the minister of health and long time care to bring our trouble CCAC system in front of a legislative committee we know a lot of messaging and some lukewarm support but this afternoon I will be tabling a motion that will allow the legislature to take immediate action on the growing problems at our CCAC's can the minister tell Ontarian whether she will support this request to finally take action with CCAC thank you speaker and as I said to the member from new market Aurora care is where we are investing significant new resources and that community care sector is an increasingly important part of our health care system we need to continue to get the highest possible quality of care and the best possible value for money of those home care dollars and speaker I can assure you that as we invest more in the home sector that is taking pressure off hospitals and the policy rates come down speaker and as the wait list for long term care are actually getting shorter not longer so speaker I am committed to home care I am committed to community care I am committed to strengthening the home care and community care sector speaker and I welcome all advice on how to do that thank you thank you Mr. Speaker I'm not talking about home care I'm talking about those agency access center and the number of problems that they are facing we went on a lens review committee we heard more complaints against CECAC than we did against the lens speaker this government is fond of repeating the same line and making promises that have no clear timeline attached for months we have heard that legislation will be introduced that could cap CEO salaries but after years of pushing pay cap new democrats wants to see this government take action not make more promises I ask again will the minister support this urgent review of CECAC thank you minister speaker I do think it's important I know the member opposite does know that CCACs are the body that manage our home and community care sector speaker so you can't underestimate the value of that coordination we're spending $260 million more this year than last year that's one year's increase in the home and community care sector speaker $110 million of that will meet home care growth and service demand there's a $60 million allocated towards a five day target for complex patients requiring no support services speaker $15 million is allocated to achieve a five day wait time for nursing services in all ends and $75 million additional to community supports organizations such as Meals on Wheels adult day programs that help support the people who need the care and their caregivers as well speaker this is a very important focus of our ministry's strategic plan it is central to the implementation of our healthcare speaker thank you thank you speaker my question is to the minister of Aboriginal affairs this government has been investing in people investing in badly needed infrastructure and supporting and innovative and dynamic business environment in Ontario we all recognize a strong and vibrant Aboriginal community strengthens Ontario and the community and economically I know this firsthand in my own diverse riding of Scarborough Guildwood there is a significant off reserve Aboriginal population while we make progress across many different areas can you inform this house on how we've been helping improve and create greater economic opportunities in Aboriginal communities in Ontario thank you minister Robert my question we've been active on many fronts creating many opportunities from both the private sector and communities to participate in a meaningful way to help Ontario's economy now one such way that we're doing that is something that I recently announced is the continuation of the new relationship fund which is a part of the government's economic plan that is creating jobs for today and tomorrow this comprehensive priorities focus on Ontario's greatest strength its people and its strategic partnerships through the new relationship fund Ontario is supporting Aboriginal organizations as they build consultation capacity industry partnerships and engage in sustainable development that's good for Ontario's economy that's good for First Nations, Métis and Inuits thank you thank you speaker and through you thank you to the minister for that update on the new relationship fund obviously this is a great investment both in helping people communities and businesses helping create a more robust business environment with my colleagues I've had the opportunity to meet Aboriginal and First Nations group across Ontario in January for example I had the chance to visit Moose factory Ontario and meet with representatives of First Nations so indeed speaker I know how important this investment is across Ontario to our Aboriginal communities through you speaker will the minister expand further on just what is happening with this investment and how it is helping our Aboriginal communities thank you the fund was originally announced as a four year commitment in 2008 but it's been so successful that we will continue to invest in this fund on an ongoing basis now here are some facts about it we've enhanced the value to better meet the needs of the Aboriginal communities by increasing the amount available in core consultation funding from $80,000 to $90,000 per year what does that actually mean, what happens then well over the five years that the fund has been in existence there have been 540 jobs created across Ontario that provide skills and training for Aboriginal people the fund has supported a further 500 projects undertaken by 193 First Nations and Métis communities the fund projects help Aboriginal communities hire staff meetings, draft business plans develop important business tools this is what creates and helps the Aboriginal communities create businesses this is what's good for Ontario my question is to the Premier the testimony of the OPP commissioner is very clear the investigation into the Liberal government over the deleted emails in the gas plant scandal is real it is ongoing and it could see jail time of up to 14 years for anybody who is committed of a crime the time has come for the Premier to follow our lead and call for a judicial inquiry into the $1 billion gas plant scandal and the role that her party played so I'm asking the Premier today will the Premier show some integrity and denounce the judicial inquiry into the $1 billion gas plant scandal thank you Premier Government House Leader Mr Speaker really I'm a little bit disappointed in the member for the question Mr Speaker at the end of the day we have a situation where the OPP we are aware is looking into a matter and I think the members of this House are very aware that we allow the police we allow law enforcement to do their work we don't to draw conclusions or as she has done making insinuations here in the legislature Mr Speaker let's allow the police to undertake their work and I think this is the most confirmed to the committee is that he is getting excellent cooperation from the government and those that he is asking questions up there will be a point where he will report back Mr Speaker and until then as I said Mr Speaker I think this question is really beneath that member thank you supplementary well that answer was actually beneath that minister that's probably why he's deciding to run away from this place after the next election cancellation was a political decision we know it wasted 1.1 billion dollars that could have been used to ensure children across this province that the medication they need for their severe diseases rather than have to take their fight here at a queen's park she has been premier for over a year she has lost four MPPs in that time she has lost her campaign manager in fact she's even losing you her government isn't declined the OPP was very clear that there could be jail time for any crimes committed by this government her priorities are not those of this of this province so I will ask again if they will not call a judicial inquiry as our leader Tim Hudeck has asked will they at least call an election thank you Mr Speaker please Mr Speaker please thank you let the member from Renford sit down Mr Speaker I just want to say on a personal note I appreciated her warm remarks Mr Speaker but you know Mr Speaker you can't run from it Mr Speaker the fact of the matter is in the last election it was the leader of her party who was on YouTube saying if he was premier of this province he would Mr Speaker he would cancel the cast plans the member from the PN Carlton will come to order and I don't need armchair quarterbacks and I would wish this to stop while I'm speaking finish please Mr Speaker it was her party where we had candidates going out knocking on doors sending out tweets having robo calls saying the only way to cancel the gas plans was to elect the progressive conservative party as the government the fact of the matter Mr Speaker which she could not escape she said every party in this legislature had the exact same promise Mr Speaker the question before us is how in the searcher can we ensure that the siting of gas plants is done in a better way that is what this side of the house wants to deal with Mr Speaker and I think it's time that they came clean okay new question the member from Renford to come see thank you Speaker my question this morning is for the premier rising hydro costs in this province are threatening the livelihoods of small business people I know in Windsor more than 30 small business owners have complained to Larry Horowitz the chair of the downtown Windsor business improvement association do you know Larry that's a good thing they're worried about the cost of their hydro now let alone a 40% increase coming over the next five years this rising cost of hydro may force many of them out of business what solutions can the premier offer to small business owners in Windsor and in the rest of Ontario Mr Speaker this is short-term solution and long-term solutions the medium long-term solutions are in their long-term energy plan we're reducing annual increases for the industrial commercial sector to 2.3% we're not going ahead with $15 billion investment in new nuclear we're not going ahead with $3.7 billion of power purchase contract with Samsung and we're running a more efficient service Mr Speaker those numbers those calculations are in the long-term energy plan and when we get to the supplementary I'll talk about some short-term solutions thank you supplementary well Speaker and when the local provider in Windsor for hydro they have a real concern because they're charging the same rates now that they charge customers in 2006 so all the increases in hydro rates are on the provincial portion of the bill will this government assure small businesses it has a plan to fix its broken hydro policies before they're forced to close Mr Speaker we are addressing issues concerning small business first of all very small business of access to the 10% discount on their bill as well as farmers for those slightly larger businesses Mr Speaker if they work closely with their LDC there are very significant conservation measures to minimize prices in addition Mr Speaker I personally have been consulting with small business groups we are looking at ways and means to support them moving forward and we hope that in the foreseeable future we'll have some price mitigation that will be very well received by small business to your question the member from Scarborough Rouge River thank you Mr Speaker my question is for the Minister of Innovation Ontario's capacity to compete in the global economy is partly based on our ability to foster highly talented researchers Canada's currently ranked sixth in the world in quality and impact of research with Ontario comprising nearly half of the national research expertise in my riding of Scarborough Rouge River I'm often asked by constituents if it is a good idea for their children to study science during their post-secondary education Mr Speaker as a parent the answer is pretty obvious however I believe there needs to be more done to encourage students to pursue this path Mr Speaker through you to the Minister what does the government do to foster and support the research and innovation in the province that will encourage more young people to get involved in this field Minister of Research and Innovation Thank you Mr Speaker I would like to thank the member from Scarborough Rouge River for that question Mr Speaker investing in research in breakthrough research has always been the most priority for this government because it creates jobs Mr Speaker our government supporting innovative and dynamic research these researchers are creating the job for tomorrow and our investment today in research is going to pay tomorrow recently we have announced $190 million for the Ontario Research Fund $65 million after this one will go to the Ontario Research Fund Research Excellence to support 140 research projects across the province this fund has led to the recruitment and training of 17,000 highly qualified researchers who are running our research institutions Mr Speaker investing in programs such as the Ontario Research Fund ensures that our brightest minds and their innovative ideas remain in our province of Ontario Thank you Mr Speaker it is good to hear that our government is committed to supporting researchers through programs like the Ontario Research Fund providing the necessary resources and support for researchers is critical to our long-term economic prosperity however keeping young innovative minds in the province is also necessary to create the jobs of tomorrow as a parent I'm always pleased when I speak with students in my riding of Scarborough Rouge River who have both a keen interest in the sciences and a strong entrepreneurial spirit Mr Speaker through you to the minister what is the government doing to help take the ideas of young minds to the next level and create jobs for tomorrow Thank you Mr Speaker again I want to thank the member Scarborough Rouge River for that question Mr Speaker Ontario government is committed to supporting young entrepreneurs by providing the support they need to grow and succeed in their business just recently our government announced the Ontario Youth Investment Accelerator Fund this fund is a part of the Ontario government's youth and entrepreneurs to bring their investments into the market we have invested 295 million dollars in the Ontario youth job strategy and 7 million dollars of this fund goes to the Ontario Youth Investment Accelerator Fund Mr Speaker our government recognises the importance of youth entrepreneurship in a dynamic economy as ours thank you Mr Speaker Thank you for your question the member from the Cala Verde questions to the Premier Premier yesterday on your radio show Shelly Korea phoned in to voice her concerns about the negative health effects that wind turbines are having on her son you failed to answer her question yesterday about the wind turbines but maybe you will decide that you will answer the question that I have for you today Do you believe that the intent of the Oak Ridge's Marine Act was to include 50 story wind turbines Thank you Mr Speaker I believe I did take the question from the caller that the member is speaking to Mr Speaker and what I said was that I don't remember exactly what I said but what I know Mr Speaker we made a decision about green energy that is exactly true and that we want clean renewable energy we shut down all the coal fired plants we made that decision that was in the best interests of the air quality in this province and people across the province the health of children and that is a point that I will continue to make because it underpins the reason that we moved into the green energy the other issue Mr Speaker is the creation of 31,000 jobs so there are contracts in place there are approvals underway Mr Speaker and I know that the I know that the member opposite is aware of all of those things Mr Speaker Well Premier your Government through the Minister of the Environment approved an industrial wind farm with turbines the size of Toronto 5 of these turbines will be built beside what was supposed to be a natural serene and tranquil Buddhist temple in my writing these turbines will impact the Oak Bridges Marine which is an environmentally sensitive geological geological land form that is protected under the Oak Bridges Marine conservation plan you promised your Government promised better communication with communities in siding these turbines you did repeat that on your radio show yesterday you failed to answer the people of Ontario called into your radio show you failed to consult these companies as promised will you make the right things right and call a moratorium on these wind turbines Thank you Premier Well I was very pleased to be on the radio show and to take calls along with the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure and along with Theresa DeFelice from CAA Mr Speaker it came in we took as many as we could in the time it was available Mr Speaker and I acknowledged the issues around the siding of wind turbines has been contentious Mr Speaker I also made it clear and I make it clear again that we have put new rules in place Mr Speaker we said we were going to change the process to get commutered pieces of energy infrastructure would be sided Mr Speaker We have done that and we will continue to advocate for clean energy, Mr. Speaker. There was an energy summit, an energy innovation summit here last week, Mr. Speaker. People from across the country and outside of the country were here to share ideas about how we can do more to conserve and create clean energy on Earth and beyond. Yes, my question is to the Premier, Mr. Speaker. Last year, the government tried to prevent the release of information on AODA compliance by charging hefty fees to the AODA Alliance. But the FOI that the AODA Alliance was forced to resort to revealed why the government did not want to disclose the information. 70% of Ontario private sector organisations with 20 or more employees had not filed mandatory self-reports on their compliance with the AODA customer service accessibility standard. Government knew that they were failing to effectively enforce their own standards, and they didn't want Ontarians to know this disturbing fact. Why is the Premier withholding information, and will she finally take action to enforce the AODA? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. While the premise of the question—I need to challenge the premise of the question—we are working to make sure that Ontario is the most accessible jurisdiction in the world. We have taken leadership in terms of a regulatory regime that mandates accessibility. We are the first in the world to require staff to be trained on accessibility. We are the first in Canada with legislation that sets out a clear goal and a timeframe for accessibility by 2025. I have personally met with David Lepofsky a number of times since I have been in this office. We have had this discussion about enforcement and how we can increase the compliance by putting more enforcement measures in place. The fact is that we are in a transition. There is no doubt about that, and it is going to take some time for all of our institutions and businesses to comply. We are going to encourage and we are going to work with and we are going to make this jurisdiction the most accessible in the world. Back to the Premier, Mr. Speaker. 70% of Ontario private sector organisations did not comply with mandatory rules this government set. The minister responsible for the implementation of AODA pledged to enforce the law until there is full compliance. He said it was his, quote, unquote, top priority. Yet the government has taken no concrete actions, according to David Lepofsky, and has no plan in place to enforce its own standards. The government is failing to make Ontario accessible to those with disabilities, and they only have themselves, that is, the government to blame. Why should Ontarians believe that accessibility is a priority for this government after months and months of empty promises? Question. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I don't know whether the member opposite is aware, but in November of last year approximately 2,500 enforcement notices were issued to organisations that had failed to comply and submit 2012 accessibility compliance reports, so letters were sent out. Half of those organisations that received an enforcement notice responded by filing their overdue reports. The remaining organisations required to file are being issued directors orders with financial penalties. Many of those have already been issued. These notices were in addition to the approximately 50,000 letters sent in the summer of 2013 to businesses notifying them of their obligation, as well as offering them supports to help them meet the goal. It is imperative that we have put the regime in place, the standards are in place, and that now we work with businesses and we make them aware of what the requirements are. That's what we're doing. We are in communication with them, and we will continue to enforce that compliance. The member from Kitchener Waterloo on a point of order first. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to welcome Member of Parliament Romeo Saganich from Mavatibi, James B. Nunavik, and MP Claude Graval from the Briding of Nickel Belt today. Thank you. The member from Renfrew-Lifices, Hembroke on a point of order. Thank you very much, Speaker. Earlier today, the Premier in response to questions directed at her regarding comments made by the Minister of Culture, I believe, and as we are aware in this Chamber, you cannot say indirectly what you cannot say directly. I believe that Rule 23's H and K were breached, and it allowed me to explain. Rule 23H, I believe that the Premier in an indirect way accused every member of this caucus of having racist views. Thank you. I listened very carefully to question period, and I listened to the questions and I listened to the answers. And although I would prefer a more temperate exchanges in this place, as many people do, I did not hear anything on parliamentary, so I'll leave it at that. Thank you. I'm still standing. The member from Elgin, Middlesex, London, has given me notice of his intention to raise a point of privilege. His point relates to the legislation establishing the Eastern Ontario and Southwestern Ontario Development Funds, and a provision in it that states if a public announcement is to be made about a provision of financial assistance or incentives within each Eastern Ontario or Southwestern Ontario, as the case may be, the MPP who represents the affected area within the region must be given the opportunity to participate in the announcement. The member for Elgin, Middlesex, London states that such a public announcement has recently been made in his writing, but that he was not, he was given no notice nor the opportunity to participate as required by the legislation. I am prepared to rule on this point of privilege without hearing further from the member from Elgin, Middlesex, London as state standing order 21D permits me to do. It is well established in parliamentary procedure that the application of privilege is confined to the proceedings in Parliament and to the activities of members in their parliamentary roles. Speakers of this legislature and elsewhere have consistently ruled that a member's work outside of the legislature and especially constituency related matters do not give rise to protection of privilege. As stated in page 117 of the House of Commons procedures and practice, in instances where members have claimed that they have been obstructed or harassed, not directly in their roles as elected representatives, but while being involved in matters of a political or constituency related nature, speakers have consistently ruled that this does not constitute privilege. This position has been made taken by speakers of this legislature as well. For instance, on April 26, 2001, ruling by Speaker Carr noted that speakers have consistently found supported by the procedural authorities and the multitude of precedents that privilege attaches only to a member's parliamentary duties and not to the subsidiary duties away from Parliament. On May 4, 2010, Speaker Peters noted in a ruling that according to the procedural authorities and many previous speakers' rulings, parliamentary privilege protects members in the execution of their strictly parliamentary duties, not the constituency or other duties that may fairly be said to be part of their job descriptions. On this point, the second edition of Magnolia's parliamentary privilege in Canada states the following pages 222 and 223. The interference, however, must not only obstruct a member in his capacity as a member, it must obstruct or allege to obstruct a member in his parliamentary work. I appreciate that the member from Elgin Middlesex London feels that he has been deprived of his ability to do his job, but it is, excuse me, but simply put that it is that part of the job that is the important consideration in the case at hand, simply put parliamentary privilege is not applicable to the constituency-related work of an MPP. The member may have a valid grievance, however, and I would note that complying with this law is always good policy. However, I cannot find that a prima facie case of privilege has been made out. There are no deferred votes. This House stands recess until 1pm this afternoon.