 It is now time for Question Period, the member from Leeds, Grenville. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. After that note, you can see why I've moved myself down the road. My question is for the Premier. Good morning, Premier. Today, our government will release its fall economic statement. The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has said, and I quote, Ontarians should be very concerned about the direction in which the province is headed. Your inability to take urgent action is costing hard-working Ontarians over 11 billion dollars in interest annually to pay for liberal waste and mismanagement. That's taxpayer's money that could be invested in front-line health care, first-rate education, reliable roads, and transit. The interim report by Ed Clark has proved your government will not make the tough decisions to reduce spending to balance the books because you directed him to tinker around the edges. Premier will admit that today's fall economic statement will do nothing to tackle the urgency raised by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, first of all, let me say that it is always a pleasure and a privilege to work with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. I know that the summit that was held just a number of days ago was very, very productive and they, you know, in their report, which I believe is called Emerging Stronger, which actually reflects what is going on in Ontario. Mr. Speaker, having come out of the economic downturn and still recovering, Mr. Speaker, but strength is exactly the direction that we're going in. And in fact, the fact that we've created over 550,000 jobs have been created in Ontario, Mr. Speaker, since the 2009 recession and low. The fact that the unemployment rate is at 6.5%, the lowest unemployment rate since October 2008 is emerging stronger than ever, Mr. Speaker. Well, Premier, you know, we remember the Drummond report and we're seeing it again in Ed Clark's interim report. Premier, you cannot balance the budget on the backs of beer drinkers. Today's fall economic statement will confirm what Drummond and Clark have already told us, that the Liberal government will not make those tough decisions. They will not rein in spending. They will continue to dig Ontario deeper in an economic hole, despite how many reports you end up commissioning. Commuters, students, seniors will suffer because of this government's reckless mismanagement. Premier, will you finally come clean to Ontarians that your fall economic statement and will admit that you have no hope to balance the budget by 2017? Well, Mr. Speaker, let me just answer the statement in his question about the reports that we have asked for. So the Drummond report, Mr. Speaker, over 80% of the recommendations that Don Drummond put forward, we have acted upon, Mr. Speaker. And there is chapter and verse on that. And the member opposite knows that. He knows full well that that information was available in our budget and he can access it any time, Mr. Speaker. In terms of the recommendations that have been put forward in the interim report by Ed Clark and his panel, we ran on the reality and the expectation that we would be maximizing our assets, maximizing the assets that are owned by the people of Ontario. The commission has given us advice, Mr. Speaker, and we are going to follow through on that. And he will see that in our fall economic statement, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. In fact, again, Speaker to the Premier, Ontario's projected $12.5 billion deficit this year is larger than every other province and the federal government combined. There's really nothing complicated about deficits and the debt. They're simply deferred taxes that will either have to be paid for by future generations and inevitable cuts to public services. Paying off Ontario's debt alone, without reducing the annual debt by one penny, cost provincial taxpayers almost $11 billion annually. More than the province pays for any other public service, aside from frontline health care and education. Premier, will your fall economic statement truthfully tell Ontarians that because of your out-of-control spending, will you continue to waste billions of dollars on debt interspersion? Question. And will you finally admit that you have no plan to balance the books? Thank you. Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And the President of the Treasury Board, beside me, is asking for one idea from the opposite side in terms of how we could continue to emerge an idea apart from cutting 100,000 jobs, Mr. Speaker, because that actually is an idea that would hold us back. So let's look at the facts. Ontario's unemployment rate, 6.5%, the lowest unemployment rate since October 2008, October's net job numbers, Mr. Speaker, 37,000 jobs in Ontario, Mr. Speaker, in October, 10% of those are full-time, Mr. Speaker. Ontario continues to be first in North America for foreign direct investment. The reality is that we are emerging stronger. And the member opposite says that that's a simple thing. Answer. It's actually not. There are many fronts on which we have to operate. One is working with the private sector to make sure that jobs are created. Another is investing in infrastructure, Mr. Speaker. And that is the work that we are doing right now. Thank you. A member from Lionel Front Athletics and Advocates. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Infrastructure. Minister, for the past month, we've asked you and your government to provide a business case for Mars Phase II. For the past month, you've never once acknowledged a business case exists. On Thursday, you've got about 700 pages of documents that we requested a month ago, yet once again, no business case. But now it's crystal clear. You told the media that you believe you did release a business case. Minister, it's not a business case and it's not due diligence. Minister, a building appraisal is not a market study, nor is it a feasibility study. Minister, why was a business case never done by either Mars or the Ministry to determine what the rental market was for research fees in Toronto? Thank you. Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure. Speaker, I was pleased last week we were able to release over 700 pages, Mr. Speaker, of documentation. That showed an incredible amount of due diligence done by Infrastructure Ontario with regard to the loan that the member is referring to. But Mr. Speaker, I think what Ontario taxpayers want to know is, number one, Mr. Speaker, what do the PCs feel about the idea of a rental company to ensure that Mars phase two did not rot on the ground? Because Mr. Speaker, that's why we put that loan forward. And Mr. Speaker, I think what the member also needs to recognize, because I haven't heard him say this, this loan is fully secured, Mr. Speaker, and will be fully repaid. So when the member suggests to Mr. Speaker wrongly that somehow there's taxpayer dollars that have been spent on this with regard to the loan, he's absolutely wrong, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary? Minister, we shouldn't be surprised that you can't tell the difference between an appraisal and a business case. You couldn't tell the difference between a gas plant and a ballot box. You couldn't tell the difference between a frank and sicker and a postage stamp. What amazes me, minister, is how you still have a job in this Liberal cabinet. You have quite the knack of having other people resign for your mistakes. I hope you're planning on sending a Christmas card to your former colleague from London West, as well as your former staffer. Minister, will you provide the Estimates Committee with any market study that either Mars or IO undertook prior to you signing off on the $235 million loan, or will you finally admit one was never done? Thank you. Thank you. Minister. Mr. Speaker, I understand that the member is the critic. I understand, Mr. Speaker, that the opposition is role is to critique government policies. Mr. Speaker, they are entitled to their opinions. They're not entitled to their facts, Mr. Speaker. And the facts are the facts. And Mr. Speaker, the fact is, the loan to Mars is 100% fully secured. The other fact, Mr. Speaker, is that if his party were in office, they would have let that building rot in the ground, Mr. Speaker. 51,000 jobs exist, Mr. Speaker, in a bioscience cluster. Mr. Speaker, we're going to... Finish, please. Mr. Speaker, every document requested has been released to the public through the media and to the committee, Mr. Speaker. That's being open and transparent. And what those documents do, Mr. Speaker, is they confirm what we've been saying all along. The investment is fully secured. Member from Renfrew, Nipissing Tempo, come to order. Taxpayer investment is protected, Mr. Speaker. And we'll continue to invest in building a strong... Member from Stormont, come to order. Two final supplementaries. Minister, I think we should all be concerned with your competency as a minister of the Crown. I am. Not only do you not know what an actual business case looks like, you also weren't clear how far you would go to bailout Mars. You boasted to the media that you were only prepared to pay $7.1 million in interest. You were only partially accurate. You neglected to mention that you were legally obliged to pay $7.1 million for the next 15 years for a total of $106.5 million. We know that you can't tell the difference between $40 million and $1 billion, but I thought you might have taken a math class at your time at MTCU. Minister, can you tell the difference between $7.1 million and $106.5 million or the difference between one year and 15 years? Thank you. Minister, Mr. Speaker, seriously, that member wants us to take math lessons from the PC party. You were a member last June. It wasn't that long ago. Too bad you weren't in charge of your party's platform. Maybe the math would have been correct because you sound like such a brilliant mathematician. But, Mr. Speaker, if the member is such a brilliant mathematician, he would know, Mr. Speaker, and he would listen to the fact that we've been open and transparent. This is the last time I provide anyone with an opportunity not to be mentioned by writing. Finish, please. Mr. Speaker, I said earlier on that the member is entitled to his opinion and, Mr. Speaker, he's entitled to his rhetoric as well. But right now, that's the only thing coming out of his mouth, Mr. Speaker, his blind rhetoric. The fact of the matter is, Mr. Speaker, he can fabricate the facts all he wants. The facts are the facts. The loan is fully secure. It will be 100% repaid. Thank you. The member from Kitchener, Waterloo. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Premier. Since 2002, privatizing energy generation has driven up hydro bills by more than 300%. The PCs started this job. You seem intent on finishing the job. Now the Premier is planning to privatize energy distribution. How much will Ontario see their bills go up when the Premier privatizes hydro distribution? Thank you, Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, let me just begin by saying that we made it very, very clear in our budget then when we ran in June on our platform and then again when we reintroduced our budget that we were going to do a review of the assets that are owned by the people of Ontario and that we were going to make sure that we were maximizing their benefit to the people of Ontario. Because, Mr. Speaker, we need to make in 2014 and going forward, we need to make investments in infrastructure like transit, like transit to Kitchener Waterloo, Mr. Speaker, like investments in roads and bridges around the province. We need to make those investments. And in order to do that, Mr. Speaker, we need to make sure that all of the assets owned by the people of Ontario are performing at their very highest capacity, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Premier, Ed Clark says that there are tax barriers to privatizing hydro ones distribution network and our local hydro utilities. That's his language. So the Liberals are going to get rid of those tax barriers. How much will these tax changes cost the people of this province? Let me just go back to the issue around the assets, Mr. Speaker, because I think it's very, very important that we understand that what Mr. Clark and his colleagues are talking about is working with the distribution part of the province which is not as efficient as it could be, which does not function in a way that actually maximizes the benefits to the people of the province. And in fact, there is the potential that there would be a reduction or at least a slowing down of the increase of rates, Mr. Speaker, not an increase. And if the member opposite reads the report that was put out last week, she will see that, Mr. Speaker. So I did read the report. And on page nine of Ed Clark's privatization report, he writes, OPG's portfolio includes assets specifically, it's hydroelectric generating stations other than the large hydroelectric stations at Niagara Falls and St. Lawrence River that could be sold to finance additional investments in provincial infrastructure. There is an active market for such assets. Will the Premier rule out selling OPG's hydro dams and will you do it today? Well, Mr. Speaker, first I would like to ask the member opposite her opinion on the nine private power generating plant agreements that the NDP put in place when they were in office, Mr. Speaker, because at that time, the NDP obviously believed that it was possible to work with the private sector and that it was in the best interests of the people of the province to work together and to not hold on to an ideology that says that government and private sector should not work together. I don't adhere to that ideology, Mr. Speaker. Apparently the NDP in the past had the ability to work cooperatively with the private sector. Apparently that's been lost, certainly in this member's mind. What we believe, Mr. Speaker, is that making sure that the assets that are owned by the people of this province work to their best capacity and to the best advantage of the people of the province so that we can make the investments that are needed. Now that's what we believe needs to happen, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know it's not ideology when you follow the numbers, because the numbers don't lie, the numbers are accurate. Again, to the Premier. Today, Ontarians will see the fall economic statements. Will it tell Ontarians how much their hydro bills are going to go up after the Premier privatizes hydro 1 distribution lines, privatizing local hydro utilities, and perhaps, she didn't rule it out, privatizing OPG hydro dams. Will you tell them how much it's going to cost? Mr. Speaker, I would say to the member that the government, the Premier, has made it very, very clear to the asset committee that if there is any increase in price that comes from any of what is being contemplated now, we will not be going forward with it. Additionally, I want to say that you voted effectively against a budget that had two significant mitigation prices for the people of the province of Ontario. First, number one, the elimination of the debt retirement charge. Number two, the Ontario Energy Board is in the process now, under our budget, of creating a program for low middle income people to mitigate the rates that they have. And you and your party voted against that. You campaigned against it. Shame on you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The charity budget was 6% cuts and many ministries across this province, that's what we voted against, and we wouldn't need mitigation terms if the cost of hydro keeps going up. And what the matter here doesn't know how much her plan is going to cost rape parents. She doesn't know that, nor does the Minister of Energy. She doesn't know how much her tax changes will cost the province's bank account. Why is the Premier moving ahead with privatizing assets when she doesn't know what her plans will mean for the people of this province? Thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the members concerned about electricity prices. We have done a significant number of things, Mr. Speaker, to mitigate future increases, including, Mr. Speaker, the NUGS, non-utility generators, which are 20-year-old power purchase contracts, which other governments put in place. They're coming up for renewal, Mr. Speaker, and the OPA is negotiating a lower price in order to suppress the pressure on prices. And one of the members from the New Democratic Party, Mr. Speaker, is encouraging us to pay more for a private purchase of that power on a renewal contract, Mr. Speaker. So they're talking out of both sides of their mouths. I don't have the time, Mr. Speaker, to go into many of the other price mitigation measures that we have put in place, but they are significant. It's a priority for us that, Mr. Speaker, it's working. Hey, hey, hey. So, Mr. Speaker, perhaps the problem is that the Liberal government doesn't really understand what privatization is. They've used so many words to describe it. P3's alternative finance program modernizing. Maybe that is the problem. And for over a decade, the Liberal government has shown a sense of entitlement and arrogance when it comes to a government that belongs to the people of this province. They thought they knew best with e-health and orange and gas plants. And now they're saying that they know best about the public assets that are owned by Ontarians. The Premier said she would be different. So why do we see the exact same Liberal arrogance here in this House today? Mr. Speaker, in our procurement for power, Mr. Speaker, we have programs that are in place which are very, very egalitarian, if I can put it that way, Mr. Speaker, and also which help to suppress prices. Among those is our programs for First Nations, Mr. Speaker. We have had more First Nations participate in our power purchasing process than ever in the history of this province. We have in our renewable process, Mr. Speaker, incentives for Aboriginal communities to get involved. Mr. Speaker, we have loan programs for Aboriginal communities. We have many things in all of our processing of our electricity contracts, Mr. Speaker, that number one, help people in this province. And number two, many of them are used to suppress pressures on prices, Mr. Speaker. We're very proud of that record. Thank you. Corston, the members from Central North. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Minister of Education. Minister, your bill 10 hearings begin today and will be quickly finished by tomorrow evening. Groups such as the Association of Daycare Operators of Ontario, the Interior Federation of Independent Schools, the Ontario First Nations Daycare Associations, Francophone Daycare Associations, they have not been giving, they have been left completely out of the hearings. These groups, Mr. Speaker, represent tens of thousands of daycare spaces across our province. Minister, we have repeatedly asked for travel and extensive consultation on this very, very important bill. We absolutely have to get this bill right. And yet you have time allocated and moved this bill through extensive hearings very, very quickly. Can you explain to the House what the rush is to push this bill through this House without the input from many key stakeholder groups? Thank you. Minister of Education? Yes, I would be delighted to talk about the timing on this bill. The bill was first tabled over a year ago and we've been talking to people both before and after that. So we've been talking to people for a couple of years about this bill now. Over 400 written submissions before we even drafted the bill and tons of correspondence and discussions. In fact, one of the things after we tabled the bill a year ago was we actually did meet with ADCO, the Association of Daycare Operators. And so in fact, we've actually met with the Association of Daycare Operators and some of the feedback that we received when we tabled the bill the first time is actually incorporated into Bill 10 and its current version. So in fact, that even went to Ottawa. Thank you. Thank you. Supplementary, the member from the Union College. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question goes back to the Minister of Education. It was a bit rich on the weekend for the Premier to chastise federal leaders about daycare when it is her government shutting down debate on childcare in the province of Ontario. Today, the Association of Daycare Operators said that they were excluded from childcare hearings. They represent over 200,000 mothers and fathers. We know, for example, that the hearings that we're going to see over the next two days, monasteries, independent schools, Jewish day schools, native and francophone childcare operators are also being excluded. But I want to talk about Sarah Jane from Lanark County who found it so expensive for her to come here to travel to Queens Park that her friends had to crowdsource funding for her childcare operator at Lanark County to come to her provincial capitol to speak to Ontario legislatures. Her friend Sarah Nibblet asked, $5 a person adds up. Think of the money you could be earning as she speaks for us. So does the Minister think open government means closed? Government when it comes to public care? Thank you. Member, when I stand, you sit please. Well, you must. Minister of Education. Yes, thank you very much. Let's talk about traveling because as I said, I actually had the opportunity on Friday to travel to Ottawa and had the opportunity to speak with the leadership of both the Coalition of Independent Child Care Providers and the providers resource network. And actually included in that group was one of the leaders from Lanark County. So I actually went to hear them and we had a very I think productive conversation. We don't agree on all the issues, but we actually did find I think some areas of agreement where there's some where we can work together and make the bill work. I think it's really important to understand that after we pass the bill, and I obviously hope the bill will pass. Thank you. We will be posting. Thank you. Same reminder, I stand, you sit. New question, the member from Niagara Falls. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. The government wrote Mars a bailout check worth at least $300 million. They wrote a US real estate speculator, a $65 million check for a building that was never more than a third full. But they won't release the business case for the loan they made to Mars. To be clear, the documents released last week were not, were not the business case. At this rate, we'll find life on the planet Mars before we get the business case for the building from Mars. Why won't the government release the business case? Is there something that you're hiding? Minister of Economic Development and Employment and Infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, I mean to directly respond to the member's final question, absolutely not. Mr. Speaker, we've released over 700 documents, Mr. Speaker, pages of documents. Exactly what was asked for was exactly what was released, Mr. Speaker. Within those documents is all kinds of information regarding the due diligence that's gone into this loan, Mr. Speaker, that IO conducts, frankly, in all of their consideration of loans, over 700 pages of documents that includes all of that information. Mr. Speaker, I know it's a lot of documents and I know that the member's opposite may not have the time to go through them, but within those documents, Mr. Speaker, is confirmation of everything that we've been saying all along, Mr. Speaker, the loan is fully secured on a peak. Mr. Speaker, at the clock, please. Seated, please. I'm going to ask the member from REN from Nipissing Pembroke to come to order, the member from Frottenac and Addington to come to order. I got it through, I got it up. Got it up. And I also want to allow for you the reminder, I do not like it when you name somebody other than their writing or their title. I'm going to stick to that. It elevates the debate and if you use it the other way, it lowers the debate and I don't want it. Please finish. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. What those documents provide, Mr. Speaker, is confirmation of what we've been saying all along, Mr. Speaker, the property is worth more than what we've invested into it. Taxpayers' investment is safe and secure. Thank you. Supplementary. Speaker, the Premier released a property assessment for Mars that's based on 80% occupancy. The building is 30% full. The Premier's government insists the deal was smart, but nobody seems to be able to find the business case. This Liberal government insists it's being honest, but the people in Ontario still have questions. Six months after Ontarians learned about the scandal, why is the Liberal government still hiding the business case, not 700 documents, the business case from Ontarians? Mr. Speaker, if the member had time to go through the 700 pages of documents we put out, he would not be referring to this issue in the way that he's referring to it. Mr. Speaker, it's pretty simple overall. It's a complex issue, but it's pretty simple. There is a building rotting in the ground at Mars. Do the NDP now want to join the PCs and suggest that the government should just let that building rot, Mr. Speaker, and put at risk the 51,000 jobs in a bioscience cluster? Mr. Speaker, that would not be our position. We supported the idea to construct this building. Michael Nebrega and Carol Stevenson, two experts will soon be providing advice about the path forward, and Mr. Speaker, I'm very confident that there's a path forward on this project that's going to be very successful in terms of protecting taxpayers' dollars. Thank you. A new question, the member from Cambridge. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure. From knocking on doors in my riding of Cambridge during the spring election to receiving calls at my constituency office, the economy is top of mind for many of my constituents, including my 17 and 20 year old sons and their friends who are now planning for their future and their entry into the job market. I have reviewed Stats Canada recent job numbers report and found a positive trend for my region of Waterloo that includes Cambridge. My region's unemployment rate dropped by 0.4% in the last month alone and 1.5% over the last year. Cambridge now has an unemployment rate of 6.3%, proof that our government's economic plan is working for my constituents in Cambridge. Would the Minister please inform the House about last month's job numbers and how our province continues to grow since the global recession? Thank you. Minister of Economic Development. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Certainly great news for the Cambridge community. It's really good to hear that. And last month alone, Ontario created 37,000 net new jobs. Over 90% of those jobs, Mr. Speaker, were full-time jobs, which is great news. Our provinces unemployment rate dropped 0.6% last month. It's now 6.5%. This is the lowest unemployment rate Ontario has seen since October 2008. Mr. Speaker, even the opposition have to consider that good news. Since the recession, Ontario's up a net 550,000 net new jobs. In fact, Mr. Speaker, more specifically, 551,300 net new jobs. In fact, our job recovery rate since the recession is 207.4%, well outpacing the US at 115%. That tells me, Mr. Speaker, we're doing something right in the province of Ontario. Mr. Speaker, this is great news, not only for my Cambridge community, but the entire province. Ontario's manufacturing sector is important to the overall strength of our economy. I know that the opposition enjoys talking this sector down, but I think it's important to talk about the facts. Last month alone, Ontario's manufacturing sector gained 32,900 net new jobs. Recently, I spoke at a manufacturing summit in Cambridge, hosted by the professional engineers of Ontario. They're excited by the growth of the advanced manufacturing sector in Cambridge. Today, in my community, auto manufacturing is incredibly important. Toyota's Cambridge facility, our largest employer, is home to the only Lexus plant outside Japan. With the minister, please update the House on strategic investment. Questions? This government has recently secured to keep Ontario's auto sector on track. You're here. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week, following the Premier's successful mission to China, our Premier was pleased to announce that our government's investing with Honda to make the Alliston facility the global lead for the Honda Civic. Mr. Speaker, I've been advised that this is the first globally. This will make Ontario the only jurisdiction outside of Japan to ever land a Honda global lead facility. Something, Mr. Speaker, for us and the workers in Alliston to be very proud of. These investments will not only safeguard 4,000 high-skilled direct positions, Mr. Speaker. The investment will also support thousands more supply chain jobs throughout Ontario. The project will cover major investments in the assembly lines, engine paint and paint shops. As Ontario continues to lead North America in foreign direct investment, our strategic efforts to partner with our auto sector will continue to provide value and attract investment in jobs to our province. Mr. Speaker, thank you. Next question, the Member for Kitchener, Travis Holder. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Transportation. Minister, how many violations of provincial truck testing standards did Circle report the Drive Test Center in Woodbridge this year? Thank you, Minister of Transportation. Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member for that question. This is a very timely question because the member I know will know that not that many days ago I had the opportunity to announce via the media that our government would be moving forward for the first time. For the first time amongst all the provinces across this country with mandatory entry level training for truck drivers who were seeking to obtain their ASAP license, Speaker. This is a measure that once fully rolled out, of course, I'll have the chance to work closely with my colleague, the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities on this particular matter. As I said a second ago, Speaker, it'll place Ontario at the forefront of dealing with making sure that truck drivers out there are properly trained. Last week, Speaker, I had the opportunity to attend the Convention of the Ontario Trucking Association and they were thrilled to know that our government plans to move forward with this measure. I look forward to discussing this more in supplementary. Supplementary? Well, Speaker, I'll remind folks I did ask about violations at the Provincial Truck Testing Standards Facility in Woodbridge because we know through the Toronto Star Report that would-be truckers were not even being taken on 400 series of highways a clear violation of your standards, your Ministry Standards Speaker. CIRCL's contract allows them to self-audit and self-report compliance with Ministry Standards, giving them orange-like powers that are jeopardizing our safety. Minister, you have a clear responsibility for oversight and yet you allow a contract for self-policing of our testing centres that diverts accountability. In the spiritness of openness and transparency, will you today table the reports and audits of detailed drive test centre violations since this self-policing regime went into effect? With no way, Jim. Minister of Transportation. Thanks very much, Speaker. Actually, it's interesting. I also had the opportunity to read some of the media stories that the member opposite's talking about. Speaker, the self-auditing aspect of what this particular contractor is able to provide deals with a variety of issues, including items like customer satisfaction. When it was first brought to the ministry its attention via the media that there was a problem or a concern being expressed around this particular test centre, Ministry of Transportation officials were able to go out to the test centre itself, Speaker, to make sure that all the rules and regulations were being followed. And in fact, as it relates to the extent to which these test centres are performing their responsibilities in the manner that they're supposed to, the Ministry of Transportation does, of course, send out folks to audit on average, on a monthly basis, Speaker. So, it's important, as I said in responding to the first question that we move forward with the mandatory training for ASA drivers that want to become truck drivers here in this province, Speaker. I know hopefully the member opposite will support those measures. Thanks, Frank. New question, the member from subgroup. Thank you, Speaker, through you again to the Ministry of Transportation. I'll keep the same line of question, in fact. Last month, we learned that the provincial government allows unregulated license mills to train drivers of 40 contractor trailers. Then we learned that CIRCLE, the private multinational corporation, runs drive test centres, does not always test these drivers on highways. At that time, the Ministry of Transportation assured us, quote, there are specific standards and requirements for commercial driver testing that our service provider must meet. Well, today, we learned that the government has no idea whether CIRCLE is meeting these standards. That's because last year, the government gave CIRCLE the power to police itself, leaving it up to CIRCLE to verify its own performance and leaving it up to CIRCLE to let the minister know whether they are not doing their job properly. Will the minister explain why the government agreed to escape the loophole when the contract was renewed last year? Thank you. Minister of Transportation. Thanks very much, Speaker. So I think in my answer to the previous question from the member of the opposition, the member from Kitchener, I spend a bit of time talking about what this particular contractor is, in fact, permitted to self-audit, which is at the crux of this question as well. Here's a list of some of the things that this particular contractor is entitled to self-audit, Speaker. Accuracy of transaction processing and timeliness of corrections. Maintaining an 85% customer satisfaction rating at all locations. Responds in resolution time, Speaker, to customer inquiries and complaints. The list goes on, Speaker. What I'm trying to get at here and what I tried to do in my response to the original question I received on this was that the auditing, the self-auditing mechanism, doesn't take place or occur with respect to the testing itself. The Ministry of Transportation works very hard with all of our testing centers to ensure that they are following the regulations and rules. When the story first appeared, Speaker, we did take action. Thank you. That's respond more in the supplementary. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker, for you. In 2003, the Harris-Torres privatized drivers licensing centers, signing a 10-year contract with Circo, which also runs private prisons and private hospitals. Contracting out has been a disaster leading to a long strike in 2009. But instead of cutting ties with Circo as the NDP has demanded, last year, the Liberal government signed up for another 10 years. At that time, the contractor, at that time, the contract is even worse with less accountability and protection for Ontario drivers. And the government refuses to say how many inspectors, if any, are overseeing Circo's operations. Instead of outsourcing accountability to yet another public-private partnership, will the government publicly release the uncensored Circo contract, all audit reports, and minister reviews for the life test? And tell us the number of inspectors in charge of overseeing Circo's operations. Thank you, Minister. Thanks very much, Speaker. In fact, and one of my answers to a question already today, Speaker, I talked about the fact that on average, on a monthly basis, there are MCO inspectors that are out there at this particular test center and others across the province. It is important, I think, here in this legislature for us to deal with facts and information. It's really important to note that over the last few years, there are a number of measures that have been brought forward by our government to make sure that our roads here in Ontario remain amongst the safest in North America. So, for example, Speaker, not that many years ago, this government took some steps to make changes to the commercial vehicle testing regime, Speaker, including a training standard for class AZ drivers and for their licensed training programs, which was introduced back in 2010 by one of my predecessors in this portfolio. Here's the interesting part, Speaker, notwithstanding what the members of the opposition are trying to do here today, Speaker, since that time, since those measures were introduced, we have seen in Ontario that the number of fatal collisions involving large trucks has reached a five-year low, Speaker. So, instead of standing here in this house and trying to create a stereo around the subject, let's deal in fact and see that up. Question? Member from Holden. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade. Minister, despite a constantly changing economy, Ontario was able to rank high as one of the largest economies in the U.S. and Canada last year. And we're first in North America when it comes to foreign direct investment. We all know how crucial to our success it is that we promote our economic competitiveness on the international stage. Minister, my riding of Holden is one of the fastest growing areas in the country and our residents are concerned about our province's economic health. My constituents want Ontario to maintain its competitive business advantage and continue to create opportunities for economic growth. Minister, as the global economy remains unstable, what is Ontario doing to ensure that we foster a climate that is conducive to business? Great question. Thank you, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade. Thank you, thank you, Speaker. And I want to thank the member from Holden for asking. Mr Speaker, three weeks ago I was in China on a trade mission with the Premier and the Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure. Two delegations, Speaker of over 60 Ontario businesses' organizations, one in Clean Tech, the other one in Science and Technology, accompany us. We visited Nanjing, Shanghai and Beijing in China. We were joined by the Premier from other provinces as well. Mr Speaker, we share our belief that relationship must be in place in order for the doors to open, for the business connections. Because we secure trade deals that will lead to almost one billion in investment and 1,800 jobs. Member from Hamilton, East Tony Creek, come to our answer. We also believe that our trade mission brought about tangible results so quickly, driving our economy, creating jobs are our ultimate goal. Thank you. Mr Speaker, it is reassuring to hear that the trade mission to China brought about so many trade and investment partnerships. According to the Conference Board of Canada, every $100 million increase in exports creates close to 1,000 new jobs for Ontarians. Given the success in China and the number of new partnerships you have brought to Ontario, I'm sure we can expect many new opportunities for the people of our province. However, it is important to note how diverse Ontario is, not just in culture, but in our job force as well. In my writing, we have a lot of young families coming from a lot of different backgrounds with a lot of different skills. Many are looking to break into and establish themselves in the job market. Now, not all Ontarians work in the same sector, not all Ontarians will find work in a steel mill. Mr Speaker, would the Minister be able to tell us what is being done to ensure that Ontarians in different fields, like the residents in my writing, will benefit from the success of the China trip? Mr Speaker, we know how important it is to economy that we must diversify. Speaker, by diversification, it's not just about locking on the doors of different countries. It's about exploring opportunities in many different fields and bringing various types of investment to Ontario. This is what we did in China. We secured partnerships, investments and jobs that will benefit different sectors and different communities. Here are some of the examples. We partnered with a company building a pair of residential towers. A company that will bring manufacturing jobs for green projects, a steel mill, a financial centre and more. We will also formalise a new work plan for Ontario Jiangsu Business Council, which will promote economy beyond the mission. Speaker, we are committed to ensuring this trade mission does not create only temporary results. We have worked to bring a long-term, prosperous growth for Ontarians. Thank you. Your question? The member from Melbourne, Milisex London. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, my question is to the Attorney General. Minister, we all join the people of London to mourn the life of Dave McPherson. Mr. McPherson was tragically killed in a fire that engulfed an unlicensed group home where he and some 30 other people all suffering from mental illness and addictions were forced to reside because your government has failed to provide an adequate number of property license facilities. But days before this fatal fire took place, a manager from your ministry's office of the Ontario Public and Guardian Trustee toured the building. How is it that ministry staff that toured this group home did not raise any concerns even though the building was under strict city and fire department improvement orders? Thank you. First of all, Mr. Speaker, let me offer my most sincere condolences to the family and friends of the victim. This is a real tragic incident. And so... I want to remind you, the job of the office of the public guardian and trustee is to do for the client what he or she would do for themselves in financial matters. For example, receive income, apply for any available benefits, pay bill and fill taxes. As a guardian of property, the office of the public guardian and trustee does not make personal decision for the client such as deciding where a client lives and what activity they engage in. It also does not recommend or refer client to any type of housing. Community agency usually perform this function. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Minister, the place was appalling. There were no walls at the bedrooms. There was bugs on the bed and piles of garbage in the hallways. Who would want to live in that and why would the office of the public guardian trustee who signs the check raise a blind eye and walk away? Mr. Speaker, for more than a year, inspectors from several city departments had been monitoring this London apartment building. London the police alone have visited the facility over 100 times in 2014. There are constant red flags, including health, safety, fire and zoning violations. But still some of our most vulnerable Londoners were still living in these conditions. Minister, your ministry's office of the Ontario Public Guardian and Trustee is responsible for protecting the rights and interests of Ontario's suffering from mental illness. This tragedy should have been prevented. What immediate and urgent action will you take to guarantee the same tragedy does not take place in other Ontario's communities? Thank you. Minister? Again, you know, like the role of the public guardian and trustee is not to, you know, it's to look after financial matter of those individual. However, there is other agency like the municipality for instances who is responsible to look into this facility and see if the fire code is respected, if the health and safety is respected in these facilities. But I'm sure that, you know, the... The member from Dufferin, Caledon, Cullinan, social services along with other agencies who look after these types of individuals will look into it because it's very unfortunate and I hope it does not happen again. Thank you very much. No question. The member from Windsor-Wed. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. This Liberal government has a bad habit of saying one thing and doing another. For all their talk about making home care a priority, the Liberals are allowing home care services to be cut from Windsor to Sarnia. The Erie St. Clair CCAC has reduced daily nursing visits by a shocking 33% this month. That's a huge hit that means seniors won't get the care they need. Many have been told they're now just a number on a wait list. And family caregivers have been stripped of essential respite time. Will the Premier explain how she can possibly stand by and allow vital home care services to be slashed in Southwestern Ontario? Thank you, Premier. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the question. Well, it simply isn't true that we're slashing our funding to home care or to our CCACs, Mr. Speaker. In fact, we have dramatically increased the funding that we've provided to home care, to community care services through our CCACs and through our LINs since coming into office in 2003. In fact, it is a 99% increase in funding over roughly the past decade. So what the member opposite is saying, obviously, Mr. Speaker, we do rely on our LINs and rely on our CCACs to make those important decisions in terms of the distribution of resources. And Mr. Speaker, I'm happy to speak more about that in the supplementary coming up. Double the supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. The minister can talk about home care till he's blue in the face, but the only thing that matters is whether he's willing to stop these cutbacks that are happening under his watch. At 33% reduction in home care nursing visits is not acceptable. My office has been flooded by worried families who have no idea where they're going to turn to get the care their loved ones need. They're scrambling to deal with these cuts and the government's broken promise to deliver better home care. Premier, you stated you would not forget about Windsor, but this is not the type of attention we were hoping for. Will the Premier commit today to do whatever it takes to reverse each and every cut to the seniors of Southwestern Ontario who depend on vital home care services? Thank you, minister. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And Mr. Speaker, again, we've invested more than four, we are investing more than $4 billion in home care, including investing significant portions of that amount in the Windsor-Estech area. It just isn't true that we are not making cuts to home care, to our community care services. In fact, we've increased this year alone $270 million extra into that important care. It is true, Mr. Speaker, that we're using those funds to provide support for the more complex need patients. We're making sure that those patients are no longer cared for in hospitals, but they're actually cared for in the place which is more relevant to them to give the highest quality of care to provide them with the supports that they need. So those complex need patients that perhaps used to be cared for in hospitals are now being cared in-home, servos at home. It's working, Mr. Speaker, and we're increasing funding to accommodate those needs. Thank you, a new question? The member from Ottawa's Health. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, two Fridays ago, we heard some great news for Ontario's economy. Our unemployment rate dropped to 6.5%. The lowest since October 2008. The peak of the... I need to know who. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Children and Youth Services. Thank you. All right. Thanks to the member from the Bean and Carlton. Mr. Speaker, 37,000 jobs were created in Ontario last month. Most of them full-time, including 6,300 jobs for youth. It is vital to Ontario's economic future that youth have opportunities for employment and it's apparent that our plan to grow the economy and create good jobs are working in every region of the province. However, Mr. Speaker, we know that always there is more that can and needs to be done. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister of Children and Youth Services give us an update on how the Ontario government is helping support opportunities for youth employment in the province? Here, here. Thank you. Minister of Children and Youth Services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the member for Ottawa South for that question. It's a really important one, Mr. Speaker, because I think we're going to all agree the future of Ontario is indeed tied to our youth and it's important that we help young people reach their full potential in this province and we need to work collaboratively, Mr. Speaker, not just in government, but with the private sector, the broader public sector and so on. When I'm meeting with groups outside of government, Mr. Speaker, there's a real recognition that government can't address this issue alone. We must work collaboratively with the private sector and the broader sector and beyond. So our work with Civic Action is an example that of a project we've entered into to help at-risk youth overcome barriers to employment and Civic Action's leading a nine-month engagement review in the GTHA and the report escalator will provide opportunities for employment, mentorship and so on. I'll speak more to it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the minister's answer and it's very interesting work that's being done with Civic Action to help at-risk youth with employment opportunities. Bringing the private sector, labor and government and community grief together is a major undertaking and the collaborative consensus building approach to this issue will lead the way to a lasting and positive outcomes for youth who need these opportunities. Mr. Speaker, though the escalator report was only released in September, I'm hoping that the minister could give us some insight on what the response has been like. Thank you. Thank you, minister. Thanks, Speaker. And I am very pleased to report that November Civic Action and NP Power Canada welcomed their first cohort into the Technology Services Corp's Canada program, Speaker. This is an employer-driven program for aspiring IT professionals. And it gives fruit training, internships, job placements and mentorship for underserved youth in the greater Toronto and Hamilton area. It's a fantastic program and this is another example, Speaker, of important partnerships that our government is making with grassroots organizations in Ontario. And I should just mention to, Speaker, that Civic Action led a roundtable last Friday on youth employment with the LinkedIn CEO, Jeff Wiener. That's another example of important partnerships with the private sector. So we are committed to working with all our partners to help address the issues with youth employment. Thank you so much, Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The number's on the first part of this. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. On October 30th, my colleague asked the minister about his government's incredible indifference towards two small municipalities hit by last year's ice storm. He claimed that municipalities that quote suffered the most damage and had the least ability to respond fiscally would get help as quickly as possible. If that's true, then why is he plastering those municipalities in red tape, forcing them to fill out even more paperwork a year after the disaster struck? Thank you, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Well, Minister, that's an interesting question. It goes right to the heart of accountability. When you're distributing $190 million in ice storm relief, you want to make sure you get it right. Indeed, indeed. Municipalities have applied for assistance. They've been screened based on that application. And there is a process of documenting their receipts for ice storm repairs. It's very, very necessary for any government that wants to be transparent and accountable. It's as simple as that. That's what we're doing. Municipalities have in fact asked, for an extension of the deadline with respect to filling out the forms so that more municipalities that you're talking about can come together, document their need, present their receipts, and get a, hopefully, a response from them. Supplementary? Thank you, Speaker. Minister, the town of Minow and the municipality of North Perth where officials are still filling out paperwork will not be satisfied with that answer, neither mine. They were hit very hard, but I've yet to see a nickel. I have consistently spoken up for the municipalities I represent, starting in April of 2013. That's when the first storm hit and North Perth applied for assistance. The government's response, not so much as a gift card. When the former minister promised 190 million after the December ice storm, officials in Toronto confidently stated that virtually all of their costs would be covered. Why hasn't the government given Minow, North Perth, and other small and rural municipalities the same assurances? Well, doesn't minister actually think that Toronto is less able to respond fiscally? Thank you. Minister? Well, I think it's wonderful that the member opposite continues to be an advocate for his community. That's what he's here for. Good for you, good for you. Notwithstanding that, we wanna make sure that any assistance that's provided is done based on need and is done in the responsible and accountable way. That requires receipts to be presented for the work that's done. Municipalities know what the guidelines are and in a number of instances have asked for extensions in order to assist. By the way, there is some financial assistance available to municipalities who are having trouble with the paperwork. Thank you. Thank you. Do you have a question? Professor Moshawa? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Associate Minister of Finance. Speaker, questions remain about the government's proposed Ontario Retirement Pension Plan. We know that comparable plans will be exempt, but the government is still to do not exactly what that means. Minister of Agriculture and the Deputy Health Leader come to order. Instead, they continue to prioritize their bank-friendly PRPP legislation. Speaker, I have already asked this question and I didn't receive an answer, so I'm happy to ask it again. Will PRPPs be considered comparable and qualify for an exemption from the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan? Thank you, Associate Minister of Finance. Thank you, Speaker. And I wanna thank the member from Moshawa for her question. And Speaker, as we know that retirement savings is an issue for us in this province. When we look out, we know that people are not saving enough for their retirement futures. And our government has committed to strengthening our retirement income system. And that includes, Speaker, voluntary measures such as PRPPs, which are a compliment to our made in Ontario solution of the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan. Speaker, we have to take action now. Doing nothing is not a solution, Speaker. We have to ensure that we strengthen Ontario's retirement savings system so that when people retire, they can retire in some comfort and dignity, Speaker. And that is our intention, and that is our purpose. Thank you. Speaker, the government claims that it is committed to a public pension plan in Ontario, but their actions say otherwise. They tell us that PRPPs will merely supplement the ORPP, but more and more it looks like they will become a substitute. Speaker, if the government is committed to a public pension plan, then we want to hear them make commitments, not just make noise. So I'll ask again, will PRPPs be considered comparable and qualify for an exemption from the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan? Thank you. Minister? Speaker, let me be very clear. The focus of our government is the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan, and that is what we're focused on doing. Other measures such as PRPPs, RRSPs are voluntary savings mechanisms which are essential to people achieving their retirement goals overall, Speaker. And it's important for us to have a strong retirement saving systems in this province so that we can continue to move forward and to contribute to Ontario's economy in the long term. So I thank the member opposite for her question. It's an important one as we focus on building retirement savings in this province. Thank you. Any questions? Members from Kitchener Center? Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. Minister, in my writing of Kitchener Center, there are many constituents who live very demanding lives, whether they're students, professionals or parents of young families. They want to know that they can shop safely for basic needs and enter into fair and accountable agreements without worrying about being taken advantage of by misleading sales tactics or confusing contracts. And I think many of us have had experiences like that. Ontarians believe that our province should maintain certain standards protecting their rights as consumers. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please update this House on what his ministry is doing to protect Ontario consumers? Thank you, the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. I appreciate the question from the member from Kitchener Center. It's an important question. Since 2003, Speaker, we've taken a significant number of measures to help protect consumers, including things like removing the expiry date on gift cards, capping payday lending costs, capping fees on cell phone costs, as well as allowing for triple recovery. We're also very pleased with the recent passage of Bill 55, Stronger Protection for Ontario Consumers Act, which will help prevent aggressive high-pressure door-to-door sales tactics, as well as protect consumers with respect to water heater rentals, debt settlement and real estate practices. We are moving Speaker as well to introduce changes to the Condo Act. There has been a fairly lengthy consultation on that. We're going to have more to say about that in the future. As well as areas around home renovations, moving companies, home inspections, and the development of a Consumer Protection Bill of Rights. Thank you. There are no deferred votes this House stance recess until 1pm this afternoon.