 Is now time for question period era of her majesty's loyal opposition This question mr. Speaker is forever whoever is acting premier Lucky man Speaker to the acting premier section 53 50.31 of the electricity act reads I quote all proceeds payable to her majesty in the right of Ontario Respect of the disposition of any securities or debt obligations of or any other interest in Hydro one Inc a corporation established under section 50 a corporation or other entity established under section 50 point one Or an arrangement made under 50 point one shall be paid to the financial corporation Acting premier. Are you going to follow the law? Are you going to pay down the 27 billion dollar hydro debt with the money you get from the sale of hydro one? Thank you. Thank you very much speaker and I want to thank the member the Leader of the official opposition for the the question and first of all speaker as I mentioned earlier We know that mr. Ed Clark will be Tabling his recommendations later today. I think it will be as a speaker will not be wise to preempt What's what's in the report? What's clear and what's something that the premier has been the premier has been very clear about a speaker and that Find opportunities to unlock the value In the in the tremendous assets We have in our process in our province and be able to use that value speaker to fund Critical public infrastructure that is needed in our process such as such as our highway Transits and our transportation infrastructure speaker That's something that we presented to the people of Ontario in the last election and we continue to work on that to build Ontario supplementary The acting premier the reason we put the law into place was to ensure that the money from any sale of hydro one Would be used to pay down the debt and provide relief to hydro customers through lower electricity rates After all it's the hydro customers that own hydro one You're planning on doing the exact opposite You're going to run off with the sale proceeds and leave customers with the 27 billion dollar debt to pay That can only mean higher hydro rates Deputy Premier, can you guarantee hydro customers that a sale of hydro one will not result in higher hydro bills for decades to come? Well, I think it's ironic to get this question from from the the party and the member opposite who actually saddled Ontario taxpayers with this enormous stranded They're the one who left this Unsavory legacy to the people of Ontario that they are working hard towards in paying off and in fact speaker is this government that has been Year by year by year has been paying off that stranded hydro debt to the point speaker that we cannot proudly Thank you Finish please Speaker we've been we've been over the last 12 years have been paying off that that that was left by the previous conservative Government we are up to the point speaker that we will be removing the debt retirement charge from the Consumer rate payers because they have paid Their part in that case speaker will continue to make sure that the stranded debt is paid That's something that was left behind by the official opposition when they were government Mr. Speaker the majority of the 27 billion dollar debt comes from David Peterson's decision to Not have Darrington come in on time and on budget in fact 14 billion dollars over budget That's the majority and the rest of it was incurred by the old Ontario Hydro before I was even born before you were even born So get your story straight and stop Not Peter to pay Paul In between the applause I did hear something I would like him to withdraw Withdraw mr. Speaker You have an obligation minister and I say to the government to pay down that debt its legacy debt It's debt that's been there for a long time. We're paying big interest on it Hydro customers own hydro one They should be the ones that benefit through lower rates or at least stable rates for the next few decades question That's the purpose of the law We knew some scoundrel will come along at this point in history and try and steal that money for other purposes to Patch up your mismanagement of the last 12 years do the right thing and follow Did it please Before I continue I'm going to offer a caution that As we move along in this I'm starting to hear some on the edge stuff and something I actually asked to be withdrawn So let's just keep it within parliamentary language, please carry on speaker it's it's rather rich to to to get this this This question Who made a mess made a big number from me In this province when I'm from government I am I am going to repeat myself to ensure that those that were Making noise while I was speaking member from Leeds Grandville will come to order the member from Simcoe North will come to order the member for Prince Edward Hastings will come to order Carry on because that's the party and when government made a mess of the hydro system in this province They they had to make too many false stars They were burning dirty coal to produce electricity in this province polluting our air causing asthma in our in our children They're the one I had that momentous blackout in our in our province burning diesel You finish please speak of we've been working with a lot We've been working hard over the last 12 years in rebuilding the energy system in this province By shutting down coal-fired generation making sure that we have the renewable green electricity In our system and reliable source of electricity for Ontarians Remember from here on Bruce Her self-claimed the cost of gas will increase over three cents under the Liberals paid to pollute scheme and with this liberal Government's track record. We know it will end up costing much more Even if we pretend it will only be three cents as you claim that will cost Ontarians and an additional seven hundred million dollars a year That's another hundred dollars to Ontario families to shoulder your burden of mismanagement in rural Ontario People don't have the choice not to drive How are rural families who must buy gas to get to work and get to school regardless of the price? Going to be able to afford this increase I Speak of first of all I want to congratulate our premier and the minister of the environment and climate change for taking a most important and Momentous decision when it comes to ensuring that we actually deal with the issue of climate change in our province by Introducing the cap and trade system the official Opposition speaker needs to get their hand out out of the quicksend. They got to choose a late Are they going to continue to deny climate change? Are they going to stand up for Ontarians and the future of our province when it comes to a cleaner? Cleaner environment and a better a better In a stronger economy speaker. I guess because now we know what PC party stands for is the pro cold pro carbon party of Ontario speaker They're the only ones who are standing in support of carbon the whole world Making sure that we put price on carbon we make sure that we deal with greenhouse gas emissions because it is essential to the future prosperity of our The acting premier this isn't the first time that the Liberals have copied a European energy plan before they saw the evidence Your green energy act was supposed to Safety environment reduced pollution and create a short on your services It's caused energy prices to skyrocket Made your liberal friends rich and drove jobs out of this province this pay-to-pollute scheme will be the green energy act 2.0. Yeah, however this time it won't just be electricity rates that soar It's now attacks on everything the green energy act cost each household $1,100 a year acting premier how much more will your pay-to-pollute scheme cost ontarian households? Minister of the environment climate change minister of the environment Fascinated by this line of questioning mr. Speaker the party opposite put a cap and trade system on nitric oxide sulfur dioxide and Carbon monoxide and they trade between companies. They're down 40 percent and 46 percent And you can and mr. Speaker you can hear that this is a very sensitive issue for the party Right now, so we are about to design a cap and trade system Where it is in place in places like California and Quebec is actually enabling higher productivity a carbon price in BC saw accelerated Costs for everyone mr. Speaker When they learn something about the difference between cap and trade and taxes mr. Speaker, which is sort of one-on-one Thank you This government has lost touch with reality is mind-boggling One day they rise in the house to tell us how ontarians are not saving enough for retirement The next day they create a tax on everything that will take money right out of their pockets Higher costs mean less disposable income that means less money to save less money to spend to keep the economy moving That's basic economics acting premier. How much money will your tax on everything take from the retirement savings accounts of ontarians? Well, I got you your second one the member from Renfrew nipissing Pembroke come to order and The member from Prince Edward Hastings come to order and the member from Lanark come to order Carry on so speaker. So 10 back great Ontario forestry company reduces its emissions and improves its plan the average GHG emissions from average force is let's say 50 and we set the cap at 40 10 back is at 30 10 back then has a surplus it may sell it to cascade which may need two or three years to do that Cascade then can buy the time the money 10 back gets back Reinvested in a higher productivity plan more job. Sir. That's how it works. Mr. Speaker. It's a good thing Is Martha Stewart would say mr. Speaker My question is for the acting premier first the Liberals showed how they Disrespect Ontarians by keeping their plan to sell hydro one secret during the election campaign campaign now They're disrespecting Ontarians and this assembly in the way that they've ruled out the Clark report My question to the acting premier is can he phone the premier and tell her to get over here and answer the Haven't the question be put by the official opposition I will allow the Acting premier to respond speaker and I think I can hear things again now and apologies to the members of the community here in the public gallery for The question period they've written so far speaker as the Naming people Finish please a speaker as as the member opposite I'm sure knows that private sector gas distribution distribution companies are regulated by the Ontario Energy Board The OAP is an independent regulator with a mandate to protect the best interest of energy consumers in Ontario And as an independent regulator speaker the OAP has the authority to enforce its statutory powers I understand that in this particular case the OAP has ruled that it will grant the certificate to Greenfield on the basis That it is in the public in best interest and that customers will not be unduly burdened And the government speakers that are the board and its processes. Thank you supplementary Yeah, where was I? Acting premier There is an odor around this OAP decision and there's nothing to do with the smell of natural gas This sweetheart deal is going to result in higher prices for consumers After 12 years of Liberals in office energy customers can hardly afford further increases to their cost of living After all of the scandals during your long reign in power the people of Ontario know how you do business Special deals and favors for well connected liberal insiders who scratch your back when election time rolls around Acting premier. I ask you once again How can voters believe that you did not offer eastern power cheap gas so that they would go along with your liberal seat-saving plan? Back in the 2011 election That Speaker speaker I am I'm confident that the member opposite very well knows The the kind of system we have in place in Ontario the regulation around pricing and approval process In the energy sector is done by an independent regulator called the Ontario energy board It is a quasi judicial body It's arms length from the government the government speaker does not intervene in the in the matters and the affairs of the Ontario Energy Board it has a very robust process in fact speaker where the public and proponents and opponents can Participate and we respect the process and the decisions that the Ontario energy board makes and I asked the member opposite Answer respect the decision as well. Thank you. Thank you new question participating in this question period Member from simple north. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker My question is for the minister of education when asked about OSTF walking away from negotiations during the scrum yesterday. You simply shrugged it off You implied that this was just a tactic and they would be back in no time Well, we have been saying it for years. You have severely mismanaged the province's finances and the result of that We are broke because of that on Monday children in Durham Might show up at a school to face a picket line and other boards. Mr. Speaker will follow soon after Your liberal mismanagement will force thousands of kids out of the classroom Minister, please don't shrug this off. Will you get serious about negotiations and prevent this strike from happening? Thank you very much speaker and first of all, I must say that that was a serious misrepresentation of what I said yesterday What I said yesterday Was that we remain absolutely committed to being at the table and negotiating That I am in fact concerned very concerned that OS STF Chose to walk away from the provincial table But what I would also point out is that they said they suspended Their participation at the provincial table. They did not say they ended their participation at the provincial table And I did point out the Accuracy accurate words that were used to the media and what I also said was I was very concerned that having suspended their Partition at the provincial table that this greatly increased the probability of a strike in germ and that that very much concerned me Thank you Minister The other side of the table had said you aren't serious about discussions and negotiations. That's very clear You and that was in there that was in their memorandum You keep saying and I quote you won't negotiate in the media and I end the quote Well, apparently you won't negotiate at all and apparently a number of boards won't negotiate at all along with your central bargaining Your budget is already forcing other school boards to cut special education teachers You're fast-tracking fast-tracking the closure of school community hubs right across this province is in the shortest nine weeks And now just weeks before graduation and prom Your years of financial mismanagement is coming back to haunt you and The people that will suffer the most are the students and parents across this province Because of your mismanagement of the economy Parents might not be able to see their child walk across the stage to graduate Question minister, what are you going to say to those parents? You've got on your hands Well the first thing I would say to the member opposite and to everyone in the province is I continue to believe that what we need are Negotiated settlements. We have nine central tables Discussions are currently ongoing at eight of those central tables. I fully anticipate that we will have discussions ongoing at nine of those central tables when when we get over this quote-unquote suspension and We will work very hard to negotiate collective agreements and we will negotiate them at the table because everything I've learned about collective bargaining over the years tells me that when you negotiate in the media Negotiations fail. So our answer is to get to the table and to go negotiate settlements because Negotiating is the way we deliver programs for students Thank you, Mr. Speaker my question is the Minister of Health Minister last week the select committee on sexual violence and harassment traveled to northern Ontario to hear firsthand from Service providers and victims during the meeting in Sioux lookout the committee heard a presentation from two RNs from the Sioux lookout Meno Yeah, when health center who expressed concerns over staff training within their assault care and treatment program Currently, there are only four full-time RNs hospital wide qualified to provide care to sexual assault victims In order to gain the proper skills These near nurses need to travel to urban settings like Toronto to complete the full forensic training The R&O our NAO has stated that in the past when the programs were originally funded They were monitored under priority programs at the ministry level But have since been transferred to the hospital, which is burdensome on their budgets Minister will you commit to providing the necessary training funding for training nurses, especially those in northern Community so they can probably treat these victims Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question and the opportunity to respond I I think I first want to recognize Mr. Speaker the important work that that committee the committee on sexual violence and assault is Doing on behalf of all Ontarians. This is incredibly important work, and we are all looking forward to Their recommendations as well as implementing the important policies and procedures and systems that are required to backstop those Recommendations, it's a very important issue to me personally as well as of course as Minister of Health and to the government as a whole Mr. Speaker sexual violence and harassment are Unfortunately a reality in every community in this province We must continue to work hard to address it Fundamentally to prevent to stamp out sexual violence and assault where it occurs But unfortunately where it does occur we need to respond in appropriate ways and the opposite is Reflecting one of the many ways that the province is involved in providing a response. I'm happy to address it specifically in the supplementary Mr. Speaker so these small rural hospitals, especially those that are are in located in remote communities like Sioux lookout Need dedicated funding to ensure that nurses have the proper training to care for victims of sexual assault especially in the collection of the forensic evidence to prosecute the offenders when evidence isn't Collected in a timely matter sexual assault charges can be thrown out by the car the court in this case for full-time RNs only qualified to provide care It can take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours before a victim may even be seen as Hospitals work to balance their budget the sexual assault domestic violence treatment centers have experienced deep program cups cuts So minister you can act today will you commit to the funding before the budget? So we can our ends in small rural hospitals, especially northern entable Ontario able to receive this important training, please Mr. Speaker I thank the member for the question this is a very important issue in fact Mr. Speaker the government currently funds 35 Hospital-based sexual assault and domestic violence treatment centers right across the province including I believe there are eight in northern Ontario specifically and and these are centers that provide comprehensive and Timely support to women to women children and men who are victims and survivors of sexual assault or domestic violence All of these 35 centers across the province are staffed by health care professionals specially trained to deliver high quality care evidence collection all of those centers have access to rape kits and other Processes that are required to provide to collect and provide that evidence in a timely fashion as a member opposite as indicated Is so important they also provide education to other health care providers and community agencies in the general public There is always in everything we do as a province and as a government always more work to be done I hear the the specific question with regards to training from the member opposite answer will be following up Thank You To the minister of health and modern care we have a problem in our writing a simcoe doctors retiring with a roster of 4600 Patients and has no successor. This exacerbates an already fragile situation Also in June 2013 another example of part over physician with a roster of 2,000 retired Again without a replacement Over the years. I've met with a committee trying to build a new health center in part Dover They're enthusiastic, but but they need doctors. I wrote you a January 22nd seeking possible solutions I wait a reply for that letter minister and Minister I'm asking could you provide us with some advice some action to help our community down in Norfolk County to attract Physicians and also to help attract physicians in other under-serviced areas Well, thank you mr. Speaker and I appreciate the question from the member opposite it Is a very important issue in terms of physician supply around this province and it can be Challenging in certain parts of the province more challenging and others To to gain that supply of physicians It's so important to provide that that primary care support to the residents We have a number of initiatives that are underway work by health force Ontario that specifically targets Under-serviced and regularly serviced areas that are fake facing challenges with regards to physician supply We also have a program called health care connect that aims to attach Unattached patients to new family doctors, but mr. Speaker it's important as well to recognize that we have made Significant progress in this province in terms of both attachment of patients We now have about 94% of Ontarians who do have a regular primary care provider. That's a physician But it may also be another primary care provider and in the supplementary. I'll talk to other investments that we've made Thank you Thank you minister, and I feel that both there's a Norfolk general hospital recruitment team and also this Let's work over a committee. I have one option I feel as they need an empty family health organization to enable them to better enable them to attract doctors I'm also told of a need for an additional health organization in West Norfolk down in the the Port Row and Delhi area and minister you have indicated previously in question period You would like to see more family health teams in the small towns and rural Ontario. However, I understand There's a cap Allowing something like only 20 new family doctors a month in the entire province We graduate something like 500 a year from Ontario's medical schools To summarize in Norfolk, we need another 14 doctors according to the formula My question minister, why will you not create? new family health teams or other Empty family health organization example Thank you minister. Well, thank you And well, I know the member knows that I was born in Norfolk general hospital So this is a part of the province that I know I know I know very well and he's acknowledging that there's no plaque and But but this is a very important issue and and mr. Speaker I The the fact is that there's in the last 10 years There are more than there are 2,300 more family doctors practicing in this province than were before that's a almost 25% increase, but there is still more work to be done Nothing prevents family doctors for example, that's what we're talking about setting up shop anywhere in this province They can do so through fee for service. They can create a family health group as well where they can get together with other family doctors They can work as locums as well They can replace a retirement retiring physician for example in a family health team But also we have allocated 20 spots per month for under-serviced areas around the province And we've specifically looked to our lins to identify for the purpose of destroying these family health team doctors of Identifying where what parts of the province should be included? It may be that this part of Ontario is part of that Designated area we should know in the next several weeks Thank you very much be back to the acting premier Acting premier earlier in question period our leader asked you about what would be done with the proceeds of the sale of Hydro one and he pointed out very clearly that under the electricity act those for the proceeds of that sale must go To the Ontario electricity financial corporation in order to pay down the electricity debt in this province I'm going to ask you a very simple question Do you intend to obey the law of the land here in the province of Ontario with respect to the Disposition of those funds or do you plan to break the law and how I put this put this burden onto the backs of the Electricity consumers who have already paid for that debt. I I'm also going to caution again Going through to something on parliamentary also includes accusing someone of a criminal act And I'm going to offer him advice not to go down there again Please respond. Thank you very much Speaker and I want to restate the fact that we have worked extremely hard over the last 12 years in rebuilding the energy system in this province and there has been a Lot of concerted effort has been made In making sure that we have got the we've got the security of generation in our province and that we have a secure Transmission and distribution system in our province we have worked hard a speaker in eliminating a coal as a source of Generating electricity in our province in fact speaker We are extremely proud that they were the first province in North America to be able to do so one of the single last largest greenhouse gas Emission reduction Project in fact to the point that even we even the conservative Prime Minister of this country starting to take credit for that action after opposing That that decision again again speaker not to make sure make sure not to ensure not to mention to ensure that we have renewable energy We'll continue to work on our sector to make sure that meets the demands of our province. Thank you final supplementary Don't believe I got an answer there, but minister It is not the responsibility of the electricity consumer in this province to bail you out of your financial mismanagement of the past They pay for the electricity system So now that you've decided that you're going to sell off a portion of hydro one It is the law under the electricity act that that money must go to pay off the electricity debt It's not the money. The bunny is not there for any other purpose So I'll ask you in a different way Will you stand in your place today and tell the people of Ontario that as a minister of this crown you will obey the law Mr. Well speaker This government and the people of Ontario has been working extremely hard over the last 12 years to clean up the mess that The party opposite left behind when they were in government. They're the one who settled The member from Simcoe North is warned carry on the speaker this party opposite that settled Ontario with a massive stranded Hydrodead, which we have been paying year after year speaker We've been very clear with the people of Ontario that our priority is to build Ontario up by investing in Critical infrastructure in all our communities in fact and I hear members opposite standing up all the time speaker The member for Prince Edward Hastings is warned carry on We hear speaker members from opposite party is standing up all the time asking for critical Important investor in our infrastructure be it our highways our roads our public transit this government has ambitious plan We're going to invest in our infrastructure to improve the quality of lives of We have a deferred vote on the motion of allocation of time on bill 57 an act to create a framework for pooled registered pension plans and to make consequential amendments to other acts calling the members This will be a five-minute belt. I wanted to point it out members. Take their seats, please All members take their seats Mr.. Bradley has moved government notice of motion number 17 all those in favor Please rise one at a time be recognized by the clerk Mr.. Bradley Mr.. Hoskins Mr.. Charles Mr.. Quinter. Mr.. Cole. Mr.. Tachar. Mr.. Tachar. Mr.. Bernardinetti. Mr.. Dillon. Mr.. Dillon. Mr.. Quadri Mr.. Quadrilorzetti. Mr.. submitted Mr. McM Pen Mr.. Flynn mr. Flynn mr. Zimmer mr. Zimmer Mr.. Delaney mr.. Delaney Mr.. Bulkeson Ab Crack Mr.. hike Frasery Mr. Anderson, Mr. Baker, Mr. Ballard, Mr. Down, Mr. Hogue-Gar, Ms. Hogue-Garth, Ms. Koala, Ms. Koala, Mdaemla Long, Ms. Molly, Ms. Martin, Ms. McGarry, Ms. McMan, Mr. Miltian, Ms. Nidu Harris, Mr. Potts, Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Reynolds, Ms. Renil. Please rise one at a time that are opposed and be recognized by the clerk. Mr. Clark, Mr. Clark, Mr. Arna, Mr. Arna, Mr. Hardiman, Mr. Hardiman, Mr. Yacobusky, Mr. Miller Perry Sound, Miss Coco. Mr. Dunlop. Mr. Dunlop. Ms. Jones. Ms. Thompson. Ms. Thompson. Mr. Barrett. Mr. Barrett. Ms. Monroe. Ms. Monroe. Ms. Scott. Ms. Scott. Mr. Walker. Mr. Walker. Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith. Mr. Harris. Mr. Harris. Mr. Nichols. Mr. Nichols. Mr. McDonnell. Mr. McDonnell. Mr. McLaren. Mr. McLaren. Mr. Petipies. Mr. Petipies. Ms. Forrester. The guys being 48 and the nays being 21. I declare the motion carried. There are no further debates. There are no further votes. This house stands adjourned until recessed until 1pm this afternoon.