 Now it's time for a question period, the member from Brownington. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. The people of Ontario have lost confidence in your Liberal government after you wasted almost a billion dollars to save seats in Oakville and Mississauga in the 2011 election. Taxpayers are fed up with you wasting their money so the Liberals can cling to power. They want the Liberal Party of Ontario to pay it back. Will you support my private member's resolution tomorrow and commit to reimbursing taxpayers the $950 million that the Liberal Party wasted? While the clock has stopped, I don't normally do this, but I'm blank at telling you that I will be tough today. And if you don't get the message, you'll get it quick. Premier? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I believe that the question is in the context of all of the issues that have been raised as a result of the relocation of the gas plants. Those questions have been raised repeatedly at the committee. We have sent tens of thousands of documents, sheets of paper and documents to the committee. We broaden the scope of the committee so all those questions could be asked. I think that there is a much better understanding of what happened as a result in the process of moving those gas plants. Something that we all in this House agreed needed to happen. I have said repeatedly that there were decisions made that shouldn't have been made. And what's really important is that as we go forward we have in place a process that will ensure that this will not happen again. And that's what we're doing, Mr. Speaker. Saying sorry doesn't fix the problem because now we've moved on to Pan Am. But nevertheless, Premier, you signed the cabinet document authorizing the plant cancellation and you served as co-chair of the campaign that made the decision. When will you take responsibility for the money missing from the provincial treasury? This is the money that the auditor general said that it needed to be spent. Saying sorry just is not enough. You need to pay back the money that you owe the taxpayers. You need to stop using taxpayers as a personal ATM. Will you reimburse the hundreds of millions of dollars that you owe the Ontario people? No, you asked a question. That's enough. Very much, Mr. Speaker. Honest Noga, come to order. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I think a discussion of money lost to the provincial treasury would be a very interesting one, Mr. Speaker. So if we look at an asset like the 407, Mr. Speaker. In 2003, I met a former employee of the MTO, Mr. Speaker. And he said to me, you know, the $3 billion that was paid for that, for the 407, was a fraction of what that asset was worth, Mr. Speaker. So there are billions of dollars at the outset that probably should have been paid, that that was a fire sale, Mr. Speaker. But on way, Mr. Speaker, I believe the revenue, and I'll have to be, I'll stand to be corrected by the Minister of Transportation, but I believe the revenue that could have gone into the provincial treasury is in the order of $700 million a year. Thank you. I'll supplement you. You keep looking at the past because it doesn't want you to deal with the future. And I was just asking this question. Am I trying to bankrupt the Liberal Party? Will you bankrupt Ontario tax payment of Ontario to put the interests of the people of this province first? You failed to do that. We are calling on you to finally do the right thing. It's time the people of this province saw that the money would be returned. As the saying goes, if you can't do the time, don't do the crime. More government spent $950 million for... Thank you. I know what I'm doing. I'm not liking the tone of that particular issue, and I would ask the member to withdraw, everybody, I don't like that tone about crime and criminality. Carry on and withdraw, please. Good draw. Now it's time for the government to take responsibility for its actions. Premier, will you acknowledge your mistake in taking that money from taxpayers and pay it back to the Treasury? Good question. You see the place? Premier? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As I have said, we've had many, many opportunities to talk about these issues at the committee, and that discussion is ongoing. But I think that... Member from Renfrew, come to order. Renfrew Nipissing Pembroke says that people don't care about what happened 10 years ago, but I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, if the revenues that I spoke to on the 407 were continuing to come into the provincial treasury, that would be billions of dollars that we would have as a government and as a legislature that we could spend on services. I guess the question to the member opposite would be, will the party opposite find a way to pay back the billions on the 407, the hundreds of millions on the Eglinton subway, Mr. Speaker, be stranded hydro debt, Mr. Speaker? So I think that the member opposite understands that that is foregone revenue from the provincial treasury, and I would like to know what her leader would say about those debts, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Any questions? Remember from your team, Carlton. And I obviously want to congratulate her and Jane for birth of her first grandchild. That's exciting. Third! Oh, sorry. Okay. First grandson. That's fantastic. And hopefully he'll be wearing some Tory blue today. Speaker, I'd like to go back on this matter of the gas plants because it is clear that there's no confidence left in the government's handling of the energy file. In the last two weeks alone, the auditor confirmed they blew $1.1 billion in canceling gas plants. Then they canceled $181 million worth of nuclear reactors. Then the OEB raised hydro rates, and then the 402 was shut down by angry Ontarians and rural communities who are opposed to this wind turbine development scheme. So if their energy policy wasn't in shambles two weeks ago, it certainly is now. There is zero credibility left. So if you won't support my colleague from Burlington in her effort to get you to pay back that $950 million, will you be at least honest with the taxpayers of this province when they open their energy bill? Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I know the Minister of Energy will want to speak to this, but I want to just talk because this notion about the $180 million that has been spent on getting ready for a new, clear spend, Mr. Speaker. I just want to be clear about what that $180 million was for because I think people need to know that. So the Ontario Power Generation invested $180 million in environmental approvals, Mr. Speaker, in project planning, public and stakeholder consultations around a potential new bill. All of the OPG's expenditures related to the new nuclear planning, they were reviewed by the Ontario Energy Board, Mr. Speaker, which is an independent semi-judicial agency as the member opposite knows, and those expenses were posted publicly on their website. And much of what OPG is invested can be repurposed for the future if and when the province decides to move ahead. So, Mr. Speaker, that has not lost money. That has bought information. Thank you. Supplementary. I don't think that helps the premier escape the fact that the last two weeks in the energy file have been absolutely disastrous and has had a major impact on the repairs across this province. We know that she was in the middle of a series of very bad decision-speaker with respect to the Oakville gas plants. And it doesn't matter how many panels that she creates for so-called, quote-unquote, open government, everyone knows that she signed the Cabinet document to cancel that power plant. Everyone knows that she was the campaign chair to make that decision. And now everyone knows, because the Deputy Minister of Energy that she knew well before she was quoting the $33 million to $40 million cancellation fee, it would be upwards of $750 million or more. So if her party will not pay back the funds that they stole from the taxpayers in the province, the only thing that she can do now is actually tell Ontario taxpayers exactly how much it's costing them. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, we have been asking now for several months for the Progressive Conservative Party to come forward with its costing when it campaigned so aggressively for the cancellation of both these plants. Now, Mr. Speaker, they have not been forthcoming, but Mayor Rob Burton of Oakville put something on his website. I'd like to quote. You want to hear this? This is a quote from his website. It's called The Timeline. It's on September 25, 2011, PC leader Tim Houdax says the Oakville power plant cancellation cost $1 billion and suggests the Mississauga power plant cancellation may cost another billion. On October 5, 2011, you want to hear this? On the day before the provincial election in front of the still under construction Mississauga power plant, PC leader Tim Houdax promises to stop the power plant if he wins the election after only days before warning that he's sure it may cost another billion. Thank you. Final supplementary? Very much, Speaker. I'd like to go back to the Premier. Nice for the government house-seeder to try and get up and talk about something that really doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because I'll tell you something, Speaker. It was their government that canceled the gas plant. It was their government that relocated to NapaNee and it was their government who cost taxpayers this province $1.1 billion are being charged for these disastrous scandals of the past two weeks. They are making policy decisions up by the flight. It is not in the best interest of our energy sector, nor is it in the best interest of the people who are paying for it across the province. If she can't tell us what that bill means and what the people of this province are paying when they open their hydro bill, when they open their natural gas bill across the province, she's not doing her job, or she's incompetent. Perhaps it's both. Will she actually ask the Auditor General to open up the books since she simply won't do it? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, you know, the member can shout and scream and put on all the dramatic she wants, but she cannot deny the fact that it was the leader of her party who stood up and said that if he was elected Premier of this province, the Mississauga power plant, his words would be done, done, done. Mr. Speaker, we have heard from months and months his criticism from them that somehow the decision that we took the same one they promised has been the worst thing to be false civilization. Well, it's time they came clean, Mr. Speaker. It's time they allowed their candidates to come before the committee and talk about their costing, talk about their analysis, and talk about why Tim Houdak, after admitting it would cost a billion dollars, went in front of... I do object. Sit down. The member is asked, as all members are, to use the title or to use the writing. Please. You have time. Mr. Speaker, it's time they come clean why their leader stood. After admitting it would cost a billion dollars in his estimate and explain their costing and explain why they made the same promise. No question. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Ontario families are paying the highest electricity bills in Canada. They've seen this government spend over a billion dollars cancelling power plants and at least $180 million for a nuclear expansion scheme that the government now admits is too expensive to carry forward. Can the Premier tell us what contracts have been signed in regards to the refurbishment of the nuclear plant at Darlington? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I know that the Minister of Energy will want to speak to the supplementary, but I just want to, as I did in a previous question, address the issue of the information that has been gathered and the planning that was done in anticipation of a new nuclear bill. That money was spent on, as I say, planning on public and stakeholder consultations on environmental approvals. That work, Mr. Speaker, stands in good stead for usage in the future. So that is not money that has been wasted. That is money that was invested in information that can be used at a future date. So I just wanted the leader of the third party to have that information. Thank you, supplementary. I'll help the Premier out. In documents that we've obtained, the Minister of Energy tells us that contracts worth $950 million have already been signed for Darlington. So, can the Premier then tell us what the final price tag will be for this project? Again, Mr. Speaker, and I know I said I would send the question to the Minister of Energy. I'll send the next one to the Minister of Energy, but again, I just want to get at what it is the leader of the third party is saying. So, the new nuclear, there's a problem with that decision. She doesn't like the problem. She doesn't like the idea of us refurbishing. So, we know that the NDP doesn't support nuclear, doesn't support having a base load of nuclear, but they also don't support green energy, Mr. Speaker. It's really hard to identify what their energy plan is. We have said that we will refurbish our nuclear stock, Mr. Speaker. We've said that having a base load of nuclear is very, very important for this province. That it will be part of our long-term energy plan. It's really a bit amusing that the leader of the third party doesn't seem to have any strategy for a long-term energy plan where we do actually have that plan, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, what new Democrats are concerned about is prudency in terms of knowing what we're paying for before we commit to spending the money. We got this in a document from the Minister of Energy, and I'm going to quote from that document, a final timeline and cost will not be known until construction contracts are signed. So, can the Premier confirm that the government has no idea what the final price tag will be for this project, even though they've already signed contracts worth $950 million? Next question. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Energy won't trust me because I'll give him the next question. But, Mr. Speaker, I just have to respond to the notion of prudence. And prudence is absolutely at the heart of having a plan for energy in this province, Mr. Speaker. And I don't know if the leader of the third party is familiar with the way large capital projects work, Mr. Speaker. But the reality is that, yeah, you won't know the construction costs until a contract is signed, Mr. Speaker. There are many, but what we have is a plan to have long-term, stable energy supply in this province. And part of that is refurbishing our nuclear stock, Mr. Speaker, so it would be irresponsible of us not to have put in place the planning in order to get those contracts in place. It would be irresponsible of us not to look at how much we need in order to refurbish that nuclear capacity. We have a prudent plan in place. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I would say that prudence is not only having a plan but knowing how much you're going to put the taxpayers of this province on the hook for the cost of that plan. It's worth nearly a billion dollars in the refurbishment of Darlington. But by their own admission, they have no idea what the final cost is going to be. Now, you wouldn't start making payments on a car without knowing what the final price tag is going to be, Speaker. And of course, this question is to the Premier. Does the Premier think that it makes sense to once again start making payments and signing contracts for a new electricity plan without having any idea what the final cost is going to be? Mr. Speaker, I think it's important that we know what's going on in this place because, you know, the critic for the NDP is quoted publicly and he said it on several different occasions. He supports not building new nuclear, Mr. Speaker. Now, here's what's happening. We've had an outpouring from across the province, Mr. Speaker, of support for that decision. Many of them come from organizations and from people who would normally be supporting the NDP. So rather than state that they support not building new, they're trying to undermine the decision by attacking the previous cost, Mr. Speaker, and by talking about refurbishment. Now, I have a clear question for the leader of the third party. Does she support cancelling new nuclear construction? Order, please. I don't get things quiet so other people can add their two cents worth. That includes the member from Cambridge who, if I ask him to go to his chair, then I could ask him to stop. Well, gee, Speaker, if the Liberals had listened to the new Democrats for the last ten years, we wouldn't have wasted $180 million. Companies costing Ontarians $1.1 billion. Now we find out that the government has signed off on another billion dollars in contracts to refurbish the Darlington nuclear plant but has no idea what is going to be. I would like to say to people who fear that she hasn't learned a thing from the gas plant fiasco, Speaker. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I take her answer to say yes, she supports not building new nuclear. She knew the costs that were out there. Why did she support cancelling new nuclear? She's done and saying exactly what we're doing, Mr. Speaker. Now she's upset that her party, the organizations that she thinks are the exclusive possession of the NDP are very, very vocal in supporting the initiative we've taken. Mr. Speaker, the OPG has been very responsible on how it's been dealing with the nuclear issue. The refurbishment, Mr. Speaker, will be 15,000 jobs. Did she want to kill those 15,000 jobs? They have spent money on contracts, Mr. Speaker. They have done environmental assessment. They have been doing project work, Mr. Speaker. And that work now is there for us to use as a guide for the next 10 years when we make decisions on nuclear, Mr. Speaker. It's the right thing to do. We're not going to spend money on power we don't need. Thank you. Final supplementary. Speaker, Ontario families and businesses are paying the highest electricity bills in Canada. And they want their government to take steps to get costs under control. Instead, here's what they see. Over a billion dollars handed to private power companies to scrap the gas plants in Mississauga and Oakville. $180 million spent on a doomed plan for new nuclear plants. And now the government is signing almost a billion dollars worth of contracts. Member from Eglinton, Lawrence, come to order. Final price tag will be. Now what does the Premier have to say about businesses and households who are tired of paying for this government's electricity messes? Have the Liberals learned nothing? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one thing we agree on, Mr. Speaker. Holding a paper in front of your face doesn't mean that I don't know it's you. But the problem is you're having a conversation with people on this side while they're trying to answer and even while the question was being put. Please just stop, please. Carry on. Mr. Speaker, one thing we've done to mitigate price increases in the electricity system is to cancel $15 billion of energy construction which we don't need because we have a surplus. You know what, Mr. Speaker? Member from Bruce Graham would sound by the order. With new nuclear for $15 billion, then she is going to have to answer to the rate payers for the increase. We are making decisions that are responsible Mr. Speaker. We have made responsible decisions moving forward and I want to say that refurbishing the can-do reactors will allow Darlington to continue operating till approximately 2055. We are realizing on the investments we've already made, Mr. Speaker. And OPG is proceeding with definition work. They're proceeding with environmental assessments. That under $180 million, Mr. Speaker, is an asset we can use. Can you please do a question? Member from Newmarket Aurora. Thank you. My question is to the Premier. I'd like to ask the Premier a question about a $770 million contract that she signed off on as the Minister of Transportation in June of 2010. Speaker, that contract commits the government through metro links to buy 182 LRT vehicles with very specific delivery dates. Well, the first delivery date has come and gone. And the reason that the government was not able to take delivery is that it has nowhere to put them. Given the Premier's new doctrine of transparency, I'd like to ask the Premier this. What are the penalties to date that the taxpayers have incurred as a result of that contract? And will the Premier agree to table that contract with us so that we can see the changes of that contract? Thank you. Premier? Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. Transportation and Infrastructure. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. There are a number of contracts out right across the member from Renfrew will come to order now. That's the second time. Carry on. There are a number of contracts right now and I know that many people think of these contracts. It is in the writing of Barry that all the tunneling equipment is being manufactured. It is in Thunder Bay that that's it. Metrolinx has been doing a remarkable job delivering on 15 major build-out projects, almost all of them. I think all of them significantly under budget and on time, Mr. Speaker. I have not heard of any particular problems with those. I know there are management of these contracts and the time are adjusted. When you're doing 15 major projects at the same time, I have a lot of confidence in Metrolinx to manage these contracts. Mr. Speaker. The question was easy. The Premier should have briefed Minister of Transportation on this $770 million contract with Bombardier Transportation. The Secretary knows nothing about it. The fact of the matter is that we have it on good authority that the penalties on that single contract today are more than $70 million and growing by the day. I'd like to ask the Premier this question. Will you, in light of your commitment to transparency, let your Minister of Transportation know what's in that contract? Will you table that contract with us here in the legislature? Will you agree not to download the cost of that contract onto municipalities who are being blackmailed and sending those vehicles against their will? And will you commit that any municipal transit projects will be open to public tender from this point forward so that they won't... Thank you. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. It just kind of galls me to hear from the party that downloaded billions of dollars of health and social services costs forced imagination onto municipalities standing in the House really being pretty petty and silly about this Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we work in a very challenging environment on what is quite frankly a $50 billion transit build-out. There are changes that are made some requested by members opposite and they're complex. We are in the middle of negotiations right now with the Metrolinx with the TTC and with the city to accommodate requests they've made. That will mean the cancellation of storage facilities the reassignment of cars and additional costs Mr. Speaker. If you don't want to be a high-handed government and you actually want to work with municipalities there will be lots of changes to meet those Mr. Speaker. We have respected municipal government and the party opposite Mr. Speaker could take a few lessons from us on that. Thank you. Members from Toronto Danforth. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the Premier. According to the Auditor General of Ontario the cabinet decision signed by the Premier clearly favored TransCanada and gave it the upper hand in negotiations for a project to replace the Oakville Plan. Last week New Democrats said publicly we're calling for the Premier to attend the Justice Committee and explain why she set the wheels in motion to pay TransCanada more to cancel the plan than the original cost. The Premier is on notice in the press here in the legislature and with correspondence from the clerks. Will the Premier come to the Justice Committee to explain why she signed on to a plan that the Auditor said quote, favor TCE and waive protections the OPA had under the Oakville contract? Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I know the government house leader will want to comment on a lot of issues but I have actually not received an invitation from the committee as far as I know Mr. Speaker and as I have said in this house I have been to the committee I have answered all the questions that were asked of me Mr. Speaker I have given all the information that I have on this matter Mr. Speaker and again if the member has a specific question I'd be happy to answer it here in the House but as I say I've acted responsibly I've been to the committee I think would be terrific right now Mr. Speaker is if all the information that has been gleaned by the committee could come together in a report and we could get some advice from that committee on what we need to do going forward because we're putting a plan in place but it would be great to have the committee's perspective on that Mr. Speaker Thank you The Premier has claimed that she wants to be more open since the Premier's last appearance the Auditor General put the true waste at the gas plants at $1.1 billion and the Auditor specifically highlighted decisions signed off by the Premier Will the Premier respond in committee to those issues Will the Premier come to the Justice Committee and explain why she was signing a document that helped put money into the pockets of private companies and took it out of the pockets of Ontarians or will she keep hiding from the committee Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker was this Premier that asked the Auditor General to look into the Oakville situation was this Premier who asked me as House Leader to work with the opposition to establish a committee process which has full access to witnesses to documents to move forward but you know Mr. Speaker it's a little strange that this member has changed his tune about this particular document because on April 11th he had this to say about the Cabinet which he just asked about and I quote I don't see it as a smoking gun we knew that Cabinet was approving this process so this does not surprise me the simple fact of the matter Mr. Speaker is the Premier has appeared in front of the committee she answered dozens and dozens of questions she has been forthcoming with documents members of her staff members of her Cabinet Mr. Speaker I had a very enjoyable hour and a half in front of the committee answering questions about documents I had never seen ever attended we have been as forthcoming as possible as time for the committee to wrap up its work and issue a review Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Community and Social Services Minister over the summer and through the fall I've had the opportunity to meet with many residents and families of Ottawa South and listen to their interest and their concerns all of us here know that the most important part of what we do is to connect people to government what their families need I've met with a number of families and groups who are wondering what the future may hold for those with a developmental disability whether it be for a friend or a family member Speaker after listening to their concerns I fully understand and share them I know that there are limited resources available and I also know that this Government has consistently expressed a commitment to help could the Minister tell us what actions the Government is taking this year with an developmental disability and their families Thank you Mr. Speaker I'm first going to ask for some mercy because I'm losing my voice but I want to thank the member for his question our Government's commitment to this sector is strong and continues to be strong in fact this year we're investing over $1.7 billion in the developmental services sector it's important to point out that 98% of that funding goes directly for services to individuals this year the additional $42.5 million in the budget will help more than 1,100 adults and their families and that's good Speaker since we came to office in 2003 funding for this sector has increased by 62% and I know that the demand for developmental services continues to grow that's why we all in this place need to work tirelessly to understand the needs and to respond Thank you Mr. Speaker and I'd like to thank the Minister for that answer it's encouraging to hear about these investments the Government has been making to support families in need I know that there are more people in urgent need of care and it's good to learn that more families will be receiving the care that they need with these steps Mr. Speaker as encouraging as that is we all know that the need is great and that there's more to do Mr. Speaker I would ask the Minister if he can elaborate on what this Government's vision is for those with a developmental disability Thank you Mr. Speaker I'd be delighted to do that and I appreciate again the question because it highlights the concern that I think all members of this House have for people in this sector we have a common goal all of us here to make sure that we respond as best we can we all want to see people with developmental disability speaker receiving appropriate supports and taking part in their communities as full and equitable members but there's a lot more to do let's not kid ourselves about it that's why I'm so pleased to support the resolution that came from the Honourable Member Opposite to create a select committee I understand I understand that that committee will select committee who actually be meeting today and we pledge to do everything we can to assist them in their work Thank you, new question New question the member from Topical Lakes Mr. Speaker my question is for the Premier Premier yesterday we discussed the fact that you had 36 consultation groups since you've taken over 9 months ago well in the course of that I had some questions from people about why our concern was involved in some of these groups and of course the obvious answer to that is that they give credibility to it but thinking about the matter we've really concluded that you have 37 groups and of course the 37th group is the most important group of all the one that you consult with every day the one that's making the real decisions around here our colleagues here to the left my question Mr. Speaker my question is when are you going to formalize this arrangement and let the people of Ontario know who's really running this thing see you in the please see you in the please thank you Premier thank you very much as the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing I'm sure it's hard to know where to start in answering that question but Mr. Speaker, I think I'll start here and that is that as I said yesterday we are a government who believes that it is better to talk to people who know who have expertise who are able to give us advice on a range of subjects Mr. Speaker I really believe that that is how good decisions are made and I will just paint a picture and again it goes back to a time that I know it's impossible to get a meeting with a Minister Mr. Speaker I remember during the discussions around amalgamation I tried to have a meeting with the the Minister of the Time Al Leach and his doors were locked his people wouldn't answer our calls we couldn't get a meeting with him Mr. Speaker to talk about amalgamation I remember being a school trustee Mr. Speaker not being able to get a meeting to talk about amalgamation of school boards that's how they operate Mr. Speaker Supplementary Supplementary Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker this again is to the Premier it's very easy to try to offset blame by blaming somebody else and bringing up examples of things that you think happened many many years ago but the fact is right in this very house this morning we had the perfect example of open and transparent MPP Cleese asked you and your Minister for some information on a contract and he got a bunch of gobbledygook and no answer whatsoever much Mr. Speaker I'm not going to say it's a good question but I am glad that the member opposite has asked this question Mr. Speaker because obviously if there is a question about a specific issue and we don't have the specific information about that contract we will get we will get that information for the member opposite Mr. Speaker that is how it hasn't been a Minister of the Crown but the member for Minister and he knows perfectly well that when there are specific questions about a contract or a situation the Minister can go back and get that information from officials which we will do Mr. Speaker but fundamentally I was not blaming anyone what I was saying was there is a contrast in the way we do business with the way they do business they're always Member from Tim's James Bay Speaker my question is to the Premier Premier what's clear is whether Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallan and others are really making the case that we should be getting rid of the Federal Senate you're I like that you're former leader Mr. McGinty was pretty clear about abolishing the Senate why don't you take the same position how can you now say in light of everything that's going on with the Federal Senate that you think that this institution could be reformed rather than scrapped Mr. Speaker and you know this is not a decision that we can make we can make on our own my job as Premier is to unite people not to divide the Mr. Speaker and the changes that are being advanced by the Federal Government fundamentally alter the nature of the Senate Mr. Speaker so I have taken the position that I think that there is the possibility of reform that is my personal position Mr. Speaker and you know it is a discussion that has to happen across the country and it has to be led by Prime Minister as he said he would Mr. Speaker well what's clear is that people in this country and people in this province are united in trying to get rid of the Senate what we've now got is we have Senator Duffy and others who are demonstrating quite frankly that that institution as long should be gone we as a province have a role to make because amending the Constitution which it will take to get rid of the Senate takes provincial approval so I say again as a leader of the government are you prepared to take the position that in fact Ontario should adopt the position of the abolishing the Senate in this country Mr. Speaker the province that may want to suggest that this is a burning issue on the minds of every single person in this province but I can tell you Mr. Speaker as the chair of the council of the Federation when this issue was raised in the summer by one of the premiers one of my colleague premiers in terms of constituency around the table no one else even wanted to comment on it Mr. Speaker there was no discussion there was a consensus that this was something that the federal government needed to lead that Prime Minister Harper had said he wanted to put on the table and he was going to lead the discussion that's where the discussion has to take place Mr. Speaker and I believe that that is rightly there and I would hope that the member opposite is in active conversation with Thomas Mulcair and let them have that discussion at the federal level Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker thank you very much I've got a question today for the Minister of Northern Development and Mines a minister our government's economic plan to drive jobs and growth has three pillars we're investing in people we're investing in infrastructure and we're supporting a dynamic and innovative business climate in Ontario now I know in my riding of Thunder Bay out of coconut I've got great examples of what we've done on the infrastructure front bringing forward projects that have been sought after for decades actually that we are now delivering on that have created tremendous infrastructure improvements and are also creating a lot of work and so that's a wonderful piece on the business climate piece through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund and through a long list of significant tax reforms we've got a long way to support businesses in Ontario as well speakers the minister has reminded us many times in this House Ontario is the leading jurisdiction for exploration and production of minerals in Canada and remains to this day a major player across the world there's no question that mining and exploration industry is an important contributor to our provincial economy will the minister please inform the legislature how our government's economic plan to drive jobs and growth is working hand in hand the minister of Northern Development and Mines well thank you very much Mr. Speaker thanks to the member of Thunder Bay out of coconut he put it so well I mean yesterday's a great example of that I had a great pleasure of being at the Lack Day's Hill Mines site north of Thunder Bay at the commissioning of a new mineshaft North American Palladium our great platinum Palladium mine very impressive project $400 million investment by North American Palladium sustaining 500 jobs just a great example of how our mineral exploration strategy is working our government speaker has invested over $140 million in Ontario's mineral sector activities to date and the success is there to be seen I mean the real good example over the last 10 years the government 23 new mines have opened in the province of Ontario more than anywhere else in Canada Speaker we are confident that by providing the right climate to attract investment in mining we're going to be supported for the operation and activity economic activity that will help to continue to grow Ontario's economy thank you well thank you speaker and minister obviously 23 new mines opening over the course of 10 years speaks very clearly to the support and the climate that we've helped to create here in Ontario and one of the projects that's on the minds of many Ontarians especially those in Northern Ontario is the Ring of Fire and I must say I'm always amazed and find it remarkable the criticism that comes forward that we expect as a government but the incredible simplicity of the criticism many of the members who will criticize us on this project will not speak about the First Nations involvement in the federal government's role they will criticize us as the provincial government they don't talk about the individual municipalities or the federations of municipalities that have their own perspectives on these issues they don't talk about infrastructure and of course they don't talk about the multiple mining companies who all have a role in this minister please share with the members of the legislature how are governments working hard to ensure the development of this project including considerations such as investments in communities and infrastructure it really is a great question thanks so very much to the member of the he's given a great example of just how complex it is to realize the economic potential of this extraordinary opportunity I mean we know a number of things we know that in order for community to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity they need to be ready and that's the kind of work that's underway in our ministry mentioned the work we're doing with the Mutable First Nations on a historic framework agreement and community readiness strategies under Bay and Greenstone which will ultimately be the transportation hub for the ring of fire I mean I want to encourage all members to speak to us about the work that we're doing because indeed that's going forward in a positive way we're having discussions with all interested companies speaker those discussions obviously include important infrastructure links we recognize how important infrastructure is you've got to be able to have obviously access to them it's key let me tell you this we are assessing a number of options we see the greatest benefit for Ontarians we're looking at those that make the most beneficial and appropriate roles for the product new question speaker my question is to the Premier Premier your Liberal Government has refused to recognize the opportunity that the development of Alberta's oil and gas sector would mean to the economy of Ontario Alberta will require an estimated 120 billion dollars in goods and services over the next 20 years on Friday is my understanding you'll be in Calgary to discuss economic issues and energy with the Alberta Government will you commit today to this House to creating those conditions of economic growth and job creation Ontario by pledging your on wavering support and your government for the Alberta oil and gas sector and those thousands of well-paying jobs and the billions of investment that were created in Ontario the question because I am very pleased that I'm going to be able to spend the next couple of days with both Premier Selinger and Premier Redford and you are absolutely right that oil and gas and the importance of our relationship with Alberta is going to be at the core and at the heart of my conversation with Premier Redford and I have said publicly many times that I understand the interconnections and I understand how important it is that we strengthen that relationship on the issues around oil and gas and the transportation of fuel I again have been very clear that I understand how important it is that we are able to move those goods across the country and that at the same time ensuring that the environmental protections are in place and making sure that the relationships with First Nations people are in place as we do that are of fundamental concern to me and I have said that publicly and I will be reinforcing that and I am very proud of Alberta Thank you Back to the Premier Premier experts agree that the greatest beneficiary of developing the oil and gas and resource sector in Alberta and the west outside of that Royal Rose Country is the province of Ontario and our highly skilled workforce in this province despite the fact that your predecessor Premier McGinty was steadfastly opposed to Ontario benefiting from the Alberta Oil Sanis Development Premier, will you stand in your place today and admit that the former Premier was wrong and instead outline what you will do to make sure Ontario benefits from the Alberta resource that makes it an Ontario advantage My predecessor took a leadership role in bringing this together so it is very important to me as the this year the Chair of the Council of the Federation and as the Premier of Ontario that we understand that this country will work better if we work together and the leadership that the Minister of Finance has taken on a single securities regulator is extremely important to the well-being of the country the leadership that I want to take on advancing the cause of enhancing the CPP so that people in this country can have a retirement and look forward to a decent and dignified retirement that is something that is very important to me and I will be working with my colleague to raise that up Leader of the Third Party Thank you Speaker, my question is for the Premier Yesterday two little girls in Sudbury shaved their heads and they did it to honour the memory of Sam Bruno a close member of their family and to raise money for the cause that he championed until the very day he died bringing a PET scanner to Sudbury Northwestern Ontario has had a PET scanner and Southwestern Ontario has several PET scanners This is about equity Speaker 10 year old and an 8 year old get it why can't this government understand that patients in Northwestern Ontario deserve a PET scanner Well thank you Speaker and I first want to say to the two 10 year old girls who care so passionately about healthcare that they would shave their heads thank you for caring so much about healthcare Speaker important to acknowledge that people in Northwestern Ontario do have access to PET services Speaker all people in Ontario have access to PET scans when they need them Speaker every Linn, every hospital makes decisions about how they spend resources the issue of whether or not a PET scanner is required in Northwestern Ontario is a decision that is of that Linn and of the hospital Speaker what's important to me is that people get access to the care and we know Speaker that in Northwestern Ontario this has been a request I know the member from Nickel Belt has talked about this but Speaker we must be very careful about how we spend the healthcare dollars Well Speaker perhaps the Minister of Health needs to be reminded that the Linn and all of the hospitals have actually requested the PET scanner be brought to this part of the province PET scanners can help very sick patients Speaker they give doctors a special set of eyes that can help determine a course of treatment anyone who has supported a loved one suffering from cancer knows that getting them out of bed and into a car is hard enough never mind transporting them hundreds of kilometres away for a test now there's no doubt that PET scanners are expensive Speaker but the community is doing its part of the fundraiser tomorrow night now if this government can blow more than a billion dollars of public money on moving gas plants around in southern Ontario why can't it spare some change Speaker to bring a PET scanner to Sudbury Well Speaker it's disappointing frankly to hear the leader of the third party talk about the cost of operating a PET scanner as loose change Speaker because PET scanners are very expensive machines operating them is a very costly undertaking so it's important that we're smart about where we locate PET scanners and I take issue Speaker to the best of my knowledge neither the Lynn nor the hospital agrees that a PET scanner is the priority investment right now Speaker I have not had an update on that in the last few months if that has changed I will happily correct my record but my understanding is that it is not a priority for the hospital or for the Lynn at this time Thank you Thank you Speaker my question is for the Minister of Energy Speaker protecting the health and environment of Ontarians has been a priority for me as long as I have been a member of this legislature so I was proud when our government committed in 2003 to eliminate the use of coal fire generation in the province of the people of Ontario for what is going to mean cleaner air for people in all parts of the province and less Ontario in suffering from air pollution related diseases Mr. Speaker I understand that this morning the Minister of Energy announced an update on the progress of our government's initiative to get off coal could you please share with the house the progress that we have made on this important initiative Mr. Minister Thank you Minister of Energy Thank you I thank the members from the House this morning that the Lampton Generating Station has burned its last coal this leaves Nanocoat Generating Station slated to close at the end of this year now I'm going to have to talk more quickly this leaves Nanocoat Generating Station slated to close at the end of this year as the last operating coal fire facility in southern Ontario Ontario is now on track to become the first jurisdiction in North America to totally eliminate coal fire generation getting off coal is going to save our health care system 4.4 billion dollars in avoided health care costs and it's going to lower Ontario's carbon emissions by over 30 megatons megatons Mr. Speaker that's like taking 7 million cars off the road today we have Canada's most modern electricity system it's most advanced smart grid and a diverse supply of clean and renewable energy supplementary thank you the Minister for the update I believe that this makes Ontario a global leader in clean energy initiatives along with improving the health of Ontarians and reducing health care costs by reducing illnesses from pollution I understand getting off coal also represents one of the largest climate change initiatives in all of North America and as the Minister mentioned it means massive reduction in the climate change that our province produces this is especially important as the carbon content of our atmosphere moves beyond the 400 parts per million this year all this adds up to a substantial improvement in both the health and the environment for the province Mr. Speaker I believe that Ontario's efforts to get off coal have made it a global leader in clean energy can the Minister please tell the House how this initiative compares with the efforts of other jurisdictions to decrease their dependence on dirty coal Mr. Speaker getting off coal is a single largest climate change initiative in North America and don't just take it from me Mr. Speaker listen to what the federal Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird said earlier this year I'm quoting we're the only country in the world that's committed to getting out of the dirty coal electricity generation business if the federal conservatives can support our efforts to stop burning coal Mr. Speaker why can't their counterparts at Queen's Park understand the importance of this initiative maybe it's because when the PC party was last in office the use of dirty coal do by 127% our efforts to get off dirty coal are making Ontario a healthier place to live and we think it's time the opposition joined their federal colleagues and supported a cleaner healthier Ontario Mr. Speaker questions to the Premier more than 20 years ago a group of peaceful, respectful people known as the Buddhist Association of Canada's Shan temple toured the township of Kevin Monaghan in the area of what would now become City of Quart the Lakes they purchased land for its beautiful scenery and peacefulness their $40 million plan was to build a picturesque retreat that would include replicas of the four great Buddhist mountain sites of China it would include a restaurant, gift shop a peaceful operation has the potential to bring in millions of dollars and tourism revenue for the area but the proposed wind farms call for at least four industrial wind turbines to be built right beside them and would ruin the tranquil scenery and harm the peacefulness of this retreat so Premier will the Buddhist dream be gone with the wind thank you Mr. Speaker I appreciate the member I have not personally or I don't believe my office has heard from this particular group and I certainly would be welcome to invite them into my office Mr. Speaker and have a conversation with them but I have to say Mr. Speaker that we have taken some very very significant decisions in how to properly site our energy infrastructure but the issue is Mr. Speaker and I put this to the member very very clearly and I'm asking her whether or not her leader supports cancelling existing wind contracts thank you well thank you supplementary have asked to have a meeting with you and have not had any acknowledgement with that so I'll be taking that back to you but it is of interest even if it means ruining a legitimate project on land purchased more than 20 years ago the government wants to allow its own interest to prevent millions of dollars in land in a region that has high unemployment in desperate need of jobs the Buddhist Association of Canada is a peaceful group of people who want to run something that will be spiritually, economically and visually pleasing for people Minister Chan has visited the site and is in support so the local councils of Court of the Lakes and Cabin Monaghan they've done their part by voting down proposed wind turbines I asked the Premier again if she wanted an answer to this issue not forcing wind turbines ready to be used by somebody thank you Minister of Energy Mr. Speaker I heard a lot of shouting coming from the Minister from the member from North Bay he was one of the biggest supporters of wind Mr. Speaker we have all kinds of quotes there's one that's really important here is that we have existing wind contracts and the issue is how do we deal with existing wind contracts and I have asked the Leader of the Opposition to clarify his position and clarify it for the purpose of the member will he cancel existing contracts for wind? Yes or no he has said yes then he has said no then he has said yes he's all over the map he has no policy in any way shape and you're supposed to stop when I stand new question the member of the Prime Minister Mr. Speaker Minister of Natural Resources more than 70,000 young Ontarians have participated in the Ranger program since 1944 the unique part of this program is it plays 17 year olds to work in parts of our great province far from their homes the program built awareness, job skills and an overall appreciation of the diversity of our great province in yesterday's and today's leaders but sadly not tomorrow's because the Liberal government cut the program and represented petition with over 6,000 signatures to save the program will the government listen and commit to restating the full Ranger program and give young people a chance of a lifetime Minister Norman Thank you Speaker and I certainly appreciate the question from the member opposite on this very important issue I'm very pleased that in our ministry we continue to be the top employer of young people in the government 1974 jobs to the Ministry of Natural Resources that continues to remain the same despite the financial challenges that we have as the government which I think speaks to the Premier's commitment and our government's commitment to help them to support opportunities for young people in the province of Ontario in fact with the change of the youth Ranger program to a day based program we've added 17 additional locations across the province of Ontario we've gone from 13 locations in Ontario to 30 locations in Ontario in fact there are three in the members riding opposite which provide fantastic opportunities for young people in the province of Ontario Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Minister Speaker in my youth I was fortunate to have participated in the Ranger program for two years I learned and accomplished real tasks that to a great extent have shaped and made me who I am today now the MNR budget is being cut parks are being closed and the young people are not getting the opportunity to explore and learn will this government commit to reinstating the Ranger program and not deny our youth this invaluable experience I appreciate hearing that from the member opposite and the member opposite is well aware that there are about 74,000 alumni of the program throughout the province and certainly appreciate the experiences that they've been able to gain and that is why despite the incredible financial pressure that we're facing in our ministry and across the government we have maintained this program in a way that continues to bring these opportunities to young people right across Ontario in fact we've enhanced the locations in the province by adding 17 more locations in Ontario that will allow young people to gain these opportunities and we're committed to hearing that this program is one that continues in the future speaker thank you thank you Mr. Speaker I'd just like to welcome my good friend Linda McQuague from the Riding of Toronto Senator Queens Park today the member from Nipissing point of order I'm not sure whether to challenge the energy minister for his comment but I will make a point of order he talked about the privacy commissioner the privacy commissioner rules I found members that I I I'm waiting for attention please thank you that's not a point of order member from the Scarborough Guildwood point of order Mr. Speaker I'd like to welcome to the house today my brother Andrew Hunter he's been playing international basketball for the last 10 years playing international basketball over 40 countries has recently graduated with his MBA and will be starting his business career in St. Thomas Ontario point of order point of order Mr. Speaker I would like to also welcome Chief Marston from Alderville First Nations to Queens Park here this afternoon thank you very much thank you