 time for a question period. The Leader of Her Majesty's Royal Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. Before I begin, Speaker, I want to say on behalf of the Ontario PC Caucus, we want to give our thanks to the RCMP, Toronto Police, York Peel, the OPP, CISIS, and Leaders in Toronto's Islamic Community for thwarting the terrorist plot and to keep on together. Thank you. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Finance based on his remarks yesterday to the Economic Club. Just a quick direct question, Minister of Finance. Minister, in your speech you said you were going to hold a line of taxes, and then you talked about increasing new revenue tools. Can you please distinguish for us the difference between a revenue tool and a tax? Thank you. Well, Mr. Speaker, what I said yesterday was the following. We've been able to beat our targets by $5 billion. Our deficit contracts have now exceeded targets for the past four years running. And we're doing so because of the extensive measures of restraint that we've implemented, because of the cooperation we've had with our stakeholders to ensure that our public services are not only protected, but that they're also sustainable and affordable. And more importantly, Mr. Speaker, we are generating a degree of revenues through some of the incentives that we're providing to increase more production, more business investment, more job creations, and that is what's helping our economy recover in a very pragmatic and a very stable environment. Thank you. You know, Speaker, I don't think I got an answer to my question. I asked the minister very simply to distinguish between, on one hand, he said he's not going to increase taxes. On the other hand, he said he's going to bring in what he called new revenue tools, which to me sounds like the same thing. It sounds like a tax increase. So let me make this point, Minister. For some time now, the liberals under Dalton McGinty and Kathleen Wynn have focused on increasing taxes, revenue tools, whatever you want to call them. You increase business taxes. You canceled personal income tax reductions. You brought in the health tax that you said was going to save health care. You brought in the HST to say that you would use that to balance the budget. Now we have among the worst deficits in the history of the province and the largest one in Canada. You brought in the eco taxes. Speaker, I can tell you in time exactly what the number of taxes they brought in. A quick question, Minister. Why should we trust you with one penny more when you blew all that money and tugged us into a deep hole? Mr. Speaker, Ontario is now the lowest cost, lowest tax jurisdiction in North America. We are the most competitive in North America to attract business investments. We have reduced taxes. We have inspired companies to invest. And Mr. Speaker, it shocks me that the members opposite their solutions to the problems and the difficulties and the sensitivities of our recovery. What are they saying? Cut even more. We are the lowest cost jurisdiction per capita for public service anywhere in Canada. We've done a good. That'll do. That'll do. Thank you. Carry on. So Mr. Speaker, we'll stay the course. We're going to continue investing in infrastructure. We're going to continue investing in those incentives and in those initiatives to attract more business. And Mr. Speaker, we are going to protect public service. We are going to protect health care and education. We are going to protect those things that makes us competitive. We're not going to fall prey. Thank you. Just before I go to fight on the front of America, the member from Northumberland will come to order. Carry on. Well, thank you, Speaker. I listed the minister very closely and he said that Ontario is the lowest cost and lowest tax jurisdiction in North America, I believe you said. Minister, you know that doesn't meet with the facts. And I hope that you'll put more thought into preparing this important budget than you do to the speaking notes that you seem to have before you. The budget is absolutely crucial. Let me make this point again. You've tried the route of increased taxes to fulfill runaway spending. In fact, reckless spending, it's up by 70% under the McGinty and when Liberals, you also said that you're going to stay the course. But I ask you if increasing taxes runaway spending have given us the biggest deficit in Canada. They put 600,000 people out of work in Ontario today and our growth rate is actually slowing down. Doesn't it tell you it's time to take a bold new course, go off in a new and different direction and get Ontario growing again? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, we are in fact the most one of the most competitive jurisdictions in North America are competing for those investments and Ontario is a third largest jurisdiction in North America to attract foreign direct investments. And we're succeeding. We're succeeding in creating 400,000 net new jobs since the recession. We're succeeding in providing the stimulus and the growth necessary. And Mr. Speaker, it is critical that we remain competitive. That is why our corporate tax rate and our personal tax rate will remain at its low levels that they are now. And we will not at any time find ourselves in a situation where we're going to put the people of Ontario at risk by taking on some of the issues that they proposed. The member from Prince Edward Hastings come to order. Finish, please. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. But there is something that the leader of the opposition didn't say that is critical here. He says this budget is crucial. This budget is critical. This budget should be read and it should be looked at. And that is what he should make the decision. We have a good plan, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Speaker. Of course, the role the finance minister is a critical role it calls for among the highest levels of competence and command of the facts to the finance minister. You've not been able to distinguish between revenue tools and new taxes. You keep changing your view on where we rank on costs. On those basics, it shakes my confidence on your ability to move towards balance or to get our economy growing again. So let me give you a very simple proposition. Under the McGinty and Wynn Liberals, government spending has gone up by 70%. It's actually a remarkable and reckless increase in spending. We still have a massive deficit. If you actually freeze spending today, if you don't increase spending overall, you can balance the budget within two years. The minister takes a very simple direct approach, freeze spending today and we can balance the budget in two years and get our economy growing again. Thank you, Minister. When it comes to health care, Mr. Speaker, we have been extraordinary in keeping our spending growth below 1%. We have maintained a cooperation, a collaboration with our stakeholders to achieve zero zeros throughout our deals. We've enabled ourselves together with all parties to ensure that everyone's doing their part. And Mr. Speaker, I agree the most important and critical thing that we can do is eliminate and tackle the deficit by 2017-18. And that's the path that we're on. We're taking all the steps necessary to invest in our youth and to invest in infrastructure and to invest in our health care and to invest in our education. These are the things that are going to give us long-term competitiveness. These are things that work and these are things that we'll continue to do. Let's see if I follow the minister's arguments. He said it is the line in your speech from yesterday, the most important and fundamental thing we can do together to secure our future prosperity is eliminate the deficit. You just basically used that line word-for-word. But then, minister, you announced three new spending initiatives. I think you said in infrastructure, you said in training, you said in something else. So I want to make sure, if you say you're going to balance the budget and then you announced three new spending initiatives, I mean, how in the world are you actually going to accomplish that unless you truly plan to increase taxes yet again on the backs of hard-working Ontario families and businesses? Let me give you another approach. Why don't you stop the scandals like the gas plan, stop the scandals like orange and e-help, hold somebody accountable, and then, minister, again, if you hold spending at its is today, built on a 70% spending increase, you can actually balance the budget within two years. But your top priority, why don't you take that path and balance by 2015? So it seems that the member opposite isn't prepared to invest in the people of Ontario and in roads and bridges and infrastructure and those very issues that provide for business growth and economic renewal. That is what we're doing. That is what we will do. We have the courage. We have the plan. We have what's necessary to provide the hope and opportunity for the people of Ontario. It's not about more government. It's about more opportunity. It is not about cutting for the sake of cutting. It's about it. It's about transforming and ensuring that those public services are maintained at a lower cost. That is what we're doing. And we will continue to do so, Mr. Speaker. Because of Decision Speaker, that this minister, the Premier Nguyen, Premier McGinty and the Liberals have made, we now have over 500,000 of our friends, our neighbors, our family members who are out of work and losing hope. We're doubling our debt. We've lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs and the Minister's only solution seems to be to spend more, to delay balancing the books and then increasing taxes. Let me illustrate the threat of debt here. We celebrated the other day. My colleague from Conestoga mentioned Benjamin Leone, Rob's son born in this world. He's born with a $20,000 provincial debt on his back. Before the Liberals came to power, that was 11,000. He basically almost doubled the debt. So what do you say to young people today when you're putting $20,000 of debt on their backs and then some when you don't balance until 2017? Why are you putting your inability to make decisions today on the backs and next generation? Don't we need to go in an opposite direction and build a counter value? Let me show finance. So, Mr. Speaker, I've been very clear. We know that the Conservative government federally have not been able to meet their targets. They continue to have increased debt and increased deficits when they had a huge surpluses. And other jurisdictions and other provinces have also had difficulty giving the slow growth to meet their targets. Ontario has been very pragmatic and I'll have a seat. Thank you, Will. Remember from chatting we'll come to order. Second time. Thank you. So Ontario has been very clear that we are going to balance our books by 2017-18. We've been very strategic and very pragmatic into doing it in a gradual and in a way that will continue to inspire growth and greater prosperity. And, Mr. Speaker, we also want to be fair. We want all Ontarians to benefit. No one should be left behind. We want to ensure that everyone's at their best. This budget will do just that. And I hope the Member Opposite will read it. I hope the Member Opposite will give a consideration because it's the right thing to do. Thank you. New question. Leaders, a third party. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. New Democrats have been clear since the thrown speech. If we're going to support a budget, it has to create jobs, it has to strengthen healthcare, and it has to make life more affordable. There are families with loved ones waiting as long as 262 days for home care in this province, and that's unacceptable. We've put forward a simple proposal to ensure a five-day guarantee for home care. And if the government finally keeps its promise to cap CEO salaries in the health sector, it won't add a nickel to the deficit. Will the Premier commit to that today, Speaker? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the question from the Leader of the Third Party. And I have been quite clear, both in our private meetings and in this House, Mr. Speaker, that we had identified some areas that we wanted to work on. And many of those areas are areas that the Leader of the Third Party has expressed interest in. One of those is investment in home care, Mr. Speaker. I've been very clear that we're willing to work with them and make sure that we make the investments that are necessary so that people get home care in a timely way, Mr. Speaker. It's extremely important to families that they know that their loved ones are going to get the care that they need and that they can stay in their homes as long as they want, Mr. Speaker. I've been very clear that that's an area we want to work on with the Third Party. And I hope that we'll be able to do that between now and the budget. But we will be making investments in home care, Mr. Speaker. Well, Speaker, it's a simple step that would improve our health care system and add certainty to people's lives in a very difficult time. Now, the government talks about targets and goals that they already have in place, but families know that far too often people fall through the cracks and are left waiting hundreds of days on waiting lists that have stretched to these days now into the thousands. Is the Premier ready to commit, Speaker, to a guarantee? Is she ready to commit to a guarantee that people waiting for home care won't be waiting more than five days? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So what I am committing to, Mr. Speaker, is consistent and ongoing improvement in our health care system and that are doable, that are achievable, Mr. Speaker, that we not responsible and then not be able to meet those those goals, Mr. Speaker. I think it's extremely important that we understand what's doable, that we make investments that will improve health care, that will in fact, as the Minister of Finance said, transform the way we deliver service, Mr. Speaker, because we know that as people age, we are dealing with a whole new demographic and a whole new reality. So we're going to continue to make a difference, but at the same time, we're changing the way those services are delivered to make them better, Mr. Speaker. Final supplementary? Speaker, people waiting for home care want to see that guarantee and they want to know that that guarantee is funded fairly. Will the Premier finally enact the hard cap on public sector CEO salaries so that we know that the dollars will be invested in frontline care for patients, not executive compensation? The spirit of what the leader of the third party is talking about, Mr. Speaker, but the numbers don't match. In fact, the money that needs to be invested in home care goes far beyond any savings that would be acquired by by capping CEO salaries. I think that is an issue that needs to be addressed, but the bigger issue, Mr. Speaker, is that people need to know that you're right, that they're going to get the home care that they need, that they're going to be able to stay in their homes. They also need to know that if they need care in their home from a physician, for example, Mr. Speaker, that that's going to happen, that they will have a house call, they'll have a home visit that will allow them to get the care that they need. Those are the kinds of transformations that we're going to make, Mr. Speaker, because that is what will make health care better. That's what will transform the system and will make it capable of dealing with the aging population that is coming down the track at us, Mr. Speaker. I'd just like to remind the member from Hamilton East Stony Creek that I'll offer some help today if he needs it. Thank you. New question? For my next questions to the Premier, although I'm quite disconcerted that I didn't hear a no, I didn't hear a yes rather to no hard caps on salaries and nor did I hear a guarantee of five days for home care, quite disconcerting. What people want to see in the upcoming budget, though, Speaker, is something that's concrete. They want to see real results. They don't want to see a government that they've seen time and time again, you know, fail to deliver on the promises that they make. That's the reality, unfortunately. Alba wrote to us, she lives in Toronto, and she wrote this, quote, I think that the waiting for home care services is so long on the hope that people will drop dead while waiting. It's very terrifying becoming older, weaker and sick in this country. I won't have someone like myself to fight for me, as I did for my husband. Women like Alba need to see a real guarantee that they won't be waiting longer than five days when they need their home care. Will the Premier commit to Alba and others to a five day guarantee? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So I'm just going to make a general comment. I've talked about the need to improve home care, and I'm very committed to that, Mr. Speaker. But I want to make a comment about the budget process. It is extremely important to the people of Ontario that the people in this legislature take this very seriously, that this is not a political game, that this is not a ping pong game about you, you know, you put out a policy and I'll put out a policy and we'll see which one we can fight about and where we land. That's not what it's about, Mr. Speaker. It's about looking at our current situation. It's about looking at the global economic situation. It's about staying on track and being fiscally responsible and it's about making the investments, the critical investments that the people of Ontario need so that their province and their services can improve over time and we create the conditions for growth. That's what this budget is about, Mr. Speaker. It's not that it's a liberal budget. It's not that it's an ND2 budget or it's a conservative budget. It's the right budget for the people of Ontario. Seated, please. Supplementary. As Speaker, I think that it's about the fact that these are tough times for the families of this province. That's what it's about. They're being asked to cuts being made to their hospitals and to their health care system. That's what they see. Irma in Toronto had a loved one receiving home care and writes, quote, based on my experience, I would say that the government was wasting far too much money on management and not spending wisely on ensuring that their clients were getting good care, unquote. Will the Premier guarantee that money goes to the needs of patients and take the simple step of capping CEO salaries in the coming budget? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, of course I will guarantee that money is going to go to the service of people in the province, in particular in the areas of home care. In fact, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment and I are going to be and the Minister of Finance are going to be at a community service organization in North Toronto in Minister Hoskins riding this afternoon. It's called Sprint, Mr. Speaker. It's been delivering services to people in their homes for decades, Mr. Speaker. And in fact, some of the ideas for transforming the way we deliver service, i. Making sure that people get their services and making sure that doctors are available to people in their homes. Those ideas come from the organization that we're going to be visiting this afternoon, Mr. Speaker. And I am committed to implementing those changes. The Minister of Health is working on those. That's the transformation of the system that I'm talking about. That will make it sustainable over time, Mr. Speaker. Speaker, people have told us that they're looking for change. Simple, affordable change that makes their lives better. They've been promised it over and over again, but constantly find that they're being asked to pay more and expect less from their government. New Democrats have been clear since the throne speech, Speaker, if we are going to support a budget, it has to create jobs, strengthen health care and make life more affordable for Ontarians. Will we hear a commitment from the Premier today that she will cap executive salaries and ensure that people waiting for home care will have it in five days, guaranteed. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And the leader of the third party will hear in the budget when it when it is read. She will hear a commitment to improving the lives of people in Ontario and she will hear a commitment in those areas that she has identified because those are areas, Mr. Speaker, that we had identified as needing work. So youth unemployment, Mr. Speaker, improvement of home care, making sure that people have the services that they need in a timely way, Mr. Speaker, but we will not be held hostage to a list, an arbitrary list, Mr. Speaker, that I have said many times, Mr. Speaker, I'm happy to work with the leader of the third party, and we are going to do what's in the best interest of the people of Ontario in the areas that she has identified, Mr. Speaker, and beyond. Thank you. Good morning, Premier. My question this morning is for the Premier. Premier, the amnesia continued this morning at the Justice Committee. We did get a little insight into the Oakville negotiations from your predecessor's policy director, Sean Mullen. Read into the record was testimony that the government was committed to, quote, make TransCanada whole, or at least 10 references to that. That, Speaker, could cost $1 billion. That's a far cry from the $40 million the number the auditor general told us last week, which is unrealistic, and yet you cling to. Former Cabinet Secretary Shelley Jameson told us last week there are, quote, buckets of costs for Oakville. Premier, tell us today about the buckets of costs for Oakville. The member mentions the witness this morning, and again, Mr. Speaker, I can't help it that the Conservative Party keeps calling witnesses on answer questions the way they wanted to. It reminds me of their first witness. My favorite, Mr. Speaker, was their first witness. They called the former Speaker the House of Commons, and I read from the Toronto Star. Tory witness bolsters Liberals' case to clear Chris Bentley of wrongdoing. But in terms of the Oakville situation, Mr. Speaker, I think the Honourable Member is aware of two things. The first is that the auditor general and officer of the legislature is looking into the Oakville gas plant as directed as asked by the Premier in an effort to provide transparency. The second thing, Mr. Speaker, that he knows is that his party was front and centre in opposing that gas plant. Mr. Speaker, we look forward to testimony from candidates in that riding. Candidates that we've asked to come forward who have not yet made themselves available. When we look for his help in asking those witnesses to come to the forefront. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My gosh, Bob Fosse could not have coordinated a better dance routine than that. Premier, all the public wants to know is how much did the liberal scandal cost and who ordered the documents to be withheld. Weeks later, we still don't know the real cost. It's clear that every liberal staffer brought before the committee is putting their party's needs ahead of those of the interest of the taxpayer. Not one liberal is telling us the whole story, Speaker. What we do know is that the Premier's office, along with Cabinet, have directed the scandal from the very beginning. And we do know there was absolutely no regard for the taxpayer. The objective was to do a deal at any cost, Speaker. I ask you, Premier, will you end this charade and come clean on the Oakville cost? Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these are oldies but goldies. The member from Halton, Hanser, June 1st, the people of Oakville have told you they don't want the proposed gas-fire power plant, and I agree with them. The member from Halton, press release. Minister, will you move the Oakville power plant? I'm asking the minister to consider moving this plant. The member from Halton told the Toronto Sun October 7th, 2010, it was sad that it took so long to get to Oakville. It was nice to see that decision overturned. Mr. Speaker, again, where is the Conservative costing? We asked for Conservative candidates, both from the Oakville and the Mississaug area, to come forward along with the new Democratic Party candidates. None have made themselves available. I ask the honourable member to use his influence to have them come forward and talk about the work that they did, the analysis to cost out what it was. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, we will move the question to the Premier. Premier, the more we learn about the private power deals that your government signed, the more we see these deals were great for private power companies and lousy for the people who pay the bills. This morning, the former Premier senior energy adviser wouldn't tell Ontarians or couldn't tell Ontarians why private power companies were going to debate the province's electricity plan. Can the Premier explain why TransCanada got a heads-up on the province's energy plan before this House was informed? Premier. Government House Speaker. Government House Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know, I actually, I appreciate the question that was being asked about the whole issue of citing power plants in this province. It is something that the operation with the opposition have expanded the mandate of the Committee to look at, Mr. Speaker. And I think it's about time, Mr. Speaker, that we stop going in on these fishing trips and the Committee actually started to look on how we could move forward, because the simple fact of the matter is, Mr. Speaker, that that honourable member represents a party that was equally opposed to the Oakville plan, as was a progressive Conservative party. Mr. Speaker, all parties in this legislature were opposed. We recognise that there were fewer people. I think it would benefit all of us if the Committee focused on how to move forward and how to come up with the right decision-making process. Your supplementary. Boy, you can't even deny this stuff anymore. Premier, people expect the electricity system to provide affordable energy for this province so families can pay their bills, so businesses can afford to grow. But instead, the Government is government is promising private power companies, they can see the energy plan and make sure it helps them out before the province sees it. Can the Premier explain why private power companies are coming ahead of hardworking families and creation of jobs? Again Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Member fails to acknowledge his party's record on the Oakville situation. It was identical to all the rest of the parties. The member himself said, I don't agree, he told Inside Holden, I don't agree with the Oakville power plan, I don't think it's necessary. The member from Beaches East York in December 2, 2010 said here, I'm glad that the people of Oakville came to their senses, I'm glad the people of Oakville hired Aaron Brockovich and did all the things they did in order to have this killed. Mr. Speaker, there is unanimity of all parties in terms of what happened at Oakville and Mississauga and I think we all welcome the Honourable Member and his colleagues and all colleagues in the Legislature if they want to use this committee as it should be to come forward with recommendations on how we move forward in future decisions. That is a mandate that's been given the committee and fortunately they spent a lot of time on fishing expeditions Mr. Speaker and they should be looking at the broader policy question. Thank you, a new question. The member from Mississauga is Cooksville. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment. On April 12th, a final political hurdle was cleared towards building a second bridge span across the Detroit River. President Obama gave his presidential permit, widely considered the last approval required before we go forward. This is indeed, Speaker, very good news to have the White House's support. And can the Minister now tell us what this bridge is going to mean for Ontario's economy and jobs? Thank you, Mr. McConnell. Well, I certainly thank my colleague for this important question. You know, as Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment, I'm very pleased to see that President Obama has endorsed the new Detroit River International crossing. And Mr. Speaker, you may not know this, but more than $110 billion in goods cross the Windsor border each year, making this North America's premier trade crossing. And Ontario exports 77% of the goods that we produce here to the United States and almost a third of that travels across the border into Michigan. So more efficient crossings mean better access to U.S. markets for Ontario manufacturers helping them to grow and to thrive. Mr. Speaker, North America's auto industry sees millions of vehicle components crossing the border every day to ensure their just-in-time delivery to assembly plants in both Michigan and southern Ontario. While the bridge itself is a federal initiative, the province is doing its part by building the $1.4 billion Windsor Essex Parkway to link the new crossing to the 401. Thank you, supplementary. Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Minister, for that answer. I'm glad to see that Ontario businesses and families, particularly in Windsor and southwestern Ontario, will benefit from the new Detroit River International crossing. And the increased access to the United States market. Now, the truth is that the United States will continue to be a very important trading ally for Ontario. But we've got to look at new market, Speaker, because that's where the world is growing. So can the minister tell us what the ministry is doing to help Ontario businesses access new fast-growing markets outside of North America? Thank you, Minister. Thank you. And of course, the member is right in indicating that we need to look at new markets, not simply existing ones. And last year, the efforts of my ministry and our government helped over a thousand Ontario exporters access or expand their export markets through participating in our programs. And for example, over 540 Ontario companies participated in 69 different international trade missions to places in Europe, South America, Asia, the Middle East and North America. And since 2007, just that period of time, we've led 37 internationally minister-led missions and eight premier-led missions to destinations around the world to promote Ontario business. The most recent mission, of course, was to China in January. It resulted in the signing of nearly $800 million in contracts for Ontario businesses. So here in Ontario, we provide consultations, seminars and many other supports to businesses looking to expand globally. When Ontario companies are looking to expand globally, our government will be there to offer whatever assistance we can to help them grow their businesses. Cute new question. A number from Leeds Grendel. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is to the premier. Last week, your parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Energy compared the liberal gas plant scandal to the USA putting a man on the moon. He said the US never knew the cost of putting a man on the moon and that your government never knew the cost of canceling the gas plants. Well, in the wake of those ridiculous comments, we've uncovered a few factoids. Did you know that the average cost of launching a space shuttle according to NASA is around $400 million? And if we use NASA's math with just far more trustworthy than the premier's math for the same price of three shuttle launches to outer space, you can save three liberal MPP seats. The Lainey's view that Charles Sousa, Laurel Broughton and Kevin Flynn seats are going to I'm going to wait for quiet and definitely remind members this is becoming too frequent. I'm going to remind members that they are to use their titles or their writings, and it's the spiral down. So I'm going to stop it from here on in. If I hear that, I'll pass the question. Premier, Mr Speaker, and I know that the I know that the Minister of Energy will want to speak to the specifics in the supplementary, but I just I just want to say, Mr Speaker, that, you know, the decision that we made to relocate the and cancel the gas plant projects in Oakville and Mississauga were decisions that were supported by every member of this House, Mr Speaker, by all parties. We listened to the communities. We made the decisions to relocate those gas plants. Mr Speaker, the reality is when projects have been begun, there is a cost associated to making a change. So, Mr Speaker, I really believe that it's very important that I have been the Premier who has asked the, the, the Auditor General to look at those costs, Mr Speaker, to make sure that the calculations that are made are open and transparent. That's why we asked the Auditor General to look at it. I look forward to his report, Mr Speaker. And in the meantime, I think it's great that the committee is able to have broader its mandate, Mr Speaker. Thank you. My question is back to the Premier. Premier, you have repeatedly stood in this House and promised on the record that you will appear before the Justice Committee to answer your role in this massive scandal using the member, it's, it's galactic that the level of the scandal. So, Premier, next Tuesday, you've been invited to hear before the Justice Committee. Will you confirm to the House today that you will order and instruct your staff to not play a calendar or scheduling games? Will you keep your promise? And will you confirm your appearance at the Justice Committee investigating the gas plant scandal on Tuesday, April 30th, 2013? Yes or no? Are you coming to the committee? Mr Speaker, I can say quite critically that the Premier will be in attendance at the committee. I want to address the main issue that he asked in the main question. He referred to the cost of relocating the Oakville plant. Mr Speaker, I want to read from a letter that I delivered to the clerk of the committee yesterday afternoon. At the meeting of the Justice Committee on Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013, Liberal members intend to bring forward a motion requiring the Ontario Power Authority to appear at a meeting of the committee. Our commitment is to be open and transparent. To support the work of the committee, the OPA will be in a position to share their accrued estimate of long-term costs and savings associated with the relocation of the Oakville plant. As you know, the government has also asked the Auditor General to report on the Oakville plant's relocation. The Auditor's work with the OPA is currently underway, and we look forward to receiving the Auditor's final report. Mr Speaker, we are being open. Thank you. See you, please. New question. A member from Nickelville. Thank you, Mr President. My question is for the Prime Minister. The hospital affected by the diluted chemotherapy drugs. Windsor Regional Hospital, like all the affected hospitals, used an approved procurement process to source these drugs. Yet, at committee, a hospital official said they were, and I quote, under the impression that some safeguard had been put in place. Speaker, there is ample evidence that the minister knew about this gray area of oversight for years. Can the Premier explain why the ministry failed to do their primary job of oversight? Speaker, thank you, and thank you for the question. Although I must say I'm a bit surprised to hear that question. I think it is abundantly clear, Speaker, that when I became aware of the issue of underdosing of chemotherapy drugs, we acted, Speaker, within days. We have heard that Health Canada has been aware of this issue for many years. And I think that as we work together to take the steps necessary to assure patients that they do have access to the right drug, Speaker, we will be working with Health Canada. I am delighted that last week they announced that they are actually acknowledging that there is an area that needs of the attention. Regulations that we've announced, Speaker, will take us in the direction we need to do. Thank you. Supplementary. Back to the Premier, Speaker, and Terence want to know what happened, but they want also to be assured that this kind of lapse in oversight will never happen again. Speaker, I'm really concerned that the ministry seems to be unwilling to acknowledge that they failed to provide oversight. They're unwilling to acknowledge that they even had a role to play. Will the Premier admit that there was a mistake that was made by her minister and explain what is being done now to address other in related areas in our health care system? Speaker, I once again am happy to say that when we became aware of this issue, we took immediate action. We pulled together all of the partners, Speaker, and there is no question that the health care system is focused on addressing this issue. You heard from the CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital. You heard from the chief of staff at Windsor Regional Hospital, Speaker. Yesterday they appeared they are focused on ensuring that this does not happen again. We also have Dr. Jake Teeson, who is working in the whole cancer drug supply. I would hope that the member opposite would be listening to what her critic in Ottawa is saying. The questions that are being asked in Ottawa of Health Canada, Speaker, we have shared responsibility here and we are acting together to resolve the issue. Thank you. Do you have a question? Remember from New York, so question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Labor. Minister, it can be tough at times to balance and to care full time for your children, your aging parents, or both. And recently I happened to read an article in the Globe and Mail that focused on this very issue. And it profiled a young family, the career and personal sacrifices that they needed to make to ensure that their loved ones were properly cared for. Through you, Mr. Speaker, to the Minister. Can the Minister tell us what can the government do? How can the government make the life of Ontarians who are caring for their loved ones a little easier? Thank you. Thank you. Minister of Labor. Thank you very much, Speaker. I want to thank the member for a very important question. This is a very important issue and something that we, I think, all of us hear from our constituents at a frequent basis. You know, Speaker, we've heard from sole caregivers. We have heard from those who are in sandwich generations looking after the elderly parents and their young ones at home as to what we need to do in order to help our elderly parents or other family members who may need help. That's why, Speaker, we have put forward a piece of legislation that, if passed, would build on the existing family medical leave to provide up to eight weeks of unpaid job leave for employees to provide care and support to a family member with a serious medical condition. In addition, Speaker, that legislation, if passed, would complement recent federal initiatives that provide leaves and benefits for parents that need to care for a critically ill child or in cases where a child is missing or dies as a probable result of a crime. This is an important issue, Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary? Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the minister for that answer. The introduction of the Leaves to Help Families Act is good news for Ontarians. This version of the bill builds upon the previous version by adding in extra leaves that complement the new grants and the unpaid leaves offered by the federal government. I think that every member of this House and everyone who is watching us today share a common experience. World sons or daughters, we have parents and grandparents, we may have spouses and children, and in short we're all part of a family. And when those family members have a major health problem, we want to be there for them. So through you, Speaker, to the minister, can the minister update us on the status of this bill? Frashten, thank you. Minister? Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. And this important speaker is very, it is important because this bill is important because it will give working Ontarians the one thing they need most and that is to be timed with their loved ones. And I really hope that all MPPs will support this bill. This bill is first and foremost about compassion and making sure that we know that our families are doing well. Speaker, the debate has commenced on this important bill and what I've heard so far from the opposition members is heartening to me. I quote the member from Lanark, Fort Naglannis and Eddinton who said that they, i.e. the government has come back with a better bill and of course they do deserve recognition for it and thank him for those positive comments. Similar for the honourable member from ASIC, he said that I think it's well-intentioned. I think it's something that is almost that what we would call a no-brainer. Speaker, I hope we will continue with the sentiment, get the debate done in the south and send this bill to the committee so that we can move on for a variety of important committees. Thank you. A question for the member from Lanark and Kent. Thank you, everyone, is for the Premier. Premier, while your government has been lost in space, 600,000 men and women are looking for work in Kathleen Wynn's Ontario. On the Mississauga power plant, you blew your own number by 45 percent and now Ontario businesses and families are stuck paying your bill. Premier, do you think it's right to force Ontario businesses, families, and the 600,000 men and women you have put out of work to pay for your political dirty work? Thank you. You can start with paper, Mr. Speaker. I've got a press release here or a comment to the Mississauga News and it quotes, listen, this only Conservative leader Tim Hudak will cancel the Eastern power gas plant slated to be built on Laurel and App. Then, Mr. Speaker, you can go to the Twitterverse. An Ontario PC government will stop the plant for good. Then, Mr. Speaker, you can go to YouTube and watch the leader of the opposition surrounded by his adoring candidates in front of a crowd of five or six people saying, if he's elected, this plant will be done, done, done. Mr. Speaker, the Progressive Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party, the Liberal Party, all of us had the same position in the last election, Mr. Speaker. And again, we're looking forward to hearing their comment. Thank you. The Attorney General doesn't get the last word I do. Supplementary. It's a heck of a lot better than Michael Jackson's moonwalk, actually. Mr. Speaker, the auditor general told us one thing and the Liberal Party is telling us something totally different. What is clear is that political decisions were made, decisions that served to benefit only the Liberal Party of Ontario and are ultimately going to cost Ontario businesses and Ontario families upwards of one billion dollars. Yesterday, your government announced that you will table your budget on March, on May 2nd and we can only assume that the NDP, your farm team, will be dutifully supporting it. Premier, what is the final number you're going to write beside the words Oakville Power Plant Cancellation Costs? Mr. Speaker, we have heard from the auditor general. We've heard from the auditor general in terms of the Mississauga plant and the Premier asked the auditor general to look into the Oakville plant. But Mr. Speaker, we are still waiting to hear about the Progressive Conservative numbers. In fact, Mr. Speaker, just in reference to an earlier question, we have asked that the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Hudak, come before the committee next Tuesday where he can discuss his figures and I hope, Mr. Speaker, that the Honourable Member will ensure that he doesn't play calendar and say that he's too busy to come before the committee because we're looking forward to his testimony to explain his opposition to the gas pipeline and explain how it would be done, done, done. Do you have a question? A member from Canora Rainy River. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Last week, Nishkaundega First Nation declared a state of emergency looking for provincial assistance with a suicide crisis that has rocked the community. The community attributed these suicides to the social conditions in the community including prescription drug abuse, poor water quality, inadequate policing, and lack of access to mental health and addictions workers. Issues that the province has been aware of for years. My question is simple. Does the Premier believe First Nations need to declare states of emergency to access the basic health services that they need? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Of course, I do not believe that First Nations communities need to declare states of emergency in order to get services and, Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to speak with Chief Munez at the time that the emergency was declared to make sure that emergency management Ontario was aware, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that everything that we could do that we would do to to deal with the particular circumstances. I know that the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs has also had a chance to speak with the Chief and, Mr. Speaker, we will need to work with our partners as is always the case in these situations because the federal government and the provincial government and First Nations communities always have to work in partnership because these are shared responsibilities, Mr. Speaker, so we are very much a part of that and we are doing everything that we can. Thank you, supplementary. Nishkandega is not the first community to declare state of emergency, it is only the latest. In 2009 it took pressure of the NDP to get the Ontario government to commit funding for Pagetano First Nations suicide prevention program. Yet last year the same government cancelled $1.7 million of that funding leaving the community without support. Each and every community across the far north is dealing with similar challenges and as the former Minister of Aboriginal Affairs the Premier knows this well. Will the Premier commit today to address the social conditions existing on all First Nation communities or does every community need to declare a state of emergency to get basic help from your government? Mr. Speaker, I am so committed to improving the lot of the people who live in First Nations communities and these are complex issues that are rooted in a history of which all of us have to share some shame and blame because we have not, as a society, provincial government, it doesn't matter what party, it doesn't matter what level of government, we have not always worked in the best interest of the people who we share this province with. Whether it is First Nations education or whether it is First Nations healthcare, or whether it is the infrastructure on reserves, I am committed to working with my colleagues, to working with the federal government, Mr. Speaker, to working with the First Nations communities to make sure that we address these complex issues. We have done more, Mr. Speaker, to build those relationships and make sure that services flow to First Nations in the last 13 years, Mr. Speaker, and we will continue to do that work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mark questions for the Minister of Research and Innovation. This government recognized the importance of collaboration and partnership. It is often recognized that the collaboration partnership create great ideas and technologies are born. On terrorist life science sectors, as is the case in point, the researchers' public institutions and private sector work together in finding solutions. Our life science community acts as a key driver for our province and economy, creating high-level jobs, producing important breakthroughs. The statistics of Ontario life science sectors are impressive. There are approximately 38,000 high-value jobs, 1,000 companies, $9.1 billion in revenues and export values of $5.7 billion. Mr. Speaker, through you to the Minister of Research and Innovation, what is this government doing to ensure that our life science sector is supported? Thank you, Mr. Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the member from Scarborough Aging Corps for that question. Mr. Speaker, by bringing together our world-class scientists and our leading research institutions and the strong private sector, we can make important discoveries that generate economic growth and also create jobs. Mr. Speaker, recently we invested $36 million in 17 research projects in seven research institutions and universities in the Greater Toronto Area. We also announced $100 million investment in the Ontario Brain Institute. Mr. Speaker, we have committed to $357 million to the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. We are also encouraging and helping medium-sized and small-sized businesses to conduct research and make innovations in biotechnology, biomedical, and also pharmaceuticals. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Research and Innovation, I am proud of the record of this government. Thank you. Thank you. Supplementary? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm glad to hear that our government is taking step to support new ideas and technologies that will drive Ontario future economy and create jobs. In this global economy, it is critical to promote collaboration and build on the strength of our life science community. Yesterday, the Minister of Research and Innovation participated in the Bio 2013 International Convention in Chicago. Through you, Mr. Speaker, to the Minister of Research and Innovation, can he please tell the House what this government is doing to promote and attract global investments in Ontario? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I thank the member for that question. On Sunday and the Monday, Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to participate in the Bio 2013 International Convention in Chicago. The Bio 2013 Convention is one of the largest and the most important global events in biotechnology industry. Mr. Speaker, the event featured conferences and exhibitions well attended by policymakers, scientists and business leaders from around the world. Organized by the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the event gave Ontario's delegations of more than 300 people, Mr. Speaker, scientists and the engineers and business leaders to attend this conference and had the opportunity to learn about major trends affecting the industry and also network with scientists and the business leaders from around the world. But most importantly, Mr. Speaker, the convention gave the opportunity to showcase Ontario's strengths in the world stage. Mr. Speaker, this event also helped promote global investments to Ontario that generates economic growth and create jobs in this province. Thank you. New question? The member from Holton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Premier, let us recall what the leader of the NDP stated in the legislature on April 16th. And I quote, what's really shocking for the people is the Premier doesn't seem to be showing any remorse or regret. Instead, it's just full steam ahead with politics as usual. Ontarians learn the people of this province are going to be paying $275 million for the cancellation of the Mississauga power plan. Why can't the Premier admit that this was cynical politics that it's worst and actually show some remorse for this waste of public money? End quote. Premier, it's statements like this that indicate to the people of Ontario that the NDP will support calling the APC motion for debate when at his table. Will you commit to getting results for the people of Ontario and calling our motion for debate when it is tabled? Or will you hide from this confidence motion and push it aside like all your other liberal scandals? Mr. Speaker, well, Mr. Speaker, there are two parts of that question that I want to address. The first is on the regret, Mr. Speaker. I think we could go through Hansard and you can count the number of times that I have said regret. In fact, maybe we'll have somebody do that. But I have said consistently, Mr. Speaker, that I regret that we are in this situation, Mr. Speaker, I regret that we were not able to make a decision earlier, Mr. Speaker, because there is always a cost associated with backtracking when a project has begun. So I've been very clear that I regret that. I've said it was a political decision, Mr. Speaker. It was a political decision that all parties agreed with, Mr. Speaker. In terms of confidence and huge opportunity looming, there's a huge opportunity looming for the members in this House to express confidence or not in the government. And that is called the budget, Mr. Speaker. May 2nd, there is an opportunity for people in this legislature to express their confidence, Mr. Speaker. Two supplementary. Premier, you talk the talk, but you don't walk the walk. We still haven't got answers. Premier, the NDP may think it's okay to prop up your Liberal government in the midst of a scandal or when it means the destruction of thousands of good jobs in the horse racing industry. But even they must recognize that this gas plant scandal is the straw that broke the horses back. Premier, you've dismissed this motion of confidence as a PR stunt. Your assistant to the minister of the energy has even compared it to the massive waste of money to a moon mission. All proof that your government just doesn't take this issue seriously. Will the people of my constituency take this issue very seriously? If you think you have the confidence of this House and the people of Ontario, Mr. Speaker. Call the motion of confidence when we table it and prove you retain the confidence of this House. Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And there is no one in this House that's looking forward more to the expression of confidence in the government on the budget than I am, Mr. Speaker. We share the official opposition that the members will read the budget, Mr. Speaker, that they will actually look at what's in it. It disturbs me that the critic has said that no matter what is in the budget they're going to vote against it. It doesn't seem to me that that is a very responsible position, Mr. Speaker. The other thing I want to say is that we take Attorney General. She's answering. It's extremely seriously, Mr. Speaker. That is why when I came into this position I called for an open process. I asked for an expansion of the mandate of the committee so that a full range of questions could be asked. I said I would appear before the committee. I'm going to on Tuesday, Mr. Speaker. And I said that I was going to ask the auditor general to look at the Oakville situation. I've done all those things, Mr. Speaker. Go ahead. Go ahead. Question. Remember some song of answers. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the Minister of Education. Last year the government eliminated the program enhancement grant that supports arts and schools. Now we're seeing the impact on children. According to people for education only 44% of Ontario elementary schools now have a full-time or part-time specialist music teacher. That's a drop of 5% from last year and the lowest since 2005. Why is the government reducing student access to music in Ontario schools? Thank you, Minister of Education. Yes, thank you. And I'm very pleased to be able to talk about music education in our schools because, in fact, I believe that music education in our schools is extremely important just as is music education in the performance arts education in the visual arts and, in fact, all those things are part of the curriculum speaker. And we fund the curriculum through the foundation grant. The foundation grant which the Percupal Foundation grant provides the core funding but, you know, Speaker, we have also provided additional money for 4,900 elementary specialist teachers so that there's an opportunity for school boards to make a choice. Some have chosen to spend that money on music teachers, some on arts teachers, some on phys ed teachers, some on tech teachers. But there are specialist teachers in this. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Minister, yesterday Graham Henderson, President of Music Canada, spoke court of the declining commitment toward music education in Ontario. Indeed, access to music teachers has fallen drastically since 1998. Only one in four schools in Northern Ontario has a specialist music teacher. And low income students are least likely to have the opportunity to sing and acquire or play in a band. When will the minister take action to ensure that all students in Ontario have access to music in their education? Well, as I just said, Speaker, all students do have access to music because it's part of the curriculum. And you should not assume that an elementary teacher who is not a specialist teacher does not actually have the ability to teach music because many do have qualifications in music as well. But I think we need to go back and look at the people for education report a little bit more closely. Because if you look at their own report, they said that the number of schools with a music teacher exclusive to that school was 49%. Plus 30% had itinerant music teachers in 2010-11. And I've heard 79% of schools. If you look at the next year, yes, there was a trend to itinerant music teachers because declining enrollment was happening. But you actually find when you add up the numbers that 82% of... I would remind the Minister of Education I stand, you sit. The Premier, on a point of order. I beg your indulgence, Mr. Speaker. There were four more constituents of mine. I apparently am Miss Ann Marie Branch, Martha McNeil, Barbara Abrams, and Joan Tadman. And I apologize. Welcome. So remember from Thomas James Bay, on a point of order. Mr. Speaker, somebody all the way from Holtire now lives around somewhere down south. Mr. James Moffat is here. Thank you. Before we recess, I've been hearing a couple of things that I want to bring to the attention of the House and ask all of the members and ask all of the members to help me with this. And that is when we mentioned somebody's absence, it is a very longstanding tradition that we remove ourselves from making comment on anyone's absence. As most people may not know the reason why. And I would suspect that we would all be very gentle on that particular issue. The second one is when people are answering questions or putting questions, I'm beginning to hear an inordinate amount of heckling from with the same side. So I would ask you to stop trying to provoke by making comments while someone is questioning or making comments while someone is answering to lower instead of raise the provocation. So please help me with that. And I think we will be able to move forward quite well. There are no deferred votes. This House stands recessed until 3 p.m. this afternoon.