 It is now time for oral questions and I recognize the leader of the official opposition. Speaker, my first question is to the Acting Premier. During the last election campaign, the Premier pledged that not a single job would be lost as he implemented his cuts for Ontario. Parents of children in our public schools are wondering this week, does the Acting Premier believe that the Premier meant a word of that? Deputy Premier. To the Minister of Education. The Minister of Education. Thank you very much Deputy Premier and it's my pleasure to stand in the House today and say on equivalent be straight forward, straight from the heart that there is going to be no front line cuts under for government. You know the fear mongering that this opposition party is trying to generate is just disgusting quite frankly. Like chicken little. You know we are working with our school boards and we're being very responsible and so much as year after year under the Liberal Administration we've recognized that there was so much waste effecting the classroom, the learning environment in every school across this province. And so we're standing up and saying that we are following through on our campaign problems. We are standing with our speaker and collectively as a team we are ensuring there will be no front line job losses. Thank you very much. Supplementary. Speaker what the Minister calls fear mongering we call vigilance of a fierce official opposition. Speaker parents were quite disturbed this week by news that the Ford government is calling on school boards to freeze new hiring. School boards are warning parents to prepare for cuts for higher class sizes for less support for their kids and for layoffs. Can the Deputy Premier explain to us how any of these cuts will benefit our children. Minister. Speaker the Ford government the PC government of Ontario is ensuring that every precious tax dollar that we have in this province is going to be going to be invested in such a way that the learning environment and the opportunities for students to learn and move forward and feel confident about their career path they choose is second to none. And this is something that not only I'm dedicated to the Premier's dedicated to but I can tell you the entire PC team is dedicated to as well. In terms of this absolutely taking positive strides to make sure that our students are going to be provided with a safe and supportive learning environment. And you know we're doing the responsible thing we need to work with our school boards. Response. And that's why a planning memo was sent out last week to let them know in terms of a good flow of communication what our plans are and I will be pleased to continue to speak about this. Thank you very much. Supplementary. Well speaker it's maybe news to the Minister of Education but safe and supportive learning environments require teachers and liberal neglect schools are already saying that they're going to struggle next year. Now thanks to this government schools are saying they're unprepared for the influx of children who are losing autism supports. They don't know what curriculum they'll be teaching and now the government's warned them not to fill staff positions. Why is the government telling our schools not to fill vacancies unless they're planning to act those positions and force cuts in the classrooms. Minister. We need to ensure that we have the right teachers in the right place in the right classrooms so that our students are building their skills and ECEs and the entire education worker team are in the right place in the right classroom so that we can ensure our students have confidence. If anyone disagrees with that well frankly they don't care about students in Ontario and the fact of the matter is I'm prepared to share and I'll send this over to the opposition. The planning memo that we sent out to our boards of education as well as our chairs because I think it's very important that she understands and sees clearly what we're working towards and our school boards were advised to defer the annual processes of filling vacancies for retirements and other leaves related to teachers and other staff until the Minister of Education provides an update to the sector on or before March 15th and I'll send this over to the leader of the opposition for her information. Next question. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is to the Deputy Premier. Families are also worried about the state of their health care system. In the light of the 40 nursing jobs that were cut at the Grand River Hospital in Kitchener just last week, or the 60 nursing jobs cut from the Sudbury Hospital late last year, would the Deputy Premier be willing to repeat the Premier's pledge that not a single job will be lost in the health care sector? The Deputy Premier. As we indicated when we announced the plan last week our goal is to make sure that we centre care around the patients and that patients receive that connected care as they move through the transitions in their health care journey. We want to make sure that there are more people on the front line in this new redeveloped health care system that's been years in the making. We know we have critical strains in our system right now. Everyone can see that. We have over 30,000 people waiting for a long-term care bed. A thousand people every single day are being treated in hospital hallways and storage rooms and there's thousands and thousands of people who aren't receiving the mental health and addiction care they need. That's the goal of our plan is to make sure that we correct those problems in our system but truly connect it around the patient and make sure that there is better, more timely patient care as a result. Supplementary. Well, Speaker, there's no doubt that the Liberals left our health care system hanging by a thread but the firing of 100 nurses in a couple of months' time certainly is not going to make things better. Girls in Kitchener and Sudbury are just some of the many that are facing budget shortfalls this year and as the Minister of Health talks about her new mega-agency, she can't or won't tell patients how many jobs will be lost. Is she at least ready to admit that more than one single job will be lost? Deputy Premier. Thank you. Well, through you, Mr. Speaker, I can tell the leader of the official opposition that we are working with the hospital in Sudbury as well as with the Grand River Hospital to understand what their specific concerns are and financial pressures that they're under because we want to preserve that frontline care. So that conversation is ongoing with the Ministry of Health and with those hospitals. But I can tell you that specifically with respect to this plan, it has been well received by the health care providers as well as by patients. The Ontario Medical Association of Supportive, Ontario Hospital Association, Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, Home Care of Ontario, they are enthusiastic about these changes because they know it's transformational change we need. It's not going to be a few changes around the edges of our health care system that's going to bring about the results that we need. Final supplementary. Well, Speaker, families are seeing exactly what the priorities of this government are, whether it's frontline nurses losing jobs in local hospitals or teachers and education workers disappearing from our classrooms. The only jobs the Premier is protecting are the tickets on the gravy train that he gives to his friends and Tory insiders. Those are the only jobs. But the Ontario families who couldn't afford over $1,200 tickets for the Premier's fundraiser want to know how many teachers and nurses will the Ford government be firing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And again, I can say to you that through the leader of the opposition, through you, that that is a whole mixture of issues you're bringing up there. But to address what I believe is your question about teachers and nurses, we are strengthening our education system. We are putting more resources on the students in our school system as far as my role as Minister of Health. I am centering on the needs of patients in those province. What patients need, patients are not happy of receiving disjointed, disconnected care. We want to connect them to their health care system and allow them to know that regardless of their needs, their health care needs throughout their lives, their health care system is going to be there for them and be able to respond to their needs. Thank you. Next question, the leader of the opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is also to the Deputy Premier, but I can tell you whether you're a patient or whether you're a student, you need a frontline worker to help make sure that your needs are met. That's what you need. Type 2 spinal muscular atrophy is a rare degenerative disorder that destroys the body's muscles. In many cases, the disorder is fatal. Children with less severe versions may never crawl or walk and over time lose the ability to do things as basic as standing, turning over in bed and lifting food to their mouths. Last week, the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies and Health recommended expanded public coverage for the drug Spinaraza for children under 12 to treat this disorder. Will our province be acting on that recommendation? Deputy Premier. I do thank the leader of the official opposition for this question. This is a very serious issue. I have heard from a number of parents specifically whose children are affected by this spinal muscular atrophy, and that Spinaraza, I know, looks to be a very promising way to deal with it. I've been following it, but safety, of course, of patients is our primary concern, and I can tell you that right now it is continuing to go through the review to make sure that it is both going to be safe and is also going to be effective. And we are currently waiting for the final funding recommendation from the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in the final health review of Spinaraza. So while we all want to make sure that it comes on board as quickly as possible, we must go through these safety precautions and receive these recommendations before we can allow for it to be supplementary. Well, Speaker, what parents want to hear is a definitive answer from this minister, the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies and Health. Recommended the expanded public coverage for the drug Spinaraza. The drug is offering hope to desperate parents, but it's simply too expensive for them to afford. Treatments run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. No parent should be in a position of knowing that the treatment is out there, but watching their child suffer because their bank account isn't big enough to pay for the drugs. When will this province agree to fund Spinaraza? First of all, I would say to the leader of the official opposition, it's not about the cost of it. If someone needs a medication in Ontario, we want to make sure that they are going to be able to receive it and not have to pay for it out of pocket because we know that many families are simply not going to be able to do that. If they can't, they should still have access to it. But as the leader of the official opposition also knows there are many steps that need to be taken before a drug can be finally approved. And so I can clearly say that right now we are waiting for the final recommendation from the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in their health review of Spinaraza. I am as anxious as anyone else is here for that review to be completed, but it is one of the steps that we need to take to make sure that it is going to be clinically safe as well as clinically effective. Thank you. Next question, the member for Flamborough-Blandwell. Thank you for your transportation. Our government made a campaign promise to get the people of Ontario moving by improving and expanding our current public transit system. As the Minister of Transportation has shared with the House on many occasions, we have several projects already underway with the TTC upload and Go Service expansions. I look forward to continuing to hear more about the upload and future service expansions. The previous government supported by the NDP had 15 years to improve our current transit system, but as it always seems with the members opposite, there's a lot of talk and very little action. Will the Minister of Transportation share with the House other projects that our government for the people have undertaken to improve transit right across the province? Minister of Transportation. I'd like to thank the member from Flamborough-Blandwell for that great question and really working on the improvement of transit across the entire region. Let me be the first to tell the House here today that last week I announced that as March 9, all children, 12 and under, can ride free on Go Transit. I take this opportunity to thank all of my PC colleagues for their advocacy on this issue. Kids Ride Free allows families to keep more money in their own pockets when commuting with their children to work, school, home, or for family outing. Mr. Speaker, our government for the people is committed to putting families first and making life more affordable by introducing programs like Kids Ride Free. This announcement is about giving families more options when travelling and allowing families to spend more quality time together on a Go train or bus. This means real savings for families and customers and I look forward to sharing more in my supplementary. Supplementary? Thank you Mr. Speaker and back to the Minister of Transportation. You know, I'm really thrilled that our government has implemented the Kids Ride Free program on Go Transit. This is absolutely great news for the people of Ontario and for the residents in my riding of Flamborough, Glanborough who are pleased to learn about these exciting new changes. Ontarians work hard every single day in and day out to provide for their families. Our government is committed to ensuring that families are able to keep more money in their pockets in addition to spending more time with their loved ones. Making transit an easier and more affordable choice for parents cuts through gridlock by helping to get traffic off of our roads. Our government believes that public transit is vital to Ontario's quality of life. Can the Minister of Transportation share with the House more information on this great program? Great job. Minister. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and again thanks for that question from the member. Families across the GTHA can take this opportunity to explore the many activities that are close to Go stations. Free travel for kids on Go Transit Alliance fares with the TTC and UP Express. This is another step to integrate transit across the GTHA. Mr. Speaker, it's good to know this program is already being supported by other members of the legislature. Even the member from Don Valley East has tweeted his support for this announcement and I thank you very much for that support. Sometimes it's good to support a good policy not to oppose just to oppose Mr. Speaker. In the last six months, our government for the people has increased service throughout the Go network. We've added more than 200 new weekly train trips on the Lakeshore East and West Go train lines and more trips between Toronto and Kitchener and daily commuter service between Toronto and Niagara Falls for the first time ever. Mr. Speaker, we're way ahead of schedule as we expand the Go Transit. Stay tuned for more to come because our government's on the move. We're expanding Go Transit. We're integrating. Start the clock. Next question from the member for Hamilton Mountain. Speaker, my question is for the acting Premier. The disastrous conservative changes to the autism program are already creating chaos. Therapy providers are considering layoffs and wondering how they can ethically provide services within the new budgets. School boards are raising the alarm. They don't have the resources to serve the influx of autistic children. And the families are deciding if they have to sell their homes or move to other provinces to get needs-based services. Will the acting Premier tell us how much chaos must we all endure before the Premier recognizes this is a bad plan and directs the minister to try again? Good question. Deputy Premier. Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Thank you, Dr. Motivation, to clear the wait list in the next 18 months of the 23,000 children who are languishing on that wait list. I was reviewing over the weekend some of the comments that have been made in this house over the years, of course, on this particular file. And on November the 4th, 2015, a colleague in this house said, families have made plea after plea to this minister to deal with the wait list. To ensure the kids are getting the supports that they need. Parents and kids have had enough. They've had enough excuses. They've had enough talk. Order. They've had enough studies. They've had enough panels. Now is the time for action. And the question ends with, will the acting Premier to immediately end wait lists for his children with autism? That was a member from Hamilton Mountain. This government has decided we are going to clear what it was good enough for that member in 2015. Supplementary. Speaker, the member's autism plan is wrong. Will they give the minister standing ovations for destroying families of children with autism? They lead families on, privately giving them false hope that the government is on their side. Last Friday received a letter from a constituent from the member from Carlton. She had been told that her member was on her side and she shared her concerns about the recent changes. But when she shared this on Facebook, the member quietly reached out and asked her to change the post. With the reports of the big brother atmosphere of obedience across the aisle, I can see why. Will the acting Premier tell us, does the Conservative caucus actually support the new autism program or is it being forced into supporting it mentally? This is a government that has made a commitment to clear the wait list. I don't know why they can't take yes for an answer. They were for direct funding model until they weren't. They were for clearing the wait list until they weren't. They were for regulating service providers until they weren't. This is an opposition party that has become a professional protest movement and will continue to use parents. Opposition come to order. I will tell you, Speaker, we are making sure that we are doubling our investment into diagnostic hubs. Opposition come to order. With autism are diagnosed more quickly. We are making sure that we are going to a direct funding model so parents will have the choices on how to best support their children. We are going to ensure that upwards of $140,000 will be made available for the childhood budget. But what I don't understand is what? I apologize to the minister. I apologize to the minister. The opposition must come to order. And allow the minister to respond to their question that came from the opposition side. And I need to be able to hear the minister. I ask the minister to conclude her response. Speaker, it's clear that the NDP party does not have a plan. It is clear that they don't have a costing of it. They had a $3 billion hole in their budget. I'll take no lessons from them on how to make sure that we support children with autism in this province. The member for Thornhill. Thank you. My question is for the Treasury. The minister of Treasury in debt and wasteful spending of the Liberals will impact the province. We have promised Ontarian to establish a responsibility of the government. This is exactly what we do. This is what we have done so far and for those to restrict expenses and review line-bar-line expenses and review all government agencies. In this House, what other actions the government is taking to restore trust and accountability? President of the Treasury Board. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to my colleague for 15 years Liberals I'd ignore recommendation from the Auditor General. Last year I announced the creation of a committee in Ontario. This committee was to do a dependent work of the Auditor General to establish responsibility and eliminate wasting as the leader of the opposition in 2014. This is not a question. Mr. Speaker, once we agree. Supplementary? Thank you for the President of the Treasury Board. Mr. Speaker, Ontarians are worried about the increase of the interest on the debt from Liberals. Ontario spends $12.5 billion on debt and every dollar wasted cannot be spent on transport hospitals and schools. This is what the financial officer says in his last report. The Ontario is the second province most indebted by a capital in Canada. This is increased the fiscal situation of Ontario. Can the President of the Treasury Board talk about measures taken by the government to decrease the debt? Mr. Speaker, thank you to my colleagues for a good question. As it was said in quarter, there is a deficit of $13.5 billion compared to $15 billion. Colleagues, since the beginning me and my colleagues to diminish the debt, to maintain credibility, preserve essential services like education and health, support family and businesses. Mr. Speaker, it's very important to repair the situation of Ontario. That's why we will keep our promise to Ontario and fight the deficit of the former government. Next question. My question is to the Deputy Premier. Catholic First Nation has asked for housing and health emergency relief. They declared a state of emergency back in January 16 to Black Malt and most of their homes. The resulting illnesses are so serious that the children are being met and backed out of the community. Since then, a Catholic First Nation woman has died. Chief Keva Gabo has requested for 10 to 14 housing units so that residents be removed from the contaminated houses. There are only weeks left before the winter road closes to the promised housing supply zone. Will this government provide the immediate temporary housing that Minister Rickford said he would provide several weeks ago? Deputy Premier, Minister Finance. Thank you very much and thank you to the member for the question. The safety and well-being of our First Nation community that declares a social or infrastructure emergency is of great concern to this government and, of course, as the Minister said last week, we are saddened, member, to hear about the loss of Nashi Umbush from Cat Lake First Nation and we offer our heartfelt condolences to Nashi's family and to the entire community in Cat Lake. And, member, we know that the Minister has personally reached out to Matthew Keva Gabo to discuss how the province may be able to support the community during this difficult time. Supplementary? Last week, this government claimed that it funded an infectious disease specialist to conduct a full medical assessment of the community and that additional nurses have been deployed in the community. I spoke with the chief. Medical specialists were sent but by the federal government. And there are no additional nurses. Will this government stop playing games with the lives and the health of children and families of Cat Lake and send up the emergency health team to the community? So that's what it needs now. Minister. Thank you and thank you again for the supplementary question on this important issue. When a social emergency is declared, the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs plays a coordinating role in efficiently responding to these emergencies. And, Speaker, we do know that while the provision of housing on reserves remains the responsibility of the federal government, we have reached out to the community to offer Ontario's full support. And, Speaker, as I said in the last and the first question, the safety and well-being of our First Nations communities that declare a social or infrastructure emergency is of great concern and great importance to this government. And I do know that Minister Rickford has personally reached out to Chief Matthew Keebacapow. Thank you. Next question. Member for Orléans. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Almost everyone strongly dislikes the Minister's proposed changes to the Ontario Autism Program. Every, even parents who were once supportive have walked away. They have walked away from this Minister and from the chaos she is imposing on families and schools in Ontario. They know that at the end of September, this Minister directed service providers to stop the intake of children with autism. They know that she directed service providers to hide her scheme from parents. And they know that her directive caused a huge spike in the waitlist. My question is this. Was the Minister aware that her secret directive would inflate the waitlist? Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. I'm going to respond directly to that disgraceful allegation. That is not true. It's not only untrue. It's actually incorrect as my deputy minister pointed out. That is absolutely artificial. What I can tell you and what that member should understand is that under 15 long years they continued to put forward multiple programs that ignored many children in this province. When her government was last in office this time last year three out of four children in the province of Ontario who required support from the government was denied. They brought forward a program that was bankrupt and broken. We had to fix it. We have gone to a direct funding model which is what many people have wanted. We have also gone to more parental choice because we recognize that ABA therapy may not work for all children which is why we're investing in technological aids, caregiver training and response support. We're also making sure that we double the investment in diagnostic hubs Thank you speaker, back to the minister. The minister can throw around all the insults she likes but parents are desperate for more information. They have lost confidence and trust in her. The complete lack of transparency off on this file is shocking. Did the minister even consider any other options? Certainly there were better options than this. We're moving the autism program to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care considered an option supported by important groups like autism Ontario and Canada. But then again, the minister and his government have an habit of ignoring sound advice from stakeholders group. So the question is simple. Was taking the Ontario autism program away from this minister and her ministry an option not why not? Minister? It takes a lot of nerve for an Ontario Liberal MPP to stand up in this house and talk about autism and defend what they did over the past 15 years to ignore 23,000 children who required support from their Ontario government. I will take no lessons from any member of the Liberal caucus. They were handed a very strong message from the public on June 7, 2018 when they were reduced from a majority government to seven independent seats. If anyone has lost the confidence of the people of this province, it is the Ontario Liberal Party. They should be ashamed of themselves for ignoring 23,000 of the kids in this province with autism. We're denied support by the Ontario Liberal Government. This government is changing that. We're going to a direct funding model. We're clearing the way. We're investing in diagnostic hubs and we're going to make sure that the list is cleared so we can ensure early intervention. Thank you. Next question. Member for Carlton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Francophone Affairs. Our government for the people wants to ensure that the cultural gains of the Franco-Ontario community are protected. Specifically in the area of education as a government to participate in the development of Francophone communities. We know that there are more than 100,000 Francophone students in Francophone schools in Ontario. There are also 2 million students in French language as a second language courses. Can the Minister of Francophone Affairs inform this House on the work of our government for the Francophone community in Ontario with respect to the study of French in the province? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank my colleague for her question. In Ontario, French is very important to us. Our support is continuous in various areas including education which has a key role to play. Our government has invested and the Minister of Education can attest to this. We have invested $1.7 billion in French language programs. This includes $23.5 million for French language courses in 12 Francophone school boards or in 60 English school boards in partnership with the federal government for efforts for parents and students. There are professional development opportunities, courses, online homework, textbooks, courses and resources for teachers. Thank you, Minister. Can the minister provide us with more information on her ministry's action to support frontline education services in Francophone communities? The minister. First of all, Mr. Speaker, I would like to clarify that we are putting our public finances in order. We have to deal with the difficult budgetary situation of the government after 15 years of poor management and $15 billion in annual deficit. At the same time, we support Francophone education and as a government, we have the intention of continuing to support Francophone's needs by reminding the federal government of its lack of investment in Francophone services. In fact, the federal government only invests $2.68 per Francophone it spends $35 per capita in Manitoba and $7 in New Brunswick. Despite federal investments in education, it's time for the federal government to pay its fair share with respect to funding of Francophone services in Ontario. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education. In a letter sent on Friday, three associations representing principals and vice principals joined the chorus of educators, parents and families pleading with the Minister to take action on school supports for children with autism spectrum disorder. They point to the dire limitations of the current funding envelope to address the needs of these students and they raise serious concerns about staffing, supports and the safety of students with ASD. There is less than a month before children with autism disorder lose access to all essential therapies. Will the Minister stop hiding behind an already inadequate special education funding and show us a plan to support kids with ASD in schools? Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Speaker. I stand today saying that I'm very pleased with the manner in which my ministry is addressing this situation very, very seriously. We got ahead of this. Speaker, we got ahead of this. Again, we came out with our Bill 48. We extended the pilot program that was in place because we knew we needed to learn more in terms of how we can best support children with autism in our classrooms in a safe and supportive way. Again, that pilot project that we extended offered targeted EA training. We also provided dedicated space for autism services through an external ABA analyst right on site. And also, during the pilot, we've added funding for school boards to hire board-certified behavior analysts. And we currently, right now, have an external evaluator looking through and evaluating what worked, what didn't. Speaker, we're taking great steps to making sure that as we move forward, our classrooms in Ontario are safe and supportive for every student. Thank you very much. Speaker, a pilot project in a couple of schools across this province is not going to address the serious problems that children with autism and their families deserve so much better than that answer. This weekend, the chair of the Ottawa Carleton District School Board told the CBC that a lack of communication between various ministries and school boards is a serious concern across the province. School officials are fielding panic calls from parents and scrambling to fight qualified staff to support kids who are being abruptly kicked off their autism therapies. So far, the only announcement the minister has made is one that came from her deputy minister in the dead of night on a Thursday saying that they are going to be freezing school hirings. A late-page one-night memo saying we'll get back to you later does nothing to give parents confidence in her ability. Speaker, what's it going to take for this minister to do her job and show up for these kids? Minister? Every day this ministry out of the leadership of Doug Ford and myself we're showing up for students across Ontario every single day and I stand up against any fear mongering that any member of the opposition offers to give because it does nothing but detract. Speaker, we're moving forward with a very thoughtful and purposeful plan and the realities are we are working closely with our school boards and there are partners in making sure that we clean up the mess from the Liberal Administration. I look forward to continuing to work with our school boards and with our parents as we roll out this plan. Again, Speaker, I can't stress enough that we are working very, very closely and in full communication with our school boards. So there's no surprise as we support safe and supportive school, yes, as supportive classrooms across Ontario. Thank you very much. Thank you for Hastings, Lennox and Addington. Thank you. My question today is to our experienced attendee in response of Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs. Last month the Minister announced that this government introduced changes to the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program. The previous government had made changes to that program that just didn't make any sense at all for our farmers. Their current process forces farmers to jump through many, many administrative groups just to prove that they've lost their livestock to predation. Something that is often difficult to control but painfully obvious is that this government supports our farmers. We trust our farmers. We want to make life easier and more affordable for our farmers. So the Minister, please tell us how these new updates to the program will work for the eligible farmers when they lose their livestock to predators. Minister of Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I thank the member for Hastings, Lennox and Addington for this important question. Our government has been listening to livestock farmers across the province and as a result we are reducing regulatory burdens and making life easier for farmers who experience livestock losses beyond their control. In partnership with the federal government our government has made the following changes to the program. We're allowing for more ways to provide sufficient evidence to prove wildlife predation. We're paving a way for more wildlife predation. We're working on the field process. We will be providing better training for municipal investigators to assess predation and we are working on compensation that better reflects market prices. Reducing unnecessary red tape and providing farmers the tools they need to stay in business is only one of the ways this government is supporting those who are feeding our products. Thank you. Thank you for your attention for his answer and his commitment to improving this program. I'm pleased and proud to hear that our government's updates to this program they support fair compensation for eligible losses. Like many of my colleagues I've heard from many livestock farmers and they have been vocal that the changes were needed to make the process of getting compensation clearer, simpler and more transparent for our farmers. Well our government has consulted with this sector and the input we have received from those who use the program was valuable to ensure that these new updates that we make to this program they're meaningful, they're effective and most importantly they actually work for the farmers. So can the minister please tell us what he has personally heard from the livestock farmers about the changes to this program that we have made to this program? Minister. Thank you very much again Mr. Speaker and thank the member for the supplementary question. While traveling across the province I was pleased to gather input from so many of our livestock farmers on the outdated and inefficient methods put in place by the previous government. As a result we were able to directly use stakeholder input to make improvements to help the Ontario sheep farmers have said. These changes reflect the industry's recommendations and we want to thank the government for the commitment to the program's continuous improvement. The beef farmers of Ontario have said we would like to thank Minister Hardiman for taking swift action to find solutions to the many concerns raised by the beef farmers of Ontario. Our government is proud to have taken immediate action to address farmers concerns so the program works to support those who lose livestock to preditation. Thank you very much for the question and thank you very much for the allowing me to answer Mr. Speaker. Next question, the leader of the opposition. Thank you Speaker. My question is for the Deputy Premier. We have just been in receipt of a media report that the Deputy OPP Commissioner Brad Blair has been fired by this government. The Deputy Commissioner has been raising serious questions about the condition of the OPP and the Premier's attempt at manipulation of the OPP. Can the acting Premier confirm that Deputy Commissioner Blair has in fact been fired and explain why? Deputy Premier. The Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. The Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Thank you Speaker. Once again the NDP have it wrong. The OPP terminated the employment of Brad Blair. Supplementary. The Deputy Commissioner has brought key details of the deeply flawed appointment process to light. A process that was in the best interest of Premier Ford and perhaps the interest of the Ford Government but certainly was not in the public interest Speaker. It was a brave thing for this minister to do to come forward and it looks like that Pravery has lost him his job. How can the acting Premier justify this decision to fire someone who appears to be one of the only people who's been acting with some integrity in this entire fiasco. Minister. Again I will remind the members that the Public Service Commission in consultation with made a decision independently of the political process to terminate the employment of Mr Blair. I will not be commenting nor should anyone else on private HR issues. Thank you. The next question the member for Simcoe Nord. To this for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. On Friday the Minister was in North Bay to announce that our Government is investing 1.1 million from the Ontario FUR Managers Federation to help support the thousands of jobs and families that rely on the trapping industry. I think some of my colleagues may be surprised to learn that there are approximately 8,700 commercial trapping licenses sold in Ontario each year. I welcome this announcement because our Government recognises the important contribution the trapping industry makes to the province's economy and sustainable management of Ontario's wildlife. I would also like to thank the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry for his help on how the significant investment will make life easier for the people in my riding and across the province. Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. I would also like to thank the Minister of Finance for his warm North Bay hospitality last week. The Minister and I are both committed to making sure that Ontario is open for business and open for jobs. From the investment of $1.1 million to the Ontario FUR Managers Federation Administration of my Ministry's Trapping Education Program and Licensed Services for Ontario Trappers and Ontario Trapping Instructors. The OFMF is a well-established service provider with in-depth knowledge of the industry and a proven track record to carry out these important responsibilities. Trapping remains culturally significant and our trapping regulations are considered among the strictest and most humane anywhere in the world. The province's Trapper Licensing and Education requirements help to ensure Ontario's compliance with international humane trapping standards. I look forward to speaking more about the important role trappers play in wildlife management in the supplemental. Thank you. I know that my constituents of Simcoe North are reassured to know this Minister and our Government are standing up for folks like themselves and who will always work for the people of Ontario who enjoy trapping, hunting or fishing. I think that it is very important to emphasize just how well trained trappers are in our province and the education and licensing programs run by the Ontario FUR Managers Federation play an important role in making sure that Ontario remains one of the most humane jurisdictions in the world. Mr. Speaker, the Minister referenced in his answer the important cultural aspects of trapping in Ontario. Could the Minister please expand on this? Minister. I thank the member for that supplementary question as well. For over 400 years trapping has been a significant part of our culture here in Ontario and has offered employment for many people and their families. I'm incredibly proud to be part of our Government for the people that is committed to making Ontario open for business and open for jobs. Trappers continue to play a vital role in wildlife control and trapping remains an effective wild management tool for regulating population numbers for furbearer species such as coyotes, beavers and raccoons. Trappers also play an important role in reducing human wildlife conflicts such as damage to property as a result of flooding caused by beavers and loss of livestock from preditation by wolves and coyotes. Finally trapping helps support our Government's commitment to the responsible management of our natural resources as royalties from pelts help to fund important fish and wildlife management programs operated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Thank you very much. Next question the member for Muskegawak James Bay. Thank you Mr. Speaker. To the Minister of Education Madam Minister last week your ministry gave a note to the school boards recommending to be prudent regarding hiring decisions. In that note you want to change the ratio teachers students in classrooms that being said that means that teachers must do more with less. Madam Minister do you have the intention of reducing our ratio and to risk the education and future of our kids? Merci beaucoup. Thank you very much. When it comes to making sure that we get things right for our students in Ontario we have to make sure that we leave no stone on turn when it comes to cleaning up the mess that we inherited from the previous Liberal Administration. That said we are working very closely with our education partners to make sure that we identify priorities and that we have two way communications when it comes to situations that affect the quality of learning environment in every classroom, rural and urban and northern all together. And that said I am pleased to say that we are working very closely to make sure that we get the right mix in the classroom and make sure that our priorities are focused on making sure that we have the right teachers in the right classroom so that our students are absolutely prepared for the careers of the future. Thank you very much. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, francophone school boards will be affected the most by this announcement and they already have a lot on their hands. Francophone school boards are facing an increase and that over the last 20 years there is a shortage of qualified teachers and supplemented teachers. We need to help those school boards and this government has shown a lack of interest towards francophone over and over again. Moreover, we do not have an independent commissioner, we do not have a francophone university. Madam Minister, are you trying to make francophone second class citizens? Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I can tell you that we have such a diverse caucus in this PC government and together we stand united in making sure that francophone education is a number one priority speaker and I know the education partners that are here today with us on their advocacy day know where we stand when it comes to French language education. We have had wonderful discussions and meetings. They know the experience that I bring to the table when it comes to making sure that we support our French language education and again I'd like to remind everybody in this house what our francophone minister shared earlier through our grants for student needs the total funding for French language education is $1.77 billion and we recognize that the demand for French language teachers is exceeding and we've had those discussions and I can tell you this with absolute certainty that we stand with our francophone teachers and our education partners. Thank you very much. The next question the member for Chatham Kent Leemington Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and my question is for the minister of health and long-term care. Mr. Speaker on February 22nd I was pleased to attend an event where our government announced a $500,000 planning grant to the redevelopment of the Wallaceburg campus of the Chatham Kent Health Alliance. The redevelopment will include expanded ambulatory emergency and outpatient services. You know Speaker it was a great event supported and attended by many dignitaries as well as Wallaceburg residents. They were ecstatic about this announcement. That hospital is not going away. So Mr. Speaker to the minister could you please tell us why investments like these are important for our health care system. Deputy Premier and Minister of Health in Long-term Care. Thank you very much to the member from Chatham Kent Leemington for his question. We are committed to creating a health care system that is truly centered that health care providers like the Chatham Kent Health Alliance continue to do an incredible job of providing care to meet the growing needs of the good people of Lampton Kent Middlesex and Chatham Kent Leemington. Our government for the people is taking the necessary steps to strengthen and fix our public health care system. If passed our plan will improve patient experience and strengthen local services to ensure that our public health care system is centered around patients and not around bureaucracy. Thank you. Supplementary. Well thank you again Mr. Speaker and thank you to the minister for that answer. You know these investments are vital for many communities especially in rural Ontario. You know I'm pleased to hear that the minister is improving our public health care system and I'm confident that these funds will ensure that we have top quality facilities to serve our community for years to come. You know at this announcement with the minister of infrastructure I was told by many patients, staff and community members how grateful they are that our government is making the right investments to ensure that our community gets the services that we need. So Mr. Speaker could the minister please tell us how this investment will help our local community. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker I'd like to thank the member from Chatham Kent Leamington for that excellent question and also for joining us in Wallisburg for that important announcement. Mr. Speaker 14 years ago long before I was elected as MPP I was joined by members of the community for what was called SOS Save Our Sydenham Sydenham Hospital Mr. Speaker which is now the Wallisburg site where the Chatham Kent Health Alliance was in danger of being closed by the former Liberal government. It was a great privilege to be able to stand there 14 years later to announce $500,000 in funding for redevelopment and revitalization planning for this hospital. Mr. Speaker our government knows that health infrastructure is truly for the people. It is the hospitals that care for our parents and where our children are born. Our commitment will ensure this hospital will serve patients in Wallisburg across Chatham Kent and Lampton County for generations to come. Next question the leader of the opposition. Well Speaker my question is to the Deputy Premier. It's a chilling day in Ontario when a well respected OPP Deputy Commissioner who dedicated his life to this province is fired for standing up for the integrity and independence of our provincial police. The Minister of Community Safety says that the Ford government had no role in the decision to fire Brad Blair. Yet the OPP says that the Deputy Minister made the decision and it was an order in council. Now Premier Ford has said many times that Mr. Blair would be punished for speaking out. Did the Ford cabinet make this decision to fire Brad Blair or did they not? Members please take their seats. Questions to the Deputy Premier? To the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. The OPP can participate in a game of rhetoric. I'm not going to as I stated the Public Service Commission in consultation with the OPP terminated Mr. Blair's employment. As a result of the termination you cannot serve as a Deputy Commissioner therefore the OIC was revoked. Supplementary. Well Speaker I have to say this. It is absolutely chilling that this Minister is not prepared to acknowledge what appears to be already in the public domain in terms of how this decision to fire Brad Blair has come about. And so I would ask her to think carefully how she responds to the honourable members in this House. The Premier said that this person was going to suffer for speaking out, for standing up for our independent OPP and now all of a sudden he's fired. So the question remains to this Minister who pulled the plug on Brad Blair. Was it in fact this cabinet this Premier that lived up to his threats and actually decided to cut it off for Mr Blair who is only standing up for the people of this province. Mr Seats Minister Order. Opposition come to order. Speaker I have no intention of participating in a smear campaign or commenting on personnel matters led by the OPP and the Public Service Commission. Thank you. This question period for this morning there are no deferred votes. This House will continue to respond in recess until 1 p.m.