 It is therefore time for question period. The member from the PNC. My question is to the Minister of Finance. Good morning, Minister. After promising a balanced budget just weeks ago, the Minister broke that promise by announcing he would plunge our province into an $8 billion deficit. And just on Monday, the Premier doubled down in her throne speech with that same number. On April 2nd, the Premier said, and I quote, I think everyone here knows that eliminating the deficit is the most important thing we can do for economic growth. Mr. Speaker, why is this government promising a deficit when they know it will harm the economy? Thank you, Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member opposite and her open letter to us today, recognizing some of the measures being taken. So let me start off by saying we have slayed the deficit since we came into office. We have not only a balanced budget, Mr. Speaker, at this moment, we have a surplus, Mr. Speaker. And that surplus and that financial strength enabling us to do a number of initiatives that we're choosing to do on behalf of the people of Ontario. And the member opposite has made reference to the fact that there are needs out there, needs that we have been addressing by providing OHIP Plus, by providing free tuition, by ensuring that we have a more secure retirement for those that have seen seniors and further on with the CBP enhancement. We've taken these measures and Mr. Speaker, every time we've done these progressive measures while balancing the books, they voted against that, Mr. Speaker. We are there to support the people of Ontario. Indications are your continuation of what happened yesterday. So we will be moving very quickly. I'm also going to remind some members of the government side that while the member was answering, I was hearing heckling, which meant that they were interfering with their own member. And that's not conducive to the same, because I was going to say the same thing about the opposition side. So I noted that. So we will conduct ourselves properly, and we will move to warnings if it continues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplement. The thing that the minister can read my open letter too bad he can't read a balance sheet. The government likes to think that if they throw money around to their insider friends, and no one will catch on to their waste and mismanagement, while servicing the debt and the deficit has become the third largest spending priority of this government outside of health and education, they have started to move money from vital public services as a result. And we've seen that with mental health wait times across the province in Ontario, as they have steadily increased the lack of fiscal discipline and the intellectual dishonesty of this argument. The member will withdraw. Hit a nerve. I always like to hit a nerve with this liberal crowd. But their argument is that they accompany with it is harmful to Ontarians. Will the minister finally admit he is only running a $8 billion deficit in order to pass out pre-election trinkets to save their skin? What's harmful, Mr. Speaker, is their alternatives of cutting and slashing and burning the very programs that people rely on. What's harmful is them not wanting to make infrastructure investments to stimulate economic growth. What's harmful is that they would vote against increasing jobs over 800,000 net new jobs have come to our province since we came into power. Mr. Speaker, over these challenging times that we had to experience through a recession, they stood on their hands. They churned their backs on people of Ontario. We invested. We were strategic in our investments, and we didn't cut healthcare. We didn't cut education. We didn't cut the programs that people rely on. In fact, we bolstered those investments and our economy grew. We're leaving Canada. We have a whole ton of employment in Canada. Can you see it, please? Can you see it, please? We are now in warnings. Final supplementary. Well, I have a message for the minister, as Doug Ford would say. Four people just missed a warning. If you want to get your last licks in, do it now, and I'll warn you now. You may finish. Was it something I said? Like... Which didn't you like? Surely not. And if this government was doing so well, then I ask them, why is there a homeless couple at Bamblor whose wife is suffering from breast cancer? Why was a London man denied a hospital bed before dying so overcapacity that some young mental healthcare patients are waiting upwards of 18 years? Minister? Mr. Speaker, the member opposite spoke about Doug Ford. Obviously very conflicted here, Mr. Speaker. $16 billion hold has got to fill. And he's saying we may balance or we may not. He's not decisive. We may sell marijuana right next to schools or we may not. He's undecided. He wants to make cuts. He has to make cuts based upon what he says. That is not song into fat, Mr. Speaker. We have already included almost $1 to $2 billion in transformations and savings every year into our plan. We're the lowest cost government as a result. He's going to sign through bone, Mr. Speaker. He's going to make life even harder for the people of Ontario. The member opposite had five requests in order to support our budget. Let me read them to you. We want to plan to balance the budget immediately. We're balanced. We got a surplus. The government's a lower hydro race more than their 12%. We got 40% and 60% reduction in hydro race in rural communities. That's good. That's good. So am I. New question. A member from the PN Carlton. My question is to the Premier. This government's reckless spending and love of scandal has cost Ontarians dearly. They don't care. The Liberals simply do not care. If they cared, we wouldn't have 40% of children unable to access mental health treatment that they need. If they cared, we wouldn't have a 67% increase in hospitalizations for children with mental health disorders. If they cared, it wouldn't take six months to see a psychiatrist after a suicide attempt. Mr. Speaker, this government cares to claim only now 15 years after the fact. Why didn't they care for the first 15? Mr. Speaker, and I am sorry that the member opposite wasn't able to be at CAMH today, Mr. Speaker, when we made an announcement that addresses. Actually, I think it's the third point in her list. So plan to get the budget back to balance. We've done that. Match our commitment to get hydro rates down. Okay, we've reduced those, Mr. Speaker. And then she talks about scrapping cap and trade, providing tax relief. That means tax cutting. That means revenue cutting, Mr. Speaker. And then she says, match our commitments of long-term care and mental health. So, Mr. Speaker, the member opposite, what their position is that they're going to cut and they're going to invest, Mr. Speaker, it doesn't work that way. We know what happens there is that there is simply cutting. What we announced this morning, Mr. Speaker, were investments that are going to relieve people who are dealing with mental health issues all over this province, Mr. Speaker. Children, adults in the north, in the south, in the east, in the west of this province, Mr. Speaker. A plan that has been put in place with advisors, patients. Thank you. Supplementary. If the Premier actually cared, she's been part of a government for 15 years. She would not have waited on the 11th hour, 78 days before a provincial election, where her party is right now third in the polls. How many suicides did it take for this government to notice? How many patients turned away for treatment did it take for them to notice? It's disingenuous for the Liberals to say they care now. The member will withdraw. Mr. Rahn. I will take care of that if you have pushed too far. They care about is re-election. Mr. Speaker, why after 15 years is this government only now committing to investing in mental health? Thank you. That is just not accurate. The reality is that we put in place a mental health strategy in 2011, Mr. Speaker. And in every budget, Mr. Speaker, we have increased supports to mental health. Supports, Mr. Speaker, that they have voted against them. So whether it's 140 million over three years that we announced in February of last year, Mr. Speaker, 74 million over three years to provide faster access to mental health services, Mr. Speaker, an additional support of 1150 supportive housing units, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in terms of mental health supports for children and youth, $100 million in new investments, Mr. Speaker, we put in place to put supports for young people across the province every single time they have voted against them, Mr. Speaker. This is the largest investment in mental health and Canadian history, but that builds, Mr. Speaker, on supports we've been putting in place for years. Final supplementary. The reality is, no one in this province believes them and no one in this province believes they care about the issues outside of getting themselves re-elected. If this government... Minister of Municipal Affairs is warned. The President of the Treasury Board is warned. Finish, please. This government cared. They wouldn't have allowed a young man to be turned away from the doors at the urgent care department at St. Joe's. Just remember what one mental health care worker told the finance committee. We've had people turned away from the doors in the urgent care department at St. Joe's. One of those poor souls committed suicide in the parking lot. No services, no psychiatric services that can be attained in a timely manner. Mr. Speaker, that is unacceptable. And where is the accountability? And why do they only care now? 78 days before an election. The member from Nepean Carlton is warned. Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that there were families. There were practitioners. There were people who lead care organizations at the announcement this morning, Mr. Speaker. And they've been working with us for a number of years. As we have put increased investments into the mental health system, Mr. Speaker, they have been working with us to make sure that we take the next steps to put the supports in place. So, Mr. Speaker, today we announced that there would be access for every school in the province to mental health professionals, Mr. Speaker. The agencies who deliver mental health services, Mr. Speaker. Member from Renfrew, Nipissing Pembroke is warned. We announced over 2,000 more beds, more supportive housing units, Mr. Speaker. So, the reality is that we are building on supports that we have already put in place. But we recognize that there's more that has to be done and that's exactly what the announcement was today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. New question. The leader of the third party. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Mira Etlin-Stein and her partner Brian Leahy are both self-employed. They have a nearly two-year-old daughter and this young family is working very hard but they do not have health benefits like dental coverage. The last time Mira was at the dentist was two years ago. For Brian, it's been five years and their daughter has never seen a dentist. The Liberal government has had 15 years to implement a dental program that would help Mira and her family. Why didn't they? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I welcome this approach that the leader of the third party is taking, Mr. Speaker. I recognize that expanding dental and drug coverage are important steps that have to be taken, Mr. Speaker. The member opposite knows that we expanded the Healthy Smiles program, Mr. Speaker. The member opposite knows that we have moved forward on providing pharmacare for people under the age of 25 and people over the age of 65, Mr. Speaker. And we recognize that there is more that needs to be done. So I don't disagree with the leader of the third party that there is more that we have to do to help people who don't have those benefits, Mr. Speaker. 15 years is a long time, Speaker. This could have been done a long time ago. The Premier and the Liberal government know that access to dental care is an issue they should have known for the last 15 years. They know that the government can do something about it. But instead of investing in families and private ties or rather prioritize other things like selling off Hydro-1, that was the priority of Kathleen Wynne and the Liberals, which means that instead of the revenue Hydro-1 generates being used on things like dental care, dental care programs for Mira's family, that money is now in the pockets of private investors. Mira and Brian should be able to vote in the dentist regularly. So should their daughter, Speaker. Why did the Premier choose instead of investing in a dental plan that would help everyday families? Thank you. Well, Mr. Speaker, as I said before, I recognize that there are people in this province who are under a lot of stress, that they are looking for supports, Mr. Speaker, and we have put in place supports the pharma care for children and youth, Mr. Speaker, up to age of 25, free tuition, increasing the minimum wage and we recognize that there is more that needs to be done, which is exactly why in the thrown speech we outlined the areas where we believe there is the most need that we need to step up so that people can care for themselves and care for each other. I don't disagree with the leader of the third party that there's more that needs to be done and we are stepping up and we are going to put those supports in place. Final supplementary. People are under stress because for 15 years this Liberal government has left them swinging in the wind. They have lost their positions, artists, freelancers, and others in the gig economy need workplace health benefits starting with dental care. Seniors need dental care. Folks on social assistance need dental care, but instead of prioritizing the needs of everyday families, the Liberals spent a billion dollars on the gas plant scandal. Their policies have ensured that corporations and the wealthiest don't pay their fair share in our province. They sold off Hydro and wasted 8 billion dollars on P3 projects that could have been completed for far, far less. 4.5 million people in Ontario can't afford to go to the dentist. Why weren't they the Premier's priority during her time in Canada? Mr. Health, more time here. Well thank you very much Mr. Speaker and as the Premier has affirmed of course dental care in particular has been a focus of our government and the Ministry of Health and long-term care. So children in need of treatment program sign art as it was known and expanded it across the province into the Healthy Smiles program and this is now helping more than 450,000 kids getting important dental services and we're absolutely committed to ensuring that children have this very good start in life in terms of what we call Healthy Smiles very important for their future. The Premier has alluded and of course very clear that we know there's more to do. We know there's more to do across several populations and we will continue to work in this regard. As the member referred to those on social assistance there is a program of dental benefits available and so we continue to make these improvements this is what our government is all about we're about caring for people and giving them the very best opportunity. New question? The leader of the third party. Hamilton is for the Premier speaker and let me tell the Minister of Health and the Premier of this province about sign art in Healthy Smiles Dr Elizabeth Richardson in Hamilton the Hamilton Medical Officer of Health released a report this week that says this about children in our city. Thousands of Hamiltonians don't have access to dental coverage and she said that right now in Hamilton 42% of children currently in Hamilton have a history of tooth decay a result of not having regular access to dental cleanings and preventative dental care. What does the Premier have to say to the parents of these children about why she has done nothing to help them in her time in office? Well Mr Speaker again I would just reinforce what the Minister of Health and long-term care has said we recognize that there is more to be done with the programs particularly for children to provide support for kids who otherwise wouldn't be able to access dental care but I think Mr Speaker this issue is much like the pharmacare issue in that had we the ability to go back to 1969 Mr Speaker and have the discussion about Medicare again I think we would with what we know now I think we would suggest that dental care needed to be part of that Medicare package Mr Speaker that is to say those I think we can agree Mr Speaker that those are gaps that should have been filled but we can't go back to 1969 we have been working Mr Speaker to expand the programs for children in this province for dental care we know there's more to be done Mr Speaker so we don't disagree with the leader of the third party Thank you 10 grade 2 students in Hamilton require urgent dental care and that many schools in the city report very high rates of untreated cavities in their students she is trying to expand at the city level free dental programs so that more people in my community can go to the dentist without worrying about how they're going to be able to pay for it why has the premier left municipalities and local medical officers of health to deal with this serious medical issue on their own why hasn't she done anything in her 15 years in office to help Mr Speaker once again and I know the minister of health will want to comment on the specifics again but just to remind the leader of the third party we have been making increases in the program to help kids with dental health problems Mr Speaker we've put healthy smiles in place there is more to be done and with all due respect to the leader of the third party I don't remember seeing this in her platform and I don't remember seeing her talking to us about healthy smiles so I appreciate that she is now making this a cause for celebrities we have been working to increase those supports we know that there's more to be done but Mr Speaker to suggest that somehow she's been on this and we have it final supplementary with all the resources of the third party we can't always do the government's jobs ladies and gentlemen I think it's just called respect these issues get so bad that they actually require medical attention in our hospitals because when you go to a hospital you don't have to pay out of pocket and I was outraged when I read Dr Richardson's report this week it is heartbreaking to me that parents are being forced to let their kids go without the care that they need because they just can't afford it and no parent should be put in that situation and those MPPs over there may say it's boring but it's the truth why hasn't this in her 15 years in office Speaker Mr Speaker I think it's appropriate that the leader of the third party has outraged Mr Speaker as I was outraged 5-6 years ago which is exactly why we have been putting more supports in place to help kids with dental issues Mr Speaker the reality is that this is a gap it is a gap in our healthcare system as pharmacare is a gap we have taken a major step forward in terms of putting hydro leader of the third party has warned carry on and I you know I really do believe that this is an important conversation that we did start by increasing supports for kids and adults with dental issues Mr Speaker it's something that needs to be expanded we recognize that and I think what would have been helpful over the last few years is if the leader of the third party had raised this and we had had a conversation and there had been suggestions that could have come forward about how to move on this this is a national challenge Mr Speaker we have not heard constructive ideas from the third party but we're open to them Mr Speaker Mr Speaker no questions my question is to the Premier your pre-election speech preached about and I quote care is all around this impulse to care for people who are struggling well Premier Todd Rubczyk's family wants to know why you won't practice what you preach his wife says and I quote you're letting him rot in a Florida hospital instead of bringing him home so he can get the care he needs in an Ontario hospital Premier your speeches are just talk of substance but if I'm wrong then please prove it will you instruct your Minister of Health right here right now to get on the phone and find Todd Rubczyk a hot bed here in an Ontario hospital thank you very much Mr Speaker what is just there are many things that are disturbing about this story and it's unacceptable absolutely unacceptable Mr Speaker but the reality is that there are beds in Ontario there are beds here that could be available but the challenge is Mr Speaker what is happening with that insurance company that they are not able to work with the system to find those beds the Minister will speak to the details of a meeting that she is going to be having but Mr Speaker we are going to figure out where so the member from Leeds Grandville is warned finish please so where that disconnect is Mr Speaker there are beds here in Ontario and the insurance company should be able to access them thank you Mr Speaker time and again you say you care but when put to the test you fail insurance in the most critical time of need it's unacceptable that you failed Larry Dan it's unacceptable that you failed Stuart Klein when you left him languishing in a Mexico hospital due to a lack of a hospital beds in Ontario and sadly Mr Klein died now Todd Rubczyk's life hangs in your hands if your Minister of Health won't pick up the phone and you find it so acceptable Premier will you find him a hospital bed today thank you thank you thank you very much Mr Speaker and I think we can all really sympathize with the families involved in these very difficult cases as the Premier said there seems to be this disconnect between knowing as we know that there are beds available across Ontario and the insurance company's efforts and I'm sure they are making good efforts to try and connect to find those beds and this is precisely why we're asking questions about this why this disconnect is occurring and we want to make sure that everyone has the benefit of obviously our wonderful world-class healthcare system here in Ontario so I have invited members of the insurance associations to meet directly with me very very soon with officials from my ministry and in particular in this case our office has been working extremely closely with the Toronto Central Lynn on this particular case and we're hoping that this case will be resolved in the very very near future thank you thank you Speaker my question is the Premier and I'm going to follow on the lead to take him by my colleague there Todd Rabchak is a 83 year old man from Toronto he's stuck in a hospital in Florida his leg is infected and he can't stand or walk Todd and his wife Lillian need to come home now so that people like Todd's own doctors and physiotherapists but their insurance company can't find a hospital bed for Todd in Toronto no one here is surprised no one here is surprised why is the Premier doing nothing to stop the overcrowding in our hospitals so that people like Todd can get the healthcare that they need I can assure the member opposite Mr. Speaker that we're doing everything in terms of my ministry the local Lynn we're working extremely hard in this particular case we need to coordinate services so that they are in fact seamless in these very difficult situations we're aware that the individual in question has had treatment from a particular hospital in Toronto and we are working extremely hard to ensure that he gets back as soon as possible to those physicians who know his case already so I can simply say that we will continue to work on this particular case and in the supplementary we'll address the broader systemic issue thank you thank you Speaker again to the Premier this keeps happening week after week because on terrorist hospitals are dangerously overcrowded Joe Glowacki, Stuart Klein David Ronald, Danny Marshawn Larry Dan people were told in recent weeks that they couldn't come home because there were no hospital beds available when they faced a healthcare emergency can the Premier tell us right now how many more Ontarians waiting in pain will it take to convince her that this overcrowding crisis is real thank you Minister Mr. Speaker I need to reiterate there are critical care beds available in Ontario the beds are there what we have is a systemic disconnect in terms of communication between the out of country hospital and physicians the insurance company and our health officials on the ground and that's precisely why I have invited members of the insurance communities affected to meet directly with me we can all understand the suffering in terms of the individual the families involved and the government to ensure that we have a streamlined system so insurance companies know how to access the beds that I would like to say yet again are available here in our world class healthcare system thank you the member from Etobicoke North thank you Mr. Speaker my question is Minister of Health this question on behalf of the people of Etobicoke North who have been proud to represent for the past 15 years providing all Ontarians with timely access to care that they need whether home in the community or in one of our full service hospitals is of course of the utmost importance to our government and to me personally as a physician our healthcare system has many things to be proud of from our doctors, nurses, support workers even our volunteers we continue to reduce wait times for surgery increase access to primary healthcare providers services for Ontarians at home and in their communities life expectancy is higher than national average and one of the highest in the world and thank you by the way Minister for the 400 million dollar expansion of Etobicoke General Hospital we have the best survival rates in the country for prostate, breast, colorectal and lung cancers and even the Fraser Institute God bless them and the wait time alliance have consistently ranked Ontarians having some of the shortest wait times in Canada my question is this can the minister please expand on those investments Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member for Etobicoke North for this very important question and for giving me an opportunity to discuss how our government is choosing to continue investing in care we've all seen that a growing and aging population is contributing to the pressures faced by our healthcare system and we're continuing to support the people of this province by making monumental investments in mental health announced this morning health care and home care that's why we're making a deliberate choice to run a deficit to invest more in the people who are making our province strong people of this province will see major investments from our government in the services that they need including the expansion of government programs that are already making it easier for people to care for their loved ones and help them to succeed programs like OHIP Plus that are helping to alleviate the financial burden many families face a program that has provided more than 1 million young individuals with free prescription drugs since January 1st we will continue to fight for historic programs like OHIP Plus Thank you Mr. Speaker Thank you Minister first of all for detailing to this House how critical healthcare is in the entire system to our province and to our government as well as the once in a generation expansion of pharma care I know that my own residents in Etobicoke North welcome and appreciate these sorts of investments Speaker yesterday the premier was joined by the minister of health and long-term care as well as the minister of seniors affairs to make announcements that support care create opportunity and make life more affordable during this period of rapid economic change I myself was at a seniors health fair in Etobicoke North run by the Rexdale health center and we were able to determine and announce that almost more than 10,000 children have received free medications as a result of our pharma care expansion and that of course speaker as you will know includes the entire list of 4,400 medications available to Ontarians broadly speaker we also know that we have a collective responsibility to care for our seniors so my question is can the minister please inform this House of the support expansions that we're making for seniors across the province Minister of seniors affairs Minister for seniors affairs Thank you Speaker I want to thank the member from Etobicoke North for this great question and I know that as a physician he knows very well that Mr. Speaker approximately 70% of Ontario seniors take at least one medication daily and 30% of seniors in Ontario take at least five prescription drugs every day so you can imagine these costs do add up and that's why I am so proud as the minister of seniors that yesterday I stood with our premier and the minister of health and long-term care to announce that we will now be expanding OHIP plus to anybody over the age of 65 what this means is that prescription drugs now in Ontario for anybody over the age of 65 will soon be completely free no copay no deductible this means Mr. Speaker no copay no deductible for over 2.6 million seniors and their families our seniors told us we need new question from simple Greg thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the minister of energy in August 2017 the environmental review tribunal ruled against a proposal to build eight 500 foot tall wind turbines in my riding due to significant public safety concerns and their close proximity to the calling wood airport and clear view aerodrome citizen groups and organizations worked hard to stop this project and have since made an attempt to have their legal costs reported or repaid by the tribunal this government has cost hardworking citizens in my riding over $850,000 and local municipalities an additional $800,000 Mr. Speaker the green energy act will allow these groups and individuals to get their money back will the minister change this legislation to allow the tribunal to award costs thank you Mr. Speaker when it comes to community engagement into the renewable procurement process we did listen to many of the community groups in the past and Mr. Speaker we did try to strike the right balance between early community engagement and achieving value for rate payers by putting an emphasis on cost and I can appreciate where the opposition friend is coming from this process Mr. Speaker is administered by the IESO and is overseen by an external fairness advisor and so even when a contract is offered the process is not over and I believe that's part of the question that my honourable colleague has mentioned so Mr. Speaker project developers through this process must obtain all required licenses and approvals such as the renewable energy approval or the REA or an environmental assessment before they can start construction on those projects Mr. Speaker and I look forward to speaking more on this supplementary Mr. Speaker back to the minister minister your government caused my constituents and my municipality to spend over 1.6 million dollars nobody ever thought any government would be stupid enough to approve 812 I guess in the beginning 500 foot windmills between two airports but since you made that decision and your ministry made that decision your government made that decision it caused my constituents and my municipality to spend this money at the tribunal thank god finally common sense came to light these citizens did you a favour pilots were going to get killed it was never a question of if someone was going to get killed it was always a question of when someone was going to get killed they did you a favour by forcing the tribunal to do the right thing you owe them 1.6 million dollars thank you minister Mr. Speaker again when looking at the process that we put in place it is to strike that right balance between making sure that communities have a process in place to ensure that they can actually express their views and actually put projects in the right light Mr. Speaker to ensure that if there are concerns that they can bring those concerns forward as I said before we really worked hard Mr. Speaker with the ISO to strike that right balance between early community engagement and achieving value for rate payers Mr. Speaker by putting an emphasis on cost and I know the ISO and the external fairness advisor Mr. Speaker are in place to ensure that that happens and I know working with the ISO the province will continue Mr. Speaker to ensure that all renewable energy procurement encourages the selection of projects with local support and the most competitive prices as well as with projects with First Nations and the Metis participation the member from London Financial My questions to the Premier in 2016 the Premier tabled a budget that would increase drug costs for seniors by more than 70 percent in 2016 that was wrong we fought the government and we won the Premier back down two years ago the Premier tried to slash drug coverages for seniors but that has changed other than there being an election in 78 days Thank you Premier Thank you very much Mr. Speaker so basically what the member opposite is saying is that when a policy is brought forward and when there's consultation on it, when there's a reaction and a government changes their mind and puts in place a better policy that that's not a good idea Mr. Speaker I would say to the to the third party and to this member Mr. Speaker I believe that that's how good policy is made I believe that we talk to people we come up with a solution Mr. Speaker and we put that forward we have moved forward with the Remember from Hamilton Mountain is warned Expansion of Medicare in a generation Mr. Speaker free prescription medication for children across this province children all medications 4,400 medications we're expanding that to seniors Mr. Speaker that's a significant increase in Medicare support I believe that good policy should be made when a government has 15 years of ruralless Ontario not 78 days before the election Yesterday the Liberals campaign promises leaves millions of Ontarians between the ages of 25 and 65 to fend for themselves with no drug coverage at all Families will still be forced to empty their wallets to get the medicine they need and too many people will still cut their pills in half to make the bottle last longer The Liberal government has had 15 years to implement a truly universal pharmacare program that covers everyone regardless of age or income New Democrats have a plan that will cover everyone Why don't the Liberals Minister of health and long-term care Minister of health, long-term care Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I think certainly Member from Barrie is warned carry on I would have expected that the third party would have been so happy when they saw our OHIP Plus plan because it sounds like we're thinking essentially along the same lines I personally believe that our plan is a comprehensive, very broad in coverage type of plan We of course cover 4,400 drugs There's is only 100 and we are already Of course we on this side of the house really like to listen to people we know that our Premier has been holding town halls just yesterday we were at an event and people were coming up to us to tell us what our pharmacare solution has meant to them as families. In other words children are able to access their drugs in a very important way and now we have expanded this to seniors, we have an excellent plan and we continue to move forward New question, Member from Durham My question is for the Minister of Infrastructure For many people infrastructure is intangible something expensive and that can take years to build but we know that infrastructure is more than just that it is the water we drink the schools our children grow up in the hospitals where we welcome new life and the roads that carry us home at the end of the day and with the booming economy and growing population now is the time to invest in infrastructure people needs and deserve that Mr. Speaker. Last week the Minister joined his Federal counterpart to make an announcement that will unlock billions of dollars for priority infrastructure projects projects in every region of the province I know that this announcement was hugely consequential for our province and will shape how people live in Ontario for generations to come. Speaker through you to the Minister, can he inform the House what this latest investment entails? Minister of Infrastructure Thank you to the Member for Durham the people of Ontario are best served when all levels of government work together we have a responsibility to build the infrastructure our province needs to maintain a strong economy and a high standard of living Speaker our track record speaks for itself our own government is already making the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario's history $190 billion over 13 years and last week Ontario received that $11.8 billion boost from the federal government and Ontario is matching that with $10 billion with over $7 billion of that amount going to our transit authorities this joint funding will support faster commute times cleaner air and water reduced greenhouse gas emissions and enhanced recreational facilities these are things people need to thrive in their communities and things our province needs to maintain a booming economy and a high quality of life Thank you Speaker Thank you to the Minister for his response the people of Durham know what that commitment means Mr. Speaker Ontario's commitment to match the federal government's investment at 33% will empower communities to build more of the infrastructure our constituents need last week I was very pleased to be at the Durham regional headquarters to announce that the province is contributing well over $78 million in infrastructure funding to build new urban transit networks and service extensions that will transform the way Durham residents live, move and work this will help build and maintain fast reliable public transit for Durham constituents such as GO train services to Curtis and Bowmanville which will decrease their commute time and allow them to spend more time doing the things they love doing most but public transit is only one of four priority areas receiving support through the agreement signed last week Speaker through you would the minister please share more details about the latest investment in serious infrastructure Speaker phase one of the federal government's infrastructure plan resulted in over 2,000 projects with every municipality receiving formula-based funding and this new phase 2 promises to deliver even more for communities in every region of the province together Ontario and Canada's joint investments in Ontario's infrastructure amounts to nearly $22 billion no government in Ontario's history has invested more in infrastructure than Kathleen Wins Speaker every dollar we invest in infrastructure is at risk of being cut under a Doug Ford conservative government the conservatives have totally ignored infrastructure policy I'm going to ask questions about it in this house and frankly speaker to quote Winston Churchill when it comes to infrastructure and energy the conservatives are a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma if history taught us anything it is at the con New question, the member from Renfrew Nippison Pembroke Thank you speaker my question is for the minister of transportation we have an infrastructure question maybe the minister might want to get in on that and I want to congratulate the minister I have given her a few weeks to get acclimated to the file but I have a question on highway 17 the continued twinning of highway 17 further into renfrew county is a top priority for me and my constituents we have been fighting for this for 15 years and while we have seen some progress clearly not enough has been made the county of renfrew has already done their work the necessary work they prepared the study and the report most certainly demonstrates the need for the extension of highway 417 given the importance of this project to all of eastern Ontario can the minister assure the house that the next phase of construction will be included in this year's budget minister of transportation thank you speaker and thank you to the member opposite for the question as he knows our government understands the importance of expanding highway 417 and 17 through the county of renfrew for both economic growth as well as safety reasons and we are committed to making the necessary improvements and we are making progress in 2012 we finished the first phase of expansion phase 2 is also complete and open to the public on November 18, 2016 we are now able to move forward from shield drive to 3km west of bruce street in the town of renfrew we will continue to seek funding for construction and future budgets and once the construction funding is confirmed this project there's a small group in here that have W behind their name and that the next comment is naming just to remind you you may finish minister wrap up please so one construction funding is confirmed the project will be identified in the 5 year plan portion of the southern highways and in the meantime my ministry continues regular rehabilitation maintenance work on the existing corridor thank you supplementary well thank you for the progress report that we already know about we've said progress has been made but we're looking for the approval the minister's predecessor saw for himself the need to extend highway 417 in the town of renfrew county in the autumn of 2016 and while the design study has indeed been approved local residents are calling for swift action with shovels on the ground immediately as everyone is aware highway 17 is a major route for commercial truck traffic and it also connects Canadian nuclear laboratories and garrison to Ottawa additionally this project is vital to the economic development of eastern Ontario because the roadway is part of the national transportation corridor given how crucially important this highway is will the minister assure this house today that the next phase of construction will be included in this year's budget thank you minister thank you speaker and as I was saying work does continue to advance on this corridor we're committed to looking at areas for advanced construction if and when possible which will enable easier transitions during the future expansion this priority continues to be a priority for myself and my ministry because of the our government understands how vital this is but you know it's surprising to me that the Conservatives are going into this election with more radically conservative policies in Mike Harris Tim Hewlett or Stephen Harper ever ran on Doug Cord is promising cuts won't admit how much and say where they're coming from these oppose Ford's leadership some of them forcefully now we have to rely on Ford's billion dollars of cuts and services the member and his party vote against the budget each one to thank you that's my job new question thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the premier the Ontario financial accountability office released a report confirming that this government's cut to health care are hurting patients the report said that even the government's future spending plans for the next three years will not be enough to ease the congestion in our emergency rooms or in hospital hallways Mr. Speaker will the premier continue to stand idly by as alarm bells are ringing about the underfunding of our hospitals long-term care well thank you very much Mr. Speaker and of course our premier has been very engaged in this file and we would like to thank the financial accountability office for the good advice that we always receive from that office and we certainly do recognize that a growing and aging population is contributing to the pressures faced by our health care system and so we need to be responsive to this party that listens to families and to individuals and we know that we need to put patients first and we know that we have more to do I think that the thrown speech earlier this week laid this out very clearly not only what we've done as a government through the years to continue to invest but what we intend to do in the future and that's why we are making a deliberate choice to run a deficit so that we can invest more in health care, hospitals, home care mental health and long-term care as a government the report from the financial accountability office is not news in this house every day the government hears of another patient in a wash room in a TV room, in a hallway in a patient lounge are having to be in a wheelchair because there are no stretches left for them but nothing changes Ontario patients deserve better New Demos Pratt have pledged to ensure that hospital funding a minimum keep up with inflation, population growth and the unique needs of the population that they serve. Can the Premier make the same promise to Ontario, or is she comfortable as her patient-lion stretcher in corridors? First of all, I would like to set the record straight. We have a health care system that is second to none in this province. We are incredibly proud of it, from the health care planners, to physicians, to front-line nurses and all the support workers. We have built a system that is doing an incredible job of taking care of the people we love. We have increased our investments in the system and we are making significant progress. We continue to reduce wait times for surgery, increase access to primary health care providers and expand services for Ontarians at home and in their communities. Life expectancy is higher than the national average and one of the highest in the OECD. We have a system that has the best survival rates for prostate, breast, colorectal and lung cancers in Canada. And even the Fraser Institute and, of course, the Wait Time Alliance have consistently ranked Ontario as having some of the shortest wait times in Canada. We have a world-class health care system in this province. Thank you. Thank you. New question? The Member for Bairie. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. With Ontario's farmers preparing to return to the fields, there is no better time to spread awareness about how and where our local food is produced. Ontarians benefit from a strong, agri-food sector which contributes more than $37 billion to the economy, supports 800,000 jobs and provides us all with delicious fruit, vegetables and locally made food and beverages. This year our government is celebrating the sixth annual Canadian Agricultural Literacy Campaign. The theme of this year's Agricultural Literacy Month is Our Food. Our story. A message that we will help bring to classrooms across this province. Speaker, can the Minister please provide further background on Agricultural Literacy Month and explain more about what our government is doing to enhance agricultural literacy and awareness in this province? Thank you. The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Member for Bairie for the question and her ongoing support for Ontario's agri-food sector. Agricultural Literacy Month is a great opportunity to teach Ontarians, especially students, about the great work being done by our farmers and provide them with the knowledge and opportunities of the agri-food sector. I'd also like to recognize the advocacy of the Member from Huron, Bruce, who's been very busy in this area, too. When students understand more about the food, including where it comes from, how it's produced, and who our farmers are, this gives them the chance to think critically about the food they eat, a vital skill for our youth to develop. That's why we'll continue to partner with Agriscape, we're committed to agricultural education in Ontario, and have worked to increase food literacy and build awareness of career opportunities in the agri-food sector for 27 years. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to say that since 2003, our government has provided over $3 billion in funding to Agriscape to help deliver these important programs. Thank you to the Minister for sharing how increasing agricultural awareness improves agri-food literacy and allows us to eat healthier and supporting a sustainable environment and creating good jobs all across the province. Ontario students are the next generation of agri-food specialists, policymakers, farmers, and consumers, and it's important that we teach them about the wide array of careers our sector has to offer. Investing in this kind of knowledge creates opportunities for our agri-food sector, whether it results in Ontarians buying local food, choosing healthier options, or choosing a career in agriculture. Our agri-food sector remains one of the most diversified in the world. Speaker, could the Minister share with this House what other investments we are making to increase agricultural education and support new jobs in this important industry? The Member for Barrie for Supplementary, of course her strong support for agricultural literacy. Mr. Speaker, we recognize that as our economy changes, the most important driver to Ontario's competitiveness and prosperity is a highly skilled workforce. That's why our government recently announced our renewed 10-year, $713 million partnership with the University of Guelph, a university that is renowned for their agricultural program whose research innovation remains vital to strengthen Ontario's agri-food sector. This partnership will feature greater diversity in research programming, focusing on food safety, animal welfare, and boosting Ontario's global competitiveness. Our students also benefit through the programs, like the Specialist High Skills major, which helps to educate students on topics such as local food and farm innovation, and highlights career opportunities in the growing agri-food sector. Last year, Mr. Speaker, we saw 581 students enroll at 29 in the Agriculture Minister's High Skills program. Thank you. New question. The Member for Dufflin, Calvary. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Transportation. Eleven years ago, the Liberal government promised that they would open a gold rail line from Toronto to Bolton in 2020. Now the government is saying that that won't happen until at least 2041. That is, at a minimum, 20 years delay. How does the Minister justify that? Thank you. Minister of Transportation. Thank you very much, Speaker, and thank you very much to the member opposite for this very important question. Certainly Metrolinx has been doing a lot of work with the cities, with the municipalities, to ensure that we have the investments that help to move our people across Ontario, as well as to and from work to commute. I know that there are certain municipalities that have been trying to do the work that's necessary to try to get a go station or more go service on the area. We continue to expand go service to many areas of Toronto, sorry, the GTHA corridor where Metrolinx does their work. And that includes increased go train service on the lines that we are there, expanding bus, go bus transit to ensure that they can connect people with the go trains in the areas that they want, such as Bridget and Brantford. And we continue to work with all our municipalities to try and expand go service throughout Metrolinx's planning area. The town of Caledon has done their job. They've held the land. It's you guys that are holding it up by 20 years. This isn't the first time the people of Dufferin Caledon have been neglected by this government. In 2015, I asked the then Minister of Transportation to expand go bus services to Shelburne. The response talked about high speed rail to Kitchener Waterloo. Speaker, Kitchener is almost 100 kilometres from Shelburne. That's the same high speed rail that the Liberal promise, that the Libs promise would be ready before 2024. Based on these two examples, why should we believe any promises the Liberals are made? That's right. Thank you, Speaker. In a Bolton Commuter Rail Service feasibility study was completed in 2010, and the study examined various factors such as property requirements, environmental issues, and construction cost issues. Metrolinx is absolutely committed to go transit bus service on to Bolton while we continue to build out more and more expanded service through the Metrolinx planning area. But I want to go back again to the member opposite and her party that have had many opportunities to vote in favour of budgets that contain the transit investments that this community and our province needs, and every time they have a chance to stand up in front of this and in this legislature and vote for their investments, they vote against it each and every time. So I would encourage them to vote for our investments. Thank you. Arriving a little later on in the Speaker's Gallery, our dear friends of mine, a gentleman that I've known for too many years, Superintendent, former Superintendent now trustee William Chopp Jr. is here, Neil Chopp, his brother Aaron Chopp and Elliott Chopp, along with their dad, 97-year-old William Chopp Sr. Welcome. Mr. Chopp Sr. has told me several times that he'd like to sit in the chair and do with you people. The Government House Leader on a point of order. Thank you very much, Speaker. I also want to make a quick introduction. As many of you know, Sinead Anderson is somebody who works in my office in the capacity as a Government House Leader, responsible for legislative procedure, also known as she who must be obeyed. Her parents are visiting Queen's Park to see her in action. Please welcome Anne and Steve Anderson, mom and dad, and her uncle Ian Anderson to please part. Thank you. Speaker, I've just been informed that we're joined by David Shaw and Peter Starvopoulos. They are from the Ontario Podiatric Medical Association and they will be at the health fair today. Thank you. Thank you. The Member from London North Centre. Thank you, Speaker. And I'm delighted to welcome a constituent of my Deanna Rustin who is in the gallery today of a true watcher of all of us at our work. Thank you. There being no deferred votes, this House stands recess until 3pm this afternoon.