 It is now time for Question Period, the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the Premier. You know, what I'm concerned about is, under your leadership in Ontario, if you're well connected, you get ahead. The middle class is shrinking, and many families are struggling to get by with a part-time job and the way job at best. We have ten days left in this session before the government is going to break Christmas. Premier, on which of those ten days are you going to finally bring forward your jobs plan to restore hope for people of Ontario who desperately need a change of course and a jobs plan starting now? Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And you know, the reality is that we have a plan, Mr. Speaker, and there are jobs coming to this province, and I have a list of companies, Mr. Speaker, who have created jobs and who have expanded in order to employ more people, Mr. Speaker. I think what the leader of the opposition is asking me is whether I will adopt his plan, Mr. Speaker, and his plan would actually cut jobs out of the province, Mr. Speaker, would actually slash services across government. And that's not what we're going to do. We believe that making the investments in people and the investments in infrastructure and the investments in a business climate that will bring business to the province, that those investments are the ones that we should be making, Mr. Speaker. That's our plan, that is what we're doing, and jobs are coming to this province, Mr. Speaker. Sir, supplementary. Well, if the Premier calls a loss of 300,000 manufacturing jobs, the kind of province where families are lucky to get a part-time job or a minimum wage job just to pay the bills. If that's what the Premier calls a plan, then clearly, Speaker, is trying to toss out the plan, toss out the government, and bring in a team that can lead us back to economic recovery. Premier, you know what? I invite you to go and tell the people of Leamington, Ontario that your plan is working. 800 families now out of work. Farmers whose product is not going to get to market. Incredible impact on the community. You know, Rick Nichols and I were there, and I want to salute Rick for fighting for the people in this community. We restore some hope to Leamington. And we did an open town hall meeting. Invited anybody from the community to come in. And I saw the pain of families who are going to lose their jobs. They're worried about their pension, their mortgage fees, and how they're going to get by with a minimum wage part-time job at best. Premier, I listened directly to the people of Leamington. Why don't you actually hold an open town hall yourself and tell them that your plan is working? Opposition knows. I was in Leamington before he got there, Mr. Speaker. We included his member in that meeting. He was part of the meeting. We talked with the folks who are intimately involved in creating opportunities and making sure that Mr. Speaker can meet, want to know, Mr. Speaker, is that we are on the ground that we are going to work with them to make sure that we find a way to replace those jobs and make sure that people have opportunities. That's why we've already won $200,000, Mr. Speaker, to facilitate that process. And we will put everything we can into support that community, Mr. Speaker. Final supplementary. I think it's a study in contrast, Speaker, because when the Premier went to Leamington, she had a closed-door backroom meeting and then skipped out of town as fast as she could. Rick Nichols and I, we had an open town hall. So, I hear directly from the people in our province to talk about our plan to actually bring hopes back to the community. Your problem, Premier, is you seem to think that job losses are a temporary interference, that they're a nuisance that can be simply solved by... Minister of Rural Affairs will come to order. That's not going to cut it. I think you should go back to Leamington and have a town hall. And if you want to tell me your plan is working, then by all means, do so. But I'll ask you to tell them this. What of your plans that you've brought through since you and I had a deal to clear the debts? Is it a 24-7 emergency rescue for cats and dogs? Is it the smoking on patios? Is it banning water, cooler, water heater salesmen? Which of those to your plan, Premier, will bring a single job back to Leamington? Friend through will withdraw. And that's number two. And I don't stand for you to have a quiet moment to heckle. Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, you know, the leader of the opposition knows that I am not averse to having open discussion, Mr. Speaker. In fact, the leader of the opposition takes every opportunity to stand up and tell me that we do too much conversation, Mr. Speaker. And it should be, Mr. Speaker. We are going to work, we are going to work with the community. I know that the opposition heard from residents that the federal government changes to food packs. Member from Northumberland, Quinty-West will come to order. I think anyone, Mr. Speaker, I'm saying that that's one of the things that the leader of the opposition heard. So we need to work with the federal government. We need to work with the community to make sure we find a way to make sure those people have jobs and that industry can thrive, Mr. Speaker. Leader of the opposition. Those meetings are not exactly transparent. They're not open. And the problem I have is if you wall yourself up at Queen's Park, you wall yourselves up with inside advisors, you don't have an open town hall, you're never going to understand what's actually happening in communities across the great province of Ontario. Premier, the middle class is being hollowed out. My Ontario will always build things, will always make things, will sell products around the world. We're not going to do that with skyrocketing energy rates. More and more red tape. And a Premier whose priority seems to be water heater salesmen, 24-7 rescue, and getting a pat in the back from Al Gore for driving those hydro rinks through the roof in the first place. I got to wonder who your priorities are. So let me ask you this, Premier. The province of Ontario, we're hollowing at the middle class and minimum wage jobs are the only jobs people can get. So is this your measure of success? That your odds, if you're working in Ontario, have now doubled that it's a minimum wage job? That the proportion of minimum wage jobs in the province of Ontario is up 100%. Thank you. My vision, middle class jobs, minimum wage jobs. That's all right. Very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, let me just say that the plan that we have got in place is a rational plan, Mr. Speaker. The long-term energy plan is going to be released today. It's part of that plan, Mr. Speaker, because we understand that if we can make the right investments to people, the right investments in infrastructure and create a dynamic business climate, Mr. Speaker, such as the business climate that Murdoch Mysteries thrives in, Mr. Speaker, then we can bring business and we can bring talent, Mr. Speaker. That is... Member from Prince Edward Hastings got one there. Carry on. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I welcome the critique of the leader of the opposition, Mr. Speaker, and there are many things to critique by telling me that I haven't been out talking to people in this province. That's not one of them, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. You know, with a few references to Murdoch Mysteries, we're thrilled that they're here, and maybe they can help the OPP investigate your office. The best news Maas has run through in the province as well. Look, I got to tell you... I know it's hard to take, but facts are stubborn things. And the facts tell us that we've lost over 300,000 manufacturing jobs. Under your leadership, the concern I have is that pace has accelerated. We've lost an additional 38,000 manufacturing jobs under your block. The fact of the matter is the number of minimum wage jobs that are proportion of all jobs has doubled. So if you lose your job, you're lucky to get a minimum wage or a part-time job in Liberal Ontario. Questions? That's why you fight for change each and every day. Let's get hydro rates under control. Let's get taxes down. Let's close down the college of trades. Let's put people and grow the middle class. Thank you. Thank you, Premier. Much, Mr. Speaker. Well, the leader of the opposition can diminish the good jobs in the film industry and television industry, Mr. Speaker. But those are very in need to make our investments in our strengths, playing to our strengths. And that is one of our strengths, Mr. Speaker. I also want to just say, Mr. Speaker, an answer to the leader of the opposition's question. When he talks about good jobs, I would ask him back. What part of right-to-work legislation that is driving? Final supplementary. In Michigan, when cat goes to Indiana, your role put your head in the sand and kiss the manufacturing jobs goodbye. I do everything I can to grow our middle class. I want to bring 300,000 manufacturing jobs into our province. Your record? Your record? What a more minimum wage jobs. And I'll tell you this, too, Premier, that if you're a new Canadian, like my grandparents were that came to this province because they believed they'd have a better future by working hard. They started business. New Canadians are the Liberal government. 20% of minimum wage jobs today. They're probably going to be on this path. This path is taking us to bankruptcy. We're following up our middle class. I've got a plan to modernize our labor laws, get our energy rates under control, lower taxes, get Ontario back in the state, and make our middle class the envy of us. That's our plan. Where the heck is yours? We're recognizing the number of times they've been talked to. I think I will repeat it again. Not really. Premier? Mr. Speaker, so since June 2009, which is the low after the recession, there are 460,900 net new jobs. Mr. Speaker, there are net new jobs. But let's be perfectly clear. The leader of the opposition's plan would piss province, Mr. Speaker, would undermine labor, Mr. Speaker, and their bids of strong labor laws in this province. The manager, he's talking about undermining the gains and protections that have made... I'm not getting things quiet for you to tackle. I'm getting things quiet so that we can hear the next question. The leader of the third party. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. For Ontarians paying the highest electricity bills in the country, the latest promises from the Liberal government of some relief on the hydro bills rings pretty hollow. Why should consumers believe the government has now got a plan when they haven't stuck to any of the other long-term energy plans they developed over a decade in office? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I would have thought that the leader of the third party would like to see a plan that was updated, Mr. Speaker, and that plan will be coming out today. And the new plan, Mr. Speaker, is a balanced approach to meet the energy needs that we have today. I mean, the reality of an energy plan, Mr. Speaker, is that it has to take into account the conditions that exist at the time that the plan is in place. So this plan is based on what we have heard from First Nation and Métis communities, Mr. Speaker, from energy stakeholders, from municipalities, and consumers from across the province. That's what we have based this plan on, Mr. Speaker. And since 2003, what we have done is we have modernized an electricity system that was severely out of date, Mr. Speaker, that needed investment, that needed upgrading. That's the work that we've been doing. And it's only responsible, Mr. Speaker, that we would continue that work. That's what the long-term energy plan is about. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, for 10 years, the governments played political games with electricity policy, and people are stuck paying the skyrocketing bills that resulted. When the Liberal government first announced plans to invest in new nuclear plants, new Democrats said that that plan was expensive and that plan was unnecessary. For eight years, the Liberals ignored us and instead spent $180 million on contracts for a project that they are now finally abandoning. Why did it take nearly a decade and millions upon millions upon millions of wasted dollars for the government to conclude the obvious, Speaker? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, and I know that the leader of the third party knows that the work that was done in preparation for new nuclear is not work that goes to waste, Mr. Speaker. That is work that can be used if and when we need to revisit those plans. But, Mr. Speaker, it would be irresponsible of us in the face of all of the evidence to go ahead and to build at this point. But, Mr. Speaker, what's interesting is the leader of the third party is criticizing us for having a plan. She's criticizing us for one aspect of preparation that we were making given the best advice, and now, Mr. Speaker, we are putting in place a long-term energy plan. We've created 31,000 jobs, Mr. Speaker, with our clean energy policies, none of which the leader of the third party has supported, Mr. Speaker. I would have expected that she would have thought that those were a good idea, but in fact, Mr. Speaker, she doesn't have a plan and she's not supporting ours. It's curious, Mr. Speaker, as to how she thinks we should move forward. Well, Speaker, this isn't the only example. The Liberal government has already signed $950 million in new contracts for refurbishment of the Darlington nuclear plant, but we don't know what the final price tag is. Does the Premier think it's a good idea to spend nearly a billion dollars without having a final price tag, Speaker? Thank you, Premier. Mr. Speaker, it is responsible for the government to plan for future need. It is responsible for the government to have a plan to make sure that we have the capacity to generate the energy that's needed. The problem when we came into office in 2003, Mr. Speaker, was that there was not enough capacity. We did not have the energy that was needed. We were facing brownouts and blackouts, Mr. Speaker, and we knew that we needed to make investments in order to have the capacity that was necessary. That's what we have done. The long-term energy plan will lay out how we determine that we need to go forward. I hope that the leader of the third party will take a look at it and see that in that plan is that future blueprint for the energy needs of the province, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Your question? Thank you, Speaker. My next question is also for the Premier. For Ontario families and businesses paying the highest electricity rates in Canada, this doesn't look like a plan for affordable power. It looks like a desperate government trying to hold on to political power. Whether it's speakers spent on nuclear plans that were abandoned or the nearly $1 billion spent on refurbishment plans without a final price tag, or the billion dollars spent on moving gas plants to save a couple of liberal seats, how can the Premier expect the people to believe that this government has a plan to make electricity affordable? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to speak to the programs that we've got in place that actually help business to deal with energy prices, Mr. Speaker. So the industrial electricity incentive eligible companies qualify for electricity rates that are among the lowest in North America in exchange for creating new jobs and bringing new investment into the province. Again, Mr. Speaker, that's something that I would have thought that both opposition parties would support. The Industrial Conservation Initiative, which helps large consumers save on costs and incentives in place to shift their electricity consumption to off-peak hours. That's something that allows companies to save business, to save money. And then the Northern Industrial Electricity Rate Program, Mr. Speaker, reduces electricity prices for large Northern Industrial consumers by 25%. All of those programs, Mr. Speaker, are in recognition of the fact that businesses need to have the capacity to be competitive. I would have thought that the leader of the third party would have supported those programs, Mr. Speaker. Speaker, people are telling us that they need help, and the solution from the Liberals is just get used to it. Jennifer from Niagara wrote to say, quote, our system is totally broken. There is a point of no return and a ceiling that is inevitable before you simply cannot give any more. What does the Premier have to offer people like Jennifer besides more of the same? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So we have a number of programs that I know that the leader of the third party will want to inform her constituents about. The Ontario Clean Energy Benefit, which the leader of the third party knows, helps families and small businesses, takes 10% off hydro bills. The Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit saves qualifying individuals about $963 a year, Mr. Speaker, and up to $1097 for qualifying seniors. The Northern Ontario Energy Credit saves another up to $210 a year. The Low-Income Energy Assistance Program and the Save on Energy Home Assistance Program, Mr. Speaker. So we have a number of plans in place that save people money who qualify for those programs, Mr. Speaker. But I think what's important is that the leader of the third party be upfront with the reality that they have no plan, Mr. Speaker, and the fact that they have no plan is not responsible, Mr. Speaker, when they attack our plan. Final supplementary. This government will actually offer some relief, but all they hear are the same empty promises from the Liberals, and they're stuck paying the bills for a decade of failed liberal policy. For 10 years, they've watched their bills climb, Speaker, as they pay for the price of Liberals energy misadventures in this province. The government wasted billions in public dollars, and it's gone straight to the people's views. What relief will they offer them today, Speaker? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I've already outlined some of the programs that we have in place that are targeted directly at people and people in their homes so that they can save money. The Minister of Energy will be bringing out the long-term energy plan today, and I know that the House will be interested that we are focusing on conservation, Mr. Speaker, that we believe that it's extremely important that we do everything we can to help people to conserve energy because the cheapest mega-hot, Mr. Speaker, is one that's not used, and so we are working very hard to make sure we have the right supports and incentives in place, Mr. Speaker, to help people to save money. I hope that the leader of the third party, although she has no plan, that she will look at the plan that we are putting in place and that she will be able to support those incentives because, Mr. Speaker, the plans are very, very responsible in terms of helping people to deal with the realities of energy and the problems. Later today, the Liberals will introduce a short-term energy plan. By all accounts, it will be one that continues the decade-long policy that hikes electricity rates and power bills for Ontarians. Now, Speaker, telling Ontario job creators to control their own energy bills signals a vast departure from Ontario's traditional industrial policy that made us an economic power host from Confederation right up until a decade ago when they assumed power. Doesn't the Premier think that the massive increases on energy bills over the last decade and the coinciding decline of our manufacturing sector actually says that government, not our job creators, will be able to do that? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I would just draw to the attention of the leader the member of the opposition that electricity prices for large industrial consumers remain in line with the major neighbouring jurisdictions. They're competitive, Mr. Speaker, with New York, with Michigan, with Pennsylvania. That's the program we put in place. Those energy prices are competitive, Mr. Speaker. I really believe that if we think that we can take lessons from the opposition on how to run the energy sector, Mr. Speaker, will be in a sorry state from 1996 to 2003 when that government was in office, Mr. Speaker. Capacity fell by 6% and demand rose by 8%, Mr. Speaker. They increased the use of dirty coal by 127%. In 2002, Ontario paid $500 million to import electricity. In 2003, Ontario paid $400 million to import electricity, Mr. Speaker. We are we have put in place the investments that are necessary to have a stable electricity sector, Mr. Speaker. That's why we're bringing in a long-term energy plan. Thank you. Supplementary? You're not true, Speaker. I stood in this house last week and read right into the record that the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association said that rates here in Ontario are much higher to the tune of 129% in the United States, including Chicago, Detroit and Nashville. They're beating us out, and she knows full well, Speaker, that it is her government's reliance on subsidized wind and solar that has put us in this place. She knows full well, Speaker, that it's her cancellation of $181 million of nuclear reactors that has put us in this place, Speaker. And she knows, Speaker, that it's her reliance on seats in Mississauga and Oakville that has put us in this place, Speaker. And we can only get an energy plan today to distract from her parents at the Gas Plants Committee tomorrow. Speaker, if she is serious about fixing energy prices in the province of Ontario, she wants the jobs to come back. There's only one way forward, and it is Tim Hudak's plan on affordable energy. She can adopt that plan today. She can go forward, and she can ensure that... Thank you. Order, please. Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The President of the Opposition claims that her party wants to reduce hydro-wakes, Mr. Speaker, but at the same time, they want to spend $15 billion on generating new nuclear that is not necessary, Mr. Speaker. So I would question the very premise of the members of the members' contention, Mr. Speaker. We have put in place programs that support industrial users, Mr. Speaker, who are competitive. I talked about the programs that we've got in place, the Industrial Electricity Incentive, the Industrial Conservation Initiative, and the Northern Industrial Electricity Rate Program, Mr. Speaker. But the member of the Opposition is correct. We have made investments in the electricity sector. Much needed investments, Mr. Speaker, in a system that was neglected by the previous government, Mr. Speaker. Those investments have meant that we have a stable supply, Mr. Speaker, that we have a future plan, none of which were in place when we came into office. Your question from Toronto Danforth. Thank you, Speaker, to the Premier. The government has, by its own admission, signed nearly $1 billion worth of contracts for nuclear refurbishment at Darlington. But by their own admission, they don't know the final price tag. Why is the Premier making a billion-dollar down payment when she doesn't know the final cost? Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, I just want to analyze the questions that have been coming from the third party, Mr. Speaker. They do not support new nuclear, fair enough. They do not support refurbishment, Mr. Speaker. They do not support our green energy policies, Mr. Speaker. It's very questionable what they support, Mr. Speaker. Well, we do know that there is not a plan in place. Mr. Speaker, we believe that refurbishment is necessary. Yes, Mr. Speaker, we believe that the new nuclear bill is not necessary. Yes, we believe that our green energy policies, which have taken coal offline, Mr. Speaker, and have cleaned up the air in this province, but that is the right... Thank you. Supplementary. Well, Speaker, I'm sorry that the Premier didn't see fit to answer the question. Sadly, this is nothing new for the government. They signed our contracts for gas plants that left us with a billion-dollar bill. They added another 180 million to our hydro-bills with a plan for new nuclear plants that weren't going to be built. Does the Premier think it's wise to spend another billion dollars on a refurbishment plan when she doesn't even know what the price tag is going to be? Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I think it's wise to have a plan. I think it's wise to understand how we are going to generate energy for this province, how we are going to support the citizens of this province so that they will have a stable energy supply, Mr. Speaker. I think it's wise to make sure that we have the programs in place and the supports and incentives in place so that business can be competitive, so that individuals can afford their energy prices, Mr. Speaker, and I think it is wise, Mr. Speaker, to have that plan in place for years to come so that we are not in a reactive mode, Mr. Speaker, to every populist idea that comes along. And so having that plan, having that long-term energy plan in place, which does have to be retooled from time to time, that is our process and that's the plan that will be released today, Mr. Speaker. The question is from Scarborough Guildwood. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. Congestion is stifling growth in the driving of Scarborough Guildwood. It hurts our businesses and is affecting the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas standing as a competitive global region. Civic and business leaders from all sides of the political spectrum have joined the movement for the greater investment in transportation infrastructure. One of those leaders is John Tory from Civic Action who spoke this morning about Civic Action's Your32 campaign and Transportation's impact on life. I'm proud to say that before I joined this legislature, I was formally a part of this organization. Congestion comes with a $6 billion annual cost to commuters and the economy in the GTHA. Canada's most significant urban regional economy according to OECD. Question? In order for us to grow and remain competitive, gridlock must be addressed. Speaker, will the Minister inform this House on what the government is doing to help solve congestion crisis in our region? Thank you very much. I want to thank the member for Scarborough Guildwood. This is a remarkable woman who has had a lifetime of commitment to transit or work at Civic Action and now is an MPP in this House. I want to thank her. I want to thank Mr. Tory for joining us today for his leadership. It's been quite remarkable as a journalist and he was having breakfast this morning, promoting it. Mr. Speaker, we are at over $19 billion in public transit investments in the Toronto Hamilton area alone. We will exceed $20 billion in next year's budget. This is a record level of spending. 15 major rapid transit projects being built all across the region, reducing congestion. We are picking up over 90% of the transit cost. The federal government's contributions is 3.85% which I think is a global record for a lack of investment by a national government. The only factor of breaking is this investment. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for your answer. It is important to hear that the Ontario Liberal Government has taken transportation investments seriously, including the commitment to a fully funded subway to Scarborough. It has been unfortunate that the federal government has largely been in action on dedicated sustainable investments in public transit in transportation in Ontario. I agree in order for the GTHA to prosper and remain competitive, the federal government must step up and pay their fair share. Recently, you and I were at an announcement at the Union Pearson Express. This major transportation investment will certainly help to reduce congestion on our roads and help travelers in their commute to the airport. Speaker, will the Minister give an update to this House on the Union Pearson Express project? Thank you, Minister. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. The project is ahead of budget and on time. This is a $456 million project. It will take 1.2 million million cars off the line off the road, Mr Speaker. It's very important. And Mr Speaker, you know, Mr Tory asked us to try and come up with a clear position. Mr Speaker, we know that the party opposite doesn't like automobiles because they didn't want to lend any money to Chrysler or General Motors and they would have killed our auto sector. They want to take about half of the projects that are on Barger's books and cancel every LRT project, Mr Speaker. That would throw, literally throw Bombardier under the bus and mean thousands and thousands of job loans. And Mr Speaker, I know they cancelled Eglinton the first time because they didn't like Subways. Now they hate LRTs because it's an LRT. I'm really confused. They hated Subways before and filled them in. Now they hate LRTs and filled them in. I'm sure if we said we put a... Stop the clock, please. Stop the clock, please. I continually listen carefully to all questions and answers and there are times in which the government have not stayed on policy and I'm going to remind everyone that the questions are on policy and I appreciate you staying so. I don't want any interruptions while I'm trying to explain something. New question. The member from New Market of War. My question is to the premier. Speaker, I want to ask the premier how she and her minister can justify standing by their $9.3 million man. With every new revelation of the orange scandal, two things become ever more clear. First is that Chris Maza engaged in a premeditated scheme to defraud our healthcare system of millions of dollars. But just as clear is the fact that the government is as guilty as Maza for the waste and failing our front line people, our patients and our taxpayers. Not only did Chris Maza siphon millions of dollars through his corporate scheme, but we now learn that Chris Maza siphoned and we're never reported through the Sunshine List. So I ask the premier this. How can she justify defending a man who defrauded our healthcare system of millions and what does this latest revelation about our public disclosure system say? Thank you. Thank you. Well, I'm not defending this man or his actions. I know that the minister of health and long-term care is going to want to speak to the specifics, but we have made huge changes at Orange, Mr. Speaker. We have made huge changes that address the issues that were raised by this set of circumstances, Mr. Speaker, but to suggest that I'm defending those actions is absolutely not accurate. Mr. Speaker, supplementary. Mr. Speaker, this is why the people of this province have lost confidence in this government. Rather than show leadership, the premier and her ministers hide and process and the veil of being able to wash their hands and deflecting responsibility. Speaker, is there any department in this government at all that the people of this province can trust? Now it's the salary disclosure process through the ministry of finance that we can no longer trust. Millions of dollars of salary were siphoned by MASA. The public salary disclosure system failed to disclose millions of dollars. Are we to believe that MASA salaries are the only ones that have been hidden and that haven't been disclosed by that salary disclosure system? Will the premier agree to call in the auditor general to do an audit of the salary disclosure system in the ministry of finance so that we know what's going on in this government? Thank you. The member from Dufferin Caledon will come to order. The member from Durham will come to order. Premier. Health and long-term care. Well, thank you, Speaker. I have said before and I say again that Dr. MASA and his former board abused the trust that was placed in them, Speaker. He abused the trust that was placed in him. The member opposite knows full well as soon as we became aware of those abuses, Speaker, I ordered a forensic audit, the ministry of finance sending a forensic audit team, Speaker, the report from that forensic audit team has gone to the OPP where it belongs, Speaker. The member opposite knows that there is an OPP investigation underway. That is an important part of due process and I know the member opposite is not very fond of. But in the meantime, Speaker, Orange continues to get stronger in federal every single day. Thank you. New question. The member from Nicobel. Air ambulance is an essential service in Ontario. People's lives depend on it. But instead of making sure that healthcare dollars were going towards savings lives, almost 10 million of it went right into the pocket of Dr. Mazza. The rules were in place against that but the government chose not to enforce them. See no evil, hear no evil. Whistleblower had gone to the government in 2010. They came to the new Democrats. We asked question, Plank, on November 16, 2010, what was Mazza's salary? We gave you the mandate to go look into his salary and ask that things had gone wrong. Why did the government pay Mazza 9.3 million? Why didn't they do their job? Why didn't they go look into Mazza's salary back in 2010 and avoid all of this? Thank you. When it comes to Orange, when we became aware of the abuse, Speaker, we did take action. There is an entirely new action doing excellent work at Orange, Speaker. The OPP have an investigation underway, Speaker. Let me make it very clear this kind of abuse of the trust of the people of this province is completely unacceptable. That's why we took the very strong action that we did and that is why Orange is into a new chapter, Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the government allowed Mazza to use basically public money as a cash for life program. They stood by while he drove this organization into the ground. $9.3 million could have hired 160 nurses, could have cared for 2,000 people on home care. The reason Chris Mazza was paid $9.3 million wasn't because he cleverly hooked in the government, it was because the government never bothered to look into Orange. They failed at their primary mandates of oversight. They failed to do their job. That leaves us with what keeps it from happening again. What reassurance can see give us that there isn't dozens of other oranges out there. Thank you. I know that this is very important. I've received much attention from committees in this House Speaker and I welcome that. But I think it's very important that people acknowledge the strengthening that has gone on at Orange. Orange must now comply with the broader sector Accountability Act. They must publicly report expenses, submit detailed financial reports. They must have interest policy establishing clear rules for employees contact. They have a new patient advocate speaker who works with patients to address any concerns they may have. They have implemented several changes to enhance patient safety, additional training for helicopter pilots including controlled access into terrain. They've revised the operating procedures for night operations for flights. They're installing solar lighting at night. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker. This question is the Minister of Health and Long Term Care. One of the biggest challenges we face is ensuring our senior citizens and patients with specialized needs receive the highest quality of care. Studies have shown that roughly 75% of seniors with complex conditions who are discharged from hospitals are physicians and 30% get their drugs from three or more pharmacies. This creates challenges that increase the cost of care. My constituents in Ottawa want to be assured that their family needs health services. They will receive coordinated care without gaps and duplication. Mr. Speaker, through you to the Minister of Health and Long Term Care could the minister please update the House on some of the ways the Ontario government is working to understand that about 5% of Ontarians actually account for 2 thirds of our healthcare spending. It's very important that those people with complex needs get access to coordinated care so all of the providers who care for that individual come together to develop one plan of care that meets the needs and the hopes and the aspirations of that patient. I am delighted Speaker that 37 community health links have been established across the province and more are on the way. It is this kind of coordinated care that smooths the transitions of care for complex patients. It will ensure Speaker that they get the right care at the right time and in the right place. This is much better care for those individuals and it also results in better value for our precious healthcare dollars. Thank you. Minister for your response. I know that our government takes community healthcare seriously. When different healthcare providers work as a team to care for a patient they can better coordinate the full patient journey through the health system leading to better care for patients. Health links have certainly helped to ensure that patients with complex conditions receive the right care at the right time in the right place. Mr. Speaker, Ontarians and health links have been established across the province to provide care. I know that what may work in a larger area does not necessarily translate to small communities. Speaker, through you to the minister could the minister update the house of what our government is doing to strengthen healthcare in rural communities across the province. To the minister of rural affairs. Minister of rural affairs. Thanks very much Mr. Speaker. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Our government is commited to strengthen that by improving health services and access to care. That's why we have and will continue to help help in health links in a number of rural and northern areas. Just last Monday I was in the wonderful community of or again I was happy to announce that our government is providing $60,000 to each health link to help identify high risk patients and develop individualized between the health and social sectors, but Health Lakes provides a former venue for them to connect. Moving forward, Rural Health Lakes will have the flexibility to address unique needs in their communities, including satellite, sensitive community, and paramedic. Our government is focused on strengthening rural communities and will continue to work with the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to ensure our rural populations have access to services and high-quality patient care. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I was just wondering if the Premier is expected to come back. Okay, Speaker, then my question I guess will be for the Minister of Finance. Minister, while your Premier was out jogging, Ontario lost 300,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs. You can almost run the alphabet, Minister. From Sklar Pepler and Ajax to the General Motors Transmission and Assembly Plants in Windsor. The list in between is long, Minister. Exxon Mobile Chemical Films in Belleville. Saputo Darien Brampton. Navistar and Chatham. Daimler Trucks in London and St. Thomas and its bus factory in Mississauga. Then there's Etzka and Niagara Falls, the General Motors Camaro production in Oshawa, as well as its 110-year operation in St. Catharines. Minister, I can keep going on. Baskin Robbins in Peterborough. John Deere in Welland. Southwire Cable in Stoville. As we approach Christmas in the New Year, Minister, workers in these communities have lost hope. Minister, where is your jobs plan for the people of Ontario? Do you see them, please? Minister of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the question because it allows me the opportunity to once again remind the members opposite that our jobs plan has been working to the extent that we've created over 470,000 net new jobs since the depths of the recession. We've got over 600,000 new jobs that have been created since 2003. And we recognize that the market is changing and we must do everything in our power to continue to invest and stimulate that growth. And it is at the member opposite has opposed, Mr. Speaker. So let me cite some issues. We've created more jobs in Ericsson, Canada, in Ottawa, 35,000 to 105,000. We've created more jobs in Cambridge because of Toyota. We brought in Ford and supported them in Oakville. We are the ones that supported GM and Ingersoll. We've done more in St. Mary's, Ontario to create more jobs because we recognize the change in manufacturing sector. We've done so in Bradford. We've done so in Brockville. We've done so in Apropos, Ontario. We've done so in Wallachburg, Ontario. And in Bradford and in Woodstock. Thank you. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker, back to the Minister of Finance. Minister, the Heinz plant in Leamington in your Premier's recent drive-by photo op is just another example of your careless approach to Ontario's ailing manufacturing sector. Minister, here are the facts about your pathetic job-killing plan. 1 million people are out of work in Ontario today. 300,000 net manufacturing jobs have been lost. Ontario is dead last. Dead last minister in wage growth in Canada and our middle class has been gutted by your Liberal government. But minister, the good thing is it doesn't have to be this way. Only Tim Houdak of the Ontario PECs understand the severity of Ontario's jobs crisis and only Tim Houdak and the Ontario PECs have put forward a bold plan to modernize Ontario's labor laws and deal with the thousands of job losses your government has caused. Minister, will you continue to run away from the manufacturing jobs crisis or will you finally admit that you simply don't have any ideas to create jobs and grow and turn? Dr. Crock, please. You see it, please. Thank you, Mr. Finance. Minister of Economic Development and Employment, Mr. Speaker. Minister of Economic Development and Employment. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And first of all, I'm going to give the opportunity to the Member of the Opposition to apologize and correct the record because quite frankly, he's scaring the heck out of Ontarians when he comes up with figures like a million people unemployed. He knows that figure is roughly half that figure. So I'm going to invite him, give him the opportunity to correct that record. And I want to tell him that we've got a job's plan. The problem is that that party opposite isn't supporting it. And I know that it pains the Member of the Opposition that his party didn't support the Southwestern. The Member from Halton? We created a year ago. And in fact... Because he couldn't hear me, I'll make sure he does. The Member from Halton come to order. And in fact, Mr. Speaker, of course, I know that he feels bad that his party didn't support the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund because the first two projects that were funded out of that were actually funded in his right and Armo Tools and Lantif and Bears, which together created more than 120 new jobs and sustained more. And together that Southwestern Ontario Development Fund has already created and retained more than 7,000 jobs, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. New question here in the third party. Thank you, Speaker. My questions for the acting Premier. An 85-year-old couple in Hamilton have been separated by the long-term care system after 60 years of marriage. Unfortunately, Gilda and Domenico Rosettone aren't the first seniors in Ontario to suffer such a cruel separation. Their son Vico has come to Queen's Park today to make it an appeal for common sense and compassion. When will the Liberal government respect the principle of spousal reunification in long-term care and bring Gilda and Domenico Rosettone back together? Acting Premier. Thank you, Speaker. And of course, we are committed to getting spouses back together, Speaker. That's why we have changed our rules in long-term care home to facilitate spouses being together. It's important, Speaker. If a couple have been together their whole adult life, we want them to be together for the rest of their life, Speaker. The member opposite raises an issue that we are looking at, Speaker. It's an issue when one of the couple is in long-term care and the other is in a retirement home. This is a different issue, Speaker, but it is one that we care about, and we are exploring what we might be able to do. But in the meantime, Speaker, I know every single CCAC in this province is committed to getting couples together as quickly as they can, and I would urge the member opposite to encourage this couple to continue to work with the CCAC. Thank you. Second mention. Well, Speaker, wanting to change things isn't good enough. Actually getting to the action of changing things is what the people of this province need. Oh, that this isn't the way a six-year, a six-decade love story should end, Speaker. She also knows that the long-term care system is broken if the only way for a senior to get a bed is to be in crisis in the community. This government has already said that reuniting couples in the same situation as the Rosatones is quote-unquote the right thing to do. She repeated it again at the first part of my question, Speaker. So will the acting premier do the right thing and bring Gilda and Domenico Rosatone back together, or are they destined to celebrate their future and adversaries apart, Speaker? That would be a free man. Well, Speaker, as I said in the first question, the CCAC I know is working hard to bring this couple back together. It's what we all want to happen, Speaker. And I think the member opposite would be very interested to know that for the first time in a long time our wait lists for long-term care are actually dropping thanks to the excellent work that is being done in the community because of our investments in CCACs in home care, Speaker. We're actually seeing fewer people needing to go into long-term care. This is very good news for our health care system, and it's very good news for the people who need that extra care. Thank you. New question to the member from Ottawa South. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Consumer Services. Speaker, in my community of Ottawa South I've been receiving questions from local businesses, municipal leaders, and residents about a new requirement to call prior to digging underground for a great depth. Mr. Speaker, I know our government has always been committed to putting public safety first and that we have been supportive of initiatives that prevent damage to vital underground infrastructure and promote safe excavating practices. I remember in the past we supported an industry-led voluntary participation in a one-call-to-dig system across all utilities. However, Mr. Speaker, now I hear questions about a mandatory participation by all owners of underground infrastructure in a one-call-to-dig system. Speaker, through you to the Minister, can you please provide more insight into this new program and what are the requirements for owners of underground infrastructure and excavators? Question, thank you. The Minister of Consumer Services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I want to thank the member from Ottawa South for raising the question today. I'd also like to thank two members from the opposition, the member from Hamilton East, Tony Creek and the member from Sarnia Lamp. They've taken a great interest in this file, very active interest in this file and what's happening. And just to refresh everyone's memory, the Legislature passed the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification Act in 2012, and this makes one-call the one and only point of contact in Ontario for underground infrastructure locations or quests prior to digging. The Act requires all owner operators of underground infrastructure to join one-call, Speaker. Currently, all non-municipal owners are considered members of one-call with municipal owners set to come on board by June of 2014. And assisting with the implementation of this Act, the Ministry has been working with one-call to provide the support and make the transition to the Act and the day-to-day responsibilities of the Act. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased to hear that the Ministry will be working with all impacted stakeholders in implementing the service. I know when talking to residents and municipal leaders that there are some concerns they want to be addressed in the implementation of this mandatory requirement. The concerns raised with me have been around membership, board composition, reporting requirements and enforcement of the Act. Many of the stakeholders I've spoken to are looking for better clarification and direction from the Ministry on how to proceed with this mandatory call before you dig requirement. Speaker, could the Minister please provide some answers around what the Ministry is doing to move forward and address the concerns of stakeholders? Thank you, Minister. Thank you very much. And the members right, there have been concerns raised by stakeholders, a speaker on the implementation of the program. So we released a consultation paper on this in February and many of the initial concerns regarding membership and board composition have already been addressed by one call in making changes to their operations and requirements. To further assist with the concerns regarding implementation and enforcement, we released regulatory proposals around these issues, Speaker. The proposals based on the feedback obtained during consultation and it's available for public comment until December 16th. I invite all stakeholders, utilities, excavators, municipalities and so on to give us that feedback and the Ministry will review and consider feedback received before we move forward. This is a very important safety issue and these problems I take very seriously. Thank you. My question is to the Deputy Premier. Last week, the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council released a report on auto investment in North America. It found that Canada was not in first place, not in second, but in third. Trailing Mexico is a destination of choice for industry investment. This sector represents about 100,000 jobs, almost 30% of Ontario exports and a huge chunk of economic activity and Mexico is eating our lunch. Billions in direct investment are flowing south of the border. This is a story that we've heard over and over again. Most new employees get three months probation. Your appointment to Premier has had 10. When will the Premier make jobs a priority? Deputy Premier. You see that, please? Thank you. Deputy Premier. Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment. Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And again, I don't know where the member opposite is getting her information, but she needs to understand that we're on track for a record sales year in Canada for the automotive industry. In fact, we have bounced back so well since the bottom of the recession. We've created nearly 15,000 new jobs, Mr. Speaker. Part of that, of course, is the support that the federal and provincial governments have provided to the sector, Toyota, which is rolling out their hybrid version of the Lexus starting in January. The $70 million investment we did against that nearly $1 billion investment for Ford, for their Oakville plant. I had the privilege, actually, of hosting with the Minister of Industry, a federal minister. We attended a meeting and hosted a meeting with the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council just last week, and the message that we were hearing there is steady as she goes, continue with the federal and provincial support, and their concept is doing well. Thank you. Supplementary. Tell that to the people on the unemployment line. Deputy Premier, it's not a matter of whether you're doing something. It's a question of whether you're doing the right thing. It's a question of whether you're doing enough of the right thing. Ontario has never been satisfied with a bronze medal. We should be reclaiming a rightful place at the top of the podium. We should know the podium. Another question. How will you fill the economic footprint of Ontario's automotive industry? Good question. Minister. Well, again, Mr. Speaker, this is ironic because the party opposite voted against the support that we provided to the auto sector in 2008. And if they had had their way, GM and Chrysler wouldn't even be in this province, Mr. Speaker. Instead, we have nearly 100,000 people proudly employed in the auto sector and the spin-off jobs in terms of the supply chain probably close to another... Member from Oxford comes to order. I'm not going to take any lessons or advice from the party opposite in terms of the auto sector. We were there when they needed their support prior to and during the recession. They've bounced back nearly 15,000 more jobs since the bottom of the recession and a record sales year this year in Canada. Answer. Thank you. New question. Member from London West. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. It concerns Stuart Clark and Alicia Grayson, constituents from my riding of London West who contacted the Minister in October about delays accessing the Trillium Drug Program. Alicia has complex medical needs with prescription drugs that cost between $400 and $500 a month. These costs used to be covered by Stuart's employment benefits, but like too many people in London West, Stuart was laid off more than a year ago. In March 2013, Stuart applied to Trillium for drug coverage. Eight months later, his application has yet to be processed after Trillium lost both the original and replacement documentation he sent. In Stuart's words, it's almost as if they are hoping people give up. Will the Minister commit to addressing these unacceptable problems at Trillium so that Alicia Grayson can access the medication she needs? Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Well, thank you, Speaker, and I am aware of this case, and my constituency office and my ministry office have been working to get the access to medication that is appropriate for this couple and speaker for others who access the Trillium plan. I think it's very important to know, Speaker, that we in Ontario do have a Trillium drug plan which is very, very important for people who might not be covered, but their drug costs are very high relative to their income. So, Speaker, this is an issue that I am looking into, Speaker, and I look forward to getting a resolution quickly. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. I also look forward to a resolution. The good news is that Stuart is working again in self-employment, but he has no benefits. As a result of the delays in accessing Trillium drug coverage, he's considering separating from his wife so that she can go on to ODSP to get her drug costs covered. Minister, does it make sense to you that the problems at Trillium are potentially forcing people on to ODSP so they can get access to the life-saving medication they need? Thank you, Minister. Speaker, as I said in the original question, this is an issue that we are looking into, and of course I think when people are entitled to access under Trillium, they should get that coverage as quickly as possible. I tell you, if the system isn't working, Speaker, I will fix it. In this case, Speaker, we are looking into this particular issue, but the system, we're here to serve people, Speaker, and we're here to make sure that people of Ontario get the drugs they need covered when they need that coverage. Thank you. There are no deferred votes. This House stands recess until 1 p.m. this afternoon.