 Therefore, it is now time for Question Period, the leader of Her Majesty's Royal Opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. I was reading the Globe and Mail editorial, and I'm going to share with you what that editorial said. According to the Premier's energy plan, she isn't fixing the electricity mess. She's lowering the extortionate system costs created by a decade of poor choices and mismanagement of the province's power system. She's simply rigging consumers' bills during an election year. So, Mr. Speaker, my question for the Premier, this isn't about fixing the structural challenges. Is it just about what we all know it is, your own political survival? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. What our fair hydro plan is about is taking a burden off people's electricity bills all around the province. I'm sure that people see on average a 25% reduction, Mr. Speaker. People who are having trouble paying their rent, who are having trouble looking after their families, Mr. Speaker, making sure that they have things that they need soon, Mr. Speaker, that they have it, that it's practical, Mr. Speaker, and that it's adequate. That's what our fair hydro plan is about, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier and again from this Globe and Mail editorial, they said this scheme is nothing more than, I quote, a liberal Premier has found another way to make money. I tried just asking. And obviously, you've now maybe been trained that you have to wait for warnings. So, I'm going to try to ask you one last time when I've got all of your attention. Let's just let the question be put and let's let the answer be put. If I have to, I will intervene again. Mr. Speaker, obviously this is a sensitive topic for the liberal government. The Globe and Mail editorial said a liberal Premier has found yet another way to make Ontarioans pay more for electricity. But this one is selling it as an act of being a thoughtful government coming to the aid of families. And that is exactly why I have written the Financial Accountability Officer asking for an open and transparent and honest accounting of what this is going to cost on Torontoans and if the government's numbers are actually accurate. Mr. Speaker, the truth will come out eventually. Just how much debt is going to be saddled on the next generation of Ontarioans? Question. Thank you. Premier? Well, Mr. Speaker, I'm happy to say that the Office of the Financial Accountability Officer was briefed on last week, Mr. Speaker. So we're very happy to have the FAO get the information that he needs. His office has been briefed and we will continue to work with him. And in fact, as the Leader of the Opposition knows, we actually expanded the purview of the Financial Accountability Officer so that he could get all of the information that he wanted. So we're happy to do that. Mr. Speaker, this plan is about giving people relief on their electricity bills. It's about spreading out costs over a longer period of time, Mr. Speaker. Costs that have been incurred through investment in a system that was degraded, Mr. Speaker, that had to be upgraded, that was susceptible to brownouts and blackouts when we came into office under the previous Premier, Mr. Speaker. We absolutely had to make the investments. We've done that. We have a clean, reliable electricity grid. We're going to relieve people of their electricity costs. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier, the Global Mail placed the blame where it belongs. I quote from the Global Mail, the blame for this fall, squarely on consecutive Liberal governments, a former Premier, Dalton McGinty, and his successor, the Premier of Ontario today, in power since 2003. Their mismanagement of Ontario's power system has led today. That's their mismanagement. And now the Liberal government to pay for their mistakes, their mismanagement, it's going to cost $25 billion of additional interest costs. But Mr. Speaker, we've seen the Liberal math before and how it doesn't add up and how it seems to be something different afterwards. Just look at the gas plant. It was supposed to cost a cup of coffee, and then it was 40 million, and then cost skyrocketed. Their numbers historically do not add up. So my question, Mr. Speaker, given the fact their math hasn't added up before, can we have the guarantee of the Premier they will not block any information being shared with the Financial Accountability Officer? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, we've already provided a technical briefing to the officer of the FAO. We are happy for the Financial Accountability Officer to have the information that is available to his office already. It's already there, Mr. Speaker. So we'll continue to work with him. Mr. Speaker, underlying the question of the leader of the opposition is an assumption that had they had the opportunity, they would... The conversation between members on each side is going to stop. Finish, please. They would not have upgraded the system. They would not have cleaned the electricity grid, Mr. Speaker. And then they would not have had a plan to deal with those costs, Mr. Speaker. We've taken the responsible path. We know that the costs that people are being asked to pay are going to go up front. The member from Leeds... 25% reduction on average, Mr. Speaker. That's what we're moving forward with. New question, the leader of the opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. Families and supporters of Grandview's Children's Centre rallied together on the weekend to fight for fair funding. Grandview has been waiting nine years. Nine years, Mr. Speaker. Nine years and shovels have sat idly by. Nine years, children with autism have been sitting on a waitlist. These children and their families deserve better. Your own liberal caucus members have written the Premier, pleading for action, but the Premier's office has ignored her own caucus members. I asked about this, Mr. Speaker, on November 24th, and I was told by the government they were going to look into it. Here we are months later and nothing has happened. So, Mr. Speaker, my question is directly to the Premier, will the government commit to the proper funding for the new Grandview Centre? Yes or no, the community in Durham is tired of waiting. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I know that the Minister of Children's Youth Services is going to want to speak to the specifics, but I just want to be very clear that in no way have I or my office ignored the commentary from, quite frankly, all of the members from Durham, but certainly from our own caucus, Mr. Speaker. I know that this is a very worthwhile project. It's something that needs to move ahead, Mr. Speaker, and it's something that I know the Minister of Children's Youth Service will be happy to give an update on. Thank you. Supplementary. Back to the Premier, Speaker, thank you. The Grandview situation is absolutely heartbreaking. Nine years of waiting, the land's been donated, $8 million raised, and sadly, 2,753 children on the wait list. Mr. Speaker, how much longer must these children and families wait? Thank you. Children's Youth Services? Children's Youth Services? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the member for the question. As soon as the legislature went into recess this past winter, I made my way out to Grandview. It's one of my priorities in regards to visits, and I just want to say the centre is a remarkable place. I met with parents there. I met with staff. And to listen to their concerns. Mr. Speaker, we're a government that's invested in the last several years, over $300 million into capital programs for our children's treatment centres. We have a process in place, and I went out there to listen. And we're taking all of those requests for capital programs, and there's a process in place. And we'll be making a decision shortly in regards to where we spend those capital dollars. So I'd like to thank the member for his advocacy, but we're paying attention on this side, and we'll continue to work with Grandview to make sure we position it for success here in Ontario. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you back to the Premier. Families of Grandview kids across Durham Region have been waiting for approval of Grandview's project. In November 2015, the Town of Ajax announced a donation of a five-acre parcel of land for the future new headquarters of Grandview. They are the only children's treatment centre in Durham Region providing specialised programs, outpatient clinical treatment and support to thousands of children and youth with special needs, and their families. They also offer ABA therapy for children with autism. Yet over 2,700 children sit on a waitlist while this government fails to act. Mr Speaker, I toured Grandview just last Friday, and I can say with certainty the time to act is now. Will the Liberals announce the funding of the new Grandview Centre today? Thank you. Thank you, Mr Speaker. And again, I'd like to thank the member for the question. She brought up funding for autism as a point in her question. The member knows that our autism funding is historically the largest investment in autism in the history of this province, if not the entire country. So we're making inroads. We've got challenges in the system when it comes to mental health, when it comes to autism, when it comes to our children. But we're doing everything we can to make sure we position them for success. Grandview is an exceptional place, doing great work. You know, in our child treatment centres across the province, over 76,000 young people are treated each year, and we're proud of that. And we know we need to build more capacity within the system, and that's why we keep investing into capital programs and rebuilds for our treatment centres here in Ontario. Thank you. New question, the leader of the third party. Thank you so much, Mr Speaker. The Premier and the Liberals have had 14 years to fix the mess that her party has helped create in our hydro system. But it is only the last few weeks that she's admitted that there is a problem speaker, and only last week she admitted she could actually do something about it. Up until she began to fear for her political life, she told Ontarians there either was no problem, or if there was, there was nothing she could do about it. The Premier told this House, and I quote, our rates are competitive with New York, with Michigan, with Pennsylvania. Those energy prices are competitive, Mr Speaker. I asked the Premier, what's behind the sudden conversion? Thank you. Well, Mr Speaker, first of all, that's just not an accurate portrayal of the situation. The fact is that for some time, a number of years, Mr Speaker, we've been working to take costs out of the system. We renegotiated the Samsung deal, Mr Speaker. We made a decision about not building new nuclear. We were very aware, Mr Speaker, that we needed to find ways to get costs out of the electricity system. We made a decision around the 8% reduction on electricity bills, the provincial portion of the HST last year, Mr Speaker. It's in effect now. And we did hear from people around the province, and I knew that it was not enough. That's why we've brought forward an average 25% reduction, Mr Speaker, that people will see on their bills this summer. Thank you. Supplementary. Speaker, hydro rates have been a crisis for families and businesses in Ontario for as long as the Premier has been saying there was no crisis. That denied the problem. Speaker, on September 15, 2016, the Minister said, quote, energy costs are in the middle of the pack when compared to other Canadian provinces. The government has used virtually all available public policy levers at our disposal to mitigate rate pressures for customers. When will the Premier admit how out of touch she is with Ontarians and apologize for denying over and over again that the crisis they were facing is real? Thank you. Can you see it, please? Can you see it, please? Thank you. Premier. Speaker, it seems to me that a policy, a plan that has been brought forward, that is actually going to reduce people's electricity bills in a number of ways. First of all, across the board, average 25% cut for residents who pay bills, Mr Speaker. They're going to see, on average, a 25% cut. People who pay exorbitant distribution rates, Mr Speaker, in rural and remote communities, they're going to see another 10 or 15% reduction, Mr Speaker. People who are living on low incomes, they're going to see an enhanced benefit, so they will see further cuts. Mr Speaker, that's a practical plan that I think demonstrates that we have understood. We've listened, we've understood, we've brought forward a practical plan, as opposed to, Mr Speaker, a plan that does not respond because it would not work, which is what the NDP has brought forward. We've brought forward a plan that actually is practical and is going to reduce people's electricity bills. Final supplementary. Well, Speaker, she may forget this, but the other part of the Premier's story was that the Liberal government had no control over hydro prices, that it was all in the hands of the Ontario Energy Board. On September 29, 2016, the Minister of Energy said, quote, the OEB is a quasi-judicial organisation that's not part of the government. They set the rates. Clearly, the Premier does think she has control over rates because just last week, she finally decided that the political cost to her and her party of ignoring this crisis that she has created for Ontario families was just too much, and she came up with a band-aid fix. What changed, Speaker? Okay. Mr Speaker, many months, many months, Mr Speaker, we have been working on finding a solution to help people with their electricity bills. Whether the leader of the third party accepts that or not, Mr Speaker, is entirely beside the point. The point is that there are people in this province who are paying too much for their electricity, Mr Speaker. They can't afford to look after themselves, their families. There are people in this province who are paying too high distribution costs, and there are people living on low income who are not getting enough support. We are tackling all of those challenges, Mr Speaker. The relief will be in place in the summer. Mr Speaker, the reality is that I am most interested in those people, in their concerns and their families, Mr Speaker. Your question, the leader of the third party. Thank you so much, Mr Speaker. My next question is also for the Premier. One part of the Premier's story that she still clings to is that selling Hydro 1 is a good idea. The vast majority of Ontarians. By returning Hydro 1 to public hands, we bring in $7 billion. We bring in $7 billion over the next 30 years that we can invest in Ontario. Instead of investing in Ontario families and businesses, the Liberal Plan gives away an additional $25 to $40 billion over that same period to bankers, when will this Premier wake up and realise that continuing with her wrong-headed sell-off of Hydro 1 is not just unpopular, it's vastly unpopular. It is absolutely the wrong thing to do for Ontario. Thank you. Mr Speaker, just again, we put the facts on the table. The proposal that the leader of the third party has brought forward is a plan that would not work. Part of that plan is to stop the broadening of the ownership of Hydro 1, Mr Speaker, and buy back Hydro 1. None of which would take one cent off one electricity bill in this province, Mr Speaker. Not a penny. So what we brought forward is a plan that will reduce people's electricity bills, Mr Speaker. We'll spread the costs over a 30-year period for an asset that are going to be used by people for that period, Mr Speaker. So it's only right, it's only fair that people in this generation would pay part of the cost, but people who are going to be using that asset down the road that they would pay part of the freight for that, Mr Speaker. That's what we're doing. We're bringing forward relief for people immediately, Mr Speaker. Supplementary. The Liberal plan will cost the people of Ontario more in the long run. That is absolutely the case. And it doesn't solve any, not a single, one lumps in our current electricity system, nor does it stop the sell-off of Hydro 1. For years, the Premier didn't listen to Ontarians when they were struggling with Hydro bills that were far too high and that they could no longer afford. The Premier has not learned from that lesson, Speaker. Why isn't she listening to Ontarians who are telling her that the right thing to do is stop putting her political career ahead of the people of this province and put an end, once and for all, to her wrong-headed decision to sell off Hydro 1. Fair by the public asset. Mr Speaker, please. Mr Speaker, please. Thank you. Premier. Mr Speaker, it's actually hard to know where to begin. The reality of the third party is an assumption that there was no need to rebuild the electricity system in Ontario, Mr Speaker. We don't need a clean electricity grid. We don't need to build all those thousands of kilometres of line, Mr Speaker. We don't need clean renewable capacity. We don't need because underlying her question about Hydro 1 is we don't need to build transit. All of which, Mr Speaker, I think are really surprising assertions coming from the NDP. And on top of that, Mr Speaker, the proposal that she has put forward to reduce electricity costs because of the investments that we made, Mr Speaker, there is a cost associated with those. The proposal she's brought forward would not take money off people's electricity bills. We've brought forward a practical plan that will reduce people's electricity bills, and that's the right thing to do, Mr Speaker. Thank you. Final supplementary. Mr Speaker, what we don't need is a budget that generates revenues for the people of... People need more, Mr Speaker, than a desperate attempt to hold on to political power. People need that so much more than that, Mr Speaker. People need more than a plan that kicks the problems in our hydro system down to our grandkids, Mr Speaker. We need a plan that prioritises Ontario families and businesses because all Ontarians see an extra $40 billion going into the pockets of this Premier's banker friends. When will this Premier show Ontarians that she is about more than saving her own political skin, admit that she was wrong and stop the sell-off of Hydro One? Thank you. Mr Speaker, you know I'm out about this question of grandchildren and how would we explain to our how I have three grandchildren and I'm quite comfortable, Mr Speaker, talking to Olivia and Claire and Hugh about the reality that their mum and dad need some support in order to be able to allow them to take skating lessons or swimming lessons, Mr Speaker, allowing them to do the things that they want to do for their family now and that will mean that Livy and Claire and Hugh will be helping to pay for your... Finish, please. That Livy and Claire and Hugh will be helping to pay for those assets. Mr Speaker, four months, the leader of the third party has been looking for solutions to actually help people in their daily lives. We're bringing that forward, Mr Speaker. I would have thought she might have been supportive. Thank you. New question, the member from Nippison. Thank you and good morning, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Rumors have surfaced regarding the employment status of the 70 men and women at the OPG facility in North Bay. In fact, these now appear to be more than rumors. OPG has refused to answer any questions from the municipality regarding the future in North Bay. OPG and North Bay have had more than a 100 year relationship. They have a responsibility to be open and transparent with the communities they've had partnerships with, especially those for more than a century. If OPG is indeed transferring dozens of employees out of North Bay, why are they doing it by stealth? Speaker, I asked the Premier, does she agree this is an outrageous failure by a publicly owned corporation to live up to the standards of accountability that is expected here in Ontario? Thank you. I'm happy to respond on behalf of the Minister of Energy. I find it kind of passing strange that the member opposite who's always on his feet talking about efficiencies in government and doing the right thing and allowing our Crown corporations to be able to keep their budgets in order is now standing up because something happens to be happening in his writing that now it's something that they shouldn't be doing. My understanding, Mr Speaker, is that there are no jobs being lost in this move but that the Senior Vice President is in North Bay today speaking in person to the employees that are affected. I know that this is a decision that OPG takes seriously. OPG has more than 9,000 employees in every corner of this province, Mr Speaker. They're a big corporation but the role of our government, the role of any government is not to interfere with these human resources. Thank you. Supplementary. For weeks, OPG told the media quote, we don't respond to rumors and for weeks the City of North Bay's requests have gone unanswered. Their failure to respond has caused great concern in North Bay. Their silence is a betrayal by OPG to behave as good corporate citizens and their refusal to be honest tells us to no longer trust what OPG says. If OPG is willing to turn its back on the City it's been in for 100 years and ignore the pleas of the municipality, what else will they ignore? Speaker, I ask the Premier, if OPG won't be open about their plans in North Bay, how can they be trusted to be accountable for what they say about any of their projects? Minister? It's all about accountability it's about giving our Crown Corporations the ability to manage what they're doing in the best possible way. Their members on his feet all the time talking about cutting costs, cutting salaries and all of that stuff their minutes something happens in his riding Mr. Speaker he wants us to go the opposite direction Mr. Speaker, the Senior Vice President is in North Bay today it is a sensitive issue Mr. Speaker and it's a decision the OPG takes very seriously they'll be working very closely with the labour union representatives if they have been all along and they'll work hard to balance providing thousands of good jobs in Ontario while delivering low cost energy that's what we're trying to deliver here in Ontario so you can't have it both ways Mr. Speaker Thank you, new question the member from Toronto Danforth Thank you Speaker question to the Premier over the weekend there was a credible report that Hydro One is negotiating to purchase Toronto Hydro there were denials but we've heard many denials before just like before the last election when the Premier denied that she was selling Hydro One this sort of deal making is happening because this government is giving out fat tax breaks to utilities that are sold to the private sector why is the Premier subsidizing the privatization of public utilities like Toronto Hydro Mr. Economic Development and Growth Mr. Economic Development and Growth Mr. Speaker as the Mayor said on the weekend there's no discussions going on between the government and the City of Toronto on this matter I don't know where the rumors came from but you're asking me to respond to rumors that we have no idea what the source of those rumors are from I think though Mr. Speaker the question that Ontarians want to ask is are we getting value for the investments that we're making in our energy system are we getting value from the tough decisions that this government's made in terms of the Hydro One issue and Mr. Speaker the fact of the matter is the NDP now have a plan that they want to buy back for four billion dollars the shares of Hydro One where are you going to get the money to pay for the interest be seated please thank you that was an awkward minister finish well Mr. Speaker the question one sentence one sentence that was it where are they going to get the money to pay for the public transit that we're building in Toronto and across the province supplementary thank you Speaker well back to the Premier I remember Ed Clark's words from October of 2015 when he said Hydro One transmission should stay in public hands the Liberal government announced six months later they were selling off Hydro One the Premier has given the public good reason cynical and skeptical when it comes to privatization in Ontario's electricity system will the Premier stop subsidizing the sale of public utilities to private investors Minister can you see it please can you see it please thank you Minister Mr. Speaker that question is more about arcane outdated political philosophy than it is about running an efficient Hydro system the fact of the matter is Mr. Speaker the issue that he's referring to and I'll say it again there are no discussions going on between the province and the city of Toronto about Toronto Hydro so let's be very very clear about that at the same time Mr. Speaker we have to find ways to build public transit across this province we have to find ways to build more roads and bridges across this province we want to go back to the days where we had a huge deficit in infrastructure we're not going to do that Mr. Speaker we've made tough decisions on this side of the house because we know how important it is to the people of Toronto the people of Ontario to build transit to build bridges to build this province up and to make this economy home Mr. Speaker that's what we've mandated ourselves to do and that's what we're going to do thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Economic Development and Growth last week the government took a moment to step forward in ensuring that clean, reliable energy is affordable for everyone in Ontario that announcement the fair hydro plan is a 25% reduction on average for all households in Ontario no loo holds, no exceptions just significant relief for this very important household cost but this announcement is going to go a long way in helping families in my riding of Kitchener Centre and right across the province of Ontario of course home owners are not the only ones in the province who are paying electricity bills business owners have also said that they face challenges with their monthly electricity costs Speaker would the Minister please share with this house in what ways the government's fair hydro plan is going to help businesses in the province of Ontario thank you thank you Mr. Speaker ensuring electricity is affordable for business is a very important part of maintaining Ontario's strong economy last year the Ontario Chamber of Commerce launched a campaign called small business too big to ignore it highlighted the importance of small business to Ontario's economy and some of the challenges they face electricity prices were one of those challenges I'm pleased to share that the fair hydro plan for Ontario is designed to help on exactly this issue the 25% reduction applies not only to every household in this province but to tens of thousands of small businesses as well everyone who pays time of use prices will see this benefit regardless of whether they're a home a farm or a small business there is no doubt that 25% is a significant savings a long way to ensuring that the cost of doing business in this important sector Mr. Speaker is still very competitive in Ontario thank you I'd like to thank the minister for his answer these reductions in energy bills are getting very positive reactions from Ontarians all residential electricity customers farms and small businesses are going to be seeing an average of 25% off their bills this is the largest electricity price cut in Ontario's history low income customers in rural areas with the highest delivery charges are going to see even further reductions now in my writing of Kitchener's Centre this past weekend constituents that I ran into at public events and even at the grocery store came up to me to tell me that they welcome the actions that our government is taking I'd like to ask the minister how these initiatives are going to impact the economy here in the province of Ontario good question thank you Mr. Speaker this government announced a bold but sensible plan to lower electricity rates for households and businesses all businesses will see a 2-4% reduction in their energy costs many small businesses will see a 25% reduction those medium sized manufacturing and food processing companies will now qualify for the industrial conservation initiative and that could save them up to about a third of their energy bill it's important to point out though Mr. Speaker the reason why we are able to afford to do this is that the Ontario economy is doing very well we're leading the country in job creation we're leading the entire G7 in growth we've now created 700 net new jobs since the recession our unemployment rate is at an 8 year low this economic growth has enabled us to make these important investments to lower energy bills we now have an energy system in the province that is not only clean and reliable but also affordable thank you Mr. Speaker thank you Speaker my question is to the Premier a few weeks ago Northland Power's Kingston Generating Station was forced to close its doors along with 18 jobs for 20 years Northland was under contract the IESO and their contract ended on January 1st they offered a new contract to sell their power a 5.9 cents per kilowatt hour for another 5 years but this government would not purchase this clean cheap power and they won't allow Northland to sell directly to other consumers just down the road in Bath they're building a new generating station that's been contracted to sell power at 20 cents per kilowatt hour and just across the water on Amherst Island they're building wind turbines that are being contracted at over 20 cents per kilowatt hour why does the Premier insist on shutting down clean low-cost electrical generating stations and make Ontario consumers buy the most expensive electricity Mr. Economic Development and Growth Mr. Economic Development and Growth thank you very much Mr. Speaker ironically the particular contract the members talking about was signed during the Conservative Government you know what Mr. Speaker what that contract did is it meant that generators did run around the clock creating excess greenhouse gas emissions and operating at uncompetitive prices under the updated contracts these facilities will only choose to produce power when they can compete with other forms of generation on Ontario's electricity market the replacement contracts will result in rate-payer savings savings of up to $53 million Mr. Speaker they laugh at savings but Mr. Speaker that's how we're able to continue to drive down energy rates in this province so we're going to keep working up bringing savings in the energy system even if the PC the member from Prince Edward Hastings will come to order the member from Renfrew's second time I'm just keeping my memory of who was heckling supplement the game to the Premier but I will say that that response was a copycock from the minister this Premier has stated she has made mistakes and that's clearly an understatement but this latest screw up demonstrates that the Premier continues to make the same mistakes and has not learned any lessons the Premier continues to build expensive, unneeded generating stations while she closes down low cost existing generating stations the Premier throws people out of work will increase in the cost of electricity and adds billions to our debt Mr. Speaker Ontario is becoming an energy wasteland under this government Mossball generating stations energy poverty 600,000 consumers who can't pay their monthly bills and the Premier solution is to turn Ontario into a sub-prime debtor with multiple sub-prime low mortgages Mr. Speaker will the Premier commit to ending generating planks not only in Bath and Amherst Island but everywhere in this province thank you Mr. Speaker it's funny there was a time when the PCs used to talk about trying to cut energy costs today they're asking question after question about ways to increase costs within the energy system we're not going to apologize Mr. Speaker for finding savings in our energy system that's how we're able to lower energy rates to the people of this province a 25% cut in energy rates for every household in this province because Mr. Speaker we're doing what we need to do to make our energy system as efficient as we possibly can Mr. Speaker there's still a lot of work to do we're in the process of replacing 80% of the infrastructure in our energy system we're well on the way to doing it we've had to expand about 50 billion dollars Mr. Speaker for the last 10 years Mr. Speaker I know the member wants to listen instead of heckle while he's hearing the answer I know new question Mr. Speaker my question is to the Premier a few weeks ago Metrolinx provided an update to its fair integration process Metrolinx is now looking at basing transit fares in the GTA on fare by distance like a private taxi company it's becoming clear that the government's fair integration process is not about transit service, ridership or the public good this is about imposing more costs onto riders especially TTC riders living in places like Scarborough North York and Etobicoke instead of imposing more costs onto riders will the Premier restore provincial funding for people transit operations as the City of Toronto and the NDP has proposed Minister of Transportation Mr. Speaker I thank the member for the question I think that member knows that in fact what Metrolinx has done is put forward for separate concepts or ideas for the fair integration discussion I should note Speaker that in 2014 the mandate letter that I received from the Premier stipulated delivering on fare integration is a critical part of the Ministry of Transportation's mandate and of course Speaker that member, I think all members from the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area would know Speaker that in fact providing that notion of integrating the fare system which is set with respect to the table being set by the Presto fare card fully deployed right across the Greater Toronto Hamilton area Speaker that we are moving towards that fare integration concept but to the member's question that is simply one of four concepts that is being consulted upon we look forward Metrolinx looks forward to getting back with respect to the feedback and we'll have an update in the coming months Thank you very much Thank you again Mr. Speaker this question is again back to the Premier because Metrolinx's fare integration a process keeps getting more complicated and more convoluted the Minister will know that Taxi style transit fares are about helping the government cut costs by imposing those costs onto the riders who rely on transit most riders don't want complicated fares where they need a calculator a ruler and a map to figure out how much it's going to cost to get to work they want a simple and affordable fare that lets them travel across the region will the Premier guarantee to put riders in the public interest first and restore funding for municipal transit operations as the NDP has proposed or not yes or no Minister Thank you very much I can say very clearly in this house that making sure that we take into account the affordability and accessibility concerns of transit users across the region is very much top of mind for Metrolinx and for our team at MTO and we'll continue to keep that top of mind really and truly that member should know a number of weeks ago the Premier announced that over the next four years our government will be doubling the gas tax money of the City of Toronto that all 905 communities and frankly speaker nearly 100 communities across the province of Ontario that have transit systems will be receiving that means speaker that by 2021 the City of Toronto will be receiving approximately $340 million from this government to support the expansion of transit speaker and finally the leader of the NDP's plan to provide transit funding support for Toronto does nothing for the 98 other communities across the province like Ottawa, like Waterloo, like Vaughan speaker that have transit systems and need our help as well Thank you. New question? The member from Ottawa, Vanier Mr. President My question is for municipal affairs Jim Waston is in Queensborough with a delegation of high technology companies in Ottawa The Mayor and also as a former Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing today is speaking with the Premier about local priorities in Ottawa and I know that this is part of an ongoing conversations that our government has with municipalities including the AMO Round Table and several annual conferences like Roma and OGRA to which I had the occasion to participate Local governments play an important role in our communities in our day-to-day lives and I want to salute all the workers around the province who make our communities work better for us and particularly the workers of Ottawa Can the Minister of Municipal Affairs elaborate on how as a province we support local priorities and municipal governments and municipal affairs? Thank you very much and I want to thank the member very much for the question and I know the Minister of Economic Development and Growth is going to want to weigh in on the second half of this I do want to give a shout out to the Mayor of Ottawa Jim Watson who previously was here in this capacity my capacity that I now have is the Minister of Municipal Affairs Jim was responsible in a large part for the upload agreement that is now in effect in the province of Ontario that resulted in the province getting the pressure off of the backs of municipalities and Speaker I think it bears repeating that when we talk about uploads in our ministry and from our government that people at the residential property tax base level really understands what this has meant for them over the course of the last 10 or 12 years we now transfer $4 billion in total financial assistance to all 444 municipalities in the province of Ontario in some way shape or form $1 billion in 2003 fully $3 billion more is now being transferred to municipalities to provide relief for them at the municipal property tax level I'd like to thank the Minister for his answer and I was as well pleased to join with my colleagues this morning as we met with a large delegation of community leaders from Ottawa led by Mayor Watson and Sir Terry Mathews so this morning we learned about the groundbreaking work that's being done in 5G networks and autonomous cars in our community we learned or some of us already knew that Ottawa is home to the largest technology park in all of Canada some 30,000 employees and 500 companies so we also learned very interestingly about the collaborative effort of companies working together to make sure they can stimulate innovation and compete in the world as a region so Speaker I know the delegation is being with many ministers today so I'd just like to ask the minister if he could speak to our commitment to investing in Ottawa's technology sector Thank you Mr. Minister Minister of Economic Development and Growth Well thank you Mr. Speaker I want to thank the member for Ottawa for that question I think he had trouble containing his enthusiasm and I don't blame him when I hear from my colleague next to me here the Minister of Infrastructure and they tell us about the exciting things happening in Ottawa I think we can declare today that Ottawa's there's a renaissance going on in Ottawa's tech community that we haven't seen since the high days of Nortel and it's so so exciting Mr. Speaker I'm looking forward to meeting with Mayor Watson as well and his very impressive delegation but I can tell you that Ottawa's fast becoming a leading global innovation hub for exciting disruptive technologies like 5G and new generation networks as well as connected and autonomous cars and there are a global leader Mr. Speaker when it comes to cyber security companies like Q and X are just knocking the socks off the rest of the world Mr. Speaker when it comes to connected cars and autonomous cars that region is alive and healthy and experiencing a renaissance Thank you very much My question is for the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care The Grove is a 60 bed nursing home with approximately 30,000 residents its licenses expire in 2025 it must redevelop but it is not feasible with only 60 beds 60 bed licenses without additional licenses the Grove will close leaving an area with already half the provincial average of beds per 1,000 with no beds at all on top of that from May 2015 to May 2016 the Grove saw a 30% increase the problem is getting worse not better the situation is becoming critical the good news is that IronPrior Regional Health has a redevelopment plan to address this chronic shortage what they are asking for is for the Minister to personally meet with them to discuss their redevelopment plan Will the Minister agree to take the meeting Thank you Well thank you Mr. Speaker and I appreciate the question from the member opposite who has we've actually spoken a number of times about this issue with regards to Grove IronPrior and District Nursing Home affectionately known as the Grove he's been a strong advocate for the redevelopment that they are both eligible for and in the process of undertaking Mr. Speaker so it's important to recognize that this is part of a larger redevelopment of 30,000 long-term care beds across the province to bring more than 300 homes up to code so the design standards are appropriate for this day and age but with regards to Grove I have to say Mr. Speaker that my office has been deeply involved not just the ministry both in capital as well as in the long-term care division but my office specifically has held two meetings had a number of phone calls with the President and CEO of Grove we believe we're working collaboratively and we want that collaboration to continue Mr. Speaker Thank you Speaker back to the minister I have well over 1,000 individually signed postcards calling on the minister to act I will send these down with the paper Minister the community sees this as a highest priority project to be fair your ministry has been working with IronPrior Regional Health but no acceptable outcome has been achieved with an aging population longer life expectancies and an explosion in rates of dementia and Alzheimer's the minister knows that the status quo will not do a solution must be found for the good of the seniors our seniors and the people of IronPrior we need the minister to step up Speaker once again and I hope you'll answer the question directly minister will you commit personally meeting with the IronPrior Regional Health and community leaders to discuss this most important redevelopment plan please meet with the people Minister Thank you again Mr. Speaker and I was actually looking for something that would help to to make it easier so I don't have to look down I appreciate receiving from any member Mr. Speaker I appreciate receiving postcards and petitions and information that allows me to understand the level of community support there is no doubt when it comes to the growth that this is a such a well respected and loved home for so many of the seniors in that part of our province Mr. Speaker so as I mentioned we are and I believe that Eric Hanna who is the president CEO of IronPrior Regional Health which is the operated long-term care home I believe that he would agree with me and saying that we are working very closely extremely collaboratively as well as I reference my office is directly involved through meetings phone calls the ministry through two divisions within the ministry as well and of course if it's necessary to have additional meetings in order to reach the accommodation I think that we all share in terms of this redevelopment I'm prepared to do that Mr. Speaker Thank you Thank you Mr. Speaker On Saturday I met with Mayor Ted Hicks of DEBRA Mayor Hicks told me that he fears having to close his communities arena will still so out of control that they now account for 40% of his operating costs the next generation will lose out if the DEBRA ring collapses under the weight of the Liberal government's out of control hydro bills why won't the premier prioritize places like DEBRA arena and the families that use it instead of coming up with a plan that puts 40 billion dollars in the pockets of a few of her well connected banker friends Mr. Speaker last week we put out a plan that's going to save every household in this province 25% off their energy bills as well as small businesses as well as farms Mr. Speaker we're very proud of that plan also about a week ago the NDP came out with something they called a plan that people dissed as something that wasn't even close to sensible our plan at all in fact Mr. Speaker our plan relied on only federal generosity and future expert panels with nothing concrete at all as to how they would actually reduce energy costs with nothing concrete at all Mr. Speaker as to how they would bring down energy prices so Mr. Speaker our plan has substance our plan is bold our plan reduces energy rates by 25% across this province and we're very very proud of that plan Mr. Speaker I don't think I've ever heard anything more ridiculous than this House Speaker it isn't just the Mayor of Deborah who's worried for his community I met with leaders and mayors from Echo Bay Bruce Minds, Hilton Beach St. Joseph and Batchewana First Nation and all of them told me how families and community spaces in their towns are struggling to keep up with astronomically high hydro bills why doesn't this premier understand that these leaders need more from her than a plan that puts $40 billion into the pockets of bankers on Bay Street and ignores real long-term solutions that could help people now and make sure that the next generation isn't thrown right back into this mess Mr. Speaker at the end of the day when you look at our record of our municipalities it is unprecedented Mr. Speaker when you look at the infrastructure investments that we've made with our municipalities in some of those areas the members talking about unprecedented Mr. Speaker we're investing $160 billion in infrastructure over the next 12 years that's a significant impact on our municipalities and all the services that they provide we've uploaded billions of dollars from the municipal tax that we're investing in to help our municipalities thrive and benefit Mr. Speaker when the member says that we're not helping municipalities she is dead wrong Mr. Speaker we're there for municipalities we'll always be there for municipalities and we'll continue to be in the future thank you Mr. Speaker thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Transportation 2016 was an exciting year for transit in Barrie in August I welcomed the Premier and the Prime Minister to my community to announce the new public transportation infrastructure fund this joint funding from our government and the federal government is helping Barrie expand its bus fleet and provide better service in our community in December the Minister of Transportation joined me for another exciting announcement new weekend and holiday go service to Barrie I know that there's more that we can do to make sure Barrie's transit network is meeting the needs of our community for today and for tomorrow will the Minister please provide an update on what else the government is doing to support transit in my community of Barrie thank you Minister of Transportation well thank you very much Speaker of course I want to begin by saying to this house to everybody watching at home that the member from Barrie is such an extraordinary champion for her community she has literally held my feet to the fire Speaker to make sure that not just this year but for the next ten years and beyond Speaker we continue to make critical investments in the transit that that fast growing community needs Speaker I applaud that member for being an outstanding champion she's a hundred percent right whether we're talking about extending weekend and holiday service year round on the Barrie go line Speaker whether we're talking about critical highway infrastructure projects around the widening of Highway 400 Speaker or Speaker whether we're talking about what I referenced just a few minutes ago in this House the fact that over the next four years because a Premier wins leadership we're going to be doubling the gas tax money specifically for Barrie Speaker that means that by 2021-2022 Speaker Barrie can expect to receive approximately four million dollars Speaker four million dollars buying more buses providing more service for more families and more neighborhood Speaker thanks to our Premier and the member from Barrie thank you Speaker and thanks to the Minister for that answer when I talk to members of my community one thing that always comes across loud and clear is that they're looking for improved transit options I recently heard from a community member who is a single parent without a car each and every day they depend on Barrie transit to move between work their child's school and the grocery store and eventually back home that's stressful even if you do have a car but I know this story isn't unique and that any improvement that makes these daily tasks easier for members in my community is a worthwhile investment Mr. Speaker will the Minister please explain how the new gas tax funding will improve transit in Barrie and other communities across this province thanks very much Speaker again I thank that member for her follow-up question Speaker I think everybody here knows that when our government collects gas tax money from across the province we currently allocate two cents of what we collect out to municipalities over the next four years Speaker that two cents will move up to four cents incrementally Speaker but here's the best news for people in Barrie and right across Ontario that additional four cents of the gas tax that we're allocating to Barrie and the 98 other communities that have transit systems will not place any additional burden on people in this province Speaker we are not increasing the gas tax we are simply allocating more of the money that we already collect Speaker in Barrie again that means more buses potentially providing more transit service to more families in more neighborhoods which is exceedingly exciting for that member for her community for her mayor Speaker and for so many others and I would certainly hope that members in both the Conservative caucus and the NDP caucus would understand that this is an enlightened approach Speaker to expanding transit every corner of the country. Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Premier the current government has been in power since the ring of fire was first discovered at various points in the past five years this government has been quick to try to take credit but today we are still waiting for mine to open in the region. Noron is ready to get a nickel mine up and running with an eye to future expansion the Ontario Government of Commerce estimates that five thousand five hundred jobs will be created if the project is brought into production. Speaker I've asked this question repeatedly over the past three years will this government finally take a leadership role that will make the ring of fire a reality in Ontario. Thank you very much for the question and I understand why the member would ask it today but I think the feedback conference is currently on here in Toronto and I want to give a big shout out before I respond to the member we had a great Ontario reception last night down at Steam Missile a great event and I would say and the reason I referenced that speaker is when I was there I had an opportunity to speak with Noron and while I would not necessarily characterised their position right now what would be the language best to describe Noron last night there's more that I can add in the supplementary speaker but they do see a path forward I had a great opportunity to spend some time talking to the principal from Noron last night we're very happy with where this is at right now we understand there's more work to be done speaker we're committed to it they know we've got a billion dollars on the table we're committed to the work and I look forward to working further on this file in the weeks and months ahead. Speaker the minister continues to insist that progress is being made unfortunately we are still waiting for evidence of those claims when is someone over there going to make some decisions to move things forward the known deposits in the region could sustain producing minds in the region for over 100 years in the mandate letter to the minister from this past September road work to upgrade existing infrastructure connect the ring of fire is to commence speaker does the premier plan to meet this important target or simply continue to make promises until after the 2018 election minister no speaker yes in fact progress is being made now if the member opposite in the parties opposite want to speak about progress in mining in the province of Ontario in the context of only one project well then that will be what they can do but we can do on this side of the house speaker is talk about the fact that currently in Ontario there are three other minds under construction in the province but they want to spend their time focusing on one there's one not too far from my home community of Thunder Bay called the new gold project speaker right now under construction 600 people working on a construction site and when that mine is open for the next 10 20 or 30 years of its life there's going to be 450 people working in that mine and that is not the only mine that is under construction right now in the province of Ontario mineral exploration activity in the province of Ontario is climbing after two down years global demand is coming back up the price is coming back up exploration activity in Ontario is going up there's good news on the front but they just want to focus on one particular project even before a vote it's never too late to be asked to leave the member from Leeds Grenville on a point of order point of order speaker I'd like to introduce and acknowledge the birthday of a very special staff person in our legislative affairs team I'd like to introduce Mr. Zsorka our point of order point of order my apologies I just recognize the constituent in the public gallery Stephen Cromby welcome to Queens Park Minister of economic development and growth just want to correct my record I was told I said that we've created 700 jobs since the recession it's 700,000 jobs we have a deferred voter in the motion of second reading of bill 19 to amend the school boards collective bargaining act 2014 and make related amendments to other statutes calling the members this will be a five minute bill would all members please take their seats on February 23rd 2017 Miss Hunter moved second reading of bill 92 an act to amend the school bus collective bargaining act 2014 and make related amendments to other statutes all those in favor please rise one at a time be recognized by the members of the public please rise one at a time be recognized by the members of the public gallery Stephen Cromby welcome to the public gallery Stephen Cromby in the motion of the public gallery Mr. Zsorka our point of order my record I would like to introduce Mr. Zsorka our point of order recognized by the clerk. Ms. Sattler, Mr. Steele, Ms. Horibat, Ms. Horibat, Mr. Bisson, Mr. Vantog, Mr. Vantog, Ms. DeNovo, Mr. DeNovo, Mr. Tabins, Ms. Taylor, Ms. Taylor, Ms. Armstrong, Ms. Armstrong, Ms. Armstras, Ms. Armstras, Ms. Fyke, Ms. Foyster, Ms. Forester, Ms. Schumont, Ms. Hatfield, Ms. Gretzky, Ms. Gretzky, Mr. Gates, Ms. Fritz, Ms. French. The ayes are 74, the nays are 17. The ayes being 74 and the nays being 17. I declare the motion carried. Second reading of the bill. Pursuant to the order of the House, dated March 2nd, 2017, the bill is now referred to the Standing Committee on General Government. There are being no further deferred votes this outstanding recess until 1 p.m. this afternoon.