 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of the official opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My first question is to the Premier. Yesterday the Premier revealed his intention to scrap long-established plans for GTA transit projects, some of which are already underway. So can the Premier share with us what estimates the government or Metrolinx have provided with regards to how much this rewrite of plans will delay these projects? Premier? To you, Mr. Speaker, we have been waiting for decades, 10, 20, 30 years to get transit built in this city and into the GTA. We're finally, finally we have a government that is listening to the people. We're going to deliver transit faster, better and less expensive than any time before. We need to get the city moving. We need to get the GTA moving. People need to get to work, need to get to school. We will build a transit system like this province has never seen before. We're putting tens of billions of dollars, tens of billions of dollars into the largest infrastructure transit plan ever in North America. We look forward to having a leader of the opposition on the new subway trains. We'll go from one end to the other, and I just can't wait until we get it built and we'll get the shovels on the ground. Well, the City of Toronto has estimated that moving the Eglinton West LRT line underground would add as much as $1.32 billion to the cost of that project, and that's just one of the projects that the Member for York Centre will come to order. So can he tell us how much the people of Ontario will be paying for his rewrite of plans for projects that are already underway? The Member for York Centre will come to order. Premier, respond. Through you, Mr. Speaker, we aren't going to make the same mistake that the Liberals and the NDP have done in the past when they built the Spadina Line. Just the stations alone ran over $1.2 billion. We have a fiscally prudent minister. Matter of fact, the best minister of transportation he could ever ask for. I'd love to minister of transportation when he comes up to me yesterday and say, we have so many projects in the go, so many announcements fixing transportation infrastructure around this province. We're going to start just hitting them one after the other after the other. No matter if it's the $1.2 billion that we invested in Ottawa for their LRT, that's going to go 44 kilometres and 25 stops. Final supplementary. Well, Speaker, everyone from transit experts to the City of Toronto itself say that rewriting transit plans, especially when projects are already well underway, will inevitably add billions more in costs and more delays. And it's families across Ontario that will be stuck paying the bill and waiting in gridlock. Is the Premier hiding those details or does he just not know how much it's going to cost and how much longer it's going to take? Premier. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition. I'm sure it's not worried about other areas of this great province, but the people of Etobicoke and Scarborough and the downtown relief line. That's over a million people, Mr. Speaker, that have been ignored. The people of Scarborough, the Scarborough line since I was there has been changed 11 times. 11 times and hundreds of millions of dollars have been wasted in the last nine years when we got it approved from the federal and provincial government and the municipality, there's no shovels on the ground. There's none whatsoever. Now we're going to get the shovels on the ground. We're going to make sure that we have an Eglinton line that extends all the way out west, not to ignore the 350,000 people in Etobicoke. And then the 630,000 people that live in Scarborough that have been starved for transit, health is on its way. Please take your seats. Start the clock. Next question, the Leader of the Opposition. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My next question is also for the Premier. Speaking of the relief line, the Premier has indicated that he plans to use a so-called alternative delivery method for Toronto's long-awaited and desperately needed relief line. Can the Premier tell us whether alternative in this case is another term for privatization? Premier? For you, Mr. Speaker, it's not another terminology for privatization. It's about technology. I know maybe the opposition wants to live in the past in the antiquated system, but there's new technology that's out there all around the world. And we have a great minister. We have a great head of Metrolinx. We have an incredible Minister of Infrastructure Ontario. That's why we can deliver it, again, faster, better and less expensive. We are going to build the greatest downtown relief line. Matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, when they show me the plan, my jaw dropped. I thought, wow, this is thinking outside the box, again, less expensive, faster and better. And that's what the people of Ontario and the DTA are going to look forward to. Supplementary? Well, Speaker, the City of Toronto and TTC officials say the province has not given us any specifics whatsoever about what the plans entail, what it's going to cost and how much the new plans will delay this long-awaited project. The Globe and Mail calls the Premier's plan, and I quote, a scheme so ill-considered it could have been developed between courses of a boozy lunch. Can the Premier tell us, under his new scheme, when the relief line will be completed, and who will own it, or does he even know? Boy, the Globe and Mail. That's amazing. A boozy lunch. I don't even drink, Mr. Speaker. So it must have been a lot of booze at lunch. But through you, Mr. Speaker, we are going to get transit built, plain and simple. We're going to build subways. People want subways. We're thinking 50 years down the road. We don't think about a band-aid solution for five years or 10 years. We're going to build an incredible transit system. Mr. Speaker, when you go on the subway, you see that same transit plan that's been around since up and in high school, the one line, another line up. We're going to have lines all over the GTA, all over Toronto. We're having a line going up to Richmond Hill. We're having one going up to the airport. We're having people in Scarborough getting transit, and we're going to have a spectacular, spectacular downtown relief line. I thank you, Mr. Speaker. Final supplementary. Speaker, the people of Toronto deserve an end to gridlock. But the Globe and Mail and other transit experts say that the provincial blueprint will result in less new transit, built more slowly and more expensively. All the Premier is offering with his rewrite is more delay, higher costs, and another generation stuck waiting for reliable transit. And he won't even tell the people of Ontario the ones paying the bill, Speaker, how much it's going to cost in time and how long it will be delayed. When are we going to get those details from the Premier of this province? Please take your seats. Premier? Through you, Mr. Speaker, I just can't wait until the minister unveils this plan. It's absolutely incredible. I'm biting my tongue today, but it's going to be so exciting. It's going to serve millions of people around Toronto in the GTA. But, Mr. Speaker, when you go on the street and you talk to people, they tell you, I don't care who builds it, we need it built. And for the last 30 years, we've seen nothing built. We saw one line built, and it went billions of dollars over budget. Again, Mr. Speaker, when we have a prudent fiscal conservative, like the minister of transportation watching every single penny, it's going to be on time, on budget, faster, cheaper, and it's going to be better. The best transit. Restart the call. Next question. Once again, the leader of the opposition. Thank you so much, Speaker. My next question is also to the Premier. Last night, the Assembly passed a motion put forward by the member for Hamilton Mountain, calling on the government to scrap their scheme to remove support for Ontario's children with autism and develop a new plan in consultation with parents that meets the needs of children and is evidence-based. Will the Premier abide by the majority vote that was taken here in the legislature yesterday afternoon? Premier. Minister of Children and Community Social Services. Minister of Children, Community, and Social Services. Thank you very much, Premier, for the opportunity to respond to this. We announced last week that we were going to listen and consult with parents and experts to bring in a strong needs-based model, which is what the motion called for. We felt that in the spirit of the request that the opposition had asked for, based on the announcements that we had made the week before, that we're in alignment. Our hope is, and why we thought it was important for the debate yesterday to be respectful, was to take the temperature down and not continue to fan the flames of rhetoric that the opposition has been doing for the past six weeks. We feel that our plan that will be implemented on April the 1st will clear the waitlist of 23,000 children in the next 18 months. We're going to a direct funding model. We are going to extend a grace period of an additional six months for existing contracts. We're going to expand the choice on what parents can spend their annual childhood budget on, and we're going to remove the income test. I don't know what the opposition could argue with. Supplementary? Well, Speaker, even members of the Premier's own party were unwilling to stand and defend the Ford government's plan last night. They know that the Premier and the Minister of Children, Community and Youth Services, their plan is an indefensible disaster. That's the problem. That's what parents know. That's what we know. And that's what we talked about yesterday afternoon, to try to derail that disaster and put something else in place that actually does the job for families and children with autism. So, will the Premier listen to the advice of parents, the experts, the members of this assembly, and stop defending the indefensible and develop an entirely new plan that is truly evidence-based and meets children's needs? Members, take their seats. The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Thanks to the Premier of our province. We'll now be spending more money on autism services than anywhere else in Canada or North America. We'll also work with the Minister of Education as well as the Minister of Health to expand our services so that we are having better wraparound supports in place. But I have to ask the new Democrats. When we came forward with a plan that was based on severity and needs and based on consultation and answered their request in their opposition in motion, which they acknowledged yesterday in their speeches, why they can't take yes for an answer. They were supportive of clearing the wait list until this government made that commitment. They were supportive of going to a direct funding model until this government made a decision to do that. They were supportive of expanding choice until this government made the decision. They didn't like the income tax. We removed it. They've asked us to consult parents. We're doing that. Why can't they take yes for an answer, Speaker? That's the problem. Members, take their seats. Start the clock. Next question, the member from Mississauga Streetsville. Question is for the Premier. Mr Speaker, our government for the people have remained committed to public safety across this great province. The daily duties of a police officer are dangerous and the brave men and women of our police services deserve our respect and support. The previous Liberal government's legislation, Bill 175, represented a significant step backwards for policing in Ontario at a time when the government, the police and the people should be partners in the name of public safety. It demonstrated to the people of Ontario that the previous Liberal government did not respect the work police do to keep us all safe. Mr Speaker, could the Premier please explain how the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act will make Ontario safer and treat police with fairness and respect? That's a good question. Question is for the Premier. Mr Speaker, I want to thank the champion from Mississauga, an incredible, incredible candidate and incredible MPP, I should say. Just an absolute champion. Speaker, the Liberals and the NDP, if they had it their way today, the people of Ontario would be living with a deeply flawed piece of legislation that ignored everyday realities of the difficulties when it comes to the jobs to our dedicated police officers, our hard-working men and women that put their lives on the line every single day to make our communities safer. The least thing we could do, all parties, is support our police. Through you, Mr Speaker, we know we support the police. I can't say the same for the other parties, but when it comes to Bill 175, it shows very clearly that we're going to support our police across this province because we have the best police anywhere in Ontario. Thank you. Supplementary. Mr Speaker, I thank the Premier for his support of our men and women in uniform. Here, here, here. Mr Speaker, over the past 15 years, we witnessed the previous Liberal Government fail to respect the profession of policing. It is great to see our Government act on its commitment to restore the relationship between the Government, the police and the people of one of mutual respect. As a member of this Government for the people, I am proud to stand here today and know that we have kept another promise we made to the people of Ontario. Mr Speaker, could the Premier please tell us more about how our Government's comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act will provide better support to our police officers and keep the people of Ontario safe? Good question. Bring it here. For you, Mr Speaker, I have to apologize. I said Miss Saga Milton. I meant Miss Saga Streetsville, so I apologize to the MPP. My friends, my friends, it's very clear. It's very clear that the police need our support. You see, they need support nowhere else more than mental health. When I sat down with the OPP Association, there was about 50 members. They weren't asking for more money. They weren't asking for anything else. They were asking for support and mental health. We have seen over the last year, Mr Speaker, eight OPP officers take their own lives. That is unacceptable here in Ontario. I've said from day one, from day one the leadership of all police departments across this province has to start listening to the front-line police officers. Police officers that may see an accident, may see an accident on the highway, Mr Speaker, and it sticks in their mind forever. Some of these terrible stories I've heard from these police officers, they're absolute heroes. I love our police, and we're going to support them 1,000%. Start the clock. The next question, the member for University, Rosedale. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Experts have been calling for a Toronto relief line for over a century. It's 2019 and the relief line is ready to proceed. The route has been chosen. The environmental assessment is complete. All we need now is funding. But instead of moving forward, this Premier is taking us back to the drawing board and delaying this project yet again. A century is enough. Why are you making commuters in transit ride as white even longer for the relief line? Premier, Minister of Transportation. Questions referred to the Minister of Transportation. Thank you for that question. June 7th, this government was elected on the promise to upload the subway system and to expand and build transit for the GTA and Toronto, Mr Speaker. And that's what we're doing. We hired Special Advisor Michael Lindsey to work with the City of Toronto on a new partnership that would deliver the expanded role of creating an integrated transit system across the GTA and including Toronto. Mr Speaker, we came to terms of reference with the City. We're currently working through that program. And Mr Speaker, we have such a great plan for the City of Toronto and the TTC. It's going to be wonderful getting people actually moving through the City and getting people getting value for the taxpayers' dollars as we go forward with our downtown relief line, our extension on the Eglinton West and of course going into Scarborough with the City of Toronto. Thank you, Mr Speaker. A key supplementary. Back to the Premier. A responsible government would work with municipalities, would work with municipalities to move forward with transit projects, not create chaos. We now have no idea when the relief line will be built. We have no idea how much it will cost. We don't know whether it will be integrated into the rest of the TTC. We don't even know what technology you're going to use. This has been done before. Premier, can you commit today that the relief line will move forward as planned, will be fully integrated into the TTC and that riders will only have to pay one flat fare to ride? Now to resources and forestry will come to order. Government house leader will come to order. Member for Atopical Centre will come to order. Response. Thank you again Mr Speaker for that question. Mr Speaker, I think the NDP are the only people that think the current system is working today. If you would ask every rider going on the TTC they want expansion to be built. The city has been unable to build any expansion projects yet one over the last 15 years Mr Speaker. It gets mired into the municipal politics. We are looking at uploading that system Mr Speaker. Getting the plans put together, putting the funding together and getting the proposals and the expansions built. We are turning plans into projects Mr Speaker as opposed to sitting as just plans in this city Mr Speaker. At the end of the day Mr Speaker we are going to commit to building the expansion of the young relief line, the Eglinton West, the young extension and of course into Scarborough Mr Speaker because the people of Toronto the riders of the TTC expect and need better and we are going to deliver that as a responsible government that's going to answer this question. This week I was very pleased to hear that the minister was in Peterborough with the minister of transportation and the member for Peterborough, Quartha to announce $1.62 billion in funding allocated for transit infrastructure and municipalities outside the GTHA and this is part of a much larger program dedicated to making life affordable making Ontario open for jobs and I might add is good for the environment too. Speaker this is big news for the people of small-town Ontario providing the right infrastructure in the right place at the right time shows our commitment to not only putting the people first but also returning our budget to balance. Will the minister please tell us more about this great program? Thank you Mr Speaker I'd be happy to tell you more about this program I'd like to begin by thanking the member from Durham for that question this morning. Mr Speaker our government is putting people first. This month I launched 30 billion dollars in funding that will make life better for the people right across this province. The investing in Canada infrastructure program will help keep our roads safer, make our commutes easier and keep communities healthier. It will create and protect our jobs right across Ontario. Mr Speaker the wind Liberals promise infrastructure with absolutely no plan to pay for it. That was made clear when we inherited a 15 billion dollar deficit. And Mr Speaker it's not surprising that their federal cousins the Trudeau Liberals are following the same playbook. They promise infrastructure spending that a senate committee recently described as I quote short-sighted. Mr Speaker our government isn't making empty promises we announced this program after a careful province wide review to make sure that we got it right. Mr Speaker we will make the right infrastructure investments at the right time and in the right place. Thank you. This is encouraging news from the minister when our government invests in smart infrastructure we're creating jobs, growing the economy and shaping the future for hard working families in Ontario. While the Trudeau Liberals have been criticized by the parliamentary budget officer, the auditor general and the senate committee our government for the people is making investments to make Ontario open for jobs with a fiscally responsible approach. Mr Speaker the investing in Canada infrastructure plan is built to address the needs of communities and delegate funding through several funding streams. Would the minister tell us more about the streams announced thus far? Mr Speaker, thank you to the honourable member for that excellent question. Mr Speaker on March 12th we launched this program with the opening of the rural and northern funding stream. Our government believes in supporting small rural northern and indigenous communities in making crucial infrastructure investments This week, as I said, I launched the transit stream with the Minister of Transportation. That's $1.62 billion for public transit in municipalities outside of the GTHA. Mr. Speaker, shorter commutes means more time spent with families and more goods transported. That means healthier communities and that means more jobs and economic growth right across Ontario. Mr. Speaker, our government is listening and has heard the infrastructure needs of our municipalities. We are serving the needs of the people, bringing the province back to balance and showing that Ontario is open for jobs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Everyone in healthcare appreciates the work that CancerCare Ontario does. They provide clinical and medical advice, education for patients and their loved ones. They do the strategic work to ensure that patients across our province receive some of the best quality care in the world. CancerCare Ontario took this province from providing passable cancer treatment to having a province-wide procedures and system in place to ensure that cancer patients receive treatment in a timely, equitable, cost-efficient manner, and the outcomes are there to prove their success. Will the Minister commit today to reconsider her legislation and not dissolve CancerCare Ontario into the super bureaucracy? The Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Well, I thank the member very much for the question and I can assure you that CancerCare Ontario is going to continue to do its excellent work. I absolutely agree with you that they are excellent at dealing with CancerCare Ontario, making sure that there is excellent equity and across the province making sure that they look at innovations, new procedures, and so on. They will continue their work. They have excellent care in cancer and also in dealing with renal indications. The reason why CancerCare Ontario is now being headed by the Ontario Health doesn't mean that they don't continue to do their work. They will. But because they have such a great model, that model can be used for chronic disease management in other areas, such as in diabetes management, which is in need of some infrastructure and certainly mental health addictions. There's a lot of work that needs to be done. CancerCare Ontario provides an excellent model for that. A supplementary question. Speaker, in British Columbia and in Alberta, health centralization wasted billions of dollars and patient suffers for decades. Yet the government of Ontario is happy to blindly follow down the exact same path. Given the minister's confidence in this plan, can she please guarantee that no patient reserving cancer treatment or services, no patient receiving renal treatment, will have their care disrupted by the upcoming merger of CancerCare Ontario into the new super bureaucracy? The minister. Well, again, I can assure the member that patient care and patient safety is our utmost consideration. That is why we are bringing forward this plan to make sure that we centre care around patients, families and caregivers, that their needs are always first and foremost in our thoughts and in our plans, and that we will connect care for them because that's not happening now. You will know that often when people are discharged from hospital and requiring home care, they don't know by the time they go home who will be providing the care, what care they will be receiving, and when they will be arriving. We are going to connect that care. And with respect to your comments about centralization, in fact, we are doing the opposite. We are releasing the boundaries so that local care providers can provide the care that is needed in their communities. Not to be dictated by the Ministry of Health, but to be planned and organized locally because health needs are different in different parts of Ontario, from Northern Ontario to Toronto and every other part. We are actually directing care at the local level to be surrounded by patients and for patients and families to be... Thank you very much. Thank you. Next question. The members are simple. Great. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. And Mr. Speaker, she's one of my favourite ministers, and I want you to know that. And my favourite topic, Mr. Speaker, is the hospitals in my riding, the Collingwood Hospital and the Alliston Hospital, and as the Minister knows, the hospitals are 50 and 60 years old, they're busting at the seams, they were ignored under the Liberal government, and they're waiting for redevelopments. And over the last 15 years, this is the second time now that they've both had to present the same documentation for stage one in the application process. They're running out of patients and we deal with hallway medicine every day. And you can imagine the extent of hallway medicine in Alliston, for example, when the building was built for 7,000 emergency room visits and last year did close to 50,000, and Collingwood being a four-season resort community deals with tens of thousands more visits than it was built for. The last redevelopment was under Mike Harris in 1998. And the Alliston got about $5 million fixed, and about $18 million at Collingwood General Marine. But over the last 60 years, nothing's really been done. So they're looking to our government to move forward. And I'd ask if you'd come up again and tour and see the need for the redevelopment for yourself. Thank you. Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. I thank the member very much for the question. You're one of my favourite members as well. So thank you. Several conversations about the Collingwood and Alliston situation. I understand that they are under great strain and that the population has diversified. It is really four-season residents now, where perhaps it used to be more a smaller group of local residents with more seasonal visitors, but there are more families settling there now. I know that there are issues there. So I look forward to working with you on that. We're continuing our conversations within the ministry on your community's needs as well as the needs of many communities across the province where they have outdated infrastructure and rapidly growing populations. So it is a challenge that we need to tackle together. That's part of our plan to end hallway health care and make sure that all communities get updated. Thank you. Thank you. Stop the mentoring. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the minister. I know there's tremendous pressure on the capital side and the operating side, but these buildings are busting at the seams. And my constituents have noticed that you've been able to tour other hospitals in the area. And so they've asked me to come here today and say, can you have Christine come up? We'd really appreciated it. One of the consequences of waiting so many years is, particularly over the last four or five years, we've had some real superstars in terms of physicians and nurses and staff and board members and even administrators come to both hospitals with the expectation that we'd be seeing a new hospital, you know, within the last five years. And that hasn't happened. So morale's taken a bit of a dip in both hospitals. And I'm undertaking to visit the board in Alliston in just a few days and the Collingwood board, trying to bring morale up and trying to retain those specialists and those physicians and nurses that have come with the expectation of new buildings. So again, if you could find it in your heart, come up and say hello. Skiing season's over, but we take you voting or whatever you need to do. Two of the hospitals and help us boost morale. They're making this government and all of us politicians look good by not complaining about hallway medicine. You don't hear complaints from these hospitals. They're very respectful of the government. They're very respectful of their member. But they are. Thank you. Response? Well, I thank the member very much for the invitation. Certainly, I know that there are many hospitals that have had needs for many, many years. For 15 years, they were largely not attended to. We are going to change that. We know that there are priorities in certain areas because of aging infrastructure with pipes that are ready to burst and roofs that are falling in. That is a sad state of affairs, but we're going to fix that. And I have been touring across the province of the last number of weeks talking to groups that are already providing integrated health care. It's wonderful to see what's happening on the ground and how excited providers are and patients are about our plan. But I do look forward to coming to both Alliston and Collingwood, hopefully in the very near future. Very much. The next question, the member from Markham, Thornhill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for Minister of Environment and Conservation and Park. Speaker, our government was elected by the people of Ontario on commitment to bring change to this province. As part of our commitment, the Premier and Minister of Environment announced that as of April 1st, our government would bring to an end the outdated and ineffective drive-clean program. Since 1999, drivers across Ontario have needed to complete a drive-clean test to continue driving their cars. It took time out of their day and no longer delivered effective result, Mr. Speaker. Can the minister please tell us, this House, what leave for cancellation of drive-clean program or emission program will bring to Ontario? Mr. Speaker, the Environment Conservation and Park. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member from Markham, Thornhill. I know he does a fantastic job for his constituency. Mr. Speaker, our Made in Ontario environment plan protects Ontario's air, its land, its water, but, Mr. Speaker, we also protect tax dollars, and we want to make sure that tax dollars are spent in the right way. And the drive-clean program, when it was put in place over 20 years ago by a progressive conservative government, it made sense. But programs from 20 years ago don't necessarily make sense in 2019. Mr. Speaker, the former Mr. Environment Norm Stirling said it was time to get rid of the program. Mr. Speaker, the former Minister of the Environment, the Liberal Minister of the Environment admitted that the program had little impact. Mr. Speaker, even the leader of the Green Party, with us today in the legislature, says that it was no longer as relevant as it once was. But, Mr. Speaker, most importantly, Doug Ford said drive-clean, it's done, it's gone. So that $40 million program, Mr. Speaker, as of April 1st, it's gone from Ontario drivers, and not a moment too soon. Thank you. Supplementary? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister, for that wonderful answer. I'm sure most Ontarians would agree that it is clear that drive-clean was no longer useful, and therefore no more effective and efficient way to protect their environment. I know for a fact, my constituents in Markham, Thornhill, are happy about the government saving them $40 million every year. Our government committed that we would do right by taxpayers and end ineffective program, taking money out of people's pockets. The end of drive-clean is perfect example. Mr. Speaker, Ontarians recognize they need to do our share to fight climate change. Mr. Minister, can you add it more about the drive-clean program? Minister. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, through you to the member, and thank you for the question. Mr. Speaker, instead of spending $40 million for a program that everyone admits was not working, we are focusing on large, emitting trucks. We're focusing on diesel trucks. We've all seen those on the highways. So the ministry is bringing in programs to focus on those vehicles. And of course, as the legislature knows, in our Made in Ontario program, we've also focused on targets to reduce greenhouse gases. So we have committed to the targets agreed to by the federal government internationally for a 30% reduction in GHGs by 2030. And Mr. Speaker, we brought in a pragmatic, sensible plan, a plan that is sensitive to the fact that we can have a healthy economy and a healthy environment, a plan that focuses on reducing emissions, but in a sensible way that won't punish families and won't hurt the economy at the same time. Mr. Speaker, we can get rid of outdated programs that once worked and at the same time, bring in solutions that protect the taxpayers and protect the environment. Next question, the member for Brampton North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Today, we're joined by many of this province's frontline correctional staff. We welcome them all here today. They're here, Mr. Speaker, because the crisis in corrections under the Liberals is now the crisis in corrections under the Conservatives. Members who meet with our frontline correctional workers today will hear how violence is in fact increasing in this province and the correctional facilities and in the jails. It was only a month ago that eight correctional officers were injured in an attack at the Toronto Self-Detention Center. Speaker, I would like to know the corrections officers, the corrections staff would like to know what has this minister done since the violent incidents occurred to make our correctional facilities more safe? Minister of Community Safety Correctional Services. Thank you, Speaker. Through you, I want to join and thank you, the excellent work that our corrections officers, that our government's number one priority is to ensure the safety, the safety of our citizens, the safety of our staff and the safety of the individuals who are housed in our institutions. In terms of what has been happening in the ministry, I think it's important to note that earlier this year, we launched a wellness and resilience program that specifically is going to help correctional staff to build resilience at work, manage stress and enhance personal health and try to reduce injuries related to occupational stress, including PTSD. This very week, my friend and colleague, the minister of attorney general, and I announced guns and gangs phase two. It specifically has a component that is increasing corrections, intelligence and security within our jails. We are not waiting, we are acting after 15 years of inaction and we are proactively moving forward on things that make our jails safer and our corrections officers. Supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Without having first addressed the lack of resources, the lack of adequate staffing in order to get our correctional facilities back to zero, it sounds like the government expects frontline correctional workers to do even more with less. Instead, this government continues with the previous government's failed approach of hiring only enough correctional staff to cover shifts when correctional officers are off sick, on vacation, or out injured, or on stress leave. My question to the minister is simple, very simple. When will she provide enough staff to get the job done safely and provide the right tools to fix the crisis in corrections? Members, please take your seats. Minister. Speaker, through you, as I said in my initial answer, we are actively and proactively engaged in making changes right now that are making a difference. I continue to have conversations with our corrections officers and our frontline staff to understand what opportunities that we need to take. But let's be clear, 15 years of liberal inaction is not going to be solved in eight months. I am working very actively with my ministry to make sure that we're putting stuff in place. I've already talked about the phase two in the guns and gangs announcement that was made this week. We initiated a program in January. We are working to make sure that our jails are safe. When will you participate in ensuring that we have the tools we need? I want to make sure that together we can keep our jails safe and our corrections officers safe. I'm happy to have any kind of positives. Next question to the member for Sarnia Lampton. Mr. Speaker, Mike had a comment though and I won't say it. My question is for the minister of infrastructure, expanding access to natural gas owners, heating costs, lowers heating costs, creates jobs and makes businesses more competitive. Recently, I was with the minister at Truly Green Farms and Cedar Line Green Garden in Chatham, Kent where he announced that this local business will be able to grow thanks to our government's new natural gas expansion support program. Our government is committed to tackling high energy costs. Mr. Speaker, could the minister please tell us more about how this new program will save people money and send a clear message that Ontario is open to people? Minister of infrastructure. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the honourable member from Sarnia Lampton and my good friend for that excellent question this morning. Mr. Speaker, I'd also like to thank the minister of energy for his leadership on bringing affordability back to energy bills across the province. Speaker, I represent the neighbouring riding of Lampton, Kent, Middlesex and I've heard firsthand from my own community about what access to natural gas means for hardworking Ontario families. Our priority as a government is creating and protecting good jobs for the people. By lowering energy costs, we are making businesses more competitive and signaling that Ontario is open for jobs. The Chatham-Kent Natural Gas Expansion Project is possible thanks to our government's new and innovative partnership with the private sector. The construction of two new transmission lines and supporting distribution means to expand natural gas to an estimated 1,300 households and 200 businesses. And Mr. Speaker, I look forward to sharing more about this important milestone in my... Supplementary. Well, thank you, Minister, for that answer. Mr. Speaker, after 15 years of Ontario's Liberals passing policies to benefit their insider friends, it is refreshing to see a government that is squarely focused on making life more affordable for families. While other parties wanted to ban private sector participation and even natural gas altogether, I'm pleased to hear that our government is ending energy poverty. People no longer have to choose between heating and eating. Mr. Speaker, with the Ministry of Infrastructure, please tell the House more about how our government is helping people in Lampden County and across this great province of Ontario. Minister. Well, once again, thank you to the member from Sarnia Lampden for that question. Mr. Speaker, we replaced a one-time taxpayer-funded grant program with a sustainable, private sector-led model that will save Ontario $61.5 million over three years. Amazing. Speaker, expanding access to natural gas will put money back in people's pockets. Residential consumers can save up to $2,500 per year by switching from electric heat, propane, or oil. For Chatham-Kent, the municipality estimates this project alone could bring 1,400 brand-new jobs to the greenhouse sector alone. As Greg DeVries, Mr. Speaker, as Greg DeVries, president and CEO of truly green farms and cedar-lined greenhouses said in a quote, this natural gas project is a great example of how infrastructure stimulates the economy. Responds. Speaker, this is only the beginning. Our government is bringing prosperity to rural, remote, and other underserved communities across Ontario. And, Mr. Speaker, this is yet another example of a promise-made, promised capital. Question to the member for Toronto, St. Paul. Good morning, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education. This government's scheme to increase class sizes will mean arts classes that typically have smaller class sizes will be put in jeopardy. When asked on Metro Warning about how this will impact arts, programs, and high schools, the minister replied, and I quote, when it comes to the world of work, our students need to have skills in the pathways that are providing jobs. End quote. Essentially, she threw arts education under the bus. And, Speaker, let's be clear. Ask Drake if arts aren't jobs. Speaker, there are over 269,000 arts and culture jobs in Ontario, contributing 26 billion, not million, annually to our economy. Why does the Minister of Education think arts and culture jobs don't matter? Thank you. The Minister of Reply got us the member for Northumberland, Quitty West, come to order. Minister of Education. Two minutes for rollback. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I am very pleased to stand in this House today and suggest to the member opposite that she should never, ever put words in my mouth. Because I come from a family that absolutely confuses people. I said that we need to make sure that students have the opportunity to learn science, technology, math, the skills that are going to see them adapt and absolutely be successful in the careers of today and tomorrow. If the members opposite were tuned in, they would know that the realities are for students going forward. We need skill trades. We need technology. We need math competencies. And all of that... Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, in fact, the Minister of Education doesn't listen because I said to add some steam to her stem. Arts matter, too. When the Minister was asked about band classes and high schools being cancelled, she let the cat out of the bag that not every school board would be able to afford band classes. Instead, she suggested arts enthusiasts. Could step in and offer these courses instead of professional educators. Speaker, the Minister's education scheme will mean fewer classes that enrich students' learning. I heard from Liz Burnham, an arts educator for 27 years. She said arts education provides safe spaces, Speaker, for students who often don't fit in anywhere else. Why is this Minister happy to cut arts classes that bring so much value to a young person's life? Classes that have been scientifically proven to create better, more well-rounded students. Thank you. Government side will come to order. Minister of Education will report. Thank you very much, thank you very much, Speaker. And the fact of the matter is I need to repeat. That was quite a show. Never, ever put words in my mouth. That member asked if I was speaking to that particular radio program, is the reality is that not Ontario actually have music classes in curriculum. Some people, like if she got out of her bubble in Toronto in rural Ontario and northern Ontario, only have the opportunity to pursue arts through clubs. That is what I was saying. So I guess we need to include our kids with some technology, skilled trades, so that they- The member for Toronto State polls to come to order. She can't interject constantly while the ministers are flying. Next question, member for Oakville North Burlington. Speaker, my question is to the President of the Treasury Board. What a guy. For 15 years, the Liberals recklessly spent taxpayer money on pet projects and scandals, which resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayers' money being wasted. Their out-of-control spending put our public services at risk. They showed a complete lack of respect for the hardworking men and women whose tax money they squandered. Yesterday, the Sunshine List was released, and it showed that under the previous liberal government, public sector wages had far outpaced private sector wages. It's unfair that the average Ontarian is earning far less, but is being expected to pay far more to support these rapidly growing salaries. Can the President of the Treasury Board inform the House? What is the government doing to restore sustainability, accountability, and respect for tax-bearing money? Great question. The President of the Treasury Board. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, MPP Trientofilopolis for the great MPP. When you've got a name like Bethenfall, you better get Trientofilopolis. Our government was elected on a promise to get spending under control and repair, the damage that was left by the previous liberal government. Mr. Speaker, since 2003, the number of people on the Sunshine List has grown from 20,000 to over 150,000. That's almost 20,000 or a 600% increase. Mr. Speaker, we need to ensure the responsibility for taxpayers' dollars, and that's why we've taken steps immediately upon getting elected. For example, we froze executive compensation. We froze external hiring in the public service. And now we require all agencies to get approval for bargaining mandates. We are placing reliability and the taxpayer at the center of everything we do, Mr. Speaker, and we are putting structures that create a culture of accountability and efficiency. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's great to hear that the government and the President of the Treasury Board are taking decisive action to ensure that tax dollars are going to the frontline services that Ontarians depend on. Like most Ontarians, it's deeply troubling to the constituents of my riding of Oakville, North Burlington to know that because of the tax and spend liberals, Ontario is now the most indebted sub-sovereign jurisdiction on the planet. Shame. Because of the feebo leadership and reckless overspending of the previous liberal government, we were left with a $15 billion deficit. This is shameful. It really is. The results of the sunshine list published yesterday show us areas of clear overspending. Can the President tell us what the government is doing to fight for the people and eliminate reckless government spending? Here, here. The President of the Treasury Board. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker, through you again. I thank my colleague for that question and she's absolutely right. We got to ensure that we support the front lines of the people of Ontario who support the patients and the people in this great province and not necessarily the paper pushers. Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, under the previous liberal government, the public sector employees made 33% more than the average Ontario worker. 33% more. The disparity is indicative of the unsustainable practices of the previous liberal government. The government which saddled the people and future generations, as the member mentioned, of $347 billion, Mr. Speaker. Our government is being... Response? Committed to being accountable to the taxpayers of this province. Here, here. I know this is very troubling to the previous liberal government to hear all this. That's why... Thank you. And ask the member for Ottawa South to come to order. Next question. The member for Hamilton East, start the clock. Member for Hamilton East, Tony. My question is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Tenets in Hamilton are being squeezed out by landlords who abuse the rules to seek rent increases that are higher than the guideline. Last night, the city of Hamilton approved funding for a tenant defense fund to help tenants defend themselves against unethical practices. Does the minister think it is fair that tenants should be forced to turn to the city of Hamilton to get the protection that this province is supposed to provide? The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Thanks, Peter. And I want to thank the honourable member for that question. We're obviously very concerned about a number of issues in the housing space. That's why our government began consultations on the housing supply action plan to remind members of this house. We asked for suggestions on five themes, cost, speed, mix, innovation, and also rent. We received over 2,000 submissions. I have to tell you, the speaker threw you to the member, that over 85% of those submissions were from the general public. So there was a wide variety of opinion. We are going to take those consultations and move them forward into a piece of legislation. I'm going to take the concerns of members, every member of this house, very seriously, and I can assure them that comments like that will be taken into consideration as we move forward. Supplementary. Thank you. Landlords are using unethical tactics, minister, to squeeze out tenants because once the tenant is gone, they can jack up the rent to whatever they please. The minister could protect these tenants, but instead, he actually wants to make it easier for landlords to evict tenants. And now the city of Hamilton, believe it or not, has been forced to step in to give tenants the protection the minister and this government refuses to provide. Why is this minister willing to protect landlords but not tenants? Minister? Speaker, through you to the member, the member is incorrect. If he's referencing the Toronto Star story, there is nothing in that story that is before me as a piece of proposed legislation. In fact, speaker, I've said the opposite. I have indicated a number of times that I'm working with the Attorney General on some of the challenges that are facing the landlord tenant board. There is a backlog, obviously, in some of those cases and our government is very, very concerned about that. So we are talking about issues and options to make it easier for the system to go forward to help strengthen protections, but at the same time recognize that... Response. ...that's what's told us it's hard to be a landlord. There are some difficulties, but that's the balance, speaker, between tenant protection and some of the other issues on the table. Again. Thank you. Thank you. Next question. Member for Sault Ste. Marie. Mr. Speaker. Thank you. My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Like many Ontarians, I was excited to learn about the successful relocation of wolves from Ontario to Isle Royale National Park in Michigan. Our government takes the conservation of our natural resources seriously and was able to assist our friends in Michigan with restoring a healthy population of wolves to Isle Royale. Ontario has an important trading relationship with the state of Michigan, and this operation will strengthen our bond. Can the Minister inform the House on how this operation was carried out and how the wolves are adapting to their new home in Michigan? The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Well, thank you very much, Speaker, and I want to thank a great member from Sault Ste. Marie for that excellent question. Boy, this was what you call a win-win, a really, really great operation that we worked together on. As announced by our Premier and the Governor of Michigan, my ministry worked with the United States Park Service to identify Ontario wolves on Mitchupicotton Island and the nearby mainland that were fit for relocation. Before being transferred to Isle Royale, the wolves were examined by veterinarians and found to be in good health. However, these wolves suffered from a lack of food on Mitchupicotton and relocation gives them an excellent opportunity to thrive. Isle Royale has an overpopulation of moose, putting stress on vegetation and the rest of the ecosystem in Isle Royale. So this is a perfect match. They've got an overpopulation of moose and we had wolves that needed to be relocated. In the words of Mark Romanowski. Respond. The Park's Natural Resources Division Chief. These wolves will almost certainly know what to do when they encounter a moose. Thank you. It's supplementary. Thank you minister for that answer, Mr. Speaker. I share the minister's confidence that our wolves will have no issues adapting to their new home because as the media has said, and these are as I quote, elite Canadian wolves. They don't need a tag. In fact, I've been told that when these wolves discover the abundant moose populations on Isle Royale, they will howl with delight. Just like the NDP did for the last 15 years whenever the former liberal government raised taxes on the backs of hardworking Ontarians. Finally, Mr. Speaker, back to the minister. Could he confirm how many wolves were relocated as part of this operation? And please expand on how the relocation will benefit Ontarians. Minister. Well, I thank the member again for supplementary as well. And he is absolutely right. The wolves that were transported are high, high quality wolves. In fact, an alpha male and an alpha female were part of that relocation. And we've heard, and as far as our government's attacking other issues with respect to our cooperation with Michigan, we've heard the term deficit hawk in politics before. But in our government, I believe we have a caucus of deficit wolves. And we will be ferocious in respecting taxpayers' dollars and putting Ontario back on a responsible track to balance. For example, the 11 wolves that were relocated was funded by the United States Park Service and private donors. There was not a single penny of cost to Ontario taxpayers. We also collaborate with Michigan to protect our waterways from invasive species and to combat forest fires through the Great Lakes Forest Compact. The Premier recently visited the Troy Auto Show to promote Ontario. And we look forward to increasing the $64 billion in two-way trade as we make Ontario open for business. Close to time we have for question period. Oh, there's a point of order, the member for Don Valley North. Speaker, I would like to welcome Working Women Community Center to Queens Park. This is a community organization that enables positive change for my writing of Don Valley North. Welcome to Queens Park, and I hope you enjoyed day trip. Thank you. All right, recess, the House, I want to comment and thank the members for the higher standard of decorum that we set today. Noticeably higher. Thank you. In doing so, we demonstrated our respect for the provincial parliament. Thank you very much. This House stands in recess. I'm still 1 PM this afternoon.