 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the member for Tomiskaming Cochran. My question is to the Acting Premier. Yesterday, former Deputy OPP Commissioner and Acting OPP Commissioner Brad Blair released a statement thanking the OPP and the people of Ontario for allowing him to provide 33 years of unblemished police service. That service ended yesterday when the Premier once again interfered politically and had Commissioner Blair fired. It is getting increasingly obvious that the only way to hold the Premier to account is through a public inquiry. Will the Acting Premier back that inquiry today? It's definitely Premier. I'm asking for community safety and correctional services. Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Speaker, I understand the supremacy of this House, but I cannot allow the NDP members to suggest in any way that there was political interference with Mr. Blair's termination. Again, I will remind the members. Mr. Blair's employment with the Ontario Provincial Police was terminated as a result of a recommendation and agreement by the nine-member Public Service Commission. The action was taken in full consultation with Commissioner Gary Couture. No one is above the law. Not a constable, not a Deputy Commissioner. When we swear an oath to uphold the laws in this province, we have a responsibility to ensure that that happens. That is why Mr. Blair's termination happened on Monday morning. Thank you. Supplementary. In his letter, the former Acting Commissioner notes that he raised quote, serious issues of real and or perceived political interference with the independent operations of the OPP to the Provincial Ombudsman end of quote. It's obvious to all that this is true, but the Minister seems to think it's okay to fire a distinguished officer for raising these concerns. Does the Acting Premier believe that there is anything wrong with a senior police officer raising concerns about political interference? Minister? Thank you, Speaker. As long as we are quoting letters, I want to begin with this individual used his uniform and he used his position as a Deputy Commissioner to further his personal gain. He violated the trust of his office. To quote another letter sent to Brad Blair upon his dismissal. Speaker, I will quote from it. You have no authority to unilaterally disclose confidentiality from the emails and furtherance of your personal interest. The disclosure is both a contravention of your obligations of the conflict of interest regulations made under the PSOA and a violation of the oath of office you took as a public sentence. It's a clear attempt to use your professional status to further your private interests. Speaker, I understand that we have a responsibility to withhold the laws. I only wish the NDP understood it as well. Final supplementary. The former Acting Commissioner also stated that he believed raising these issues was quote the right thing to do. Ontarians would agree. The only ones who don't are the Minister of Community Safety and the Premier. Will the government call a public inquiry? Minister. There's actually quite a long list of individuals who don't believe that Mr. Blair was using his office appropriately. Starting with the Commissioner of the OPP, Gary Couture. Starting with a nine member commission of the Ontario Public Service. We have to ensure that people who choose to serve our public and sign oaths of office are prepared to withhold those, to represent them and live up to them. I cannot understand why the NDP do not understand when you sign an oath of office, when you prepare and say that you are going to defend those rights, that you do that, and when you don't, we are going to act and the Ontario Public Commission is going to act. Thank you. Next question, Member for Kamiskaming Couture. Once again to the Acting Premier. Brad Blair stated that he feels his dismissal was a reprisal for speaking out, and few would disagree. We on this side of the House know it. The media knows it. The public knows it. I think even the backbenchers on the other side, they know it. If the government is so confident that all of us are wrong, why don't they prove us wrong and call a public inquiry? Members please take your seat. Questions can put to the Deputy Premier. Community Safety and Correctional Services. Further to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Again, it's pretty clear that the Public Service Commission made a decision that Mr. Blair had breached his duties as both an officer of the OPP and a public servant. Again, I will quote from Mr. Blair's termination letter. It is a clear attempt to use your professional status to order your private interest by implying that the legal activities that you are engaged are a party of your official duties and are sanctioned by the OPP. This is also a contravention of your obligations under the Conflict of Interest Regulation. And I quote again, you have acted in a manner that is incompatible with the faithful discharge of your position as a public servant. The only thing I would like to add is to all the OPP officers who serve our province, I think we have a duty to them to make sure the oath that they have signed is appropriate. This individual chose not to do that. That is why he is no longer with the OPP. Thank you. In interviews last year after the forming Acting Commissioner spoke out, the Premier stated, and I quote, someone needs to hold him accountable. I can assure you that. End of quote. Does the Acting Premier expect anyone to believe that this was not an act of reprisal? I really do feel like I have to remind the members opposite. Mr. Blair's employment was terminated by a decision of a nine-member panel of deputy ministers. That's code for not political that made up the Public Service Commission. This action was taken in full consultation with OPP Commissioner Gary Couture. No one is above the law. I don't care how you serve. I want you to withhold the laws of this province, to withhold the oath that you took when you chose to become an OPP officer. This individual chose not to do that. That is why he is no longer with the OPP. Thank you. Final supplementary. The Premier is telling people to believe the impossible, that the man who blew the whistle on his plan to hire his friend as OPP Commissioner, who told the world about his plans for an off-the-book camper van with reclining leather seats, a decorated police officer who the Premier pledged to hold accountable, was not fired as an act of reprisal. If the Premier truly expects people to believe that this was not an act of reprisal, he will believe him. He can do, or the Deputy Premier, he can do the right thing today. Stop dodging questions and call a public inquiry. My question to the acting Premier, and to every one of the members of the government here today, is why don't you call on the Premier to do that? No one is above the law, including the Premier of this province. Thank you, C. Minister. Speaker, that when you do not agree with your oath of office, you don't get to continue to serve as an OPP officer in the province of Ontario. There is no van. This individual didn't get the job he applied for. He is angry. He has chosen a path. We are making a decision. Opposition, come door. We are supporting the decision of the Public Service Commission to rescind his order in council because he no longer works for the OPP, because the OPP did not support his actions and believe that he contrived his oath of office as an Ontario public servant. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Next question, the member for Essex. Thank you very much. Through you, Speaker, to the Deputy Premier. Premier, for months the Premier has insisted that an extraordinary series of coincidences has magically occurred here in Ontario. Even though he wasn't qualified to apply for the initial job posting, the Premier expects us all to believe that independent civil servants happened to pick his old friend, Ron Taverner. And now, after months of publicly ranting about Brad Blair and how Brad had to pay for speaking out about his concerns, the Premier now expects us to believe that independent civil servants decided to fire Brad Blair, a 33-year veteran of the Ontario Provincial Police Force. Will the Deputy Premier go on the record today and tell us whether she thinks that this is credible? Deputy Premier. Nice to have community safety and correctional services. Community safety and correctional services. As you and all members of this Legislative Assembly know full well, the Integrity Commissioner is an independent officer of the Assembly. He has been doing an investigation and preparing a report on the hiring process for the OPP Commissioner. I am not going to presuppose what the Integrity Commissioner will report upon. I will anxiously await his report, as I'm sure all of you do as well. Thank you. Supplementary. Speaker, you'll have to forgive me, but I'll trust the word of a police veteran with a distinguished record over the word of a Premier with a shady record any day of the week in this House. That's just, Speaker, that's just, that's just me. The government side will come to order. If... The government side will come to order. I would ask the member for Essex to be careful with his language so as to not cause disruption in that. Thank you very much, Speaker. Speaker, if the part-time Premier is so confident in his facts, will he have the courage today to call for a full public inquiry? Listen, Speaker, I understand that the member opposite is upset, that the majority of the Ontario voters chose Premier Ford to serve as our Premier. I understand that he's not satisfied that the majority of the people of Ontario sent the Progressive Conservatives to serve as their government in Ontario. I understand that, but he has to understand that I believe in the integrity and the independence of the integrity commissioner, and I will await his report because ultimately I will never question the integrity of the independent officers of the Legislative Assembly. Thank you. Next question, the member for York Centre. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Speaker, during the full consultations, municipalities and stakeholders told us that the growth plan changes the Liberals imposed on municipalities without consultation just prior to the elections are simply not working. It was a top-down approach that hurt municipalities, harm the economy and slow down the building of new housing. We also know that the previous Liberal government took no action to address the lack of housing which resulted in the housing crisis we find ourselves today. Can the Minister please explain what he and his ministry have been doing to combat these harmful changes and instead increase housing supply in the greater Golden Horseshoe and across Ontario? Thank you. The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. I want to thank the good member from York Centre for that excellent question. Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that Ontario is growing, particularly in the greater Golden Horseshoe. In the next 20 years, the greater Golden Horseshoe will accommodate 85% of the province's population growth. That's why it was a priority of our government to cut red tape and make it faster to build housing for all Ontarians and increase the housing supply and availability of homes in that region that people can afford. Mr. Speaker, our proposed changes to the growth plan for the greater Golden Horseshoe give local communities the flexibility over how and where they grow. It will ensure that communities will grow and prosper while protecting the environment and health and safety. I look forward to the supplementary from this member. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Supplementary. Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you Minister. And thank you Minister for making housing in the greater Golden Horseshoe and across Ontario a priority. Back to the Minister. We know that you're working hard to bring more housing to the region while maintaining protections for the green belt, agricultural lands, the agri-food sector, provincially significant employment zones and the natural heritage system. Mr. Speaker, the growth plan created by the previous Liberal government was done without thought or consultation. It was not practical and it could not be implemented. It is reassuring that our government takes a different approach to finding the best solutions on housing. Can the Minister speak to what he and the Minister have been doing to consult Ontarians on growth plan amendments as well as ways to increase housing supply? Minister. Thanks Mr. Speaker. Again thanks to the member for that question. This past fall our government held extensive consultations with businesses, the agricultural sector, the research and development sector as well as municipalities and others about the challenges that they had with the previous Liberal governments and caused changes to the growth plan. When we posted our proposed changes to the growth plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe online for public consultation we also held numerous regional roundtables to get further feedback from their communities within the Greater Golden Horseshoe. We're committed to working together with all stakeholders such as our Indigenous and municipal partners to bring forward a thoughtful plan that has been developed through consultation that will protect the environment, jobs and increase the supply of housing in Ontario. We held those public consultations on our Housing Supply Action Plan as well. I'm pleased to report we received over 2,000 submissions. Mr. Speaker, our government is a government that listens. Thanks to the member for Hamilton Mountains. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. I hope the government is listening to this question. The opposition to the disastrous Conservative Autism Plan keeps rolling in. School principals are urging this government to delay changes and reconsider. Canarkid Family Services, one of the regional service providers has also come out against the plan. Tomorrow, parents from across Ontario will be on the front lawn to demand that this government go back to the drawing board. Acting Premier, who from your so-called government for the people will come out to speak to them? Good question. The question has been asked by Deputy Premier. To the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Of course, the Speaker, there are diversity of opinions, whether it's parents, whether it is service providers, whether those who have lived experience with autism. But I will tell you, the opinion of this government is that we are going to clear the wait list of 23,000 children or three out of four children in Ontario who have been denied service by their Ontario government in the next 18 months by doubling our investment into diagnostic hubs and providing direct support to mums and dads to choose the best services that they feel for their children. Opposition, come door. Caregiver training or respite. But the opinion that I will not share is the opinion of the previous Liberal Administration that ignored three out of four children or seven percent of the kids with autism in the province of Ontario. We're going to clear the wait list. Supplementary. The only thing that this Minister got right is that there's opposing opinions and it's hers against everyone else. Autism plan isn't working. The Minister for Community, Safety and Correctional Services used to oppose age cut-offs and supported needs-based services. I'll quote the Minister. Many families have been waiting for years for this necessary support for their child. Now they have been pulled off the wait list by the Minister because the child is over five years old. Imagine how devastating that is to be so close to receiving this necessary support and then have it ripped away from you, end quote. I wonder if the Minister still agrees with herself. Will the acting Premier encourage her members to join parents on the front lawn tomorrow? Perhaps the Minister of Community, Safety and Correctional Services would like to come out for that photo op. Please take your seats, Minister. I don't know where to begin with that question, Speaker, but let me be perfectly clear. This was a member on November 4th, 2015 who said they have known for years about the devastating impact of these wait lists. That member there talked about needing to clear the wait list. That's why our government- Order. Opposition, come to order. Member for Hamilton Mountain, come to order. They were for supporting wait lists until our government brought it in, then they opposed it. They were for regulating service professionals until this government brought it in and then they opposed it. They supported- Member for Hamilton Mountain, come to order. This government brought it in and now they oppose it. Why are they so inconsistent on the other side? Is it because all they want to be is a new democratic protest party? Start the clock. Next question, the member for Scarborough, Rouge Park. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. Speaker, I know from speaking with students and families that skyrocketing fees for university and college in Ontario became increasingly unaffordable under the previous Liberal government. Since 2006, undergraduate tuition for Ontarians has risen from average of $5,000 to almost $9,000. As the Minister knows, our government was elected on a promise to put more money back into people's pockets. Can the Minister tell us what steps this government is taking to make university and college affordable for students and families? Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the member opposite from Scarborough, Rouge Park for their excellent advocacy for students and families in Ontario. Thank you. Speaker, the reforms that our government announced to reduce tuition and address the Ontario students assistance program and ancillary fees are about ensuring the sustainability and affordability of post-secondary education for years to come. Our governments across the board, 10% tuition reduction is the first of its kind in Ontario and will provide real relief for families and students. The reforms we made to the Ontario student assistance program are going to ensure that the program is sustainable for years to come. And meanwhile, the student choice initiative will treat students like adults and allow them to opt out of fees they don't support or need. Our plan is financially sustainable and it will provide real relief and choice for Ontario students and families. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you, Speaker and thank you to the minister for the answer. Speaker, it is shameful that under the previous Liberal government, tuition was allowed to skyrocket. I am proud that our government is the first in Ontario's history to take action and to stop the trend of skyrocketing tuition fees for students. Meanwhile, I'm proud that our government has recognized that additional burden of ever increasing ancillary fees and is giving students and families choice to save more money for the next initiative. Speaker, while tuition fees has nearly doubled since 2006, ancillary fees can be as high as $2,000 and the previous Liberal government did nothing to stop them increasing year over year. Can the minister tell us how much students in my writing could save because of our government's historic action? Thank you, minister. To the member opposite for the question. Speaker, the member is right to say that students and families will see and substantial savings with our 10% tuition reduction. For example, in the member's writing, a student studying public relations management at Centennial College will save $670 next year thanks to our government's changes. A student studying and Honours Bachelor of Aviation Technology at Seneca College will save $1,230 next year. And finally, a student studying a two-year management MBA at the University of Toronto will save $5,340 next year. Speaker, we were elected on a promise to put more money back into people's pockets and through our historic tuition reduction and our student joint initiative, we are doing just that. And I would like to again thank the member for raising this issue. Thank you. Next question, the member for Kiwetanova. Amigua Chegabuginsen, speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Last week, the government introduced their latest health care bill which is portrayed as the biggest overall of Ontario's health care system since the introduction of Medicare. The minister stood up the minister stood up in this house telling us that she has consulted with thousands of people but she has failed to engage with First Nations who will be greatly impacted. Mr. Speaker, First Nations already face additional barriers in accessing health care. We lost a community member in Cat Lake recently due to the housing and the mold issues in the community. Six nations are one of the largest in business health care providers. Not only that, one of the biggest First Nations communities in Canada and they have not been consulted on the development of this bill. Minister, you say your door is always open so will you consult with First Nations before voting on the bill? Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Well, I have a question. It is something that I take very seriously. I have in fact consulted with First Nations communities over the course of a number of years commencing with my position in opposition as health critic for six years from my work as Ontario's first patient ombudsman and certainly in my position now as Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. This is an important plan for all Ontarians. Everyone deserves to be consulted. I have spoken with thousands of people across Ontario including First Nations communities. But it is something that we come forward and we start speaking about local Ontario health teams that we want to make sure that everyone is represented and I do expect that there will be interest from First Nations communities in forming part of those teams and I certainly welcome their involvement and designing the system for their communities because it is something that... Thank you. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon I am presenting a private members bill on the implementing of United Declarations a declaration on rights of Indigenous peoples within Ontario. Article 19 of UNDRIP says that states shall consult with Indigenous peoples through their own representative institutions in order to obtain free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative measures that may affect them. So far this government has failed to meet the needs of these requirements. What assurances can the minister make to the communities like Six Nations that their jurisdiction for health will be recognized before your government votes on this bill? Please take your seats. Minister. Thank you. I respect very much what the member is saying and I can advise that one of my parliamentary assistants spoke with the director of Six Nations Health this morning and asked to discuss concerns with her and consultations about how this plan will move forward and how the participation of First Nations communities will be involved. And as I said earlier I do anticipate that there will be some interest in forming some local health Ontario teams perhaps on an Ontario basis but we want to understand directly from Six Nations and other First Nations communities what will be the best way to proceed to make sure that communities are represented with the kind of health care that is needed by the people in those communities. Next question the member for Simcoe Gray. Well thank you very much Mr. Speaker. My question is to the deputy premier and the minister of health. That's okay I'm used to standing ovations. Minister as you know for many years my writing's been fighting for the redevelopments of the Collingwood General Marine Hospital and Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston. Last year the hospitals each received $500,000 in stage one planning money and they're grateful for that but they are well beyond stage one in terms of planning and they've each incurred well over $1.5 million. The hospitals have done everything asked of them by your ministry in fact they kind of feel like they're being run around right now. So can you give me some indication today of when these hospitals will get approval so that they can begin construction on their long-awaited redevelopments as you know one of the previous government they've ignored for 15 years. My constituents have waited long enough and they'd really like to hear some good news from this government. Minister of health and long-term care. Thank the member very much for his question. You are and always have been a very strong advocate for your communities, for your riding and for your hospitals. I am sorry that you were ignored for 15 years but please be assured that that is not happening now. We take the concerns of your hospitals very seriously as you know we do have a rigorous process for approving capital projects and we are certainly paying attention to the needs of your communities and to the expressions of interest by your hospital. Thank you. Thank you. Supplementary. I'm glad to the minister, Mr. Speaker my little jab to the independents here. I've lost my coalition I guess. Minister as you know the Collingwood Hospital is full 100% of the time over the next 14 years there are catchment areas expected to grow by 31%, Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston sees 40,000 patients each year in fact it's closer to 50,000 this year. In an emergency room that was built for 7,000 patients some 50 years ago their catchment areas expected to grow by 37% over the next 13 years. These communities are ready as I said they've been doing everything asked by your ministry. Major donors are waiting to give money but they're also waiting for the green light from the government before they fully commit. A lot of money has been raised locally communities have given me their assurance and you their assurance that they will raise their fair share and they're willing to do that in a very short manner. So I ask you you've been invited to tour I don't know whether you'll be allowed or not but I'm going to ask you will you come up and tour the Collingwood Hospital and the Alliston Hospital and see first hand the need. Minister of Health Well again thank you very much I'm certainly aware that the needs of your community are changing rapidly and that your hospital is under great stress as are the hospitals across many of the hospitals across the entire province and I have heard from many members with respect to capital projects in their riding and hospital expansion projects and so on. As you know we do have a rigorous process in the Ministry of Health and long term care to approve capital projects because there are many many requests and the first priority of course is going to be patient safety that has to overtake all other considerations but we also know that there are many hospitals are operating under 100% pressures and that is one of the reasons why we have hallway healthcare and we have I know I've quoted this statistic many times but I'll do it again over a thousand patients every day in Ontario are being treated in hospital hallways and storage rooms that is not acceptable that is one of the reasons why we are coming forward Thank you Thank you very much Next question remember for Sue St. Marie Thank you Mr. Speaker to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry since the FAR North Act became law the FAR North of Ontario has been frozen in time this has meant a loss of opportunities including a loss of development a loss of jobs and a loss of people as they are forced to move away to find employment elsewhere Anyone who paid attention to the debate when the Liberals pushed this deeply flawed legislation on the FAR North cannot be surprised by the result No one from the FAR North asked for or wanted the FAR North Act but there's good news Mr. Speaker because relief is on the way for the FAR North under the leadership of our Premier Mr. Speaker I was very pleased to learn that our government for the people is collecting public input on the FAR North Act Can the Minister of Natural Resources Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry Thank you very much I want to thank the member for Sue St. Marie for the question and for his tremendous advocacy always ongoing for the North The people and the member are absolutely right to highlight the concerns from the previous Liberal government that they chose to ignore the views of the North and particularly the First Nations Our government was elected on a promise to make Ontario open for jobs and open for business Gathering public input on repealing the Foreign Act and the FAR North Act shows that we are keeping that promise Our goal is to cut restrictions on important economic development projects in the FAR North such as the Ring of Fire all season roads and electrical transmission projects Unlike the previous Liberal government we will take the time to appropriately consult with FAR North First Nations and Indigenous communities all other stakeholders in order to provide a stable environment for business growing forward They want certainty we will give them certainty Thank you Mr. Speaker to the Minister for that answer and for his hard work on this important file Finally we have a government that listens to the people and the concerns of Northern communities that the FAR North Act has limited their economic opportunities I want to emphasize that these are not new concerns The previous Liberal government was told time and time again that limited economic opportunities would be a direct consequence of implementing the FAR North Act Instead of trying to make life easier for the people of the FAR North they decided to pander to supporters of social interest groups living in their downtown air-conditioned condos Mr. Speaker can the Minister expand on his previous answer regarding the countless benefits our actions will bring to the FAR North? Minister As I have said to the House before this is too important for us not to get it right We want to consult with the people who are most affected by the FAR North Act The opportunities that exist in the FAR North are some of the greatest in all of Canada and we need to ensure that Ontario is open for business and open for jobs We support development that is beneficial to our communities while maintaining our commitment to conservation We will retain any land-use plans through changes to the Public Hands Lands Act In addition we will continue forward with plans already in the advanced stage Our government believes wholeheartedly in the potential of Northern Ontario and we are committed to making the FAR North open for business, open for jobs like the people of the North have asked for for years not the FAR North Act of the Liberal Skate Restart the clock Next question, the member for Toronto, Senator Thank you Speaker My question is to the Acting Premier According to Deputy Premier According to Statistics Canada Women in Canada earn 71 cents for every dollar that a man earns I should note that that number is even lower for black, indigenous and immigrant women Yet the Premier and his government have stopped implementation of legislation that bridges that wage gap Why is this government more interested in asking large employers how much it would cost them to administer pay equity than ensuring that women in Ontario are earning fair wages Deputy Premier I'm sorry, social services for women Thank you very much What a great question because this government is committed to closing the gender pay gap to give women the same resources and opportunities to succeed at work and advance women's representation and leadership We have a strong group of women in our cabinet and in this caucus within this government that are committed to ensuring that women's voices this particular Friday and I'm looking forward to discussing more in the supplemental with my women's issues critic but I'm looking forward to tomorrow when in the afternoon we'll have an opportunity to talk about the progress of women in this province how we want to empower them economically and the work that our government is doing for the people and for women in particular Thank you Supplementary Thank you Speaker and again back to the acting Premier There are real examples of discrimination and pay that women across this province face every single day Last year the Ontario midwives won a historic pay equity case that the last Liberal government and this Conservative government have not made good on In fact, this government decided to retroactively cut funding to the Ontario College of Midwives rather than pay them a fair wage Instead of moving forward this government is telling women to continue to wait for fair wages while businesses fill out surveys Why does the Premier believe that pay equity for women is red tape? Minister Thank you very much Speaker This government for the people is absolutely committed to closing the gender gap that's why myself and the Minister of Labour are working on that very key initiative but I want to talk a little bit about International Women's Day and what we'll be doing as a government as we mark quality of all women in the province of Ontario We know for example that women are escaping domestic violence and I was lucky yesterday to be with the members from Oakville as well as Milton to visit two women's shelters to empower the women that are seeking assistance there I will be availing a round table consultation with the members from Mississauga as well as as we try to tackle sex trafficking in the province of Ontario But let me be perfectly clear if women who are escaping violence and women who are fleeing sex trafficking are not equal or any of us and that will be our goal this way International Women's Day as we talk about the equality of all women in the province of Ontario Order Restart the clock Next question the member for Don Valley West My question is to the President of the Treasury Board the person with responsibility for allocation of funds I'm hoping that the Minister will be able to bring some clarity with regards to autism funding Parents and teachers and agencies have not been able to get the answers that they need from this government and it's become clear over the past few weeks that the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services froze the waitlist then artificially increased it in order to make the program that you're putting in place look better The Minister claims it was a lack of funds but honestly Mr. Speaker without clear numbers that really sounds like nothing more than a talking point The current Minister of Children, Community and Social Services claims that the President of the Treasury Board approved her request for a hundred million dollars in emergency funding for autism services Through you speak Can the President of the Treasury Board please confirm that this is in fact correct and can he confirm what the total budget for autism services is for the 2018-2019 year is it 256 million 321 421 million Mr. Speaker Thank you Thank you Questions to the President of the Treasury Board Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you for the member opposite for the question the numbers are available and we've said it many times that the previous Liberal government's budget was 256 million dollars as the record shows there's 62 million dollars in hold back which was to be released because the program you'd have to ask them but why they wanted to hold back 62 million dollars the Treasury Board released that money because at the request of the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services it was the right thing to do but in addition the Minister came forward and asked for an additional 40 million dollars Mr. Speaker because the previous Liberal government's program was broken and she wouldn't stand by and take over a broken program and Treasury Board was more than happy to support that support restart the call supplementary Mr. Speaker you know it's interesting because if this were as simple as the member presented it then the portfolio would not have been mismanaged as it has been families would not be in the chaos that they're in Mr. Speaker they would not be so worried about April 1st Mr. Speaker the agencies, the schools would not be in chaos because they don't know what's going to happen Mr. Speaker government's side come to order $321 million Mr. Matt's resources and forestry come to order so the numbers that the President of the Treasury Board is putting forward just are not accurate and I can remember Mr. Speaker sitting at the table when our Minister of Children from the side come to order to ask for an increase to the budget so that $256 million that's just not accurate Mr. Speaker so I ask the President of the Treasury Board again what is the number what is the total budgeted number for autism services for 2018-19 and why are families finding themselves Thank you Thank you Minister Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Children, Community and Social Services Thank you very much to the President of the Treasury Board for doing the outstanding work he's been doing for the whole administration which that member was the leader of can you believe it? She stands here today the incredulity that we see she was a part of a government speaker that took parents of autism okay the host will come to order member for Hamilton Mountain come to order the clock is ticking member for Timmons come to order I'll allow the Minister to conclude a response that member has bankrupted this province she was bankrupt of ideas when she left office and she bankrupted the Ontario Autism Program I will take no lessons from the former leader of the Liberal Minister for Children, Community and Social Services once the standing ovation erupted I couldn't hear what she was saying I had to stand up, interrupt her start the clock next question the member for Waterloo Thank you very much Mr. Speaker my question is to the Deputy Premier last week the government I apologize the Speaker aired in terms of the order order I'm going to recognize the member for Haldeman Norfolk Thank you Speaker to the Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs he's right here Farmers organization in my writing they're always looking for opportunities and support for projects to help them grow and innovate in the years to come and I do thank Minister Hardiman a few weeks ago he came down to visit with our Haldeman Federation so we know our government is committed to helping farmers and agribusiness to succeed and continue to thrive without adding those additional burdens in their daily operations I know that farmers, businesses organizations in the agri-food sector depend on the Canadian agricultural partnership the CAP program for various eligible projects Speaker my question can the Minister provide this house with more detail on the latest intake under the partnership and how it's going to help our farmers our agribusinesses to grow and innovate Thank you the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Thank you very much our Speaker and I'd like to thank the member from Haldeman Norfolk for their excellent question In partnership with the federal government our government announced a new funding intake through the partnership for our farmers and the agri-food businesses and organizations both opened this month The new intake will focus on eligible projects related to economic development in the agri-food and agri-product sector and environmental stewardship to enhance water quality and soil health Additionally, the intake will focus on protection and assurances to reinforce the foundation of public trust in the sector regarding food safety and plant and animal health Mr. Speaker, this government supports our farmers We trust our farmers Through the Canadian Agriculture Partnership we are empowering our farmers and agribusinesses to make it easier to do business in Ontario so they can continue to do what they do best Feed Ontario's families Thank you supplementary Well, Speaker, we do thank the Minister for his dedication to our farmers and other related businesses In this case, providing more support through programs like the Canadian Agriculture Partnership and I know that farmers and agribusinesses in my writing are looking forward to applying for eligible projects to support their goals to support innovation Economic development, environmental stewardship and food safety are some of our government's top priorities These categories focus on what's important like safe and healthy food economic growth, job creation and protecting our environment for future generations My question, can the Minister tell us how these intake categories support our government's over for business mandate and make life easier for agribusinesses and for our farmers? Minister Thank you again, Mr. Speaker and thank the member for his question Our farmers and agribusinesses are leaders in the environmental stewardship food safety and economic development The agriculture industry is one of the largest economic sectors in the province There are four jobs waiting for every agriculture industry graduate in Ontario Our government wants to see those numbers increase Our farmers are environmental stewards always finding the most innovative ways to protect our land, our air and our waterways Mr. Speaker, our made in Ontario environmental plan supports those farmers We have a food safety system in Ontario and in Canada that works and catches problems before the impact public health This government wants to help our farmers and other agri-food business operators with the tools and supportive programs they need like the partnership to stay competitive and open for business in Ontario Thank you Now, members of the waterway Thank you very much My question to the Deputy Premier Last week the government released a disappointing amount of one-time funding for sexual assault centres that will equate to less than $25,000 per centre The sexual assault centre support of Waterloo Region has over 200 people on the waitlist This is a 300% increase in survivors that are seeking out support and think of the courage that it takes to come forward and disclose and ask for help This government is failing survivors by allowing them to languish on never-ending waitlist and rationing support on this file Will the government commit today to increasing core funding for victim services so that organisations like SAS can support sexual assault survivors in Waterloo Region and across this province? Questions to the Deputy Premier To the Attorney General Thank you Mr. Speaker I agree with the member opposite It takes a great amount of courage for a victim of sexual assault to come forward and the work that our sexual assault centres do in our communities across this province are so important And that's why in addition to guaranteeing funding for victim services programmes across the province in spite of a $15 billion deficit left to us by the previous Liberal government we're increasing funding by a million dollars for sexual assault centres across Ontario We will be working closely with victim services programmes to allocate those that funding and I'd be happy to talk to the Executive Director of the Sexual Assault Centre you're discussing or you're talking about today to talk to them about how they can access some of that funding But Mr. Speaker, let's be clear the previous Liberal government allocated made these promises on the eve of the election In fact, I saw letters to sexual assault centres on May 6th and May 7th The day before the writ dropped That is shameful We will not leave victims of sexual assault Let's hang in here Start the clock, supplementary Mr. Speaker, it is unconscionable to blame victims of sexual assault for the deficit Do not balance the budget on the backs of victims of sexual assaults Sexual assault support centre is doing its best to make up for promised funding that they may never see All this government has offered is $25,000 to navigate services that do not exist In Waterloo, 200 people have navigated themselves to a waitlist at SASC The real problem is that they are waiting for funding for a councillor that may never come Will this government actually meaningfully support victims of sexual assault by investing in core funding? You are denying these people hope by leaving them on a waitlist It is unconscionable, it is unethical You need to do the right thing today In fact, for International Women's Day Please take your seats Attorney General to reply Mr. Speaker, what is unconscionable is that the previous Liberal government made promises on the eve of an election to important service providers raising their expectations knowing they were going to saddle the next government with a $15 billion deficit and over $350 billion in debt $12 billion of interest expense that we cannot spend on victim services programs I couldn't hear the Attorney General because of the outburst of applause Next question The Member for Mississauga Lakeshore Thank you Speaker My question is for the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Those of us who call Ontario home can't ask for a better place to live work, raise our families In order to preserve and protect the Ontario that we know and love our government has been working hard in our implementation of our Made in Ontario environmental plan The Minister spoke to us yesterday about proposals he posted to the environmental registry to increase renewable content in our gasoline by 15% But the environmental stewardship doesn't begin and end with climate change It's been reported that later today the Minister is scheduled to announce his waste discussion paper outlining our government's approach tackling this issue Can the Minister share with the House what his approach will be? The Minister of the Environment Conservation and Parks Mr Speaker, through you the Member and thank you for the question I had the opportunity to visit of Mississauga Lakeshore last week and saw just what a great job he is doing for the constituents of Mississauga Lakeshore Mr Speaker, climate change is an important issue but as the Member points out it does contain 12 pages of our 53 page environmental plan around climate change but there are other issues as well Waste and litter are a critical issue to the people of Ontario Each Ontario produces over a ton of waste each and every year Mr Speaker, our recycling rate our diversion rate has been stuck at 30% for the last 15 years and that's not good enough and that's why the paper will be releasing later today we'll ask stakeholders, all stakeholders to look creatively at approaches being used around the world approaches that will divert more waste from landfill approaches that will get litter off our streets and out of our communities and out of our parks that will make sure that our environment can be pristine and protected and litter and waste free Here, here, here Supplementary I'm glad to see that our government is moving forward on taking the real action our province has been waiting for Speaker, for a long that needed reduction and an amount of waste Ontario's generation has been ignored by the previous Liberal government I've heard these complaints firsthand in my riding of Mississauga Lakeshore Ontarians understand that there's a need for everyone to play their part and that the environment stewardship is our collective responsibility and can be largely mitigated through our actions close to home I know my constituents have some great ideas and suggest to share them and the people of our province Can the minister share with us what topics our government will be seeking? Mr. Speaker, again through you to the member and thank you for the question we'll be looking for input on things like how to divert food and organic waste from households and businesses how to reduce plastics and litter in our neighbourhoods and parks increasing ways for Ontarians to participate more in waste reduction efforts Mr. Speaker, we'll be looking for consultation from business and communities about the use of technologies and the use of practices and approaches that are working around the world to reduce litter Mr. Speaker, it's not good enough that we're only diverting 30% of our waste we have to do better on Ontario to do that we'll be consulting with Ontarians including in Mississauga Lakeshore to find out the very best ways that we can make sure that our province is clean and litter free Next question, the member for Humber River Black Creek Thank you, Speaker My questions are to the minister of government and consumer services For the past few months the government's own webpage for ordering documents such as birth certificates and death certificates has contained notice that processing times have more than doubled to 15 weeks but our constituency offices have been inundated with Ontarians who are left waiting beyond the stated 15 weeks We've seen newborn babies at risk of deportation because they had no birth certificate and families forced to wait as long as six months to lay their parents' ashes to rest because this government failed to provide a basic service Does the minister think this is acceptable? Minister of government Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker and thank you to the honourable members for a great question and frankly, no, I'm not pleased In fact, I want to apologize for the people impacted There are a variety of factors sadly that are impacting this I just met on Tuesday with bureaucrats in my ministry to understand the situation better We take this very seriously and we want improvements I look very closely at the people and said we will fix this, we need to fix this I want that mitigation plan We're actually invoking already overtime to try to clear that backlog We're bringing in more people to be able to get that through and to understand what the core root of the problem is We're not just bandating this We're going back through a lean process to look at the exact reasons why this has happened and we will continue to make sure that we will fix this to the honourable member to all the people most importantly Through digitisation and modernisation we also are going to hope to put reliability back in the system and the taxpayer at the centre of everything that we can do Mr. Speaker, I do want to suggest that if customers have concerns they can call our centre at 1-800-461-2156 and I assure them today on behalf of my party and the government We will bring us a priority to be built Thank you Supplementary Thank you, Speaker Back to the minister It's been two weeks since the minister said he would address this backlog, plaguing his ministry Yet our offices continue to hear horror story after horror story What this minister has not explained is how this ministry allowed to get out of control in the first place Minister, was this backlog created because this government has frozen hiring and put their priorities ahead of the priorities of the people of Ontario Wow Minister Thank you, Speaker When I met with my ministry staff what they shared with me there were fluctuations certainly volumes are going up populations are going up there are a lot of transactions that are increasing there are a number of manual problems when we've gone online if they don't actually answer correctly we've got to go off in manual time there are actually significant privatization issues we can't just take someone's word for it we have to go through a process to get a signed off document so as I've said we're going right back we're looking at the whole process we're going to review the forms and make sure there's clarity we're going to take that right out of the situation and we're going to ensure after inheriting 15 years of mismanagement by the Liberals that we're actually putting focus on the people of Ontario we're going to ensure that the people are first and I assure you this is a priority to me I am working and I'm going to fly to Thunder Bay myself to make sure I understand the situation until we address it our next question is the member for Burlington Health and long-term care Mr. Speaker we were elected on a mandate to put people of Ontario first and hallway healthcare and repair our public healthcare system Mr. Speaker our government is taking the necessary steps to deliver on our promise after 15 years of Liberal mismanagement Ontarians know our healthcare system is in need of significant improvements Ontario families expect and deserve a healthcare system that works for them that message was delivered clearly by frontline healthcare practitioners Friday in my writing of Burlington with the Minister of Health we are proud to report that families in Burlington and everywhere in Ontario will benefit from patient centered healthcare could the minister explain why it is essential that after 15 years that we need to pass the People's Healthcare Act please Great question Deputy Premier Thank you well first I want to thank the member from Burlington for her great question and the great work that she's doing we did have a very interesting and informative meeting last Friday in her writing and as we all know Mr. Speaker our healthcare system is under great stress right now patients are left on long waiting lists and we have a thousand patients every day receiving healthcare in hospital hallways and storage rooms so that is why we are fixing and strengthening our public healthcare system and finally centering around the patient where it actually belongs we envision a public healthcare system where patients and families have access to better faster and more connected care a system where everyone who works as a healthcare provider can finally work together we will create a public healthcare system that is centered on patients and one that works for all Ontarians Thank you It's the time we have available for question for you today and I wish to draw to members' attention the fact that we have a former member in the Speaker's Gallery the member for Northumberland in the 38th Parliament and Northumberland, Quinty West in the 39th and 41st Parliament, Lou Rinaldi Welcome back to the Members' Gallery one of the Members' Galleries we have the member for Peterborough in the 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st Parliament, Jeff Leal Welcome back to Drink Park We beg to inform the House that the following report has been tabled a report entitled Ontario Health Sector 2019 Updated Assessment of Ontario Health Spending from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario We now have a deferred vote on the motion for second reading of Bill 66 an act to restore Ontario's competitiveness by amending or repealing certain acts calling the members This is a five-minute bell Members will please take their seats Members will please take their seats Are you ready? On February the 19th, 2019 Mr. Smith, Bay of Quinty, moved second reading of Bill 66 All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the clerk Mr. Smith, Bay of Quinty Mr. Walker Mr. Thompson Mr. Fidelli Ms. Moroni Ms. McLeod Mr. Clark Mr. Hardevin Mr. Narto Mr. Bailey Mr. McNaughton Mr. Fullerton Mr. Jones Mr. Schoes-Scarburner Mr. Phillips Mr. Miller-Parison-Moscowka Mr. Lecce Mr. Koe Mr. Downey Mr. Gill Mr. Kuh Mr. Colander Mr. Osterhoff Mr. McKenna Mr. Nichols Mr. Kusendova Mr. Romano Mr. Harris Mr. Gimari Mr. Hogarth Mr. Carr-Hollies Mr. Fee Mr. Chow-Willard Mr. Smith-Biedeberg-Porter Mr. Pachini Mr. Tangray Mr. Baumann Mr. Zettler Mr. Kanna-Patty Mr. Babikian Mr. Baber Mr. Payne Mr. Robert Mr. Sabaoui All those opposed to the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by them. Ms. Fyfe Mr. Vantos Mr. Bisson Mr. Natashack Ms. Sattler Ms. Shaw Mr. Yard Mr. Kernahan Mr. West Mr. Gates Ms. Gretzky Mr. French Mr. St. Granton-East Mr. Hatfield Mr. Arthur Mr. Bergwam Mr. Glover Mr. Rikosevich Mr. Harden Mr. Montefaril Mr. Hassan Ms. Hunter Ms. Hunter The ayes are 64, the nays are 32 The ayes being 64, the nays being 32 I declare the motion carried. Pursuit to the order of the House, dated March 5th, 2019 The bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on General Government I understand that the member for Don Valley North has a point of order. Mr. Speaker I would like to welcome the Board of Directors from the Canada Gansu Federation of Chamber of Commence There are President and Secretary and Director and other 13 Vice Presidents Welcome to Quest Park and enjoy! Just a member, okay? Everybody good? This House stands in recess until three o'clock