 Therefore, it is now time for Question Period, the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. The CEO of the Ontario Power Generation earned nearly $1.2 million last year. The CEO of HydroOne earned $4.5 million last year. In total, the top five executives at HydroOne made a whopping $11 million. Mr. Speaker, when people across Ontario can barely afford to keep the lights on, they can barely afford their HydroBills, how can the Premier allow these salaries that are completely out of control? Mr. Speaker, you know, the leader of the opposition makes the point that people across Ontario are struggling with their HydroBills. Mr. Speaker, that's why we're removing 25% from those HydroBills come this spring, Mr. Speaker. And that's why for people in more rural and remote communities, Mr. Speaker, they're going to see more like a 40% to 50% reduction, Mr. Speaker. We have a plan. We are implementing that plan, Mr. Speaker. We know that there are people who are burdened by their electricity bills across the province. That's why we have the Fair Hydro Plan, Mr. Speaker. And that's exactly why it is going to reduce people's bills across the province by 25%, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. And it's not just the million-dollar salaries in Hydro that the Premier does not want to address. And it's not just the energy sector. The government has backed up the brink truck for executives across all government agencies. You know, let's take a look at the president of Union Pearson Express, or should I say the former president, Kathy Haley. She resigned March 21st, 2016, but she still managed to earn $230,000 not bad for three months' work. Mr. Speaker, how does this government manage that? How does this government allow salaries that are completely out of control and try to justify that it's appropriate? Whether it's four and a half million dollars for the Hydro-1 CEO or $230,000 for three months' work, give me a break, the average on tariff can't afford their Hydro-bill and they're allowing this is not right. How does the Premier allow this? President of the Treasury Board? President of the Treasury Board? Yes, thank you very much. And of course, as everyone knows, we released on Friday the public sector salary disclosure, the sunshine list. And I think it's important to understand what's on the sunshine list. The sunshine list lists the salaries of Ontario Public Service and broader public sector people who have been paid more than $100,000. It's important to realize that that's not necessarily their annual salary. And in the case of people who have retired after serving in the public sector for a number of years, they may have vacation pay-o-ing, they may have severance pay-o-ing, and what you're seeing is not 25% or 50% or 100% of annual salary. It represents those adjustments reflected on severance. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier, I appreciate why the Premier doesn't want to be on the record on what her government is paying executives. But hearing the talking points from the Minister that, you know, a $4.5 million salary is appropriate because there's things like vacation pay or $230,000 for three months' work, Mr. Speaker, it doesn't wash. And the reality in Ontario is, you know, those nurses working twice as hard because of liberal cuts, they're not part of this millionaire's club. Those maintenance crews at schools that are falling apart aren't part of that maintenance, aren't part of those raises. It's offensive. The reality is these salaries are out of control, Mr. Speaker. And I want the Premier to stand in this house and say that she supports this, that why she's allowed it. How can you pay $4.5 million to the hydro-CEO when nowhere else in Canada they allow salaries like that? Thank you. Of course, we recognize that $100,000 is a lot of money. It's more than the average Ontario makes. And what we have seen is that when you look at the increase in salary, the average salary in the last year is about $116 more than the average salary the prior year. So not a huge shift. But what we do see each year is more and more people on the sunshine list. And of course, that's because the legislation that created this in the first place, the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act in 1996 has the $100,000 threshold embedded right in the legislation. In fact, where the threshold to have inflated, Speaker, the current threshold would be about $150,000 and 84% of the people on the list would be dropped. Thank you. New question, the leader of the opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. Over 123,000 people were on the sunshine list. But Mr. Speaker, there were untold thousands more missing. And some would have been at the very top of that list. Mr. Speaker, why did this government choose to hide the salaries of Hydro-1's highly paid executives? Are there any more members of this Millionaire's Club? I'm sure there is. We've seen that in the top five salaries that were required to be released. How many more millionaires did this government hide from Hydro-1? Well, Mr. Speaker, if the leader of the opposition is asking how many and how much people are earning in the private sector, Mr. Speaker, in every publicly traded company and every corporation around the province, if that's what he's asking, Mr. Speaker, and he thinks there should be legislation that would go beyond what is already required in terms of disclosure, I think that he should say that, Mr. Speaker. I think he knows that Hydro-1 has now moved into being a publicly traded company. I know that these salaries are high, Mr. Speaker. I know that they're much higher than the vast majority of Ontarians. I also know that people are struggling with their electricity bills. That's why we have a plan, Mr. Speaker. That's why we are going to reduce people's electricity bills by 25 percent, Mr. Speaker. We're actually taking action because we recognize that people are challenged across the province. Supplement. Mr. Speaker, the Premier can't have it both ways. The government still has a majority of shares of Hydro-1. And what they've allowed to happen with these out-of-control salaries is wrong. The Premier knows it's wrong. $4.5 million for the CEO. $2.9 million for the Executive Vice President. $1.7 million paid to the Chief Financial Officer. $1.4 million paid to the Chief Operating Officers. And $1.2 million to another Executive Vice President. Mr. Speaker, this millionaire's club at Hydro-1 that the Premier has created is wrong. Every women in Ontario knows these paychecks are too much. And Mr. Speaker, through you, I'm asking the Premier to do the right thing while they still have majority of the shares and rein in these offensive executive salaries. Thank you. Start the clock, Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I really do understand why the Leader of the Opposition is taking this track, Mr. Speaker, because he has no plan and no idea how he would reduce electricity bills. Mr. Speaker, as I said, I know these salaries are high, Mr. Speaker. We know that people are struggling with electricity bills. That's why we are going to reduce people's Hydro bills, Mr. Speaker. And we remain committed to continued regulation of Hydro-1. We made that quite clear, Mr. Speaker, from the outset. Hydro-1 is now transitioned into a publicly traded company. It's not a government agency. I would think that the Leader of the Opposition would understand that, Mr. Speaker. Member from Prince Edward Hayes, please. He has made changes, Mr. Speaker. And, in fact, in the first year of their going public, Mr. Speaker, they've actually found $60 million in savings, Mr. Speaker. So what's happening is Hydro-1 is becoming a better company. We knew that that was going to happen. They are publicly traded, and they have to now... They're regulated by the rules for publicly traded companies, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier. In the entire sunshine list, with 123,000 names on it, only two people topped $1 million. Hydro-1 has five senior executives making $1 million. And that is only the ones we know about, the ones that the government hasn't hidden. There could be untold others in this millionaire's club. And we have the Premier, who still has a majority control, trying to have it both ways. She's allowed these salaries. The Premier knows that she could rein this in, but instead of actually taking responsibility, she's blaming others. We heard one minister blame go train riders, couldn't understand. And now the Premier is trying to blame the opposition for salaries that she handed out, for salaries that she approved. They're the government. They've created this mess, do the right thing, and rein in these offenses. Minister of Energy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Very pleased to rise and address this subject, Mr. Speaker. As the Premier mentioned, and as the opposition doesn't seem to know, Mr. Speaker, Hydro-1 is now a publicly traded company. And the decisions over compensation are not made by the government. But, Mr. Speaker, let's put some context into this, Mr. Speaker. The executive salaries at Hydro-1, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So let's have some context here. The executive salaries... I can get up and down. I'm still healthy enough. Finish, please. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The executive salaries at Hydro-1 make about 0.1% of their total budget, Mr. Speaker. So even if the member opposite cut these salaries in half, that wouldn't take one cent off of a single customer's bill, Mr. Speaker. And that just shows, Mr. Speaker, they have absolutely no plan and no idea on what to do in the electricity sector, Mr. Speaker. Our 25% reduction on average will make sure we help every small business, family, and farmer. Thank you. New question to the leaders of the third party. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. The Sunshine List was released on Friday, and there was one very notable company name that was not on it, and that was Hydro-1. We know that the Hydro-1 CEO's salary, the Hydro-1 CEO rather, raked in a salary of $4.5 million in 2016. A 500% increase from the last time the CEO's salary appeared on the Sunshine List. Can the Premier tell Ontarians why her priority seems to be protecting the salaries and anonymity of the people at the top instead of regular Ontario families and businesses that are struggling just to get by? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, my priority is to make sure that everyone in this province gets relief on their Hydro bills, Mr. Speaker. 25% reductions pay electricity bills in their homes. Relief for those small mom-and-pop shots on main streets and communities, Mr. Speaker. Relief for farmers. We recognize that there are people across the province who need that relief, Mr. Speaker, which is exactly why we're putting a plan in place that actually will reduce people's electricity bills. Mr. Speaker, people will see those reductions come the summer, and that is in direct response to people's concerns about their ability to pay their electricity bills. Mr. Speaker, by privatizing Hydro 1, Premier Wynn ensured three things, that those at the top can make massive salaries, that the rest of us will pay massive electricity bills, and that she could throw a blanket of secrecy over the whole mess, Mr. Speaker. What does the Premier have to say to Ontarians who are struggling to keep up with their Hydro bills and are outraged by her continued insistence on selling off Hydro 1 while hiding how much top executives are being paid? Mr. Speaker, let me once again be very, very clear, and I know the Leader of the Third Party loves to conflate these issues, but changing the direction on the broadening the ownership of Hydro 1 would not take one cent off one electricity bill anywhere in this province, Mr. Speaker, as much as the Leader of the Third Case, Mr. Speaker, not one cent, not off one electricity bill. So, Mr. Speaker, we have brought forward a strategy, a plan that is going to take people's bills down, Mr. Speaker, 25% reduction across the province, Mr. Speaker, because we recognize that people need that support. The investments that we have made in the electricity system to make it clean, to make it reliable have a cost associated with them, Mr. Speaker. We are going to reduce people's bills on top of the 8% that people have already seen. Another 17%, Mr. Speaker, because we know that they need that support. Thank you. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, it is disgusting that while people are suffering and some can't even pay their hydro bills that we have executives at public utilities raking in millions this year, and the CEO of Hydro 1 made over $4 million. In Montreal, Bombardier, a private company, listened to public pressure and is holding off on massive pay increases for these top staff after hundreds of Quebecers rallied outside the company's headquarters. Here in Ontario, people are equally outraged by the planned pay hikes for Hydro 1's CEO, especially amid soaring hydro bills. Why won't the Premier do the right thing and rein in the salaries of the executives at Hydro 1? Mr. Speaker, let me just say again that I recognize that people across the province are struggling with their electricity bills, which is exactly why the Fair Hydro Plan will reduce people's electricity bills by 25%, Mr. Speaker. That is the context within which we are having this conversation. We have a plan that we have brought forward that will reduce people's bills substantially. In more rural and remote communities, Mr. Speaker, people will see a reduction of 40% to 50%. So we know that people need that support. We know that they need those reductions, Mr. Speaker. At the same time, the broadening the ownership of Hydro 1 is directly related to our ability to invest in infrastructure, Mr. Speaker. Transit and transportation infrastructure that the leader of the third party does not support, but which is necessary to the well-being of this province, Mr. Speaker. We're going to continue on that path. Hydro 1 has found $60 million in efficiencies, Mr. Speaker. They are a better-run company, and people will see reductions on their electricity bills this summer. New question, the leader of the third party. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The problem the Premier has is that nobody believes her anymore. Nobody believes anything this Premier says anymore. The wind, Mr. Speaker. It's not just in the energy sector. It's healthcare, too. Six of the top 10 highest-paid public employees in 2016 were hospital CEOs. Healthcare dollars should make it to bedside, Mr. Speaker. Not stop at the corner offices. Ontarians need healthcare that they can count on, and they won't get it if the Premier continues to allow these exorbitant salaries while also allowing hospital hydro bills to soar. When will she finally put patients' needs first? Stop her ridiculous, unwanted sell-off of Hydro 1 and cap CEO, hospital CEO salaries so that public money actually goes to patient care. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Minister of Health and Long-term Care. Minister of Health, Long-term Care. And I think all of us appreciate in the first instance that hospitals are independent corporations, but we expect them, as we do across government, that when they make decisions with regards to allocation of public funds, they take into consideration the opportunity and responsibility to allocate as much as possible towards frontline care, that high quality of care that they provide. It's no different than in our hospitals, Mr. Speaker. And so that's why I'm particularly proud that we also, as a government, passed the Public Sector and MPP Accountability and Transparency Act. It sets out certain parameters, Mr. Speaker, and expectations that we do have, but we need to recognize that we need to provide our hospitals with the ability as independent corporations to be able to manage their affairs so that they are able to truly provide the highest quality of care and allocate resources responsibly to that effect. Thank you, supplementary. Mr. Speaker, the Sunshine List also grew yet again this year, but because of her wrong-headed decision to sell off Hydro One, the salaries of the executives are hidden from the public. Thanks to the Premier's meddling, we don't have any idea how much public money was spent on salaries at Hydro One. How can the Premier claim to care about the mess that she's created in our public hydro system if she won't even open the books at Hydro One? What is this Premier afraid of, Speaker? Minister? Minister of Energy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know, as the Premier have said, our government strongly believes in ensuring that public salaries are fair to employees, but also reasonable, Mr. Speaker, to the public purse. And when it comes to Hydro One, Mr. Speaker, and OPG, following the process that's laid out in our government's framework, OPG sought appropriate comparators set for compensation at a level that is restrained but competitive for that industry, Mr. Speaker. And I understand the salaries at OPG can seem surprising. It is important to remember some key facts, Mr. Speaker, that these are experts, technical, nuclear experts, and we want these operators in our plants to be the best in the world, Mr. Speaker. And so the most recent compensation frameworks for OPG's nuclear leadership team reflect performance initiatives paid out only, Mr. Speaker, if the company attains certain goals during refurbishment, which, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to say right now is ahead of schedule and under budget, Mr. Speaker, because of the dynamic team that we have at OPG. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. No supplementary. Mr. Speaker, only a liberal cabinet minister would say million-dollar salaries are restraint. Only a liberal cabinet minister would have the gall to say that. The sunshine list this year reminds Ontarians that this premier and her government are only out for themselves and those at the top. She's refused to disclose salaries at Hydro One, even though the government has yet to finish its sell-off. She's allowing millions to be funneled to top hospital executives while Ontarians get less and less frontline health care. Will the premier wake up and realize that the people of Ontario need a leader who will fight for them, not just allow those at the top to rake in millions while protected by a veil of secrecy that she has thrown over her unpopular decisions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And again, we recognize that we brought forward a framework, Mr. Speaker, to help keep salaries restrained, Mr. Speaker, and talking about Hydro One, Mr. Speaker, in that time, since we've brought in the ownership of Hydro One, Mr. Speaker, they have become a better-run company, Mr. Speaker. They sure have. It's providing better service and better value both to its customers and to the province, Mr. Speaker. Just a few of the customer initiatives they've taken out in the last few months, Mr. Speaker, introduced a more active customer communication, calling customers directly with issues, of course introducing a voluntary ban on winter disconnections, giving customers choice with their billing cycles, Mr. Speaker, helping them to manage their bills better, introducing e-billing, Mr. Speaker, and are working towards mobile billing, ending the practice of security for customers, Mr. Speaker. And last year, Mr. Speaker, that executive group saved $60 million. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Last week, during public hearings of the government's medical assistance and dying bill, we heard from several conscientious objecting doctors concerned they'll be forced to participate in medical assistance in dying of a care coordination service that allow patients to seek medical assistance in dying themselves. Mr. Speaker, with the introduction of this service, can the minister guarantee that the conscious rights of all physicians will be protected and no doctor in Ontario will be forced to make an effective referral? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm very pleased to receive this question this morning as we proceed through the various legislative components, ultimately, hopefully, with the passage of the bill responsible for medical assistance in dying, Mr. Speaker. And I have said many times here in the legislature and also publicly outside of the legislature my deep respect, profound respect for those anyone, let alone those healthcare professionals who do for reasons of conscience have made that decision that they do not want to participate in medical assistance in dying. I respect that. The federal legislation, the provincial legislation that's proposed in no way requires them or ask them to participate in medical assistance in dying. And in the supplementary I'm happy to speak to two other measures that we have and will be putting in place which will provide additional support. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back to the minister's concerns about access to medical assistance in dying, but the policies in British Columbia and Alberta that don't require doctors to make referrals have shown that conscious rights protections are not a barrier to access. If the current policy is upheld and doctors are forced to make effective referrals to medical assistance in dying, many fear they have no other choice but to leave the profession all together. Mr. Speaker, if doctors are forced to make effective referrals, how many doctors will be forced to stop practicing and how many more patients in Ontario become orphaned? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Shortly after the federal legislation became law, in this province we created a clinician referral service where any healthcare professional can contact that service which is run through the Ministry of Health to identify practitioners who are prepared to provide advice, do an assessment and a number of them also will be provided if required and requested to provide medical assistance in dying. We also have committed publicly and we are close. I would say next month, perhaps even at the end of this month, we will have in place a care coordination service which is available to any Ontario including patients, loved ones, caregivers to directly interact with healthcare professionals to seek advice in order to secure that pathway to pursue medical assistance in dying. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the Premier. In 2015, then Energy Minister Bob Shirelli promised that the privatization of Hydro-1 wouldn't drive up Hydro rates. In fact, he said and I will quote Hydro-1 will now be an even stronger performing customer service focused company. Please carry on. And any efficiencies created can be passed on to customers to help reduce rates. While late last Friday Hydro-1 filed its distribution rate application for 2018 to 2022. Instead of reducing rates, as promised Hydro-1 wants a 6.5% rate increase next year. It will increase by 20% by 2022. We are finally 80% of Ontario. Thank you. Premier, Minister of Energy. Thank you. Very pleased to rise and address this, Mr. Speaker. So let's remember something important here too, Mr. Speaker. Our government is lowering bills by 25% on average for households as many as half a million small businesses and farms starting this summer, Mr. Speaker. It's the single largest reduction in the province's history with rates of inflation for the next four years, Mr. Speaker. We will achieve this reduction no matter the outcome of this application, Mr. Speaker. In fact, Hydro-1's rural customers will be seeing even greater reductions from our fair hydro plan, Mr. Speaker. We're expanding the support for these customers facing the highest delivery costs in the province, Mr. Speaker, including Hydro-1's rural customers. As a result, some of these Ontarians as large as 40 to 50% on their bills, Mr. Speaker. These are truly substantial savings and the fair hydro plan, Mr. Speaker, will work for all. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 2015, the Premier's privatizations are, Ed Clark said, quote, private sector discipline would mean lower rates for Hydro-1 customers. Private sector discipline means that Hydro-1 CEO's now six times what the previous CEO had been earning paid for by ratepayers. Private sector discipline means that Hydro-1 is fighting to keep the benefits of a $2.6 billion tax cut that would normally benefit ratepayers. And now private sector discipline means a 20% increase for Hydro-1. So Ontario families can pay more profits to private investors. Ontario ratepayers can't afford any more private sector discipline. Will the Premier stop or short-sighted sell off of Hydro-1 and return it to public ownership? Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again. You see it, please? You see it, please? Thank you, Mr. Energy. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Again, the OEB our judicial regulator that they will review this application and is in the past, Mr. Speaker. They have denied applications. They have decreased applications, Mr. Speaker. And of course, we're not going to prejudge where they're going to go with this, Mr. Speaker, unlike the opposition. When it comes to Hydro-1, Mr. Speaker, as mentioned, $60 million in savings that do benefit and go back to the ratepayers, Mr. Speaker. Unlike what the opposition is saying, Mr. Speaker. Again, better run company, Mr. Speaker. Moving forward. Introducing that. Member from Hamilton, East Tony Creek. Come to order. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, introducing a voluntary ban on winter disconnections, Mr. Speaker. Giving customers choice with billing cycles. Helping them better manage their bills, Mr. Speaker. And let's not forget, Mr. Speaker, with the Fair Hydro Plan, a 40 to 50% reduction for Hydro-1, R-1, and R-2 customers, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, you've been responsible for small business. By contrast to what the opposition has been telling the public, the facts show that small businesses in Ontario are continuing to thrive under the Government's watch. Ontario has created 700,000 new jobs since the recession, and the unemployment rate has dropped to 6.4% the lowest in eight years. In the first three quarters of 2016, But sadly, we've heard the Opposition talking down Ontario's economy rather than promoting all the advantages our province has to offer from our highly educated workforce, clean air, clean water, renewed roads, bridges and transit, and our nation-leading healthcare system. On this side of the House, Speaker, we understand the important contributions small businesses make in the province. Speaker, could the Minister please update this House on the status of small businesses in Ontario? Is the Minister responsible for small businesses? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member from Kitchener Centre for the question this morning. Interesting enough, Mr. Speaker, our daughter today was in Kitchener over the weekend checking out Laurier University as a possible destination for her school this fall. And she said, Dad, I want to pass on to you. Make sure you tell the member from Kitchener Centre that things are booming at Kitchener these days. Things are booming. And let me say with over 500,000 small and medium-sized enterprises in Ontario, SCMs make up 99.7% of all business and province of Ontario. And this is appropriate to the Kitchener area. Between 2012 and 2014, 69% of SCMs in Ontario reported increased average yearly growth in sales through our Eastern Ontario Development Fund and Southwestern Ontario Development Fund. Over 200 projects, 35,000 jobs, more than $1.7 billion in investment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I'd like to thank the Minister for his response, and should his daughter choose to attend Wilfred Laurier University, we would welcome her with open arms. Speaker, we know that development funds are having a major impact across the province in helping owners grow their businesses, and we've certainly seen this in Kitchener Centre. But, Speaker, business owners must deal with a number of input costs and pressures when trying to manage their bottom line. Recently, the cost of electricity has been of particular concern. There's no doubt that the investments that we've made in cleaning up and improving our electricity grid put serious pressure on small businesses as it did for households. The government has taken action to help Ontarians across the province with the cost of electricity through the Fair Hydro Plan. We know that this is going to help not only households but small businesses as well. Speaker, could the Minister please clarify how the Fair Hydro Plan is going to impact small businesses in the province? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank the member for that question, and our plan to lower bills across the province by 25% will help every single household, but it will also help half a million small businesses and farms. The Premier has recently had the opportunity to visit many of these businesses, Mr. Speaker. Businesses like the Bookshelf and Guelph, which owns both a bookstore and a restaurant in the same building, Mr. Speaker. This bookstore and restaurant will be saving about more than, Mr. Speaker, more than $1,000 a month under our plan, or as you'll find cheese and chocolate located near Berry, Mr. Speaker, they will save as much as $350 a month during the summer. So, Speaker, this is a business in the leader of the opposition's own riding. Ontarians are beginning to wonder, Mr. Speaker, will the opposition be supporting our plan to lower rates for homes and businesses, or will they simply continue to throw mud and offer no creditable plan on their own, Mr. Speaker? I have a question. The member from Helmhurt and Forty-Four Lakes Rock. My question is to the Minister of Rural Affairs and Small Business. I'm sure the member heard about the closure of Rowland's Steakhouse, a local institution in the Peterborough area. Rowland's has operated for 60 years. The restaurant was a popular fixture in the community and was a contributor to the local economy. And do you know what finally drove them to close their doors? The outrageous hydro cost resulting from this government's misguided policies. So the owner of Rowland's shared his hydro bills with me, and after seeing them, I'm not surprised why he was forced to shut down. Rising hydro costs are hurting the rural economy in our area. And the government's poor excuse of a relief plan will do little to undo more than a decade of runaway increases. So my question to the Minister is, how much longer will he stand by watching successful rural businesses like Rowland's close as a result of the government's mismanagement of the hydro? Mr. Speaker, I really want to thank the question from the member of Helmhurt and Cortholex Brock, but there's another story to Rowland's, and the Mayor of Peterborough, Daryl Bennett, on his Coach and Coach cable show on Friday, set the record straight. The fact of the matter is, the owners, who I know very well, were offered a substantial amount of money for to buy the property for the commercial development. The mayor was very clear. The mayor was very clear. This was strictly a commercial development. The owner was offered a substantial amount. I know the area very well. It's a stone's throw from my house in Peterborough. There's going to be a substantial commercial development. The other thing that played into us, Peterborough is very fortunate that a cake franchise came to Peterborough because they have confidence in the Peterborough area. Hobart set up a steakhouse in downtown Peterborough. That's the other story of this, and the Mayor of Peterborough set the record straight. We're not talking about some abstract idea here. This is a real business, real job. Minister of Aboriginal Reconciliation, come to our door, please. Last January, the owner paid over $2,000 for hydro. This past January, his bill had jumped to over $4,000. That's double in just one year, after all this, after spending $23,000 replacing all of his lightings with efficient LEDs. Right after I ask him to stop, he says it again, so the Minister of Municipal Affairs' second time. I'm not amused by everyone who decides to disrupt the house. Please finish. Mr. Speaker, with the trend in hydro going upward, things were only going to get worse for Rowan's. In the owner's own words, he saw no chance for survival. There you go. So again, when will the Minister take the concerns of rural businesses seriously and ensure that they are not driven out by the consequences of your government's decision? Start the clock. Minister. Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. I do appreciate the supplementary from the member from Hallowork, Northlake-Sproc. But I would strongly suggest that I will organize. Member from Renfrew, Nipissing, Pembroke, second time. Finish, please. Mr. Speaker, I would volunteer to organize a viewing. You'll get the tape from Kojiko, his worship, Mayor Daryl Bennett, the Mayor of Peterbroke, and he will provide. Member from Simcoe Gray, come to order. Member from Nipien-Carlton, come to order. And the member from Leeds-Granville, come to order. Have wrap-up sentence, please. Well, Mr. Speaker, if the folks opposite are questioning the veracity of the Mayor of Peterbroke, I'll certainly get my heart about this today. And in fact... They are. That's it. A member from London West. Speaker, Ontario Medical Students are here today to lobby MPPs about mental health. And one of their top priorities is to reduce wait times for services. I commend these students for their advocacy, and I listened to the Premier as she talked to them this morning. I was struck by the contradiction between what she said to the students and what is happening in London, where her government is refusing to approve an innovative partnership between the hospital, the EMS, and the Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Centre to get non-acute patients much quicker access to service while reducing ER wait times. If the Premier is serious about reducing mental health wait times, why is she not finding a way to allow our London pilot project to proceed so we can start helping people now? Thank you. Mr. Health Volunteer. Mr. Health Volunteer. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. So it is accurate that since last fall, the Middlesex London Emergency Medical Services approached and sought support from the Ministry of Health for review and decision on this suggestion for a pilot program for a diversion protocol. Because the crisis centre is not a designated hospital, that would have solved the problem had they decided to come under the auspices of London Health Sciences Centre. But in fact, in March of this year, after extensive discussions, including with my ministry and the Lynn and the proponents and the crisis centre themselves, the crisis centre opted not to pursue that site designation. So as a result, we're left, Mr. Speaker, with a situation where there are two acts, the Ambulance Act and the Health Insurance Act. And the Ambulance Act looks at patient care standards. The Health Insurance Act looks at what is an insured service and I'm happy in the supplementary to go into the challenges there, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. And though my constituent Angela Cameron Jolly was forced to wait seven days on a hallway stretcher in the mental health ER, this weekend Londoners were appalled to learn the details of Angela's experience in the pages of the London Free Press. They were ashamed of a broken system that treats mental health patients so callously. I received an email that sums up how Londoners are feeling and it reads, I am horrified that this is our reality. To the elected officials, we owe our friends, neighbours and family better than this. We owe Angela and all the others so much more. A solution seems possible in having Ambulance able to transfer to the crisis centre. It is worth trying on a temporary basis. Let's get this done. Does the Premier agree that Angela deserves an apology and will she approve the pilot project now? Thank you. So Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by acknowledging our medical students who are here with us today and particularly their focus on mental health. I think that with the investments the province is making, but they know better than anyone just how important this is to their practice but also to the patients, the clients that they're trying to support. We're working hard with all of the proponents. I would suggest to the member opposite that she join that process and work with me instead. If she wants to continue to raise this, this is the fourth time in the legislature, I actually, and I think most colleagues around this legislature know, I actually work hard with my colleagues to find solutions. I'm confident that we will find a solution in this case, but it is challenging because there are two acts. I'm not prepared to break the law, but at the same time, and there's a meeting actually taking place this week between the ministry and all of the partners involved. I'm confident, together with the support from the minister beside the member from the House, I recognize how important it is for our province to have a comprehensive transit and transportation network. To have that network, we need to have good roads. Our roads help the economy thrive and they connect us to one another. Speaker, it isn't just about our provincial highways. We need to have good roads. Our roads help the economy thrive and they connect us to one another. Speaker, it isn't just about our provincial highways. If the people don't have a way to get onto our highways, they don't serve much purpose. In Barrie, we have Highway 26, which is classified as a connecting link, because it connects people in my community to a number of our provincial highways, the closest being Highway 400. Speaker, I know that the minister of transportation recently made an announcement about our government's commitment to these vital roads. Would the minister please provide the members of this House with more information on his recent connecting links announcement? Thanks very much, Speaker. Of course, I want to begin by thanking the member from Barrie for her question and for being such a strong advocate for her community, Speaker. I was pleased, actually, just a few days ago on Friday to be in Sault Ste. Marie, Speaker, to announce that municipalities are receiving funding through the 2017-2018 Provincial Connecting Links program. This year, Speaker, we had $25 million in funding available that we are using to support 19 projects right across the province, and this speaker includes nearly $45,000 for the rehabilitation of Bayfield Street from Coulter Street to Cundle Street on Highway 26 and the member from Barrie's community, Speaker. Our government is investing in these roads because we understand how vital they are to communities across Ontario. Speaker, we especially know how important these roads are to small, rural and northern Ontario, and that's why the majority of funding is going towards connecting links in those communities. And our government will continue to make the investments that both our municipal partners and our residents depend on and deserve. Thank you very much. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for his answer. I know that this is welcome news in my community of Barrie and that the funding will help make for a much smoother ride on Highway 26. Speaker, I remember when our government announced in the 2015 budget that we were introducing the new Connecting Links program. And I also remember back in 2016 when the Premier announced the program would be growing. It was clear to our municipal partners, including my community of Barrie, that they have heard loud and clear when they said that the funding available for OCIF wasn't enough. That's right. The communities are very pleased that the government is taking strong action. Would the Minister please let the members of this House know what our government is doing now to make this important program even better? Thanks very much, Speaker. I thank the member from Barrie for the follow-up question. She is absolutely correct. Both the new Connecting Links program and our commitment to growing the program came in response to what we are hearing from our municipal partners. And while we listen, Speaker, the parties opposite chose to ignore those voices when they voted against the new program in the 2015 budget and the additional funding in the 2016 budget. We've now heard again from municipalities who are excited about the program and are excited about the fact that the amount of funding for Connecting Links continues to grow up to $30 million for the 2018-2019 year, Speaker. But we've also heard about concerns about what the projects are actually eligible to support. And that's why this past Friday in Sault Ste. Marie, I also announced that we'll be updating the program guide to allow for even more projects to be eligible, including road widening, Speaker. And while I was in Sault Ste. Marie, we announced that that community will receive $2.3 million from this program for this year, Speaker. I'm excited to see the great work that we are doing, Speaker. And we'll keep you updated. Thank you. New question from the member from here on Bruce. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. The Ontario Peacockus has been calling for drive clean to be scrapped for over six years. It is a program that has long outlived its usefulness and has a burden on drivers in this province. This program has been always designed to be temporary, Mr. Speaker. It's time to take drive clean to the scrapyard. Will the Liberals finally cancel this burdensome and expensive program? Can you see the environment and climate change? What's the environment and climate change? Oh, that's so ungreen party over there, Mr. Speaker. It's so frustrating some days. Drive clean every year keeps several hundred thousand cars that don't meet standards off the road. You know, Mr. Speaker, I was just in Quebec with my colleague, David Hurtel. And what was I asked by car dealers and by the people in Quebec? Can you convince the government of Quebec to introduce drive clean? Why did they ask that, Mr. Speaker? Because Quebec is at risk of becoming the beater capital of Canada, because it doesn't have regulations. We have no interest in Ontario and having Ontario become the beater capital of Canada, which is what the opposition would like to see, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, so it continues. This is why Ontario has lost trust in this government. I actually thought that member or opposite would comment on his idea that drive clean is free, but that is simply not true. You know, they spin so often, but we need to make it clear right here today that instead of the driver paying for this outdated program, now everyone pays because the fee has simply been shifted to the taxpayer. Speaker, drivers and non-drivers are now paying for this redundant program that is simply liberal virtue signalling, as we just saw. The fact is there is already a 95% pass rate here in Ontario and BC has phased out their program years ago. Speaker, it's time for drive clean to ride off into the sunset. Will the Liberals finally cancel the program today? Mr. Speaker, if we cancelled the program, we would have hundreds of thousands of vehicles on the road causing problems with air quality. Mr. Speaker, what we did do... Stop that. I think I know why he's not looking at me. The member from Niagara West, Glenbrook, come to order. Finish, please. Thanks, Mr. Speaker. In 2014 alone, 185,000 vehicles were retired or had to be upgraded. Mr. Speaker, people aren't paying for it, and it's actually being paid from two major sources. The surplus is being used to cover the cost, Mr. Speaker. And we're using... Okay, I'll do it. Remember from a rent from Nipissing, Glenbrook is worn. Finish, please. Thank you. And Mr. Speaker, the other thing, we're using new technology called... Remember from here on, Bruce... ...people can soon be able to report in virtually, Mr. Speaker, saving a new trip which will save huge amounts of money, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. Thank you. No question. Member for Parkdale High Park. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Last month, over 30 community and non-profit housing organizations from across Ontario wrote to the Minister of Housing with concerns about his new inclusionary zoning regulations. They fear that the government plans to force municipalities to pay developers for each unit of affordable housing created under inclusionary zoning. They correctly point out that such a measure would prevent municipalities from passing inclusionary zoning bylaws. Will the Minister assure us that the rumors are not true and that the new inclusionary zoning regulations will encourage municipalities to pass bylaws and not discourage them? Minister of Housing. Thank you, Minister of Housing. Well, thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the member for that really important question. You know, Speaker, we understand the growing concerns throughout the GTHA regarding the booming housing market and the impact it's having on affordable housing in this region. We understand that many families need that peace of mind, that they will be able to find an affordable house, so they'll have that stability. It's why our government is focused on increasing the supply of affordable housing, Speaker. In fact, this past winter, the government passed the Promoting Affordable Housing Act, which sets up the enabling framework for inclusionary zoning in Ontario. We're continuing to work to put inclusionary zoning into practice in communities across Ontario, Speaker, and we're focused on partnerships. We continue to talk to municipalities and the private sector, Speaker, to finalize the regulatory framework that will guide the implementation. Great. Thank you, Speaker. Again, back to the Premier. These housing organizations, along with the NDP, have been seeking inclusionary zoning legislation for years. I tabled the first inclusionary zoning bill back in 2009. The government resisted inclusionary zoning for years, even as affordable housing weightless grew and provincial housing budgets shrank. But last year, the government finally seemed to say yes to inclusionary zoning. It would be an enormous betrayal if the government introduced a poison pill that would make it harder for municipalities to pass inclusionary zoning bylaws. Will the Minister assure Ontarians who need affordable housing that no such poison pill will be in his new inclusionary zoning regulation? Thank you. Will he assure us? You see it, please? You see it, please? Thank you. Minister? Well, thank you for that follow-up, Mr. Speaker. The, what I will assure the member, and I really, I'm a bit stymied because I think the member opposite should be absolutely ecstatic given that the third party has pushed for inclusionary zoning legislation for many, many years. It's here, Mr. Speaker. We need to get it right. What we need to do, Mr. Speaker, is to make sure that everyone involved in putting affordable housing in place has a seat at the table and we get the formula right. That's what we're doing, Mr. Speaker. We're taking the amount of time that it takes to get this right so that municipalities and builders and affordable housing providers are comfortable with this new legislation. Thank you. New question? A member from Ottawa's House. Thank you very much, Speaker. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development. This past fall, the member from Brampton West introduced a private members motion to declare this week Ontario's official colleges week. This was not only a celebration of the accomplishments of colleges but a recognition of an important milestone. Fifty years ago, then Minister for Education, Bill Davis pioneered Ontario's system of colleges and of applied arts and technology. Speaker, we know that colleges are leaders when it comes to partnerships with business and industry and that they are parts of the economic fabric of communities across the province. I know this is true of Algonquin College and City College All in my riding of Ottawa South. My question for the Minister is what is our government doing to mark the milestone of 50 years of Ontario's college system? Account Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development. Well, thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member from Ottawa Center for this really important question. Speaker, earlier this morning, I was at George Brown College and delighted to announce that we'll be honoring this historic 50th anniversary milestone by making a one-time capital investment of $50 million for our colleges. Speaker, this investment will support colleges and undertaking initiatives that enhance student learning, such as the purchase of specialized software for teaching, new lab and shop equipment and technology to modernize existing classrooms and labs and other projects as well. Speaker, from the very beginning, colleges were designed to give recent high school graduates an alternative to university and facilitate retraining to those who are looking to take on new challenges, allowing people to take readily from one job to another. With our rapidly changing economy, Speaker, this flexibility, this nimbleness is a really important part of our college system. Thank you, and thank you to the minister for her answer. Over the 50 years since their inception, more than 2 million students have graduated from Ontario's colleges. Ontario's colleges have incredible capacity and scope. They are key drivers in all different sectors of our economy. Former Premier Bill Davis had a vision of a college system that would fill the need for skilled graduates who are ready to take on the complex challenges our province would face. Speaker, can the minister tell us more about how that vision has been achieved and how colleges have grown and changed since the system was established more than half a century ago? Great question. Thank you, minister. Speaker, we are so grateful for the foresight of Premier Davis. In fact, he plans to be here this afternoon to help us celebrate this occasion. We have come a long way in 50 years, speaker. Today, Ontario's 24 colleges offer hundreds of programs in areas including robotics and advanced automation, commercial beekeeping, brewmaster, dental hygienist, and doula studies, speaker. In fact, there are more than 900 college programs offered in our colleges. Their breadth and variety touch on almost every area of our day-to-day lives. They've been vital partners to our government in providing opportunities for underrepresented groups and giving them a high quality and meaningful education. Their commitment to expanding access has been enormously valuable as we transform OSAP to be more generous, more transparent, and more progressive. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to our colleges. We know the next 50 will bring even more exciting opportunities in Ontario. No question to the member from Bruce Gray-Own Sound. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is the education minister. Ontarians want you to stop blaming everybody else for the massive school closures and process under your watch. The chair of the Blue Water Justice School Board has called on you to be honest and come clean on who's really to blame for the school closures. That would be you, minister. Will you take responsibility and save our schools and our communities for the moratorium so you can fix the funding formula that your government promised in the previous two elections? I remember that. Thank you, Speaker. And, you know, Speaker, ensuring that Ontario students have the best education possible is the priority of this government. And the members on this side of the House, Mr. Speaker. And, you know, I've actually spoke to the chair of the Blue Water Justice School Board. And we have talked in common cause of what is in the best interest of the local school boards and ensuring that when school boards do have to make very difficult decisions that they are well supported in that. So ensuring that they get meaningful input from all sides of the community is critical. But, Mr. Speaker, having an arbitrary moratorium, even the chair of the school board says that that is a bad idea, that that is not going to solve anything. Because there are times when school boards do need to make those decisions when a change is required. And if there are innovative solutions that can be found, that is exactly what we expect the school boards to be doing together with the local municipalities and with their communities to provide the best education possible for all of Ontario's students. Thank you. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, back to the education. Well, if he's so in touch with you, why don't you write this article on the local paper asking you to be honest and to come and claim? It's a little awkward. It links to suggestion and collaboration. Mark Dale and Paisley have both given you partnership and money to fill the gaps left by your broken school funding for you. And Mark Dale, a single community school, Chapman's Ice Streams committed millions of dollars as have dealt with company and the municipality of Gray Highlands. And Paisley, a single school committee, local councils also offering you money along with Bruce Powers projecting growth related to the refurbishment. This is partnership and collaboration. So, minister, will you be a promise breaker or a collaborator? Here, here. Here we go. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Speaker. I am so delighted to talk about how we are collaborating with our school board. Minister. Mr. Speaker, how we are collaborating with Ontario's 72 school boards right across this province to ensure that we provide students with the best education possible including in the member opposite's own riding. Where, Mr. Speaker, since... The member from Bruce Gray Owen Sound is worn. Finish, please. Where, in fact, since 2003, we've opened 10 new schools in the member... Well, we don't have to do it. The member from Bruce Gray Owen Sound is named. And I would advise people not to be helpful. There are no deferred votes. This house stands recessed until 1 p.m. this afternoon.