 Therefore, it is time for Question Period, the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. Serious concerns have arisen regarding great Canadian gaming, the company that is the government's hand-picked choice to operate the Woodbine Casino. It is alleged that organized crime funneled questionable money through a BC casino operated by great Canadian gaming. Gamblers allegedly, this is unbelievable, brought in hockey bags stuffed with apparent drug money to be washed through the casino. This has led to a large-scale investigation. The Premier has said she's paying close attention to it. That's not good enough, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is the government not concerned about getting into business with a company that there's an ongoing investigation underway? Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and I know that the Minister of Finance will want to comment. So, Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that the procurement decision was made by the OLG. The Government of Ontario was not involved, and that the great Canadian gaming company is not part of the BC review, nor are they under any criminal investigation, Mr. Speaker. The OLG, as I said this morning, has anti-money laundering provisions in place for all gaming sites throughout the province and is in compliance with all federal anti-money laundering rules. The AGCO and OLG conducted rigorous background checks on great Canadian gaming as part of the procurement process, Mr. Speaker. And I know that the Minister of Finance has already been in touch with OLG, and as I said earlier to the media, Mr. Speaker, we are paying very close attention to this because of what has happened in British Columbia. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary, the member from Nipissing. Thank you, and good morning, Speaker, back to the Premier. These allegations are exactly why this casino deal must be halted immediately. The fact the government isn't concerned about these allegations is shocking. When the casino contract was awarded, the Minister told reporters he was, quote, extremely excited about the deal. But once charges were announced, the Minister said he was not involved and unaware. If the Finance Minister didn't know about it, then he's in dereliction of his duty. If he did know, then why did he tell the media he wasn't aware? Speaker, we need to get to the bottom of this. Did the Minister know his hand-picked casino operator is linked to a money laundering investigation? Thank you. Mr. Finance. Mr. Finance. Mr. Speaker, it's obvious that the members opposite are doing everything they can to deflect. To deflect the fact that they don't have a plan, they have no idea as to where they're going, and they're now discussing their arguments with a term alleged, Mr. Speaker. Let me be clear. The integrity of this process is of the utmost importance. The understanding and my understanding is that great Canadian gaming is not under investigation. The opposition allegations are misinformed and ignore the facts. Both Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and the OLG conducted rigorous background checks as part of the procurement process in the selection of the service provider. The OLG has strict anti-mundry laundering programs in place which are compliant with the federal anti-mundry laundering rules. The AGCO has also performed extensive and independent due diligence into current and past business practices and conduct before registering the gaming operator. Final supplementary. In your internal government documents reveal a $500 million money laundering investigation in BC. We read about, quote, suspicions of terrorist financing, possible organized crime connections, hockey duffel bags full of cash, tens of millions of dollars and $20 bills. Who does that? The RCMP investigation goes back to 2015. They said there was about $220 million laundered in BC in one year alone. How can this have all happened under the minister's nose? We need to get to the bottom of this. Speaker to the Premier, what did the finance minister know and when did he know it? Again, let me be clear. It's my understanding that the great Canadian is not under investigation. We have and the AGCO and the BC regulators are in contact and they have been throughout the process, Mr. Speaker. But the member opposite is making allegations and now inferring criminal activity by a public company. I'll leave him to live with that fact, Mr. Speaker. But we on this side of the house have a process in place, a procurement that is fair and transparent. It has to follow due diligence before it proceeds to where it goes, Mr. Speaker. And I recognize that the member opposite is trying to spin and provide some indication of blame. But what we need to do is be fair in the process and let the process do its due course. Thank you. Thank you. New question, the leader of the opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. We are now in the third week of a province-wide college strike. For three weeks, students have been left in flux. Not sure if they're semester, if they're year, if their time in education is going to be lost because of this strike. Mr. Speaker, we can't gamble with our students' education. So Mr. Speaker, my question to the Premier. Minister of Infrastructure. Despite the fact this has gone on now for three weeks. The member from Renfrew. Why is there no urgency to this? Why has the Premier done nothing to get both sides back to the table? Mr. Speaker, I absolutely am concerned about this, Mr. Speaker. We want to see students back in the classroom. Both the minister and I have an expectation, Mr. Speaker, that both sides will find a way to get back to the table, that that's where the agreement needs to be, Mr. Speaker. And it is certainly my intention, Mr. Speaker, that no student would lose their term because of this, Mr. Speaker. The minister is in conversation with parties, Mr. Speaker. We are encouraging both sides to get back to the table, but Mr. Speaker, the agreement needs to be forged at the table and that's why both sides need to get back to the table and get that agreement signed. Thank you, supplementary. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier. The Premier says she's concerned, but she's done nothing for three weeks to get both sides back to the table. We need more than concern. This strike has been called anxiety-inducing for many students needing to complete their semester. And just for the Premier to appreciate the urgency of this, let me share a story from Morgana Sampson, President of the Fanshawe Student Union and what she told the media that students in trade and apprenticeship programs are at particular risk. Those students rely on employment insurance while in school, but that funding has been halted during the college strike. Sampson said they are left without a job, without schooling and without funding to live off. A very precarious situation. Mr. Speaker, why isn't the Premier doing more? Saying you're concerned is not enough. I want to know what the Premier is going to do to get both sides back to the table immediately. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by saying this is a very troubling strike situation. We are very concerned about it. Sherwood would love to know the plan they have, Speaker, to get both sides together. I have been meeting with... Member from Whitby, Oshawa will come to order. I've been standing for a few seconds now, and the Minister of Economic Development and Growth come to order. A refresher, when I stand, you stop everything. Finish, please. Speaker, both the Premier and I are very strongly encouraging the talks to get back in action. We want to play that game. I'll win. We're going to warnings. Carry on. Speaker, we have been very clear. We want to get both sides back to the table. That's where the solution will be found. In the meantime, I'm meeting with several student groups, including Morgana Simpson at Fanshawe College, and we're making sure... Member from Dover and Caledon is warned. Carry on. We're making sure that students have the information they need to get through the strike, Speaker. This is a very difficult situation. We are hoping it will be resolved soon. If I knew the person would be warned. Supplementary. Final supplementary. Thanks, Speaker. Back to the Premier. But I have to say, as a former part-time instructor in the college system, I have to give this government answer a failing grade to date. Colleges are trying to reassure students that there's a plan in place to save the semester. However, Opsu states the plan hasn't been shared with faculty. In fact, they say there hasn't been any consultation at all about saving the semester. And that's certainly not reassuring to anyone involved. So, Mr. Speaker, can the Premier explain why there have been no consultations to save the semester? And if there is a plan, can she share it with us today? These students deserve that peace of mind. Thank you. Well, Speaker, every college is working on contingency plans and the ministry is involved in contingency plans for those in apprenticeship program, Speaker. I was pleased to see that Morgana was quoted on the meeting that we had. She said it went extremely well. It was very productive. Now that we've had these meetings, we're sure the government is looking out for us. That is a student leader speaking about what this government is doing to support students through this process. Thank you. The next question is from Hamilton Malden. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The question is for the Premier. On Tuesday, October 3rd, the Minister of Health told this House in response to my colleague's question about severe hospital overcrowding that the NDP was fear mongering for partisan political reasons. On Thursday, October 5th, Hamiltonian Jim Sanford was lying on an ambulance stretcher in an inside a packed ER crying in pain for more than four hours before the paramedics gave him pain medication. No one from the hospital was available. Does the Premier still think that shining a light on hospital overcrowding is fear mongering? Mr. Health, long-term care. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I'm certainly happy to look into that specific occurrence. It is the obligation of all of us in the health care system to provide the highest quality care. But with regards to Hamilton, that's precisely why in terms of capacity challenges because of a growing population and an aging, more complex population, that's precisely why we're increasing the number of acute care beds by 54 in Hamilton alone, Mr. Speaker, and there's an additional bed of additional acute inpatient beds should Hamilton or that entire Linn require them as we go into the flu season, Mr. Speaker. It's important to recognize that the majority of hospitals in this province do not have capacity challenges, but where they do exist, we are making the necessary investments to make sure that the beds are available. Supplementary. Back to the Premier. Jim's family describes his time at the hospital in Hamilton as chaotic. Jim was a cancer patient. He fell at home and was brought to Jerevinsky after the hospital closer to his home was too full to accept him. The four hours he spent in the overcrowded ER saw him go from smiling and waving to no longer being able to speak. The ER was so overcrowded that Jim's stretcher was parked barely inside the ER sliding door which opened every time he moved. His decline in the ER while waiting for medical care was so fast and stark that medical staff told his family he could die and soon. Jim's widow told the media an emergency is an emergency. It shouldn't be waiting forever. Why doesn't this Premier agree? Well, Mr. Speaker, I'm sorry that this individual had the health care experience that he did at Jerevinsky Hospital in Hamilton. It is a great regional cancer centre providing excellent cancer care to Ontarians, Mr. Speaker, and we have a great cancer care system in this province. It's not perfect. Just like we have great hospitals across this province they're not always perfect. I'm happy to look into the instance of this specific occurrence, Mr. Speaker but that's why we're making the investments that we are. We're making those investments in cancer care so that on a global level we have one of the best cancer care systems in the entire world. In terms of outcomes we have some of the best cancer outcomes with regards to survival in the entire world, Mr. Speaker. That doesn't mean that unfortunate incidents such as this may happen. I'm happy to look into this. Thank you. Final supplementary. I wish the minister would listen to my question. How about the care in Jerevinsky for cancer patients? When Jim was finally admitted into the ER it was into a curtained off section that his family said was no better than the hallway. It was so crowded it just felt stifling said Jim's daughter. After another three hours Jim's family became desperate just to get him out of the ER before he died there. Jim wanted to spend his last few days with his family in his home. Instead he spent hours in an overcrowded ER in pain while his family frantically tried to move him somewhere more private. Jim died four days after this ER visit. His family doesn't blame the paramedics or the hospital staff. They point the finger directly at province-wide hospital overcrowding who left hospitals with more patients than beds. What does the premier say to Jim's family today? Mr. Speaker of course I'm very sorry and disturbed by the untimely death of this individual and my heart and sorrow goes out to his family and his friends and loved ones Mr. Speaker that when it comes to hospital overcrowding that's precisely why we made this investment that we did to keep up with those specific hospitals where they're seeing an increased volume in their ERs because we have a growing and an aging population and just like the member opposite seemed not to support our investment in the former Finch site, the former Humber River hospital site to bring more patients out of hospital to open up hospital beds I'm still not sure if she supports or doesn't support our investment in the future but I think it's a great 1200 new acute care beds in hospitals across this province including at the Jurovinsky site New question to the member from Nicobel Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the premier the premier and her minister of health offered Ontario hospital a temporary Band-Aid solution to the ongoing overcrowding due of the problem the temporary bed she announced are not nearly enough to reverse the damage from years of cuts and freeze under the premier and her Liberal government for example in North Bay regional health centre they have been forced to lay off over 400 frontline care workers and they often will have to warn the community about bed shortage they call it bed crisis days the premier is to give North Bay 8 temporary beds does she really think that this is enough to reverse the damage of years of underfunding by this Liberal government Mr. Speaker I know the minister of health and long-term care is going to want to speak to the specifics but just let me say Mr. Speaker that there have been years of increases to the health care budget in this province under this government every single year funding has gone up across the system Mr. Speaker the reality is Mr. Speaker that there are system challenges that need to be addressed and it was interesting on the weekend Mr. Speaker I had the opportunity to spend substantial time with Senator Bernie Sanders from the states Mr. Speaker and we were tour in Toronto Mr. Speaker and it was a great opportunity to have a conversation about what's really working here with the Ontario and our universally accessible publicly funded health care system Mr. Speaker and where there are challenges but one of the things that really is working Mr. Speaker we are able to plan we are able to look at where the gaps are and find solutions to those problems Mr. Speaker supplementary thank you Speaker the Sue area hospital used the phrase the Sue area hospital used the word it was a very validated effort to find extra beds for patients in January of this year the hospital scrapped cold burgundy altogether not because of the overcriding crisis had gone better but because it had become meaningless they were calling it each and every day the Sue area hospital has the second highest occupancy rate of any hospital 21% occupancy. The Premier has offered Sault Ste. Marie Hospital eight temporary beds to solve this crisis. How can the Premier and the Minister of Health be so out of touch with the challenges faced by Sault Ste. Marie Hospital? After providing the Sault Hospital with an increase of over $6 million this year in their operating budget, which represents, by the way, I think it's the highest in the province, a 4.93% increase to their operating budget this year, we did allocate additional acute inpatient beds as we did for North Bay as the member herself has just referenced. Mr. Speaker, it's important when we look at the Northeast Linn as well there's an additional set aside of as yet allocated an additional 31 beds that will be allocated by hospitals and concert with the Northeast Linn and Mr. Speaker, well in the coming weeks ahead, so we can specifically target those beds where they're needed most and we can also prudently allocate them in response to what we anticipate being a severe flu season. Thank you, Speaker. Health Sciences North in my hometown of Sudbury has been offered 16 temporary beds to address the overcrowding and holy medicine crisis. Every single day, Speaker, Health Sciences North is forced to house 30 to 35 sick patients in hallway, TV room and anywhere else they can find. The 16 temporary bed offer don't even address the shortage faced by Health Sciences North right now. Never mind when flu season hits. How does the Premier expect this 16 beds to solve the ongoing overcrowding crisis that she has helped create in our hospitals? Thank you, Minister. Well, Mr. Speaker, we are allocating additional acute inpatient beds across this province, 1200 of them. In addition to that, we're creating approximately 600 transitional spaces to provide specialized care for people that no longer need to be in hospital and 200 affordable housing specifically for seniors. But what we won't do, Mr. Speaker, I can only imagine if we took the advice of the NDP when they were in power and they closed 24% of all the acute beds across this province, 13% of the mental health beds across this province for a total of 9,600 bed closures, Mr. Speaker, doing a short period of time when they were in power. Answer? I'm going to take their approach, let alone their minister of cuts that would have taken additionally $500 million out of healthcare and education. I can't imagine. Good morning, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. This weekend, the headline read, quote, a tale of duplicity or ineptitude. And no, Mr. Speaker, this was not the title of a new book recapping the last 14 years of the Liberal government. It wasn't even the news story about Bill Morneau. It was a national post headline regarding the last latest testimony in the gas plant trials. The article stated that 21 minutes after Laura Miller responded, quote, I have no records to a freedom of information request about the gas plants. It is alleged that Laura Miller's life partner, Peter Feist, tried to wipe her desktop computer clean. Mr. Speaker, that is 21 minutes. Is this the new gold standard for what constitutes open and transparent government with this Liberal party? Attorney General? Attorney General? I think, thank you very much, Speaker. I think the member opposite very well knows. And I think she's been, all members know the rules quite well that when issues before the course, we don't discuss those issues in the matter. So I'm glad that she's reading her national post on Saturday mornings and can read those headlines back to us. But I think she very well knows, Speaker, that there's a life case that is going on as we speak, and we should respect that process. And the legislature is not the place to discuss the evidence that is before the course. Thank you. Supplementary. What's troubling for people on this side of the House and the people of Ontario is that it was very clear that those that testified before the Justice Committee in the last Parliament didn't necessarily have respect for this assembly. And whether it's hockey bags full of money or deleted emails, Pete's project is back on the stand today in a courtroom down the street. We learned, quote, at one point during the process of clearing the hard drives, FICE emailed Miller to say, quote, things aren't going well, may have to wipe them. She replied, uh-oh. So Mr. Speaker, uh-oh, with the history and track record of this government, how can we be sure there aren't any more uh-ohs happening right now in that government? Attorney General. You know, I'm not surprised that a party without any substantive plan is the one who's going to ask questions like these and try to just read some bits and pieces from a newspaper article, Speaker, and not respect our legal process. Speaker, on this side of the House, we have utmost respect for our court processes. We have utmost respect for our judiciary, Speaker, and we have the utmost respect for the rules. And that is why our government has been focused, Speaker, in making sure that we introduce more accountability and transparency by making sure that we have a directive sent to all political staff, that we have mandatory training programs, Speaker. We have appointed chiefs of staffs who are accountable for record creeping, and we have improved archiving requirements not to mention, Speaker, we have passed the Accountability Act, which prohibits the willful deletion of records and creates a penalty for doing so. That's the record of this government. Speaker, we're proud of that. Thank you. New question. The member from Parkdale High Park. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. According to statistics published by the Ministry of Transportation, the number of deaths caused by distracted walking did not increase at all between 1993 and 2012. This means there's little or no evidence that the advent of cell phones has led to an increase in deaths due to distracted walking. However, these MTO statistics show that deaths due to distracted driving nearly tripled during this same time. The OPP says distracted driving now causes more deaths than impaired driving or speeding. So why is the government contemplating a bill that treats distracted walking as the problem and not distracted driving? Thank you for transportation. Thanks very much, Speaker. I think the member from Parkdale High Park knows that this is a private member's bill that she's alluding to that I anticipate will be brought forward at some point to the legislature. On the larger topic that was contained or embedded in her question, I think she knows that on this side of the House, our Premier and our government have moved forward aggressively in targeting distracted driving and impaired driving, Speaker, and a whole host of other initiatives that we've undertaken through two pieces of legislation, Bill 31 and Bill 65, that have passed here over the last couple of years. Just a few weeks ago, the Premier announced, and I announced as well with the Premier, that we're going forward with additional proposals to toughen some of these sanctions, Speaker. For the last 16 consecutive years, the province of Ontario has ranked first or second across North America for road safety. But, Speaker, we know that our work is not done. It's why the ministry is focused exclusively on making sure that we have the toughest penalties for those behaviors that are not acceptable, Speaker, and we're going to keep working hard to make sure that we get it right. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question back to the Premier, I'm sure that the Minister of Transportation was very well aware of this private member's bill coming forward and in fact vetted it. Last week, the group Friends and Family for Safe Streets organized a vigil at Toronto City Hall to remember the 54 people who have died this year alone from traffic violence. There was also a ghost bike ride for David Delos Santos, who was killed by a truck driver after dropping off his daughter at school. He did nothing wrong. Drivers who commit offenses that seriously injure or kill vulnerable road users face no meaningful consequences. They can simply mail in a check. Instead of bills that blame victims, will the government pass my bill 168, the Protecting Vulnerable Road Users Act, and take real action to protect pedestrian, cyclist, seniors and children who share our streets? Thanks very much, Speaker. So I'm going to do my best to give the member from Hyde Park the benefit of the doubt speaker. I know that she is an advocate for making sure that we also work collectively and collaboratively to protect our most vulnerable road users, but that member also knows that just a few days ago, we announced as a government that we'd be moving forward with a number of legislative proposals that will be introduced later this year, Speaker, that would also include in them the toughest penalty if passed, the toughest penalty in the Highway Traffic Act, the careless driving causing bodily harm or death on the road speaker that would contain up to a $50,000 fine if convicted and also no more than two years in jail. Again, the toughest penalty in the Highway Traffic Act if passed. In addition, Speaker, we continue to have crackdowns on distracted driving, impaired driving, both alcohol and drug impaired driving, Speaker. We continue to drive home the message that we have to protect our most vulnerable road users. It's why we pass Bill 65, Speaker, with respect to safety in school zones and community safety zones. It's why we're working closely with the OPP and other Speaker. Thank you. New question? A member from the Ajax Pickering. Question is to the Minister of Economic Development and Growth. We know the Minister has been a tireless advocate for the establishment of Rouge National Urban Park for nearly 30 years. He's planted trees there endlessly alongside some of our other caucus members and many supporters of the park, protecting green spaces in one of Canada's most populated and culturally diverse metropolitan area. The Greater Toronto area is no easy task, but it's one of the great importance to our government. We have been leaders in establishing and expanding protected areas. Part of the green belt oak ridges, marine and the Niagara escarpment to name a few. Mr. Speaker, we continue to work together with municipalities to ensure that our cities and towns grow sustainably. Everyone can enjoy the natural beauty of our province to hike, bike, swim, paddle and even camp. Minister, a week ago you were at the Niagara Memorial Park to make an important announcement. Could you please give us and provide us more information about this great news? Thank you. Thank you. Minister of Economic Development and Growth. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member and all the members from the legislature that attended that really emotional event that we had about a week or so ago. Public representatives from all three levels of government were there, Indigenous leaders, staff from Parks Canada, as well as advocates and community groups and environmental groups that have worked on this matter for almost 30 years. Mr. Speaker, indeed this is rather personal to me because I was a staffer here 30 years ago when I began working on this issue. So I want to thank the Premier, my colleague, the Minister of Infrastructure for allowing me to carry this file over the finish line. It really was an honor for me to be there a week Saturday to make this announcement that indeed we are transferring 1600 acres of environmentally sensitive lands to Parks Canada so that future generations will enjoy this natural oasis in the middle of our city. Mr. Speaker, supplementary. Thank you, Minister, for that information and once again for being such a strong champion of this park and ensuring the condition for ecological integrity was met. I know it's a tough fight, but it was worth to see the incredibly diverse natural area receives the strongest protection. Mr. Speaker, it's my understanding that the park is now close to 80 square kilometers, which is 23 times bigger than Central Park in New York and 50 times bigger than High Park in Toronto. The park now links Lake Ontario to the Oak Ridge's Moraine and it is Canada's first ever national urban park. The Canadian and Ontario governments, Indigenous peoples, environmental groups and farmers all work together to make the most of a rare opportunity to protect precious green space to the edge of the country's biggest city for generations to come. Mr. Speaker, there are so many exciting things for us to do in the Rouge. What is the best way for individuals and families to enjoy the park and learn about its many treasures? Thank you, Minister. To the Minister of Education, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased to rise in the House and to talk about the Rouge National Urban Park and I want to say thank you to the member from Oak Ridge's Markham as well as the member from Scarborough Center who was there as this park was being transferred to the federal government in terms of the final details. Mr. Speaker, Elder Sue who was there said that Rouge Park has retained its splendor and indeed it has and the students at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus have developed the Rouge app, La Rouge Mr. Speaker. This app developed by entrepreneurs who are part of a program called The Hub which is an incubator Mr. Speaker that's developing innovative programs have really developed a remarkable system to navigate the park and to really explore its splendor and Mr. Speaker I would encourage all members of the House to download this app and to visit the Rouge National Urban Park and thank you so much to the member for Scarborough Scarborough Center. Thank you. I have to remind the Minister of Education when I stand you sit. I don't need a parrot. No question. The member from Leeds, Grenville. Thanks so much. My question is to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Speaker, my constituents find it outrageous that environmental approvals from two decades ago could be used to open a mega dump on the ED19 site. Much has changed in 20 years including legislation actually protecting the environment. Minister, you recently received three expert reports from the Canadian Environmental Law Association documenting changes to site conditions. The township of Edwardsburg Cardinal has declared itself an unwilling host. Speaker, the Minister's predecessor committed in writing that a change in circumstances or new information that wasn't presented at the time of approval would allow for reconsideration. Speaker, the Minister now has both. Will he commit to revoking those stale data approvals or sending this matter to the Environmental Review Tribunal? Thank you. The Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Well, thank you, Speaker. You know, Speaker, our Minister's priority, Ministry's priority, is to divert as much waste from landfill as we possibly can. You know, and I can say that through our waste diversion efforts, we're keeping about three million tons of waste out of landfills every year. But, you know, we recognize, Speaker, that solutions need to be put in place for waste that can't be diverted. You know, I can say that currently this group is required to undertake consultation and studies in order to determine if the project can be done in a way that is protective of both the environment and of human health. You know, the proposal will be subjected to a number of ongoing assessments and review, and the organization will need to continue to consult with the public and all stakeholders. Thank you. Supplementary. Back to the Minister. Speaker, a dump has never opened in Ontario with such outdated approvals. It's unprecedented and hardly the legacy this Minister or this Premier would want. And remember, they were granted for a municipally operated landfill for waste from Leeds and Grenville, not a private mega dump for garbage from across Ontario. The Minister has also heard from the Mohawk Council of Aquasocene, who were never consulted. Grand Chief Benedict wrote to remind the Minister of his constitutional duty, upheld by the courts, to consult First Nations on such matters. Speaker, there are many compelling and, frankly, constitutional reasons for this Minister to get off the sidelines. Will he use his authority to scrap those historic approvals and guarantee no landfill activity at ED19 without a full environmental assessment? Thank you, Minister. Well, Speaker, I go back to the fact that there is a need across Ontario for places to put landfill, places to locate dumps, for those things that can't be diverted away and reused. Speaker, just a while ago, my predecessor introduced a bill around the circular economy because it's built on the adage that one person's garbage is another person's treasure. That's key to moving forward. The circular economy will make sure that as little material as possible ends up as waste in landfills. We are committed to building a greener Ontario. That's why we have the Waste-Free Ontario Act. Through this act, Speaker, we'll be saving municipal money. Thank you. New question to the member from Toronto, Dan Forth. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the Premier. Last week's release of the Premier's long delayed long-term energy plan confirmed what the NDP has been saying since March. The Premier is forcing ratepayers to take out a massive payday loan to artificially and temporarily lower bills before the election. After the election, the bills of Ontario families will rise even higher and faster because they have to pay back an extra $40 billion in interest and principal. But even I was surprised by the sharp rise in hydro rates for industrial consumers, which the Premier have excluded from her $40 billion borrowing scheme. Will the Premier explain why, under her plan, northern industrial hydro rates will rise almost 40% between 2019 and 2025? Thank you, Premier. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is important for us to continue to talk about the long-term energy plan, the fair hydro plan, and of course, Mr. Speaker, large industrial consumers. We recognize the importance of electricity prices for businesses, and this is reflected in many government programs that help businesses make electricity more affordable, such as the ICI program, Save on Energy for Business, Industrial Electricity Incentive, Mr. Speaker, the Northern Industrial Electricity Rate Program, and the Industrial Accelerator Program, just to name a few. As well, Mr. Speaker, the long-term energy plan, the 2017 long-term energy price plan, Outlook for Industrial Consumers, reflects average increase in line with inflation, Mr. Speaker, in line with inflation going through right until the end of this long-term energy plan, Mr. Speaker. So, you know what this plan is working for in our large industrials, and will continue to offer these programs to help to lower their rates even more. Thank you, Speaker, and again to the Premier. Under the Premier's hydro plan, rates for manufacturers, automakers, steel mills, and other large power consumers will rise by 30% in just six years. Northern industrial customers will be hit even harder. Their rates will rise almost 40%. Instead of getting private profits off hydro bills and bringing hydro one back under public ownership, the Premier is putting even higher burdens on Ontario's manufacturing sector and northern industries. Will the Premier tell us how many industrial jobs will be lost because of her privatization plan for our hydro system? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We're continuing to see job growth in our industry, Mr. Speaker, thanks to the leadership of the Minister of Economic Development and Growth, and the Premier, Mr. Speaker. We also have just said to him momentarily that the long-term energy plan price outlook for our large industry reflects an average increase in the line with inflation. It's also important to say, Mr. Speaker, that the electricity price for electricity or industrial electricity consumers in Ontario is lower than the average price in the Great Lake region, as reported, Mr. Speaker, by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Rates in Ontario remain competitive. A member from Prince Edward Hastings is warned. The Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation is warned. Any other smart alec remarks? Finish, please. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And let's be clear, rates in Ontario remain competitive with other Canadian and American jurisdictions, with prices in northern Ontario, in particular among the five most affordable jurisdictions on the continent, Mr. Speaker. And that's thanks to the Northern Ontario Industrial Electricity Rate Protection Program, Mr. Speaker, something that we continue to work with all of our northern industries on. Mr. Speaker, we're working for all consumers, large and small, in this province. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. New question, a member from Davenport. Thank you, Speaker. Recently, a number of women I know took to social media to share deeply personal stories of sexual harassment and violence with the hashtag me too. These two simple words have sparked more than 1.7 million tweets in 85 different countries. The sheer volume of these stories exposes just how widespread sexual harassment and sexual assault are in our society. Speaker, we know that if we do not talk about important issues like sexual violence and harassment, we will allow it to go unnoticed. We give way to silence and the status quo. Speaker, we know there was a very real stigma around reporting sexual violence and harassment, which prevents some survivors from coming forward. This campaign has opened a critical conversation. Can the Minister of the Status of Women share with us what she is doing to help keep this important conversation going? Minister of the Status of Women. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'd like to thank the member from Davenport for this very important question. Speaker, as the Minister of the Status of Women, it's my goal to do everything I can to ensure that women feel safe in this province. But, Speaker, the disturbing accounts of sexual harassment and assault sparked by hashtags like me too tell a different story. The reality is that women in our province, country and around the world are being harassed and assaulted every day. And these two simple words have become a rallying call to stand up to gender violence. Speaker, my colleague is right. We must change attitudes on this troubling issue. And I want the women of Ontario to know we are listening. We move forward with our groundbreaking It's Never Okay action plan to stop sexual violence and harassment to shed light on this serious issue. And our multimedia award-winning public education campaigns have sparked discussions. More work needs to be done and this government has a plan. I'll explain more in the supplementary. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister for her answer. And, Speaker, hashtags like me too have shone a light on how prevalent sexual violence and harassment are in our homes, workplaces and communities. And while the hashtag me too was about opening the conversation, the hashtag what now is a call to action. We know that racialized and indigenous women are even less likely to report instances of violence. Women are showing enormous courage and strength by speaking out. And we need to make sure they know we are listening. Speaker, can the minister please tell us what the government is doing to fight sexual violence and harassment in Ontario? Speaker, we know that campaigns like me too are exposing serious problems in our society. No question, gender-based violence is far too widespread and has a devastating impact on survivors and their families. And, Speaker, that's why we're working hard right now on the gender-based violence strategy that addresses sexual harassment and violence. Our overall gender-based violence strategy will connect work with a sexual violence and harassment action plan, ending violence against indigenous women, human trafficking initiatives, and update the domestic violence action plan. The strategy aims to stop domestic violence, improve supports to survivors, and strengthen the justice system's response. Speaker, my ministry, along with the Ministry of Community and Social Services, held engagement sessions with the help of trauma counsellors to hear directly from those with experience of gender-based violence. We listen to survivors and experts use their voices to inform the strategy and are releasing our next steps towards ending gender-based violence that will be included in our plan. My question is to the Minister of Infrastructure. In the Auditor General's 2016 report, the auditor raised serious concerns about the government spending taxpayer dollars on partisan ads. In the report, the auditor said the government's infrastructure ads were, quote, self-congratulatory and aimed at ensuring the government gets credit for its potential future spending. Your latest online infrastructure ad brags about projects in Toronto and Brampton. They are exactly what the auditor said should not be happening. I know the Minister of Energy has chosen to ignore the auditor, but will the Minister of Infrastructure listen to this independent officer of the Assembly and stop spending taxpayers' dollars on partisan ads? Okay, okay. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to direct the supplementary to the President of Treasury Board. Mr. Speaker, we're making the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario's history, an unprecedented $190 billion over 13 years. This investment is having positive life-changing impacts across the province. Whether it's a new school or a new hospital, people in Ontario have a right to know about the work we are doing to build better communities. And so we've started a highly localized public awareness campaign to shed light on how our historic investment will affect people in their everyday lives. Showcasing impactful projects is a measure of transparency that helps pull back the curtain on the specific details of our government's plan. As always, we are in full and complete compliance with the Government's Advertising Act, one of the most stringent in the entire country. Mr. Speaker, the people in Ottawa should know that we're making a $200 million extension to the Ottawa Heart Institute. That's important to them. Thank you. Supplementary. Did you even listen to the question? Ever since the government watered down the auditor's oversight of government advertising? That's not helpful. Might have cost you. Please. Ever since the government watered down the auditor's oversight of government advertising, the Liberals have been spending millions on partisan ads. Instead of raising awareness about fentanyl crisis or signs of human trafficking or child abuse, the government chooses to brag. The government isn't using these ads to help Ontarians. They're spending taxpayers' dollars to promote the Liberal Party. Will the Minister tell Ontarians how much of their money his ministry is wasting on these partisan ads? Yes, thank you very much. And, Speaker, I do need to point out that Ontario remains the only jurisdiction in Canada that actually has legislation banning partisan advertisers. We passed this historic legislation because we are against government using taxpayer dollars for partisan advertising. That was our position in 2004. And that is our position now. As part of the 2015 budget, we modernized the Government Advertising Act to give the auditor general oversight of additional areas of advertising, including digital advertising, transit advertising, and movie theater ads, something that the AG yourself had actually asked for. The legislation was also too amended to provide a clear definition of partisan advertising. Thank you. It's already stated, but stress-free. New question to the member from Welland. Questions to the Premier. Liberals have had 14 years to make changes to improve the lives of workers in this province. And yet now, in the final days of this government, it's clear what this Liberal government is willing to do does not go far enough. New Democrats' table amendments at second reading that ensure that every worker in this province would have the right to join a union in a straightforward process, not just a few preferred sectors. The Liberals voted against that. New Democrats' table amendments to give every Ontario the right to take three weeks vacation after one year, not after an unrealistic five years with the same employer. The Liberals voted against that. The New Democrats' amendments would have provided for five leave days paid for every worker in this province and ten days for victims of domestic violence. The Liberals voted against that. Why is that? Mr. Labour. Mr. Labour. Speaker, the public exercise of the company's Bill 148 has been very, very thorough, Speaker. We had the changing workplaces review. It took about two years, Speaker. We had two excellent advisors travel the province, talk to business, talk to workers, talk to organized labour, talk to a number of groups that have to do with the changing workplaces, with the way that workplaces have changed over the years. As a result of that, Speaker, we took that out after first reading because we knew we needed to get as much input as we possibly could on this issue. Speaker, we took the advice we received from labour, from business, from those people, from people that advocate for workers, Speaker, and we changed it, Speaker. We bought an amendment. Those amendments were voted for at the committee level, Speaker. It's been through debate in the House, Speaker. Again, it's been sent back to the committee. I'm pleased to report today, Speaker. It's going to the committee today. The public will have another chance to tell us what their concerns are, what they like with the Bill and what changes we should make. This has been a very extensive process, Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary. Well, thank you, Speaker. And I think the public has told us. Card check was the number one priority for everyone. Committee took $15 minimum wage two years ago. We tabled an amendment that would have actually seen servers and restaurants make the same money as security of other workers in this province by making the same minimum wage, not a two-tiered minimum wage. The Liberal government voted against this. How is that fair? Will this government, during this committee process, commit to the same minimum wage for liquor servers and restaurants and for young people? Thank you, Minister. Speaker, about 30% of the people in the province of Ontario will make less than $15 an hour. About half of those people, Speaker, are between the ages of 25 and 64. That's a year, Speaker, where you're trying to raise a family. It's where you're buying kids for the clothes, clothes for the kids, Speaker, and it's where you're trying to pay your rent, Speaker. It's those important years where you're trying to raise a family. What we've done as a result of this, Speaker, is we've brought in a suggestion that the minimum wage should go to $15 as of 2019, January 1, 2019. As I remember two years ago, we couldn't get the NDP to talk about the minimum wage, Speaker. I think a little history lessons involved it. Two paid sick days, Speaker. Three weeks vacation after five years of employment with the same employer. Equal pay for work and equal value, Speaker. If you're doing the same work as somebody you're standing next to, you should get paid the same. Remember from Kitchener, Waterloo's ward, you have one sentence. Hero's history. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Labor Minister of Ottawa, Vanier. People talk a lot about bill 148, and I also have questions about it. I think we know that the constituents are quite interested in the increase to a $15 minimum wage, increasing notice for employees in scheduling, equal pay for equal work, paid sick days for everyone, and changes to the unionization process. Now, the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs traveled to Ontario throughout the summer, but this was unusual because usually the committee work happens after second reading. Can the minister tell us again why the bill was referred to committee after first reading and how that decision impacted our plan to make a workplace fairer? Thank you, Minister of Labor. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the member from Ottawa, Vanier, for this excellent question, also for the advocacy she's brought to this bill. Speaker, when we bought in the act, as I was saying in the previous answer, when we bought it in, Speaker, we knew it was going to affect a lot of people in the province of Ontario. Speaker, we needed to get that input. We needed to get it from business. We needed to get it from labor, from poverty advocates. That's why we sent it out to the committee at the first chance we had, Speaker. First reading, it went out. That committee traveled to 10 cities across this province. They heard almost 200 presentations. They received approximately 1,000 written submissions, and they came from families, from workers, employers, labor unions, health professionals. Speaker, what we did is we took that information. We proposed amendments to reflect what the committee members had heard. They addressed some of the concerns of small business. They addressed some of the concerns of workers, but they maintained their protections that were in the act, Speaker. Speaker, we know bold steps are needed to support Ontario's workers and their families, and that is exactly what Bill 148 is doing. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Minister. I think for Ontario to see how the workplaces will become fairer after the bill passes. So one issue in particular that interests me is the need to expand job-protected leave for victims of domestic and sexual violence. So we know that it's important for victims to have the time and the support they need to actually deal with tremendously difficult circumstances. So I believe it's really the right decision to amend Bill 148 to establish a new separate leave for victims of domestic and sexual violence. Now that the second reading debate is complete, I look forward to hearing more about what we can do to further strengthen Bill 148. Can the minister please inform the House on what we can expect to see in the coming weeks? Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you again to the member from Ottawa Vanity Speaker. I'd hope to have the support of the whole House, but, Speaker, despite the opposition voting against our plan to make workplaces in Ontario fairer, I'm proud to Bill 148 pass second reading. It's being referred back to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affair, Speaker. And today actually marks, as I said, the beginning of the second round of public hearings where the committee will hear from over 50 groups, unions, business in the province. They'll be made by groups that really represent all walks of Ontario life. There's also the opportunity now, Speaker, for the public to send in some written submissions to the committee to make sure they're heard. Speaker, on the first go-around, the input we received from Ontarians really valuable, really helped to formulate some of the amendments. It helped inform our decisions. And so I look forward to doing exactly the same speaker with the input we received. We're not going to back down from this speaker. We're going to make it better. We're going to make Ontario's workplaces fairer. Thank you. New question to the member from Bruce Gray. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Energy. You have recently re-announced a commitment to refurbish our nuclear fleet and this is good news. We remain committed to this clean, baseload and effective form of energy. What we don't understand is why you continue to sign exorbitant green energy contracts. The reality is your government could have cancelled a number of contracts without penalty and which would have provided relief from the 300% plus rate increases which your government is solely responsible for. The total cost of your green energy experiment is going to cost $133 billion. If you had to put the people of Ontario first instead of your own partisan political needs and cancelled these contracts, it would have saved millions of dollars. Through you, Speaker, will the Minister answer to the people of Ontario why you didn't cancel those contracts when you had the chance and why you continue to sign more having had surplus power currently in our province? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I know the opposition doesn't have a plan at all for the energy sector, let alone anything to do with clean and reliable power for the province of Ontario. And I know the opposition leader said that he would actually tear up renewable contracts, Mr. Speaker. You know what that would do? That would expose us to $20 billion in lawsuits and costs and it signals to business that Ontario can't be trusted, Mr. Speaker. But let's look at what we've done with renewable power in this province. We now benefit from over 90% emissions-free electricity, Mr. Speaker. We are the envy of North America when it comes to the grid that we have. Clean energy initiatives have generated over 42,000 jobs at more than 30 solar and wind manufacturers across the province. And we also, Mr. Speaker, talked about looking at the LRP2 and suspending that contract because we are in a robust supply. But if you would look at the long-term energy plan, Mr. Speaker, you would see that a few years down the road we're not going to be in that robust supply and nuclear, Mr. Speaker. The refurb will continue to provide a lot of that green power for us. Thanks, Mr. Speaker. Back to the Minister of Energy. Mr. Speaker, this minister is clearly out of touch. It was government had to commit $133 billion to the refurbishment projects. Instead of playing politics, these projects would have been in progress, ensuring clean, base load, cost-effective power, while ensuring 60,000 well-paying direct and indirect jobs across our province. The completion of these projects would have actually resulted in lower energy costs, as opposed to the huge increases of 300% that have resulted during your 14 years. These rate increases are forcing closure of schools, cuts to hospitals and long-term care homes, and the hikes are leaving businesses and households in the dark and forcing hundreds of companies and jobs out of Ontario. Speaker, through you, will the minister be straight with the people in Ontario? Will you admit your sale of hydro one and the debt incurred by your recent unfair hydrack will result in higher rates in the future? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So let's be clear. The investments that are happening from this side of the House, Mr. Speaker, are endless. I never have enough time to talk about the billions of dollars that we're putting into transit, Mr. Speaker, into roads and infrastructure. We continue to build more and more on this side of the House, Mr. Speaker, because we're building Ontario up. When it comes to our renewable industry, Mr. Speaker, it is a success story. As I said before, we're home to 30 solar and wind manufacturers, including Helene and Sault Ste. Marie, CES Wind and Windsor, SILFAB Solar in Mississauga, Ontario trains wind power technicians and other experts in the renewable sector at Fanshawe College at St. Lawrence College and at St. Clair College. We also have an industry based in innovation, which we're exporting to other countries and jurisdictions looking to follow our lead on green energy policy. Loraxian and Oakville. Renewable energy strategy and knowledge to global markets. Solar, Wal-Mart. Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry on a point of order. Thank you, Speaker. I wanted to introduce, and the members of each East Gallery, two residents of Cambridge, Rich Rhys and Lynn LaPlante. Thank you for joining us today. I want to welcome members of staff from the Anishinaabe-Nuji Family Services who are joining us here in the Legislature. Welcome to the Legislature. Now the question period is over, pursuant to Standing Order 38A. The member from Leeds-Grenville has given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to his question given by the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change concerning ED-19 landfill site. Never too late to get a warning. This matter will be debated tomorrow at 6 p.m. There are no further there are no deferred votes. This House stands recess until 1 p.m. this afternoon.