 It is now time for oral questions, and I recognize the member for Tomiskaming Conference. My question is to the Acting Premier. In 2013, the Ministry of Health issued a policy statement directing emergency medical services, hospitals, and other stakeholders to work together to ensure that, and I quote, no patient with a life or limb-threatening condition shall be refused care," end of quote. In other words, when a patient is in danger of losing their life, they should always be able to transfer to the hospital that can provide the specialized care they need to save their lives. Can the Acting Premier tell us how many patients in a life or limb-threatening situation were unable to make that transfer over the last three years? Questions to the Deputy Premier. Well, I thank the member very much for the question. This is a very serious issue, and it isn't something that just happened overnight. This has been growing for years and years, as you will know, with 15 years with the previous government. We now have hallway health care. We now have hospitals that are operating at over 100% capacity. We are trying to deal with that. We made a commitment to the people of Ontario that we would end hallway health care. We are working on that right now. Some ambulances do have to be diverted to other locations. Unfortunately because of that, but we have a plan to eliminate hallway health care. We want to keep people out of hospitals in the first place. We want to make sure that we can in some cases divert them to other locations, because hospitals are not always the best place for patients to receive care. If it's life and limb, obviously yes, but not always depending on their situation. We want to integrate care to improve patient response. And of course we are going to improve capacity by investing $27 billion over 10 years to build new hospitals, but also to build up community care facilities as well. Much to supplement your question. With all due respect, when someone is in a life or limb threatening situation, a hospital is the place they need to be. A specialized hospital is the place. Yesterday the other general revealed that between 2016 and 2019, 748 patients in a life or limb threatening situation could not transfer to the hospital they needed to be in. Because the overcrowded hospital had no beds available to receive the patient. 10 of those patients died waiting for that transfer. Why are patients in life and limb threatening situations literally dying while they wait for spaces in overcrowded hospitals now? Of course patient safety is our utmost concern and any loss of a patient. Any patient death is one too many in a situation where it could perhaps have been avoided. But it is, the reality is, is that we inherited a situation where many hospitals in Ontario are currently operating at over 100% capacity. We recognize that and we have a plan to deal with that. But it's not a simple solution. There are many reasons that contribute to that. One is the fact that we don't have enough long-term care spaces. There are many patients who are alternate level of care who remain in hospital but don't need to be there. This is something that my colleague, the Minister of Long-Term Care, is working on very hard. We also know that many patients come back into hospital because of chronic mental health and addiction issues. They don't necessarily receive the care that they need in the hospital. So they go in and out of hospital emergency departments. That is why we are coming forward with our $3.8 billion over 10 years mental health and addiction plan. That should help ensure that people get the care that they need in the community. Third, we're working. Thank you. Thank you very much. The final supplementary. 10 patients died waiting for transfer to hospital that they desperately needed. Because the hospitals they needed to be in didn't have a bed available. In rural Ontario, we have small hospitals without specialized care. It's personal to me. In 1993, I had one of those accidents and they took me to Anglard Hospital and I woke up five hours later in Toronto-Western and that's the only reason I have any use of this arm. We know how important it is in rural Ontario. The Auditor General's report yesterday showed that under the Liberals, the availability of acute care hospital beds decreased. And the Financial Accountability Office confirmed that the foreign government's plan to cut $2.7 billion more healthcare funding. The Auditor's report confirms cuts to healthcare putting patients' lives at risk. Why does this government continue to make them? Minister? Well, thank you Mr. Speaker. It's necessary to paint the true picture of what is happening in healthcare. We are increasing our contributions to healthcare by $1.1 billion this year over last year. We know that we need to continue to work on reducing the overload in Ontario hospitals, created by the previous government. We have a plan to do that. We're working on that on many fronts. But we need to recognize and appreciate the work that's been done by the Auditor General and we have already started to work on this problem. Because as I said before, patient safety is our utmost concern at the Ministry of Health. Any patient death in a situation where it could have been avoided is one too many and it's something that we are going to continue to follow. The recommendations both of the Auditor and our own plan to reduce the number of patients receiving hallway healthcare and reduce the overcrowding. Response? Very much. Next question, the member for Toronto, Dan. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker to the Acting Premier. On Monday, the Premier told the legislature and I quote, We have an incredible policy moving forward to meet our target Paris Accord of 30%. We're well on our way. We're actually going to exceed that goal. The Premier was almost certainly briefed on yesterday's report by the Auditor General ahead of time. Why would he knowingly say something that was dazed from being completely and utterly refuted by the Auditor General? The Deputy Premier. The Minister of the Environment. And referred to the Ministry of the Environment Conservation Department. Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. And we on this side of the house appreciate the work of the Auditor General. We take her recommendations seriously and we are going to be working on it. But what she also did say, Mr. Speaker, that the focus of her recommendations as the provincial actions is needed to improve the existing plan as Ontario works towards reducing emissions. Mr. Speaker, we have an evolving plan going forward. We are listening to others as we change and infuse new technologies, new ideas towards achieving our targets. And Mr. Speaker, I'll tell the legislature right now. We will obtain our targets at 30% by 2030 in order to meet our agreement with the Paris Agreement. We are going to be making those changes. Make sure our modeling is what the Auditor General is working for. But Mr. Speaker, the member opposite has yet to have his party table a plan for climate change. I'm looking forward for them to bring forward a plan. We will work together with the party once they have ideas and see how we can work together to improve our. Thank you very much. A supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. Thanks to the Ford government, Ontario isn't just missing crucial targets for greenhouse gas reduction. It's clear they never had any intention of hitting them. One of the Premier's first acts in office was to go to court with electric vehicle makers. One of the first acts. And yet at least he spent $231 million tearing down wind farms and ripping up clean energy contracts. Yet the Ford government somehow managed to count both of these cancelled initiatives towards their greenhouse gas reduction goals. Was this incompetence or was this ignoring reality? Minister? Thank you again, member opposite for that question, Mr. Speaker. Listen, the Auditor General also said the climate change plan that was put out is an estimate of what the emissions are today and what will be the reductions. And we're saying that more work needs to be done to develop the ways in which emissions can be reduced further. Mr. Speaker, we moved out with an ambitious plan last November. We have listened to the Auditor General. This plan is going to evolve. It's going to change year to year. That is what's going to make us reach those reductions in targets. Mr. Speaker, we need to move away from the partisanship the members opposite like to play with the climate change issue. Work together to get our climate change. We're looking for ideas from the other side of the house. We're going to be touring the province and listening to the people across the province. We're going to continue to work with stakeholders, listening to the indigenous communities, working with the Green Party. We'd love to work with the NDP party, Mr. Speaker, because we want to take those targets. It's too late to wait for them to come up with a plan. We want action now. We're going to make sure it happens, Mr. Speaker. Final supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, the terrible reality, again to the Premier, terrible reality is that Ontario does not have a real plan to confront the climate crisis. Around the world, national leaders and everyday people are pushing governments to take action on the climate crisis. Around the world, every day, the stakes could not possibly be higher. And the Premier couldn't take them any less seriously. When is the Premier going to stop the cuts, stop attacking efforts to clean up our energy system, stop citing climate denial blogs, stop wasting money on stickers that don't stick in lawsuits that can't win, and put together an honest plan to tackle the climate emergency that we face? At the very least, when will he be able to hit the climate reduction targets that the government says they plan to hit? Minister. Well, Mr. Speaker, we will hit our climate change emissions targets by 2030, as we've said over and over. Mr. Speaker, one of the solutions we have out there is expanding transit in this province and building the $28 billion worth of transit in Toronto. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, the members opposite don't agree with that. They've been vocal against the building of the Ontario line. Those are clear solutions. We are moving towards 15% renewable content in our fuels. We have our Ontario emissions performance standards waiting for approval from the federal government. We have a green bond, $1.7 billion raised to go towards improving transit, not only here in Toronto, but in Ottawa, in Hamilton, in London, building new roads up in northern Ontario to get them around. We have a new advisory council on climate change to give us the best information so people become resilient and adapt to the changes in climate change that are happening today, Mr. Speaker. We're making sure that people can be protected. We want Ontario to be participatory in our climate change plan. They need to make the changes. We need to make changes. We're going to work together and get this deal done, Mr. Speaker. We will reach our 30%... Thank you. Start the clock. The next question is a member for Davenport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. This question is for the Premier. Mr. Speaker, schools are thankfully open again today after the first province-wide strike by education workers in 22 years. Those teachers and education workers were not alone. They were joined on the picket lines by parents, by students, and by community members. But, Mr. Speaker, Ontarians should not have to take to the streets to defend our schools from cuts. They shouldn't have to fight, tooth, and nail to make sure kids have the supports they need to learn. Will the Premier finally admit that his plan is hurting students and go back to the bargaining table with a serious offer that protects the quality of their education? Good question. The Deputy Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government unequivocally stands against escalation by teacher union leadership. We opposed it yesterday, and we oppose it in the coming days, given that they've been prepositioning the fact that they want to further escalate impacting our kids most. We want to be reasonable and focus on getting deals. We want a deal that keeps kids in class. We've lowered the classroom average from 28 to 25. We've reduced the online learning from four to two. But, Mr. Speaker, the insistence by the union is a $750 million increase from taxpayers. We're offering 1% they want, too. That $750 million speaker could pay for 7,500 new mental health workers. They could pay, Speaker, for 92 more schools being built in this province. And the bias of this government, the aggressive conservative team is to invest in our kids. That's what we're asking all parents to stand with this government against escalation and stand with us as we invest in the future of our province. Supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, it is beyond, beyond disappointing that this minister is still looking to cast blame anywhere but where it belongs with this Premier and this government. This minister possibly believed that he could cram students into overcrowded classrooms. Move them out of classrooms and into untested online courses and hand pink slips to 10,000 teachers without a fight. Speaker, they thought they could take a wrecking ball to our education system, divide teachers and parents and save money on the backs of our kids. Yesterday, Ontarians proved they are more united than ever against these cuts. Will the minister listen this time? Minister? Thank you very much, Speaker. Let me affirm to the families of this province we want children in class. We are prepared and working hard at the table through the media to get a deal. We are the political party working hard that got a deal with CUPI just a month ago with Labour in this province. We've made reasonable moves because I believe being reasonable must be reciprocated by all the parties at the table. What is unreasonable is a demand for another $750 million which could pay for 23,000 more childcare spaces which could heat every public school in this province for a year and a half. The priority of parents is for government to invest in their kids and that's what we stand with, with parents against escalation and for investments in their children. The next question is from Milton. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The media coverage of yesterday's one day strike by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation made it sound like it was all a test of will between the government and the union. The real story, Mr Speaker, was that across the province parents and students had their lives interrupted by this irresponsible strike. Mr Speaker, many parents in my riding have contacted me to voice their displeasure about the OSSTF's one day walkout. They're frustrated that despite our government's reasonable efforts at getting a deal, unions continue to escalate. Parents and students deserve a deal, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education can he share with the legislature what our government is doing to reach an agreement, Mr Speaker? Yes. Thank you very much, Speaker, for that question. It is not fair that the teachers union leadership has decided to escalate hurting our children particularly the most vulnerable kids kids with exceptionalities who were out of class yesterday and who may be out of class in the future should the teachers union decide to escalate further as they have preposition in the news. Mr Speaker, the government has been reasonable and focused on the investments of our kids. We've made a decision, Speaker, to move from a provincialised average of 28 to 25. We move for online learning from 4 to 2. We've made investments, the greatest investment ever noted in the history... Member for Davenport, come to order. ...by this progressive Conservative government. It is not fair that they're out of class but unions, Speaker, can't have it both ways. They cannot outright reject every proposal and bring no new innovative options since the first day of our negotiation. We're going to work hard in good faith to get a deal that keeps children in class. Supplementary question. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Thankfully, students are back in school this morning but many students and parents aren't in a forgiving mood towards OSTF for their irresponsible one-day strike. Today, the Halton District School Board's Human Rights Symposium on the Rights of the Child was supposed to take place, Mr Speaker. The Human Rights Symposium is an important learning initiative for the Board to bring educators and community partners together in a meaningful way. Unfortunately, the symposium was cancelled because of job action by the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario and the OSTF. Mr Speaker, could the Minister please share with the legislature how these unions are putting students, families and communities at a disadvantage due to their actions? Minister of Education Thank you very much, Speaker. Thank you to the member for Milton for the question. This one-day strike obviously created numerous headaches for families and parents in the province. We unequivocally called the union to seize from escalation. Teachers and students should be in class. When you hear of the example of the Halton Board cancelling a symposium because of this needless escalation it only underscores the point that, Mr Speaker, this is not about our students. It is increasingly about compensation and benefits at the table. The focus for this government is investing in our students. However, we've made it clear that we want to provide a fair increase of $750 million. Apparently, that is an unacceptable increase for the OSTF who has said we will potentially further escalate if we don't get a $1.5 billion increase in compensation and enumeration. It is disappointing that they've made these moves but, Speaker, we stand with parents against escalation. We're going to focus on keeping students in class. Next question, the member for London, Fanshawe. My question is to the Premier. The Auditor General's Report is the fourth this year that paints a grim picture of Ontario's long-term care system. Decades of chronic underfunding under the Liberals maintained by this Conservative Government has created a system so strapped for cash and so lacking in adequate resources and staffing that some long-term care homes have resorted to feeding residents, our loved ones, expired food. That is beyond egregious, Mr. Speaker. Can the Premier tell us why his government is still planning to cut $34 million in long-term care funding when homes are so fast-strapped, they are literally serving our residents and loved ones expired food. Deputy Premier? The Minister of Long-term Care. Refer to the Minister of Long-term Care. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you for that question. Our government is very, very pleased to receive the recommendations and observations from the Auditor General's Report on Food and Nutrition in Long-term Care Homes. We say in medicine, socialization, globalization and nutrition are absolutely key to healthy aging and the care for our seniors and elderly in long-term care. Each day, there are 234,000 meals served in our long-term care homes. That equates to a little bit less than 85 million meals every year in long-term care. That amounts to 0.01% of food-related to 1.01% of incidents related to the food and nutrition in homes. So this is a key part. We understand this. We're committing to creating a 21st century modern long-term care system that treats our residents with respect and dignity that they deserve. There are any suggestion that there are cuts in long-term care is inaccurate. Thank you. Supplementary questions? My question is back to the premier. Ontarians are getting tired of the government's predictable responses. The Auditor General made it clear that the government's current approach in our long-term care system is not working. The level of funding is simply not keeping up with the pace of demand. In fact, because of the lack of proper staffing, the Auditor General found that long-term care residents have made nearly 500 avoidable trips to the emergency room because they were dehydrated. The premier knows there's a simple solution to this. It begins with increased funding so that there's enough long-term care home staff to care for our residents and our loved ones. Can the premier explain why he spends three times more money to cancel green energy contracts than investing in our long-term care system? Thank you again to the member opposite for the question. Our government is absolutely committed to reviewing all the issues surrounding the problems in our long-term care sector. We've been meeting with our sector operators since the very beginning of a dedicated ministry for long-term care. We know the challenges inherent in the long-term care sector and I look back at the last 15 years and ask where was the government then? Where was the voice of the opposition then? We're dealing with the reality we're dealing with the reality we are dealing with the reality that is facing us and working in a collaborative way with our sector. We know this is absolutely critical. We've been hearing from them and we represent a government that is committed to making sure that long-term care sector is treated the way it needs to be treated with attention, due course process and respect and dignity for all residents. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and my questions for the Minister of Health. 7,000 Ontarians will have a heart attack this year and about 85% of those heart attacks occurs someplace other than home, either in a public space and we know that access to portable defibrillators AEDs or defibrillators administered within a few minutes of a heart attack increases life by 50%, their chances of survival by 50%. I was here this morning talking with representatives from CARE and the Heart and Stroke Foundation I'm introducing a private members bill this afternoon that will increase access, maintain train and establish a registry for AEDs in Ontario. In fact there are two private members bills that are already in front of the House that establish a registry and have other measures from the member from Eglinton Lawrence and the member from Nickel Belt and as well the member from Mississauga Streetsville introduced a motion saying we need to do better job of educating people with CPR and AEDs. Questions? So my question to the Minister of Health is does the government have a plan for AEDs in this province? Questions addressed to the Minister of Health. Well I thank the member very much for the question. You're absolutely right we use far too many Ontarians because of cardiac issues and problems. Time of course is of the essence when you're dealing with a 911 call from someone who's had such an event and despite the heroic efforts of our paramedics we know that it will take 8 to 10 minutes for them generally speaking to arrive. During that time any other events may have happened and without the CPR or a life saving shock from a defibrillator those lives may be lost. We want to make sure that we save as many Ontarians as possible and I know that there have been other efforts that the member from Eglinton Lawrence with Bill 141 the defibrillator registry and access act and the bill from the member from Nickel Belt Bill 140 a related bill I look forward to hearing what your bill has to say because there are lots of components that I believe that we can pull together to bring forward that comprehensive plan. The supplementary question. I thank the minister for that answer Mr. Speaker and the fact is our registry is going to save lives and it's something that we all know in this House members from free parties know this we have four measures before this House so it's a public health and public safety issue and we had a lot of momentum before 2010 on this issue and then it seemed to slow down so here's what I'm going to suggest we need to take action so can we bring forward the member from Eglinton Lawrence's Bill to committee can we do a thorough consultation on that and commit Mr. Speaker can the minister commit to doing that and to and to passing a piece of legislation by this time next year thank you very much Mr. Speaker Minister? Certainly I can commit to bringing this matter forward because it is a very important issue there's clearly all party support I hope that Mr. Shriner the member from the Green Party also agrees but I expect that he will because this is something that we will all have heard about from our constituents in our community offices it is something that we've heard from our important stakeholders heart and stroke association as well we want to save lives in Ontario and so I would be very happy to make a recommendation that that come forward to committee and that we hear input from all interested parties to develop a very strong system in Ontario for this registry and to make sure that we can work on other cardiac issues as well so thank you thank you the next question the member from Perth well good question last week our president of the Treasury Board announced an important fiscal accomplishment made by our government for 15 years Ontarians have put up with a government that has wasted their hard earned tax dollars with little attention placed on fiscal responsibility we were elected on the mandate to stop this irresponsible behaviour find efficiencies and restore fiscal balance to accomplish this our government introduced several smart initiatives making more services available online such as renewing driver's licenses vehicle registrations and vehicle registrations another example of our government's fiscal responsibility is placing restrictions on travel meals and hospitality expenditures for our public sector employees Mr. Speaker my question is for the president of the Treasury Board could the honourable member please explain how expenditure restrictions on travel meals and hospitality has benefited Ontario taxpayers President of the Treasury Board well thank you Mr. Speaker and I would like to thank the very hard working member from Perth Wellington for this question over there long way away let's be clear Mr. Speaker our government is leading by example that's why we introduced smarter expenditures for the public sector employees on discretionary spending in 2018 to ensure that taxpayers go out the door more effectively more efficiently and most importantly to the front lines and the front line workers of Ontario Mr. Speaker that's why unlike the Liberals this government has stopped catering cabinet and committee meetings which saved $77,000 Mr. Speaker but there's more I'm afraid to say that smarter spending on travel meals and hospitality resulted in 34% reduction across government representing $25 million in savings that means our government spent $9 million less on accommodations $7 million less on travel supplementary question thank you Mr. Speaker I'd like to thank the Minister for his response spending tax dollars smarter allows for more money to be directed towards front line services like health care and education one critical aspect of smarter and more responsible spending is the culture around it complicated rules use of outdated technologies and unclear instructions do not just burden public sector employees with unproductive tasks but impedes them from achieving savings Mr. Speaker my question goes back to the President of the Treasury Board could the Honourable Member please explain what has been done to build a stronger culture around responsible spending in our public sector again the President of the Treasury Board well I'd be happy to Mr. Speaker and as I was saying that means our government spent $9 million less on accommodations $7 million less on travel you would agree that that's a good thing and $2.5 million less on meals than under the previous Liberal government Mr. Speaker we owe it to Ontarians to continuously look for efficiencies and better ways to spend smarter and that's what we'll continue to do because these changes build on our government's commitment to foster a culture of physical responsibility that meaning enhancing accountability and oversight modernizing travel rules and practices and increasing clarity and alignment and examples of these updates include promotions of the digital processes such as allowing e-receipts what a concept to reduce costs and make it more efficient Mr. Speaker I would like to highlight that every dollar saved on hospitality bills is a dollar that can go to pay a hospital bill Thank you Mr. Speaker my questions to the Premier yes there's auditor general's report shows that years of liberal and now conservative governments turning their backs on health and safety comes at a terrible price for workers there were only 230 reported deaths from injury or work related illnesses in 2018 and that's an increase from the year before in fact the number of workplace deaths have been on the rise since 2014 there's been a 21% increase in industrial injuries when we should be seeing less this government quite frankly should be ashamed does the Premier believe it is acceptable that the number of workplace fatalities in Ontario is rising not declining Deputy Premier Deputy Minister of Labour for the Minister of Labour thank you very much and I commend the member opposite for this very important question Mr. Speaker I want to begin by thanking the auditor general for all of her work in preparing the report Minister of Labour training and skills development my number one priority is the health and safety of every worker in this province when people go to work during the day they deserve to come home safe at night Mr. Speaker I agree that while the auditor general said that Ontario's record is the best in the country there's always more that we can do as a government and as a province Mr. Speaker that's why we raised as a government the number of workplace inspections we are inspecting 79,000 workplaces every single year that's 1500 inspections every week Mr. Speaker that's 300 workplace inspections every single day thank you Mr. Speaker maybe the minister will listen to this one line only one the health and safety workplaces are inspected each year at the same time this government cut health and safety standards and resources for inspection there were 62,000 lost time injuries last year alone and we know a lot of these go unreported more shocking was there's nearly a 30% increase in injuries to health care workers to our nurses our PSWs who care for our loved ones each and every day Speaker no families have to go through the anguish that families like fair foods have caused Miranda and for other families injuries and deaths like that are preventable so again to the premier our province is getting more dangerous and quite frankly less safe workers are getting injured or killed why won't you admit your cuts hurt workers and actually roll back a plan or put out a plan that protects them so they can go home to their families Mr. Speaker again the number one priority of our ministry is to ensure that when people go to work in the morning they come home safely and healthy at night Mr. Speaker as minister one death one injury is one too many we want to highlight a number of the things that the auditor general brought forward in her report Mr. Speaker I quote compared to other Canadian jurisdictions Ontario's had the lowest lost time injury rates of any province in Canada since 2009 Mr. Speaker another quote Ontario has the lowest or second lowest lost time injury rates in construction health care in industrial sectors another quote of the record sampled inspectors confirm that employers corrected hazards 92% of the time Mr. Speaker we always know that there's more to do but I'll tell you Mr. Speaker what's shocking it's the member opposite the caucus opposite that voted last week against a bill called the Occupational Health and Safety Day Act thank you next question the member for Etobicole thank you Mr. Speaker and a little shout out to Gloria and Ole who are stuffing envelopes today Mr. Speaker my question is for the minister of government and consumer services as we all know the auditor general released her value for money audit for Ontarian even before this report it was clear that Terian is not doing nearly enough to protect Ontarians as we buy a new home many families in this province have struggled to get the support they need new home buyers in Etobicole and across this province would like to see this issue addressed Mr. Speaker while our government has committed to introducing legislation before the end of the year to bring changes to the new home warranty program in Ontario I'm sure the people of this province would be interested to know what actions have been taken to date Minister what is our government doing to ensure new home buyers are protected in our province Mr. Speaker thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I would like to thank the member for this very important question because it's important that Ontarians across this province know that our government has already taken decisive action so that Terian is more transparent and protections for consumers are strengthened but I can tell you Speaker this is just the beginning we've supported the establishment of a separate regulator for new home builders and vendors known as the Home Construction Regulatory Authority and in September we increased transparency at Terian by requiring for the very first time the public posting of board and executive compensation in October new measures were put in place to help educate and inform prospective buyers of pre-construction condominium projects these are just some of the changes that our government has made to ensure Terian is more transparent and that protections for consumers are strengthened thank you very much thank you Mr. Speaker and I want to thank the minister for that answer and I know the people in my riding of a Tobacco Lake shore will be very glad to hear that our government has already taken decisive action to right the wrongs of the previous Liberal government on this file our government must ensure that Ontarians can trust in their home warranty system buying a home is one of the largest significant investments that people make and as the member from Humber River Black Creek previously stated there was a complete lack of oversight over Terian from the previous Liberal Administration Mr. Speaker through you to the minister how is our government going to ensure that Terian is positioned to do its job and protect new home buyers in Ontario Minister for recognizing the decisive action we have already taken and we have done so Speaker because our government recognizes that Terian warranty corporation hasn't been doing nearly enough to protect new home buyers they haven't protected consumers and they left many home owners with considerable physical, mental and financial hardship at the end of October I expected recommendations accept it wholeheartedly recommendations from the Terian we are working to address these recommendations especially to introduce proper oversight just last week I ordered that Terian's board be reduced in size and that the board not represent one party more than another and since receiving my letter last week Terian CEO and board chair have stepped down to make way for a new leadership team that will be committed to implementing our new mandate focused on consumer protection very much next question the member for Essex thank you very much Speaker through you to the Deputy Premier Speaker yesterday the auditor general revealed that the Premier's anti-environment carbon tax ad campaign cost the people of Ontario $4 million Speaker that's $4 million public dollars that could have gone to repairing schools, building hospitals supporting frontline workers in those hospitals and even a novel idea of actually fighting climate change Speaker we suppose the Premier will just ask on Terian's to throw the sum on top of the $231 million tab of squandering public money on his regressive crusade against climate change how does the Premier justify wasting $4 million more dollars on these political ads? Deputy Premier thank you to the member opposite for that important question we have an obligation in this province as any government does to make the public aware of the issues of the day and obviously environment is a very important issue Mr. Speaker we put out ads throughout the year as any government would and we will continue to do that I would point out however Mr. Speaker that we spent the least amount of money in the last since 2005 on public advertising so we're being very wise Mr. Speaker we are being very wise how we're spending taxpayer money and that's what we'll continue to do Thank you very much Speaker with all due respect to the President of the Treasury Board only this Conservative government would pat themselves on the back for wasting half as much money as the Liberals did Speaker the auditor general was quite clear in her report this is an ad that would never have seen the light of day if the ban on partisan advertising was still in place it looks like the Premier's promise to respect the taxpayer is as empty as his plan for climate change if the Ford government isn't going to really deliver a serious plan for climate change can they at the very least not force the people of Ontario to pay for their blatantly partisan advertising President of the Treasury Board once again Mr. Speaker thank you again through you for that question Mr. Speaker it's important that members in this House have their earpieces on because I think this morning I just talked about how we saved 25 million dollars for years of travel and accommodation Mr. Speaker we cut telephone line lines and we saved 2.7 million dollars Mr. Speaker we ended March Madness so the practice of use it or lose it at the fiscal year end we saved 30 million dollars Mr. Speaker these are important numbers Mr. Speaker because we will continue to do that let me point out also in centralized procurement may not be the flashiest thing but systems procurement and supply chain management will save the taxpayer a minimum of 1 billion dollars within 5 years does he have a response? these are meaningful savings on behalf of the people of Ontario thank you the next question thank you Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries to us some weeks before Christmas in the city of Ottawa we were hit with bad news shocking and raw that the Christmas cheer breakfast a yearly event after 68 years would be cancelled oh lament then all of a sudden there arose such a clatter some possible good news was the media chatter the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture was stepping in to help she's a real mover and shaker she spoke a few words and went straight to work and secured the Shaw Centre a responsibility she would not share so through you Mr. Speaker to the fantastic Minister can she please explain how she saved Christmas cheer questions addressed to the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries CTV news was disturbing there's no Christmas cheer that can happen on my watch after 68 years a venue to hold it that left me quite raw we built it, we own it we gave them the Shaw when a venue secured a really good start together we'll show them our city has heart another main sponsor now that would be great and then Lockheed Martin stepped up to the plate Christmas cheer is so special we can't let it end there's no message to send the good folks they got it they answered the call the tables sold out now we're filling the hall supplementary question thank you Mr. Speaker so many Ottawa charities rely on Christmas cheer like the Ottawa Food Bank that feeds families every year and others who focus on giving just a little more to the people of Ottawa who have just a little less such wonderful news for all of Ottawa's citizens we look forward to welcoming to help raise thousands we are happy we didn't lose the chance to attend while enjoying a great breakfast with colleagues and friends so Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please let us know how teamwork saved Christmas and she helped save the show Minister great things they can happen when the people believe and we all know it's better to give than receive the Food Bank needs our help now that's nothing new but what we know is that what goes with little is the just thing to do it's really fantastic when caring people step up everyone is a winner of the charity cup so stop by tomorrow with friends for a bite Merry Christmas to all and good cheer and good night the next question is for Brampton East thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Attorney General our court system is in crisis we have a growing backlog in our criminal courts which increased by over 27% under the previous Liberal Government and which will only get worse with the forward government's cuts to legal aid the auditor showed that this backlog is hurting the most vulnerable Ontarians I was shocked to learn that a quarter of child protection cases are delayed for between 18 months and 3 years 3 years Mr. Speaker is far too long and has according to the auditor the quote potential to cause psychological and developmental issues will the Attorney General admit today that our courts are in crisis and will he commit to fixing these delays the Attorney General thank you Mr. Speaker and I want to thank the Attorney General for her recommendations the recommendations in the audit they'll help inform our next steps it's very useful to have a peak behind the system that the Liberals let deteriorate and neglect with the support of the NDP who raised no concerns during their time there well the Minister of the former now party of 5 was unable to do anything productive in our set for 15 years of neglect Mr. Speaker that's why our government was elected here to make it more accessible to make it more fair we're going to move forward to protect the people of Ontario that's why they elected us we're going to do transparency we're going to do efficiency we're going to make it modern we're going to serve the people the way they expected to be served by their courts Mr. Speaker and we're just getting started as I'm working on some legislative proposals I look forward to support from the NDP and the Liberals and the Green Party for these very progressive changes Speaker Canadians have a constitutionally protected right to access to justice Ontarians involved in the court system civil family or criminal deserve to have their day in court but instead of increasing access to justice this government has moved ahead with callous and cruel cuts to legal aid a system that was already chronically underfunded by the Liberals Ontario's most vulnerable people are far less likely to have legal counsel so they're left to navigate the complex legal system alone the result is longer case times greater delays and higher court costs and less equitable outcomes will the Attorney General admit that the government's callous cuts to legal aid will not only harm Ontarians seeking access to justice further chaos and delays in our courts Attorney General again to reply When I talk to people who are using the system trying to access the system people are working within the system what I heard was the system was outdated it's complex it's hard to navigate it's expensive there are all sorts of challenges with our system when we turn to protecting the vulnerable whether they be victims accessing the system at the most vulnerable times of their life whether they're going through a family situation or a criminal law situation we need to make sure the supports are there for them the supports are sustainable that they're accessible, they're easier to navigate this is why we're going to be bringing forward some proposals in the coming weeks and months so that we can further protect the people that we can serve the people that brought us here to make sure that we're doing the things that they expect us to do and when I talk to clinic when I talk to people accessing the system they're excited about the kinds of change that we're doing it's going to modernize our system throughout. Thank you Mr. Speaker Next question the member for Willowdale Thank you very much Mr. Speaker My question this morning is for my favorite Associate Minister of Transportation Earlier this week the Premier met with our provincial counterparts at the Council of the Federation to discuss many topics from energy to infrastructure the Council of the Federation promotes above all unity amongst our provinces and just two weeks ago the Premier met with the Prime Minister to talk about topics ranging from infrastructure to health care to economic development and of course transit through you. Could the Associate Minister please tell us how we are working with the federal government to advance transportation and transit in the GTA The Associate Minister of Transportation GTA Thank you to the member for the question I think it's extremely important to note the great work that Minister Mulroney has done throughout the negotiations with the city and also with conversations The Premier has been very clear on more than one occasion that we need to work together with other provinces and all levels of government to represent the taxpayer. Earlier this year we announced a very bold transit historic transit plan in the tune of $28.5 billion that will create a single unified transit plan in the GTA to get people moving This is an opportunity Mr. Speaker to build a lasting legacy for the province of Ontario and for Canada I know that Minister Mulroney and Minister Scott have recently met with the federal government to move those discussions forward. I am extremely proud to be part of that team and Mr. Speaker I would just like to urge all members of this house to encourage the federal government to finally make their financial commitments so that we can get shovels in the ground as quickly as possible Thank you Mr. Speaker In addition to the Premier's meeting with our provincial counterparts the Premier and the Minister of Infrastructure are currently in Washington to talk trade and to promote Ontario's landmark infrastructure and private public partnership opportunities In Ontario we have a proven track record of using the P3 model to deliver large and complex projects for the people of Ontario Could the Minister please explain how the P3 model is relevant to the historic transit plan that she mentioned earlier Minister Our Premier and our Minister of Infrastructure go to Washington to showcase the great opportunities for infrastructure projects right here in Ontario As the member mentioned the P3 model promotes private sector design innovation and I know the private sector is very interested in projects such as the Ontario line and other parts of our subway plan It's so extremely important that we have a strong presence in global markets to let them know that Ontario is open for business and that we want to build Ontario This is exactly what the people of this great province expect of us Mr. Speaker And as we head into the new year Mr. Speaker I look forward to working with our partners as we prepare for these very important projects The next question the member for Hamilton Mountain Mr. Speaker, today in the gallery we have a group of anti-poverty advocates from Hamilton They're here to talk about the affordability crisis for people receiving ODSP and Ontario works We all know that the cost of living keeps rising The recent Feed Ontario Hunger Report tells us that people on ODSP fall $500 short of affordable basic needs each month And people receiving OW short of month These are basics Food, shelter, hydro, clothing and personal hygiene That is shameful This government is intentionally keeping people below the poverty line Why does the government insist on leaving social assistance recipients to fall further and further behind Who has your question Who are you referring to To the Premier Order The Deputy Premier Children, community and social services To the Minister of Children Community and Social Services Thanks to the member opposite for the questions We know that the system for social assistance is broken and yesterday's Auditor General's report actually reconfirmed the fact that we do need to deliver social assistance in a better way Our government has already increased rates by 1.5% to those on social assistance earlier Mr. Speaker, we know there's a lot more to do We have taken the steps to reduce red tape for those who work in the OW and ODSP sector to ensure that they're able to spend more time with their clients Speaker and link them with employment where possible Certainly we understand that there's more to do on this file One thing that makes me scratch my head is every time that we have presented policies in this legislature Mr. Speaker, that we're going to drive down the cost of living in Ontario the NDP have continuously voted against those types of policies Mr. Speaker, and I can talk about some of those policies in the supplementary We realize there's more to do in this sector and that's why we are reviewing the way we deliver Ontario Works and ODSP in Ontario The supplementary question What blows my mind, Speaker, is that this government can cut a 3% meager increase of people living on social assistance It's disgusting Today, no, the impossible struggle of trying to get by on social assistance It's especially hard as housing becomes more and more affordable under these conservatives Just this week we learned that 45% of Hamilton tenants are paying unaffordable rent Hamilton shelters are bursting at the seams There are 15,000 people waiting for subsidized housing just in Hamilton How can we expect people on social assistance in Hamilton or elsewhere to be able to keep up? Why is this government pushing people with disabilities and those in poverty into homelessness? Minister Grafie The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Thanks, Mr. Speaker I want the people in the gallery to know that strengthening our community housing system is a top priority of our government That's why in April I announced our community housing renewal strategy We want to leverage every municipal provincial and federal dollar in the system and we want to work with nonprofits We want to make it easier to build more community housing I was on the phone yesterday with my federal counterpart, Minister Hussain I think we share a common fight to ensure that we build more community housing, that we renew the existing stock that we have And we've made some early steps We've indicated to our service manager that we're going to no longer penalize people in community housing that are receiving child support We're going to allow them to go to university, go to college take that extra shift and not penalize them These are the early steps we're having to for the Minister of Minister of Affairs and Housing My questions to the acting premier Yesterday when I asked about funding, consumption and treatment I apologize I apologize I apologize The Speaker made a mistake News Slash Member for Kitchener Conestoga has the floor My question is for the Minister of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Mr. Speaker, Ontario's farmers produce some of the best and safest food in the world All of us benefit from their work and yet farmers are facing challenges with something as simple as feeling safe in their homes and their workplace In my writing there was a story about Lloyd Webber a dairy farmer and let me tell you what Lloyd said and I quote Mr. Speaker I don't know what to do I don't know how they explain it When they showed up I said they walked right past me and they just kept going This is unacceptable Mr. Speaker Every day the people of Ontario benefit from the great work done by farmers just like Lloyd Mr. Speaker It's time we supported our farmers This week the Minister introduced legislation in this house and will he please tell us what this legislation will deal with this issue Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker I thank the member from Kitchener Conestoga for the question No one in Ontario should feel unsafe in their homes or in their workplace and farmers are no different We've heard from farmers, municipalities, commodity groups loud and clear and I'm proud to say we're taking action We have proposed legislation which if passed would keep Ontario farmers and farm families agri-food workers and farm animals safe by reducing the likelihood of trespassing on farms If passed this legislation will deter farmers from entering into the house of farmers incurring fines up to 15,000 for first offence and 25,000 for subsequent offence If we expect farmers to provide some of the best food and safest food in the world we must support them in the great work they do and our government is doing just like that Something metric question Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the Minister for his response This has been an issue for some time for the safety, the safety of their families and of course their livestock Mr. Speaker, farmers make every effort to ensure that their livestock is well taken care of Animal welfare is a serious issue but maintaining sensitive biosecurity protocols is also important both for the safety of the animals and for Ontario's high food safety standards and yet trespassers coming on to farms unauthorized run the risk of harming the very animals they claim to protect and advocate for Tell us more about how this proposed legislation deals with this issue Mr. Speaker Thank you very much again Mr. Speaker and thank the member for the excellent supplementary unauthorized trespassers threaten the delegate balance in the environments that they enter Mr. Speaker, protesting is one thing and we remain committed to the people's right to do that but interacting with animals brings many more problems Farmers know their animals Farmers know what it means to keep them safe and healthy The proposed legislation supports farmers in their efforts by creating animal protection zones on farms, processing facilities and other prescribed premises Our government has zero tolerance to animal abuse and I encourage anyone who suspects it to call law enforcement immediately and our legislation is designed to provide law enforcement with the tools to deal with the issue By supporting the good work farmers do we are protecting animal welfare animal safety and the integrity of our food supply That concludes the time we have available for question period today Pursuant to standing order 38A the member for Niagara Falls has given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to his question given by the Minister of Labor, Training and Skills Development concerning the auditor general's health and safety report This matter will be debated Tuesday at 6pm This house stands in recess until 1pm this afternoon