 It is now time for oral questions, and I recognize the leader of the official opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Yesterday the government stated that they plan to set strict criteria for organizations that want to bid for healthcare contracts from the government's new mega-agency for healthcare. Will one of the criteria be excluding companies seeking private profit from public healthcare? Premier. Minister of Health. The Minister of Health and long-term care. Well, I thank the member of the leader of the official opposition for the question. But the point of the changes we are making to modernize our healthcare system is to center care around patients, families, and caregivers. And there will be strict criteria for any organizations that wish to become a local Ontario health team. Generally speaking, they will be centered around being able to manage the funds that will be allocated to them and to spend those funds appropriately. To maintain the quality of care that's expected of them to make sure that all health organizations are properly funded and able to deliver that care. And they will be required to continue to have patients, family members, and caregivers to be included in the design and the implementation of the work that they do going forward. Supplementary. Well, Speaker, it also seems that the government's planning to center profits around their friends in the private sector. It's concerning that the forward government can't provide a simple answer on this, an answer that the public deserves. Yesterday I asked specifically about private surgery services. A company called Advanced Surgical Operatory in London, Ontario wants the government's green light to expand procedures available at their private for-profit surgery clinic. Will the government exclude private operating rooms from their so-called Ontario health teams, yes or no? Please tell the public. They deserve an answer. Members, please take your seats. Questions referred to the Minister of Health. Well, here is the answer to your question. We are centering care on patients, families, and caregivers. We are strengthening our public health care system. And if there are any funds left over in any particular year that are given to any local Ontario health team, they will be reinvested back into that public health care system. Well, Speaker, families have a hard time believing the government's commitment to defending public health care. The answers are not clear, and this government is not admitting to their plans when it comes to the privatisation of our health care system. Perhaps it's because the same operating room that is so desperate to break into our health system got a personal visit from the Premier during last year's election campaign. Perhaps it's because the Premier himself said that he would leave, and I quote, no stone unturned in his hunt to privatise public services like health care. I'm going to ask the Premier. Why is he unwilling to make a basic commitment to keep private, for-profit health services out of their Ontario health teams? Members, please take your seats. Okay, we're just getting started. I'm going to ask the government to come to order. I have to be able to hear the questions. I have to be able to focus on what the Leader of the Opposition is saying. You would expect me to do so. Start the clock. Response. Speaker, and through you, Speaker, I would say that to the Leader of the Official Opposition, she continues to ignore the fact that about 30% of our current health care services are delivered by companies that are privately owned, but are paid for through the government, through our public health care. This is a new plan. We are modernising the system. We want to make sure that patients and families receive the truly connected care that they need, and why, again through you, Speaker, the Leader of the Official Opposition and her party continues this fear-mongering, scaring patients, particularly seniors, is not responsible. We are strengthening and modernising our public health care system to make sure that patients receive better, more connected care, and that's the end. Question, the Leader of the Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is also for the Premier. Last night I heard from residents from across Brampton about the state of their health care. They're concerned about long hospital waits and getting the services that they need, and they've already seen firsthand the risks of private for-profit hospitals. When the last Conservative government made their community the guinea pig for Ontario's first private P3 hospital, this government should not be proud of their record on privatisation. Whether it's in P3 hospitals or home care, they have made a mess of our health care system with their privatisation drive. That project delivered fewer beds while draining away public health dollars into private profits. The government's omnibus health bill threatens to open the door even wider to unprecedented levels of private for-profit health care. Will the government amend their bill to keep private profits? Thank you very much, Speaker. And again through you, I would suggest to the Leader of the Official Opposition there is nothing to amend in Bill 74 because there's no right. What we are doing is modernising our public health care system. And the situation that she refers to in Brampton is something that, Mr Speaker, through you, is happening across the province. That's what we're trying to fix. We have a situation where 1,200 patients every day across this province receive health care in hallways of hospitals, storage rooms and other inappropriate places. We are trying to limit that. We want to eliminate hallway health care. Make sure that people receive the care in the places where they should in safe, appropriate, clean environments. And that providers, our great health providers in Ontario are able to deliver the care that they want. This truly connected care is going to help keep patients out of hospitals and create safe places. Thank you. Speaker, the people of Brampton aren't looking for more private for-profit health care or a mega health agency. They know that their dollars right now are being siphoned off into the pockets of private interest instead of being utilised for front-line care. They want investments in front-line care to ensure that they're not stuck in an ER hallway waiting days and days for treatment, Speaker. We're wondering how they can support loved ones without access to home care. They remember the last time a Conservative government promised them private for-profit health care. We're going to prove their hospitals and the waits are longer than ever because of that ill-advised direction that this party took us the last time they were in government. So will the government amend their new health omnibus bill to ensure the door is closed to private for-profit health care? Minister? Thank you, Speaker. Again, through you, I would say that what the leader of the official opposition is talking about is absolute nonsense. Absolutely. What we are doing is strengthening our public health care system. Bill 74 reflects that. We are talking about that to hear to people in communities. And I can tell you that I have done a lot of travelling since we've announced this bill. I've been to communities across Ontario, North Bay, Bracebridge, Ottawa, Northumberland, my own riding of New Market Aurora. And people are excited about what we're bringing forward. Providers cannot. Ontario health teams, because they know right now there are many impediments that are in place through the Ministry of Health, funding silos that have been set up that inhibits them from being able to communicate with each other. They want to do that. They want to be providing excellent patient care. And that's what Bill 74 will provide. I hope you will come and support us. Join us. Thank you. Final supplementary. Speaker, I direct the Minister and the Premier to the 2007 Auditor General's report that clearly shows that that P3 hospital in Brampton was built at a far higher cost than it should have been and delivered fewer beds than it should have been and cost us more in interest payments and operating costs over time than it should have cost us. Because the dollars went into the pockets of private interest, not into the development of the proper hospital in Brampton. Folks in Brampton want a health care system that they can count on, not one that feathers the nests of conservative friends. Instead they see a government laying off nurses and health professionals making decisions behind closed doors and posing for photo ops at private health clinics. There is a simple way the government could gain some trust from the people of Ontario today. A simple way that they can gain some trust. When the Premier refused to acknowledge on the campaign trail that he was going to privatize health care, now he can get that trust back. Will the government amend their new Health Omnibus Bill to ensure that the door is closed to private for-profit health care? Please stop the clock. Member for Kitchener Conestoga has to come to order. The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry has to come to order. The Member for Niagara West has to come to order. The Member for King Vaughan has to come to order. Start the clock. Minister to reply. Speaker, again through you, I would have to remind the leader of the official opposition that the hospital she referred to was built by the previous Liberal government and had nothing to do with the progressive Conservative government. So the one thing we can agree on, the 15 years of complete mismanagement and total disregard for patients, what patients in Ontario need. That's what we're concentrating on with Bill 74. There is no need to amend that bill because there is no element of privatization there. We are concentrating on strengthening our public health care system. We want to make sure that the people of Brampton and people across the province of Ontario can continue to access our public health care system for their services, that we can reduce their wait times, that we can connect their services, that we can make sure that they receive faster care. All of those things are dealt with in Bill 74. So please, I would urge you to read it again and support us. Read it for the first time. Thank you. Once again, the Leader of the Opposition. For months the Premier has insisted that he has a great track record when it comes to building transit, which comes as a surprise. Leader of the Opposition as a floor. Which comes as a huge surprise to people who watched him at Toronto City Hall where he did a far better job of tearing plans up rather than getting anything built. Now it looks like he's added again, Speaker. Last night the Toronto Star revealed that the Ford government is ripping up Toronto's transit plans and insisting that they follow a vague new plan that includes a privatised relief line. Why is the Premier meddling with long-established transit plans and why is he determined to delay and destroy transit plans that are already approved and underway in Toronto? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And through you, Mr. Speaker, when it comes to transportation, we're just beginning. It is nothing you've seen yet. We're going to build proper transit here in Toronto. We're going to finally get subways built. We've got people from point A to point B right across the GTA. We're extending Eglinton. We're making sure we're building the downtown relief line. We're helping the people of Scarborough. My friends in Scarborough, help is on its way. Well, Speaker, people in Toronto simply want transit that works. Instead they have a Premier who seems more interested in wasting billions of dollars in rewriting plans, delaying construction, issuing demands, and privatising transit lines so his well-connected friends can turn a profit. The people of Ontario shouldn't be stuck with the bill because the Premier of the province decides, once again, that he wants to play Mayor of Toronto. And the people of Toronto deserve transit that works, not a plan written in crayon by the Premier who's never met a transit plan he couldn't derail. Will the Premier stop meddling, stop privatising, and work with the City of Toronto to get transit built? Thank you, Premier. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, we're going to build, build, build, subways, subways, subways, framing right across Ontario at great announcements having $1.2 billion. You'll be hearing from the best Minister of Transportation. You'll see he can't keep up with it. We're making sure that we build roads and fix the roads or building the greatest transportation system in the world. Through you, Mr. Speaker, we are putting more money into infrastructure than anyone in North America. We're going to be putting tens of billions of dollars into building infrastructure across this province. Next question. The member for Hastings, Lennox and Addington. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is to our Premier. Last week, the Premier joined the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, down in Oxford to discuss the impacts of the federal carbon tax with some of the leaders in our agricultural sectors. Well, Mr. Speaker, farmers in my riding, they've made it very, very clear that the federal carbon tax is going to cost them dearly in every aspect of their operations. Farmers are already some of our best stewards of the land as they've made their living for generations by preserving their land for their livestock, their crops, and to pass down to their families. Mr. Speaker, our government has been working hard to bring our farmers' cost of business down by scrapping the Green Energy Act and the disastrous cap-and-trade program. So, Mr. Speaker, and our Premier, please tell us what he has heard from the agricultural industry leaders on the impact of the disgusting, harmful federal carbon tax. I want to thank our Chair of caucus, plus a great MPP from Hastings, Lennox and Addington. He's a true leader in our caucus. Through you, Mr. Speaker, I visited our members' riding, and he's an all-star. When you go down the street, everyone loves the member. My friends, I was out with the Minister of Agriculture. We were in the rural area. Finally, get out of the bubble. We called Toronto the bubble. Talk to the real people, the farmers. They're working 18 hours a day around the clock. The best stewards of the environment. Our Minister of Environment has put an outstanding plan together, showing that you don't need a carbon tax. That's going to hurt the farmers, hurt families, hurt businesses, because the carbon tax does nothing for the environment. Absolutely nothing. We've already hit 22% reductions. We have 11 years to hit the 30% mark, and we're going to not only hit it, we'll surpass it. Thank you. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I certainly thank the Premier for the answer. You know, when the people of Ontario elected this government, they elected a government that will bring an end to the 15 years of liberal mismanagement and make life more affordable again for the people in the province of Ontario. Mr. Speaker, sadly, we are now only a few short days away from having the federal government impose, that's impose their carbon tax on the everyday hardworking people in this province. Mr. Speaker, that is clearly unacceptable. I'm going to tell you that this tax, being the worst tax that we have probably ever seen, our Premier and this party is going to do something about it. We are going to challenge them all the way to get this. This is unjust, it is not right, it is improper, and it has to come to an end. Premier, what are your thoughts on this? My thoughts, and I'm going to give you the thoughts of everyone, not just in Ontario, but across this country. People can't stand this carbon tax. It puts a burden on the backs of every single family, not only in Ontario, but across this country. It puts a burden on every single business, the hardworking people at the convenience stores that work 18 hours a day. There's no one that works harder than people waking up at 6, opening their stores at 7, working till midnight, and doing it over and over again seven days a week. It's going to hurt the convenience store owners. It's going to hurt the small business owners, the large businesses. We're trying to compete worldwide. We're trying to compete with one hand tied behind our back. But my friends, the warning bell is going off. The warning bell is on April 1st. You're all going to be paying four and a half cents more for leader for gas. You're going to be paying more for absolutely everything in the grocery store. It's going to be a recession when it comes to the carbon tax. We're going to... Thank you. Stop the clock. Thank you. Start the clock. Next question, the member for Brampton North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. When asked about the appointment of Ron Taverner as OPP Commissioner, the Premier called it a transparent process. The Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services claimed, quote, independent selection committee, unquote, made the decision. Later that same day, a member of that very committee was saying, quote, the messaging in today's legislature on the OPP Commissioner uses the term independent, selection panel. Independent of who? I'm the Deputy Minister to the Premier and Ron reported to Mario when he was at TPS. I would drop the word independent, unquote. So my question is the Premier willing to correct himself here today and set the record straight? Stop the clock and ask the member for Carlton to come to order. Start the clock. Premier to reply. Government host leader. Government host leader. Well, thanks, Speaker. The member opposite is the same member who filed the complaint with the Integrity Commissioner in Ontario. The Integrity Commissioner here in the province went through an exhaustive interview process with numerous individuals who were allegedly involved in whatever the member was alleging and when the investigation was completed, the Integrity Commissioner came out with a report and I would like to point this out that completely exonerated the Premier of Ontario for any wrongdoing in this case and we appreciate we appreciate the finding of the Integrity Commissioner. We actually thank him for the investigation that he has done and in our opinion this matter has been put to rest, Mr. Speaker. There are a lot of other things that I know the member from Brampton, Markham and Scarborough should be asking but they're not asking these questions on policy today. Instead, they're trying to play in the gutter and play gutter poll. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Question again is to the Premier. The Integrity Commissioner's report clearly states and clear reveals that the Secretary of Cabinet had serious concerns about the categorization of this process as independent. Yet, day after day, the Minister and the Premier stood in this house and used the very word the Secretary told them to draw. We've asked the Speaker for his view but the Minister could clear things up today. Now that it's being revealed that the Secretary of Cabinet was telling the Government not to use the word quote independent, unquote, to admit he and his Minister were wrong to do so. Thanks, Speaker, and thanks to the member opposite for the question. The report makes it pretty darn clear, Mr. Speaker. The report makes it very clear as we said from the beginning that this complaint was frivolous and without merit and completely exonerated the Premier of Ontario. And I don't know why the member opposite and members opposite including the leader of the official opposition continues to play down the gutter on this clearly political issue that they're dealing with over there because nobody else really seems to care when it comes to this. People in Ontario want to know what the Government is doing when it comes to policy and creating jobs and in honour of all of those great young athletes who are here for Special Hockey Day today, I would say Holy Mackinaw, Speaker, we've created 95,000 new jobs in Ontario. Next question, the member for Etobicoke Lakeshore. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for our Attorney General. Mr. Speaker, we on this side of the house and my PC colleagues across the hall here are supportive of the men and women in uniform by providing them with the tools and the resources they need to keep the streets and our homes safe. My constituents in Etobicoke Lakeshore trust our Government's willingness to work on violence committed by armed gangs, but they also appreciate our efforts to divert our youth from a path of crime and violence. Mr. Speaker, can the Attorney General please explain to this house our Government's approach to break the cycle of violence in our communities through the guns and gangs strategy. Great question. I would like to thank the member from Etobicoke Lakeshore for her question. I'm proud to say that yesterday the Government for the people announced the next phase of our comprehensive strategy to support the local fight against gun and gang violence in communities across Ontario. In August of last year our Government announced the first phase to fight the urgent gun and gang problem in Toronto. The province-wide second phase of this strategy addresses the threats faced by communities on all fronts through enhanced local enforcement, prosecution and prevention initiatives. One of the key elements of our prevention approach is to establish justice centres that will move justice out of the courtroom and into community setting by co-locating justice, health and social services all under one roof. This is a new model of intervention in Ontario that has proven to be effective in disrupting gang recruitment and protecting young people in communities and jurisdictions across North America. Thank you. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Attorney General for her response. Mr. Speaker, the PC candidates we all campaigned on a province promise to improve public safety in this province. As a member of this Government for the people I am proud to stand here today to know that our Government is committed to tackling gun and gang violence across Ontario and keep criminals off our streets. I would now like to direct my supplementary question to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister please outline how our investment in frontline policing will keep our families safe and tackle violent crimes in all of our communities? I know we have spoken many times on the justice and community safety file and I know how important it is to you and the residents of Ontario. So in addition to the new prevention and intervention measures yesterday, our Government announced new support and resources to help police forces disrupt and dismantle criminal gangs and keep innocent people in Ontario safe from guns and gangs. The Gun and Gang Support Unit will support police forces across Ontario to undertake major gun and gang investigations and prosecutions as well as improve province-wide and coordination. In addition, our Government is establishing a dedicated gun and gang specialized investigation fund to support joint operations between police forces. Our Government's commitment is clear. We will not stand by and let gangs prey on our young people and destroy the security that the people of Ontario deserve and expect from their Government. Thank you very much. Next question for Brampton East. I'm the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Yesterday we had a town hall in Brampton about our broken healthcare system which packed the room with people who came to share their stories. People like Teresa. After giving birth, Teresa started thinking and feeling the way that she described as really scary. She was having anxiety and irrational thoughts. Later she found out that she was suffering from postpartum anxiety. As a best efforts from dedicated frontline workers, she had to wait hours because there were no rooms available for her. In order to be seen by a doctor, she had to share her deepest and darkest emotions in a hallway with strangers passing by. Now Teresa is pregnant for the second time and though she's excited in the back of her mind, she's also scared. She keeps on asking herself, what if I suffer from postpartum anxiety again? Why is this happening? Why is Mother like Teresa to bear their souls in public? For very much first question I do agree with you right now. We do have a broken system where people are not receiving the care that they deserve and the transitions from hospital home care, hospital long term care are fractured. That's what we are attempting to fix with the modernization of our healthcare system. I share your concern and your in hallways. As I've indicated before, that's happening in hospitals across the province, 1,200 people each and every day. It's not an easy thing to fix. There's not one simple answer to it. We need to do a number of things on a number of fronts, but that's what we are doing with Bill 74. And also with our mental health and addictions plan, we have $3.8 billion that is being invested by the province over 10 years to make sure that people such as your constituents receive the health care that they need for postpartum depression for whatever their mental health or addiction problem is. But that is what we are doing. We are modernizing our health public health care system in order to deal with situations exactly. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, in order to end hallway medicine so new moms like Theresa can receive the care with some dignity, instead of fully funding Brampton Civic Hospital, instead of converting Peel Memorial Health Centre to a full-time 24-hour hospital, and instead of building a new hospital for our growing community, this government has voted against ending hallway medicine in Brampton. My question is simple. Why? The situation in Brampton is similar to many other fast-growing communities where they are experiencing higher levels of hallway health care. We want to stop that. We want to stop that in Brampton. We want to stop that across the province. But again, the answer is not simple. One of the things we need to do is create more long-term care homes because as you will know, the patients who are in hospital who don't need to be there anymore but have no other place to go remain in hospital for extended periods of time. That's one of the reasons why we made our campaign commitment to create 15,000 new long-term care spaces within five years. We've already attained about half of that goal and we're working on it on a daily basis. We also want to make sure that people receive the mental health and addictions care that they need in the community so they don't need to go to the hospital as their last means of resort and we know that many people cycle in and out of emergency departments. Finally, we need to have better chronic disease management pathways, which is one of the reasons. Thank you. Next question, the member for Lanark Frontenac Kingston. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Last Thursday, I was at a fundraising event in Perth for Lanark County Interval House who provide vital services and assistance to victims of domestic violence. I was reminded of a commitment from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services three years ago to consider a pilot project on active GPS electronic monitoring of violent offenders. Speaker, can the Minister confirm if this pilot project was undertaking and share the results with the House? Thank you. Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Thank you, Speaker. Well, as the member from Lanark Frontenac and Kingston would know, three years ago the Liberal Party was the government in power. I can assure the member that we are actively engaged with our partners in probation and parole to and frankly the Ministry of Attorney General as a justice file collectively to study issues that are actually going to make our community safer. And what we have discovered is that there was a lack of action that was happening in the last 15 years. We have signaled very strongly to our partners on both sides of the justice file, whether it's in policing or on the Crown Attorney's side, that we will work together in a multi-ministerial approach to make sure that the individuals within our community continue to understand and value the importance of our goal, which is to make communities safer. Thank you. Thank you. Supplementary. Again to the Minister, Speaker, I didn't hear an answer whether a pilot project was undertaken or not. And I'm astonished that the Minister would not know if it had been undertaken or not. Speaker, will the Minister commit to this House to review my previous correspondence, and I can send some of it over with the page right now, the correspondence with the Ministry on this subject, and report back on the status of an active GPS electronic monitoring system so that women who have experienced domestic violence can have greater security than just a restraining order on a piece of paper. Thank you. Minister. Thank you. So as the member opposite knows, we collectively, whether in opposition or in government, have studied many systems. We made many suggestions when we were in opposition. But as I mentioned, this is a multi-ministerial approach that we are reviewing, and I want to highlight something on the violence against women, violence against women's sex trafficking and human trafficking. You know, we already have a current investment in our government of $174.5 million in funding for women. We are investing an additional $1.5 million in funding for rural frontline services. I don't think there is any challenges, whether it is in rural Ontario where we have distance challenges or in urban centers where the increasing prevalence of human trafficking continues to become something that our police services... Thank you. Next question. The member for Eglings and Lawrence. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the best Minister of Transportation. The government is delivering on our promise to tackle congestion in the GTA. For too long, gridlock has immobilized Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, costing the province billions in economic productivity and Ontarians lost time and inconvenience. Politicians here at Queens Park and City Council have run in circles talking about transit but not getting anything done. We need less talking and more digging. We need to build a regional transit system that works for the residents of the GTA. We need to build subways and we need to build them faster. Could the Minister please explain his plan to get subways built so that we can finally get Toronto and the region moving? Minister of Transportation. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thanks to the member for Eglings and Lawrence and Flattery will get you everywhere. Mr. Speaker, transit is an important issue and our government made a strong commitment to get it built. That was our plan at the start, it's our plan now and it's our plan going into the future. That's all it's about is building transit Mr. Speaker. It's not about playing political games and it's not about saying that you're so-called stealing the transit from Toronto Mr. Speaker. It's about building transit faster at a lower cost for the taxpayers of this problem. Mr. Speaker, we campaign to upload the subway from the TTC. We campaigned on finally giving Scarborough the transit they deserve. We campaigned on extending the Eglinton LRT. We campaigned on extending the TTC to the north of Yonge Street. And Mr. Speaker, we campaigned to finally build the Yonge relief line and Mr. Speaker, we're going to get it done. Can we start the clock supplementary? That answer, Minister. It's great to hear that our government for the people is sticking to its goal and its plan to build transit. We can't be sidelined by politics. We need to deliver transit projects and subways right away. Unfortunately, the usual suspects at City Hall are more interested in holding the region back and playing politics. The people of Toronto and the GTA have waited years for transit to finally get built. For 15 years, they watched the wind liberals fail to get the province moving. For decades, they watched Toronto City Council fail to get the region moving. Minister, the time for action is now. Can you commit today to taking the steps necessary to get subways built and the people of Toronto and the GTA moving easily? Great question. Minister. Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Thanks for that question. Mr. Speaker, we're on the right track. Our government for the people are going to get shovels into the ground. Our government for people are going to get people moving. We need to keep going on this right track, Mr. Speaker. We will not let the NDP and the Idealogs from City Council to hold us back any further, Mr. Speaker. We have a plan and we're going to deliver that plan. We will expand transit in Scarborough. We will expand to extend the eastern LRT. We will build a downtown relief line and we will extend the team to see north of York Region. The next question is from the Member for Davenport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education. With 10,000 education jobs set to vanish under the Conservative Education Plan, it's important to consider the impact that losing even one teacher will have on students in Ontario's small and rural schools. As boards meet to assess the damage, more details are slowly emerging. The Blue Water District School Board estimates at least 50 teaching jobs will be lost because of this plan. Grand Erie District School Board stands to lose 94 teaching positions as well as eight additional positions that focus on secondary school programming. Speaker, how will taking away teachers help students in small and rural communities succeed? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm very pleased to talk about how we're particularly going to be supporting schools across this province, both in urban and rural Ontario, because we have a plan that's going to work not only for parents, not only for teachers, but for students as well. And when we talk about supporting our teachers, I want to be very clear, we're investing. The province of Ontario is going to be investing to make sure that no one loses, involuntarily, their job. And the numbers that are being quoted across the way actually has nothing to do but have a premise of fear-mongering, Speaker, and it's very, very sad. And it's shameful that this party opposite is just grasping on to anything to try and fear-monger amongst our students, amongst our teachers, and amongst our parents. As I said before, it is absolutely shameful because anyone who knows anything about school boards knows that this is the time of year that school boards take a look at their roster and they have to work through a process whereby they give notifications. Thank you. Thank you. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, the minister can't keep avoiding these questions. These are numbers coming from the boards themselves as a result of this minister's plan to cut education for small and rural boards. Losing teachers and support staff doesn't just limit the one-on-one attention kids deserve. It also means lost opportunities to pursue a variety of subjects. When teachers with specialized qualifications in music, arts, technology, physics, or French retire but are not replaced, those courses will be lost. High school teachers estimate 34,000 classes could be lost under this government scheme and that will disproportionately hurt rural schools and rural students. Mr. Speaker, the Liberals just spent 15 years attacking rural students by closing down their schools. Why is this government choosing to do the same? Well, it's very clear and to everybody watching and listening to the type of rhetoric that's coming from across the floor, it's absolutely shameful the manner in which this party opposite is trying to fear longer because the fact of the matter is we are supporting our classrooms. We want the best learning environment possible and that means supporting our teachers, supporting our students so ultimately parents once again have confidence in the Ontario education system and let me tell you what we're going to be doing. As I said before, there will be no involuntary job losses and in fact we're going to be working with school boards and investing to make sure nobody has any bad experience on behalf of a situation that the school boards may impose so the fact of the matter is again we're investing over a billion dollars to make sure nobody involuntarily loses their job and we're going to get education in Ontario back on track once and for all. Next question. The member for Willowdale. My question is for the Minister of Finance. Our government campaigned on a clear commitment to bring more choice and more convenience to the people of Ontario and the people told us loud and clear they want our government to expand the sale of beverage alcohol into big box stores, more grocery stores and corner stores. We believe that the people of Ontario deserve to have more opportunity to access the products that they want to buy and we know our government has been making progress on fulfilling our commitment to the people of Ontario and Mr. Speaker it's no secret that our family owes its success to its beginnings in the convenience store world. Now with members of the Ontario convenience store association in the gallery today could the Minister please reiterate our government's commitment to bringing more choice and more convenience to the people of Ontario. Questions to the Minister of Finance. Thank you Speaker and thank you to the member from Willowdale. Our government is committed to improving choice and convenience for Ontario consumers. That is why we invited people to share their views on the sales and consumption of beverage alcohol in Ontario through province wide online consultations. We are currently reviewing the 33,000 responses which will help develop our plan to expand sales into corner grocery and big box stores. We believe Ontario consumers are mature enough and responsible enough to have freedom to make the choices that are best for them. We believe that the changes ensuring the safe, responsible consumption of alcohol remains our top priority. The people of Ontario told us they want to see these changes and Speaker we plan to deliver. Thank you supplementary the member for Aurora Oak Bridges. Thank you Speaker and thank the Minister for his response Speaker people across Ontario are excited about the prospect of providing convenience when buying beverage alcohol. Our government continues to make life easier for the people of Ontario and we plan to continue this trend. But let us take a moment to once again recognize the Ontario convenience store association at Queens Park today. These business owners are the corner stones of their respective communities. We know they create jobs and invest in the communities they call home. They are part of the reason why they are open for business. Could the Minister please explain the importance of the convenience stores in Ontario. Thank you Speaker and thank you to the member from Aurora Oak Bridges Richmond Hill. It is a pleasure to welcome the Ontario convenience store association to Queens Park today. With over 7,500 members half of whom are independent business owners we would like to join them this morning to talk about being open for business and open for jobs. That is why we cancelled the cap and trade carbon tax which saves businesses $880 million this year alone. That is why we are giving business more time to adjust to the $14 an hour minimum wage and that is why we continue to cut red tape and reduce the regulatory burden that businesses face. We are giving those in our business community who have been ignored for far too long. Thank you Speaker and welcome. Thank you. Member for Timmons. Thank you my question is to the acting Premier. Yesterday we asked the Premier whether he would join us in asking elections Ontario to review concerns about political party fundraising. The Premier raised serious issues here in the assembly and if he had an investigation conducted will he add his name to the letter that we authored yesterday? Questions to the deputy Premier. Government House Leader. Speaker I'm not exactly sure how this has anything to do with government policy again from the member opposite but I'm happy to tell you that we have raised a fair amount of money since becoming the government of Ontario because we're working hard to do that and all of the fundraising that we're doing in Ontario follows the rules that are laid out in the Ontario legislation. That's the same legislation that the official opposition would work within we hope and members of the independent realm over there. They would also have the opportunity to fundraise with those same rules in place Mr Speaker and I can assure you that the fundraising that our party has done so far has been according to those rules it's been above board and it's actually been very successful Mr Speaker so I can understand why members of the opposition party according to media reports are a little upset because this party is selling something that the people of Ontario want to buy they're not. Opposition come to order supplementary question. Well again to the acting Premier other members of the assembly have said they're ready to join us in fact some of those members said in the government caucus not too long ago maybe the Premier doesn't want elections in Ontario looking into his $1250 a plate dinner and the lobbyists who were forced to sell those tickets but we think that people deserve an answer if the Premier doesn't agree he should say so otherwise he should join us today will you ask your Premier to sign the letter along with other members of this assembly. Speaker we have the rules we have an elections officer we have fundraisers that happen every day yes we've had all kinds of $25 spaghetti dinners that the Premier has attended we're really looking forward to heading out on the barbecue circuit and putting the pasta to bed for a while having some good old fashioned hot dogs and maybe some hamburgers and seeing the people of Ontario the people that are happy with the direction that this government is taking you know we had a big fundraiser we had a really big fundraiser Mr Speaker it was a record fundraiser as a matter of fact the official opposition the NDP they're having their own $800 a plate fundraiser I'm not sure Mr Speaker if they followed the rules or not I mean there was some question about that there was a lot of fuzziness and maybe there will be an investigation into that but they're charging $800 and it comes with a special reward to spend time with the leader of the official opposition thank you the next order the next question the member for Barry Springwater thank you Mr Speaker my question is for the PC productive and competent Minister of Energy Northern Development and Mines Mr Speaker after 15 long years the previous Liberal government got complacent and tired their complacency caused waste and inefficiencies throughout all of government there's an example of that waste Mr Speaker and the people of Ontario elected our government to clean it up we cancelled the waste renewable energy projects our system never needed we repealed the Green Energy Act to ensure the previous government's waste wouldn't continue now we're taking another step towards cleaning up the hydro mess Mr Speaker and I would ask the Minister why it is so important we modernize the Ontario Energy Board Mr. Energy Northern Development and Mines I'm not sure I can rival that acronomology with my best effort Mr Speaker I spoke the other day at the Electricity Distributors Association and they were crying out for OEB modernization yesterday at the Hydro One major customer conference Mr Speaker hundreds of people said please reform the OEB tired of submissions in the thousands of pages lengthy delays for approvals Mr Speaker and uncertainty around cost Mr Speaker and rate and regulatory matters Mr Speaker this is the opportunity you know last winter the NDP stood in this place and said we're not delivering power for Ontario in the heart of the coldest winter now they're saying we're not delivering power under a transparent model suggested and recommended by the auditor general now they're saying they don't stand not delivering power for a modern OEB Mr Speaker and they're saying we're not delivering power under good principles of conservation that protect families small businesses and indigenous communities Mr Speaker we're plugging the cord in Mr Speaker for a brighter future and a thank you thank you Mr Speaker and thank you to the minister for that answer there's no doubt that under this minister's leadership the OEB will once again become a competent regulator one that helps us increase efficiency by cutting through unnecessary red tape that's been burdening our economy for many years Mr Speaker but that's not all our government is doing we all know in this house how the previous government liked to spend money they were seeing other people's money they didn't like to spend and when they ran out of that they borrowed and taxed to spend more Mr Speaker our government doesn't do that we respect the taxpayer can the minister please tell the members of this house how we're respecting the taxpayers with bill 87 fixing the hydro mess appropriately named piece of legislation it is indeed been described as a mess by not just people who pay their bills every month but stakeholders who engage the OEB and the likes Mr Speaker listen to what the auditor general had to say Mr Speaker about things that go to cost and this was a significant and serious complaint the auditor general said reducing electricity consumption through conservation efforts is of little value investing in conservation during a time of surplus actually costs us more cost cost cost Mr Speaker here's another one from Tom Adams and Ross McKittrick in 2016 conservation programs cost about $2 for every dollar they're saved Mr Speaker we're committed to keeping money in the pockets of the hardworking people of Ontario we want to ensure that their energy bills are affordable that they see in a transparent manner how much electricity is subsidized and moving forward Mr Speaker to pursue a cut model and relieve Ontarians from the high costs of energy and the mess that was created by the OEB Mr Speaker Mr Speaker my question is to the Minister of Education for eight years now Foodshare Toronto has employed, supported and murdered up to 20 students each summer while providing them the opportunity to earn up to two co-op credits Foodshare prioritizes students who are behind in credits students from low income families racialized students and students with learning disabilities but because of this government's cuts to our youth Foodshare Toronto has been unable to participate in much break job programs and spring after school programs why is this government turning its back on organizations like Foodshare who arm students with the skills to allow them to succeed in today's workplace Minister of Education Thank you very much Speaker and I'm pleased to stand and address this question in the sense that I need to be very clear I want to be crystal clear we are investing in students and we're investing in programs that are going to see them make sure that they have the skills the job skills and the life skills they need to go out and get a really good job I want to talk about just being Barry a couple of weekends ago it was a I was joined by member Downey and member Cajun and it was an amazing display of teamwork of people both mentors teachers excited about the students that they are enabling to embrace STEM in a very unique way and those are the skills that they know our students need in order to move forward in jobs today and tomorrow and those are the ones we're investing in and getting right once and for all in the learning environments in Ontario thank you very much Thank you Mr. Speaker again my question is to the Minister of Education under this government's watch Ontario's youth unemployment rate is 12.3% higher than the rate for the rest of Canada this conservative government claims to be all about jobs but they do not seem to care about jobs for the youth in communities like York South-Western living programs like Foodshare, Toronto in the dark about whether or not they will be able to continue to employ advocate and support students shows where the government's real priorities lie and it is not with our youth when will this government stop balancing its budgets on the backs of our young people one in this house today and say it's our PC government of Ontario that's actually going to be able to tout the success that we have in making sure our students have the job skills and life skills they need for jobs of today and tomorrow and you know some of those skills actually involve embracing technology for good I want to share an example of something that we've just learned about today in Canada for the first time today is accepting applications from students via Snapchat I'm telling you speaker we need to make sure that we're doing everything we can to invest in proper studies in proper curriculum so that our students are equipped to work with the means amongst them and technology for good is absolutely a means to an end whereby we want to make sure they have the skills to pursue the jobs they're going to have satisfaction in and honest to goodness speaker I'm excited about where we're going with our Ontario education the next question is the member for Peterborough fourth my question is for the minister of tourism culture and sport in Ontario we have more than 70 organizations involved in special needs hockey some of whom were in the house today as we celebrate Ontario's first ever special hockey day as I outlined in my original private members bill special hockey day coincides with the start of the 2019 special hockey international tournament recognizing this day is important to raise the awareness for the many special hockey organizations across Ontario and celebrate all of these exceptional athletes can the minister inform the legislature how our government for the people is working to promote Ontario's first ever special hockey day the minister of tourism culture and sport thank you mr. Speaker and through you I'd like to thank the member for Peterborough Cawartha for his fantastic question and also commend him for the great work that he does advocating on behalf of people with special needs I know how important this cause is to him and this day shows the power of that individual members can have in this place when they're passionate about a cause I also want to thank the minister of finance for incorporating the legislation into the fall economic statement so that we were able to ensure the special hockey day was enshrined in law in this time mr. Speaker an international hockey tournament provides athletes the opportunity to compete against the best from around the world allowing them to perfect their skills it teaches the athletes the importance of teamwork and the value of working together and it creates memories and friendships that last a lifetime I'm honored along with my colleagues to welcome all the athletes to this tournament congratulations to all supplementary thank you mr. Speaker I'd like to thank the minister for his answer as he said today is the opening ceremonies for the 25th anniversary of the special hockey international tournament and it's the first time it's been back in Ontario since the great brokawartha hosted it in 2017 this year's fest festivities are being held in Toronto at the madame athletic center formerly known as Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens this milestone event is being hosted by the grand ravine tornadoes I'd like to take this time to wish all of the athletes will be competing a safe and fun tournament would the minister update the legislature on how our government for the people is supporting our special needs athletes minister thank you once again mr. Speaker and thank you to the member for that question our government's committed to helping athletes with special needs realize their full potential I'm happy to say that special olympics Ontario is a recognized provincial sports organization and receives funding through the Ontario amateur sport fund we also provide project based funding to help deliver national and international amateur sports events in Ontario like the 2019 international special olympics Ontario Invitational Youth Games being held here in Ontario our government also recognizes how powerful sports truly is to the province of Ontario and this tournament is a great way to recognize the unique talents of special hockey players from here in Ontario I want to echo the member from Peterborough, Quartha when I say good luck to all the athletes competing in the tournament and wish everyone a very special first ever special hockey day please our question period this morning point of order the member for St. Paul's I just want to tell everyone that it's World Theatre Day and I'd like to give a shout out to Toronto St. Paul's Be Current Tarragon Theatre Solar Stage Theatre and next sex education by theatre and so many others in Toronto St. Paul's I encourage us all to celebrate our theatre, support our theatre our theatre workers our art educators and art producers thank you very much Mr. Speaker I want to thank the government side for their assistance I appreciate it very much point of order the member for Mr. Sog Aaron Mills Thank you Mr. Speaker I would like to welcome Mr. Nassim Beig from the Ahmadiyya community visiting Hassan Queesbark Welcome to Queesbark Member for Mrs. Saga Malton on a point Thank you Mr. Speaker I'd also like to take the opportunity to welcome Mr. Naveed Ahmad Khan Hadi Ali Chaudhry Mukhtar Chima and Abid McBool along with Mirja Nassim Beig from Mrs. Saga Thank you for coming to the conference We have a deferred vote on the amendment to government notice of motion number 33 relating to allocation of time on bill 74 an act concerning the provision of health care continuing Ontario health and making consequential and related amendments and repeals calling the members this is a five minute bell We've closed the doors I'm going to ask the members now to take their seats On March 26, 2019 Mr. Besson moved an amendment to government notice of motion number 33 relating to allocation of time on bill 74 All those in favour of Mr. Besson's motion will please rise one at a time Mr. Besson Mr. Tabas Mr. Vantoff Ms. Horvath Ms. Fife Ms. Sattler Ms. Begum Ms. Shaw Ms. Carpoche Ms. Lindo Ms. Armstrong Mr. Kernaghan Mr. West Mr. Gates Mr. Brampton East Ms. Andrew Mr. Hatfield Mr. Taylor Mr. Birch Mr. Burns McGathe Mr. Arthur Mr. Bourguin Mr. Bell Mr. Glover Mr. Morrison Mr. Ray Kosovic Mr. Hardin Mr. Monteferell All those opposed to Mr. Besson's motion will please rise one at a time and be recognised by the clerk. Mr. Smith Bay of Quincy Mr. Thompson Mr. Fidele Mr. Ford Mr. Elliott Mr. Roni Mr. Clark Mr. Hardin Mr. Tabola Mr. Barrett Mr. Pettipies Mr. McNaughton Ms. Fullerton Ms. Jones Mr. Chow Mr. Rickford Mr. Phyllis Mr. Leche Mr. Coe Mr. Downey Mr. Gill Mr. Cullandre Ms. Sermon Ms. Skelly Ms. Trianthophilopoulos Mr. Osterhoff Ms. McCann Mr. Nickles Mr. Ramon Mr. Harris Mrs. Hogarth Mrs. Carr-Hulles Mr. Chow Willedale Mr. Smith Peterborough Mr. Pachini Mr. Cran Mrs. Wye Mr. Tangry Mr. Bauer Mr. Crawford Mr. Arnaud Mr. Kuzetto Mr. Dunlop Mr. Babak Mr. Paine Mr. Tanagassler Mr. Robert Mr. Sebao The ayes are 44, the nays are 70 The ayes are 44, the nays being 70 I declare the motion lost Is the house prepared to vote on the main motion? Yes Ms. Elliott has moved government notice of motion number 33 relating to allocation of time on bill 74 an act concerning the provision of health care continuing Ontario health and making consequential and related amendments and repeals. Is it the pleasure of the house of the motion carried? All those in favour of the motion will please say aye. Opposed will please say nay. In my opinion the ayes have it. Call in the members. This will be Ms. Elliott has moved government notice of motion number 33 relating the allocation of time on bill 74 All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the clerk. Ms. Elliott Ms. Thompson Mr. Fidella Mr. Ford Mr. Eurone Ms. McLeod Mr. Clark Mr. Hardiman Mr. Barrett Mrs. Marto Mr. Bailey Mr. McNaughton Ms. Fullerton Mr. Jones Mr. Rickford Mr. Phillips Mr. Lecce Mr. Cove Mr. Downey Mr. Cullander Mr. Parsons Mrs. Martin Mr. Osterhoff Mr. Osterhoff Ms. Park Ms. McKenna Mr. Nicholl Mr. Harris Ms. Hogart Mrs. Carr-Holly Mr. Choe Willidale Mr. Smith Peterborough Corsair Mr. Pachini Mr. Cramp Mrs. Tang Mr. Bowman Mr. Crawford Mr. Cousetto Ms. Dunlop Mr. Babicke Mr. Babbicke Mr. Pay Mr. Tanagassler Mr. Robert All those opposed to the motion please rise one at a time Mr. Bissau Mr. Tabush Mr. Vantos Ms. Horvath Ms. Sattler Ms. Shaw Mr. Mamakoff Ms. Carpoche Ms. Lindo Ms. Armstrong Mr. Kernahan Mr. West Mr. Gates Mr. Gretzky Mr. French Mr. Miller Hamilton East Stony Creek Mr. Singh Grampton East Mr. Andrew Mr. Hatfield Mr. Sherbrooke Mr. Glover Mr. Rikosevic Mr. Hardin Mr. Monteferell Mr. Hassan Mr. Frazer Mr. Coutot Mr. Schreiner Mr. Hillier The ayes are 70, the nays are 44 The ayes being 70, and the nays being 44 I declare the motion carried This house This house stands in recess Until 3pm