 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of the official opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My first question is to the Acting Premier. Last week, Ontario families heard concerning news about the growing waitlist for long-term care and that hallway medicine crisis that started under the Liberals is going from bad to worse under the Ford government. Only 21 new long-term care beds have actually been created after the Ford government's first year in office. The Premier claims his government has allocated over 7,500 beds. Can the Acting Premier tell us how many of those beds were announced but not built by another government? The question is addressed to the Deputy Premier. To the Minister of Long-Term Care. And referred to the Minister of Long-Term Care. The Banking and the Financial Accountability Officer of Ontario for his very thorough report. And the report states that between 2011 and 2018 that the number of long-term care beds in Ontario increased by only 0.8% while the over 75-year-old age group grew by 20%. That 0.8% means that they only built 611 beds over that many years while the seniors population grew by 1,776,211. Many, many, many times more than the beds that were allocated. Our government, in contrast, is investing $1.75 billion to create 15,000 new beds and redevelop another 15,000 in five years. And additionally, our government has added $72 million this year more than last year. We've already got almost 8,000 beds allocated this year so far. 50% of the requirement. Thank you. The supplementary question. Well, Speaker, what I was asking was how many of those beds that they claim they've allocated were actually announced and not built by the previous government. And the answer is 5,000 of the 7,500 beds that are proudly being announced by the Ford government. Over 5,000 of those beds had been announced before by the previous Liberal government. Yet, over the last year, only 21 beds appeared. Under the Liberals and Conservatives, long-term care beds have been announced and re-announced. Why are they not being built? The question has been referred to the Minister of Long-Term Care. Well, I can tell you that for the first time in Ontario's history we are prioritising long-term care and putting our seniors and long-term care residents and our government has been working with the sector to understand their needs. And we are well on our way to the allocations and to meet that 15,000 long-term care commitment that we made for our government. In fact, the FAO has also said it's the first meaningful investment in long-term care in many, many years. So we know that we're heading in the right direction. We're collaborating with our sector and we are creating a 21st century long-term care system that will put our residents at the centre and treat our residents with dignity and respect that they deserve. We are well on our way to creating those beds and creating capacity which is so long overdue that our previous Liberal government ignored while the NDP supported it for 15 long years. The final supplementary. Speaker, in the last year over 2,800 seniors joined the list of people waiting for a long-term care bed but only 21 beds were created. Instead of addressing the crisis, the Four Government was recycling press conferences. On October 5th last year, the Ford Conservative MPP for Durham announced 53 new long-term care beds in Port Perry. The same announcement that her Liberal predecessor made almost word for word six months earlier in April of 2018. The Durham region has some of the longest wait-list for long-term care beds. Is the Ford government actually creating new beds or are they, like the Liberals before them, announcing the same projects while the wait-list continues to grow and grow and grow? Minister of Long-term Care. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you again for your remarks. We recognise that Ontario has an aging population. We've known this for many, many years and the previous government ignored it. We are looking at making sure that we have innovative programs as well as building capacity. We know that on average an approved long-term care bed takes about 36 months to establish and get to fruition from the allocation. This is absolutely clear to us and we've been working with the sector to make sure that we streamline processes, reduce red tape, reduce administrative burden to get those beds open and we're well on our way to doing that with almost 8,000 beds allocated. It does take time. It's not just add water and pop-up long-term care beds. The previous government had 15 years and they ignored it and you supported them. We're looking at... Grahams, thank you. The House will come to order. Restart the clock. The next question, the Leader of the Official Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is also for the Acting Premier. You know, it's not just happening in Durham. Last October, the Minister of Transportation announced 12 new beds in Keswick. The same 12 beds that had been announced in MPP. This July, the Minister of Long-Term Care joined four Conservative MPPs in Brampton to announce 40 new beds at the Faith Manor Home. But those same beds had also been announced a year before. And on, and on it goes, of the 7,500 beds the government claims to have allocated over 5,000 have been allocated before. Will they actually get built? The Deputy Premier. Minister of Long-Term Care. Ferd again to the Minister of Long-Term Care. Thank you, Mr Speaker, and thank you for the question. We are working actively with our sector to understand their issues and we have addressed the High-Wage Transition Fund and the Structural Compliance Fund. We wanted to create certainty for our sector by confirming those allocations and we've actually put money behind them. 1.75 billion dollars for Long-Term Care 15,000 new beds 15,000 beds to be redeveloped and we're also creating more capacity with innovative programs. The Minister of Health, I'm very pleased to be able to work with her. $155 million more for community care. People want to stay in their homes longer. They want to stay in their community as long as they can. And we're creating those innovative programs and building not only capacity but also in long-term care but also in the community. We are hard at work creating capacity that the previous government ignored. The supplementary question. Well, Speaker, it's a pretty sad day in Ontario when innovation means actually building the homes that the previous Liberal government didn't bother to build over 15 years. But while the Liberals and Conservatives re-announced the same beds the lists of seniors waiting for beds keeps growing and growing. The list doubled over 7 years of Liberal government and 2,800 seniors waiting for care joined that list in just this last year. Yet under the 4th government only 21 new beds have been created and under the Liberals the record was even worse. 611 beds over 7 years. Over 40,000 seniors will be waiting for long-term care next year. Is this the best that the government can do? Minister, long-term care. Thank you again, Speaker, and thank you for the question. Our government takes the issue of long-term care wait times extremely seriously and that's why our government is prioritising 15,000 new beds and redeveloping another 15,000 and working with our sector to address issues surrounding the alternate level of care or ALC issues in hospitals. This is an issue that's been building for a long time and the people, the population growth and aging of our population and the neglect by the previous government with your support allowed this to happen. That means we are working harder than ever to hit the ground running making sure that our allocations are up confirming certainty with our sector and we are creating more capacity than ever before over the last 15 years. We're doing it, we're working hard. The previous government neglected this area. We have a lot of catch up to do and we are doing this done in conjunction with other ministries a government-wide, ministry-wide effort. Thank you. Remind the members to make their comments through the chair. Final supplementary. Well, Speaker, here's what families see. A crisis in hallway medicine where hospitals are operating at over 100% capacity. A long-term care crisis where an estimated 40,000 seniors will be waiting for a home that has left our hospitals scrambling announcing and re-announcing the same projects while nothing happens. Does the acting Premier think that that's good enough? Again, the Minister of Long-term Care. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you for the question. This year alone we have allocated 1,814 new beds and reaffirmed our commitment towards building 6,085 previously allocated beds. We are committed to this. We are dedicated to making sure that we catch up to where the previous government dropped the ball. As part of our commitment, we are adding more dollars. $72 million more this year than last year and another $1.75 billion to get this done. Our government is prioritizing projects and working with our sector and we know that we can get to 15,000 beds with the funding, with our commitment, with the previous government ignored. Supported by the NDP 1,814 new beds allocated with our commitment to 15,000 new beds. The previous government over an entire span of many years only built about 600. Stop the clock. I will remind the members the standing orders prohibit interjections. They're always out of order. Stop the clock. The next question, the Leader of the Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is to the Acting Premier. For months, the Premier insisted against overwhelming evidence that his decision to cut classroom funding dramatically expand high school class sizes and cut support for after school programs would hurt kids in the classroom or lead to job loss. Is this government ready to admit that they were wrong? Questions addressed to the Deputy Premier and referred to the Minister of Education. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you to the member opposite. What the government is committed to doing is investing in frontline services to improve student outcomes for the young people of this province. It is why, Mr. Speaker, our government undertook an initiative to invest over $700 million the largest investment ever expended in provincial history and public education in the province of Ontario. It is why, Mr. Speaker, today we're moving forth with new initiatives. The fact that today we ratified a deal with this government shows that we can get deals that keep kids in class. Mr. Speaker, it is that proposal alone that helped ensure parents have the predictability they deserve while knowing that our government will continue to invest in a modernized curriculum updating our schools and giving every student the potential, the ability to reach their full potential. We're here. Supplementary question. Well, Speaker, the fact is the Ford government is scrambling to run away from damage that they caused by their own cuts. A new independent report confirms what the Independent Financial Accountability Office has already told us. Ontario will be losing 10,000 teaching positions due to the Ford government's cuts. In Toronto, over 1,000 positions will disappear. In Ottawa, nearly 400 will vanish. But worse, the courses these teachers offered will also vanish and the quality of our kids' education will suffer. The government is now admitting that their education cuts are hurting students and leading to layoffs. Why won't they simply admit it that they got it wrong and reverse tracks? Minister of Education. Thank you, Speaker. Our focus under the leadership of the Premier is to invest and to defend public education. It's why we're investing more than any government in our history. But, Mr. Speaker, in addition to that public expenditure, it's also about what we're doing to modernize it's also about ensuring we have positive mental health support. It is this government given the report that came out today that more than doubled our funding allocation to ensure young people have the strength, the resilience and the capacity to go through school knowing that the system will be responsive and proactive of their needs. It is why our government is investing more than 3.1 billion in special education funding given the report last week from our autism task force to ensure that every child knows that they have the dignity and the support to get through school and ultimately one day the dignity of work. Mr. Speaker, we're going to continue to invest in education. We've proposed reasonable options to our unions that will help and send them to state the table and get them to the other government. The next question, the member for Eglinton Lawrence. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Solicitor General. Speaker, over the weekend, members of the Toronto Fire Service battled an intense three alarm fire near shooter and mutual streets. I understand that two of our Toronto Fire Service members were seriously injured due to a fall from the roof of that building. Thankfully, they were quickly rushed to St. Michael's Hospital, but as of last night, one remains in the intensive care unit and in critical condition. Speaker, can the Solicitor General tell this house about the incredible bravery and selfless service demonstrated by Ontario's first responders? The questions to the Solicitor General. Thank you, Speaker. You know, unfortunately, this weekend's incident is another example of why we have to support and empower our first responders. To the two injured firefighters, I know that I speak for everyone in this chamber that we are praying and hoping for a speedy recovery. I am sure that they are getting excellent care at St. Michael's, but it really shows how valuable these individuals who choose to work in our emergency services and as first responders put themselves in harm's way in a very real way every time that fire bell goes off. So to the Toronto Fire Service, I echo Chief Pegg's sentiments that if those family members, if those colleagues need help, please reach out because this is a challenging time for the service and I know we're all thinking of that. Thank you very much. The supplementary question. Speaker, through you, I'd like to thank the Solicitor General for her touching words about our first responders. I'm sure that everyone in this house is grateful for their tireless work to keep Ontario safe. Thankfully, in the case of this weekend's fire in Toronto, the building in question appears to have been abandoned. However, in many cases, that is not always so. Fire poses a very real danger to life, home and property, often coming when we least expect it. Can the Solicitor General tell this house how our government is strengthening fire protection and what Ontarians can do to keep themselves fire safe? Thank you. The Solicitor General. Thank you to the member from England, Laurence, and her interest in this. It is, unfortunately, a very strong reminder for all of us to encourage our constituents, to encourage our friends and neighbours to make sure that they have a fire safety plan and escape route, if you may, if for the very unfortunate situation happens where the building that you are working in or living in does have a fire emergency. Emergency measures does an excellent job educating us, but we also all have a responsibility to make sure that we echo and respond and react and remind people in our constituencies and in our communities that fire safety plans really, truly can save lives. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Essex. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is to the acting Premier. Last week the government announced that they have launched new procedures for vetting government appointments. My question to the acting Premier is this, under his new process will the former PC party president who was handed a lucrative job in Dallas or the former PC campaign tour director who was handed a lucrative job in Washington or the former chief of staff of the Premier's brother who was handed a lucrative job in Chicago or the Premier's family lawyer who's part-time government appointment of $6,000 a year will any of these appointments be rescinded or even reviewed at any time? The question is addressed to the Deputy Speaker. To the Government House Leader. Referred to the Government House Leader. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Appreciate the question from the Honourable Members. As I was highlighted last week and we are making changes to the public appointment process, the President of the Treasury Board closely with the public appointment secretary to make sure that appointments are in the best interest of the people of Ontario. We've taken a number of recommendations that the Auditor General has put forward and put them in process, a more open and transparent process. We're referring some of these appointments as we increase the conflict of interest screen. Some of these will be referred to the integrity commissioner, Mr. Speaker. So these are good changes that we're making but we'll continue to work on this and we want to make it better. We want to make it more open. These are people who do a lot of good work for the people of Ontario and I suspect all members of the House want these people to be doing it in the best interest of the people of Ontario. Appreciate the question. The supplementary question by the Member Press. Thank you, Speaker. Simple no would have suffice. That was a long way to get to no. Speaker, the Premier spent his first year on the job rewarding friends and insiders with a lot of good work. He's been doing a lot of good work. He's been doing a lot of good work. He has blocked efforts to the government agencies committee actually reviewing appointments. If he is even remotely serious about clearing things up, he would make any review to the process public. Or better yet, let and allow an all party committee like the government agencies committee do a genuine bipartisan review. Will the committee bring forward a number of suggestions and we're prepared for that, Mr. Speaker. When he talks about what the Premier has been doing for the last year, I think we all know what the Premier has been doing for the last year. He's been helping to break the conditions that have created 272,000 jobs in the province of Ontario. He's been working on a new transit plan to unleash the potential across the entire GTA, Mr. Speaker. He's been working on a new transit plan to unleash the potential across the entire GTA, Mr. Speaker. Gridlock has been the hallmark of previous 15 years of liberal government. We now have a transit plan that will bring real change and get people moving in the province of Ontario. A number of long-term care is highlighted today. A number of times that we are also building long-term care beds. For the first time in 15 years, we're making progress on long-term care beds, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Health has been in balance and we're making great progress on that. All of the members on this side of the House. Thank you very much. Thank you. The next question, the member for Simcoe Gray. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health. Minister, since I last asked you about the redevelopments of the Calling with General Marine Hospital and Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston, nothing much appears to have happened. The hospitals are told that they're no further ahead than they were during the 15 years under the Liberals. The hospitals are told by health ministry bureaucrats to keep planning for their redevelopments but at their own expense and with no approvals in sight. In fact, these same bureaucrats tell the hospitals they are waiting for political direction. So Minister, will you please give that political direction today so that we can move forward with these redevelopments? The next question has been addressed to the Minister of Health. Well, I thank the member very much for the question and we have been working both with respect to Stevenson and Calling Wood at the Ministry of Health. With respect to Calling Wood we have been working closely with the Calling Wood hospital team to review the proposed hospital redevelopment project. And we are committed to making investments in this area because I know they're very important to the people of Calling Wood with a $500,000 planning grant to support planning in 2018-2019 and we are continuing to work with the hospital on the Stage 1 submission and hope to have some more particular news very shortly. With respect to Stevenson we are again working closely with Stevenson on their project as well. The project is going to expand the emergency department and make key updates to inpatient, surgical and diagnostic services. And we expect to provide the hospital with approval of their Stage 1 master plan in the coming days. Thank you. The supplementary question. Back to the Minister. That's great news. Thank you, Minister, for the answer. I just want you to know it pains me to ask these questions because I like you so much. The last time I did ask in this House about the two hospitals, you also mentioned that perhaps you would like to tour each of the hospitals. I was just wondering if that offer still stands. It would be great for morale and great to help move the redevelopments forward. Will you please tour the hospitals? Thank you. Minister of Health for applying. Yes, I would be very happy to. Thank you. I appreciate the offer. I know these hospitals are very important to you and to the people in your communities and they are anxious to see things move forward. I know for all of us these projects seem to take a lot longer to get started than any of us would want, but that is the approval process that is in place within the Ministry. That said, we do hope to be able to provide approvals to move forward very shortly. In the coming days I'd like to give you a particular date but I can say that that is coming very soon and I hope to be able to tour both hospitals with you very soon. Thank you. Thank you. The next question, from Mrs. Saga Lakeshore. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the outstanding minister responsible for small business and red tape production. Minister, some people I've spoken to in my community don't have a clear understanding of what red tape is or why we need to address Ontario regulatory problems. Can you tell me why addressing red tape and regulatory burdens is particularly important to Ontario and our future? The associate minister of small business and red tape production. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I thank you to the member from Mrs. Saga Lakeshore for his advocacy and leadership on behalf of small businesses across the province. Mr. Speaker, our open for jobs and open for business policies under the leadership of the premier and the minister of economic development, job creation and trade have helped create an environment for over 270,000 new jobs in the past 16 months. Our competitiveness in both the Canadian and global markets has suffered because red tape hurts Ontario's investment climate. The province has seen report after report whether it's the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, the University of Toronto's global the 360 Ontario Institute or Deloitte's chief economist this past month speaking to how Ontario and Canada's regulatory burden is out of step with other provinces and US states who we compete with for good jobs and higher wages. Mr. Speaker, Canada ranks 38th in the world on regulatory efficiency and our government is looking to fix that. Thank you very much. A supplementary question. Thank you very much, minister. We know that Ontario has lost standings and risked our competitiveness because of cumbersome regulations and are ineffective and outdated. But can you tell me why better for people smart and business act is so important for Colossus on Lakeshore and Lorenzo's hair salon in Mississauga Lakeshore? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Our bill, if passed, will help protect seniors and families from drug shortages and expand access to lower cost generic drugs. It will help safeguard our environment for future generations by creating strong, clear penalties for environmental violations. And with this new bill we are ensuring that Ontario's regulations are targeted, effective and focused while maintaining Ontario's high standards. Our goal is to make Ontario better for people, smarter for business and to continue on the path of economic prosperity and continue growing jobs in Ontario and increasing the number from 270,000 to many more. Mr. Speaker, under the previous government we lost over 300,000 manufacturing jobs. Building on our open for jobs policies will make Ontario more competitive and the economic engine of Canada once again. The member for Niagara Centre. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the acting Premier. A new report shows tap water across Canada could have high levels of lead with potentially dangerous health repercussions. Ontarians are rightly concerned about water quality. The Walkerton disaster shows how precious clean water really is. And our neighbours in Flint, Michigan know we can't take our drinking water for granted. Should Ontarians be worried about the safety of their drinking water supply? Questions to the Deputy Premier. Minister of the Environment Conservation of Parks. Referred to the Minister of the Environment Conservation Parks. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank you very much for the question opposite. The member opposite should know that Ontario's water is in great shape. 99% of municipal residential drinking water systems met Ontario's drinking water standards. 95% of schools and children's centres with over 87,000 test results met Ontario standard for lead in drinking water. Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to continue to take strong action to protect water and ensure the health and safety of Ontarians have noted in the media recently that Ontario has the best reporting structure and across the entire country with regards to lead standards. We will continue to monitor and ensure that water safety is key in our government's position and we'll continue to look forward to working with Ms. Pallies to ensure the ongoing systems of clean water continually flows to those residents and businesses throughout Ontario. Thank you. Thank you very much the member for Thunder Bay Atticocan Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. To the acting Premier, the Toronto Star investigation found that in my community there is no problem. Our water is pristine, but the pipes not so much. Even after treating the water, investigators found high levels of lead in people's drinking water in over 100 failed tests. What will this government do to partner with municipalities like Thunder Bay to ensure people have access to safe and clean drinking water? Minister of the Environment Conservation Parts. I do have to reiterate that 99% of the drinking water tested in this province of Ontario is meeting our standards in the province. We continue to work with municipalities to ensure that drinking water is clear of lead in Mr. Speaker. We have specific criteria which is defined within the regulation. We do two types of testing in this province Mr. Speaker, the actual plumbing, so at homes and businesses and schools at the site of where water comes out and the distribution throughout municipalities such as taking fire hydrants and testing that water and we can say it's kind of a backup to the system Mr. Speaker. Within our school system we have put in over $1.4 billion in renovations in our school system Mr. Speaker, that schools can take the opportunity to replace the water systems within their schools. We have the green stream which we've announced through the Ministry of Infrastructure with the federal government to look to revamping the systems in their municipalities. The hard part though for Mr. Speaker is actually locating where those lead pipes are located with the municipalities. Thank you very much. Next question, the member for Aurora, Oak Bridges, Richmond Hill. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. As members of this House know, today marks the beginning of Veterans Week. Our government has been clear on the commitment to active and former members of the Canadian Armed Forces. As I'm sure all members of this House can appreciate Canadian Armed Forces members and their families can find it challenging when moving to a new province. Last Veterans Week, our government also announced that it will establish a telephone hotline for Canadian Armed Forces members and their families to help them get the information and services more easily when transferring to Ontario. We know that relocation is a major cause for services and members, their spouses and their children. Would the Minister provide an update on last year's military hotline announcement? Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank you to the great member from Aurora, Oak Bridges and Richmond Hill for your thoughtful question. It's a very thoughtful question because as we kick off Veterans Week I think it's fair to say that we must this province join all of us in this House when we express our gratitude and our thankfulness for the service and sacrifice of all our men and women in our Canadian Armed Forces. Last week during this same Veterans Week our Premier, along with Minister Smith and Minister Walker kicked off an extensive consultation with military families to learn what is it like moving across provinces to get re-established in a community and we really received valuable input not only through our online surveys but also with in-depth one-on-one conversations. Canadian military heroes and their families told us that getting timely and affordable access to government service was a significant concern and Speaker today I'm pleased to share with you we're acting on those concerns and improving access. I want to thank the Minister for her response. I know that many service members and their families will appreciate the additional resources that our government has made available to them for many military families especially those relocating to Ontario busiest schedules make it difficult to find the time to access many of the services offered by our government even with the new dedicated phone line that connects families with subject matter experts it can be difficult for service members and their families to find a time to get a new provincial health guard or register their vehicle. Can the Minister tell this House what our government is doing to ensure that Canadian Armed Forces members and their families are able to use the resources available to them in a timely and accessible way? Thank you very much for that question. Our government has made a promise to the people of Ontario and the brave Canadian Armed Forces members that we would enable the adoption of digital practices across government to make it easier for accessing the top 10 services the top services through Service Ontario so that they can easily work through transactions that are involved in moving from community to community. For military personnel and their families we've established an online portal ontario.ca for military families for up-to-date information about healthcare, education and schools childcare and driver and vehicle licensing as well as job opportunities because it's so important to connect those families quickly into their communities and two Ontarians who prefer accessing government services in person I'm pleased to say we continue to offer all of our Service Ontario services in person throughout our communities across Ontario including Ontarians, great access. Thank you very much. The next question the member for Davenport. Thank you Mr. Speaker good morning. My question is to the acting premier in a matter of months Ontario students will be forced into mandatory online learning courses but the government still can't tell us how the program is going to be structured, who's developing the curriculum or who will teach it. They can't even share with us another jurisdiction that requires four mandatory online classes to graduate because there aren't any. When pushed at estimates committee to justify this very reckless decision to ram through mandatory online learning, the education minister cited the state of Alabama. Does the acting premier believe that Ontario should be following the lead of Alabama, a state that ranks among the worst in the U.S. when it comes to education. Questions to the deputy premier referred to the minister of education. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I thank the member for the question. Mr. Speaker, what I affirmed at committee, what my predecessor and what we believe today is that we want to build an online learning platform that has made in Ontario that embraces the ingenuity of the people of this province made for the students of this province. I commit to that at committee and I regret that the member obviously was not able to hear that message but I want to reaffirm it today that the plan is going to move forward. The plan that embraces modern learning that embraces technological fluidity and that gives our young people the ability to learn new skills have more course offerings and embrace the technology that exists in a disruptive economy. Mr. Speaker, this is part of our plan to modernize our education system and to invest in public education for the people of this province. A supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, again to the acting premier of the Ontario online learning model they don't want it at all. They don't want it at all and they are right to be afraid. Again, acting premier students are no stranger to life online but they are already reeling from the government's cuts. They are struggling to make up credits as their courses and their teachers disappear courses like economics and college physics. Now they're left wondering if they're going to fall farther behind thanks to this limited e-learning scheme. Speaker, there is still time to do the right thing. Will the acting premier put this reckless decision on ice and stop the cuts to our kids' classrooms? Minister of Education Thank you, Speaker. What I also affirm to the member when I had the benefit of meeting with her over the summer is that and she raised the questions of exceptions for children online. I want to make clear for parents of the province particularly for kids that have children with intellectual or developmental disabilities there will be exceptions built into our program because I accept the premise on that every child should be learning through e-learning. So we've committed to that. I've done it at committee. I'm doing it again today because I want families to know that we're going to build a plan that has the flexibility to make sure that every child can get ahead and every child can get the course offerings that they otherwise could not have. This plan will allow more students to access more courses in the province. 60,000 students utilize online learning today. A 17% increase since 2011, year over year. We're going to build upon this with a main Ontario plan that strengthens the course offerings and gives young people the ability to compete in the province. Thank you. The next question the member for Barry Ennisfield. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions for the minister who's skilling up Ontario. The Minister of Labor Training and Skills In the first half of 2019 Ontario employers had on average 200,000 job openings across all occupations and industries. The construction sector alone had 13,000 of them. In 2016, 31% of skills trades journey people were age 55 and over Mr. Speaker. As more and more of these hardworking individuals retire Ontario needs to attract and train the skilled workers we need for tomorrow. Can the minister please tell how the government is addressing the issues of building Ontario together? Minister of Labor Training and Skills Well, thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank you to the honourable member from Barry Ennisfield for that question and for her for being a true champion of the skilled trades and for all young people in Ontario. Thank you for that. Mr. Speaker, there is a problem on Ontario's horizon. Our province is facing a shortage of workers in the skilled trades. But Mr. Speaker the solution is clear. We need to let young people and their parents know that a career in the skilled trades is exciting fulfilling and great paying. Mr. Speaker, I am proud today to kick off national skilled trades and technology week. Over the coming days our government will be promoting the rewarding and vibrant career opportunities in the skilled trades. Mr. Speaker we're putting the people at the centre of every single decision and this week they have the opportunity to learn about these many exciting careers. The supplementary question. Thank you minister. It's great to hear a government recognizing the Ontario skilled trades are vital to the health and growth of our economy. And just this morning the President of the Treasury Board addressing the Barry Chamber talked to that exact fact. And many people around the table were talking about the need to get to solve this problem. As we expect one in five jobs will be in the skills trades and related professions. This means there is tremendous opportunities available in skills trades in this province but are left empty. People who enter Ontario skills trades choose important careers that lead to secure jobs and rewarding and quality work and quality of life. These are tremendous driven individuals who help boost and build up our economy. So I'd like the minister to tell us more about all the things that are happening to make sure that these people succeed. Thank you. Thank you again to the member for that question. Mr. Speaker today we're launching a new website Ontario.ca forward slash trades. At this new hub Mr. Speaker people can explore the trades and learn how to become a trades person. For employers and current trades people they can get help with hiring and learn about changes to the industry and Ontario's apprenticeship system. We've now got a one-stop shop that makes it easier for people to explore career opportunities in the skill trades and for employers to hire apprentices and trades people. Mr. Speaker our government is building the workforce Ontario needs. We're making the province open for business and open for jobs. Thank you. The next question the member for Kingston and the islands. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the minister of environment conservation and parks. Speaker bill one thirty two is the government's latest attack on Ontario's beautiful environment. The bill dramatically cuts fines polluters would pay for violating environmental protections lowering those fines from a maximum of six million to two hundred thousand dollars. Speaker worst offenders are simply going to factor these insignificant fines from a maximum of six million dollars. Why is this government claiming is doing more to hold polluters accountable when is actually cutting the penalties producers face. Questions to the minister of the environment conservation and parks. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thanks for that question I only I only wish the member opposite actually read the legislation and really understood and perhaps he needs to take a step back to make sure that the government. The bill can be fine through the monetary penalties we're opening up to a hundred and fifty thousand different facilities in this province. We're adding a new tool and in fact we're also changing the rules that if a company is breaking the rules and make an economic benefit out of breaking rules not only will they be fined under this new system they will be charged for that economic benefit as well and Mr. Speaker, what we are doing right now is another tool for the environmental officers in this province of Ontario. Right now, we will not only be able to fight with these monetary penalties, but if need so, they continue with investigation and taken to the court if they need to. Mr. Speaker, we are improving the environmental standards of this province, and we are forcing that the people behind it are being paid for the... Thank you very much. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and through you to the minister, I assure him I have read the bill in great detail. Again, to the minister of environment conservation and parks, environmental protections are not red tape. They are critically important to protecting the health and well-being of all Ontarians. According to environmental defence, these proposed changes will make it easier and cheaper for industry in Ontario to illegally dump sewage in our water, use toxic pesticides, and pollute our air. They warn that reducing the fines polluters will pay will lead to severe consequences for both the environment and our health speaker. Will the minister commit to reversing this callous decision today? The minister of environmental conservation and parks. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The member opposite is just wrong and doesn't really understand the situation going forward. Mr. Speaker, what has currently happened today before these amps were put out there is that only 140 different facilities in this province could environmental officer lay a monetary charge, Mr. Speaker. Otherwise, there's a huge gap where those people that were violating or in causing damage to the environment were going scot-free, Mr. Speaker. They couldn't be charged. Right now we're going to expand it to 150,000 different facilities across this province. And not only that, Mr. Speaker, if a company is violating the law, hurting the environment, and they're gaining some economic benefit, the changes we are making, Mr. Speaker, not only will they have a fine, but they'll also be charged for the economic benefit they have received and can go further to prosecution. Mr. Speaker, we are strengthening the laws in this province, Mr. Speaker. Response? We are expanding what could be covered. We're making polluters pay. And Mr. Speaker, we're going to continue going forward to protect our land, air, and water, which is creating a balanced, healthy economy and a healthy environment. Thank you. Thank you. The next question, the member for Haldeman-Norfolk. Speaker. Good day, Minister. Good day, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Today is FUR Manager's Day at Queen's Park. And we're privileged to have trappers here in the audience. And many members are meeting with them today. For generations, the trapping and harvesting of FUR has been an integral part of our heritage. The industry in Ontario is comprised of thousands of people who contribute both to the economy and to proper wildlife management. The Ontario FUR Manager's Federation represents over 6,000 people who ensure this important part of our heritage continues to thrive. They are leaders in protecting and managing Ontario's sensitive and important ecosystem. Speaker, will the Minister please tell this House what measures our government is taking to support those who work in this industry? Thank you, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Thank the great member from Haldeman-Norfolk for that question. I want to acknowledge the work being done by the Ontario FUR Manager's Federation. Their dedication and passion for the industry is truly inspiring to see. One example of our continued partnership is the training and licensing of trappers in Ontario, which the FUR Manager's Federation has the expertise to run and administer. Our government recognizes the value of their first-hand experience and recently renewed their contract to continue administering this program on behalf of our government. Their efforts in wildlife management have been a tremendous asset in maintaining the rich biodiversity that Ontarians enjoy today. I'm happy to say that I've met with them on a number of occasions and their understanding of the industry has been of great assistance in my role as the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Thank you very much. Supplementary to Member for Haldeman-Norfolk. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you to the Minister, and I couldn't agree more that this organization's been doing an excellent job for over 20 years and Ontario has benefited from their hard work. I'm glad to hear of our government's continued support from MNRF. Management of predator speakers such as wolves is key to protecting moose populations and volunteers with the FUR Manager's Federation have been working to ensure a scientific approach to wildlife management. We need more of this mentality to ensure experts are given the tools to get the job done and to get the job done properly. Back to the Minister, what actions is he taking to ensure wildlife management is based on science rather than ideology? Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Thank you, Speaker, and thanks again to the Member for his question and also for his tremendous advocacy for many, many years on behalf of the FUR Manager's Federation. The Member is absolutely correct and our government takes this issue very seriously. I've been working with the FUR Managers to ensure they have a seat at the table when it comes to managing Ontario's ecosystem. We need to continue utilizing their knowledge and work with them as partners to ensure that this province and its many resources are there to enjoy for future generations. Conservation in this province must be guided by facts, not ideology. That's why as Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, I'm committed to ensuring wildlife management decisions will be determined by science now and into the future. Thank you. The next question, the Member for Beaches, East York. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Acting Premier. Food Bank use in Toronto is up 4% over last year. That is twice the population growth over a million visits in the GTA alone. As who's hungry, the just released profile of hunger in Toronto states, hunger is a symptom of poverty. It is a public policy issue that cannot be outsourced to charity. What is the government going to do about dramatically rising rates of poverty on its watch? Questions to the Deputy Premier. The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Well, thanks very much. Thanks to the Member Opposite for the question. It's a very, very important question for all of our communities and we're actually doing quite a bit, Mr. Speaker. I can tell you that just last week I was at our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Elementary School with the Minister of Health and our Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Production, where we were talking about reducing red tape for food banks, like the Daily Bread Food Bank, who released their report this morning, and we appreciate the good work that organizations like the Daily Bread Food Bank are doing in our community, along with many other churches and gurdwaras and synagogues and temples, and making sure that those most needy in our community are getting fed and that we're not burying them in red tape. That was just one announcement, Mr. Speaker. I can tell you last week I was at Ontario 360 with the Monk School and hearing their report and we thank you for the good work that they've been doing and we're implementing a number of their recommendations as well. You may have read about those in the Toronto Star with the weekend and I'll have more to say in the supplementary, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. Poverty costs Ontario between $27 and $33 billion a year. It is the result of systems that push people into poverty and make it hard for them to get out. That is why black families are twice as likely as white ones to experience food insecurity. But unaffordable housing and unavailable mental health supports are also part of those systems. So are the cancelled basic income pilot minimum wage that didn't rise to $15 an hour and unaffordable childcare. When is the government going to take a systems perspective to eradicate poverty? It would be good for the people of Ontario and good for Ontario's economy. Thank you. Mr. Children. Thanks very much and I appreciate that. We have made a significant investment. I can tell you in Ontario's child benefit in the last year, a $31 million increase in Ontario's child benefit. I can tell you that the main thing that we're doing on this side of the House, Mr. Speaker, though, is to try and lift people out of poverty by getting them into employment. And we're doing that, Mr. Speaker. There are 900,000 people in Ontario today that are living on one form of social assistance or another, Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program. Many of those individuals want to work and they have the ability to work, Mr. Speaker. And that's why with programs like the one that the Minister of Labor and Skills Training was talking about earlier during question period, we will be able to move people from social assistance into employment. And I can tell you that we have seen great success in creating jobs in Ontario. Response? Since this government has taken office, Mr. Speaker, 273,000 new jobs have been created in Ontario since we take office. We're taking this very seriously. Thank you very much. Thank you. The next question, the member for Barry Innisville. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issue, who leads by example. Speaker, I'm very excited that this week is Skills Trades Week. On this side of the house, we understand the fundamental appreciation for the role that skills trades play in our society. But, Mr. Speaker, we know that despite skills trades being so important, women only hold 4% of the jobs. This is unacceptable. And I think we can all agree in this house that we need to do more to work towards the goal to have more women in skills trades. Can the Minister explain to this house why it's so important to get more women and more girls in skills trades? The Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the member from Barry Innisville for that great question. And it's such an honour for me to rise for the first time as the Associate Minister. Speaker, for such a large sector of our economy, skill trades needs more women. As a woman who grew up in a skilled trades family, I know the value of skilled trades in our province. It provides individuals with lifelong transferable skills and is a rewarding experience. Speaker, we also know in this house that when women in our society and economies succeed, we are all stronger. When we promote women's full economic participation in all sectors, we support Ontario's growth and prosperity. I am proud to be part of a government that values women and encourages them to enter into the skilled trades. Thank you, Minister, for that excellent answer. And I know your passion really shows for the examples and the work that you have done in your file. Speaker, we all know many women in our lives who have contributed to their communities in the skilled trades. The Premier was in Barrie to visit Brotech in my riding, Brotech Position, CNC, where it's women like Crystal Samson who's a mechanist. It's women like Kalina Boudote who is a mechanist. It's people and women like Melissa Cave who's an inspector and Crystal Fisher who's an inspector. And if it wasn't for them, Brotech would not be as successful today as it will be tomorrow and the next day. But this is an example of how we can get more women in skilled trades and give more women hope like Abigail Brito, a 15-year-old student who is looking to get into the skilled trades, who's at St. Joseph's High School, but she needs the resources and the examples. So I ask the Minister, what more are we doing as a government to lead women into skilled trades? The Associate Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member for your question. Speaker, one of my priorities as Minister is to work with my ministerial colleagues to encourage all Ontarians, but especially women, to get into the skilled trade sector. I was honored to stand with the Minister of Education, Minister of Labor Training and Skills Development, and the member from Niagara West last week, where we announced the expansion of the province's specialist high skills major program. As my colleague, the Minister of Labor Training and Skills Development said, we need to get the word out that jobs in skilled trades are stable, fulfilling, exciting, and they pay good money. Like the SHSM program and the 17 projects, our government funds that provide employment, pre-employment, pre-apprenticeship, and entrepreneurship training for low income women. We can bring more women into the workforce, into skilled trades, and increase their earnings. I am so excited to work in this house and in all sectors to get more women into skilled trades. Thank you. The member for Windsor West. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the acting Premier. We recently learned that the Windsor Essex County Health Unit was forced to lay off nine registered nurses from the Healthy Families and Schools program, a crucial program that provides immunizations to children in schools, support for newborns and maternal care, and education about healthy living. The Health Unit and the President of ONA Local 8 say that these frontline layoffs are happening because of this conservative government's sweeping cut to public health. Our healthcare system was left hanging by a thread thanks to consistent underfunding at the hands of the Liberals, but now the Conservatives are dragging us further backwards. Does the acting Premier think that cutting public health and firing frontline nurses is good for our children and our communities? Questions to the Deputy Premier. Thank you. In fact, what we are doing is strengthening our public health system. This is something that goes back several years to comments that were made by the Auditor General in a report in 2017, where she indicated that our public health units were duplicating work, that they were not well coordinated, and that they were having difficulty attracting the trained professionals that they needed to have a strong, healthy unit in each of our locations across the province. There was a subsequent committee that came forward that recommended a number of things, but also recommended reducing the number of public health units from 35 to a smaller number. We are following up on that because we know it's important in each geographic area in Ontario to have a strong public health unit that's going to be able to take up the issues in their area to make sure that immunization rates are reached, to make sure that students are healthy in schools, to make sure that our seniors are protected. This is done to protect people and to strengthen our public health units, which are going to become even more important as we integrate care for patients as a result of our transformation of our healthcare system. APPLAUSE The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. To the Acting Premier, just in case you didn't hear, there were nine public health nurses laid off in Windsor that provide immunization to schoolchildren, that provide care to newborns and to new parents. That is not strengthening healthcare. Back to the Acting Premier. The Conservatives have wasted no time cutting the critical public health services that people rely on. Just recently, they hired another special advisor to hold consultations on their plan to overhaul public health and emergency services. Many stakeholders have told us that they haven't been consulted yet, and it's unclear why the Premier continues to cut first and consult later. I'm sure the public health nurses in Windsor would have appreciated the opportunity to be consulted before they were laid off. Why is the Acting Premier holding these consultations if they are already plowing through the plans, plowing through with plans to cut public health? Again, nine public health nurses in Windsor. That's a huge blow to our community. That is not providing care to schoolchildren. That is not providing internal care. That is not providing support for newborns. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is important to understand the facts. The facts are that we are strengthening the public health care system. In fact, the funding has been maintained for this year. There are no retroactive changes. There are some changes that are happening as of January 1st, but we are making sure that there will not be more than a 10% increase for any one public health care unit. So it is something that we are working on. We want to make our system even stronger than it actually is now. The next question, the member for Durham. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Associate Minister of Energy. Our nuclear industry in Ontario is an example for the whole world. It's energy that's clean, it's low cost, and it's reliable. It's also responsible for 60,000 high-paying jobs all across the province in Durham Region, at Darlington and Pickering, and also at Bruce Power, which I know the Associate Minister actually used to work at in the beginning of his career. Can the Minister please tell me what we're doing to support our nuclear industry? The Associate Minister of Energy. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank the honourable member from Durham for that great question, all the great work she does on behalf of the people of Durham. The member is absolutely correct. Safety, affordability and reliability are at the core of what interns expect when it comes to our province's electricity system, expectations that our nuclear producers more than meet. At a time when global leaders are looking to nuclear energy for innovative solutions, the NDP sadly continues to resist and deny the true benefits of nuclear power. All they have to do, Speaker, is listen to leaders like Bill Gates who said, and I quote, nuclear is ideal for dealing with climate change because it is the only carbon-free, scalable energy source that's available 24 hours a day, end of quote. Leaders like Gates understand that nuclear is the most viable option to reduce global carbon emissions while producing safe and reliable energy. Mr. Speaker, our government understands the benefits of investing in nuclear energy and we will always stand with an outstanding nuclear producers. Thank you, Speaker. It's our question period this morning. I understand there's a point of order by the member for Hamilton West and Caster Dundas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I really do appreciate the opportunity to recognize the 84th birthday of my father, Edward Shaw. He couldn't be here today. I know he's watching, so happy birthday, Deb. This host stands in recess until 1 p.m.