 Therefore, it is time for Question Period, the member from Renfrew Nipissing Pemble. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Liberal energy policies have been an absolute disaster. Last week, we learned that Northland Power was awarded nearly $95 million from the Ontario Electricity Financial Corporation. You know, I thought that might finally be the end of liberal energy scandals. But according to public accounts, that was just a portion of a much larger $179 million lawsuit, the OEFC lost. Another $84 million gone just like that because of liberal government incompetence. Speaker, can the Premier tell us when this newest scandal will show up on our electricity bills and how much it will cost Ontario families? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I know that we'll want to know that the member office is talking about contracts that were signed in 1998 by the PC government, Mr. Speaker. And in 2012, our government amended a regulation to lower electricity costs for large industrial consumers, Mr. Speaker. So we were working to lower costs that the former government had negotiated, Mr. Speaker. And certain of the non-utility generators disagreed, Mr. Speaker. They disagreed. They took legal action. And I know that the Minister of Energy will want to talk to the specifics. But I think we just need to understand that what we were trying to do, Mr. Speaker, was to reduce the costs on large industrial users, Mr. Speaker. And we were dealing with contracts that had been signed by the previous government in 1998. Thank you. The Liberals can spin it any way they want. Let's wrap up with the bill of your incompetence. Let's do a quick recap. On Thursday, October 13, the Liberals lost a $28 million lawsuit to wind stream energy for a pro... We're going to get on this early. The project that hasn't been built. Next on October 18, it was a reel that the Liberals spent $12 million on consultants and advertising instead of rate relief for low-income Ontarians. Then on October 25, the ISO reveals an $81 million founding error that they asked for that money back through electricity bills. And further, we find that the Liberals lost a $179 million court case to several energy producers. In just two weeks, the Liberals lost $300 million with nothing to show for it. Speaker, can the Premier explain who will be paying for this latest liberal energy scandal? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm very pleased to rise and put the facts on the table for the Honourable Member, Mr. Speaker. As mentioned by the Premier, these were electricity contracts that were signed in the 1990s, Mr. Speaker, specifically 1998 by that party when they were in government, Mr. Speaker. So in 2012, our government amended regulation to lower electricity costs for large industrial consumers. Certain non-utility generators disagreed and took legal action. They did not leave to appeal before the Supreme Court of Canada, and we're challenging this decision, Mr. Speaker. And as the legal process is ongoing, I cannot comment further on the specifics of that case, Mr. Speaker. But when it comes to actually having a plan, which they don't, Mr. Speaker, we announced even this morning, Mr. Speaker, more audits and retrofits to help families, Mr. Speaker, save money. That's what we do on this side of the House, Mr. Speaker. We try and do our best to make sure that we save families more money. Thank you very much. I don't supplementary. I wonder what the people of Ontario think of that statement that this government is saving the money. In just two weeks under this government, Ontario families and seniors are on the hook for another $300 million in scandal, waste and mismanagement. I repeat, in two weeks the Liberal spent $300 million and Ontario rate pairs have absolutely nothing to show for it except for higher bills. I'm not looking at 5, 10, or 15 years in the past. I'm just talking about the last two weeks. How much higher can Ontario electricity bills go? Again, I say to the Premier, because of this $300 million wasted in only the last two weeks, how much higher will Ontario rate pairs, hydro bills, go? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm very pleased to stand up and say in the last two weeks we passed legislation in this House that's actually going to save families 8% on their hydro bills starting January 1st, Mr. Speaker. And for those that are in rural or remote areas, Mr. Speaker, they will see their bills reduced by 20%. And then of course for small businesses, Mr. Speaker, they'll see that 8% as well. We're actually doing a lot on this side of the House to ensure that we can actually help families save money, Mr. Speaker. Just this morning, we are talking about helping families fight climate change and reduce their energy bills at the same time, Mr. Speaker, a rebate program that's going to help people an additional 37,000 homeowners that can get this energy audit that will cost them $500. They get that money back, Mr. Speaker, and they can save up to $2,000 to help pay for these retrofits, Mr. Speaker. This is another program in terms of many that we have that will actually help families, Mr. Speaker. We're very proud on this side of the House with the programs we're putting forward that are helping each of the Ontarians every day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Ontario's correction system has strict policies regarding the reports that must be filed when an individual is held in segregation. Correction staff conduct reviews every five days. And after 30 days, a more thorough report is sent directly to the desk of the Assistant Deputy Minister for Institutional Services. In Adam Capay's case, this would have happened at least 50 times. And according to human rights lawyer Paul Champ, after 60 days, a report goes directly to the minister. Speaker, justice delayed as justice denied. How long was the Premier going to allow Adam Capay to remain in segregation, putting justice at risk? Thank you, Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I know that the minister will want to comment, but Mr. Speaker, I have said a number of times that this is an unacceptable situation in Ontario. I've been very clear about that. The issue points to some very serious challenges and problems, quite frankly, that we face in the province. First of all, too many First Nations youth are getting the supports, are not getting the supports that they need in their communities, Mr. Speaker. We've been very open and frank about that and we're working to put those supports in place, Mr. Speaker. We're collectively and I would say collectively across the province, Mr. Speaker, we're failing some of those young people and we need to make sure that we work much harder to put their supports in place. So, Mr. Speaker, we recognize secondly that we need to see faster access to justice. We understand that. In the interim, Mr. Speaker, as we work to put those changes in place, there needs to be a transformation of the system. We have changed the rules around segregation, Mr. Speaker, and we have committed to doing a review starting with the issue of segregation. A back to the Premier, Mr. Speaker. If after 60 days the minister responsible receives a warning, that means both the Attorney General and the Minister of Community Safety received 25 different warnings about Anna to pay. 25 times the ministers were told that a man was being held in segregation without trial. 25 times these two ministers ignored those warnings and allowed justice to be delayed. Mr. Speaker, why did the ministers ignore 25 separate warnings as Adam Capay went without justice? Thank you, Premier. Minister of Community Safety Correctness Services. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Appreciate the question from the member opposite and as I said last week and as I can continue to add to this discussion, we are committed to a full review of Ontario's correctional system and we will be announcing a reviewer very shortly. I am aware of Mr. Capay's circumstances, obviously, and as you know last week he was moved to a different cell and has access to a day room, phone, TV, and shower facilities as well in addition. And, Speaker, there is no characterization by the member opposite. What I would say is there is regular reporting. The circumstances with respect to segregation in the province of Ontario are the following. There are about 8,000 individuals in custody at any given point in Ontario. About 7% or 560 to about 600 individuals on any given day are in segregation. Every day nurses see them. Thank you. Mr. Capay was moved because of renovations. While the Attorney General was on tour of the Thunder Bay Jail, Union President Mike Lundy specifically pointed out Adam Capay and told the minister that he had been in segregation going on for years. Conveniently the Attorney General can't seem to recall that. Mike Lundy responded by saying that's unfortunate because I saw the look on his face that day. So not only was the AG told personally, his office would have received nearly 25 warnings while he was minister. And now, because the minister ignored Mike Lundy and ignored the warnings, charges are at risk of being dropped. Speaker, again justice delayed is justice denied. How could the Premier allow her ministers to make or rather to keep a man in solitary confinement for four years without trial? Thank you. Thank you very much, Speaker. As I was saying on any given day, these are the numbers in Ontario's correctional institutions and every day individuals are seen by nurses to ensure that they are receiving the supports that they need. With respect to the time taken for Mr. Capay to come to trial, the Attorney General I think made it quite clear that on the part of the government and the crown, we will do everything we can to expedite individuals access to justice and ensure they get to trial in a speedy way. But the member also knows there are other reasons for the delay that may be beyond the government's control. Speaker, more broadly, we're committed to a full review. I'm very concerned about the conditions of segregation across the province in the sense of we are doing everything we can to improve the conditions that anyone will experience if they're in custody and for their safety and the safety of others in the institution they need to be in segregation and only as a last resort, Speaker. Thank you. New question from Partia High. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. During the 2014 provincial election, Premier Nguyen held a media availability at Ontario Place where she said, and I quote, our waterfront should be for all to enjoy. I want to know from the Premier does she still believe that today? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I absolutely do believe that and I know that the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport is going to want to speak to the supplementary because I believe that the member opposite is going to talk about how we may be moving away from that position. But we are not, Mr. Speaker. We believe that Ontario Place and the property there, the trail that is being completed, Mr. Speaker is exactly that. It is there for everyone to enjoy and we want Ontario Place and that property to continue to be once again a vibrant part of the city and a marker of the greatness and the vibrancy of this province, Mr. Speaker. That is our goal and that's what we're working on right now, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, back to the Premier. Over two years ago during that campaign the Premier jogged into Ontario Place to declare that her government would not be selling off Ontario Place land. She noted that condos like the ones proposed by the government advisory panel led by John Tory were off the table. The Premier said selling land to a private developer may be an option for others but it's not our choice. But the Premier has quietly put in her new omnibus bill changes that make it possible to do just that. Sell off Ontario Place lands to private interests. Is this another broken promise to Ontarians? Is the Premier going to sell Ontario Place? Wow! Mr. Tourism called transport. Mr. Tourism called transport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm delighted to stand in the House Speaker and I want to thank the Honourable Member for her question. You know, we share, she and I, a passion for vibrant communities that are bicycle and walk friendly. We also share a common passion for green spaces and to build on the Premier's comments, Mr. Speaker. That's exactly what we're doing with Ontario Place. We're moving forward with the vision to revitalise Ontario Place into a vibrant waterfront destination that engages residents and visitors of all ages. Our proposal builds on the vision and guiding principles in the Minister's advisory panel that the member opposite referred to in 2012. To create a destination that's open year round and offers public access to the waterfront. And that's very important, Speaker. Ontario Place is remaining in the hands of Ontarians, Speaker. We worked very hard on this vision and I want to mention that and underscore that today. The amendments I'll just touch on them that the member opposite refers to would actually improve the Ontario Place Corporations Act or better support our vision and make it easier to do business. Final supplementary. Back to the Premier, Mr. Speaker. The Premier's omnibus burden reduction act expands the purpose of Ontario Place to enable a possible change in focus from a public to a commercial corporation. Ontarians want to know why the Premier thinks it is necessary for the Ontario Place Corporation to be empowered to sell off land. I ask the Premier again why is it necessary to make these changes? What is she planning for Ontario Place? Are a casino or condos back as options? Are they or not? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm happy to build on the question that I started earlier, Mr. Speaker. Just to clarify, it's very important that the House and all Ontarians understand very clearly that what the member opposite is contending is absolutely false, Mr. Speaker. The proposed changes that we're talking about would lower the cost and complexity of transactions for the government, Ontario Place Corporation, and third party businesses interested in investing in Ontario Place and would support revitalisation work, including the development of a culture hub on the West Island and a celebration hub on the East Common. We have a long-term vision for Ontario Place. Let me talk about that if I may, Mr. Speaker. That includes more green space and area for cultural activities. We hope all Ontarians will join us for an important Grey Cup celebration that will be taking place later this month. We can celebrate the complexity of the Grey Cup and the passion that it brings to all Ontarians because that's what Ontario Place is all about. Thank you. Can you see it, please? Can you see it, please? Start the clock. Order, please. Good question. The member from Kitchener, Waterloo. Thank you very much. My question is to the Premier. Minister Hoskins has tasked the Premier's privatisation specialist, Mr. Ed Clark, with determining the value of Ontario's eHealth assets. According to the Provincial Awards Asset Inventory found on the eHealth website, there are 73 electronic health assets in Ontario. These include, Mr. Speaker, the eClaims, the new Drug Funding Program Claims Management System, or the Subscription Management Service, which allows providers to specify how they would like to receive health information like email or SMS or so. My question to the Premier is simple. Today, will all 73 electronic health assets be subject to Mr. Clark's review and potential privatisation? Thank you, Premier. Mr. Speaker, I know the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care is going to want to comment in the supplementary, but let me just say once again we are not selling eHealth, Mr. Speaker, and we are not selling patient information, Mr. Speaker. The reality is that we know that eHealth's mandate expires in 2017, Mr. Speaker, and it's responsible to look at what has been accomplished, Mr. Speaker, and what the next steps are. But I want to make a link between the two questions that we have heard from the NDP this morning, Mr. Speaker. Both those questions are underpinned by a lack of understanding of how important it is that government work with the rest of society, Mr. Speaker, that we work with businesses. The issue around Ontario Place, Mr. Speaker, having connections with business at Ontario Place will make it a vibrant place already, Mr. Speaker. There are partnerships in place on that property. Mr. Speaker, it is incumbent upon government to find ways to deliver the best service to people in this province, and that means, Mr. Speaker, that we have to acknowledge that working with business is part of that, Mr. Speaker. For the Premier, the link from this side of the House as we see your work is that you put private interest ahead of the public services in this province consistently. People would be concerned about privatizing eHealth assets, both strategic and tactical. The Minister of Economics. Minister of Economic Development and Growth come to order. I'll wait long enough. When I need, please finish. People deserve to feel secure that their private health information will not be sold off to the highest bidder. This government has a very poor track record on keeping personal information secure. People want to know that when they need medical advice or treatment, what they say and what goes into their health records will stay between them and their doctor, not a private company. If all 73 assets are being valued by Mr. Clark, will the Premier guarantee right here and right now that none will be privatized or sold off or contracted out? Thank you. Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Well, of course, I can provide that assurance. I'm becoming a little concerned that the third party is beginning to sow the seeds of fear among Ontarians. Somehow, they think that there's an effort underway that will compromise the integrity of their health records. And it couldn't be further from the truth, Mr. Speaker. In fact, last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Clark. We had a very good conversation. We made it absolutely clear that the intention, which he shares, that the intention is we're going to look at the remarkable progress that has been attained with the health over the past decade. We're going to look at those successes and how we actually may continue to make improvements. None of that involves any possibility whatsoever with regards to privatization of that system or people's personal health records. We continue to have confidence in eHealth. We want to build a stronger eHealth system for our health care providers and Ontarians, Mr. Speaker. Final supplementary. Well, Mr. Speaker, people in this province are very afraid. They are afraid to open their hydro bill because you said you wouldn't sell it off and you did. The Premier must understand why it is so hard to believe her when she says that her government is not selling eHealth. That's exactly what she said to me in this chamber on Hydro One. And we all know how that turned out. It is hard for Ontarians to trust the Premier this time. When last time she said one thing and then she did the exact opposite. Mr. Speaker, why should we believe the Premier or this Minister of Health when they say the 73 health assets are not for sale or available to the highest bidder? Thank you. Well, Mr. Speaker, we are not selling eHealth, but it's interesting because it is the member opposite when we reflect back into the 2014 election where she talked about finding $600 million if the NDP were to be elected into government. She was part of a CBC interview that she did. Of course the platform was silent on exactly where that $600 million would come from, but in fact the member opposite who just stood up said that NDP's proposed new accountability minister would look to find efficiencies to find that $600 million in health and post-secondary education when she was asked she would say I would go first to health to find that $600 million. That's what we face from that party opposite, and that's the sort of fear that they're sowing on eHealth across this province. It's irresponsible. New question from the member of Parliament. My question is to the Premier. In January of this year, I met and spoke with Minister Nagfi while he was Ministry of Community Safety, as well as with the Attorney General, Mayor, to discuss many of the failings in our justice and correction systems. I made a point of speaking with both ministers on the critical need for the sharing of information and the lack of coordination between the two ministries. Now we find out that as we spoke, both Minister Nagfi and then Minister Mayor knew of Adam Capay and the horrible abuse of process that he was being subjected to. We also now know that neither of the ministers did anything about it. Why has the Premier and her ministers denied Mr. Capay his right to unfair and expeditious hearing? And why are they adamant on denying his day in court? Minister of Community Safety, correctional services? We're all very acutely aware of challenges getting to court, and I think the Attorney General has been very, very clear on this particular situation. He indicated last week the charges are extremely serious, but that the Crown is doing everything in its power to ensure that there is a speedy trial. Not only for Mr. Capay, but for anybody who is in custody and remand waiting to be tried in Ontario. So, Speaker, we're working on that. And as I understand as well, Speaker, we will continue to do everything we can with respect to individuals being held in our institutions, whether they be in the general population or in segregation, to ensure that the conditions in which they are placed are appropriate and meet all of the appropriate standards. Thank you. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Again, to the Premier. At that January meeting, I took the ministers at their word, and they both seem genuinely sincere in recognizing the flaws and failings in both our prison and justice system. And they conveyed me that it was a priority for them to fix. Now we realize nothing has been done, just like the other 43% of all criminal cases that are stayed or withdrawn before trial. In an email to the Globe Mail, the Attorney General said, and I quote, we must ensure that we don't influence the outcome of the prosecution in any way. Speaker, the outcome has been influenced. Mr. Capay has been denied due process. Speaker, I want to know, is our justice system becoming and being used to punish and to curse and beat people into submission rather than one that seeks justice? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, the accusations the individual is making, you know, completely inappropriate. I can't speak specifically to an individual's case with the detail around their particular circumstances, but what I can say is on this side of the house, our government is doing everything we can to ensure speedy trials and access to justice. I know the Attorney General is working very hard, and the Attorney General will want to speak to this issue as well. They've added additional resources for video, the ability to be able to testify through video, and other technology supports in our court systems to continue to help make investments and support speedy access to trial. As I've indicated as well, there are many reasons why an individual may be delayed in getting to court, but on this side of the house, the Crown will do everything it can to ensure a speedy and expeditious trial. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. The Chief Coroner of Ontario has just issued a single report on death in our long-term care homes. This year, the report looks at 35 such death, including nine tragic homicides in our nursing homes. He makes 54 recommendations to prevent future deaths and homicides. He recommends provincial standards for dementia care, including appropriate staffing level 24-7. He recommends one-on-one care from residents with dementia and better mental health care for all seniors. He recommends a concrete plan to address residents to residents' violence. Will the Premier implement the Coroner's recommendations to improve safety and care of the residents of our long-term care homes? Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. We obviously and always take the reports coming from the corner very, very seriously. I look forward to reading this report in its entirety and looking at the recommendations, particularly obviously those, including those that were referenced. And just based on what I've heard, we're already implementing and moving in the direction of some of the recommendations that the Coroner has pointed to with regards to more supports in long-term care homes for individuals suffering from dementia, including Alzheimer's. We're now providing more than $50 million a year. We added $10 million a year just in the most recent budget for behavioral supports in our long-term care homes. Specialized individuals that can provide the necessary support that are trained to provide that support. Of course, we are doing many other aspects that I know will be consistent with the recommendations at the corner. I'll speak to those in the supplementary. Thank you. Supplementary. I don't believe what the minister just said that he takes the recommendation seriously because the Coroner is forced to repeat recommendation years after years because they are not being acted upon. In 2014, the Chief Coroner recommended that the government develop a concrete plan to address residents on residence violence. In 2015, the Coroner makes the same recommendation. In 2016, the Chief Coroner has just repeated the exact same recommendations yet again. Every residence of long-term care homes should be safe. Every workers in our long-term care homes should be safe. That's the bottom line. That's what the Chief Coroner tells them to do. When will the government act on the Chief Coroner's recommendations to improve safety and oversight of all of our long-term care residents? Because you know what, Speaker? Where I'm sitting right now, it looks like they don't care. Well, Mr. Speaker, we are making changes and improvements all the time with regards to the safety and security of Ontarians in long-term care homes. We have, through a variety of ways, we have just since 2008 funded an additional 2,500 personal support workers, 900 nurses who are now working in our long-term care homes. In fact, I'm wrong on that. It's actually 2100 more nurses working in our long-term care homes since 2008. The behavioral supports that I talked about, we have a specialized program which involves nurse practitioners, the highest level of training among our nurses in long-term care homes. We've doubled our funding since coming into office, Mr. Speaker, an increase or rather doubled our funding in terms of the support that we're providing. And we are constantly looking at ways that we can provide additional care as well as continue to ensure the safety and security of our nurses. Again, I'll be looking at the coroner's report and the recommendations in some detail. Mr. Speaker, my questions for the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. Our great province has made up of 46 treaties and other agreements with Indigenous peoples. Setting out the rights, responsibilities, and relationships of First Nations, the federal government, and Ontario. Last May, the Premier apologized for Ontario's role in the legacy of residential schools and affirmed our government's commitment to reconciliation with our Indigenous peoples. As part of that, we announced through the Journey Together initiatives to revitalize treaty relationships and promote public awareness of treaties. Can the Minister please tell us more about what the government is doing to broaden public understanding of the importance of treaties? Thank you, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. Thank you, Speaker. Last May, I tabled the legislation in this House to declare the first full week of November every year as Treaties Recognition Week. Thanks to the support it received from all three parties, next week we'll celebrate the first annual Treaties Recognition Week in Ontario. In doing so, we are taking steps towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. To support Treaties Week, we've asked Indigenous partners to identify speakers to visit schools and libraries across Ontario to share their perspectives on treaties. There are more than 50 different events happening throughout the province, and I encourage all members and the public to join me and others and take part in an event in their local community. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. It's wonderful to hear that by celebrating Treaties Recognition Week, we're creating opportunities for Ontarians of all ages, especially students, to learn about the importance of treaties in our shared history with Indigenous peoples. And this supports and sustains our government's efforts to achieve reconciliation. Mr. Speaker, the Minister mentioned that our government is helping schools plan activities during the week to enable teachers to incorporate treaties into their lesson plans. And I know that we've also committed to incorporate treaties into the education curriculum, and I can attest that schools in Etobicoke Lakeshore proudly display the treaty map in every school. Can the Minister please elaborate on the initiatives our government is taking to promote a broader understanding of treaties in schools? Thank you, Minister. Minister of Education. Thank you, Speaker. And I want to thank the member of Etobicoke Lakeshore for this very important question. We believe that all students, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, are enriched by learning about the history's cultures, contributions, and perspectives of First Nations, Métis people, and Inuit in Canada. That's why we're working with Indigenous partners to enhance the Ontario curriculum, to incorporate mandatory learning about residential schools, the legacy of colonialism, and the rights, responsibilities we all have to each other as treaty people. To mark treaty's recognition week, educators will have access to online resources to help teach students about treaties and how they are relevant today. We have also asked Indigenous partners to identify speakers who could go into Ontario schools and share their perspective on treaties. Mr. Speaker, we're committed to working with Indigenous partners on this shared path to support reconciliation. I thank all members for supporting the treaty recognition week. Good morning, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Minister of Economic Development and Growth. Over the last several weeks, I have questioned the Minister about the plight of small manufacturers struggling with expensive energy bills. He responded by talking about the taxpayer money his government has handed out to some of the biggest companies in North America. Speaker, with a provincial debt that recently blew past $300 billion, the Minister can't possibly intend to subsidise our entire economy into prosperity. Although they are unable to donate at the same level, small companies are facing the same obstacle as large multinationals. Incredibly high energy costs, incoming cap and trade, and onerous regulations. Speaker, can the Minister explain why his government thinks corporate grants to the largest companies by invitation only is a better plan for our economy than creating a level playing field where businesses of all sizes can be competitive and succeed? Minister of Economic Development and Growth. Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member for the question, because I really do appreciate the opportunity to respond to it. Since 2004, we've invested over $1.7 billion in supports for business. $1.7 billion that we've invested. $16 billion has been added to our economy as a result of those investments. 70,000 jobs have been created or retained. Oshawa exists because of these supports. I know the member and his leader do not support our auto sector. I know that their preference would have been to see that auto sector wither and die. They said that, Mr. Speaker, so it's absolutely true. They would have let those plants close well, Mr. Speaker. We're not going to let those plants close. We're going to partner with our auto sector. We're going to partner with our manufacturers. We're going to reduce regulatory burden for our businesses. We're going to maintain a competitive environment for investment and we're going to keep... Back to the minister. Small size companies are describing this government's policies as in a quote, death by 1,000 cuts. 80% of manufacturers in this province employ 50 people or less. They can't afford to lobby this government and they don't have the resources to deal with all the problems this government throws at them. Speaker, one company I spoke with was told they would need to spend over $60,000 to evaluate their plant emissions than freeze operations for three years while they waited for the ministry to review the report. If they needed to make changes to operations within that time, they were told by this government they should just hire a lawyer. Minister, the first step defining a solution is admitting that you have a problem. When will the minister finally acknowledge that this government is placing an unreasonable burden on small and medium size businesses? Or will he continue to insist that he knows more about the business of these companies than the owners do? Mr. Speaker, this government has been passionately tackling that regulatory burden that the member correctly refers to. We do need to continue to reduce regulatory burden and we'll ask the member opposite and other members of the legislature that were open to their feedback. We worked very closely with our business community on this and what have we achieved so far? 80,000 regulatory burdens have been reduced or eliminated between 2008 and 2010. In our recent report, $88 million has been saved for businesses, Mr. Speaker. That's 2.8 million hours on the job that we save for our small businesses because of our open for business. But there's more work to do and that's why we set up our red tape challenge so we can reach out in particular to small and medium size businesses. We're 25 to 26% of the respondents to that have been those small businesses that we're targeting. So Mr. Speaker, do we have more work to do? Yes, we do. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the premier. Mr. Speaker, this province's justice system is in a mess. This province has been under 13 years of liberal rule and for four of those years, Mr. Adam Capay has spent his time in custody in solitary confinement with 24 hours a day artificial light. This is simply appalling. First, the Human Rights Commissioner, now other constitutional and human rights experts have said that these conditions amount to the international definition of torture. Torture, Mr. Speaker. How can the premier and the minister be okay with that? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I have said repeatedly in this house and outside of this house that the situation is unacceptable. Mr. Speaker, the status quo is unacceptable, which is why we are making changes, Mr. Speaker. We have already made changes in terms of the weekly reviews, in terms of the number of days in segregation, Mr. Speaker. It's unacceptable. We have challenges in the correctional service that must be addressed, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services has it as part of his mandate to tackle those, Mr. Speaker, including doing a review specifically of the issues surrounding segregation, Mr. Speaker. I know the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services will want to speak in the supplementary, but I just want to be clear, Mr. Speaker, that the status quo is not acceptable and we have been making changes, but there is more that we have to do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, saying that it's unacceptable without doing anything is meaningless, without any real action. It's meaningless. And what makes it worse is that Mr. Capay wasn't moved out of solitary confinement for compassion and grounds. It was because of a renovation. The protocols are very clear. The minister on file will receive a report on the isolation of Mr. Capay at least 25 times over four years. That's 25 times of receiving a report. Now the question is, what did those reports say about the conditions of Mr. Capay and what did the minister do about those conditions? Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can appreciate your question. Excuse me. Can I finish introducing you first before you start? Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Sorry, Speaker. Thank you. To the member opposite, we take these issues very, very seriously. It is unacceptable in Ontario the conditions that have been identified and brought to my attention. We are working to do everything we can to immediately address issues of segregation that do not meet standards that we all expect. The use of segregation in Ontario facilities has been a long-standing practice. Decades and decades old, all governments in this legislature, all parties know that at times when they were in government, the use of segregation has been a practice that has been used. We want to make sure that the conditions that anyone is in in segregation are appropriate and are fitting. We are committing to a full independent review of segregation, Speaker, and just last week I announced other changes to segregation that will help to improve the conditions of anyone in segregation in Ontario. Thank you. New question to the member from Davenport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Responsibility for Women's Issues. This month was Women's History Month, a time when we recognize the important role women have played in our rich history, the amazing triumphs we have made and the many obstacles we have overcome to achieve equality. And I'm honored every day to serve as the first selected female MPP in the campaign of Davenport under the first female Premier in Ontario, Kathleen Nguyen. And I want to thank Margaret Burch who joined us here today for paving the way for women in politics. So I know we have made great progress for the empowerment and representation of women in leadership roles, but there is still more work that can be done. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister please share with the House the hard work being done to increase the representation of women in leadership positions in this province? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I want to thank the member from Davenport for this very important question. And earlier this month, of course, we celebrated person's day marking the milestone of women's history where women finally got recognized as persons under the law, allowing women to sit in the Canadian Senate. But almost 100 years later, women continue to fight for equal representation across the world. Our government is a leader on this front and we've taken strong action to further empower women and increase the number of women leadership roles. We're encouraging businesses to set targets of 30% of their boards of directors to be women. And just this morning, Speaker, the Minister of Finance and I met with our Women in Business Steering Committee. And we've set a clear target of 40% of women on all provincial agencies and public entities by 2019. Our Premier, of course, is leading by example by naming her cabinet of 40% women over this year. Increasing the number of women in boards and senior management positions is good for the economy, Speaker. Thank you. I would like to thank the Minister for her answer. I am proud of Ontario's leadership and recognize the important work being done to shatter the glass ceiling for women leaders in Ontario. The gender wage gap has been in the media quite a bit recently and it seems like global progress on closing the gap is not as fast as we had hoped. While I find this global trend concerning I know that Ontario is taking great efforts to close the gender wage gap at a much faster rate. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister share with the House what leadership our government is taking to continue the narrowing of the gender wage gap in Ontario? Thank you, Minister. Thank you and again I want to thank the member for the question. The Government is indeed taking strong action to promote gender quality and close the gender wage gap. Our gender wage gap steering committee's report made a number of recommendations on how to do this and Minister Flynn, the Minister of Labor and I are taking action. To this end we are making the OPS and Terrapublic Service salary range data available by gender and we're assuring that a gender lens is brought to the development of all government policies and programs to further promote the empowerment of women in every government decision. The wage difference between men and women in the Ontario Public Service is down to 12% in 2015 from 16.5% in 2008. While this shows there's still much more work to be done it also shows the work we are doing is making a difference and we're moving forward to Ontario where women and men are paid equally. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Your question, the member from Brewstray Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions to the Premier. 13 years ago the Interior Human Rights Commission's groundbreaking report showed that students with disabilities face far too many unfair barriers in our society. Sadly, as a result, people with disabilities face very high unemployment rates that former Lieutenant Governor, David Omlet, your accessibility advisor calls a national shame. There are 334,000 students with special education needs in Ontario-funded schools, one of every six students. The government has no comprehensive plan to ensure that our education system will become fully accessible by 2025 as the Accessibility for Interior and Disabilities Act requires. The AODA Alliance has pressed you for over half a decade to agree to develop an education accessibility standard under the AODA to tackle these barriers. It's a great idea. Will you agree now to do this? Thank you, Premier. Mr. Speaker, I know the Minister of Education is going to want to comment but I want to tell the member opposite that I had the opportunity to meet with David Lepofsky actually, with the Minister responsible for people with disabilities and we had a very good conversation about the education standard as the member will know or may not know but there is a health standard that is being developed right now, Mr. Speaker. That was one of the things that the AODA had been advocating up until this time and Mr. Speaker, as I say we had a very good conversation about the education standard and I know that the Minister of Education and the Minister responsible for people with disabilities are having a conversation about how we might move forward with that, Mr. Speaker, so I appreciate the question from the member opposite. Thank you, supplementary. Back to the Premier, you've been having lots of conversations but there's still lots of needs to be done. Ontario is not on schedule for full accessibility by 2025 the deadline this legislature set. The Toronto Star recently reported that new accessibility barriers are still being built in new buildings in Ontario including on University campuses. The renovated Osgoode Hall law school is much harder for a blind person to get around than it was before it was renovated. The new Ryerson Student Learning Center has a student area that requires students with disabilities to climb steps they can't climb. This violates the Premier's promise that public money would never be used to create new barriers against people with disabilities. Recent Ontario building code changes don't solve this problem. Will this government agree that in terms with disabilities need an educational accessibility standard to do with the Premier's thrown speech promise to build up Ontario for all Ontarians? Minister responsible for accessibility. Thank you, Speaker. I want to thank the member for the question. I'm pretty proud to be the first Ontario minister responsible for accessibility in this process. It's very important, remember Speaker, that Ontario is a leader in accessibility. Ontario is the first one to move to a modern regulatory regime that mandates accessibility reporting. And the first that requires staff to be actually trained in accessibility. And first in Canada with legislation that sets out clear goals for accessibility by 2025. And that's in all aspects of daily living whether it's transportation, whether it's employment, whether it's our buildings and our built environment, whether it's the information and communication systems we use. It's important that everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential and barriers be removed for persons with disabilities. So they too can have full participation in our daily living. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Recently the Federal Liberal Finance Minister told the room full of Ontario Party faithful that the future of work in this country under his watch is to be precarious, part-time, temporary, without guarantees or without benefits. What a pep talk. The Prime Minister then repeated the very same sentiment as has the Premier's privacy czar and principal advisor Ed Clark. Don't plan on good paying jobs with a stable future is what they're saying to young people entering the workforce. Does the Premier agree with this sentiment? Mr. Speaker, you know, on this side of the house what we are working on is actually working with businesses, working with communities to create those good paying jobs, those well-paying jobs, Mr. Speaker. We're seeing investment in this province, whether it's in the auto sector, Mr. Speaker, whether it's in aerospace, whether it's agri-food, Mr. Speaker, we're seeing investments, expansion of businesses that is creating jobs. There is a global reality that the nature of work has changed. That is a reality. I'm not going to judge the comments of either the Federal Finance Minister or the Prime Minister, Mr. Speaker. But what I know is that what our government is doing is we're working with businesses. We're creating jobs together, Mr. Speaker, and we as a government are creating the conditions that allow those businesses to thrive. Ontario is one of the leading economies in the country, Mr. Speaker. In terms of job creation and growth, that's something to be proud of, and I hope the member opposite feels the same way. The member from Durham and the member from Hamilton, East Stony Creek, come to order. Supplementary, please. Thank you, Speaker. Here's the reality. Youth unemployment has stayed at record highs, as high as 17% in some areas. Young people at the start of their working lives want to be able to afford and pay their bills, pay their rent, and they need relief from their student loans to be able to plan for their future. Does the Premier agree with her federal cousins and Ed Clark that young Ontarians should just get used to precarious employment? Minister of Economic Development and Growth. Mr. Speaker, what we agree with is the need to ensure that we're preparing Ontario's youth and Ontario's economy to take on a fiercely competitive, fast disrupting global economy. We've got to do the work to get there because we have a responsibility, and so does the member's opposite to pass on an economy to the next generation. We can be proud to pass on to that next generation. Yes, we have a lot of work to do to get there, and we're determined to do that. Putting our head in the sand and pretending that the world isn't changing is going to do a disservice to every young boy and girl, man and woman in this province. We're going to take on that global economy. We're going to make sure that Ontario's leading the disruption rather than being swept up in it. We're determined to get that done because we're going to pass on to the next generation a strong economy so that we can be proud of the fact that we've done them justice, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. New question. The member from Brampton, Springfield. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development. Last week I was proud to celebrate with you when you announced the second round of calls for proposals for major capacity expansion, calling for two new secondary sites, one in Milton and one in my hometown of Brampton. This presents an excellent opportunity for a university to partner with the college, the community and businesses to bring further innovation and benefits to Peel and Halton regions. Can the Minister tell us more about this exciting call for the proposals and when we can expect to know more about these post-secondary sites? Thank you to the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development. Well, thank you, Speaker and thank you to the member from Brampton, Springfield for this really important question. Speaker, if we want to have innovative and top-notch graduates leading our province, then we need to provide innovative top-notch environments where students can learn. And that's what our government has been working on, Speaker. In May last year we announced a new York University Seneca College campus in Markham. And last week we announced that we're moving forward with two new post-secondary sites in Brampton and in Milton. We'll launch a formal call for proposals in January 2017 and we'll announce the successful bids by the fall of 2017. Speaker, we're investing up to $180 million to create these post-secondary sites and we're very excited about how they'll improve not only those two communities but the province as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker and thank you to the Minister for her answer. We know that Brampton and Milton are some of the fastest growing communities in Ontario and we can expect great young talent to continue to emerge from those areas. So that's why I was encouraged to see this call for proposals. Has a specific focus on programs in the science, technology, arts, mathematics, or as you called it, steam disciplines. Can the Minister tell us more about what we are seeking for these post-secondary sites? Thank you, Minister. Well, thank you and, Speaker, we recently received some excellent advice from the Premier's highly skilled workforce expert panel led by former member Sean Conway on how to prepare for a more technology and a knowledge-based economy. It was important to us that our second call for proposals for capacity expansion aligned with their advice and that's why we're looking for projects that provide students with high quality academic research, experiential learning, and entrepreneurship opportunities they need to prepare themselves for the technology and knowledge-based jobs of today and tomorrow. Speaker, we'll succeed when we all work together and that's why we're expecting universities to work with college partnerships, with businesses, with local communities in Brampton and Milton to develop innovative proposals for these new sites. We're looking forward to seeing what those proposals as they come forward and we'll work with them to make sure we get the very, very best new opportunities for students in Brampton. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Last week the Environmental Commissioner released her annual report where she highlighted the fact that the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has not completed environmental bill of right reviews going back as far as 2009. Not only that, she noted that even when MOECC completes environmental review, the department does not deliver on the commitments it makes. This past August, Ontarians were not informed when Ross Sewage was dumped into the Toronto Harbour again for the second summer in a row, despite the government's assurances that public would be informed. Speaker, the Environmental Commissioner says it's going to take time for this Ministry to earn Ontarians trust when it comes to respecting and protecting the environment. Premier, when will your minister commit to taking real action when it comes to protecting and to rights of Ontarians? Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. Thank you. I think the member opposite, I guess she wasn't at the press conference where the Environmental Commissioner actually complimented the Ministry on the amazing progress that it's made. In fact, 525 of those files were closed in the last year, which is a record I think in the history of the province. The member asked the question. I think she should try to listen to the answer. No whether comments necessary. Thank you. Minister. Which I think, Mr. Speaker, it's just about a record for this Ministry in catching up. So it's about, we're about 200 behind right now, which is about the best it's been. And the second thing, Mr. Speaker, we have posted, as the member opposite would know, a complete review of the EBR right now, where we are working broadly with business and communities to update what has been some of Canada's most groundbreaking legislation in environmental rights, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary. Speaker, perhaps the Minister hasn't even looked at the report title. It's called Small Steps. Anyways, again back to the Premier. Speaker, her government is not respecting Ontarians environmental rights and ignoring complaints registered on the EBR. The only avenue that people have to register their concerns. The Ministry has not cleared its backlog. For goodness sakes, the environmental registry itself is so far behind, it still runs on DOS. How archaic is that, Speaker? And just recently, a freedom of information request to the Ministry of Environment has revealed there is a backlog of 2,700 files regarding non-resolved noise complaints related to industrial wind turbines from over the last 10 years. Speaker, when will this Premier put Ontarians first and finally commit to ensuring that all complaints registered on the EBR are respected and responded to? Thank you. Minister? I did just close by saying that we are now out consulting on the complete revision of the EBR. And actually, the member of the EBR sits wrong. The EBR does not run on DOS and hasn't run on DOS for a long time, because we just in the last year made a major investment in the information technology. And as she knows, because I know she watches our procurement, we are now making another major investment in the Ministry's information technology and rewriting and redesigning the EBR. I don't know why she didn't ask that question a year ago or two years ago, why it always takes the Environmental Commissioner to do the member's job for her. But I do want to point out zero waste bill, bill 151 Cap and Trade Climate Change Bill, Great Lakes Protection Act, work on pesticides, work on groundwater. I don't think there's been two years where we've done this kind of work since Jim Bradley was the Environment Minister, Mr. Speaker. This has been a very busy minute. Now the member is getting tested. New question, the member from London Central. Speaker, my questions to the Premier. Earlier this year we learned that enrollment for the Ontario Electricity Support Program was only 25% of eligible families. Now we have found that the government has excluded even more low income families by refusing to grant enrollment for anyone living in a unit that is not individually metered. I have seniors on low fixed incomes calling my office and telling me they are struggling with increased hydro costs. I don't qualify for OESP because their building hydro bill is split among residents. They are living in energy poverty. They are struggling with rising hydro costs and they are below the income cutoff. The Ontario Electricity Support Program excludes so many people including seniors and others living on fixed income. When will the government fix the OESP to ensure that all low income families can benefit? Thank you Mr. Speaker and I thank the honourable member for the question. I know there are some specifics that she brought up and while I can't speak to the specifics, what I can talk about is the OESP program and the great work that it's been doing since it started. It will be 11 months tomorrow. This program is getting about 14,000 families and seniors applying for this program. We do want to see more families on this program and that's why we continue to spend money on advertising Mr. Speaker. It's a great program for it and that's why we're making sure that we send more of these brochures to the opposition offices Mr. Speaker to make sure that they can talk to their constituents about it. Because Mr. Speaker, $45 a month for some families goes a long way and for seniors and those families that heat their home with electricity Mr. Speaker they can apply and get up to $75 Mr. Speaker and that's something we're happy to see. The deferred votes this house stands. Oh you wish, I wish, a moment this point of order for the member from Nickel Belt. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I think we have unanimous consent to have a minute of silence in the memory of Paul de Maers who marked Franco-Ontarian culture and inspired the whole people to take its own place. We're seeking unanimous consent for a moment of silence. Do we agree? Agreed. Please rise. Thank you. The vote this house stands recessed until 1pm this afternoon.