 It is now time for Question Period, the leader of the Majesty's Royal Opposition. Mr. Speaker, to the Premier, I'd like to go back to the Auditor General's report about energy. I'd just like to remind the government that the AG revealed the Liberals will be overcharging the equivalent of $12,000 for every man, woman and child in Ontario for the cost of electricity. $12,000. That's a year worth of rent in downtown Toronto. That's the cost of a young person's first car. That's a graduate student's tuition for a year. That's a semester of backpacking in Europe. That would cover the average family's food for an entire year. Mr. Speaker, why is it okay for the government to pick the pockets of Ontarians? Mr. Speaker, just before, and I'm very eager to answer this question, but just before I do this may be my last opportunity before the House rises to just wish everyone a very, very happy holiday. I hope that every province has an opportunity in this time period to spend some time with family, with friends. It's not always an easy time of year for people, but I hope that everyone has the opportunity to appreciate this beautiful place that we live in. And Mr. Speaker, on that note, I just had the opportunity with members of the opposition parties to be in Paris at the COP21 conference on climate change, Mr. Speaker. And I have to say, and I don't know if the opposition members had this experience, but I had people coming to me, including premiers of other states in Australia, for example, looking to us as a model for the changes that we have made, and I will come back to that before being here. Mr. Speaker, again to the premier, and since I didn't get the question answered the first time, I'll try the second time. The AG said the government could have achieved all the renewable goals and not overcharged $9.2 billion. So my question varied directly is, the government's overcharging of electricity will cost an average family $32,000. That's a down payment on your first home in Iradi and Simcoe North. That's a new Dodge caravan. That's a 24-foot pontoon boat. It's a complete kitchen renovation. Mr. Speaker, how can this government noily take opportunities away from families by overcharging them on energy? So the question is, how do you justify this unprecedented overcharging of energy in Ontario? I say to the leader of the opposition, the changes that we have made in Ontario, including the shutdown of the coal-fired plants, Mr. Speaker, the investment in renewable energy, Mr. Speaker, the avoidance of pollution, Mr. Speaker, that has saved lives in terms of asthma, Mr. Speaker, and costs, Mr. Speaker, those are initiatives that other jurisdictions are looking to us, Mr. Speaker. They are looking to us. They were very happy, Mr. Speaker, to see us there. For example, Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario, signing a Memorandum of Understanding on cap and trade, Mr. Speaker. They are looking to us. They are asking us how we did it, Mr. Speaker, in terms of the shutdown of the coal-fired plants, the avoidance of those health care costs, Mr. Speaker. We are leading the way. We will continue to do that, whether or not the leader of the opposition is with us, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again for the Premier, it is the Christmas season. Parents, grandparents and guardians have been saving all year to put an extra parent present under the tree. This government could have made that a little bit easier if they hadn't overcharged $32,000 for every family in Ontario. That could have bought 65 outpads to wrap. That could have bought 80 Xbox ones to put under the tree. That could have bought 248 kids a new supercycle to ride. Mr. Speaker, just picture those gifts. Picture the look on a kid's face as they see those gifts under the tree. I took the approach of trying to ask for order only, but if I'm getting the signaling from you that it's not good enough, I'll ramp it up. I wish I didn't have to. So when I ask for order, please give it. And don't start right after I ask for order. Please finish. Mr. Speaker, to the Premier, in the spirit of Christmas, will you give Ontario one important Christmas gift? Never again will you intervene in the energy sector. Will you give us that present? Never again will we have liberals intervene and cost untoward. Thank you. Will you do it for Santa? Thank you. Very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, as the Leader of the Opp... Oh, sorry. Please finish. Very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, as the Leader of the Opposition measures the world in terms of the cost of Xboxes, let me just talk about some costs that I think are critical. Mr. Speaker, Tim Gray of Environmental Defense says this. The Member from Renfrew, Nipissing, Pembroke, come to order. Do you? Finish, please. Ontario's Renewable Energy Program was instrumental in the coal phaseout, which was justified because the coal plants were inestimated, were estimated to cost 4 points. Minister of Agriculture, come to order. The Member from Dufferin, Caledon, come to order. Finish, please. $5 billion in extra costs over 20 years to avoid. $4.4 billion per year sounds like good value to me. Of course, there's also the tiny bonus of clear, clear, blue skies where it's not a great summer, Mr. Speaker. That is the cost that we have avoided, Mr. Speaker. That's right. And the health cost of those children who have not been admitted to hospital, Mr. Speaker. That's how I will measure success. First signaling is telling me that you need to be warned. And if I have to get that today, I'm going to get it. No question. The Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Speaker, to the Premier, the Liberals recently were chivying the third party leader for not having questions on climate change. Well, to the Premier, it's difficult to criticize a climate change plan that has no details, that hasn't been released to the public. The Premier's idea of fighting climate change is photo op environmentalism and press release politics. The reality is it was the two previous Premier's of Ontario that closed the coal-fired power plants. Not this Premier. Minister of Energy. I've asked for details about this government's climate change plan. They wouldn't give us any. The government has sat on their cap-and-trade plan since 2009. If she has a plan, if she has a strategy, what is it? Mr. Speaker, in all seriousness, will the Premier tell us, will tell the Legislature what will show up first at Queen's Park, details on her climate change question, or the Loch Ness Monster or the Polkaroo? What will show up first? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I know the opposition understands how important it is that all of the coal-fired plants have been shut down and that we have passed legislation, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that they will not be rebuilt. There will not be coal-fired generation of electricity in Ontario again, Mr. Speaker. I'm sure that the Leader of the Opposition knows that investing $20 million in charging stations for electric vehicles, Mr. Speaker, is very important. It's going to be uptake. That infrastructure has to be in place. I know that the Leader of the Opposition understands that the cap-and-trade system that is being developed, Mr. Speaker, is being developed in conjunction... Remember from Leeds-Grandville, second time. And now, if it's going to get ramped up, I'm going to warnings. So that means I'm not waiting. I'll warning next time you're out. Carry on. It is being developed in conjunction with Quebec and with California, and that we signed a memorandum of understanding with Manitoba while we were in Paris, Mr. Speaker. So Central Canada is on the same track. Mr. Speaker, the plan is in place and the Leader of the Opposition knows it. Mr. Speaker, again, to the Premier, I would have hoped in that response we would have had some details finally. But unfortunately not. It's awfully easy to stage photo ops and claim you will find out climate change. It's easy to set greenhouse gas reduction targets for 2030 or 2050, but it takes to actual work, actual details to make a difference now. The Environmental Commissioner, your Environmental Commissioner has told us that you won't reach your 2020 targets, not even close. In fact, during this Premier's first year in office, greenhouse gas emissions actually rose 171 megatons. The Premier is more concerned about agreeing backdrop than dropping emissions. Mr. Speaker, can the Premier give a single example of what she has done during her time as Premier, not previous Premier? Other than signing agreements, attending conferences, it's all lip service. Will the Premier tell the House what she is going to do, what the details of your plan? Please. Thank you, Premier. Mr. Speaker, this from a member of a government in Ottawa for nine years, when he was in Paris, Mr. Speaker, and said, Canada is back. The room cheers, Mr. Speaker. By 2050, he may not like the fact that the design features of our cap-and-trade system are being developed. Mr. Speaker, we're working with California and Quebec. He may not like an infrastructure for electric vehicles, Mr. Speaker. But that's what we're doing because we are going to continue to lead again in the fight against... Thank you. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier, it just appears to be more hot air. You will ultimately be judged on... Minister of Average in all affairs is warned. Carry on. Mr. Speaker, to the Premier, you will ultimately be judged on your greenhouse gas emissions, and it's easy to blame previous Prime Ministers and previous Premieres. You will be judged on your actions alone. And the Premier loves to talk about climate change and fighting climate change, but it has been just that, just talk. We all know he just got back from Paris. I think it's great that you went to represent our province. I would never say you shouldn't attend. In fact, our own critic went as well. But if you want to talk about a carbon print, the Premier flew back and forth twice. You took 22 advisers with you on that trip. That just seems excessive. Actually, it's difficult to get one side when the other side continues. Wrap up, please. So I ask again, other than photo ops, press conferences and press releases, what has this Premier done to fight climate change? I don't want to hear about your predecessors. Your only announcement in Paris was about Manitoba. What has this Premier done to fight climate change in on? Thank you. So here's what the leader of the opposition needs to know. I walked into a concert in the member from Prince Edward Hastings is Warren. Back from Paris yesterday afternoon and I walked into a concert in my one of the schools in my riding in the evening and the first person who spoke to me was a young girl from grade five. Her name is Sloane and she said, I wrote a letter to you. I just wrote a letter to you and I want to talk to you. And her question, Mr. Speaker, was about climate change. So here's a child in grade five talking to the Premier of the province, saying to me, what are you doing? And Mr. Speaker, my answer to her was exactly the same as it is to the leader of the opposition. We are doing everything we can. We are challenging industry. We have to make sure that we continue to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and we're developing technology to help other countries. We're taking the leadership. The question, the leader of the third party. I want to begin by wishing the best of the holiday season to Ontarians on behalf of new democrats and to encourage people who are to reach out a helping hand to those who are less fortunate, I think, into our province today. To my question, Speaker, in November, my question is to the Premier. In November I raised the fact that public hydro agencies in the provinces of Quebec and Manitoba are investing more in conservation than here in Ontario. Well, Nova Scotia's privatized hydro agency is actually fighting against conservation, Speaker. When the Premier was in Paris, did she explain why she's selling hydro one and giving away one of the most important tools in the fight for climate change? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. You know, one of the conversations that was very, very front of mind in Paris was the investment in infrastructure. There was a lot of conversation about the need to invest in public transportation. Quite to the contrary, people wanted to know how we were moving ahead to make that investment and the leader that in order to make that investment we need funds, we need money to be able to do that, Mr. Speaker, and that is the motivator for the broadening of the ownership of hydro one, Mr. Speaker. So, in fact, I had many conversations in Paris about how we are moving ahead, how we are making the largest investment in infrastructure across the province in that province's history, Mr. Speaker, and a large part of that is transit and transportation infrastructure. That's what people want to know. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Premier travelled to Paris to talk about fighting climate change. Hydro one will be, should be, one of the keys to energy conservation in this province. As a private company, though, hydro one will make money when they sell more electricity, Speaker, but it is in the interest of our planet to use less electricity. I'm sure the Premier can see the contradiction here, Speaker. Why she is handing away control of hydro one. Thank you. I think what's critical is that we have a clean renewable generation in this province, and that is what we've got, Mr. Speaker, and we know that having that generation, having companies that are efficient, Mr. Speaker, and are competitive, that is a good thing for the province. We know, Mr. Speaker, that hydro one can be improved, and I've said that the motivation for broadening the ownership of hydro one is the investment in infrastructure, which it is. We will also see, Mr. Speaker, an improved company as a result of this change. So that's a benefit, Mr. Speaker. It's a benefit to the people of the province. It's a benefit to the people who get their service from hydro one. So we will continue, as I said, there was a lot of conversation about the importance of having infrastructure investment that's sustainable. That is the work that we're doing as a result of this change. Mr. Speaker, the families want to see investment in transit and transportation infrastructure that will help make our economy greener. Transit takes cars off the road, but selling hydro doesn't build transit according to the FAO, and in fact, according to the minister of finance in his own economic update. So on the one hand, selling hydro one hobbles our ability to conserve energy and tackle climate change. And on the other hand, it actually fails to build transit, Speaker. I thought the premier was serious about climate change. So why is she moving Ontario backwards, Speaker? The premise of the leader of the third party's question is just not accurate. The fact is, Mr. Speaker, a cap and trade system, the shutdown of coal-fired plants, the introduction of infrastructure for electric vehicles, the investment in sustainable infrastructure, Mr. Speaker, is going to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We have set firm targets. We have met our 2014 target, Mr. Speaker, and we are working with our partners across the country to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Ontario and across the country. So, Mr. Speaker, I understand that the leader of the third party is not going to support the investment in infrastructure that we're making. I think that's wrong-headed, Mr. Speaker. I think that she should be supporting that. But the reality is we are going to continue on this path because we know that there is an environmental and there is an economic imperative to making those investments. Thank you. New question? The leader of the third party? My next question is also for the premier. In less than a month, hydro-wills will be going up another 10%. And that's because the government is eliminating the clean energy benefit. And the government's plan, Speaker, for low-income Ontarians seems to have a bit of a short circuit. What is this premier going to do to make sure that people struggling to pay their hydro-wills actually get the relief that they've been promised by her government? Thank you. So, Mr. Speaker, the OESP, the Ontario Energy Support Program is designed exactly to do is... Remember from Renfrew and Nipissing, Pembroke is warned. I guess you didn't hear me. Carry on. The member who was heckling thinks that low-income Ontarians shouldn't know about the program, but we actually think low-income Ontarians should know about the program. And it is designed exactly to address the challenges that the leader of the third party has identified, Mr. Speaker. And we are going to make sure that people get that information. There have been flyers that have gone in electricity bills, Mr. Speaker. But the reality is that we are going to redouble our efforts to make sure that people get the information so that they can apply for those programs. Thank you. The extent of low-income Ontarians have applied for the OESP. Once they have applied, it takes six to eight weeks to be approved. Even if every single person applied by the end of the day today, they wouldn't get approved till sometime in February, Speaker. Supporting our most vulnerable neighbors is something people expect the government to get right. But yet again, here we have the Liberals making yet another mess in the energy sector. What will this Premier do, Speaker, for the hundreds of thousands of Ontarians who have been promised support but won't be getting it during the coldest months of the year? I just want to say to the leaders of the third party that I was concerned about the outreach to low-income Ontarians, and I have said to my staff that I want to make sure that local distribution companies do an extra effort to connect with low-income Ontarians to make sure that they make the application. Because, Mr. Speaker, that funding is earmarked for those people. That money is earmarked for low-income Ontarians who may be struggling to make ends meet, Mr. Speaker. We will make sure that we do everything we can to make sure that that happens within the next couple of weeks. The holidays are around the corner. Selling Hydro-1 is a big gift to the Premier's friends and she's giving Ontarians a lump of coal. People are going to pay more, Speaker, and they have their Liberal Government to blame. How did this Premier so quickly lose sight of what matters to the people of this province? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Leader of the Third Party knows that she's trying to connect things that are not connected. So the fact is, Mr. Speaker, that there is a new program in place, the Ontario Energy Support Program, Mr. Speaker. At the same time that the debt retirement charge is coming off bills, Mr. Speaker, we are putting in place a program that will support low-income Ontarians. The broadening of the ownership of Hydro-1, Mr. Speaker, is an unrelated issue. It is an issue because we are investing in infrastructure. We are broadening the ownership of Hydro-1. The Leader of the Third Party knows that and she's desperate to make a connection, Mr. Speaker, a connection that is not there. We will continue to invest in infrastructure because we know that our competitiveness as a province relies on those investments, Mr. Speaker. A member from Hamilton Mountain is Warren. New question. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Minister, you know about the fire this past week in the Toronto South. Several correctional officers and staff were taken to hospital and treated for smoke inhalation. We just learned that there was a fire at Toronto East Detention Center back on November 27th, resulting in 12 staff, including six CEOs and six RNs being taken for smoke inhalation and additional three inmates were also taken to hospital. As was the case, several safety and security breaches occurred and it would appear as though staff were muzzled once again. Staff and inmate assaults, suicides and disturbances are occurring more frequently. Minister, you need to start listening to the issues these officers are bringing forward. Minister, actions speak louder than words. Demonstrate the respect that they deserve before enough officer is seriously hurt or God forbid killed. Their lives are placed in danger daily and they watch even the worst of the worst officers. They play an integral part in the rehab. So, minister, when will you start listening and act upon their recommendations and fix this crisis in correction? Minister? Thank you very much. Let me first start by recognizing many of our hardworking corrections probation and parole officers who are here today. The members are right. In a very difficult environment, they work very hard every single day to keep our communities safe. One of the things that I've been doing in my capacity as the minister is been talking to a lot of people including our correctional officers as to how do we build a better system of corrections. One thing, I've heard again and again including from our correctional officers that the status quo is not good. We need to transform our system. The very first step in that transformation is hiring more new correctional officers. And, Speaker, that is why we have been working hard on that front. Over the last two years alone, Speaker, we have hired 571 new correctional officers. But, Speaker, we are not stopping there. We will continue to hire even more correctional officers in months and years to come and make sure that they get the intensive, proper training in order to keep our communities safe. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. Well, Minister, if you respect them, stop endangering them. This morning, the correction staff rejected your tentative agreement citing a 67% no vote. So it's back to the table. Detention centers are overcrowded and understaffed. Case loads for our probation and parole officers are huge. And there are instances where these probation parolees carrying weapons. Where are the safety measures to protect our officers? Minister, a labor disruption means putting management, even inmates at risk, at our detention centers. Communities would be put at risk where detention centers are, and I'm told by very reliable sources that a strike could also mean a huge setback of months or even years for all the work that probation and parole officers are currently doing for their clients since there be no accountability. Minister, we know your ministry has been preparing for a labor dispute. What steps have you taken in the event of a labor disruption to ensure the safety of all? Thank you. And when I say thank you, it's over. Minister. Well, Speaker, you know, we will continue to work with our correctional staff and all our partners to make sure that our our... Member from Windsor West is warned. Carry on. That our jails are safe and our correctional officers in particular, they are safe at all times. Speaker, what ironic is that from the member opposite of all the questions he's asked, I've heard of no plan around transformation. How would he propose that we change the status quo, in fact, Speaker? I'm seeking cooperation from everybody and we are on the warning system. Finish, please. Speaker, you know, he serves under the leader who actually supported the dumb-on-crime policies by the Harper conservatives that resulted in the kind of unlawful county that we see in our jails, Speaker. And not to mention, just in October of 2012, the member opposite has issued a press release asking for wage increase for our local union members. Thank you. New question. Member from Oslo. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and my question will be to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, and I'm pleased to ask questions today with a full house of corrections officers and another few hundred outside this room, so maybe today we'll get some real answers. Correctional officers and probation and parole officers across this province soundly rejected a contract with this Liberal government. The fact that there is no deal puts this province one step closer to a strike or lockout in our jails. I asked the acting Premier about this earlier this week and received an impressive non-answer, so I'll try the Minister instead. Speaker, we know that the government has built or kept aside bed space for managers in the event of a strike or lockout. The last time there was a lockout, the government, a conservative government, used managers from other ministries and departments to staff the jails. What's the plan? Speaker, in light of the hostage taking and crisis in Thunder Bay, the fire in Toronto South, floods, lockdowns, assaults, malfunctioning cell locks, breaking glass, riots and overdoses, does the Premier really want unqualified managers from various ministries and departments to work together? Speaker, first of all, I mean, we're disappointed that the tentative agreement that was negotiated between the Treasury Board and the Opsu Correctional Bargaining Unit was not approved by the member. It's a democratic process and we respect that speaker. Of course, we as a government remain committed to bargaining and look forward to determining the next steps. As I was saying earlier, though, what our focus needs to be is to ensure that we transform our correctional services. We need to really move away, Speaker, from a model of warehousing. That's what our correctional officers continue to tell me. But a system that really focuses on corrections, that really focuses on rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates. What we need to do, Speaker, is to break the cycle of reoffence. So, Speaker, we as a government are committed to dealing with capacity issues and serving more jails. In fact, Speaker, we want to reduce the demand of jails in order to deal with the issue around capacity. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. So, Monday night in Thunder Bay was a terrible night as we've talked about, and again, I'm pleased to welcome Mike Lundy, the President, from Thunder Bay Jail, and his team went through one heck of a night on Monday. Speaker, the correctional officers, who had been mobilizing experience none of us could imagine, what he couldn't imagine, was getting to see his family again. Though he is physically safe now, the incident will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the officer, his family and his colleagues. Speaker, over the past two days, or three days, $23,000 in counting has been raised for the officer and his family through a crowdfunding campaign. This will only scratch the surface of the support that this affected the state of Thunder Bay. I think that this is a great opportunity for the minister to support the front-line officer in his time of need. I also think it says a lot about the lack of public faith in the support that he and others in need can excite his government. Speaker, will the minister commit to working with the minister of Labor to ensure that correctional officers receive the respect and post-traumatic stress supports they deserve? I think that this is a great opportunity for all officers and all staff, along with the Thunder Bay police, who worked extremely hard to diffuse that situation in a very professional way. I had the opportunity, Speaker, to speak with the correctional officer in question and have given him assurance that all supports will be there for him so he gets healthy sooner. I also had the opportunity to speak with the superintendent and the local government. I think that this before, our correctional officers do and our probation and parole officers as well do dangerous work and I am working very closely with the minister of Labor to ensure that all the work that he is doing around PTSD and around prevention and resiliency as it relates to our first responders that our correctional officers are part of that conversation. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. My question is for the minister responsible for Francophone affairs. The year 2015 has been a historic year for her province because it marked the 400th year of Francophone presence in Ontario. Could the minister please update us on the celebrations that took place this year? Thank you, the minister. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to thank the minister or rather the member for Burlington for this really important question. Yes, what a year it has been 400 years of Francophone presence in Ontario. There was a budget allocated to us of 9.5 million dollars and a lot of activities have been organized for celebrations in a lot of communities across the province and the whole province was able to take part in Rendez-vous Champlain, Penetang, Franco Fait in Toronto and a lot of other cultural and touristic celebrations like in Thunder Bay, Sudbury and Windsor, for example. We also invested in a lot of funds for Francophone heritage and I will tell you a lot more about it in this supplementary. My question, Mr Speaker, is still to the minister responsible for Francophone affairs and I would like to thank her for her answer. So we are very, very proud that the province recognized the contribution of First Nations in the history of Francophones. So could the minister update us on the heritage of those celebrations for future generations? The minister? Yes, the heritage initiatives are in the following. We have four million dollars that we're invested in Parc in Penetang which is the place where Champlain met with the Huron-Huendet and there is also a very important initiative, Le Rêve de Champlain which led to the creation of a television series and a lot of people have already seen it and really loved it and I invite you to watch it as well. We also invested in a Francophone museum online and Mr Speaker, there will be other announcements made later but as an attorney general I would like to say that in the holiday season I am asking people to be very prudent very careful and not to drink and drive so we would really like all the province to be safe in this holiday season. Thank you. Mr Speaker, to you and all of my colleagues my question is to the government house leader I'm joined today by Kathleen and Gordon Stringer Excuse me, there will be no interruption from the gallery please Thank you Please finish. I'm joined today by Kathleen and Gordon Stringer my constituents from Ottawa they're here to support a tripartite bill that bears daughter Rowan's name this law would make Ontario the first jurisdiction in Canada to put in place a law around concussion identification, treatment and awareness. It is based on 49 recommendations from a lengthy and emotional coroner's inquest into Rowan Stringer's death Rowan's law has enjoyed massive support from Ontario across Canada and in other parts of the world with the federal government calling for a federal law that would emulate this bill and just moments ago Brains Worldwide International based out of Austin, Texas questions with passage of this bill. What assurance will the government house leader give my constituents that this liberal NDP and conservative bill will be called immediately for committee and third reading so Rowan's law will be in place. Thank you Thank you Government House Leader Minister of Education Speaker Minister of Education Yes thank you and obviously our thoughts and our prayers go with the Stringer family and with all Rowan's friends because I know this has had a big impact on the friends and teammates that Rowan played with. We actually obviously at the Ministry of Education and other ministries that have been effective are reviewing the coroner's recommendations and will of course respond directly to the office of the Chief Coroner but I want to thank the member and my colleagues the minister from Ottawa from Ottawa South and the member from Kitchener Waterloo is that right? So all three party sponsorship and obviously the member here the government will be supporting this bill. We believe that this is a good bill with the structure that has been set. Thank you I'd like to thank the Minister of Education for acknowledging her government's support but the question actually is a process question to the government house leader. Rowan's ringers in quest took place over several weeks with many expert witnesses forming the basis of those 49 recommendations. Many of those experts are here with us today including Lisa Fisher Charles Tater and Michael Sharp some of North America's leading concussion experts from right here in the province of Ontario. Other groups like Coaches Canada, Parachute Canada the Ontario Athletic Therapist Association and Rugby Canada are here today to see this bill through. Given a previous concussion bill of the order paper and given the inquest was both lengthy and substantive the stringers and our stakeholders reasonably expect that this bill would pass expeditiously so the committee which will be led by the Minister of Tourism, Sport and Culture can get moving so I go back to the Minister of the House. At the very least can you assure the stringer family today that Rowan's law will indeed pass the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Thank you Thank you and you know I do want to update the House on what has happened since this came up as an issue we have actually required all the school boards in the province to have a concussion law. The Ontario Physical and Health Association of FIA has updated their concussion rules within the what's known as the Ontario Physical Education Safety Guidelines. That's a living document and as a result of the coroner's inquest and of the work that FIA has done and the experts that are here today we look forward as this bill moves forward the advisory committee is set up to continuing to update those guidelines because we realise that there's more research, new research and as that new research becomes available we know we need to continue. Thank you Thank you, my question is for the Premier. The auditor general found that the delays and cost overruns in bringing C-PIN online for children's aid societies are being shouldered by the societies themselves and come out of their general operating budgets. That means less money to provide protection for children in care and more opportunities for them to fall through the cracks. A coroner's inquest into the death of Jeffrey Baldwin called for a C-PIN to be implemented in February of 2014 because Jeffrey fell through those cracks. Speaker, how does the minister explain how her government went from a commitment to implement C-PIN program in 47 children's aides at a cost of $450 million in January of 2016 to now seeing the cost will be as much as $200 million and won't be fully implemented until 2020. Thank you, Speaker. I want to thank my critic for the question on C-PIN and as she knows this was asked by the official opposition yesterday as well and I first want to say again to this House that my ministry is acting on all the recommendations from the auditor general and we won't be stopping there, Speaker. I talked about our action plan going forward in the House and when it comes to C-PIN Speaker, this is a very important system this essentially brings together 47 disparate IT systems into one child protection information network and already we have 20% of the cases on file and I expect 30% of the cases to be on file by the spring. We're investing heavily in this system because it's about the protection and safety of our most vulnerable children and care speaker. We already have 17 million child welfare files on the system and we will continue to support our frontline workers in making this an effective system for our children. Thank you. Speaker, what the minister doesn't seem to realize is that bringing this money out of the budgets of the operating budgets of children's aid is actually putting children at risk with C-PIN aren't just what the auditor general identified we know that the province's First Nations Child Welfare agencies who are responsible for a large percentage of the province's words don't feel that they've been consulted on C-PIN. Yet this government committed to consult with First Nations Child Welfare providers and communities to reform the system by 2015. Speaker, where is the urgency to reform the children's aid system in this province? How many Jeffrey Baldwin's and Caitlyn Sampson's does there have to be? Thank you. Well, Speaker, the reason I'm committed to seeing C-PIN come to fruition is because of the safety and protection of the children in care. The reason I am committed to this is because I don't want more tragedies in our child welfare system. And, Speaker, it's very important that we get this right. The system must be perfectly correct as we go forward. We've had good progress. We'll have more going forward. I've met with the frontline workers working on C-PIN and it is a big change process, Speaker. And we are continuing to invest in more support, training and communications. And I listen to the frontline workers. I listen to the leadership of the Children's Aid. In fact, on Monday I'm meeting with the leadership of Child Welfare agencies and the Association so we can talk about the Auditor General's recommendations and how they're feeling about C-PIN. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Last week I hosted one of the culture talk sessions in my writing of Chinese Spadina as part of the consultation process for Ontario's first culture strategy. It was very well attended, Mr. Speaker. The attendees were represented from artists organizations, artists, our patrons and other constituents. My local BIA were represented. The Dannell Festival was represented and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Design Exchange were represented as well. It was a fantastic gathering filled with energy, excitement and deep conversation. Our discussion highlights some of the things our government has done well and illustrates some of the next steps and opportunities. Speaker, through you to the Minister, now that the culture talk consultation are complete can you provide us with some more details about this initiative? Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm happy to respond to the member's question and thank him for his continued advocacy for arts and culture here in the province of Ontario. This is the first time a government has gone out and asked people what do they think about culture to build a provincial wide strategy. We know things are changing in culture with technology and we've seen a lot of new art forms come forward. It's $22 billion to our economy and employs over 280,000 people. So what we did, Mr. Speaker, we went out there, we spoke to people in 11 different parts of Ontario. We had smaller meetings with Indigenous First Nation groups. We spoke to young people and what we did was we had these conversations and I want to thank members from all sides of the House because I know there are members on the other side who had their own consultations like Renville and obviously the member from Trinity Spadina but we got a lot of positive information and it's about building on the success that we have in Ontario and continuing to build our economy up through a strong culture sector, Mr. Speaker. Thank you Speaker. I want to thank the minister for the good work he does in his ministry. I'm proud of the investment our government continues to make in arts and culture sector. The arts has a profound effect on our lives. For seniors participating arts can lead to better health and well-being. Researchers have indicated that presence of artists and our organizations reduce neighbourhood crime and delinquency. For children participating arts can lead to better social skills, better grades in school and lower drop-out rates. Cultural organizations build communities identity and pride and lead to increase tolerance, free expression and diversity. Arts and culture strengthen the economy attracting visitors and spend money in our communities. Can the minister provide us with an indication of our government's next step on this initiative? Thank you. Minister. Thank you again Mr. Speaker. We had these great conversations. We had over a thousand people participate in person. We had over 800 submissions from online submissions, written submissions coming in directly to the website. Mr. Speaker, what we're going to do is take all of that information. We're going to collect it. We're going to analyse it and come forward with a framework for the strategy. Bring it back to Ontarians. Get some more feedback and we hope by the end of June of next year we will have the first-ever culture strategy here in the province of Ontario that reflects what Ontarians want. This is about making sure that our government resources are aligned with what people want and we can work towards building them. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. This government and the Ontario Fire Marshal created a risk-based assessment tool for communities to use when evaluating fire services. Unfortunately they created a tool that doesn't work. This is partly not to consult firefighters. The people who actually understand what is needed to keep communities safe. The assessment tool should be able to tell a community the level of service fire service they need to get the job done. Instead the tool doesn't say anything. It produces a number not on a scale or on a grid just a number that means nothing. The vagueness of the tool puts public safety at risk. So Mr. Speaker to suggest the solution is simple. Will this government put a hold on the use of the current tool? Consult firefighters and develop a tool that will keep communities safe. Mr. Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. First of all I think the member opposite recognizes that fire safety is a very important responsibility that we take very seriously. The office of the Fire Marshal under the Provincial Legislation on Fire Protection and that exercises his authority to ensure that we have appropriate services available across the province. On this particular issue around risk-based assessment tool speaker, my understanding is that the tool was created with consultation but I have had of course conversations with professional firefighters as well and their concerns and I have committed to them that I will work with them to ensure that assessment tool is reflective of the reality and ensures that our communities, our homes, our businesses are safe at all times. Well again Mr. Speaker, back to the minister Sue St. Marie believes they can operate with 20 less firefighters which they plan to slash over the next three years but how did they come to that number and how do they know it won't affect public safety? Common sense would tell me that 20 less firefighters means community safety is being put at risk but this government Mr. Speaker refuses to create a proper risk-based assessment tool to guide municipalities in their decision making. Communities are left to speculate if they have enough firefighters or they're forced to spend thousands of dollars on consultants to find the answer. Mr. Speaker, why is this government afraid to offer a proper risk-based assessment tool one that will actually help to ensure firefighters to ensure community safety? Mr. Speaker, I'm not going to start judging a decision of an elected body like the Sue St. Marie council, it's their decision. Of course we require that fire safety as required in the legislation remains paramount. I also want to thank the member for Sue St. Marie who has also spoken to me about this matter before and I thank him for his advocacy and urging that I look into this matter carefully as well. As I mentioned earlier, I've had conversations with Ontario's professional firefighters. I have committed to them that I look forward to working with them. My staff has already been engaged with them on this particular issue and we of course will consult them and Ontario's municipalities to make sure that we have right tools in place but the key speaker will remain that we need to make sure that our communities are safe at all times and that we have the best possible fire. Our businesses depend on it, our residents depend on it. Thank you. Thank you. My question is for the Premier. Today over 2,000 patients in Whitby, Oshawa, Scarborough and across the Central ECCAC are stuck on a wait list for home care. The Liberals like to say they're committed to five-day home care but they are forcing thousands of patients with high and moderate services. This is unacceptable. There is no way that any senior in Ontario living alone and struggling to make ends meet should be forced to wait for home care that they desperately need. So why is this Premier ignoring literally thousands of patients and seniors in Whitby and across the region who need home care now but have to wait months just to get it? Thank you. Health, long-term care. Well thank you Mr. Speaker. My question and it is unacceptable that individuals who are in serious need for support need to wait far too long to receive that report. That's why we're acting Mr. Speaker. We're acting on the basis of three reports now that we've received this year. We introduced a 10-point action plan on home and community care in the spring. We're implementing 10 different recommendations to bring down those wait times. There are more than 800,000 people every year access home care through our CCACs. We have hard-working front-line workers who are doing as much as they can. I look forward in the coming weeks as well to release a discussion paper that is going to speak to additional changes including structural changes that are needed to improve the service that these individuals and others might need and deserve. Thank you. It's not lost on anyone that the Liberals are actually waiting for the House to rise and the Christmas break to occur before they release that paper, that secret paper on home care. It's quite disappointing. Seniors from Whitby to Peterborough are waiting hundreds of days for the home care that they need. In schools across the region, there are over 3,000 students stuck on the wait list for occupational therapy. More than 1,800 in Whitby alone. They're being forced to wait an average of 423 days for the support that they need. And others are waiting 2 years for speech language therapy. It means a child in grade 1 speaker might actually get the support they need by the time they get to grade 3. How can this Premier think it's acceptable to force children and seniors in Whitby and Austria to wait months or even years to get the support that they need? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand the reasons why the Third Party is focused on Whitby right now, but we're focused on the entire province, Mr. Speaker. Our goal is to make sure that we provide further Ontario, southwestern Ontario, eastern Ontario, central Ontario, Mr. Speaker. Our obligation is the same to everybody. I look forward to discussing with members of Her Caucus once we release the discussion paper on home and community care to see how we might work together, Mr. Speaker, on creating a plan that invests in that service that they deserve. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transportation. In spring of this year, our government announced that we will be investing $13.5 billion in improvements across the GO rail network as part of the regional express rail plan. A key component of delivering on this promise is eliminating the existing Davenport Diamond, one of the busiest rail crossings in North America. Mr. DelDucan, my riding this summer to discuss this important project and happy that he accepted recognizing the importance of this project to my community. But, Mr. Speaker, many of my constituents continue to express real concerns about the potential impact that any change to this crossing could have on our community. Can the Minister please tell members of this House what he is doing to ensure that the voices of my residents of Davenport are being heard and that they are getting the best project possible? Mr. Chancellor? Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm very happy to take this question from my friend and colleague, the member from Davenport. I know that I'll have the chance to provide a little bit more detail in the supplementary answer, Speaker. I just wanted to use this opportunity to say she is 100% right. She organized a town hall meeting that took place during the summer that I was quite honored to attend in her community. And, Speaker, on this side of the House there are, I think 58 women and men who serve as strong champions for their community, but I want to pay tribute to all of them but I want to pay particular tribute to the member from Davenport. This is not an easy issue to deal with as we continue to build up the infrastructure that we need in our province. It is expensive, it is time-consuming and it is disruptive to community, Speaker. I know that the team at Metrolinx and at MTO will continue to work with residents in Davenport, especially because of the advocacy of this MPP from Davenport to make sure that we produce an outcome that's better for the region, but also better for Davenport. Thank you very much. So I want to thank the minister for his response and from the onset of this project I've been committed to working with residents and all levels of government to ensure that our community is heard on this issue. I will also continue to champion for modern and environmentally sound legacy pieces that properly represent our vibrant community items which are also recommended by the residents reference panel. Mr. Speaker, one of the things I continue to hear about from those in my community and that I'm advocating for on their behalf is that there's a desire to have a GO station at Bloor and Lansdowne. Can the minister please provide members of this house and my community in Davenport with a status update on the station? Thank you. Thanks very much, Speaker. Again, I thank the member from Davenport for the follow-up question and the specific request. People in this legislature and people across Ontario have heard us say that the GO Regional Express Rail Plan will increase weekly trips across our entire GO rail network from almost the current 1,500 to nearly 6,000 trips across the entire network, Speaker. I said in my original answer, in order to get this right, in order to build the province up and build the infrastructure that we need, it is disruptive. We recognize that. That's why Metrolinx and MTO are working very hard with the member from Davenport, Speaker. Not that many weeks ago Metrolinx identified that we had narrowed a list for future potential stations across the whole network down to 50. I recognize that in the spring or summer of 2016 we will confirm the final number while I'm not in a position to confirm what might take place in Davenport. I know, and everyone on this side of the house knows, that that MPP from Davenport will continue to be a champion and she'll make sure that we get it right. Thank you. Do you have a question from the member from the Leeds Grendel? Thanks, Speaker. Thank you to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Last week our PC caucus with the help of thousands of realtors, home builders, and hard-working Ontarians slammed the door shot on this government. The municipal land tax went through tax grab. Thank you, Steve. So we fought hard to keep the home ownership dreams of young families in this province alive. But Ontarians know of this Liberal government all too well. Taxes are in their DNA and have climbed a barring $30.8 billion on their watch. Since we know Speaker Lepard can't change its spots, Ontarians are worried about what other taxes this minister has obviously to pick their pockets. Speaker, is the Minister considering making the family car his next target by authorizing all municipalities to collect a vehicle registration tax? Don't leave my Chevy! Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing? I'd like to wish the member opposite a very, very Christmas. He deserves one, I think, after this session in the House. And I want to say very simply, I answered that question last week when I talked about the dialogue we're having with our municipal partners. I want to say to the member opposite that if he wants to propose that we don't allow municipalities to tax people with kittens, I'd be pleased to stand at my place and say, we're not going to do that. Supplementary. Don't leave my Chevy! I've heard the same lines that he used when I asked him about a land transfer tax scheme. For weeks this minister claimed I was making it up until he fessed up and backed off. Speaker, drivers in Ontario already pay $10 billion every year to the provincial treasury for taxes and fees. And what's more, this government blooming carbon tax and road tolls make the commute to work an even more expensive one. Speaker, enough is enough. And just like the MLTT, the buck stops with this minister. No more jokes. I want a straight answer. Does the minister feel drivers in this province already pay enough taxes and will he commit today that he won't let a new car tax get him out of the garage? I could do 30 seconds. Speaker, this is too rich by three quarters coming from a member and a previous government that did everything they possibly could to debilitate our municipal sector. They downloaded $3.6 billion and the municipality complained about it and said they were going to have a tough time with me. They said go raise taxes, right? Thanks for the question. The leader of the opposition on a point of order. Speaker, point of order. I'd like to correct my record during question period. I said GHG emissions rose by 171 megatons. They rose to 171 megatons during the premier's first year in office. Thank you. That is a point of order and all members of the party, let's get through these quickly and I hope they're not things I need to get moving on because we've got two very important things to do. Members are from Nipi and Carleton on the point of order. Appreciate it. Merry Christmas again to all colleagues. I just want to introduce my daughter Victoria and her friend Shannon who are here today to witness the legislature. I've got a few. I'm told that the members daughter challenged her to a cartwheel contest. Member from Hamilton Mountain on a point of order. I would like to, on behalf of my caucus member, the MPP for Welland, introduce Andy Roy who is the president of the NDP Writing Association in Welland and welcome. Members from Edmonton, Lawrence. Point of order, Mr. Speaker. There's been a lot of legislation just passed and will be passed but one important change took place and I want to thank Dennis Park the Sergeant Arms for facilitating it and that is my granddaughter was thrown out of the legislature because she fell asleep on my daughter's lap and as a result of the intervention by the Sergeant Arms children can fall asleep in the legislation and I'll be thrown out again. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I'd hate to interrupt but I've had the honour of having University of Waterloo co-op student with me this past session Thank you. Members from Northumberland, Cody West. Well, thank you, Speaker. In conjunction with wishing you and the rest of the legislature a happy Christmas and festive season, I want to wish my good friend the neighbour Minister Leo a happy birthday in a couple of days. My friends, sad news. This is the last day for our pages and one thing. From Leeds Grenville, it's given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to his question given by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing concerning a vehicle registration tax. The matter will be debated today on February 16th, 2016. We have a deferred vote on the motion of third reading of Bill 109 and act to amend various statutes with respect to employment and labour calling the members. This will be a five minute bell. All members, please take their seats. All members, please take your seats. On December the 9th, 2015 Mr. Flynn moved third reading of Bill 109 and act to amend various statutes with respect to employment and labour. All those in favour, please rise one at a time and be recognized by the clerk. Mr. Flynn. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Ms. Scott. Ms. Thompson. Ms. Thompson. Ms. Mnr0. Ms. Mnr0. Ms. Mnr0. Mr. Yure. Mr. Mnclari. Mr. Mnclari. Mr. Bailey. Mr. Bailey. Mr. Walker. Mr. Walker. Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith. Mr. Nichols. Mr. Nichols. Mrs. Marteau. Mr. Marteau. Mr. Perofs. Mr. Pettipis. Ms. Horevard. Mr. Miller, Hamilton, East, Stony Cree, Ms. Sattler, Ms. Taylor, Ms. Jellina, Ms. Fyfe, Mr. Monta, Mr. Hatfield, Ms. Gretzky, Mr. Gates, Ms. French. The ayes are 77, the nays are 16. The ayes being 77, and the nays being 16, I declare the motion carried. The third reading of the bill. It will be resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion. We have a deferred vote on the motion for third reading of bill 144, an act to implement budget measures and to enact and amend certain other statutes. Call on the members, this will be a five minute ballot. On December 9th, 2015, Mr. Bradley moved third reading of bill 144, an act to implement budget measures and to enact and amend certain other statutes. All those in favor, please rise. One at a time, be recognized by the clerk. Mr. Sousa, Mr. Nackley, Mr. Bradley, Ms. Sherelli, Ms. Maier, Ms. Wynn, Ms. Matthews, Mr. Hoskins, Ms. Sandles, Mr. Dugud, Mr. Dugud, Mr. McCharles, Mr. Cole, Mr. Chacar, Mr. Bordnetty, Mr. Delaney, Mr. Dillon, Mr. Oresetti, Mr. Gravel, Mr. McMeekin, Mr. Chann, Mr. Moriti, Mr. Cato, Mr. Cato, Mr. Lille, Mr. Flynn, Mr. Zimmer, Mr. Zimmer. Madam Lalonde. Madam Lalonde. Mr. Caudrey. Mr. Bouchas. Mr. Bouchas. Mrs. Albanese. Mrs. Mangat. Mr. Mangat. Mr. Crack. Ms. Hunter. Ms. Hunter. Mr. Sergio. Ms. DeMorro. Ms. Dasa. Ms. Dasa. Mr. Del Duca. Ms. Domerla. Ms. Domerla. Ms. Wong. Ms. Wong. Mr. Fraser. Mr. Fraser. Mr. And Centre. Mr. Anderson. Mr. Baker. Mr. Baker. Mr. Ballard. Mr. Ballard. Mr. Don. Ms. Hougar. Ms. Hougar. Mr. McMan, Mr. Milchin, Mr. Milchin, Mr. Nidoo Harris, Mr. Potts, Mr. Rinaldi, Mr. Rinaldi, Mr. Reneal, Mr. Tebow, Mr. Tebow. All those opposed, please rise one at a time to your recognition. Mr. Pidelli, Mr. Arnott, Mr. Hardiman, Mr. McLeod, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Jones, Mr. Brown, Mr. Clark. Mr. Yacobusky, Mr. Hillier, Mr. Miller-Perry Sound Escocas, Mr. McNaughton, Mr. Scott, Mr. Thompson. Mr. Gary Mackar, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Thomason, Mr. Barrick, Mr. Barrick, Mr. Monroe, Mr. Monroe, Mr. Ure, Mr. Houdak, Mr. Houdak, Mr. McLaren, Mr. Bailey, Mr. Bailey, Mr. Walker, Mr. Smith, Mr. Smith, Mr. Harris, Mr. Harress, Mr. Nichols, Mr. Nichols, Mr. Marteau, Mr. Pettipies, Mr. Pettipies, Ms. Pfeif, Ms. Pfeif, Mr. Singh, Mr. Singh, Ms. Horvath, Ms. Horvath, Mr. Bisson, Mr. Vanta, Ms. DeNovo, Mr. Miller-Hamilton, East Stony Creek, Ms. Sattler, Ms. Taylor, Ms. Taylor. Taylor, Madam Jelena, Mr. Marta, Mr. Hadfield, Mr. Gheids, Mr. French. The ayes are 55, the nays are 41. The ayes being 55 and the nays being 41 and declare the motion carried. Third reading of the bill. We have resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion. Government House Leader on a point of order. Honour awaits. The Legislative Assembly of the province has at its present meetings thereof passed certain bills to which, in the name and on behalf of the said legislative assembly, I respectfully request Your Honour's assent. The following of the tenets of the bills to which Your Honour's assent is prayed. An Act to amend the Employment Standards Act 2000 with respect to tips and other gratuities. The Act modifies the law of 2000 on the standards of employment in which it concerns the approval and other gratifications. An Act to reduce the abuse of fentanyl patches and other controlled substance patches. The Act says to reduce the abuse of fentanyl patches and other substances designated. An Act to amend various statutes with respect to employment and labour. The Act modifies various laws in which it concerns employment and labour relations. An Act to amend the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth Act 2007 with respect to notices of serious bodily harm or death. The Act modifies the 2007 law on the provincial intervention of children and young people in which it concerns the deaths or serious injuries. An Act to amend the Mental Health Act and the Healthcare Consent Act 1996. The Act modifies the law on mental health and the law of 1996 on health care. An Act to require research to be undertaken and programs to be developed for pregnancy loss and infant death and to proclaim October 15th as pregnancy and infant loss awareness day. An Act to implement budget measures and to enact or amend certain other statutes. The Act says to implement budget measures and to enact or amend certain other statutes. The Act says to implement budget measures and to dictate or modify other laws. An Act to recognize the corporate structure of the Métis Nation of Ontario by enacting the Métis Nation of Ontario Secretariat Act 2015. The Act says to recognize the corporate structure of the Métis Nation of Ontario by enacting the 2015 law on the Secretariat of the Métis Nation of Ontario. An Act to revive 422504 Ontario Limited. An Act to revive the Gage Research Institute. An Act to revive ZARA HSLCC Incorporated. An Act to revive 1170517 Ontario Incorporated. An Act to revive Larry Blake Limited. An Act to revive Bayview Farms and Enterprises Limited. An Act to revive 563523 Ontario Limited. An Act to revive 1064514 Ontario Incorporated. An Act to revive Precision Pipe Manufacturing Incorporated. Her Majesty's Name, Her Honourable Lieutenant Governor, Dotha Sainte, these bills. Honourable Minister Majesty, Honourable Lieutenant, Governor, Sainte, these bills. And if I may, Mr. Speaker and Premier, may I just say to all of you in the House a thank you for your public service to the end of this year and a very warm set of good wishes for health and happiness and prosperity in this House and in your homes in the year to come. Thank you so much. Just before we recess, I offer you my personal thanks, save and accept for the wonderful experience I have during question period. I would offer you my heartfelt Merry Christmas, Season's Greetings, Happy New Year to you, your family, your staff here, your staff in your writings. And I want to express my gratitude and I'm sure ours to the entire staff here at the legislature. Merry Christmas to everybody. And of course our visitors. Thank you. There are no further, there are no further, that's it. Well, you already done that. There's no other, for the matters this House stands, recess until 1pm this afternoon.