 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the member for Brampton's Center. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. On behalf of the official opposition, we'd also like to extend our congratulations and thank you to the interim leader of the Liberal Party and looking forward to your journey here in the legislature. So thank you so much. It is for the Premier. Speaker, yesterday the Premier insisted he was offering teachers a great deal. If he looked out the window this morning, I'm sure he'll find that he has a lot more work to do. It's been nearly a year since the Ford government announced its plan to fire 10,000 teachers making online mandatory necessary and bringing cuts into our classrooms. And for a year, the government has ignored and even hid evidence of the damage that these cuts would do. If the Premier is really committed to getting a deal, will he apologize today for what he's put students, parents and teachers through in our province? Premier? I want to thank the member for her question, Mr. Speaker. And I think the minister of education made it pretty transparent. Nothing was being hid. Actually, the unions, Mr. Speaker, knew about this for the last month. This comes down to one thing. This comes down to compensation and benefits. The government and our minister made it for parental approval for online learning. That was the biggest thing in their lives. They were talking about it. So now we got rid of that. We lowered the classroom sizes to 23. I don't know what more they want. I know more where they want and the public knows because they're overwhelming now. You've seen the shift. The message to the unions is the party's over with the taxpayers' money. Pack your bags and get back in the classroom. Order. Order. Restart the clock. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. And through you to the Premier, I think what Ontarians would like is this Premier to take his cuts off the table. The Conservatives spent the last year making families pay the price for their cuts. There's still cuts on the table and students have lost their classes. They lost their peace of mind and they're even losing their graduation plans, Speaker. Parents have lost time from work and, frankly, they're losing their patience with another government who doesn't care about their priorities. And teachers have lost jobs and their livelihoods, all because this Premier and this government refuse to listen to what Ontarians have been telling them since day one. Does the Premier seriously think that after all of this, he has nothing to apologize for, Speaker? I think the only people that should be apologizing is the members across the aisle that destroyed the education system for 15 years. 15 years. Mr. Speaker, we're putting 1.2 billion more into education. We're putting 3.1 billion more in special education funding. The highest levels his province has ever seen, Mr. Speaker. We've announced a four year, $200 million mass strategy, Mr. Speaker. We're turning the corner with education again rather than having our students the lowest in the country, mass scores. 50% of them are failing. One third of the teachers couldn't pass the same math test, Mr. Speaker. We're finally turning the corner. We're holding the unions accountable for the first time in 50 years. The final supplementary. Speaker, while conservatives are trying to run away from the damage that they have created, experts are still ringing alarm bells about continued conservative cuts in our schools. We know that the changing average class size funding from 22 to 23, a change that the minister continues to brag about, will mean a thousand fewer teachers in our high schools. That's 1,000 families that won't have a job because of this government. Thousands of students who will be losing their courses that those teachers teach, Speaker. How many more teachers will have to lose their job before the government finally does the right thing and takes these cuts off the table? Thank you. The Minister of Education respond. Well, thank you very much, Speaker. While teacher union leaders are standing on the lawn and standing up for standing up for seniority based hiring, standing up for higher benefits and higher pay, this government is standing with parents to get a deal that keeps children in class, Speaker. And enough is enough with the delay. Enough is enough. This has been a 300 day process. We have landed a positive plan, a good plan for parents. We're freezing classroom size and elementary and in high school. We are ensuring 100% support for special education. We're protecting full day kindergarten. Speaker, we are ensuring that 1% enhancement is offered to workers for wages, for wages and benefits. And Speaker, we are standing strong in the defense of merit over union seniority. Speaker, with respect to the teacher union presence, they should get off the lawn, get back to the table. Let's get a deal done. The next question, the member for Davenport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. And my question is to the Premier. Mr. Speaker, in the million dollar class size consultation that this government tried to bury, Ontarians made it abundantly clear that they do not want cuts to education. But that didn't stop this government from trying to convince them otherwise. Thanks to documents tabled with estimates committee, we found that the Ministry of Education has spent $7.6 million on advertising in 2019, 2020 alone. That is almost what the Liberals spent in their pre-election government advertising blitz. Does the Premier really think that it's right to take money out of classrooms and funnel it into ads designed to sell people on a plan that they have already rejected? Mr. Speaker, this government is absolutely committed to staying focused on getting a deal at the table. That is why in this negotiation we've tabled a positive plan to incent the party to stay at the table. Today the teacher union leaders opted to strike instead of negotiate. And I find that really unfair to parents who would have thought the parties would get to the table focused on driving a deal that is good for workers, good for teachers, but of course good for the students of this province. That is the aim and is my hope that they will return to the table with a focus on landing a deal. Because, Speaker, what is left to negotiate? The concern with classroom sizes? That's off the table. The concern was the mandate in the online learning. We've provided an opt out. The concern was special education. We've retained 100% investment. What is left? What are they fighting for? And the Premier is right. It is about wages. It is about benefits. It is about seniority based hiring. That is absolutely consistent with parental priorities. We're going to stand hard to ensure parents and kids get a good education and that they remain in class speaker. Supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll tell you what they're fighting for. They're fighting for our kids, which is something that your government has failed to do. Mr. Speaker, they spent last year trying to ram through a plan to jack up class sizes and force students into online courses, spending millions on radio ads, wasn't enough to convince people that their kids should settle for less. And yet they're still asking them to do just that. Ontarians deserve better than half measures and half big plans from this government. Have they really learned nothing from the past year? Mr. Speaker, our plan is to ensure kids remain in class. It's to ensure that we have a positive deal that every student Ontario has the benefit and the right to an education without interruption, Speaker. That is why we're taking action. We've done it this week. We've announced a plan that ensures classroom size are effectively frozen at last year's rates. We are ensuring for special education needs for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities that a 100% support continues to flow in class. We are ensuring, Speaker, that for full day kindergarten that that is protected for the contract. And yes, Speaker, we are standing strong and standing up for the principle that merit, must guide hiring, not union seniority, not any other considerate consideration of how long they've been involved in a union, Speaker. It ought to be about the best teacher in the front of class. That's what we're fighting for. That's what parents want. And it's time for the unions to get off the lawn, get back to the table. The final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, if this minister wanted a deal, if this minister wanted a deal, he wouldn't be making offers at the microphone and a podium. The fact is that the Ford government has known all along who will get hit hardest by their cuts. And that is students. This morning, a grade 11 student told CBC radio she's taking evening math classes because her regular class is too crowded to learn in. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that same story. And that's right now, right now, just after the first wave of class size increases they brought in. If the Premier wants to rebuild some trust with parents and students and get our kids back to school, why doesn't he focus on how to improve opportunities for students instead of seeing how much he can cut? Mr. Speaker, the member opposite, I think underscores a concern that this government is trying to solve, which is the fact that more than half of the population, more than half the students of this province are not meeting the provincial math standards in math. And yet the solution by the new Democratic Party is to spend more and have fewer accountability for expectations for that investment. That is not a plan, Speaker. That's a way to squander hard on tax stars in this province. We need to ensure we get a greater return on the investment for parents. Every parent in this province has had has told us stories that they see more money flowing, but they don't see the result. It's high time a government actually stands up for taxpayers for students and for parents and says, yes, we expect better for the future of this province. And that's why we are ensuring we are ensuring that we're protecting. We're protecting classroom sizes. We're ensuring merit guides hiring. We're ensuring a 1% enhancement, but we're going to stand strong on those principles on the priorities of parents and work to get a deal that keeps kids in class. Thank you very much. Next question for Toronto, St. Paul. Thank you, Speaker. I would like to start by saying if it is in fact true that this government is going to reinstate the $1 million that they cut to rape crisis centers, that is a good thing. And I thank you for that. But it is a shame that on the eve of International Women's Day, thousands of survivors had to hear the news of that $1 million being cut. And furthermore, that $1 million is nothing when in fact women are asking for $14 million to rape crisis centers. This question, Mr. Speaker, goes to our premier. I am here to say that both the Liberals and the Conservatives have turned their backs on women. And it has to stop now. These rape crisis centers need their $14 million. They need to have a budget that works, not the lousy $1 million that works out to about 24 grand for 42 centers. What are they supposed to buy with that? Cookies? My question is, Premier, are you going to simply reinstate funding after? Are you going to take away funding actually again after International Women's Day? We cannot play with women's law. Thank you, the Associate Minister for Children and Women's Issues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you for the number three of questions. Despite the failure to protect women by the previous government, this government is stepping up. I am proud to announce this morning that our government is annualizing $2 million for sexual assault centers across Ontario. They are doing for victims and survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking with trauma-informed care. We are restructuring to provide better services that actually serve the victims across Ontario. For the first time, victims are being heard. It is the work of sexual assault centers that make a real impact for those seeking services. In addition to this funding, my ministry is investing more than $172 million in supports for survivors and violence prevention initiatives this year alone. And we will continue to work with shelters and frontline workers on how we can improve and better support shelters and those fleeing violence in a sustainable way. Order. Supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government often says they're putting money here, there, and everywhere. But the big question is, is it new money? That's the big question. Nonetheless, I bring it back to the Premier. I bring it back to the Premier. We need $14 million for our rape crisis centers. $1 million, $2 million. That is peanuts. Rape survivors deserve more. What are you doing for the 4,416 women and children being turned away from shelters across eastern Ontario? Is that part of your plan? The Conservatives were told that without the funding for rape crisis centres, centres would have to fire staff, they'd have to cancel services, and wait times would grow longer, folks. Rape survivors need help now. Gender-based violence is on a rise, and your money is going down. It doesn't make sense. Again, to the Premier. Women in crisis deserve certainty, not more heartless cuts. Will this government finally do the right thing and ensure that rape crisis centres have long-term, stable funding, long-term protection? Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Gersby. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the question. There has been a steady rise in the usage of shelters and other forms of services for those impacted by sexual assaults and other forms of violence. This is not new. In 2013, the Auditor General tabled her annual report on violence against women's services which found that the previous government had failed to implement recommendations stemming from a 2001 report. That's 12 years. For 15 years, they ran deficit after deficit, and yet they could not find any money for our services. This is a matter of time. Mr. Speaker, the sad reality is that one in three Canadian women will experience sexual violence in their lifetime, and the stats are even worse for marginalised women. As a woman and a mother of three daughters, that is very haunting. We will always remain committed to preventing and addressing violence against women and girls in all its forms. And that's why it's very important to announce today that the OCE will come to order. Our $2 million in annualised committed funding for sexual assault centers. We will start the clock and recognize the member for Burlington. Thank you, Speaker. The Minister of Children and Women's Issues. We know that one in three women will experience sexual violence in their lifetime. Victims of sexual violence are getting younger and younger. The average age that a young woman is recruited by a human trafficker is just 13 years old. Speaker, I know that many sexual assault centres are on the front lines of the fight against human trafficking, including workers at sexual assault and violence intervention services of Holton in my riding. Can the minister let this house know what is being done regarding the funding to sexual assault centres in the fight against human trafficking? The Associate Minister for Children and Women's Issues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the wonderful member from Burlington for that great question. Speaker, today I can announce that we are confirming $2 million in additional annualized funding for sexual assault centres across Ontario. On November 28th, I was honoured to join the Premier, the Solicitor General and my colleagues as we announced phase one of the Government's Human Trafficking Strategy. Phase one of the Human Trafficking Strategy annualized $1.1 million in funding for sexual assault centres in Holton, Canora, Sarnia and Waterloo. But, Speaker, we know there are service gaps and the previous government left a lot of communities underserved and their human trafficking funding. So I'll have more to say about our Government's Strategy and the supplementary. Supplementary question. Speaker, back to the Minister of Children and Women's Issues. Thank you so much for that clear response. I know that our Government takes human trafficking and all sexual violence seriously. That's why we announced $20 million in new analyzed funding for human trafficking but the Minister is right, not every community was served by the previous Government's approach to fighting this disgusting crime. Can the Minister explain how our Government is taking further steps to help sexual assault centres in more communities fight human trafficking? Thanks, Speaker. Minister to respond. Thank you, Mr Speaker and thank you again to the member for that great question. The member is right. We need to help more communities fight human trafficking and under the leadership of Premier Ford he has made it clear that we need to do more to support victims and stop this heinous crime. That's why as part of the next steps we're taking as a Government, we're annualizing an additional $1 million for the community supports funds to help all sexual assault centres fight human trafficking. That brings our total new investment for sexual assault centres to produce over $2 million. Speaker, we know that we can always do more as a Government and we are committed to do just that. The next question, the member for Essex. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Speaker, it's clear after this week's most recent plate gate scandal that this Premier has a special gift, some would call it the reverse Midas touch, because every time he gets his hands on a file it's one disaster after another. Now it turns out his Bucca beer scheme is no different. He made a big show, Speaker. He actually ran his last campaign on it. But to the surprise of no one, you can't find a Bucca beer anywhere in Ontario. And now experts are telling us that Premier's half-baked stunt actually made beer prices go up. Experts now say that prices have shot up about 10% and the blame rests squarely on the Premier's Government. Will the Premier admit to Ontarians that every idea that he brews up is a bad one? The Minister of Finance will respond. Mr. Speaker, and I thank the member from Essex for the question. Mr. Speaker, the opposition often accuses us of being focused on alcohol, so it's interesting to have them raise it. Mr. Speaker, we have agreed and we have said that we need to liberalise. We need to make alcohol more easily available. We need to make sure that Ontarians are treated much in terms, so we're taking those steps. With regards to price related to whether it's beer or wine, Mr. Speaker, this government has been clear. When it's come to the tax increases that were put into place by the previous government that were raising the costs of beverage alcohol, Mr. Speaker, we've not enforced them. So our view, Mr. Speaker, is yes, Ontarians can have alcohol made available to them in ways that they do in other province. And Mr. Speaker, we've made sure that the taxes that are put into place by the previous government have not been raised since this government has been in office. Mr. Speaker, even the Premier's biggest critics didn't think that he could mess up license plates and beer. But of course, here we are. Leave it to this Premier to prove us all wrong. Here's the kicker for beer drinker, Speaker. Experts say that since the Premier came up with his idea, prices have gone up for a two-four by three bucks. He didn't help himself, Speaker, and now he's ruined the party for everyone. Will the Premier do the right thing, show some humility in this House, stand up and apologize to beer drinkers in the province of Ontario for his price hike? Mr. Speaker, again, the focus on this beer this early in the morning from the member from Essex is interesting. Mr. Speaker, affordability, which affordability has been a key issue for this government. That's why, since this government has been in this, and in 2020, we've reduced costs for families by three billion dollars, Mr. Speaker. Three billion dollars that we've reduced through the lift tax credit, through the care tax credit. Things that the member from Essex and the opposition voted against. So Mr. Speaker, we're very serious about affordability. The member wants to talk about beer. We want to take about life being focused on, and that's what we'll be seeing in our 20th budget. Order. Order. The clock is ticking. Order. Member for Essex come to order. Premier, come to order. Next question, the member for Guelph. Good morning, Speaker. Thank you. My question is for the Premier. One of the first campaign promises your government broke was to complete the basic income pilot. Without citing any evidence, the Premier told us that it wasn't working because it was preventing people from getting a job. Well, we now have the first in-depth study of the basic income pilot. And lo and behold, the Premier was off the mark. Three quarters of those who were working continue to do so. One quarter of low-wage workers moved to higher paying jobs. Others started their own businesses. Speaker, the Premier cancelled a pilot that helped low-income people get better jobs and encouraged them to start businesses. Will the Premier keep his campaign promise and bring back the basic income pilot? Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, thanks to the member officer for the question. I confirm that no, we will not be bringing back the basic income pilot project. And the reason is a research project with over 1,000 individuals is not an adequate solution to solving the problem in a province where we have more people living on social assistance. As a matter of fact, the study that the member opposite cites also raised some concerns about the effectiveness of the program Speaker. It showed that nearly one in four of those employed six months before the pilot were unemployed during the pilot. What we're doing is actually taking into account the importance of working with people who can get back to work. Working with my colleague, the minister responsible for labour and skills and training, making sure that those individuals are getting into employment, making sure that there are apprenticeships available, making sure that the public knows that there are skilled trades jobs available to them. We need those people desperately. We're providing the training for to read the report in depth. Those people who didn't work in the pilot, most of them actually went back for education because they could now afford to get education to get a better job. Participants reported improvements to their physical and mental health. They drank less. Over half the smokers said they stopped smoking or smoked less. They were visiting the emergency room less often. They were finding decent and stable housing. These results saved taxpayers money in health care, policing and social services. The McMaster study said the pilot, and I quote, was nothing short of successful. No wonder economists on the left and right are supporting a basic income. So Speaker, I asked the minister and the premier, will you admit that your decision to scrap the basic income pilot was a big mistake and bring it back so we can study how it can best help people and actually save taxpayers. Thank you very much. Minister Grospault. Thanks Speaker, and I don't think I can be any more clear. No, we will not be bringing back a pilot that was involving 4,000 people across the province. What we are doing on this side of the house and our program and our mandate is working, Mr. Speaker. We are creating jobs for the people of Ontario in the time that we have been elected. We have seen over 300,000 jobs created in this province, Mr. Speaker. We are ensuring that we are getting the individuals who are on social assistance or those who don't have a job into work. We have a number of prototypes that were launched earlier this spring, I guess winter, in Hamilton and Niagara and another one in Peel and another one in Cawortha and Peterborough. Those are going to be the prototypes to get people back to work, Mr. Speaker. This new model is going to make it easy to use. It's going to be more localized, Mr. Speaker, and it's going to create better outcomes for those individuals and for our communities, Mr. Speaker, as well, Mr. Speaker. We are kicking off our five-year poverty reduction strategy. We want to hear from people so that we can develop a strategy that actually is going to lift people up. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Thorn Hill. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is, of course, to our premier. And I want to remind everybody that my writing of Thorn Hill is part of Markham and the city of Vaughan, which have become real tech hubs. In fact, all of York Region is focused on getting the necessary jobs and getting people to those jobs throughout the GTA. And that's why I want to talk a little bit today with the premier about the strong leadership that our government has taken on the transit file. Everyone in Thorn Hill is anxious to see the premier come up and celebrate with them, shovels in the ground, getting the Young Subway expansion north right through our writing, a fantastic writing of Thorn Hill. And I'm going to ask the premier if you can share with this House again the importance of transit projects, not just for Thorn Hill, not just for York Region, but for the entire GTA. Questions to the premier? I want to thank our all-star member from Thorn Hill. Mr. Speaker, the GTA are going to get subways. York Region are finally going to get subways. It's an economic hub, economic high tech hub, that now people are going to be able to hop in a subway and get from point A to point B in a greater speed. Mr. Speaker, we're spending $28.5 billion for the largest subway project in North America. That's $28.5 billion. Mr. Speaker, making sure that we get people from Toronto up to Richmond Hill and Markham and Thorn Hill into that region until it will literally change your lives. Along with the other three subway lines that we're doing, Eglinton out to the airport and connecting the Scarborough finally the people in Scarborough are going to have a subway. And last but not least, the Ontario line, the Crown Jewel. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The supplementary questions? I have one here and his fabulous wife, Carla. I have four adult children and I know he was as anxious to get home to his kids when they were younger as I was. Our kids are all active. They play hockey, they do dance, they have programs they want to get to and the families want to get home and want to spend quality time together. Thorn Hill has been feeling very isolated for many years because of the transit problems that they face and we need to ensure that we're cutting down on commuting time and I want to get the premier to maybe elaborate a little bit more on how building transit faster will ensure that the people of Thorn Hill and across the GTA get the subway services they deserve in the time they need it. Thank you. I want to thank the great member for the question. Our proposed legislation, Mr. Speaker will ensure that we can speed up the process and finally ensure that we get the province moving again. The Building Transit Faster Act targets steps in the planning design construction process that have unnecessarily delayed projects in the past. In the past, Mr. Speaker from the previous government we saw over billions of dollars time delays Mr. Speaker we're going to have shovels in the ground you're going to be seeing dirt fly everywhere because we're building subways and we're changing the lives of people in the GTA in Thorn Hill. Thank you Mr. Speaker The next question the member for Hamilton Mountain Thank you Speaker my question is for the premier It's unbelievable that families across Ontario are still waiting for an autism program that meets the needs of their children and their lives are getting harder every day. Last year the premier promised to double the funding for the autism program he was quick to pat himself on the back but yesterday the FAO reported that this government has only spent half of the money to support children with autism while the wait list continues to grow and grow. Kids are going without the therapy that they need. It's absolutely shameful what these families have to face why does the premier insist on withholding the funding for children with autism. The minister children community and social services Let me be clear again our government is spending $600 million this year on the Ontario autism program and as the member knows the financial accountability officers report which came out yesterday takes us up until the end of December I can tell you that one time funding has been rolling out at record pace over the last number of months we will be spending $600 million investing $600 million in our children with autism Mr. Speaker as the member opposite knows we wanted to hear from our expert panel over the summer and we took the time to hear from the community about the program that was going to work for the community we received that report in late December it was in late December where I announced where we would be heading with the Ontario autism program we are on track to do that Mr. Speaker because we have a lot of families that have never received any funding from the province are now receiving funding so they can get their kids in programs and start to get the services that they need I know that the minister had hoped that the heat was off of this as he's been boasting to families but I'm here to tell him that families are not going away families are desperate and we're putting him on notice that we're going to stand up here every day and make sure he knows it moving painfully slow and children are being forced to wait for access to therapy nevermind families in the north who don't even have therapy to access now we know why it's been taking so long this government has been secretly withholding the funding that it promised when the premier announced that he was doubling the funding for the autism program parents actually believed him but the FAO report yet again that families cannot trust this government does the premier expect families to continue to put their trust in this government when all he does is over promise and under deliver questions minister to reply well speaker I don't know how I could be any more clear we are spending $600 million for children with autism in those programs this year that's twice as much as the previous government spent on these families mr speaker we will spend $600 million next year as well when the new needs based program is fully up and running but I'm happy to report mr speaker that thousands of families who have never received any help from the province they were waiting for services of any kind are now receiving services mr speaker we have pilots that are running right now speech and language clinics are up and running for families we have mental health services for families dealing with autism for the first time in the provinces history mr speaker we are making a record investment of $600 million this year mr speaker and thousands and thousands and thousands of families in Ontario are benefiting from that mr speaker the next question the member for dawn valley west thank you very much mr speaker my questions for the minister of education yesterday the minister was touting the government's back down on class size increases in mandatory online learning despite the fact that their new position would still take more teachers from schools by some accounts another thousand teachers and although the government's new position took a step back on regular class size increases their position on class sizes for online classes has not changed in the document that the minister distributed yesterday the government says this grades 9 to 12 the average class size excluding online learning classes shall not exceed 23 can the minister clarify that this clause means that the average class size for online courses would remain at 35 in the government's proposal and can he also clarify how many more teachers would be removed from Ontario schools as a result of an average 35 to 1 formula for online courses minister of education mr speaker the government made a decision to empower parents to have a say on online learning to make sure that they make the decision in consultation with students but if they want to pursue those courses we believe there is a value proposition we believe there is an act an educational opportunity for young people to consider online learning to diversify course offerings and for them to learn the jobs that the skills needed rather the skills that they will need for the jobs of the future this is a good thing but at the end of the day speaker the concern was that you know the unions politicians anyone I don't everyone other than parents for making the decision about the pursuit of online learning we've given them that say that is important and the bottom line is speaker when it comes to the strikes today and beyond we've empowered parents to make that choice we have frozen classroom sizes we have insured 100% of special education so my message to the unions today as they escalate is to negotiate work with the government let's get a deal speaker supplementary questions speaker an average class size of 35 means that classes could easily be larger than 40 and could get upwards of 50 since we know from other jurisdictions that the completion rate of these courses is not what it should be and that students who are already at risk are the least likely to be successful this proposal seems likely to put more Ontario students at risk you still need a teacher even if the course is online Mr. Speaker and that teacher needs a relationship with those kids yesterday I noted that the Ontario student trustees association is concerned that students are not being given the responsibility for choosing their own courses and that a truly voluntary opt-in process would be much more effective for all students can the minister explain why the government is ignoring students voices minister of education speaker we are 300 days into a negotiation we have made a major move and a policy change of government listening to the people we serve today 300 days later while the teacher union strike we have an opportunity to negotiate the table and this is the outstanding issue that impedes a deal is this the issue do we actually believe the ratio for online learning is the issue why 2 million kids are out of class it's not about that speaker the member goes it it is about ensuring the unions retain absolute seniority of hiring it is about higher benefits and higher wages and parents this government wants the teacher unions to end the delay and the obstruction get to the table let's get a deal speaker restart the clock the next question the member for Oakville thank you Mr. Speaker and my question is to the associate minister of children's and women's issues and I certainly want to make the house aware of the terrific evening we had on Tuesday in Oakville where we had 650 people present and they were ecstatic to see you there so I want to thank you Mr. Speaker women continue to be underrepresented in many sectors critical to our province's economic growth this includes the STEM fields where women make up a mere 23% of the STEM workforce in my writing of Oakville we have shared in college which offers many great STEM programs and partnerships including one with the information technology association of Canada which is designed to support students and employers engage in artificial intelligence and please explain to this house why it is so critical to support women in what she is doing to help women with these careers the associate minister of children and women's issues thank you to the member from Oakville for that great question and thank you for the invitation to attend in your writing speaker our government is preparing Ontario students for future success by equipping them with the skills they need for STEM learning I've listened to feedback and the work that Ontario students are doing and it's incredible to see how much passion they have in their field with this knowledge we are shaping the way that young girls are supported in this journey so that Ontario STEM workforce no longer loses out on the knowledge diversity and enthusiasm that women bring to the table speaker we know that Ontario women pursuing careers in STEM are passionate dedicated and highly capable of shattering stereotypes in these areas. Thank you to the minister of education and the minister of colleges and universities for the work they are doing to get more girls and young women interested in STEM both in high school and post secondary institutions our government is working together to ensure that young girls see themselves as part of the STEM workforce and to ensure that young women currently studying programs across STEM achieve their full potential and I thank you to the minister for advocating on behalf of the young women of this province to ensure that they receive the kind of opportunities that will lead them to success it's so important that we ensure our education programs are responsive to the needs of the job market so that job seekers can find good jobs while taxpayer dollars are being respected there is an urgent need to connect Ontarians with job opportunities that will lead to a prosperous career and government as a strong plan to refocus our employment programs in a way that will benefit all Ontarians and help make Ontario open for business and open for jobs Speaker can the minister tell us more about how our government is supporting STEM programs that lead to well-paying jobs for both men and women. Minister of colleges and universities. Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member for Oakville for the excellent advocacy on behalf of the state minister of children and women's issues for the amazing work that is being done in these sectors our government is so committed Mr. Speaker to seeing further growth in areas of STEM because we know the amazing opportunities that exist within this area and just look at some of the facts you look at the facts when that's why we're moving forward with outcomes based funding models to ensure that we can have more students in role in these areas and we want to see that we have incredible numbers looking at some of our statistics we have just over half a million students in this province 83,000 of those students are females enrolled in STEM and we want to see more growth Mr. Speaker we want to see further growth so that we can have future generations continue to go more leaders female leaders that are going to be role models and mentors to the future generation of young females in education. Next question the member for Hamilton West and Caster Dundas. My question this morning is for the Premier good morning Premier Mr. Speaker this government continues to ignore the calls to investigate their decision to close Hamilton's historic forensic pathology unit this has blindsided Hamilton Niagara and surrounding communities now the government is rushing to close the unit at the end of March which is three months earlier than the original date. Police have called all too well what the impact will be a retired Hamilton homicide detective said and I quote I guarantee closing this unit will have a negative impact on our community on convicting our violent criminals and ultimately the victims families can the Premier please tell us this morning why he continues to refuse to conduct an investigation into this decision. Thank you Mr. Speaker the Hamilton forensic pathology unit was an operational decision by the chief forensic pathologist the community served by Hamilton forensic pathology unit will continue to receive the high quality service they always have the chief forensic pathologist in the chief coroner are taking steps to ensure a smooth transition to our partners with our partners and I have full confidence Mr. Speaker the chief forensic pathologist in chief coroner will take appropriate steps provided across the province including communities across Hamilton will continue. Thank you Mr. Speaker the supplementary question I didn't hear the words grieving families at all in this answer so clearly this government doesn't seem to care how this irresponsible decision will hurt grieving families and hinder criminal investigations in fact everything this government has said so far is out of touch with ten years of strategic planning for Ontario's death investigation system and this system was planned to have by 2020 and I quote expanded and improved regional service delivery capacity with more cases being managed locally and regionally so this government clearly ignores grieving families warnings from police forces and forensic pathologists and ten years worth of good strategic planning why is this government plowing ahead with this wrong headed decision to close Hamilton's forensic pathology unit Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker I can use the words that she wants me to use but we're actually demonstrating that we're concerned about grieving families we're making sure that we have high quality services the chief forensic pathologist and the chief coroner are doing an excellent job across the province they're making sure that the services and Hamilton and for families in that area are receiving top-notch top quality state-of-the-art service as they deserve Mr. Speaker we will not apologize for providing the best service in the country the next question the member for Perry Simon Skolka thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the minister of economic development job creation and trade earlier this week the mining world gathered right here in Toronto for the prospectors and developers association for the annual convention I know I don't have to tell the minister this but the mining sector is vital to Ontario's economy mining supports over 76 thousand direct and indirect jobs for Ontarians who work hard to produce more than $10 billion in mineral goods every year over the years I've visited a number of mines around northern Ontario and met the men and women working there a strong mining sector is important to ensure our economy thrives and provides quality jobs for Ontario families especially in northern Ontario Mr. Speaker can the minister upgrade the house and how our government is supporting Ontario's mighty mining sector Minister of economic development job creation and trade our government announced a $900,000 investment in shift ink a Sudbury based mining supplier this week they are investing $7 million to develop an autonomous inventory system for safer and more efficient freight delivery within a mine the mining sector including manufacturing and equipment supports 76,000 good paying jobs this new investment will open the doors to several other business opportunities to service international mining operations while helping an innovative job creator flourish and grow for this investment in shift ink also reinforces our driving prosperity auto plan it highlights the connection between mining and automobile and technology sectors we have an exciting plan to continue building a climate for job creation and companies like shift ink are open for business and open for jobs Mr. Speaker it's great to see that we have a government that is a mining sector that understands its challenges and that is committed to supporting it Ontario's mining sector is not only a leader in Canada right here in Toronto the TSX lists more mining companies than any other financial centre in the world we are talking many, many billions of dollars our government is committed to mining is attracting investment creating jobs and keeping it in place the end of the minister Mr. Speaker can he update the house steps Ontario is taking to promote opportunities for our mining sector abroad we are very proud that Ontario is once again recognized globally as a respected and renowned hub for mining exploration and extraction we believe that maintaining and strengthening that age that edge is critical to 200,000 jobs already created in Ontario in April we will be leading a business mission to Peru and Ecuador focused on promoting trade and investment in our mining equipment and manufacturing sector Peru is the world's largest producer of silver and the second largest copper producer Ecuador aims to expand their new mining exports from only $270 billion in 2018 to $2 billion by 2021 our mission will help Ontario's mining equipment sector access this huge untapped potential and reaffirm that Ontario is indeed open for business, open for jobs and open for trade next the member for Kingston and the islands thank you speaker and my question is to the premier this morning the investigation revealed that nearly two thirds of all women and their families fleeing violence in eastern Ontario are turned away from shelters last year that's 4,416 women and children turned away with nowhere else to go in a province as prosperous as Ontario is unimaginable that we can let down thousands upon thousands of women and children escaping violence speaker but this is exactly what is happening in Ontario right now why does this premier think it's okay that women and children fleeing violence are forced to sleep in their cars on the streets or go back to an abusive situation because this government refuses to provide the services that they so desperately need the associate minister of children and women's issues thank you the member for your question we expect women and children experiencing violence and we will do everything we can to support them the ministry works closely with the sector to provide the appropriate responses to ensure women and children find the supports that they need if a shelter is at capacity the ministry requires agencies to have a process in place to find a bed for her and her children at another appropriate agency that has space I must tell you the safety and security of all Ontarians is a top priority and I think it's important to make sure that those affected by violence and exploitation receive the supports that they need while offenders are accountable to the justice system and that's why I was so pleased this morning to announce our two million dollars in annualized funding for women who are experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime and we know one in three that could be any of us, our children our colleagues we know one in three million dollars in annualized funding for sexual assault centres across Ontario supplementary question it's hard to find more space respectfully when there are no more beds to move those women and children into because they do not have the funding this problem was not created overnight the Liberal government stood by and did nothing while our shelter system was bursting at it seems but now it is on the shoulders and they need to stop making things worse they need to stop exaggerating this crisis it was this government that ended the round table working to end violence against women it was this government that cut funding to rape crisis centres and it was this government that cut legal aid support for women fleeing that very violent speaking and the results two thirds of women fleeing violence in my community in Ontario are being turned away from shelters there are no other beds when is this premier going to put the money back into this system and help these women that's the members please take their seat order minister you got a picture thank you to the member for your question I wholeheartedly agree that it is important to make sure that those who are affected by violence and exploitation receive the supports they need while our vendors are held accountable through our justice system as minister of women and children's issues I have met with our violence against women coordinating committees and 14 co-chairs of the east region violence against women coordinating committees to speak to frontline workers about how we can improve and better serve those who are fleeing violence I've also visited over 20 violence against women shelters and stakeholders over this past summer and fall to get their feedback on how we can better support those who are fleeing violence we are investing 172 million dollars in support for survivors and violence initiatives and as we announced this morning two million dollars in annualized funding for sexual assault centers across Ontario and I'm very proud of our government's support supporting women and children thank you very much the next question member for sarnia lamb my question is to the minister of finance speaker we were elected with a mandate to support women and children we were elected with a mandate to put Ontario back on sound financial footing and leave some more money to people's pockets last week the federal parliamentary budget office releases 2020 fiscal sustainability report this report confirmed what we've known all along our government's plan to build Ontario together and restore the provinces fiscal health is working Mr. Speaker I'm proud to be part of a government that understands the importance of restoring Ontario's health on the steps we're taking to implement our plan to build Ontario together Mr. Finance thank you to the member from sarnia lamb for that question and Mr. Speaker I too was pleased as I'm sure all Ontarians were pleased to hear from the parliamentary budget office to hear about how our balanced and prudent plan is working Mr. Speaker for the first time the parliamentary budget officer has said and this is the first time since we've been working on this on page 27 of this report that Ontario's finances are sustainable Mr. Speaker that is a significant event Mr. Speaker we made a conscious choice we made a conscious choice to balance the budget in 2023 we made that choice because we knew we had to make investments in vital services and we wanted to put money back into the pockets of people Mr. Speaker it is important to recognize that having sustainable finances means that the services are sustained over the long term and that the fiscal health of this province is in the hands of a government that has a plan that's working supplementary question thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you for that answer Mr. Minister it is just encouraging to see this government repair the damage done to Ontario's fiscal position by the previous Liberal government I am confident that the vision put forward by our Premier is becoming a reality thanks to our responsible fiscal change for the people of Ontario we are seeing results could the Minister please further explain the approach our government is taking to fix the fiscal mess we inherited Mr. Finance Mr. Speaker as I've said before in this legislature this balanced prudent plan is not about grand gestures it's about specific actions Mr. Speaker that have now according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer put Ontario for the first time on a sustainable footing Mr. Speaker it's about reducing taxes and charges for individuals it involves making strategic investments in healthcare in education and in transit and Mr. Speaker it means moving purposely before towards a balanced budget in 2023 Mr. Speaker I had the privilege yesterday of joining the crew at the UNO Local 183 out at their training center had a great chance to meet with apprentices to meet with individuals that are working to build on the next step forward until our plan on March 25th later this month when we deliver a budget for the people of Ontario Mr. Speaker our plan to build Ontario together is working and we're doing it on a sustainable basis the next question the member for my question is to the premier premier you'll know that people across northern Ontario unfortunately at times have to travel far to get specialized services in our healthcare system the problem is that the northern travel grant was already slow under the Liberal government when it came to reimbursing people but under your government it's even got worse as far as being able to get money back to people who need it I've got a couple of constituents and they're just one couple Alison and Vern who had to go to London in order to deal with an organ transplant for her husband and they have not been able to get their money back in a timely fashion and it is really putting on their personal home finances so I'm asking you my colleague the member from Thunder Bay Otakoka has a proposal that would put in place an advisory committee to look at this issue and come back with recommendations and how we can fix this problem will you call her bill forward and take that idea and run with it the minister for long-term care thank you speaker and thank the member opposite I want to emphasize that our government takes the safety and well-being of residents as a priority and we recognize that residents of Northern Ontario face unique health care challenges in terms of their access compared to other people in other parts of the regions the Northern Health Travel Grant program is undergoing an operational process review to ensure efficiencies and to make improvements this includes planning for new options to enhance payment delivery using direct bank services to the public and we are working to improve the application form to make it easier for communication and better assist clients in understanding the submission process we know there needs to be improvement and processing staff are working very hard to return processing levels to the published service standard of six weeks we take the safety and well-being of all Ontarians safely and our government is committed to making positive change to the Northern Health Travel Grant thank you speaker the supplementary question speaker the reality is we went from bad under the Liberals to worst under you the problem is is that people are applying to get their Northern Travel Grant money to be able to afford to travel the next time and it is becoming a huge problem because these families don't have the money to travel in some cases in the south and say you take seriously the safety of patients being able to access services there are people across the north who are not able to access the service because they don't have the money to pay for the travel to get down because they're still waiting for two or three travel grants to come in from your office so you can review all you want there is a proposal my colleague the member from Thunder Bay Attic Oaken has a proposal to speed up the people who are knowledgeable and from the public to look at these issues to come back with recommendations and to finally speed up the process by which people are able to get their Northern Travel Grants released back to them and again thank you for the question our government understands that this is an important issue there is no doubt about that the Northern Health Travel Grant program is focused on mitigating the damage in Northern areas I myself am from the north I understand we recognize that smaller communities do not have the critical mass to support medical specialists or facility based procedures I want to make sure that you understand our government is taking this seriously the next question the member for Durham my question is the associate minister of energy when I talk to my constituents in Durham particularly the rural parts of Skugog they're the expansion of natural gas program move forward on Skugog Island could the minister please update the house on how we're making progress and some exciting news to come for Skugog the associate minister of energy thank you Mr. Speaker and I want to thank the member from Durham she is a powerhouse today she is going to introduce a private members motion on small modular reactors Mr. Speaker the 60,000 skilled workers who have expertise in our nuclear energy industry and they actually provide 60% of our power and our electricity power in this province and tomorrow I'm going to travel to Skugog and we're going to actually launch the next phase of our natural gas program that will lower the cost of energy for many people across this great province Mr. Speaker three cheers for our member from Durham that concludes the time we have for question period this morning and I recognize the member for Ottawa Mr. Speaker I'll be brief I know you don't believe that I just want to say thank you to the government house leader and the deputy leader of the opposition for their very kind remarks and for all of you for your warm reception and expression of support I wish I'd see it more often but maybe I see it in a different way and I want to thank my caucus colleagues they've been great especially my seatmate we really have it really has been a lot of support which is mutual support group over here and I'm really grateful for that it's been a really busy time here in the party it's been a busy time in our family so I have to thank my wife Linda who's here today for all her efforts I haven't been around a lot and I'll finish with a story I know you think I'm going to go on forever I could I could so it's interesting that Percy interjected on a page named Mira Gillis from Windsor to come say and she came here and I like to ask pages what's the most interesting thing about this place and they usually say question period which is obvious Mira says well I came here I was nervous it's a big place you're all so important and then she says and then I got here and I realized you're just like a big family she's right we are a dysfunctional family I like to think we put the fun and dysfunctional so now that we've gone through all this I'm not going anywhere I just don't know where I'm going to be sitting thank you very much Mr. Speaker we'll get back to you on that next week we have a deferred vote on government orders 27 28 29 30 31 32 and 33 call on the members this is a five minute bell members will please take their seats we all set March the 4th 2020 Mr. Bethlyn Falvey moved concurrence and supply for the ministry of health and long-term care including supplementaries all those in favor of the motion please rise one at a time and be recognized by the clerk Mr. Letcher Mr. Mulroney Mr. Mulroney Mr. Caland Mr. Caland Mr. Fidelli Mr. Fidelli Mr. Ford Mr. Phillips Mr. Smith Babe Quinty Mr. Hardiman Mr. Hardiman Mr. Yacobusky Mr. Yacobusky Mr. Tobolo Mr. Tobolo Mr. Romano Mr. Romano Mr. Walker Mr. Walker Mr. Thompson Mr. Thompson Mr. Downey Mr. Downey Mr. Fullerton Mr. Fullerton Mr. Sarkaria Mr. Sarkaria Ms. Scott Ms. Scott Mr. Chosgar Bernard Mr. Chosgar Bernard Ms. Surma Ms. Surma Mr. McNott Mr. McNott Mr. Coe Mr. Coe Ms. Skelli Mr. Nicolls Mr. Nicolle Mr. Puccini Mr. Puccini Mr. Miller Perry Sound Muskoka Mr. Miller Perry Sound Muskoka Mr. Barrick Mr. Ulstra Mr. Ulstra Mr. Osterhaus Mr. Tھیni G ź fian Mr. trillion Mr. Baba Mr. informing Mr. Hoga Ms. H Vouhan Ms. Kou 보이는 Mr. Kou Mr. Cook. Mr. Cook. Mr. Sandy. Mr. Sandy. Mr. Anand. Mr. Anand. Mr. Anand. Ms. Gamari. Ms. Gamari. Mr. Kanapati. Mr. Kanapati. Mr. Babikia. Mr. Babikia. Mr. Sabawi. Mr. Sabawi. Mr. Fraser. Mr. Fraser. Ms. Wynne. Ms. Wynne. Ms. Wynne. Ms. El-Samari. Ms. El-Samari. Although as opposed to the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the clerk. Ms. Shaw. Ms. Shaw. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Ms. Fife. Mr. Shriner.Mr. Shriner. The ayes are 66, The nays are 37 The ayes being 66, and the nays being 37 I declare the motion carried. We have a deferred vote on the government order number 28 On March, same vote The ayes are 66, The nays are 37 The ayes being 66, The nays being 37 I declare the motion carried. We have a deferred vote on the government order number 29 On March 4th, same vote, same vote. The ayes are 66, the nays are 37. The ayes being 66, the nays being 37. I declare the motion carried. We would deferred vote on the government order number 30. On March the 4th, 2020, same vote, same vote. The ayes are 66, the nays are 37. The ayes being 66, and the nays being 37. I declare the motion carried. We have a deferred vote on the government order number 31. On March the 4th, same vote. The ayes are 66, the nays are 37. The ayes being 66, and the nays being 37. I declare the motion carried. We have a deferred vote on the government order number 32. On March 4th, 2018, same vote. Here to know. On March 4th, 2018, Mr. Bethlen-Falvey moved concurrence and supply for the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks. All those in favor, same vote. Same vote. The ayes are 66, the nays are 37. The ayes being 66, the nays being 37. I declare the motion carried. We have a deferred vote on the government order number 33. On March 4th, 2020, Mr. Bethlen-Falvey, same vote. I here to know. On March 4th, 2020, Mr. Bethlen-Falvey moved concurrence and supply for the Ministry of Agriculture. Same vote. Same vote. The ayes are 66, the nays are 37. The ayes being 66, the nays being 37. I declare the motion carried. We now have a deferred vote on a motion for closure, on the motion for second reading of Bill 161, an act to enact the Legal Aid Services Act, 2019, and to make various amendments to other acts dealing with the courts and other justice matters. Call on the members, this is another five-minute bill. On February 19th, 2020, Mr. Downey moved second reading of Bill 161, an act to enact the Legal Aid Services Act, 2019, and to make various amendments to other acts dealing with the courts and other justice matters. Ms. Skelly has moved that the question now be put. All those in favor of Ms. Skelly's motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the clerk. Same vote. I here to know. All those in favor of Ms. Skelly's motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the clerk. Mr. Letcher. Mr. Letcher. Ms. Morooney. Ms. Morooney. Mr. Klann. Mr. Klann. Mr. Fidella. Mr. Fidella. Mr. Ford. Mr. Ford. Mr. Fila. Mr. Fila. Mr. Fila. Mr. Fila. Mr. Fila. Mr. Fila. Mr. Fila. Mr. Fila. Mr. Fila. Mr. Fila. Mr. Fila. Mr. Fila. Mr. Fila. Mr. Fila. Mr. Fila. Mr. Fila. Mr. Fila. Mr. Tabbins. Mr. Souther. Ms. Shaw. Mr. Mamakwa. Ms. Begum. Ms. Begum. Mr. Yard. Ms. Fjallar. Ms. Taylor. Ms. Tailor. Ms. Shermonta. Ms. Armstrong. Ms. Armstrong. Ms. Stiles. Ms. Stiles. Ms. Curnaghans. Mr. Curnaghans. Mr. West. Ms. West. Mr. West. Ms. Stevens. Mr. Gates. Mr. Gates. Mrs. Gretzky. Mrs. Gretzky. Ms. French. Ms. French. Mr. Miller Hamilton-East Stoney Creek. Mr. Miller Hamilton-East Stoney Creek. Mr. Gleber. Mr. Gleber. Ms. Morris. Ms. Morris. Mr. Rikosa. Mr. Rikosa. Mr. Harden. Mr. Harden. Ms. Monteith Farrell. Ms. Monteith Farrell. Mr. Assange. Mr. Assange. Mr. Fraser. Mr. Fraser. Ms. Wynne. Ms. Wynne. Ms. Wynne. Ms. Alsamar. Ms. Alsamar. Mr. Schreiner. Mr. Schreiner. The ayes are 63, the nays are 40. The ayes being 63, and the nays being 40, I declare the motion carried. Mr. Downey has moved second reading of Bill 161, an act to enact the Legal Aid Services Act 2019 and to make various amendments to other acts dealing with the courts and other justice matters. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? No. Or some noes? All those in favor of the motion will please say aye. Aye. All those opposed will please say nay. Nay. My opinion, the ayes have it. Call in the members. This will be another five minute bell. Same vote? No. Same vote. The ayes are 63, the nays are 40. The ayes being 63, and the nays being 40, I declare the motion carried. Delva Bill will be ordered for third reading. No. I heard a no. Look to the Attorney General for the committee. Committee on Justice Policy. The bill is referred to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy. There being no further business this morning, this House stands in recess until 1 p.m.