 It is therefore now time for question period the leader of her majesty's well-off Mr.. Speaker my question is for the deputy premier today marks a momentous occasion It is the 14th anniversary of liberal scandal waste and mismanagement after 14 years of waste and political corruption Ontario works harder pays more and gets less the hydro one fire sale is just one example Make no mention of the sale until after the last election when 80% of the province opposes the fire sale of hydro one What do liberals do they sell it off to the benefit of their insider friends mr.. Speaker the liberals just can't be Trusted so mr.. Speaker after 14 years and after the hydro one fire sale How can we ever trust this premier? How can we ever trust these liberals again? Thank you, and I'm very grateful for this question because we are celebrating 14 years And let's talk about that that government was in power from six dollars and eighty five cents We're on our way to fifteen dollars graduation rate was Shocking that sixty eight percent percent of kids graduated high school within five years We have increased that thanks to the great teachers in our schools to eighty six point five You see it supplementary member from Leaves Grimble Yes, we're back to the deputy premier because after 14 years of liberal waste and political corruption Ontario works harder pays more and gets less five OPP and I uh I Sends a theme and I'm going to get to the bottom of it immediately The outburst will stop Please finish five OPP Investigations into the liberals is just you want to play that I will the member the minister of agriculture food and rural affairs As soon as I sit down you start That's insulting OPP Investigations into the liberals is just one example. That's right under the liberals We have had as many police investigations into this government as Tom Brady has Super Bowl rings. We've never seen anything like either before but speaker. It took Tom 15 years to set his record these liberals and only took them 14 when it comes to the scandalous behavior and a lack of accountability No one can match them speaker Speaker after 14 years because of this unprecedented five OPP probes How can we trust this premier or the liberals ever again? Thank you Well, let's think about where we were 14 years ago compared to where we are today speaker full-day kindergarten Both ways the member from latter come to order and somebody else is really lucky Carry on please speaker when we think about our kids kids in low-income families now have access to free dental care They did not have that when you were in charge and now people under age 25 speakers starting January 1st We'll have free prescription drugs University because they simply couldn't afford it now speaker over 200,000 students have free tuition and many many more Thank you final supplement members from the team Carlton the deputy premier because after 14 years of liberal waste and political corruption Ontario works hard Ontario works harder pays more and gets less The 1.2 billion dollar canceled gas plant scandal is just one example While long-term care homes are struggling to upgrade beds like at the odds good care center or Vulnerable seniors are being abused as was the case in the last few months in the city of Ottawa Just on managing things like a 1.2 billion dollar gas plant scandal that helped them win the 2011 election Barack Obama spent less money becoming leader of the free world than the McGinty liberals did to win that election to save a Few GTA seats now this scandal has ended up in a criminal court according to the Please finish the ripped off a band-aid too quickly for the mr. Speaker over there But according to the information and privacy commissioner, they violated privacy laws. They obstructed in the investigations We even found out on Friday that Ontario's chief information officer David Nicol warned We're sure McGinty staffers not to delete emails So mr. Speaker after 14 years and because of the gas plant scandal, how can we trust your ringer? How can we trust this government? Recession since the Great Depression and we have now got the lowest unemployment rate in 16 years in Ontario The budget we've been strong strong fiscal manager speaker, but think about social assistance You throw social assistance rates you slash them then you froze them And we have now changed the rules so that people on social assistance are able to keep more of what they earn They're able to keep support for their children speaker We shut down all of the coal-fired plans Minister of infrastructure come to order the member from the Hamilton East Tony Creek. How you doing? Good Finish please wrap up speaker Ontario is a stronger fairer better place now New question the leader of the third party Premier because after 14 long years of liberal waste and political corruption Ontario works harder pays more and gets less that is the liberal legacy Doubling the provincial debt in just 14 years is an example of that Ontario is now the most indebted Subnational jurisdiction in the world we more we owe more than anyone else Well, liberal insiders doubled the debt taxpayers footed the bill and liberal insiders got rich Whether it's Samsung Gandalf group or the 30 big renewable mega contracts. It was always liberal Ontario families paying more Mr. Speaker after 14 years and a provincial debt of over $300 billion how can we ever trust this premiere and the liberal party ever again? I'm grateful for these questions because it gives us a chance to actually review where we have been over the last 14 years Let's just think about this speaker. We have created 760,000 new jobs in Ontario a firing 100,000 7% been below the national average for two and a half years speaker our Economic growth is strong. We're leading all G7 nations when it comes to economic growth speaker Private sector commas are forecasting that our growth with growth will outpace the rest of Canada over the next two years speaker We have made investments in infrastructure. We have made investments in schools in roads in hospitals and bridges speaker Those investments cost money speaker. We're investing them. It's creating jobs and it's improving this This society Remember from Nipissie Speaker my question is for the deputy premier because after 14 years of liberal waste and political correction Ontario works harder pays more and gets less The assault on household pocketbooks through increased fees and taxes is just one example When this government took office Ontario was the economic engine of Canada sadly today were a have-not province The Liberals added the Ontario health tax. We should have known it wouldn't end there Families are now paying two point four billion dollars a year in service fees Licence and vehicle registration fees are up 503 million dollars just in the last four years Speaker after 14 years and because of shameless taxes and fee increases, how can we trust the premier? Of course for the Liberals ever again Well, I can say is I'm really glad that party is not in our Resulted in real change speaker the lowest unemployment rate in 16 years. That's something to be proud of We've reduced our debt to GDP ratio speaker Significantly, and we're on our way to do more speaker We have a balanced budget and that is allowing us to invest in the things that we care a lot about on this side of the house Speaker free tuition for over 200,000 kids Spaces more supportive house housing spaces speaker the most vulnerable in this province are better off now Under our government than they would have been under them speaker Mr. Speaker my question is for the acting premier because after 14 years of liberal waste and political corruption Ontario works harder pays more and gets less Speaker the loss of hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs is just one example Manufacturers have been dealt blow after blow by this government soaring electricity costs cap and trade and now more red tape Speaker business owners and managers have been raising the alarm But this liberal government continues to insist that they know better Well liberal denial doesn't help the communities and families who are hurt as these companies closed shop Heinz Caterpillar St. Thomas Ford plant Brockville's proctor in Gamble Peterborough's general electric Vicarity Westcasts too many to name here mr. Speaker after 14 years and because this liberal government's decisions Continue to kill manufacturing jobs in Ontario. How can we trust this premier and the Liberals ever again? I My question is how can we trust them when all they do is distort the fact speaker? What's wrong? Very young So let's look at the fact speaker 760,000 The member from Lampton Kent middle sex come to order finish please Speaker Member from Lampton Kent middle sex second time And I may go past the warning if I even attempt to sit down and he says it again Speaker of course the opposition will pick up where where the jobs have been lost and that has been a serious issue But I have yet to hear 60,000 met new job Let's be clear jobs have been created then we have lost speaker whenever a company chooses to close The member from Leeds Granville the member from Renfrew nipissing Pembroke and the member from Huron Bruce come to order Finish please the certain irony when he talks about the loss of Ford Ford Plant they would have let the auto industry die. Thank you Speaker was to let Thank you. New question the leader of the third party Speaker before I begin I really just want to quickly congratulate my colleague Jagmeet Singh for the If you help me touch that we gave him a standing ovation, I know Speaker of my question is for the deputy premier There is a crisis in hospitals in Ontario It is the new normal to hear horror stories of people waiting for days in emergency rooms and being treated on Stretchers and hospital hallways with no privacy and no dignity last week the premier finally admitted that there's a problem But her solution is to maybe some time in the future Reopen 150 beds that she closed in Toronto 150 beds will not fix this crisis not in Toronto and certainly not in the hundreds of communities across this province That are suffering under the weight of the premier's cuts and freezes to hospitals Just last week in the hospital in Thunder Bay Which has been in a near constant state of gridlock for years was forced to admit 400 patients in a hospital built for 375 what's the Liberal government's plan to fix the mess that they've created Deputy premier serve health and long-term care the serve health long-term care. Thank you, mr. Speaker and I Remain in credulous quite frankly, mr. Mr. Speaker that the leader of the third party Continues to disparage The fact that there is a proposal that has come forward from I believe half a dozen hospitals in the GTA To help address the capacity challenge that they're facing Particularly in advance of the coming winter and we as yet don't know what the impact of flu will be And they've come forward with a with a very reasonable proposal mr. Speaker for opening 150 beds at the old Finch site of the Humber River Hospital we didn't close those beds by the way mr. Speaker we Transformed we transferred them to the brand new $4 billion Humber River Hospital, which is now providing the highest quality of care But for the for the leader of the third party and this is her opportunity to be clear on this issue Does she or does she not support the proposal coming forward from the hospital system? Supported by the way by the Ontario Health Hospital Association Does she or does she not support their proposal for under eight for opening a hundred and fifty beds are for transitional care, mr. Speaker yeah speaker Regulus that the Minister of Health can't fix the problems that he's made and he has to wait for the hospitals to come together To beg for some kind of solution because of the crisis that they've created System Civics acute care beds have been by their own account over capacity for more than two years But it's not just Brampton Civic Etobicoke General Hospitals acute care beds have also been over capacity every single day from January to May of this year in January Capacity reached as high as a hundred and two and twenty two percent And this is when safe capacity speaker is supposed to be eighty five percent When will this government admit that the problem is province-wide and do something for the people forced to endure overcrowded hospitals in communities like Brampton and Etobicoke Well, mr. Speaker we are doing something so we allocated $24 million in the spring budget Precisely for to address this capacity challenge that is faced across the province in different hospitals, mr. Speaker a budget that that member that leader of the third party voted against that She still hasn't given a reply as to whether she supports the Humber proposal or is against the Humber proposal Mr. Speaker we know that we face capacity issues and that's precisely why Ironically with the NDP specifically and emphatically asking us to address the capacity issues in her hospital when we do just that They're the first and frankly the only ones to stand up and oppose it You're final supplementary. It's my third right speaker. It's not my new question. I'm on my third Thank you speaker the the remaining question goes back to the deputy premier the Bottom line is notwithstanding the boasting that this minister is doing they shorted the hospital sector $300 million of what they asked for in the last budget They didn't step up to the plate even though they were begged to by the hospital association Trillium health partners in mississauga is also over capacity the acute the care that's a bit their bed there I've been running as high as 109% Hospitals been forced to use unconventional beds meaning hallway medicine These figures represent real people in mississauga many of them who experience the worst days of their lives Dealing with an accident or sickness that forces them to go to the hospital when will the government Heed the call of the Ontario Hospital Association and provide immediate investment in our hospitals When will they actually do something to help people in mississauga? Mr. Speaker, I was honored to be at Trillium To in mississauga to announce Beside the finance minister and the premier a brand new hospital for that community Greater number of individuals and this is the situation throughout the house The province mr. Speaker we have 35 Hospitals that are either new hospitals either being built or in the planning stage and we continue to make those investments We've added more than a thousand hospital beds in the last several years We just talked about which I can only imagine that the leader of the third party by her silence is against the Humber River Proposal she'll have to explain that to the hospitals and the communities that would benefit from that Specialized care for senior sir transitional capacity, but mr. Speaker. We're making those investments will continue to the make those investments And we're seeing the impact Also for the deputy premier on Friday in February there were 22 people forced into Unconventional bed space because the hospital was over capacity. That's 22 Ontarians forced to receive treatment in hallways or even broom closets One person not getting the care that they deserve is too many 22 people is nothing short of a crisis and this happens every single day in Ontario This is the new normal new new normal rather for people who are sick the last conservative government fired 6,000 nurses closed 28 hospitals and slashed over 7,000 hospital beds and the Liberals have cut our frozen hospital budgets for years now And now that the premier has finally admitted that there's a problem her solution is 150 beds in Toronto Can the Liberal government tell us how they expect 150 beds in Toronto to be enough? Mr. Health long-term care Well, mr. Chief government what mr. Speaker the Humber River proposal the Finch site is just one of a number of proposals that we've received from the hospital system and Proposals and an approach that is supported by the Ontario the Ontario Hospital Association and reflects the $24 million this fiscal year that we've indicated we're investing specifically on capacity and ALC beds But mr. Speaker we continue to invest and again. I have to it's Unfortunate that the third party is disparaging the PCs despite their record on health care because they're a close Second mr. Speaker they closed more than 9,000 beds 24% of all the acute beds in the province 13% of the mental health beds in this province They delisted home care They reduced the number of drugs on the formulary and they fired thousands of nurses and they committed to finding another $600 million in cuts in health and education in in mr. Speaker in the last election. Thank you Supplementary thank you. Speaker sick kids hospital is also over capacity This is a world-class hospital something Ontarians can be proud of but even this hospital where staff care for some of the most Serious devastating illnesses and accidents that affect children is not getting what it needs from the premier The premier must know that this is a crisis She must know how it affects the people of this province the children of this problem province and still the government's only solution Is to reopen 150 beds that they closed in Toronto You know mr. Speaker I want it for a moment, you know I'm the first to accept and even embrace Constructive criticism, but there's a point in the dialogue in the debate mr. Speaker where I think we need to ask ourselves Are we or one party? by Repeatedly calling a crisis calling an emergency Frightening people about the condition in our long-term care homes Frightening people about the conditions of our hospitals and I had this discussion just last week with the president of the Ontario Hospital Association There's a point at which I think we need to realize that the impact of what we say Among Ontarians and we need to have that balanced approach where I'm the first to accept criticism where criticism Is deserve mr. Speaker, but I think we need to do that in a measured way Which means that making the system better and not instilling fear in Ontarians Well speaker the people of Ontario don't need the NDP to scare them about going to the hospitals They're telling me they won't go You know what 10 years of freezes and cutbacks Results in what we're seeing today this government has been in office for 14 years And this is what they've done to our hospital system shame on them University health network hospitals are over capacity Humber River Hospital over capacity Toronto East Michael Garen Hospital over capacity sick kids over Capacity 150 beds will not fix the mess that this Liberal government has helped create When will the government admit that the hospitals need more than what they have been? Allocated finally invest in the good quality health care that Ontarians need and Deserve and promise that moving forward They will at least be funded to cover inflation to cover population growth and to cover the unique of our communities Thank you minister Here's an example of the Increasing capacity and the infrastructure investment that we're doing in Hamilton alone, mr. Speaker So Hamilton Health Sciences Jerovinsky Hospital and Cancer Center a 200 million dollar project completed in 2012 St. Joseph's Health Care West Fifth Campus a 500 member from beaches East York Finish please Speaker the Ron Joyce Children's Health Center a 70 million dollar project completed that will facilitate 70,000 visits annually and Hamilton General Hospital 44 millions to consolidate different services into a new 100,000 square foot facility that 581 million for the West Fifth campus on Hamilton Mountain mr. Speaker These are just several examples in Hamilton alone of the investments that we've been making and are making will continue to make mr. Speaker thank you Thank You speaker my question is for the acting cream here because after 14 years of liberal waste Political corruption Ontarians are working harder paying more and receiving less Speaker the cuts to Ontario's hospitals is just about one example This government was responsible for Ontario's public hospitals suffering through four years of frozen budgets This government continued to cut funding pushing our hospitals to a breaking point Mr. Speaker the auditor general warned this government the hospital beds were unnecessarily being occupied by patients waiting for long-term care or Homecare causing delays This government failed to act resulting in the dangerous levels of overcrowding faced by our hospitals today Patients continue to wait on stretchers in the hallways with flu season around the corner Ontario hospitals are on the verge of a serious capacity crisis Mr. Speaker question after 14 years of hospital cuts and frozen budgets. How can we trust this premier or these levels ever again? To the minister of health and long-term care Well, mr. Speaker We have invested and increased the budget in our health care system every single year since taking off That includes the most recent budget where we Increased the hospital operating budgets by five hundred million dollars Which is on top of the previous year a five hundred million dollar new investment mr. Speaker We are investing in new hospitals in the operating of hospitals ensuring including in St. Thomas mr. Speaker itself and across the province And it's regrettable that a party that closed I think 27 hospitals 28 is it 28 hospitals that closed almost 10,000 hospital beds That made cuts across the system mr. Speaker that that's a party that now is asking us And sir the mess that they created we fixed that mess and we're continuing to invest to make the best possible Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the deputy premier because after 14 years of liberal waste and political corruption Ontario works harder pays more and gets Originally there wasn't to appear to be concerned about certain terminology and I'm now Suggesting to the members of the opposition that the terminology is not acceptable to the house And it won't be used and I will ask you to stop using it Finish please Mr.. Speaker e-health is just one example Historic second time Please finish Speaker e-health is just one example of this political mismanagement and scandal this government has been making and breaking delivery promises on e-health Almost as long as they've been empowered cronyism overpaid consultants Outrageous expenses lawsuits and settlements the Liberals had seemed to have unlimited Comes to finding ways to throw away our money on e-health as the Toronto Sun summed up the auditor generals damning report last November 8 billion and 14 Order and we still do not have a working electronic question record system mr. Speaker after 14 years because of the e-health fiasco How can we trust the premier? Thank you mr. Speaker and So I'm proud of the fact that over 80% of our family doctors are utilizing electronic medical records in their offices Virtually every Ontario every Ontarian who has intersected with our health care system has an electronic health record Mr.. Speaker and we find that that is making for better Information and better decisions by frontline health care providers as well as empowerment of patients themselves So mr. Speaker we have come a long way We have remote clinical consultations nearly three quarters of a million that are happening with telehealth Ontario Where face-to-face interactions digitally are happening between consumers of health care and providers of health care We have the Ontario Laboratories information system where 92% of all our hospital community and public health lab data is Available in that repository and there are more than a hundred thousand users of that data We have a digital health drug repository mr. Speaker that tracks among other things the medications that are prescribed by health care providers And it's obviously this is a moving target as we continue to evolve our digital health care system But I'm proud of the work that we've done today Thank you speaker my question is to the vice premier a couple of months ago Sears Canada was given the court approval to begin liquidation sales so far 59 locations have been closed and more than 1200 employees have been affected the saga continues as we learn that Sears Canada is filing a petition to terminate their pension plans and Now Sears just announced on Saturday that they will be closing another 10 stores including one in Hamilton Dude that new Democrats have called on the premier to actively work to protect the pensioners here in Ontario from being shut Out from what they've earned over a lifetime the lack of pension protection in this province is unacceptable Sears pensioners need to know Will the premier step up will she put pressure on the federal government to make changes to the bankruptcy and solvency and CC double a process To so that hard-working current and former employees are given priority to get paid the pensions Thank You mr. Speaker Sears remains subject to the Pension Benefits Act mr. Speaker, and I know the financial services commission of Ontario Fisco which administers the PBA including the pension benefits guaranteed fund is Continuing to monitor the situation and in filing for bankruptcy mr. Speaker does not affect the assets in the pension plan Monthly pensions will continue to be paid to the plan Beneficiaries and the event of the wind up a claim could be made on the pensions benefits guaranteed fund mr Speaker the PBGF is unique to Ontario and the only jurisdiction in Canada to offer such a fund and right now Pensioners receive a thousand dollars through the fund and mr. Speaker We are implementing changes to increase pensioner payments from one thousand to fifteen hundred dollars mr. Speaker So now we care about the retirement security for the people of Ontario and that's why we move forward with the changes to the funding framework For the defined benefit pensions plans mr. Secretary Thank You Speaker of surprise the energy minister is answering this but anyways the Ontario government should have been prepared for the end Of Sears pension security this has been expected for some time and while today it might be Sears Tomorrow it will be another company and there's been many in the past This needs coordinated action from both levels of liberal governments Unfortunately, the pension benefit guarantee fund which was just mentioned will only guarantee pension shortfalls coverage up to fifteen hundred I remember taking part in a system that still leaves many former leaders employees That have not another full benefits and I remember ten years ago when mr. Arthur appointed by your government Study the pgf fund and said the recommendation should be twenty five hundred So it's no big improvement of fifteen hundred. You're still far short of what benefits are for people. When are you going to do something about it? Minister of Finance Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question the concern the member has for those of our pensioners and retirees We've seen it time and time again when these things occur and if it wasn't for this the backstop that The Ontario government the only province the only jurisdiction in North America which provides a pension guarantee And those Sears employees should they be affected 90% will be fully covered as a result of our pension guarantee, mr. Speaker We recognize that more need to be done That's why we've modernized our pension reform to enable many of those pensioners and those that have existing programs to diversify to other holders to protect their interests and we'll continue to do more and work alongside the member to try To make sure that everyone is protected in this province of Ontario. Thank you Thank You mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Agriculture food and rural affairs Minister food is what sustains us and gives us the energy to get up every morning to work to learn and play and to go about our daily lives Without a strong farm and food sector in the sector in the province of Ontario We would not be able to enjoy the bounty and diversity of foods that we love and share with our friends and families at this time of The year particularly at Thanksgiving As you know Minister our agricultural communities across this great province work Extremely hard each and every day to provide us with more than 200 foods growing and harvested right here at home And so this week is dedicated to the hard work as we begin Ontario agriculture week Minister this week allows us to celebrate Contribution that our farm and food sector has given to our province for over 150 years can the minister please share with this house. Thank you our government is celebrating our Thank You minister of agriculture food real fair responsible for small business Because I want to thank the member from Barry a Greek with her patent passion but agriculture of course She's a very good singer of good things grow in Ontario. Mr. Speaker This is agriculture week at the profits of Ontario and we're taking time to recognize our farmers and farm communities That contribute to our communities in our economy. We're blessed in Ontario with nearly 50,000 family farms contributing in excess of 37 billion dollars to Ontario's GDP just last Friday and by riding a Peterborough I was joined by the my colleague the member from Northumberland Quinney West to announce $500,000 in funding from the Greenbelt Foundation for various Farmed food processing across the province of Ontario I must say one of the recipients was the very five Miller egg farm in the Great Riding of Peterborough And today we're also welcoming the White House of Ontario the craft insider Association of terror craft burrs to Ontario to celebrate their success Thank You minister for that response and for the important message It's great to hear that our government is investing in our farm and food sector to boost availability of local food I'm also pleased to know that we'll be welcoming guests to Queens Park who represent our farmers and food and beverage makers Minister Ontario agriculture week will come and go But we need to acknowledge the hard work Ontario farmers do each and every day to ensure that we have food on our tables I know my constituents in Barrie certainly enjoy foods growing and harvested locally They purchase Foodland Ontario branded products at the supermarket and visit local farmer markets including ones in Barrie and Innisfil They want to know how the province is recognizing the long heritage of farming in the province of Ontario Will the minister please tell this house how our government is honoring the provinces agricultural sector and working to build up its future success Minister I want to thank the member from Barrie for supplementary. I want to acknowledge the Defol family this morning and that hosted the Peterborough County plowing match in Saturday And I could tell you the minister had a very straight furl. So I'm also pleased To announce today That's where our terry of 150 farms commemorative side program We'll be looking for those farms and farm families across the province of Ontario And then I've had their farm for over 150 years and we'll be Providing that with the appropriate signage and I I encourage all members from all sides of the house to make application Also want to acknowledge the work that organizations like the Gordon golden horseshoe food and farming alliance And of course the Ontario Federation of Agriculture that represents over 30,000 family farms in the province of Ontario And to recognize their log history for farming in this great province In fact Delphi will be here at Queen's Park tomorrow And we're starting to launch our bring home the world food campaign to raise awareness about the wide variety of foods that are grown Harvested and made right here in Ontario. We acknowledge mr. Thank you My question is for the acting premier because after 14 years of liberal waste and political scandal Ontario works harder pays more and gets less Kicking 3,500 children off the wait list for life-changing IBI autism therapy just because they were five years old is one example It took three months a new The member from Kitchener Conestoga come to order Chief government whip is warned Finish please it took three months a new minister and the advocacy of thousands of families for the government to realize that autism Doesn't end at five mr. Speaker after 14 years and the government kicking children off autism therapy wait list because of their age How can we trust the premier the Liberals ever again? Well, thank you mr. Speaker and I appreciate the question from the member opposite, you know We have we have opportunities over the course of our political career to make decisions and those decisions are always captured and Answered and they're captured out there people report on them, you know the member opposite talks about Talks about our record on autism, which is you know I would say when it comes to the allocation of resources We are the best government in all of North America when it comes to Focusing on autism, but here's here's the irony in the question the leader of the opposition sat in Ottawa for years He had a decision to make about he had a decision to make to support a national autism plan And he voted against that Mr. Speaker when we talk about autism and what we're doing for children and we compare both records, please don't make any confusion Speaker my question is for the deputy premier because after 14 years of liberal ways and political scandal Ontario residents work harder Pay more and get less Deliver of government's arbitrary and cold-hearted approach to school closures is yet another example Speaker months ago. They had 600 schools on the shopping block The interior alliance against school closures says that in five years leading up to the release of the ministry's revised pupil-accommodation review guideline 277 schools were closed Beaker after 14 years and school closures. How can Ontario residents trust the premier or liberals ever again? To the minister of education Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to rise in this house and speak to our government's record on Schools and education in this province Mr. Speaker because you know the member opposite is asking the question But is ignoring the 11 schools that were built or expanded significantly in his own writing To graduation rates that are Come to order Both sides Especially the questioner finish Mr. Speaker you're seeing the results from full-day kindergarten investments to graduation rates in this province 86.5% Students are graduating versus the 68% shame that we're graduating when that party was in power Mr. Speaker we will Ontario's publicly funded education system because it is the right investment for the people of this province Thank You speaker my questions for the deputy premier Ontario's long-term care waitlist top 30,000 people right now and just like our hospitals a level of care in these homes is suffering under this premier and her liberal government last week in Ottawa There was yet another incident in a home this time involving verbal abuse of a senior in care These stories keep coming up It seems that every day I hear from family members who are telling me about the horrific conditions They're loved ones face in long-term care This is not a case of a few bad apples as the conservative member from the P and Carlton said the issues in long-term care are Systemic they stretch to every corner of this province Will the government finally acknowledge that long-term care is in a state of chaos and Expand the scope of the wet loffer inquiry to find and fix the serious problems in our long-term care system Long-term care minister of health long-term care. Thank you, mr. Speaker and Absolutely the safety and well-being of every single resident in our long-term care homes is the top priority for me and for my ministry And we're working hard to provide that high level of care that assures that safety and that security mr. Speaker and I Have been clear and I'm going to be clear again that non-compliance with the long-term care homes act is Absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated and mr. Speaker That's part of the reason why I introduced legislation just last week to strengthen the fines and the penalties and the measures Available to my ministry and me as minister to ensure that compliance that we expect with the act mr. Speaker immediately if we receive a complaint or hear of a Situation which is unacceptable and conduct an immediate inspection and we act on the results of that inspection immediately mr. Speaker Thank you supplementary Speaker in response to the incident in Ottawa last week the liberal member from Ottawa West Nippian said quote all Ontarians should be able to grow old with dignity in a safe secure and compassionate environment and you know what I agree with that speaker I would agree with that 100% but what we have in Ontario does not come anywhere close to meeting that standard right now Ask any family member of a loved one in care They will tell you about the constant state of worry that they face every single day Wondering what's happening to their parent or grandparent or spouse the conservative sink the issue in long-term care is a few bad apples The Liberals think the issue is Elizabeth wet loffer When will the government finally admit that the chaos in long-term care is ongoing and affects the whole system and Everyone in it Well mr. Speaker again I had the responsibility as does my ministry but ultimately Arrests with me to ensure the safety and security of every resident in long-term care homes in this province It's a responsibility that I take Extremely seriously mr. Speaker I look forward to the debate and I anticipate and hope that the third party will support the increased Compliance measures including fines and penalties the ability to suspend Licenses and other powers so that we can assure that the highest quality of care is being provided in that safety Security exists mr. Speaker, but mr. Speaker I will work with all parties to ensure that we do the absolute utmost to provide that level of care We owe it to those nearly 80,000 Ontarians who call home a long-term care home That is their home. We have the responsibility to take it very seriously Mr.. Speaker Thank you new question the member for Lancaster is on desk van burl and West El Thanks very much mr. Speaker my question is for the minister of community and social services I Know it's a priority of this government to help survivors of human trafficking Heal and rebuild their lives and to prevent human trafficking from occurring in the first place Last year the government created Ontario's first-ever strategy to begin to tackle this horrendous crime This past week I was pleased to learn about the new funding that was rolled out to support community partners Across this province in their efforts to combat human trafficking and support survivors the native women Incorporated Hamilton Wentworth received over seven hundred thousand dollars to support their emergency shelter Transportation needs and culturally respectful care. I was pleased to be able to announce that in Hamilton speaker Speaker could the minister please tell us more about the first and at last week's announcement Mr.. Community social service well Thank You mr. Speaker and to the member for his question for and for his continued advocacy to support survivors of violence in The Hamilton area I was pleased to announce last week that our government will be providing funding through both the Anti-human trafficking community supports fund and the indigenous led in initiatives fund of almost $19 million towards 45 projects aim to provide wraparound services and supports to survivors of human trafficking Mr.. Speaker this is the first time that funding like this has been available on this scale in Ontario or even Anywhere in Canada I'd like to thank everyone in the anti-human trafficking community who have assisted us with Our strategy and with the need to create these funds Partners have told us how important it was for Ontario to move forward on our strategy last week's announcement That's just the latest step Speaker I want to thank the minister for the agreed answer I also want to thank all the service providers that work tirelessly To put an end to this crime and to ensure survivors have the supports that they need And then we can all play a part ending human trafficking is a very important step towards ensuring survivors can live safe safely free from threat fear of Experience or exploitation and violence. We know that service provider speaker law enforcement officers and our government play a great role In making this happen Human trafficking affects some of the most vulnerable people in our society And that is why I am pleased that the government has launched It's 72 million dollar strategy to end human trafficking last year And I'm sure that the additional funding announced last week question through the community supports will help Could the minister please update the house on continued government efforts to support survivors and put an end to this ongoing crime Minister of the status of women The minister of status of women. Thank you, Mr. Speaker I want to thank the member for this important question and for being a strong advocate for his community Speaker human trafficking is a brutal crime that affects the young and vulnerable in our communities It is absolutely unacceptable and it's something I want you to know that we are working hard to fight with our community partners That's why I was so pleased to be along with my colleague as we announced that part of the funding announcement that gives as we announced that We are giving vital assistance to dozens of organizations on the ground who work tirelessly to protect and support survivors Speaker this funding gives support and resources to groups who are dealing with survivors of this heart-wrenching crime But speaker I want you to know that our work to end human trafficking doesn't stop there So here are some of the things we're doing in addition to the anti-human trafficking act that allows for restraining orders and compensation We're also creating a new human trafficking lived experience roundtable. We've also enhanced funding to 47 Service partners through the victim crisis assistance program and expanded the victim with witness Thank you Speaker after 14 years of liberal waste and political scandal Ontario works harder pays more and gets less The Liberal cap and trade scheme is just one example of how they have made life harder for the people of Ontario the Premier Rushed legislation which enables the Liberals to continue doling up billions of our hard-earned dollars to liberal friends That's on top of the billions being sent to California where Ontario businesses are forced to buy carbon credits Speaker it takes my breath away Earlier today. I heard a member opposite Elegantly say get over it But mr. Speaker after 14 years of scandals Wasteful spending and bad policy like their disastrous cap and trade scheme. How can we trust the Premier or her Liberals ever again? Minister of environment climate change to the environment climate change. Well, thank you speaker Thank you to the member opposite for that. I'll tell you what what takes my breath away speaker It's the amazing progress that this government has made in the past 14 years to make sure To make sure speaker that our children have fresh air to breathe Speaker since this government closed the coal plants There hasn't been a smog day in Ontario. There hasn't been the orange haze hanging over the gta That's real progress. Mr. Speaker That's real progress. Mr. Speaker and I can tell you the the foundation of what we're doing in this province is to make The reduction of greenhouse gases Fair and equitable for all businesses across the province I'm still waiting to hear a plan from the other side The member from Perry sound miss coca Thank you, mr. Speaker my question is for the deputy premier after 14 years of liberal waste and political scandals Ontario's work harder pay more and get less Infrastructure to the ring of fire or the lack thereof is just one example This government first promised to develop the ring of fire in 2010 and in the throne speech they they called it quote the most promising mining opportunity in canada in a century closed quote In 2014 they promised $1 billion to build a transportation infrastructure to the ring of fire Since then the premier has made a lot of promises Some excuses but still we've seen no shovels in the ground Northern ontarians are running out of patience with this government. Mr. Speaker after 14 years of waste and scandal and because of the broken promises About developing the ring of fire. How can northern ontarians trust the premier or the liberals ever again? To the the minister of indigenous relations and reconciliation of indigenous relations and reconciliation Thank you very much for that question. Of course the ring of fire does represent a historic opportunity to really affect Member from land art second time Finish please because of that historic opportunity to affect the economic underpinnings of this province That's why this government committed a billion dollars to infrastructure development in the region and we are going to build on that infrastructure development in the In the region just recently. I can tell you that we invested about $785,000 Along with the federal government to enable the webiquay ebemom tong nishkantiga and nabinamik first nations To complete an all season seasonal community service corridor study That's the first step in unlocking the potential of the ring of fire commitment And this is a commitment that the opposition parties should help us with instead of putting roadblocks in the way We are going to open the ring of fire New question The leader of the third party speaker my questions through the deputy premier a few weeks ago I met denise scurronic her brother daniel real Used shoelaces that he wasn't supposed to have To take his own life while admitted to st. Joseph's west fifth site in hamilton Dan was the 11th person to die by suicide while admitted to the west west fifth site in the last 18 months Carol pat nodes daughter nicole just 20 years old died by suicide while released from the hospital on a day pass Families of loved ones who need mental health care should be able to expect that their loved ones will be safe speaker And receive excellent care that gives them every chance at recovery when that doesn't happen and tragedies occur Again and again families deserve answers That's why I together with these families have called for a coroner's inquest Into the deaths of daniel and nicole and all of the others who tragically lost their lives Will the government support this call speaker? Thank you, mr. Speaker, and I do appreciate the question mr. Speaker No family should have to endure the pain of a Loved one a family member a friend or a colleague Whose life ends in suicide and mr. Speaker it is You know and let me I think on behalf of everyone in the legislature as well, and I know the leader of the third party Has done this To express my deepest sympathies to the families of all 11 individuals who over this period of 18 months Regrettably and unfortunately lost their lives In this way Mr. Speaker in response to the third party's call for a coroner's inquest It's important to know that the corner and the corner alone Has and retains that right to decide upon and begin an inquest It's entirely at his discretion. Mr. Speaker The it's important And I think we would all agree that the office of the corner operate at arm's length from the ministry and the government And that's why we leave the discretion with the corner himself Thank you supplementary well speaker I sincerely hope that a coroner's inquest will come to pass and that it will also focus on the resources that frontline staff need And the funding that our hospitals require We know that mental health care workers in hamilton All health care workers in hamilton and across the province are doing the best they can But they're not being given the resources that they need hospitals have faced budget cuts layoffs and bed closures and communities desperate for better care Including my city of hamilton after years of cuts saint joseph's Health care hamilton is facing another seven million dollars in cuts Thanks to the current government while hamilton hamilton health sciences is facing another 20 million dollars in cuts this year speaker Will the government support the family's call for the corner to consider these factors in any Of any inquest that actually happens Well mr. Speaker unlike the leader of the third party i'm not going to Pre judge or pre assume what any potential investigation or inquest might find in terms of relationship to these 11 unfortunate suicides mr. Speaker back in 2015 I Personally asked the ontario hospital association what more we could do to prevent suicides Inner hospitals and i asked the oha if it would create Task force of experts and individuals with lived experience to develop recommendations for preventing Deaths by suicide by patients and clients under hospital care And we recently received the report of recommendations from the suicide prevention task force In fact these recommendations have now only recently in past weeks being shared with all oha all hospital members To all hospitals across the province And I believe that this will be one step but one important step So we can all come together to make sure that we're doing what is required to prevent these tragedies from taking place in the Thank you new question Yes, thank you. Mr. Speaker Do the minister of seniors affair Seniors affairs are particularly important in my own riding of itobicoke north as we have a very healthy vibrant and growing contingent of seniors And as you may know speaker yesterday october 1st mark national seniors day in canada It was also the united nations international day of older persons The ontario seniors community speaker is over 2 million strong and will more than double in the next 25 years And for the first time in ontario in ontario there are more seniors over the age of 65 Then folks under the age of 15 And as you will know speakers seniors have played an important role in building up the communities of this province And have achieved so much and contributed so greatly to a diverse and prosperous ontario Speaker my question is this will the minister of seniors affairs Please inform the house about what the government is doing to support our seniors and communities across the province of ontario Thank you, mr. Speaker and merci beaucoup la question. Thank you for the question. I also want to join in Celebrating and congratulating on the occasion of national seniors day and international seniors day which was yesterday in fact I was joined by the member from trinity spadina Yesterday as we celebrated national seniors day and international seniors day at the waterfront Our government is fully committed to helping seniors age well to be safe and live active independent lives and comfort and dignity That is why we continue to invest in numerous programs to better support our seniors and I look forward to speaking more about it in the supplementary Thank you speaker and thank you minister for your Stewardship of this file the seniors community grant program is one that is particularly popular among my own community groups in itobicoke north These groups are integral parts of communities and work to provide seniors with space to share and learn And prosper and opportunities to enjoy new and exciting experiences when the seniors community grant was developed in 2014 it opened doors for many of these groups to expand their programs and offer unique Experiences to ontario seniors across the province and I know the minister was recently in escargo to make an Related announcement and would you please inform this house about the next round of seniors community grants? Thank you minister Thank you speaker and I again want to thank the member from itobicoke north for the very important question As he mentioned the seniors community community grant program is an integral part Of the services we provide our seniors and it has so far mr. Speaker Supported more than 1300 initiatives benefiting almost 440,000 seniors across the province and last monday I joined with habitat for humanity in scarborough To announce the opening of applications for the next round of grant funding in addition to the grants which have been awarded in the past We have created a new dedicated Stream this year for larger scale initiatives Under this new grand stream Organizations could be eligible to receive up to 100,000 for projects that are regional or provincial in scope Applications are now open until the end of november. Thank you. Mr. Speaker Minister health long-term care. Thank you, mr. Speaker Members of provincial parliament are invited to join me. We're going to with our courageous iraqi parliamentarians We're going to have our photo taken on the grand staircase in just a few minutes after question period and everybody is welcome to join us Thank you very much, mr. Speaker. I just like to welcome my guests ron and surely levine from the great riding of water loom Thank you, speaker and on behalf of the liberal caucus we wish to offer our congratulations to the member from garly Bradley gar moulton jamey sing on his on his leadership win They're being noted for votes. This house stands recess until 1 p.m. This afternoon