 It is now time for question period. I recognize the leader of the official opposition. Thank you, Speaker. Member for Timmons will come to order. I recognize the leader of the official opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to whoever on the other side wants to answer it. School boards are facing... I apologize to the leader of the opposition for interrupting her. Start the clock. The question is to the Premier Speaker. School boards are facing overwhelming challenges this year as a result of cuts imposed by the Ford government. They're being forced to fire teachers, lay off education workers and courses on everything from hands-on technical learning to arts education are being eliminated. The Premier finally backed down on his plans to impose retroactive cuts to municipalities this year and agreed to hold the consultations he should have been holding in the first place. Will he now agree to do the same thing with school boards? I recognize the acting Premier. Thank you very much. Well, I want to begin by reminding the people of Ontario that the previous government was spending $40 million a day more than they took in. And we have developed a budget that was passed yesterday that puts us on a path to balance. It's a five-year path to balance, but, Speaker, it protects what matters most. It protects our health care and it protects our education. In fact, we're adding $1.4 billion over the next three years in the education budget. $700 million increase in education budget this year. $1 billion to create 30,000 childcare spaces. In fact, 10,000 of them will be in schools. Speaker, these are the kinds of things that we have passed in our budget yesterday, increasing the education budget that the NDP voted against yesterday. They voted against the $700 million increase into the education budget. Well, Speaker, what we did was vote for the people of Ontario by voting against that terrible vote. But look, once again, the Premier and apparently his finance minister didn't do their homework, and our kids are the ones who get punished for that. Yesterday, the Toronto District School Board started issuing bumping notices as more teachers are displaced due to government cuts. The Halton Board has heard from 7,000 parents who reject the government's cuts to class sizes and mandatory e-learning. I'm sure if they were here, they would have voted against the budget, too. They're calling for consultation before these cuts are rolled out. Will the Premier provide it? Minister of Education. Minister of Education. Thank you, Chairman. It's an honour to serve in the role of education as Minister, and I have to share with you that since we've been in this position almost a year now, we've come to realise that there's a lot of waste throughout Ontario that needs to be addressed. And when we conducted our consultation this past fall, teachers, parents, community-minded people and students alike pointed their fingers when we were talking about efficiencies. They pointed their fingers towards school boards saying there is a lot of opportunity for school boards to look from within and see and identify ways that they could realise efficiencies. And so that's what we're asking school boards across this province to do. You know, while we're increasing our budget contribution to education to the tune of $700 million, $90 million of which is going to special education, we're increasing funding for student transportation, the list could just go on and on. We're asking school boards to find... Thank you. Final supplementary. Well, Speaker, it's pretty disappointing for the children and the parents of this province to see an education minister that refuses to acknowledge the devastation that our cuts are going to cause. Consequences are for our kids and their futures and they are devastating consequences. They mean, of course, fired teachers, larger class sizes, fewer course options and more cuts in the classroom. The Premier finally admitted, as I said, that it was wrong to cut public health, wrong to cut childcare, wrong to cut emergency services this year. Why is he so unwilling to consider taking some time before imposing these reckless cuts that will have lasting impacts on our students in our schools? I completely reject the fear-mongering that continues to come from the leader of the opposition. The fact of the matter is, we know there is opportunities for school boards to sharpen their pencils and in no way should students suffer because of mismanagement. You know, we have school boards throughout Ontario that are working with us. They're saving one to four cents on the dollar from within so they're not impacting the classroom. But unfortunately, we have other school boards that seemingly the members of the opposition are propping up to add to the cause of anxiety throughout this province. They're propping them up and saying, you know what, it's okay that you've been unaccountable and you've mismanaged or carried a deficit for the last four or five years. That's okay because that's their mentality. But, Speaker, we were elected with a mandate to get Ontario back on track and we invite the school boards across this province to work with us to reduce wasteful spending from within and make sure we have a good learning environment. Thank you. Well, Speaker, my next question is to the Premier. I have to say that Minister of Education doesn't even understand that school boards can't run deficits. That's pretty worrisome. But I do want to say before I bring my question forward that, of course, we have a very important game today which is the Raptors game and I think everybody in this legislature is excited about that. Maybe we'll change the tone a little bit here. I just want to say that it's really great to see so many cities that are getting involved as well, so many communities. I hope people are safe out there. I hope some people behave well and are safe and wish the police forces all the very best in their efforts to keep everybody safe and well. So on that note, my next question, again, as I said, is to the Premier. The Premier's claims that families won't be facing health care cuts is looking less and less credible by the day. Among the $2.7 billion in cuts found by Ontario's Independent Financial Accountability Office was actually a $22 million cut to cancer screening. A $22 million cut to cancer screening. Sorry to interrupt the clock. The member for King Bond is warned. Start the clock. Leader of the official opposition. Take the opportunity to say that again, then, Speaker. It was a $22 million cut to cancer screening, a reduction of nearly 20%. Can the Premier explain the rationale for eliminating one-fifth of Ontario's budget for cancer screening? The acting Premier. Speaker, thank you for the question. I need to continue to remind this legislature about the many investments that we are making. We're starting already with an increase in the health budget of $1.3 billion this year alone. The budget that this NDP opposition voted against. We are adding $384 million to hospitals. $267 million to home care. $1.75 billion to create 15,000 new long-term care beds, many of which are already in the ground, started in the ground today. $90 million. I've said this many days now. I cannot believe the NDP voted against this. $90 million against providing free dental care to 100,000 low-income seniors. How dare you? How dare you vote against those seniors? It seems appropriate to remind the members we have a large number of guests who are with us today in the House to observe our proceedings. And we have to think about what standard we hope to set today and how impressed they'll be when they leave. And I would ask all members to think about that. Start the clock. The Leader of the Opposition, I believe, had the floor. Thank you, Speaker. I have to say what I can't believe is that this Minister is still trying to spin the budget. The fact of the matter is the Financial Accountability Officer is independent and he has identified $2.7 billion in cuts to the health care system. But I got it absolutely vital for the detection of cancer. It can literally save lives. Of all the Premier's cut first plan later budget decisions, this may have the most serious consequences for people. Will the Ford government reverse this cut before Ontarians' lives are literally put at risk? Thank you, Premier. Minister of Labour. Leader of the Opposition, what message is she not hearing from this government? We have increased spending in health care for this year to totaling $63.5 million. The Member for Waterloo is warned. The Minister of Labour had the floor. We have increased spending in health care by totaling $63.5 billion. We have made investments in low-income seniors dental. $384 million in hospital operational funding. $27 billion over 10 years for hospital infrastructure spending. $174 million for mental health and addiction services. $267 million increase in home and community care. 15,000 more long-term care beds over half of which have been announced. 15,000 more long-term care beds. Mr. Speaker, I don't know why the opposition... Thank you. The Member for Carlton will come to order. The Solicitor General has to come to order. The Member for Hamilton East Stony Creek has to come to order. Start the clock. The Leader of the Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. Well, it wasn't so long ago that conservatives supported independent officers of the legislature like the Financial Accountability Officer, but now they expect us to ignore the experts. Well, we're not going to do that, Speaker. Nobody believes this government anymore, and we certainly are seeing the evidence from the FAO to back up what people know, which is the budget spin is not the case and that, in fact, these cuts are going to hurt families very, very deeply. The evidence is clear. Cuts to cancer screening, cuts to public health, cuts to hospital funding, a total of $2.7 billion in cuts to the health care budget, and a return to the Mike Harris era of closing hospitals, closing hospital beds, and firing nurses. Why won't the government admit that these cuts have consequences for families and consequences for our health care system? The question has been referred to the Minister of Labor. Well, Mr. Speaker, I will again reiterate some of the many, many investments we've made in health care, like $327 billion over 10 years for hospital infrastructure spending. $267 million increase in home and community care. Long-term care beds investments, over 7,000 of those already announced to the 15,000 promised, redeveloping 15,000 long-term care beds. Mr. Speaker, the government has seen what the Liberals and the NDP have done to health care, and that is like 1,000 people waiting for health care in the hallways of the hospitals that we have now. Back logs of 30,000 people waiting for long-term care beds. That's what you did when you supported that liberal government. Start the clock. The next question. The Leader of the Opposition. This question is also to the Premier, but I have to say, I don't know how a $2.7 billion cut in health care is going to solve hallway medicine, Speaker. It's not. It's going to get much, much worse with this government. But as we speak here today, there's another issue that's very concerning in our province, Speaker. The people of Pecancha Confers Nation are facing serious threats from a forest fire. A state of emergency has been declared. Yesterday, I spoke with Chief Amanda Senawap about the need for more planes to be assigned to help get people out of her community. Can the Premier tell us what help the province of Ontario is prepared to provide to the community? I recognize the acting Premier. Minister of Indigenous Affairs. Thank you. I appreciate the honourable member's question. I can assure her that fire crews and fire aircraft started fighting this fire yesterday at 1.30 this morning. It's been a very late night and a very early morning, Mr. Speaker, as the Joint Response Coordination Centre, including the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre, together with the Department of National Defence have mobilized fixed-wing aircraft from Ontario and Hercules from the Department of National Defence. As we speak, people are being evacuated, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to appreciate the late-night texts between myself, the member of Provincial Parliament from Kiwetnam. We've coordinated our efforts with Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler and Chief Amanda Senawap. A tremendous leader here. The community is under siege and the province of Ontario has mobilized all of its resources and has spoken to the Chief yesterday and expressed to me her concern that smoke from the approaching fire may soon hinder visibility of aircraft to land. This is a community that, of course, is still reeling from a youth suicide crisis that just lost another young person to suicide on Tuesday night. It is clearly a time where every bit of health matters. It's our understanding that evacuation is very slow because there's only 80 to 100 people that could fit on every plane that's doing evacuation. So we need more planes there to get more people evacuated more quickly. I appreciate the minister's response and the government's actions thus far. But I guess what I'm asking for is a commitment to ensure that we unconditionally provide all the help that's needed to support the people of Pocantia come and get them out of harm's way. Thank you. I again recognize the minister of Indigenous Affairs to reply. Well, Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious matter and I can assure the member that all assets with respect to aircraft have been mobilized. What we're trying to do now in my most recent conversation with Chief Amanda Sanawak, community leaders across northwestern Ontario is to identify towns and cities in northwestern Ontario that can be either hubs or destination cities. Pocantia has close ties to Dryden, Canora. We appreciate the folks in Cappascasing for their efforts. They're very good at this, but it's 860 kilometres away from Pocantia come. Timmins, another host city, is some 920 kilometres away, Mr. Speaker. I've spoken to mayors from across northwestern Ontario, hotel operators that I have close ties with and we're mobilizing quickly to ensure that these folks have a safe, comfortable place to be while we deal with this emergency. In the community itself, Mr. Speaker, the Ministry of Natural Resources has planes coming in and out of there to deliver fire crews as the community may be at risk, Mr. Speaker. That means soaking down buildings but as well moving people out. We have every plane possible helping Pocantia come at this time and I appreciate everybody's support in this place at this time for those efforts. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Economic Development and the Government House Leader. Mr. Speaker, 15 years of Liberal Governance in Ontario brought reckless spending that has buried our province in debt. Now, Mr. Speaker, I know you're happy to appreciate that the days of abusing taxpayers' dollars are over in the province of Ontario. Ontario voters demanded value for their money when they headed to the polls last year. Speaker, voters across our province elected a PC government knowing that a change in our leadership at Queen's Park would deliver greater transparency and accountability to Ontarians. Since taking office, this government has taken a proactive measures to stand up for Ontarians. Speaker, we have done so much and I'm wondering if the Minister could remind this House of the steps our government has taken to support the hard-working people across our great province. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the member from Markham-Stolville for the question this morning. I also want to thank him for the outstanding work that he's doing in representing the constituents in his rioting and also assisting our Minister of Energy in ensuring we're cleaning up the liberal hydro mess and the great work he's doing as a parliamentary assistant there. Speaker, we were elected on a promise to make life more affordable for the people of Ontario and that's exactly what we're doing and that's exactly why we're continuing to fight Justin Trudeau's reckless, dangerous, expensive carbon tax that he's imposing on provinces across the territory. You know, this is something that is being supported by our counterparts right across the country. Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak with many of them at the inter-provincial trade meetings in Halifax and we talked about what an egregious tax this is, what a job-killing tax this is. That's why we're standing up tall for our farmers, we're standing up for our small business people, our large manufacturers, our commuters, in Ontario, Mr. Speaker, we're doing everything that we can. No taxes, no fee increases under this government, Mr. Speaker. The supplementary question. Well, I want to thank the Minister of Minister. All that we've accomplished in one year for most governments would have been enough. They would have packed it up and moved on. In fact, we've accomplished more in one year than the Liberals did in 15 years. Now, the Liberal accomplishments, of course, Liberal accomplishments are lean, but what they accomplished was raising debt, raising taxes for the people of Ontario, making life harder for the people of Ontario in over 15 years. They set a record. They set a new high bar in how to spend people's money and accomplish nothing. Mr. Speaker, we've done just the opposite. We put more money back in people's pockets. We've put ourselves on a path to a balanced budget. We're protecting what matters most to the people of Ontario because a strong Ontario is a strong Canada. I'm wondering if the Minister could continue to highlight some of the things that we've accomplished over the last year. Minister. Well, thanks very much to the member again from Markham Stovell. You know, he's right. We have accomplished a lot. The Liberals accomplished a lot too, Mr. Speaker. They doubled our debt in Ontario, making Ontario the most indebted jurisdiction in North America, the sub-sovereign jurisdiction around the world, Mr. Speaker. $340 billion in debt. It's unbelievable the mess that they've made. We're working hard to clean that up, Mr. Speaker. We're working hard to ensure that Ontario is a destination where foreign direct investment wants to come and set up and create jobs. We're making sure that our job creators who are already here can create more jobs, Mr. Speaker. By reducing red tape, and we've taken many, many steps in reducing red tape through Bill 47, the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, restoring Ontario's competitiveness act. Other red tape bills are coming, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that we can make Ontario the most competitive place in North America on the globe, Mr. Speaker, to do business. That's what we're focusing on while at the same time ensuring that we're not raising taxes or fees. Thank you. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Essos. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the acting Premier. Since coming to office, the Premier has incurred millions in legal fees and settlements on everything from Hydra One to Alican Velshi's contract with the OPG, even to Tesla's electric cars. Speaker, legal experts are now calling the Premier's plan to rip open the contract with the beer store, quote, a public policy gaff of epic proportions. Speaker, can the acting Premier tell us how much of the taxpayers' dollars he's budgeted for legal fees and eventual settlements? Order. The acting Premier to reply. Thank you very much. Appreciate the question. Speaker, this is not just about beer and wine. It's not just about bringing choice and convenience. But it's about creating fairness for the people of Ontario. Now, it's interesting to know, and I'm quite sure most people in the gallery would not know this, but the Government of Ontario does not own the beer store. Yes, we own LCBO, but we do not own the beer store. It is owned by three global beer multinationals, not the people of Ontario. And so we have retained a special advisor who told us that it was a bad deal for Ontarians that this contract stifles competition. It keeps prices artificially high, and it prevents new craft beer entrepreneurs from getting a strong foothold in the market. So the previous government put multinational profits ahead of people, and we'll make good on our promise. The Member for Essex. It's obvious that protecting what matters most isn't taxpayers' dollars in the province of Ontario under this government. For a guy who claims to support unbridled capitalism, the Premier seems to really enjoy meddling in the economy, whether it's millions of dollars spent in our electricity sector or his plan to mandate businesses to display partisan ads and pay a $10,000 a day fine. The Premier seems to have a gift of landing his government in court. Speaker, unfortunately it's Ontarians who are going to pay the price. Will the Finance Minister tell us today how much he's budgeted of the people's dollars for legal fees and eventual settlements? Yeah, I continue. Minister of Energy? It's part of the Minister of Energy, part of development in mind. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We're obviously concerned of public opinion, Mr. Speaker, and the people of Ontario have a right to know, in Windsor Essex alone, the two hospitals down there are going to incur costs of $800,000 because of this job-killing regressive carbon tax that that member supports, Mr. Speaker. In 2019 alone, the automotive sector in Windsor Essex is going to incur $1.5 million because of the job killing regressive carbon tax, Mr. Speaker. Sorry to interrupt. Member for Essex is warned. I apologize to the Minister for Interrupting him. Member Opposite talks about stickers, Mr. Speaker. We're talking about sticking it. How he and that party, Mr. Speaker, have stuck it to the people of Ontario for a significant cost that we need not incur to fight, Mr. Speaker, our environment. We can lower GHG emissions with an Ontario-made plan, Mr. Speaker, adding on a job-killing regressive carbon tax. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Halfway through question period, and I think it's important to remind the members that our practice has been in recent months that if you're warned, and if the Speaker has to call you to order again, you may very well be named. Start the clock. The next question is the member for Ottawa South. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the acting Premier. Last week I joined parents and grandparents of children with autism in the beginning of Ottawa South. And here are some of the concerns that they expressed. The new OAP needs to be needs-based. The age cap and categorization of children are barriers to care. There is no transparency around the expert panel, and it's late. We also know the government secretly froze the wait list last fall. And now we know Order. And now we know that no new families have been able to register for the program. Since April 1st there has been no... The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services must come to order. So my question for the acting Premier is does the acting Premier believe that this is acceptable? The question is to the acting Premier. Minister of Community Children, Community and Social Services. Questions referred to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. The funniest messages that I just heard. First, 500 children have received their childhood family budget letters this week. So we started to remove kids off the wait list as of April 1st, just as I promised. Speaker, I want to address the fact that the wait list was frozen and that's completely untrue. In fact the system was broke and broken. That's why I had to go to Treasury Board to sustain the children that were on the plan for an extra 102 million dollars. Thanks to the Treasury Board President, thanks to the Finance Minister and thanks to the Premier of Ontario. But I also think the autism advisory panel is secret. I'd invite the member to check Twitter right now because the names of those that are on the list have just been released. I'd like to thank the Minister. I'd like to remind the Minister of their parents that are here every day and you're not just responding to me, you're responding to them. And the intake is not open and you know that. And I'm glad you've announced the expert panel, but there was no transparent. I'm going to interrupt the member. You've got to make your comments through the chair. There's been no transparency around it, Mr Speaker. And we know that you're doing 500 letters a month, which means many families are going to wait years for care. So you've done 500 letters, but you know the list is bigger. So this week the Premier said in an interview, people who were raising concerns were raising concerns had their hands in the public trough. So let's look at the Premier's record. First of all, he's made OHIP plus, OHIP minus. I'm going to ask the member to withdraw. Withdraw is on parliamentary... I withdraw. In conclusion, your question. Thank you very much. So let's look at the government's record on children so far. They've made OHIP plus, OHIP minus. Half the increase for social assistance, fired the child advocate, put these families through help. Cut the funding for Children's Aid Society, and the list goes on and on and on, and every day we learn something new. So has this government declared war on children, and Mr Speaker, through you, does the Ministers think that opposing these things is having your hand in the public trough? Sorry. I'm going to ask the member to withdraw. I withdraw. The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services to reply. The Minister of Children, this past month, are now off the wait list. That was our priority on April 1st. We are delivering on that commitment. We believe every single child with autism in the province of Ontario should get a level of support from their Ontario government to languish on a wait list. A system that was broken, that required an additional ejection of $102 million just to keep 8,000 children in service. No one has lost service. 500 more children have gained service. There's over 26,000 people following me, and they would know and he should know that Dr. Maria Boutriani, the former Minister of Children and Youth under Dalton McGuinty, is co-chairing my panel. Member for Ottawa South has to come door. The next question, the Member for Eglinton Lawrence. Community and Social Services. Our government inherited a broken, broke, inequitable and unsustainable Ontario autism program that left 75% of the precious children waiting for services languishing on a wait list indefinitely. I was pleased when the Minister took action earlier this year to introduce a new plan that would clear that liberal wait list and ensure every child with autism would receive support. These were important steps but the Minister has also promised that this government will do more. And over the past month our government has been engaging with parents, family members and service providers to help inform how we can best provide additional enhancements to support children and youth with autism who have complex needs. Speaker, can the Minister update the legislature on the progress of our government's consultations? The questions to the Minister of Children Community and Social Services. Thank you very much, I appreciate the opportunity to respond to the Member for Eglinton Lawrence. I'd like to thank you for all of the work and the advocacy you have provided. The majority has always been to eliminate the wait list that 23,000 children three out of four children in Ontario with autism that we inherited. The government has engaged in public consultations through an online survey in six telephone town halls. I'm pleased to report over 2300 Ontarians participated and completed the survey and over 1,250 Ontarians participated in our telephone town halls. I'd also like to thank members of this Assembly including the Green Party leader, the NDP Member for Kitchener Waterloo and as well as many members including the Minister of Transportation who have held roundtables in their constituencies who are taking that feedback and I'm pleased to announce today that we are releasing the Autism Advisory Panel who will be co-chaired by the Liberal Minister of Children Youth from 2003-2006 Marie Boutriani and the Executive Director of Autism Ontario, Mark Spolstra and many more who I'm excited to tell you about. Thank you very much. A supplementary question. Through you, Speaker, and thank you for that response and for her relentless work since day one to ensure that every child with autism receives support from the Ontario Government as they deserve. I am glad to hear that so many Ontarians have participated in our Government's consultation on this important issue. I will continue to encourage families in my riding of Eglinton Lawrence to participate, to help inform additional enhancements to the Ontario Autism Program. Speaker, can the Minister please elaborate on how these consultations and the new advisory panel will ensure that Ontario has a program where children with autism who have complex needs receive appropriate support. Minister. Very excited. As we know our initial commitment was the $321 million program which was an enhancement of $56 million from the previous Liberal Administration. In fact, what we did after April 1st is Premier Ford decided he would unlock an additional $300 million. So we will be working towards a more need-exposed route. We will co-chair this extremely talented group of people including the Ontario Autism Coalition including on TABA including Autistics for Autistics other clinical experts from across the province as well as parent advocates and they will feed all of that information that we have heard to see how we can best address this system in the province of Ontario with the most expensive system this province has ever come forward with with over $600 million dedicated to our children with autism in this province. I can provide a sustainable program unlike what we were inherited. Thank you. The next question is a member for Humber River Black Creek. Thank you Speaker. My question is for the Premier. The Toronto Raptors are heading to their first ever and they are all excited. Kauai, Canada loves you. Stay with us. It's going to be maple syrup for life. You know it's sweet. But watching the game at the Scotiabank arena is just out of reach for too many fans. Game 1 Raptors ticket sold out within half an hour thanks to a feeding frenzy by scalpers forcing Raptors fans to pay $2,000 for the average seat. Even standing room on the balcony for over $1,000. One of the first things this government did was side with scalpers and rip up protections that would have capped ticket resales at 50% of their original values, shame. Why does this Premier believe Raptors fans should be gouged like this? This question has been placed to the Premier. Minister of Economic Development heard from the Minister of Economic Development. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I'm going to tell you over here on this side of the house we are extremely excited about tonight's Game 1 of the NBA Finals and I'll tell you Mr. Speaker that's why the PC government is fully behind the Toronto Raptors. The NDP could bring anything grinding to a halt with negativity Mr. Speaker even something as exciting as this Mr. Speaker. But what we've done is we saw the previous liberal legislation that was completely unenforceable. There's absolutely no way that we were going to be able to enforce this and what it actually was doing Mr. Speaker was driving more people to the black market. So we've taken some steps Mr. Speaker increasing penalties to discourage black market ticket sales cracking down on illegal ticket bots making ticket sellers provide clear and easy to understand information about ticket availabilities getting rid of the printed home fees Mr. Speaker we're doing everything we can to support Ontarians and the Toronto Raptors Mr. Speaker The member for Nag, sorry St. Catharines has to come to order the member for Windsor West has to come to order the member for Hamilton East, Stony Creek has to come to order Yes. Start the clock. Supplementary question. Last year the Toronto Star and CBC revealed that Ticketmaster who monopolizes the sale of Raptors tickets were double dipping and secretly helping scalpers online and rather than stand up for sports fans the minister of government and consumer services is siding with scalpers he saw no problem with tickets being resold for $60,000 $60,000 no everyday family can afford that. When it comes to ticket sales here there's no transparency and the only real choice fans is to get ripped off by ticket sellers that's the only choice fans have here Will the premier direct his minister to reverse course and start protecting fans standing up for sports fans in this problem Members please take their seats Minister to reply Mr. Speaker while the NDP and the Liberals are focused on playing politics with ticket prices we're celebrating the fact that for the first time in their 24 year history the Toronto Raptors are in the NBA finals Mr. Speaker it's a great time and as you can imagine the arena holds 60,000 fans like in the early days at the Rogers Centre or at the Skydome Stop the clock this is the Parliament of Ontario it's not a basketball game we're not spectators at a basketball game start the clock Minister to reply by Canada's NBA franchise people in this city are ecstatic they're going to be down at Jurassic Park formerly known as Maple Leaf Square and spread all the way over to the Skydome tens of thousands of fans are going to be packing bars and restaurants not just in Toronto Mr. Speaker the Raptors have swept the country I was just in Halifax representatives from across the country are excited I know Jurassic Park East is going to be in Pickering Mr. Speaker this is an exciting time Thank you The member for Hamilton East Tony Creek is Warren The next question Mr. Speaker my question is to the Minister of Finance on June 7, 2018 our government received a mandate to lower taxes to grow the economy to balance our budget all while protecting the social services our families depend on under the leadership of our Premier we are acting decisively to restore confidence in the markets hope in our workers that Ontario's best days remain ahead under our plan Ontario is leading the nation and economic growth protecting the most immigrants of this pluralistic province we lead the nation in jobs growth 170,000 full-time overwhelmingly full-time private sector jobs in the province of Ontario Mr. Speaker we're just getting started we unveiled a responsible plan budget 2019 that places Ontario on a prudent plan to balance while returning thousands of dollars back to the pockets of families of seniors and our young people to the Minister our plan for jobs and growth is instilling confidence in investors at home and abroad questions placed to the Minister of Finance thank you Speaker and thank you to the member from King Vaughn yesterday Fitch announced that they are moving Ontario's outlook from negative as it was under the Liberals to stable as a result of the responsible path that we have put the province on Speaker during a recent meeting with Fitch we explained our five-year path to balance our debt reduction strategy and the initiatives we have already taken to control runaway spending we told them how our government is creating a climate that is open for business open for jobs by lowering taxes providing more focused training programs eliminating unnecessary regulations and red tape this is great news from Fitch and it's a result of our government taking a responsible approach to balancing the budget while protecting what matters most speaker our world-class healthcare and our education system thank you Speaker and thank you back to the Minister yesterday as the Minister noted Fitch accrediting agency announced that we are moving Ontario's outlook from negative as it was under the Liberals to stable as a result of the responsible path we have put our province on this government is taking immediate action to unshackle this province from the constraints imposed on them by the former provincial and current federal Liberal governments yet the Liberals are content increasing deficits and imposing higher debt levels on our children debt that leads to service cuts or tax hikes debt that crowds out future government's abilities to invest in a sustainable health and education system the Liberals have demonstrated no fiscal restraint no value for money no plan to make life affordable speaker no way can these Liberals return further erode the social services of our children that's why from day one we've taken action to unleash the potential of our province and our people Minister could you outline further evidence that our plan is working from quitting jobs to attracting investment and signaling to the world about Ontario's renewed economic momentum thank you Speaker this news from Fitch came just two days after DBRS rating agency confirmed the province's rating as well as stable DBRS stated that quote the ratings are supported by the province's diverse and growing economy effective debt and liquidity management practices as well as the improving direction of fiscal policy they further added quote the change in fiscal policy is clearly positive from a credit perspective and there appears to be a genuine and credible commitment to addressing the province's budget imbalances and gradually reduce the debt burden speaker our plan is working and the world is taking notice the business community in Ontario created 170,000 jobs in the last year for the first time in 15 years businesses once again have confidence as Ontario as a place to invest grow and create great jobs thank you the next question for Brampton centre my question is for the premier this week is victims and survivors of crime week a chance for us to work with victims and survivors to have their voices heard in our criminal justice system sadly this government doesn't believe victims of crime deserve support maybe that's why they're cutting millions of dollars that would have gone towards compensating victims of violent crime speaker money that covers things like their physical therapy and their loss of income does the premier believe that cutting compensation is a just outcome for victims and survivors of heinous acts of crime referred to the attorney general thank you Mr. Speaker well the NDP has just voted against a budget that will increase support for victims of crime from 25,000 to 30,000 dollars a year Mr. Speaker under the old system Mr. Speaker in terms of crime we're waiting one, two, up to three years to get the compensation that they need in the aftermath of a crime and so our government took action to make sure that we can make ensure that victims of crime are getting the compensation that they need in a faster, more efficient way that is why we're switching from an adjudicative model to an administrative model that means that a victim will no longer have to appear before an adjudicator to decide on how much compensation will be paid that they will be able to submit their paperwork and receipts to the ministry who will issue a simple receipt Mr. Speaker our government is committed to ensuring that victims get the support that they need in a more timely, efficient way and we will continue to do that Supplementary question to the premier unfortunately that's not what we're hearing from advocates across this province who are concerned about this government's cuts and the new funding compensation model Toronto Stars reported that a victim of human trafficking was previously awarded the maximum amount of $25,000 entirely for pain and suffering she planned to use this money to get her life back on track, go to school and support her two children but with these new cuts survivors like her will not be able to get the much needed support that they deserve why is the premier making it harder for victims and survivors of crime to access the supports and services they need for a speedy recovery to ensure that our government is meeting the needs of victims of crime and the member opposite is highlighting some of the growing needs that victims of crime are facing victims of human trafficking require great support and to address those growing needs the ministry of the attorney general is overseeing a cross ministerial review of all the supports that the provincial government provides to victims to make sure that victims are not simply an afterthought that we are not providing programs when we understand that new problems arise that we are thinking thoughtfully and providing meaningful supports to victims regardless of the crime Mr. Speaker this will ensure that victims programs in Ontario are victims focused that they are sustainable and that they are designed to meet as I said the growing pressures on the sector Mr. Speaker the previous government failed victims and made unfunded promises our victims support system Mr. Speaker will be sustainable it will be victims and it will ensure that those who need help get the support that they need Mr. Speaker my question is for the Magnanimous Minister of Energy Northern Development in Mines for over 90 years the Ontario Mining Association has done remarkable work it's helped our province improve the mining sector and it's helped ensure it's sustainable for generations to come it's a major job creator in the north and for suppliers throughout Ontario like BroTech the premier was at recently it's also the largest private sector employer of indigenous peoples in Ontario this is a fantastic success story for this province and it's one our government tends to build upon the minister spent yesterday morning with the Ontario Mining Association will the minister please elaborate on our government's firm commitment to making the mining industry open for business Mr. Speaker I would like to thank Mr. Speaker for the number for Barry Springwater or Medante or Deputy Downey as we fondly refer to him Mr. Speaker for his important work in this place and for his constituents he's right I spoke to the Ontario Mining Association at their AGM Mr. Speaker the future is looking a lot brighter they like the way that we sharpen the focus of the Northern Ontario internship program particularly with respect to indigenous youth Mr. Speaker leveling the playing field training Mr. Speaker to work in the energy sector to work in the mining sector Mr. Speaker the two go hand in hand as we work closely with mines across Northern Ontario to push them across the starting line Mr. Speaker and it's transforming some of our towns White River is on the move Mr. Speaker thanks to some last minute interventions by this government so that they could begin extraction activities Greenstone Gold is moving on to the next step and I leave to construct on the horizons Mr. Speaker and Newmont Gold Corp's board and mine Mr. Speaker is set to revolutionize and be electrified in the new look of the mining sector thank you very much the supplementary question thank you Mr. Speaker Ontario is lucky to have a government and a minister that is taking action to make our province more competitive we eliminated the job killing cap and trade carbon tax we repealed the costly green energy act but especially in the mining sector mining is an electricity intense industry that requires delivery of large quantities of power I'm confident our minister is keeping the best interest of the mining sector in mind when making key energy decisions would the minister please tell the members of this house more about how he is leveraging his role as minister responsible for the energy file to support Ontario's mining industry Minister well Mr. Speaker there was a low point in the discussions around the industrial conservation initiative during the decade of darkness from the previous government Mr. Speaker two significant problems cost and cost uncertainty Mr. Speaker and frankly as I as I proceed with our consultations across this province and sectors we hear it over and over and over again Mr. Speaker high costs and unpredictable costs uncertain costs Mr. Speaker we're working to change that for the mining sector Mr. Speaker I mentioned the board mine and chapeau Mr. Speaker as it goes completely electrified we've got new mines coming on board that need new more affordable options for energy Mr. Speaker and everything is on the table as we proceed with our consultations Mr. Speaker to make sure that northern towns have operating northern mines because a strong northern Ontario is a strong Ontario Mr. Speaker next question the member for Kingston on the island thank you very much Speaker and through you to the Premier the Conservative government has given us another example of its reckless cutting to incredibly valuable programs this time they have cut at least nine programs aimed at stopping invasive species in Ontario they've cut they've made cuts to the Ontario Invasive Species Council a group that combats the advance of plant species that harm land values and a whole lot more in my riding of Kingston and all islands and all across Ontario we are fighting poison parsnip which can cause skin and eye irritation burns and blistering the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters said it was blindsided by these cuts Speaker can this government explain why it does not care about the harm that invasive species do to landowners, farmers gardeners and nature lovers Speaker Mr. Speaker referred to the Minister of Infrastructure well thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank you for that question for you Mr. Speaker I'm sure the member opposite is well aware of the fiscal hole that we were left by by your party quite frankly and by the Liberals a $15 billion deficit we've had to review every line when it comes to spending throughout government but Mr. Speaker we recognize as a government the importance of preventing responding to and removing invasive species in our province I want to highlight an announcement that was made a couple of weeks ago by our outstanding member from Sault Ste. Marie who announced $850,000 in the invasive species centre in Sault Ste. Marie I know that was wholeheartedly forced by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters but Mr. Speaker our government is going to continue to promote public education on the negative impacts of invasive species and continue to fight with all means necessary thank you this is a supplementary question thank you very much Speaker and through you again invasive species they threaten about 20% of Ontario species at risk recent UN report declares that we are facing a biodiversity crisis we know this government is not concerned about the climate emergency we now know that they also do not really care about Ontario's natural diversity these species have an economic impact so it's interesting to hear about the fiscal reasons for making these cuts that the government has put forward studies reveal that invasive species costs billions of dollars Speaker billions of dollars in environmental damages including to agriculture and forestry and anyone who uses the great outdoors in Ontario why does this government think it's not important to fund efforts that prevent environmental and economic damage Mr. Minister Mr. Speaker I will remind the member opposite that of his party and the Liberal government they added $200 billion worth of debt Mr. Speaker this is about our government making careful decisions to protect what matters most to the people of Ontario that's why in the budget that was passed yesterday that user voted against added over a billion dollars to the health care budget added hundreds of million dollars to the education budget Mr. Speaker those are the decisions that we have to make we were faced with a fiscal crisis in this province but in saying that Mr. Speaker we are continuing to work with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters we work very very closely with them they're very supportive of the measures that we brought forward to boost our support for anglers and hunters right across this province and Mr. Speaker again we just announced the member from Sioux St. Marie $850,000 in the Invasive Species Centre in Sioux St. Marie Thank you Thank you The next question the member from Northumberland Peter Burrow South Mr. Speaker my question is for the Minister of Infrastructure we know that in a digital world being disconnected means being disadvantaged drop calls or lost connections put people in danger during times of emergency Mr. Speaker we can all agree that having reliable cellular and broadband access is critical despite this there are many homes businesses and roadways in my riding and around eastern Ontario where it remains difficult to make calls and access the internet this poses a threat to regional economic growth and personal safety but no longer Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker a new day has dawned in rural Ontario and our government and our government has taken decisive action to end the gap can the Minister please tell the House about the exciting announcement he made in Roseneith in my riding on the 17th Well thank you very much Mr. Speaker and thank you to the amazing member from Northumberland Peter Burrow South for that excellent question and for his leadership on this issue Mr. Speaker without a doubt being disconnected means being disadvantaged I'm proud to have joined the member colleagues the members from Halliburton, Quartha, Lakesbrock Renfrew, Nipissing, Pembroke Peterborough, Quartha, Stormont, Dundas South Glengary and Hastings, Lennox and Addington to announce our government's commitment of up to $71 million to the eastern Ontario regional network known as EORN Mr. Speaker I'm happy to say this project will virtually eliminate all cellular dead zones in eastern Ontario Mr. Speaker Better connections means students can do their homework or take an online course. Families can stay in touch Emergency services are accessible and businesses Mr. Speaker of all sizes can truly benefit from the promise of digital opportunity The member for Sarnia Lampton Here and thank you Minister for that excellent response Our government's commitment to getting rid of cellular and broadband dead zones across Ontario is just one more example of how we're putting people at the center of everything we do Mr. Speaker we know that this is an issue for all rural communities across the province Last week the minister joined me in my writing for an exciting announcement on broadband access in South Western Ontario. We've all heard of stories of students, business owners and others, family members having to go to a local fast food parking lot to access their Wi-Fi to take care of their business, to do their homework and connect with loved ones 15 years of liberal neglect these communities have been routinely abandoned and forgotten. Can the minister tell us more about this amount and how our government is helping the people of rural Ontario Thank you Mr. Speaker and I have to thank the member of Sarnia Lampton for that great question and of course his leadership in pushing the government to expand broadband across South Western Ontario. Mr. Speaker rural residents and businesses should be able to stream high speed internet from their homes, farms and businesses People should be able to access digital services, get their work done and connect with their loved ones Last week I was joined by the minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs and the members from Haldeman Norfolk Kitchener South Hesbler, Kitchener Conestoga and Sarnia Lampton to announce our government's commitment of up to $63.7 million to the Southwestern integrated fibre technology project also known as SWIFT This is likewise a project to be delivered with support from other levels of government We're looking forward to the federal government's support for this initiative Mr. Speaker, affordable broadband connectivity is essential to the families and businesses in rural Ontario With this commitment, we're proving that we're putting people at the centre of every decision that we make in protecting what matters most Thank you very much. The next question is from the Centre Speaker, my question is for the individual we call the Premier This week, the Children's Aid Society of London and Middlesex That comment caused a lot of discomfort in my voice and asked the member to withdraw Withdraw This week, the Children's Aid Society London and Middlesex reveal that their deficit will increase to $2.1 million even after spending their surplus saved from previous years Instead of addressing this shortfall we're careening ahead with $28 million cut from Children's Aid Societies leaving London Middlesex Children's Aid workers scrambling to figure out how they're going to cover programming costs Why is the Premier making it harder for vulnerable children to get the care they need Questions, a point to the Premier Minister of Children's Community Referred to the Minister of Children's Community and Social Sciences Thank you very much, Speaker The Premier as well as myself and our entire government for the people That's why we have started consulting with Children's Aid Societies across the province If the member opposite would like to provide me with additional details after question period I'd be happy to work with him in his office to ensure that we are protecting the children in his community as much as we possibly can But I want to assure the member that just the other day I spent some time in my own city of Ottawa working with the Children's Aid Society We recognize that the model of student's children has changed over time We recognize too that we are trying to ensure that there is more kin-based care within the system more so than has ever been in the past So we will continue to work with Children's Aid Societies as we ensure that there's greater child protection I'm looking forward to in the coming days announcing a child welfare panel that will report directly to me and provide the information I'm also looking forward throughout the coming months and traveling across the province consulting with Children's Aid Societies Thank you Back to the Premier Cutting before consulting sounds like no plan at all Speaker, this government is plowing forward like a transport truck without a driver Children and youth in London need a government that supports them instead of cuts that put them further at risk My constituents keep asking why is the Premier cutting the budget on the backs of London's most vulnerable children Recently the Premier told Travis Dan Raj families with autistic children are not real people because they didn't vote for him and where I quote the same people that have their hands in the public trough and getting money from the public end quote When is the Premier going to put the brakes on his gravy train stop pandering to a socially regressive base reverse his ruthless cuts to vulnerable children and stop insulting hard working families of children Minister of Children, Community and Social Services difficult to take that member seriously when just a week and a half ago he said that not one member of this assembly on this side of the legislature spoke about transphobia when actually I gave a ministerial statement to talk about that and then he had to respond to it and he The member for London North Centre will come to order I will not be bullied by that man officer Question period today and this week has come to an end The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing has informed me he has a point of order I'd like to introduce to you and through you to members of the Legislative Assembly the warden of the United Counties of Leeds in Grenville and the Mayor of Edwardstrup Cardinal, his worship Mayor Pat Sayo Attorney General on a point of order I'd also like to introduce the Honourable Peter Van Loon who's joined us today and before I recess the house I have to remind the members that I after repeated calls to order I had to warn a number of members the warnings carry over into the afternoon and evening sitting if applicable I warned the member for King Vaughan I warned the member for Waterloo I warned the member for Essex and I warned the member for Hamilton East and this house stands in recess until 1pm