 It is now time for Question Period. The Leader of Her Majesty's Board of Opposition. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Finance. Minister, on page 288 of the budget, it clearly shows the Canada health transfer has increased by $652 million this year. That is money the Federal Government has specifically earmarked for health care in Ontario. On page 289 of the budget, it shows the Ontario health budget only increased by $598 million. That means there is $54 million missing. That means you took $54 million from the health care budget to pay for your fiscal mismanagement. It is exactly what the auditor said recently was going to start happening because of your high debts and deficits, your crowding out important programs, in this case health care. So Minister, what did you do with the $54 million the Federal Government gave you specifically for health care? Thank you. Minister of Health, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the member opposite of being a former health minister probably knows that the Canada health transfer only represents about a quarter of the health expenditures in this province. Roughly $13 billion out of $50 billion dedicated to provincial health care this fiscal year. For example, in 1415 the Federal Government transferred $473 million, but health spending went up by $1.2 billion. The federal transfer doesn't even come close to filling that hole. The imbalance that will even increase in the upcoming years in 2017-2018. Order. That round was the freebie. Period. So that sharing between federal and province that used to be 50-50 is down to 25% from the federal government. The added balance that we're seeing, which is going to get worse in 1718, will remove $21 billion from health care transfers nationally and $8 billion in Ontario alone. Thank you. Back to the Minister of Finance. You can spend this all you want, but they gave you $652 million, and your total budget only went up by $598 million. Somehow, somebody along the way stole $54 million out of health care. This is the equivalent. That's too edgy. I'm going to ask the member to withdraw. Withdraw. $54 million, Mr. Speaker. It's the equivalent of 9,000 long-term care beds. A constituent of mine is desperately waiting for a long-term care bed. Over none are available. Because of the long waiting list, this resident is in retirement home. True story. That home is costing his family over $7,000 a month to cover the cost of the care he needs. That is care he could be receiving. The member from Kitchener County stole the money from Prince Edward Hastings. Come to order. So I say to the minister again, why did you cut health care funding when we need more long-term care beds, for example? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned, a 50-50 sharing that used to exist between ourselves and the feds is now down to a 25% contribution, which is going down even substantially that $21 billion nationally whole that is about to face us. And I would suggest to the member opposite that that individual in his riding could get the support that they need. If he had actually started advocating for Ontario instead of the government, actually provide support to the province based on the change in demographics. In fact, the parliamentary budget officer, the federal parliamentary budget officer, has suggested that the federal government has pretty well insulated itself from the fiscal impact of an aging population. We can't and we won't do that in this province. I would hope that the PC party would advocate on behalf of Ontario instead of the federal PC party. Minister of Transportation, second time. Final supplementary. I say to the minister, Mr. Speaker, in my first month as health minister in 1995, Paul Martin had the health transfer down to 13%. You're getting 25% from the federal government. It's $54 million gone missing. They gave you that money. What did you do with the money? It's a pretty simple question. That could have paid for the 20 new hospices that you promised in last year's budget and done nothing about, including Matthews House Hospice in Alliston. You could use it to build new nursing home bills. You haven't built one new nursing home bed, a long term care bed, in 12 years. Instead, you took that federal money, that precious money that's given to you $54 million and flirted away on your fiscal mismanagement. I'll ask you again, minister, where did the $54 million of healthcare money go that the federal government gave to you? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And as I mentioned, this last fiscal year alone, healthcare spending in this province went up by $1.2 billion. The federal contribution to that was less than the 50% that it used to be. It was $473 million, which left a large gap, a gap which is only going to increase over time as the federal government continues to abdicate their responsibility to address the changing demographics in this province and across the country. I implore the member opposite, the leader, the interim leader of the progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, to advocate on behalf of Ontarians and not defend the federal government to stand up for Ontarians, stand up for healthcare in this province and don't back up the federal government as they continue to withdraw for providing that important service. No question. Member from Nipissing. Thank you, Speaker. Good morning. My question is for the Minister of Finance. Your team has been busy for weeks, if not months, stripping away any transparency in our hydro sector. Your budget details reveal quite a story. The moment even one single share is sold, Hydro One will not be deemed an agency of the Crown any longer. So, Schedule 3 strips the Auditor General of powers. No more value for money audits over there. Schedule 10 cuts out the Financial Accountability Officer after six months. Schedule 11, the Financial Administration Act, is amended to limit our ability to obtain any information on Hydro One. Minister, what's happening here is the wholesale stripping of access to any information about an asset that people are the largest shale holder of. Is that your idea of being open and transparent? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are taking advantage of the Crown Corporation of Ontario. The Member from Leeds, Grenville, the Member from Oxford, and the Member from Bruce Gray, Owen Sound will come to order. And there's a few others I could get. To maximize the value of this corporation and make it into a growth corporation, recognize that we can do better. And as a result now we're reinvesting dollar for dollar all the gains that's realized from the broadening of that ownership. We're making an initial public offering in the months to come so that we can do the first 50% tranche of which it will be applied to the Consolidated Debt as well as the Trillium Trust in order for us to reinvest it into transportation to garner even greater return and again start to employ and make another valuable asset for the province of Ontario. Mr. Speaker, that is an appropriate thing for us to do. The Member opposite actually agrees with that because they've advocated for these kind of opportunities. They've done the problem really great. Thank you. It's clear you don't want us to know anything your government is really up to. We have to scrounge for files in the Gas Plant scandal hearings only to find that many were deleted. So you've taken care of that early this time on the Hydro One sale. You've made sure we have no access to anything Hydro One related. Schedule 13, freedom of information no longer applies to Hydro One. We don't get to know a thing. Minister, you gave FIPPA the FIPPA. Schedule 38 removes Hydro One from the Sunshine List. That was one of the most controversial disclosures last year. So this is one way, Minister, for you to stop the flow of information. Is that your idea of being open and transparent? Mr. Speaker, our idea is to ensure that we will have oversight. Member from Renfrew, the Member from Simkel North come to order. I'm not going to have people shouted down in this place. Carry on. We will have oversight. We are appointing a new open spend. There is going to be the structure of the initial public offering. There's going to be an HM. There's going to be requirements for disclosure in that regard. We also recognize a discipline that's required in the respect to the release of documents and financial requirements of the public corporation that would be established. And Mr. Speaker, what we are not doing is the lack of oversight that occurred with the sale of the 407. We're ensuring that the public is protected and we're taking an incremental approach to what's necessary with respect to the broadening of ownership of Hydro One. For the benefit, Mr. Speaker, ultimately for the people of Ontario. Thank you. Minister, no AG, no FAO, no FIPAA, and now Schedule 22 lobbyists don't have to register any longer. Schedule 23 excludes Hydro from the oversight of Management Board of Cabinet Act. Schedule 28 takes Hydro One out of the municipal freedom of information. Schedule 30 guarantees the ombudsman would no longer be able to investigate Hydro One. You're going to put your own person in that role. Schedule 37, no more integrity commissioner. Well, considering there's no integrity left in the system, you won't need any of those officers. Minister, at what point does Shane kick in? Thank you. Please. Minister. Mr. Speaker, what was shameful? Shameful is the way that the member opposite and his party sold away the Highway 407 for a song and we're still paying for it today. What is shameful is what they did when they tried to dismantle the hydro system which has left a legacy of debt to us still today. We are doing what's correct to try to bolster the value of the corporation. We're implementing parameters as well as structure to ensure that disclosure is done and fully transparent, Mr. Speaker. The member opposite knows that full well. He's just playing politics. We're playing for the benefit of the people of Ontario. Mr. Speaker. Good question. The Mayor of the third party. Politics. Thank you, Speaker. My question's for the Deputy Leader. Selling Hydro One is the wrong decision. Ontarians know it, Speaker. If the Premier was so proud of her plan, she'd actually be calling it what it is, which is a sell-off. But the Premier knows that Ontarians don't want her to sell off Hydro One. That's why she uses terms instead like optimization or unlocking value. Will the Liberals finally admit that selling Hydro One is the wrong plan for the people of Ontario? Thank you, Deputy Leader. Mr. Speaker, what is the right plan for the people of Ontario? Is that we make the necessary investments in infrastructure. This is all about building new infrastructure. Now, I know the Leader of the third party is planning to hit the road to talk to people about this issue. And when she goes to Brampton, I really hope she's going to ask how they feel about the $1.6 billion investment in the Heurateria main LRT. I wonder what they'll say about that, Speaker. And I wonder when she goes to Hamilton, what the people there will have to say about the investment in rapid transit there. Speaker, the truth is Ontario needs this kind of investment in infrastructure. Our economy depends upon it and people depend upon it because they're spending too much time, Speaker, in traffic when they could be at home with their families, Speaker. When you go across this province to the Leader of the Third Party, I'm asking to tell the people. Thank you. What people need is affordable, reliable hydro. Not Ontarians in the dark about her plan to sell off Hydro One. New Democrats did launch a campaign. Thank you for recognizing that. We launched it yesterday so that Ontarians could actually make their voices heard. And in the last 24 hours, more than 2,000 Ontarians have sent a pretty clear message. People don't want to pay the price for more wrong decisions by the Premier. They do not like her sell-off plan. Now, will the Liberals actually listen to the people of Ontario? Will they listen to those folks instead of their friends on Bay Street and pull the plug on this terrible, terrible plan? I think it's time that the Leader of the Third Party came clean about what infrastructure project she would cancel. And as she travels the province, I hope she will come forward and say which ones are on the cutting block. Will it be Connecting Leagues? Talk about listening to people. Connecting Leagues is a very important program that we're restoring because we're restoring because we heard about it. Will it be... The banter back and forth is not appreciated, especially when someone's trying to answer. Carry on. Will you be canceling 15-minute service from Union Station to Bramley? Will you cancel the Northern Highway Projects? Will you end the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund? Speaker, government is about making decisions. It's easy to criticize, but we want to hear your plan. Speaker, nobody believes a word this Liberal government says. That's the bottomably too important to give away, Speaker. And once the Premier gives Hydro-1 away, we will never, ever be able to get it back. So why are the Liberals plowing ahead with a plan that they have no reason for, no mandate for, and that people do not want? Yes, it is saying that this will increase rates. I really think she needs to be clear that the Ontario Energy Board will continue to set rates. Nothing is changing. Nothing is changing when it comes to rates. And, Speaker, the Ontario Energy Board has made decisions that have decreased rates. In March, just this year, the Ontario Energy Board decreased rates by between $100 and $168 for Enbridge and Union gas customers. Remember, from Hamilton to East Holy Cree. Hydro-1 asked for a rate increase for distribution. The OAB ordered a 9% reduction in a capital request. In 2012, Hydro-1 asked for a rate increase for transmission. The OAB ordered a 9% reduction in a capital request. So nothing is changing when it comes to rates, Speaker. And I think the party opposite needs to be honest with the people in this province that that argument just does not go to water. Do you have a question for the Leader of the Third Party? I really didn't think the Liberals could get even more out of touch, but here we have it. Speaker, my next question is for the Deputy Premier. The Chair of the Treasury Board justifies spending nearly $7 million on high-priced consultants to help the Liberals sell off Hydro-1. Thank you. Mary-Anne, please. Speaker, when our government was making the decision around expanding the ownership of Hydro-1, we did want to do it in a careful and thoughtful way, Speaker. We wanted to protect ratepayers. So some of the things that I think the member opposite needs to understand is that we will be the largest shareholder of Hydro-1. We will have a 40% ownership, Speaker. The next largest owner will have a maximum of 10%, and key decisions require a two-thirds vote. We will have 30% key decisions require a two-thirds vote. Speaker, we are protecting ratepayers, and we are protecting taxpayers. Speaker, we are looking to... Order. And now I'll say it. The member from Windsor to come, say, come to order. Carry on. So, Speaker, as I said, our chair will remain the largest shareholder with a minimum of 40%. The next highest owner would have a maximum of 10%, and key decisions require a two-thirds vote, Speaker. All of Hydro-1's officers will be required to reside in Ontario, the Ontario Health Control Centre. Supplementary. Speaker, with liberal math, this side should be the government side. They paid millions to KPMG, McKinsey, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCooper, and a company called FestShack Read, which is Paul Martin's old speechwriters. But the trees companies did, or what information they provided. Will the Deputy Premier, head of the Treasury Board, make these consultants' reports public so that Ontarians can see what they say about rates, about reliability, about the billions of dollars of lost revenues this province will be facing when you sell off our hydro-hensility? Thank you. Deputy Premier. Speaker, the leader of the third party has said quite proudly that she has no faith in the private sector. That might explain why they have no faith in her party, Speaker. We are moving forward to broaden the ownership because we are committed to building infrastructure. I have heard in southwestern Ontario about the importance of connecting links, Speaker. I have heard this at AMO. I am sure you have heard this as well. We are restoring connecting links to provide that much needed relief. We're building transit. We're building infrastructure. We are increasing service on the go-line, Speaker. This is exactly the kind of infrastructure investment that this province needs, and we need to bring all our resources available to us in order to make that infrastructure investment. Thank you. Final supplementary. The Liberals have hired some of the most expensive accounting firms in Canada. They have hired a management consulting firm that says this about itself, Speaker. We are incredibly expensive. And speechwriters, Speaker. 7 Hydro-1 is really good for Bay Street, and apparently it's great for consultants, but it's absolutely the wrong thing for Ontarians. You know what? The Deputy Premier says there's no money for healthcare. There's no money for education. There's no money for childcare. Can the Deputy Premier really justify spending $7 million on high-priced consultants to help the Liberals sell Hydro-1? Really, when will this Premier and this Liberal government actually get its priorities straight? Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, we actually have a lot of faith in the potential of Hydro-1, Speaker. We think that with this restructured system and with the incentives to get LDCs to come together, we will have a more efficient electricity system, Speaker. That will take pressure off rate increases. And we have been open and transparent about this, contrary to what the Leader of the Third Party says. In fact, included in the 2014 Liberal platform, the 2014 Ontario budget included reference to maximising assets, Speaker. And whether she knows it or not, she ran on that plan, too. Yes, actually you did. In October, the advisory council released their interim report. The final report was made public before the budget. We've been debating this issue in the House for months. And proposed legislation will be subject to public hearings and debates. Speaker, we believe this is the right thing to do because Ontario needs the investment in infrastructure and they need it now. In case you didn't catch on, I was stopping the bantering going back and forth and I'll wait for it to finish before we carry on with question period. Hold on, it's going both ways. New question. Member from... Central North. My question today is for the Minister of Education. Another day goes by and the Minister assures responsibility. Next week there will be another 42,000 secondary schools, secondary school students, not in the classroom. That's from the appeal board. Yesterday when interviewed, the minister said, and I quote, it's up to the union local and also what is the local issue and the responsibility of the local, all in the span of one sentence. No one is blaming the strikes on the local issues except the minister. Minister, will you admit right now that students are out of the classroom because of a dozen years of liberal mismanagement, exactly who are you blaming for the mess you are actually in today? Minister of Education. Thank you very much. I want to go over the legislation one more time. The legislation... Member from Renfrew. I got to do this officially. The member from Renfrew, Nipissing Pembroke, is warned. Carry on. Yes, thank you. The School Board's Collective Bargaining Act describes quite clearly that some issues are to be determined at the central table, generally issues around money and provincial policy, and that other issues are to be determined at the local table. The provincial... The School Board's Collective Bargaining Act also makes it very clear that there can be a central strike on issues that are being negotiated at the central table, and there can be a local strike on issues that are being negotiated at a local table. The locals in Seven Bulls requested local conciliation, and they are local strikes. That's what the law says. Thank you. That's the process that... Thank you. Supplementary. Minister, your answer today, and your comments yesterday, shrug off and ignore your responsibility as the Minister of Education. Next Monday, six days from now, some 80,000 Ontario secondary students will be out of the classroom. On May 10th, or just 14 days from now, there's a possibility that 817,000 elementary school students could be out of the classroom. Surely you do not think, for one moment, that you are not fully responsible for what is happening to the classrooms here in Ontario. So, Minister, what are you prepared to do to get our students back in the classroom so that no one loses a school year? Thank you. Minister, you see the face? Thank you. Minister. Thank you very much, Speaker. My responsibility is to ensure that we get a negotiated central collective agreement because the Government of Ontario, the Crown, sits at the central table only. So, in fact, my responsibility is to make sure we get that negotiated central agreement, and that's exactly what I'm doing, is working with the parties from a variety of unions to work on central, which is a lot better than what they would do, Speaker, and they would fire 22,700 education workers. I don't think that's how to solve the problem. I think negotiated collective agreements are how to solve it. Thank you. New question? Thank you very much. My question was to the Premier, to the Deputy Premier. Selling Hydro 1 will pay for less than 3% of the Liberals' transit and infrastructure promises. But the Premier is doing it anyway, even though she has no mandate and no good reason, although we just heard that Bay Street has already benefited from this plan. But she promises the money will go into the Trillium Trust. While the Premier says one thing, her Harper-style omnibus bill says something completely different. The money from the sale of Hydro 1 is going directly into consolidated revenues. There's nothing in the budget bill that says this money is spent on infrastructure. And the Liberals are just trying to spin Ontarians so that they'll buy into this misguided scheme to sell off Hydro 1. Deputy Premier. Well, Speaker, I'm afraid that the member opposite is misinformed because of the 9 million estimated for the sale of part of Hydro 1, approximately $5 million will go towards the debt. The book value, speak 5 billion. The book value will go to the debt. The remaining will go into the Trillium Trust. And the Trillium Trust is earmarked for infrastructure projects, Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, we had our briefing yesterday and perhaps you should read this book, this budget book, because the Trillium Trust Act is key, obviously, to the Premier's asset sale plan. Yet the Premier's budget provided no guarantee that the money from the sale of Hydro 1 will actually go to transit. It looks like the Premier is creating a loophole so that the money doesn't have to go into the Trillium Trust. Who knows where this money will end up? If their own budget doesn't put money directly into the Trillium Trust, why is the Liberal Government trying to spin Ontarians about needing to sell off Hydro 1? I think what the member opposite is failing to make is the connection between investments in infrastructure and transit and the need to maximize the value of our assets. They are directly linked and the evidence of that is in the projects that we are moving forward with, Speaker. I do believe that the member opposite knows that her community, the mayors, the regional chair from Kitchener Waterloo have advocated very, very strongly for enhanced infrastructure investments. That money isn't going to come out of thin air. There's no pixie dust on this When you build infrastructure, you have to pay for it. We're figuring out how to pay for it so we can build it because people need it and they need it now. Thank you. Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Children and Youth Services. Mr Speaker, last week in the budget the crux of the budget was about building up Ontario so when I listened to the Minister of Finance stand in the house and announced $250 million over the next two years to continue funding Ontario's youth job strategy it was a clear statement of this government's commitment to invest in the talent and skills of Ontario's youth and I'm very proud to be part of a government that continues to invest in our young people and their minds and nurtures and encourages them. Mr Speaker, many of the young people we venture to support come from at-risk communities where it can be much easier to miss opportunities for a brighter and more prosperous future. Mr Speaker, through you to the Minister can she provide some insight as to what the government is doing to support these youth in reaching their full potential. Thank you, Minister of Children and Youth Services. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I want to thank the member from Etobicole for a very important question about our budget. Clearly has focused on building Ontario's youth. Our historic and our future investments in the youth job strategy will continue to help Ontario's young people secure important job opportunities. However, there are many at-risk youth in our province and I was very happy that we've taken action to broaden and enhance the work we began under the youth action plan. We plan with $14 million this year alone and ramping up to $20 million in 2016-17 and we'll be investing in community oriented programs to reduce the root cause of violence and our youth outreach workers, a great program speaker, will build relationships with at-risk youth in the middle years throughout our entire province. It's going to be a great continued investment to help all of our youth succeed. Applementary. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the minister for her answer and all the encouraging news about how we continue to support and bolster the success of at-risk youth in Ontario. Mr. Speaker, I can see the results of these programs in my own riding of Etobicole Lakeshore. Through the Youth Opportunities Fund, a peer mentorship project at the Franklin Horner Community Centre is providing a variety of activities to help youth overcome barriers that might prevent them from reaching their full potential. These programs include team sports, painting, sculpting, cooking, dance classes, all taught with positive role models to help our at-risk youth. Mr. Speaker, can the minister please share with this house how our new investments will build upon and intensify the success we've already realized from the initial Youth Action Fund. Thank you. Minister. Thank you again, Speaker. The new investments in our budget really build on the work that was started by my colleague, the Honourable Dr. Eric Hoskins when he was at Children and Youth Services. So I want to acknowledge the work he started in 2012 and, Speaker, since then we've created over 27,000 youth opportunities and our violent crime rate, Speaker, has decreased by 30% since 2003. So Ontario now has the second lowest youth violent crime rate in the country. We invested in employment and training programs like the Youth Impleasing Initiative to give opportunity to youth to thrive through great programs, arts programs and sports. Speaker, we've done all of this under the First Youth Action Plan and because of it we will have more youth on a good path to adulthood and I look forward to continuing this legacy. Thank you. The member from Renfrew. Thank you for my questions for the Minister of Energy. Minister, we've warned you of the suffering that you've inflicted through your reckless hydro policies. Our offices have been inundated with messages from residential and commercial ratepayers who have no idea how they'll deal with the ever-increasing energy burden you've laid upon them. To make matters worse, on Friday rates are going up a staggering 15%. That's 15% on electricity that was already way too high. Skyrocketing rates are an enormous drain on manufacturing small businesses. They kill jobs and send them to other jurisdictions. Yet you're still bent on signing expensive energy contracts for intermittent unreliable power. Minister, will you stop doubling down on your failed energy experiments and enact a consumer's first energy plan that protects Ontario Hydro Ratepayers? Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the questions that I get from my Conservative critic. He's often bombastic, Mr. Speaker, and he often has a very different interpretation of reality, Mr. Speaker. The announcement that was made by the Ontario Energy Board is not 15%, Mr. Speaker, but what he really ... ... ... And the only one he really fails to appreciate, Mr. Speaker, is that when he says that we have the highest electricity ... I believe the member would really like to be able to ask a supplementary. Let me finish, please. When he says we have the highest electricity prices in Canada, Mr. Speaker, he's wrong. When he says we have the highest prices Mr. Speaker, he's wrong, Mr. Speaker. We have invested in this system, Mr. Speaker, $34 billion to make it reliable after they ran it into the duct, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary. Surprisingly, Mr. Speaker, we're going to disagree. Minister, once the new rates come into effect this Friday, Ontario will have the highest electricity rates in Canada. That's right. We're now surpassing that industrial powerhouse, Prince Edward Island, and having the most uncom-competitive rates in the country. Your arrogant mismanagement of the hydro system has real world consequences. Just ask the people of Napa-Nee who are losing out to Mexico with Goodyear's new multimillion dollar plant expansion. Minister, Ontarians cannot afford your hydro increases due to your expensive energy experiments. Will you stand up now and begin to reverse the damage you're inflicting on Ontarians? Yes! Thank you. Minister. Alluded to the Green Energy Act and the renewables that we're dealing with in terms of experiments, Mr. Speaker. We'll have a quote here, Mr. Speaker, and it's from the critic from the Nipissing. Taking advantage of locally available green power resources is a good fit with the long-range development strategy we have for the community. I am particularly pleased with the relationship we have struck with West Wind Development for the first half of the project. I am confident that the company's reputation has a responsible wind power development. Excuse me. The Deputy House Leader is warned and the member from Nipissing will come to order a second thing. Carry on. And Mr. Speaker, the member from Nipissing says, will put North Bay on the map as a showcase for the sensitive and responsible development of this great renewable energy source, Mr. Speaker. He is a great endorser. Thank you. You're finished. The member from Nipissing is warned. New question. The member from Toronto, Danforth. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the Deputy Premier. The Budget Act says this in Section 7 of Schedule 9. If any time the number of common shares in Hydro-1 owned by the Minister ceases to be greater than 10 percent of the outstanding common shares of Hydro-1 from that time share ownership restrictions apply to the Minister. Speaker, the Premier is promising that the province will own 40 percent of Hydro-1. So why is she making plans for Ontario to hold less than 10 percent of Hydro-1? Speaker, I can assure the people of this province, Speaker, that the government will hold a minimum of 40 percent of the shares. The next... The member from Hamilton East, Tony Craig will come to order. The member for that second time and the member from Essex come to order. That's second time. Carry on. So, Speaker, we are introducing legislation that would mean government cannot own less than 40 percent of Ontario Hydro shares. No other shareholder would be allowed to own more than 10 percent. We decisions require a two-thirds vote. Two-thirds vote, we will own a minimum of 40 percent, Speaker. We will retain that important control. All of Ontario-1's officers would be required to reside in Ontario. Head office. Thank you. Supplementary. Well, it's clear the Deputy Premier needs a briefing from her finance officials. The Premier keeps insisting that she's only going to sell 60 percent of Hydro-1. But yesterday, we learned there is nothing to prevent the public ownership from getting diluted far beyond 40 percent. When the Premier first won her seat, the Ontario Liberals were committed to keeping Hydro in public hands. Now she's planning to sell 60 percent. What's to stop her from selling 70 percent, 80 percent, 90 percent, or even more? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. It's critical for us to put in legislation the parameters by which to protect the public interest. We have said all along that Ontarians will have at least 40 percent ownership of Hydro-1. But the point being made here is the fact that Hydro-1 may become a growth company. In fact, we hope it will be so we can access even greater dividends for the benefit of the public. And in so doing, Mr. Speaker, we've got to protect the edges of the public by ensuring that we always retain that 40 percent. So we will work collaboratively to ensure that no one or group of shareholders can have more than 10 percent ownership of Hydro-1. And we will continue to do that. Legislation will be required to enforce that and we'll work together with all members of this House who should be supportive of this for the benefit of the people of Ontario. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your question? The member from B2Z short. Well, thank you, Speaker. And I'm delighted to have this opportunity to put a question to the Associate Minister of Finance. Now I know that retirement security is top of mind of many Ontarians all across the province. And certainly my constituents and beasts is East York, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, are particularly concerned that they do not have access to a workplace pension plan and they are concerned about their future. They are concerned that they will not be able to maintain a reasonable standard of living during the retirement. In fact, many have even told me they're concerned that they will never have the luxury of being able to retire. And that's why they are all thrilled now to see that our government is moving ahead with the creation of the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan. And just last week, I was pleased to see that the budget outlined important progress that we were making towards implementing that plan. So Speaker, through you, will the Minister please provide us with details about the steps the government is taking to move forward with the implementation of the important plan? Thank you. Associate Minister of Finance. Thank you, Speaker. And I want to thank the member from B2Z short for that very important question. Mr. Speaker, last week's budget announced an important next step to our government in taking the enhancement of the retirement security of millions of Ontarians and moving that forward. Our government is introducing legislation to establish the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan Administrative Corporation. This entity will be responsible for administering the ORPP. It will be a professional, independent pension organization. Mr. Speaker, Ontario is a global leader in pension administration and management. The pension plans such as Teachers and Hoop are recognized as top performers internationally. The Economist called Ontario plans maple revolutionaries. Mr. Speaker, we're leveraging the skill and the expertise of Ontario's considerable pension experts as we move forward with implementing the ORPP. Thank you to the Minister for that very intelligent response. And I know constituents of my writing will be glad to hear that our government is moving forward with the setting up the body to administer this important pension plan. The businesses of my writing have emphasized the importance of creating an administrative structure that is simple, efficient and effective. And I'm very glad to see that our government is doing just that. And I'm also pleased to learn, Speaker, that our government is able to capitalize on the skills and expertise of pension experts right here in the province of Ontario. And I'll admit that I didn't know that Canadian pension funds, particularly those from Ontario, were held in such a high regard on the international stage. So Mr. Speaker, well, particularly in Hong Kong, thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, again, through you to the Associate Minister of Finance, would you please outline to the members of this House the reasons why our pension funds had been so successful and how the government is drawing on this expertise? Thank you. Minister. Thank you so much. And I want to thank the member for this very important question. I know how hard he's working on behalf of his constituents. Experts have attributed the success of these plans to several important features. These plans have strong and independent governance structures. They have the ability to attract the right talent with investment and pension administrative expertise. And they have the scale necessary to achieve high performance in a low cost efficient way. The New York Times recently stated lower management costs, freedom from political meddling and non-existent funding shortfalls is a model that has moved the major Canadian pension plans largely out of government debt in search of higher returns. We're also working, Speaker, with pension experts on our technical advisory panel to incorporate these key attributes into the design of the administrative corporation. Mr. Speaker, leveraging this expertise will enable us to create the best possible benefits for the people of Ontario. Thank you. New question. The member from Perry, Simon Stoker. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Northern Development and Mines. Minister, the Fraser Institute annual survey of mining companies suggests that Ontario is heading in the wrong direction. In the investment attractiveness index, Ontario found nine places to 23rd in the world. Report pointed to, quote, complete incomprehensibility and impractical regulation, among other issues, in the changes to the Ontario Mining Act. Minister, can you explain why Ontario fell nine spots in a single year in the Fraser Institute's survey of mining companies under your watch? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Certainly we're interested in the survey done by the Fraser Institute as we are by everyone else that is watching the mining industry so closely. But the important good news is, and the news that we need to be talking about is the fact that Ontario continues to be the top jurisdiction over exploration in the entire country. Ontario continues to be the top jurisdiction in terms of mineral production. Over $11 billion in 2014, $5.7 billion about 10 years ago. That has gone up in terms of exploration over $500 million. And we are continuing to move forward with the opening up of new mines all across the province. I think the member knows well about the Phoenix Gold Project, the Rubicon in terms of the Red Lake area, the expansion of the Goldcore facility in Cochlear, the new gold opportunity we're seeing in Fort Francis. The long and short, there's great news going forward in the mining sector. We're very excited about it. Thank you. Supplementary? Yes. Minister, the Fraser Report is an important measure of confidence in our province, and it's heading the wrong direction. The Fraser Institute isn't the only organisation that has taken notice of your government's track record on the mining file. The Ontario Chamber of Commerce points to the permitting delays in the report on the Ring of Fire. Under the Environmental Assessment Act, EA terms of reference are to be approved or rejected within 12 weeks of submission. Minister, those terms of reference for Noront's Eagle's Nest Mine were submitted over two years ago, and have still not been ruled on. That's 133 weeks and counting. Minister, how can you justify such delay on a project that is worth over $60 billion and will create thousands of jobs in Northern Ontario? Thank you. Minister? Thank you very much. I think the member knows well about the exciting opportunities that we have in the Ring of Fire, and certainly one of them is the Noront Project, the Eagle's Nest Project. I think, may I say, if the member was speaking to the CEO of Norma's RZB, speaking very positive about the very close relationship we have in the work that we are doing together to help advance that project, and that project also includes the opportunity we have to work so closely with our First Nations to make sure that they see benefit to this project as well. But you're quite right. The real evidence that we see on the ground are the mining companies themselves. Yesterday, myself and a number of my colleagues, including the Treasury Board President, the Minister of Natural Resources in Forestry, and the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, spent a great deal of time with key mining executives all across the province. We had a very special day where we talked about those great opportunities and moving forward, and the work that we're going to continue to do to see the mining opportunities in the province continue to develop, creating jobs all across the province. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the acting Premier. Two weeks ago, I warned that the Pan Am Games in Hamilton could be at risk. Yesterday, the City of Hamilton said the same, but this government isn't listening again. Well, the Mayor of Hamilton has now sent out, Premier, a letter demanding answers. I quote, Key elements of the Hamilton Stadium will not have arrived on site and be installed until the end of June. The city's ability to host the Pan Am Games soccer matches with the new orders in Jeopardy. The Hamilton Stadium was meant to be ready last June. Every week since then has brought another excuse, another reassurance, and another empty promise. Can you personally promise at the House that the stadium will be ready, and will you do if it isn't, and who will the Premier hold accountable for this utter fiasco? Thank you. Premier? To the Minister of Response for the Pan Am Games. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the member for the question. Good question. There are 73 more days to go until we welcome the world to Ontario for the largest multi-sport event in the history of this province. When it comes to our infrastructure, we're in great shape. We're $55.5 million under budget. When it comes to corporate Canada, we've been able to raise $170 million from corporate sponsorship. We have 60,000 people who have offered to help, and the highest per capita coming from Hamilton. In fact, Mr. Speaker, when it comes to Hamilton, the flame poldron that's going to be used will be using Hamilton steel. Mr. Speaker, the soccer matches that are going to be held in Hamilton are one of our best sold tickets, and we've been able to sell 350,000 tickets so far. The people of Hamilton on board, the people of Ontario on board. Well, even though you didn't answer the question, I guess the Mayor of Hamilton disagrees with you. I quote again, the continued public communication of the May 8th substantial completion date creates false expectations. After ONSS delivers a substantially completed stadium, the sponsors need to complete an additional construction work and training in advance of any event taking place in Hamilton. We also have learned that they've managed somehow 100 seats without a view of the field, a fitting monument to this government's blindness and management. Yesterday, three reporters tried to get answers from the contractor and from Infrastructure Ontario, an agency of this government about the delays. They were told that any facts on the delays were commercial issues and confidential. The refusal of the public agency to answer these questions is simply outrageous. Deputy Premier, since Infrastructure Ontario has great answer to the people of Ontario, will you give us one today? Minister? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the member opposite needs to check in with the City Hall because the City of Hamilton issued an occupancy permit for the stadium on April 16th. And this is one of the best milestones we've reached in the Hamilton Stadium. So thank you very much for the question and thank you to the member for providing me with an opportunity to... The member from Hamilton East Stony Creek. The member from Hamilton East Stony Creek is warned. And whoever is starting that will get one too. One wrap-up. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The simple fact is this is the largest investment in sport in infrastructure in the history of this province and we are proud of our record, Mr. Speaker. Good question. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question this morning is to the Minister of Northern Development and Mines. Speaker, I am particularly proud of our governments recently announced 2015 budget and we have continued to deliver on our commitment to follow our path to balance while continuing to invest in what's important to Ontarians. In the 2014 budget, Speaker, we have continued to deliver on our commitment to follow our path to balance while continuing to invest in what's important to Ontarians. In the 2014 budget, Speaker, we introduced the province's economic plan and now in the 2015 budget we have demonstrated the significant progress that has been made on that plan to date. And Speaker, job creation and economic development is a key part of our plan of building Ontario up. This includes our province's largest cities, our province's small and rural communities such as Glengarry Prescott Russell and our province's northern regions. Speaker, through you to the Minister, can you please explain how this year's budgeted investments will ensure a robust northern economy in Ontario. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you to the member for Glengarry Prescott Russell for that great question. Just this past week I attended the North question Ontario Ministeral Association along with my colleagues and Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and my parliamentary colleagues and we spoke about the incredible investments in this year's budget that are obviously having a great impact in the north and not hard to find examples. Well, first of all, Speaker, and this is huge, we've committed to a permanent northern industrial electricity rate program with continued investment up to $120 million per year to assist with the unique challenge of facing major resource-based industries in the north and that is huge. We're investing in roads and highways and bridges with about $15 billion in the moving on tail forward plan for projects like the four-lane between Thunder Bay and Nippigan, the four-lane between 69 and many other important projects in northern Ontario that we're excited about. Thank you. Thank you again, Speaker. I'd like to thank the Minister of Northern Development and minds for that answer. Speaker, our government believes that when we invest, we grow. When we build, we grow. We build significantly contrast with the recent federal budget that once again short changes Ontarians. Our government is supporting a dynamic and innovative business climate across this province, but the federal government is certainly not investing to the extent that Ontarians expect in need, particularly in small, rural and northern communities. Speaker, through you, will the Minister please explain how we plan to move forward on some of our province's largest economic opportunities like the amazing Ring of Fire project in the absence of federal leadership. Thank you, Minister. Ring of Fire indeed is an extraordinary economic development opportunity and I'm very excited about the fact that we have recommitted our $1 billion in provincial infrastructure dollars and what is alarming that indeed there's still no support for the federal government coming forward in the federal budget last week, two days before our budget. No mention of any infrastructure fighting on Ring of Fire and may I say, when northern members of the Harper government say, and I will quote one of the members that the Ring of Fire is not a priority for our government because it's not a priority for the private sector or they haven't wrong and we have examples of that even in the House today. The private sector and the first nations they need to know that the federal government will be an active partner and is committed to moving forward with the province of realizing the sustainable development of this great exciting economic budget for all of Canada. Thank you. New question? Member from the North Central. My question is to the acting premier, Ontario can't afford your pension scheme. Your plan to reach into the pockets of Ontario employed people to remove 1.9% is in fact a job killer plan. Your own ministry officials predict your plan will kill jobs. Why do you continue to ignore the evidence provided by experts in the ministry, the CFIV, all the chambers of commerce and others? Good question. Thank you. The associate minister of finance responsible for the entire retirement pension plan. Thank you speaker and I want to thank the member for this question. I think that the member knows full well that the number that she is referring to has nothing to do with this plan whatsoever. It is referring to a study that was done regarding transit and revenue tools that was rejected by our government. In fact, when we look at what economists are saying about the impact of pension plans and a supplemental plan like the ORPP on Ontario's economy they are saying that it is actually good for Ontario's economy. David Dodge has said that in fact when we look at the long term structural impact of the supplemental plan it will actually advance Ontario's economy in many ways. It will boost productivity it would boost investments in our economy, in companies and it will also ensure that we have spending. Not only does your pension scheme pick the pockets of the employed, it snatches another 1.9% from all the businesses. Now, businesses pay taxes and create jobs but only when they make a profit. You are destroying that balance. Why are you making Ontario uncompetitive? Why are you driving business from Ontario? Mr Speaker the member opposite is simply wrong. In fact, just this morning I was with a number of businesses from across the GTAJ at the Civic Action Boot Camp and in fact if we do not invest in the future of this province that is going to be hurtful to businesses. In fact, when we look at pension coverage in this province it is incredibly low and we look at the next generation of retirees. Those future retirees we have to be concerned 75% of workers between the ages of 25 and 34 have no workplace based pension plan. So we have to take action today to ensure that when they retire, they can retire with security and that they can continue to consume food for business. That's good for people and that's good for Ontario's environment. So what we are doing Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker my question is the Minister of Health Mr Speaker as you know in Agra the in-home care nurses in Agra have been on strike for a number of weeks. The employer the private company care partners has not bargained their first agreement and no one has been able to settle this at the bargaining table. The owner of care partners is earning several hundred thousand dollars per year of taxpayers money. I met with the patients over the weekend who told me their gut wrenching stories about their lack of care they are now receiving. Mr Speaker his response for providing health care in this province can he explain to me why care partners is still receiving referrals from the local CC DC. Thank you Mr Speaker and I appreciate the member opposite raising this we had an opportunity to speak yesterday about this issue and I know we do agree that patients in this province they want to and they deserve to receive the highest quality of care in their homes in their community in that appropriate venue. There is a dispute between an employer and the employees as the member opposite is referenced and as the minister as the government we encourage both parties to get back to the negotiating table the CCAC that's responsible as they should be for providing that quality of care is not involved is not the employer in this case is not involved in these negotiations negotiators rather mediators are available to both parties should they so desire I would encourage both parties to get back to the negotiating table and answer our CCAC to ensure that that quality of care is provided to all clients within that catch of a dairy we have a deferred vote on the motion to second reading of bill 80 an act to amend the Ontario society for the prevention of cruelty to animals act and the animals for research act with respect to the possession and breeding of orcas and administrative requirements for animal care calling the members this will be a five minute bell would all members please take their seats all members take their seats please March 31st 2015 Mr. Nackney moved second reading of bill 80 all those in favour please rise one at a time be recognized by the clerk Mr. Nackney Mr. Bradley Mr. Shurelli Madam Mayor Mr. Sousa Ms. Wynn Ms. Matthews Mr. Hoskins Ms. Sandals Ms. McCharles Ms. McCharles Mr. Quinter Mr. Quinter Mr. Cole Mr. Cole Mr. Chacar Mr. Chacar Mr. Bernardinetti Mr. Dillon Mr. Carter Mr. Quadri Mr. Orzetti Mr. Grevelle Mr. Grevelle Mr. McMeekam Mr. Coutot Mr. Coutot Mr. Leo Mr. Flinn Mr. Zimmer Mr. Zimmer Ms. Albanese Ms. Mangat Ms. Mangat Mr. Craft Ms. Wong Ms. Hunter Mr. Sergio Mr. Sergio Mr. Morrow Mr. Morrow Ms. Jassa Mr. Delduca Ms. Mangat Ms. Damora Ms. Damora Mr. Fraser Mr. Fraser Mr. Anderson Mr. Anderson Mr. Baker Mr. Baker Mr. Ballard Mr. Dahl Mr. Dahl Ms. Hogarth Ms. Kuala Ms. Kuala Madam Lalonde Ms. Kuala Ms. Morgere Ms. Martin Ms. McGarry Ms. McGarry Ms. McMann Ms. McMann Ms. Nidu Hares Mr. Paas Mr. Rinaldi Mr. Rinaldi Ms. Verneel Ms. Verneel Mr. Tebow Mr. Tebow Ms. Beeson Ms. Horvath Ms. Horvath Mr. Vantah Mr. Taddy Mr. Taddy Mr. Miller Hamilton Mr. Beeson Mr. Moudeshack Mr. Moudeshack Ms. Armstrong Ms. Byte Ms. Byte Mr. Manther Mr. Manther Mr. Hatfield Ms. Gretzky Ms. Gretzky All those appalls please rise. One at a time. Be recognized by the clerk. Mr. Nicholas Mr. Brudat Mr. Hudat Mr. Hardiman Mr. Hardiman Ms. McLeod Ms. McLeod Mr. Wilson Mr. Wilson Mr. Fidele Mr. Fidele Mr. Yacobusky Mr. Clark Mr. Clark Mr. Miller Perry Sound Mascota Mr. Miller Perry Sound Mascota Mr. Dunn Mr. Dunn Ms. Jones Ms. Thompson Ms. Thompson Mr. Barrett Ms. Monroe Ms. Scott Ms. Scott Mr. Euras Mr. Walker Mr. Smith Mr. Smith Mr. Harris Ms. Martell Ms. Martell Mr. McDonough Mr. McDonough The eyes are 62. The nays are 22. The eyes being 62 and the nays being 22. I declare the motion carried. Seconded by the Chair of the Law. Pursuant to the order of the House dated April 22nd, 2015, the bill is ordered, referred to the standing committee on social policy. I will order on the member from beaches east shore. Thank you. Following the proceedings, two constituents in line came into the house, Alec's talk and his wonderful mother, and Marie Brown. I just wanted to welcome to the house. The one in members, Allegoma im儲 It being today, the April 28th the day of morning. It's also my son's birthday at home. He's in the classroom right now and I want to wish him a very happy birthday. Raq Maato No further preferred votes. This house stands adjourned till 3 p.m. this afternoon. No further preferred votes. I declare the motion carried. Seconded by the Chair of the Law. I declare the motion carried. Seconded by the Chair of the