 It is now time for all questions and I recognize the leader of the official opposition Well, thanks very much speaker before I start though. I just want to say a big thank you to first responders in the Ottawa area Who you know made sure that people were safe and that as the storms were happening on Sunday? Made sure that folks were safe and and took care of people's concerns. It's been a tough goal in the Ottawa area and the You know the challenges on the weekend were yet another difficulty that First responders had to deal with and and the people of Ottawa Vanie as well So I think our heart goes out to everyone and thanks. Thank you My question is for the Premier Earlier this morning. I laid out details of legislation that would ensure municipalities Don't have changes to their governance opposed on them Imposed on them without their consulting consultation or their consent Sadly that hasn't been the reality in Ontario over the last year as the Premier made clear when he cancelled elections in Peel in Toronto, even if it meant bypassing the Constitution and using the notwithstanding Clause so my question is what guarantees do Ontarians have that the Premier won't be doing this again The question is to the Premier Minister of Municipal Affairs Minister of Municipal Affairs and how our government values our municipal partners and we have had and will continue to have a very robust consultation with our stakeholders including the Association of Municipalities of Ontario looking forward to our Monthly meeting at the MOU table Next week and I look forward to continuing to meet with our partners The the regional governments have a meeting next or sorry. They have a meeting this Friday I look forward to engaging with them. I just finished meeting with Lumco a couple of weeks ago as most people in the house Realize and and again speaker our government is committed to consulting with our municipalities We've proven through the MOU table that we're able to have a very robust discussion We'll continue to do so speaker. Thank you supplementary question Well speaker this year the Premier attempted to impose retroactive cuts to municipal services ranging from school breakfast programs to paramedics Which is actually why the minister had to meet with Lumco so that he could backtrack on those odious decisions this week He's ignoring municipal concerns about bill 108 his scheme to let developers override municipal planning and environmental regulations Letters rejecting bill 108 continue to pour in from municipalities across the province I can't imagine Lumco wouldn't have something to say about it Will the government listen to Ontarians municipalities this time and cancel the regressive changes proposed in bill 108 The members of Lumco that we would hope that all 444 municipalities would look to Find efficiencies to help that level of government work more effectively and deliver services as best as they can to Their constituents, but speaker. I want to correct the record in terms of our consultation We can we consulted widely on bill 108 and our more homes more choice Ontario's housing supply action plan we received over 2,000 submissions 85% of those submissions came from the general public in terms of our regional government review We received I believe in excess of 5,000 Submissions from the public through our online portal We continue to consult with municipalities and we've indicated speaker that In terms of bill 108 on the community benefits Authority we will continue to consult with municipalities We will continue to sit across the table from them and get their advice on how to proceed in that section Well speaker the government is once again running roughshod over Ontario's municipalities with bill 108 They've had just one day of hearings and refused to expand those hearings while municipalities Continue to send in concerns by letter to this very day speaker from Durham to Brampton to South Frontenac to Aurora municipalities are passing Resolution speaker asking the government not to move forward with legislation that will revert back to the old OMB model, but the premier of course isn't listening. He won't extend deadlines for comments He won't offer any more time for committee hearings He continues to stonewall Ontario municipalities at every turn and refuses to engage in a meaningful concentration Consultation why is the government once again shutting out Ontario's municipalities and not considering what they have to say? In terms of the community benefits charge, that's exactly what we've indicated We've indicated that we are going to be consulting municipalities on the formula that ultimately is presented again speaker We've consulted Municipalities we've consulted the general public but speaker we have to realize why we tabled bill 108 more homes more choice for too long Speaker government has stood in the way of creating affordable housing options for people in this province We're in a housing crisis in this province, and we have to do something Have to work with all of our partners But make no mistake speaker we're going to continue to consult but we need more housing and more choice now We can't wait another minute the next question the leader of the opposite speaker. Thanks very much My next question is also to the premier, but I have to say there's a crisis in housing affordability speaker And this government is not solving it with their Tomorrow we'll have Government side come to order. Thank you start the clock Tomorrow we'll have a long-awaited opportunity to hear from minister of the minister of health as the Standing Committee on Estimates gets a chance to Review the Ford government's scheme for health care spending cuts But perhaps the premier can get the ball rolling for us today speaker the financial accountability office tells us that the Ontario that Ontario's health budget will be decreased by 2.7 billion dollars over the next two years Can the premier tell Ontarians how many more patients will be stacked up in hallways as a result of these cuts to our Official opposition knows we made a promise to the people of Ontario last year during the last election campaign that we were going to end Hallway health care. We're going to increase the number of long-term care beds We're going to make sure that we created patient-centered health care, and that's what we're we're doing We have actually added 1.3 billion dollars We want to make sure that we're going to end hallway health care. That's one of our key promises right now We have over a thousand patients a day receiving Home health care in a hospital hallway storage rooms in other places that are not acceptable not for patients and not for providers We're going to end that we are increasing spending We know that is an important policy That is an important concept that the people of Ontario expect us to continue health care and education are those two key policies And that's what we're going to deliver Thank you Well speaker I might want to remind the government that their last election campaign Claimed that they were going to make cuts, but they weren't going to touch health care or education so much for that So much for that because in fact the independent Financial accountability office was crystal clear in their report again financial accountability office is independent It's not government spin. It's a person and a group of people that work for the for the public without any bias Ford government is what they what they said is proposing Order to cut house spending to a level that Ontario has only seen once in 40 years During the Mike Harris government of the 1990s during that time Ontario family saw 6,000 nurses fired and 28 hospitals closed has the cut first plan later Government prepared any analysis whatsoever of how this round of cuts will impact front-line health services and staff government side come to order start the clock minister to reply Actually happening here. We are increasing health care spending by 1.3 billion dollars as a result of this budget and Any the financial accountability officer have no quarrel with the report that he's prepared I would suggest though that some of the suggestions that he has made with respect to cuts are actually Accounting differences what's happened at some of the Funds that were accounted for that were appeared to come out Cancer screening budget have actually been transferred to cancer care, Ontario So there are there are differences in the accounting Amount is increased 1.3 billion dollars more going into health care this year Well speaker it seems to me when a government wants to refute an independent officer of the legislature They rely on Accounting differences just like the previous government did now this government's playing the same game But the reality is there are 2.7 billion dollars over two years being cut from our health care budget That's what this government is doing The system of our health care system is facing reckless cuts cuts to children's mental health cuts to cancer screening Speaker cuts to hospital budgets You can't claim to be ending the health health the hallway health care crisis when you're following the lead of Mike Conservatives who created it and the Liberals who made it worse speaker when will this premiere come clean about what he's cutting Well again, let me be clear to the leader of the official opposition. We are increasing health care spending by 1.3 And increase the suggestion with respect to cancer screening I've already explained that has been transferred to cancer care Ontario with respect to mental health and addictions Children mental health again that is money that was promised 58 billion was a million was promised by the previous liberal government That was a fantasy budget as we all know there was no money there There is money in this budget We have spent 18 million dollars of that the rest of the 40 million was never and never actually used because it didn't Exist we are spending money that actually exists in increasing the health care budget by 1.3 billion dollars Member for Waterloo must come to order a member for King Vaughan must come to order All the members must come to order start the clock The next question the leader the opposition Thank You speaker my next question is also to the premier, but I got to say nobody believes this government anymore Talk about a fantasy budget. They had to roll back after budget just a week ago speaker last Friday Stats Canada revealed that for the first time in 40 years The life expectancy of Canadians is declining and the blame for that rests with the opioid crisis speaker Can the premier explain why given the depth of this crisis the government closed overdose prevention sites and is Blocking efforts to establish them in communities where they're desperately desperately needed Mr. Health and long-term care The opioid crisis very seriously that is why when we did our review of the overdose treatment sites last summer and into the fall We took a look at what was actually happening in the centers And that's why we repurposed them to become consumption and treatment sites because of course It's important to save lives to make sure that people that are overdosing receive the care that they need That's important But the other part of it is to help them get the treatment that they need They're not they were not getting the treatment that they needed in the previous centers. That's why we're repurposing them We have opened 15 sites. There are six more yet to be open We are reviewing the applicants under very very strict circumstances to make sure that they are going to be able to provide that Assistance, but they can't everything within the consumption and treatment services sites That's why as part of the 3.8 billion dollars that we have promised that we will spend over the next 10 years on Both mental health and addiction services Thank you. Thank you Well speaker well the government talks about Responding to this crisis their actions on addictions and mental health speak louder than words Closing overdose prevention sites a third $330 million cut to mental health funding a $69 million cut to children's mental health Over a thousand Ontarians died of an overdose last year alone speaker Why is the government moving backwards as this crisis continues to grow and get worse? Minister Well speaker I think it's important to look at the facts of the situation We have pledged and we are spending 1.3 billion dollars more on health services this year in the province of Ontario Including a hundred and seventy four million dollars more on mental health and addiction services We are taking the opioids crisis very seriously that is why we have Set up 15 of the consumption and treatment services sites to help people with overdoses But also help them when they are ready to go into therapy to get the services that they need 174 million more detox beds more community and social services getting people the help that they need in the community So that they don't need to be in crisis response in those situations So they make sure that they get the help that they need to get the services that they need We are going to make sure that we do that. We're reviewing more sites. I think it's important to note. We have open CT Thank you. Thank you very much Question the member for Burlington Question is for the premier It has been almost a year now since the people of Ontario voted for change our government hit the ground running and hasn't stopped since It will be a year this Friday We can earn more than ever to the people of Ontario Promises made promises kept we scrapped the cap and trade carbon tax We're cutting rate red tape and creating good jobs And we're putting money back in people's pockets through tax relief for families with children and for lower-income workers in the province Following the introduction of the bringing choice and fairness to the people last last week Could the premier inform the house of what else our government is doing to fulfill the promises we made to the good people of Ontario? Thank you speaker and I I want to thank the member from Burlington for the question and all the great work she does in Burlington Through you mr. Speaker we made a promise to the people of Ontario and We plan on keeping our promises as we've had kept all our promises all the way since last year It's almost come up to be a year We're going to put beer and wine in the corner stores and big box stores and more grocery stores And I was thinking of our visitor from the United States He's probably sitting up there thinking you got to be kidding me. You don't have beer in a grocery store You don't have wine well I want to say to our friend from the United States We're the only jurisdiction in the entire world That had a short deal from the previous liberal government the liberal lobbyists that made millions of dollars off the backs of the taxpayers Increased the cost of beer at the beer store and mr. And mr. Speaker We're going to make sure people have the convenience when they hold a barbecue to be able to go into the store and actually buy a case of beer Thank you. Thank you And thank you to the premier for his response It is exciting to hear how our government is committed to expanding the sale of beer and wine We all know that consumers small businesses and local breweries all stand to benefit The retail council of Canada says that expanding the market could create up to 9,000 new jobs 3.5 billion to Ontario's GDP it will introduce a much needed competition that will help lead to lower costs for consumers It will provide convenience to responsible adults and support growth in our small businesses from Burlington all the way to Belleville and beyond Clearly the status quo is unacceptable Could the premier explain why bringing fairness fairness to the people is so important to us Premier Thank you speaker, and I want to thank the member for the question once again You've heard our all-star minister of finance Say this and I'll say it again This isn't about just beer and wine. It's not just about choice and convenience This is about fairness It's about the fairness to the retail folks that are out there working all day all night Most people don't realize that the beer store isn't owned by the government It's but it's owned by three global giants Three global giants that don't worry about the people in Ontario. They're worried about putting money in their pockets That's what they're worried about We're worried about the convenience and isn't it amazing mr. Speaker just imagine just imagine But we're gonna do this. Just imagine if all the NDP Opted out Opted out they'd be going crazy their constituents if they ever opted out But we're gonna do that because we're gonna make sure we give your constituents and come thank you The government side come to order The opposition side come to order Member for Essex come to order the premier come to order the minister of natural resources and forestry come to order The member for Essex come to order Member for Hamilton East Stony Creek come to order mr. Government Services come to order Start the clock the member for Davenport Mr. Speaker this question is for the premier Last week Adrian Roberts received a notice that her employment as a teacher at Grand Erie district school board will be terminated on August 31st another sad outcome of this government's cuts to education After Adrian posted her layoff notice on Twitter the premier's office tweeted back condolences Then they blamed the school board for playing politics Speaker the premier's cuts to education and frankly their scheme to jam up to twenty forty kids in Secondary classes means Adrian will be just one of thousands of teachers without a job By the end of this government's term. Let's be clear. She has no choice There are no there is no fairness and there are no choices for these teachers Is the premier finally ready to admit that his cuts to classrooms will mean teachers lose their jobs Minister of Education Minister of Education Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker and every day I'm pleased to stand up in this house and talk about how we are moving forward and making sure that our government continues to display actions and Guaranteed to people across Ontario that the learning environments in the classroom is our number one priority You know, let's take a look at some other information that we're hearing 100% of the Toronto Catholic district school board high school teachers will have a job in September in Lampton Kent We heard Specifically 82 teachers with the Lampton Kent district school board who were rumored to be out of work by the next school Year will be brought back in 2019 and we've also learned that other school boards that are choosing to fear monger Actually need to take a step back. We've asked for boards across this province to work with us But unfortunately, we have just learned that the Toronto district school board instead of investing money in the classroom They're investing money in their own administrative Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you Thank you Supplementary question I should just start by saying that the minister is actually Needs to be corrected on that on that item because in fact if she's doing a great Disturbance of the Toronto district school board. She knows perfectly well that that did not happen and it is not happening Speaker first the premier Blamed parents for skewing the results of this million dollar education Survey I have to ask the member to withdraw I have to ask Unparliamentary comment Speaker First the premier blamed parents for skewing the results of his million dollar education survey Then he blamed students who oppose his plans calling them pawns Then he blamed teachers and education workers calling them union thugs And now this government mr. Speaker is desperate desperate to pin the blame on school boards Anything anything to avoid taking actual responsibility for the deliberate chaos. They are causing in our schools Why won't the premier just be straight with ontarians and admit that this plan means fewer resources fewer class options And fewer jobs for chief Question referred to the minister of education Thank you very much Do you know what I cannot believe mr. Speaker is that we saw it firsthand right here in this house That the member opposite is choosing to support a school board that is not putting money into the classroom And supporting teachers on the front line the fact of the matter Absolutely spinning her wheels because the fact is the facts matter And only when the Toronto district school board got opposition come to order last thursday Because media started inquiring. Did they choose to cancel the contract? Facts matter and you better stick with the facts As you're not getting any previous audits and external reviews have identified Procurement issues with the Toronto district school boards over the recent years speaker. I absolutely appreciate all thank you Thank you. Thank you The next question The member for Ottawa venue Thank you, mr. Speaker My Ottawa community has been affected. So thank you for the paramedics. So who had to be called this weekend My question is for the attorney general I've recognized that Jurisdictional disputes between the federal government and the provincial government should not be born by children The jordan principal appealed by the courts tell us that all first nation children should have equal access to government services And the first government who comes in contact with the child should respond for her needs Children should not be denied while governments bicker about who should pay This government has cancelled the children in transition benefit for children of refugees And the attorney general has said that she believes that it's the federal government that has the obligation to care for these children The convention on the rights of the child says that any government must look after children on its territory Irrespective of the status of its parents Is she holding children hostage in our ongoing battle with the federal government? I'll leave the questions addressed to the attorney general the attorney general And I think the member opposite for the question our government is committed to helping the most vulnerable in our society and we have continued to do that within my ministry, we've With respect, I'm not sure where the the member opposite's question was going. It was a bit circuitous But I can tell you that with respect to funding for legal aid services We are continuing to call on the federal government to meet its responsibilities You know, mr. Speaker the previous government spent billions and billions of dollars On interest expense that it could have spent on helping our most vulnerable in our society Our children they're committed to getting it right We are committed to ensuring that the supports that we do provide to the most vulnerable in our society are sustainable We are taking the time to speak with them We are taking the time to look closely at the books to make sure that we are providing The necessary supports so that when they need them 10 years from now Is still able to provide them instead of paying down even more money in interest expense, mr. Speaker supplementary questions The the children in transition program was a small program that the government's own number said 16 children a month Were being helped by then and they needed that to have access to food and clothing So the the premier said last Friday free the beer as a good the as a good slogan But I think feed the children is also a very good slogan The need for this program is compounded by the cost to legal aid for refugees Because it will take longer for families to actually have access to their status Does the minister not see that the cumulative effect of no representation and no assistance for these children Will jeopardize their start in Ontario and their ability to later become productive members of our society Does she not see that this will be a black mark on our reputation to wage a war with the federal government on the backs of children Will she commit today to tell her colleagues to reinstate the children in transition program? Thank you Again the attorney general to apply the minister of transportation Referred to the minister of transportation Thanks again for that question You know our government for the people is moving forward with social assistance reforms That's going to restore dignity encourage employment and empower the province is most vulnerable to get back to a path towards self reliance, mr. Speaker We are not going to be implementing the changes to the transitional child benefit to first nations in Ontario works We we will not be implemented that way But however, mr. Speaker, we are needing to make changes the Transcendental child benefit provided roughly an average 16,000 recipients with a total expenditure of 67 million dollars Refugee claimants account for almost 50 percent of the total Trial transition child benefit expenditure, but only made up 35 percent of the recipients mr. Speaker We need to ensure that we're able to provide a program to the children of this province In order for them to be supported wholly and mr. Speaker. That's what we're doing We are going to continue within child child benefit programs Respond to ensure that's equal access to get the government support that they need and mr. Speaker filing your taxes allows you to Access the child benefit report by and we'll be increasing the investment by 30. Thank you very much The next question remember for peter bro core Thank you mr. Speaker My question is for the minister of indigenous affairs great minister late last week Our government was made aware of a dire situation in northern Ontario A wildfire began to spread near Pekanjicum first nation On may 29th at 1 30 a.m The community declared a state of emergency because the flames and smoke were coming dangerously close to the community Our government was ready to mobilize the necessary supports for pecanjicum during this crisis Quick ant quick action is incredibly important when the community is threatened by a wildfire Can the minister please tell the members of this house about how our government came to the aid of the people of pecanjicum first nation Minister of indigenous affairs Thank you, mr. Speaker. And I think the first thing that we should say is thank you Thank you to the leadership in pecanjicum chief amanda santa wap And frankly the ministry of natural resources and forestry are pilots workers on the ground with the ministry of transportation of ontario at Uh at the runway there mr. Speaker kept it going. We're pleased to report that 1600 People have been evacuated through The department of national defense hercules planes and some of our own as well as a couple of commercial operators who chipped in mr Speaker and those people are now out in host cities from timmans Cochran smooth rock falls mr. Speaker thunder bay Dryden sue look out and winnipeg mr. Speaker and coordinated efforts on the ground with other officials from other ministries Here in ontario mr. Speaker are making sure that those people are getting the care and follow up that they Deserve mr. Speaker. We're very pleased with the response. It was a frantic thursday Uh after the initial pass from the hercules, but things have gone smoothly since that mr. Supplementary question Thank you mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the minister of indigenous affairs for that response I'd also like to thank the minister of natural resources and forestry for deploying the fire crews to keep this fire at bay I'd like to thank the minister of indigenous affairs for taking such a strong leadership role to coordinate municipalities that were able to house those Are being evacuated from pecanjicum During these challenging emergency situations It's imperative that our government communicates effectively with partners and support providers that play important roles in emergency responses In this case it became clear that an evacuation was going to be necessary Can the minister please tell the members of this house more about our role in helping vulnerable members of the community reach safety Thank you mr. Speaker. It's true that an open line of communication was established very quickly I've had a couple of conversations with leadership on the ground and grand chief elvin fiddler to make sure that Community members that were evacuated mr. Speaker found a safe Place in various cities across northern ontario north western ontario and into manitoba mr. Speaker and that they were well Taking care of we appreciate the provincial emergency operations center some of my staff in particular mr. Speaker in indigenous affairs ontario On thursday afternoon, we assumed mr. Speaker a coordinating role to ensure that all ministries across our government were involved Mr. Speaker in making sure that suppression Activities through the ministry of natural resources and forestry were going on mr. Speaker that the community continued to have a smooth and steady evacuation, you know Is an hour of maintenance required every time one of those hercules landed on on the strip mr. Speaker So this was just an incredible Exercise in a short period of time. We remain committed the threat mr. Speaker that while the fire is suppressed Smoke could turn back on the community and we'll be ready to evacuate any other people that the chief sees fit mr. Speaker Thank you very much Thank you, mr. Speaker my question is for the prime minister For the premier rather More unnecessary cuts to frontline health care resources by abruptly cutting funding for a program to help youth quit smoking Leave the pack behind as it is called is a very successful evidence-based smoking cessation program for youth It is a one million dollars a year investment that page pays huge dividend Speaker tobacco kills 50 percent of their user One in two smokers died of their addiction This health promotion program supports our health care system It's support young ontarians by helping them quit smoking and develop healthier habits Why is the premier cutting such an important program? The questions to the premier minister health or to the minister of health and long-term care I think the member very much for the question it is very important to help youth and and other people who wish to Quit smoking to do so But I think it is important to note that no one pulled funding on this What actually happened was the previous government had given them a One-year program that they decided not to continue with and we continued with that So there's no pulling funding. There's no cutting involved here. This is just something that wasn't renewed It wasn't renewed under the previous government and it's continued with us But it is important to make sure that there are programs that are there to help young people who want to quit smoking We still have a number of programs out there the stop program at kmh The ottawa model for smoking cessation at the university of ottawa heart institute And a smokers helpline that any ontarian can access regardless of age or location Among many others that I could go into in this supplemental Thank you supplementary question To the leaf the pack program has been in place for 19 years It is very effective and the funding is not flowing this year It has flown for the last 19 years the canadian long association released a report a few days ago That says that the government is not doing enough to reduce tobacco use It talks about the troubling rate of young people starting to vape for the first time in decades The smoking rates are going up not down. So what does this government do? Well, it passes legislation that allows tobacco company to directly market vaping products to the public On school campuses or across the streets from high school Marketing is very effective speaker in my writing 50 percent of high school high school student None of them over the age of 18 are vaping Why is the premier making it easier for tobacco company to sell their vaping and smoking products to young people in ontario? Well once again, it's important to note that the original program the member referred to was Started to be wound down in 2017 and that has continued But again, it's important to to realize recognize that there are many other programs That are out there to help young people and anyone who wishes to stop smoking in addition to the ones that I've already mentioned to you There are the public health unit stop on the road the smokers helpline I referred to lakehead university moving on to being free Cancer care ontario aboriginal tobacco program Aboriginal health access centers healthy eating active living Ontario federation of indigenous friendship centers urban aboriginal healthy living program As well as the work that's being done at camh. So there are a number of programs out there They are available for people across ontario that wish to stop smoking And so we urge anybody who is interested to be in contact with one of those programs for that assistance Thank you the next question the member for kitchen iconist older Well, thank you, mr. Speaker My question is for the minister of infrastructure Our government is committed to putting the people at the center of every decision we make And we are protecting what matters most in my riding and across ontario health and safety matters The minister has spent hours on the road announcing Great projects across rural ontario and he's seen firsthand the critical road and bridge infrastructure that our communities needed most While ontario launches the most ambitious infrastructure program in history. Mr. Speaker Prime minister Justin Trudeau is saying the province is not at the table and i'm baffled by this criticism Would the minister please tell us about what our government is doing for rural ontario Questions to the minister of infrastructure Well, thank you very much mr. Speaker and thank you to the member for that excellent and very important question I echo the members concerned for crucial health and safety project Projects across rural and northern ontario Trudeau's comments are simply baffling mr. Speaker to say we are stalling on our infrastructure commitments is dead wrong As the auditor general senate and parliamentary budget officer have all said the federal record on the Infrastructure file is poor in fact mr. Speaker billions of dollars Went missing under justin trudeau's watch Mr. Speaker we have our priority straight in ontario while the federal liberals are focused on the election season I'm focused on the construction season That's why mr. Speaker We've nominated 49 rural and northern road and bridge projects to ottawa And you know what mr. Speaker not a single one has been approved by justin trudeau and kitchens conestoga This includes flasco street south bridge in the township of woowich Mr. Speaker our government was at work on sunday to put the people first I'm calling on justin trudeau to reflect this commitment and approve these projects. Thank you Thank you speaker and thank you minister for that excellent answer There you are When it comes to vital infrastructure investments, it's important that we get it right And as a caucus we're encouraged by the constant flow of great announcements from the minister of infrastructure For my riding the most important has been crucial transit infrastructure That allows my constituents to travel safely Speaker our government was elected on a mandate to open ontario for business and to get this province moving Despite having nominated five gta transit projects that my constituents desperately need The federal government chooses to pick a fight Instead of picking up a shovel But the minister of infrastructure tell us more about how we're putting this province back on track and helping municipalities get moving Very much to the member for that great question. Mr. Speaker for months We've heard the federal government ask us to send them projects for approval They even said that ontario's priorities were their priorities on may 15th We nominated our 54th project to the federal government The ball is clearly now in their court and these are important projects. Mr. Speaker We have now nominated five gta transit projects, which will require a combined $28.5 billion of which we are committing 11.2 billion dollars This is funding for five new transit infrastructure projects in the gta including the ontario line the young north extension The blurry young enhancement project three stops scarborough subway extension and the smart track station program The liberals are desperately trying to change a channel from their scandal plague government in ottawa Mr. Speaker my message to justin trudeau is clear put your money where your mouth is and mr. Getting Restart the clock the next question the member for Essex Thank you very much speaker my question is the premier speaker family's watching the raptors this week on tv Had a lot to cheer for but when the commercial breaks came they also had a lot to Cheer basically seeing that their money was wasted on governments The government's latest latest partisan ad campaign speaker can the premier tell us how much the taxpayers of ontario Are paying for the prime time advertising spot? The question is to the pre Order to mr. Venerja the deputy premier refer to the minister of energy one thing that we know The taxpayers are paid somewhere north of 3.5 million dollars for the federal government to send postcards to everybody That they'd be getting 307 dollars Uh net benefit mr. Speaker order job killing regressive carbon tax now isn't that something mr. Speaker We heard from air canada that they have not even begun to see how much of an impact this tax is going to have On the price per ticket mr. Speaker We know that we're at a meeting last week uh down in chattam mr. Speaker great mpp down there standing up for folks in an iron industrial conservation initiative consultations on the price of electricity all the talk was about Killing carbon tax mr. Speaker why it's contributing for example to the highest cost Kilogram of chicken for chicken farmers mr. Speaker we won't we won't stand for that mr. Speaker the people of ontario deserve to know How much this tax is costing them? Thank you, mr. Opposition has to come to order Supplementary question Ministers seem to forget the money that pays for these ads are not their money speaker It belongs to the people of the province speaker the same premier who says that there's no money to keep teachers in the classroom To help children with autism or to end hallway medicine finds plenty of cash when it's time to get his partisan campaign Ads on the air speaker How can the premier tell children with autism to wait for treatment or tell seniors that have the that are in the hallway That that's good enough for them speaker while he's authorizing multimillion dollar Ad buys for his own partisan purposes Thank you, mr. Speaker last Last week we had an opportunity to identify just exactly how much this tax was going to be costing Healthcare in Essex mr. Order. Let's take a look at Windsor west ground effects They make automotive products here mr. Speaker and the estimated add-on by suppliers mr. Speaker in 2019 as a result of this job Killing carbon taxes 1.5 million dollars in 2019 aggregate to 3.9 million dollars in 2020 22 mr. Speaker add on the 3.5 million dollars that the federal government has sent has spent to send their postcards around I suspect the people in Essex are getting a little bit anxious about how much this tax is really going to cost them That's why mr. Speaker this question is sticking around We're going to make sure mr. Speaker that at those pumps There's a sticker to remind the people of Essex and across the province ontario How much this job killing regressive carbon tax is costing them their families our businesses and our employers mr. Speaker Order Order Restart the clock the next question the member for sous-saint marie Thank you, mr. Speaker. My question is for the minister of natural resources and forestry Our government is committed to making ontario open for business and open for jobs Across northern ontario thousands of ontarians and their families depend on the forestry sector to put food on the table The forestry sector harvests a truly renewable resource Workers in this sector are excellent stewards of our natural resources planting an average of 68 million trees every year through reforestation efforts Last week the minister was in timmons and hearst meeting directly with industry and other stakeholders Can the minister please update the house on what he is hearing from stakeholders as we rebuild the forestry sector in ontario The minister of natural resources and forestry Thank you very much speaking. I thank the great member from sous-saint marie for the question We had a great trip to hearst and timmons last week and it's encouraging to see The great work being done as the sector continues to innovate Last thursday had the opportunity to tour columbia forest products plywood mill in hearst where our government's investment of 3.2 million dollars over the next five years will help create and retain Nearly 350 well-paying jobs in that community Later in the day, I took part in our final forestry round table with stakeholders from the broader forestry sector This was the final one as we developed a new provincial forestry strategy And I look forward to speaking more about the feedback we received from stakeholders in the supplementary We are behind forestry in the ford government Well, thank you, uh, mr. Speaker and thank you to the minister for that excellent answer I know that he has been working very hard on the development of a new provincial forestry strategy Having held round tables all across the province After 15 years of the previous liberal government favoring special interest groups And neglecting the hardworking ontarians who make their livings in the forestry sector It is encouraging to see that the sector is confident in our government's plan to make ontario open for business And open for jobs Now that the forestry round tables have been completed Can the minister please update the house on what he has heard from the sector through the process of developing a new provincial forestry strategy Thank you very much. Thank the member for the supplementary as well And we did hear we have heard from the forestry sector of how the previous government viewed their sector as a sunset industry That was on its way out. We believe the best days for forestry are ahead We've heard from the crucial needs for forestry access roads Which I was pleased to announce earlier this year that we were continuing funding of 54 million dollars a year for that program The bill's biggest challenge facing this industry is access to wood access to wood and access to wood the three biggest problems And our new forestry strategy as we develop is going to address that so that the forestry of tomorrow Will be a forest industry that people's children will be able to get good jobs in because we are not ignoring it It is a great industry and his best days are ahead of it if the government is doing the right thing Thank you. The next question the member for brampton center. Thank you speaker My question is to the deputy premier The cuts to legal aid ontario will prevent the most vulnerable ontarians from accessing justice here in our province These cuts hit communities that struggle the most Individuals our province should actually be helping mr. Speaker For example the south asian legal clinic of ontario who serves clients across the province and including in my city of brampton Worked on behalf of a client named sapphia a tenant who has had significant mental health and physical health disabilities Her landlord was actually trying to evict her from her unit with legal supports sapphia Without legal support. She would have been evicted leading to homelessness mr. Speaker But because of the support through the legal aid clinic sapphia was able to stay in her unit and the landlord tenant and tenant board ruled in her favor And they've actually modified her unit since then to accommodate for her disability Speaker Why is the premier making it impossible for ontarians like sapphia to receive the legal aid they need? The deputy premier to the attorney general refer to the attorney general Thank you, mr. Speaker Your speaker over the last five years Over the last five years, mr. Speaker We saw the prior government spending more and more money Without seeing the results that the people who need the services and the ontario taxpayer taxpayers should expect We have to make sure that legal aid is focused on providing the legal representation To the to get legal advice to those people who need it when they need it and where they need it Legal aid this year will have a budget of over 400 million dollars. Mr. Speaker and even more if the federal government Pays its fair share for the services that it's responsible for but i have been very clear mr. Speaker The legal aid has also stated very clearly that front line services will continue to remain strong So people like savia will be able to go to the south asian legal clinic and get the services she needs response Lawyers may not welcome this era of new Accountability at legal aid mr. Speaker Thank you very much Supplementary question Thank you speaker The premier has repeatedly promised that no job losses will happen to front line services But that simply is not true despite even what the attorney general is seeing here in this house today This province is legal aid lawyers legal workers and support staff now find their their jobs actually on the chopping block Mr. Speaker low income ontarians receive legal aid because of the work that these individuals do for the most vulnerable people Here in our province community legal aid clinics already operate Slim budgets and they are running their their operations as effectively and efficiently as they possibly can Even minor budget cuts will mean job losses and reduction of front line services again Mr. Speaker to the most vulnerable people here in our province Will the premier reverse these cuts cruel and devastating cuts to legal aid Before it's too late and he's telling us no so we'll make sure we get that on the record No the premier will not reverse the cuts Attorney general Mr. Speaker I have been very clear Those people in Ontario who need and cannot afford legal representation will be able to continue to go to legal aid And get those front line services Our government is committed to ensuring that the legal services are there for those who need it when and where The ministry of the attorney general is working very closely with legal aid itself with clinics With stakeholders across the justice sector to make sure that legal aid is providing those that legal representation in the most efficient way possible Hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent on legal aid Ontario taxpayers now know that it's being done in an efficient way while we are still ensuring that those who need Legal representation will be able to get it Mr. Speaker legal aid is great work to ensure that the rep of the clinics and the representation that people are seeking Is available and they will continue to do so. Mr. Speaker the mdp should stop Telling people that they will not be able to get those services because they will continue to be able to go to legal aid Thank you the next question the member from mississauga east coxville. Thank you very much, mr. Speaker My question is to the minister of government and consumer services last week the minister announced at the Open government summit in Ottawa the results of our government's public consultation or on our data strategy Mr. Speaker i've heard from many ontarians about the importance of protecting their personal data as well as we live in a world That is increasingly driven by the use of data More than ever before data is used not only by businesses But also by governments to ensure the public is receiving the services they need in a timely fashion Recognizing this it is of paramount importance that our government develops a provincial data strategy That protects ontarians privacy I know that our government has been listening to ontarians on this issue Mr. Speaker could the minister please outline the key findings of our government's public consultation. Thank you Thank you speaker and through you I want to thank my honorable colleague for his question And the great representation on behalf of the people of mississauga east coxville Our government recognized that the tremendous economic Potential of emerging data technologies needs to be balanced with thoughtful and robust protections for the privacy and personal data of all Ontarians we believe that ontarians deserve to know and consent to how their data is collected and used and by whom Mr. Speaker through public consultations on our government data strategy We heard that 79 percent of respondents believe data about people and businesses in ontario Need stronger protection We heard that a majority of respondents indicated they would like the government to responsibly share more of its own data with businesses To help them create new jobs products and services for ontarians And we heard a majority of respondents also believe sharing data among ministries will help streamline and improve interaction between citizens government Mr. Speaker these results make it clear that while citizens understand the benefits of sharing data Our provincial data strategy must ensure personal privacy protection is paramount And we are committed to do just that to the best of our ability. Thank you speaker Thank you supplementary Thank you, mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the minister for his response I'm very pleased to hear that our government is taking a proactive approach to protecting ontarians Mr. Speaker the federal government has recently released their their digital charter It is disappointing that the federal government has taken their entire four year mandate to take action on this important issue one that took our government only 10 months to address One example that shows canadian need clear rights and protection is smart cities Smart cities are not new in fact. They are being developed across ontario But these smart cities are moving forward without a policy framework Last fall the auditor general reminded our government that a policy framework is needed to guide future developments of smart cities in ontario Mr. Speaker could the minister outline our government's smart city framework and how we will balance the needs of business and governments While protecting ontarians data. Thank you Thank you speaker My colleagues from mississauga east cucksville raises a very important point smart cities are not new In fact, they're being developed across from chiral including right here in toronto That's why we're developing a framework that will require smart cities and the companies that create them To guarantee that in terms of privacy and personal data are protected managed responsibly and kept secured Put people first by ensuring that in terms of the primary beneficiaries and valued partners in the opportunities created by the project Create responsible and good governance systems that are democratic accountable and transparent An act leading best technical practices that ensure chosen technologies use open software and open standards and are secure interoperable locally procured flexible durable and scalable And educate the public on the risks associated with the project and provide meaningful opportunities for local residents To participate and engage in the creation of the smart city. Mr. Speaker This will ensure our province is open for business Respond protecting the terms. Thank you speaker. Thank you. The next question the member of thunder bay atta koken Thank you speaker. My question is for the premier Last week the government Put cuts to municipalities on the back burner But as we speak retroactive cuts to conservation authorities are still going ahead The ravages of climate crisis is evident all around us and conservation authorities are trying to respond To record flooding in our watersheds with less resources than they had before These cuts put communities at risk When will this government reverse cuts to the natural hazard management grant project? Protect communities and increase funding for all the vital work that conservation authorities do Through you mr. Mr. Speaker I want to thank the member for her Question Well, I guess the when they were lounging around the pool on the weekend my minister natural resources is actually out out working Working his back off with conservation authority officers So my minister decided to give me a call on I believe it was saturday minister and and put me on the phone with two conservation officers Can you hold my time for a minute? So Mr. Speaker he called me up I answered the phone like I try to no matter whose calls Pick pick it up and it was the minister on the phone. He passed the phone to the two conservation officers I spoke to each one individually. They are as happy as punch with this government. They thank me profusely over How about more conservation officers and I'll tell you they they absolutely love this government I love those conservation officers. They do a great job. They're out there working. Thank you Well, uh, thank you. This is to the premier as well conservation officers are not the same as conservation authorities and The conservation authorities have had their funding cut. I don't know if you know the difference Another program that's been cut is the summer employment opportunities youth employment program Its funding has been cut by the ministry of natural resources This program helps conservation authorities employ and mentor youth And young people gain Relevant experience for their careers Why did this government cut the youth employment program? Questions to the premier minister natural resources and it's referred to the minister of natural resources I thank the premier for taking that call from my conservation officers the other day I said to the member. Thank you for the question But we have spoken about this before we have asked conservation authorities to focus on their core mandate Not the con not the these creep the mission creep that they have brought upon themselves over the last number of decades We've said focus on why you were brought into this province in the first place The province's funding averages about eight percent to conservation authorities of their actual of their total funding in some cases It's less than two and a half percent But let's talk about what's been going on in some of them as the auditor general pointed out There was one conservation authority that Their administrative spending went up by 48 While watershed services Was down by 18 percent That's why we're saying to conservation authorities Get back to what the purpose was in the initial why you initiated in the first place Concentrate on your core mandate and look for some savings. Thank you. Thank you Includes the time for question period this morning pursuant to standing order 38 a The member for Davenport has given notice of her dissatisfaction with the answer to her question given by the minister of education Concerning the loss of teacher jobs. This matter will be debated tomorrow at 6 p.m The minister of municipal affairs and housing has informed me that he has a point of order Thanks, speaker. Um, I want to introduce to you and through you two members of the legislative assembly Uh representatives from my girl's government from the riding along with representatives from girl's inc. Welcome to queen's park Thank you the member for hamilton melvin. Uh, thank you very much. Mr. Speaker I wasn't able to do some introductions early. Uh, so beg your indulgence Some autism parents and advocates are with us once again today Angela brandt amy maldesky and her son jacob and stacey kennedy I'd also like to give a warm welcome to uh, some friends who have joined us from simcoe north today I know one of my colleagues has introduced them already, but uh, like I said, they're friends elizabeth vanhout denis ruzzo and zoey Rizzo Are the family of ariana our page uh, rizzo, and they're joined by their friend, uh, riley marrick Welcome to queen's park The member for dawn valley north on a point of order Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Spickham. I guess just come to the house. Welcome to quespa You know the third votes this house stands in recess until 1 p.m