 It's now time for all questions and I recognize the member for Toronto Danforth. Thank you Speaker. My question to the Premier, earlier this morning government members on the Standing Committee on Public Accounts voted down a measure to have the auditor conduct a complete review of the Premier's plan to scrap renewable energy contracts. Conservative members have also blocked efforts to have the Assembly request a review. And the Premier himself has refused to make the request. The price tag for this mess has already ballooned from zero to two hundred and thirty-one million dollars. Why is the Premier unwilling to allow a transparent review? Thank you. The question is addressed to the Premier. Minister of Energy. The Minister of Energy, the Northern Government. Mr. Speaker, when the government tabled the 2018-19 public accounts, the auditor in fact reviewed our allocation for the wind down of these projects and speaking to the media yesterday, she stated that her office, quote, already looked at the costs associated with the cancellation of the contracts. The audit looked at all of the big contracts, a sample of a number of smaller deals to determine whether the government's calculations were reasonable. The auditor self concluded, and I quote directly, based on the review of the contracts and estimates of the payment, I find the audit to be clean. Mr. Speaker, the auditor reaffirmed her position this morning at committee. Thank you. The supplementary question, forward and forth. Thank you, Speaker. Again to the Premier. It wasn't that long ago that government members, now government members, were sitting in the public accounts committee demanding the auditor look into the liberal gas plant scandal. At the time, the now Minister of Economic Development said, quote, the auditor needs to have that opportunity to let us know what's going on. At the time, the now deputy Premier was on hand in that same committee echoing those same concerns. And at the time, the now Premier was calling into AM radio stations saying they're hoodwinking the people of Ontario. Now, just like the Liberals, the Conservatives seem to prefer hoodwinking over transparency. Why? Remember to withdraw, withdraw, withdraw. And place this question. Now just like the Liberals, why is it that the Conservatives prefer the liberal method of dealing with these questions? Why is that? Mr. Speaker, here's some interesting context. The Green Energy Act, of course, which gave rise to the 750 projects that we cancelled, turns out that the NDP voted in favour of the Green Energy Act that forced unnecessary renewable projects onto unwilling communities at a price that they couldn't afford. Ninety communities passed motions to declare themselves unwilling to host the Green Energy Act, Billings Township in Algoma, Manitoulin, LaSalle in Windsor Essex, the entire region of Niagara, the former Mayor of Warwick, Todd Case, declared his community an unwilling host then, retired after 18 years to run for the Ontario NDP in the 2018 election. And sadly, he lost. He didn't get elected, his party didn't stand for what he believed in, Mr. Speaker. Why won't they support us in getting rid of expensive contracts that made our system more complex and more expensive, Mr. Speaker? A hundred percent. A final supplementary. A final supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Again to the Premier, at a time when the rest of the world is rushing to embrace renewable energy, the Ford government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars tearing it down and quoting climate change deniers while they do it. And if that wasn't bad enough, they are doing everything they can to ensure that families stuck with the bill don't know the real cost. If the Premier is proud of this mess, why is he afraid of a review? Wow, Mr. Speaker, you know, we spent last week in the early part of this week going through all of the increases from 2005 to 2015, a whopping 22 percent in one year that nobody knew about, Mr. Speaker. The thing is, is that the former Liberal government was in cahoots with the NDP, Mr. Speaker, and nobody could see this on their bill. That's why we follow the Auditor General's recommendations to ensure, Mr. Speaker, that it was very clear on people's bill how much this subsidy cost, Mr. Speaker, moving forward in a fully transparent manner and moving forward, Mr. Speaker, ensuring that we remove all the pressures on this incredibly complex and costly system all because of the official opposition and their support for the previous Liberal government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The next question, once again, the members of Toronto, again. Thank you, Speaker, again to the Premier. For over a week, the Premier has insisted that the hundreds of millions of dollars he spent cancelling clean energy contracts and tearing down wind farms would bring down hydro bills. It was only last year that he promised to reduce rates by 12 percent. Can the Premier explain why the rates keep going up? Questions to the Premier? Well, through you, Mr. Speaker, I just want to remind the opposition leader and the Liberals, they put us in a spot that were the most uncompetitive energy costs in North America. 300,000 manufacturing jobs left Ontario because of the NDP and the Liberals. As I said the other day, there's never been a larger transfer of wealth from the hard-working taxpayers, ratepayers of this province, and small businesses from this Green Energy Act. I call it the Green Energy Scam. People made hundreds of millions of dollars, Mr. Speaker, off the backs of this big scam they came up with. We're saving hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars on energy right across the board. That's why we created 252,400 jobs since we've been elected. A supplementary question. Well, I'm sure the Premier was of the same opinion when he promised to reduce rates by 12 percent, which he has not done. Throughout the week, we've been raising concerns of Ontario families feeling squeezed by high hydro rates. Linus Hill, the senior from London Fanshawe, who reads by candlelight and wears a coat inside her house to avoid using electricity. Dawn Van Nostrand, a retiree on a fixed income who has seen her bills climb by 7 percent. When the Premier promised they would come down by 12 percent. When will we see the reduction that the Premier promised? Premier? Again, Mr. Speaker, I just want to remind the opposition the reason the hydro rates are at the rate right now is because of them. Because of all the backroom deals and all the plethora insiders, hundreds of millions of dollars on the backs of the ratepayers. That's the reason this happened, and we will make sure we hit our 12 percent reduction before the end of this term, as we promised. We're driving efficiencies through this province. Our province is booming. The leading North America in economic growth in jobs, our province is booming. We don't have enough people to fill all the jobs that we have here in Ontario because of the policies that we put forward in the House here, but we're going to continue to make sure that people thrive, prosper and grow in Ontario. The final supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Again to the Premier. Unfortunately for the Premier, denying climate change and tearing down wind farms is not an effective way to drive down hydro bills. In fact, it wastes hundreds of millions of dollars and has left seniors like Don and Glennis paying more. Is the Premier ready to admit he has no plan to deliver on his promise of a 12 percent reduction? Premier, to reply. Well, let me first address this first question, Mr. Speaker. We're leading Canada in emissions reductions at 22.5 percent because of the great environmental plan that we have, they're going to make sure we have clean air, clean lake, clean rivers, clean parks. We're leading the country. We're going to hit our 30 percent, and hopefully, Mr. Speaker, we'll exceed the 30 percent target from Paris Accord 2030. We're well on our way, and again, I'm so proud of our environmental policies, but you don't have to tax the hardworking people in this province to be environmentally friendly. That's what they believe in, Mr. Speaker. The next question to Member for Brampton Centre. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. On Monday, this legislature unanimously passed an important motion declaring Ontario's opposition to Quebec's Bill 21. A ban on religious symbols in public service that is discriminatory and violates people's basic human rights. The motion calls on this government to formally inform the government of Quebec that this is a discriminatory bill, and it must be repealed. The Premier will be meeting with Quebec Premier Francois Legault this Friday. Can the Premier assure us that this motion, which was passed unanimously here in the Assembly of Ontario, will be a topic of discussion? The question is addressed to the Premier. Host Leader. The host leader. Order. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question from the Honourable Member. Look, Mr. Speaker, this House has spoken unanimously on two occasions on this matter. The Premier has spoken on behalf of the government on multiple occasions on this matter, Mr. Speaker. I think our opinions on this are very clear during the debate. I thought it was a very respectful, remarkable debate, really, in many aspects, Mr. Speaker. We're not going to continue to play politics on this. I think the House has spoken clearly, and I think that message has gone through. Thank you. The supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and through you to the Government House Leader. The question is for the Premier, and the House has spoken, but we need the Premier to speak up. The Premier's office has no intention of discussing this legislature's concerns about Bill 21 when he meets Premier Legault this week. Silence is simply not an option when basic human rights in this country are at stake, Mr. Speaker. The Premier knows this House unanimously passed our motion to condemn Bill 21. The Premier should also know that religious discrimination in all its forms has no place here in Ontario or anywhere else in this country. Speaker, the Premier needs to take a stand. This legislature has unanimously demanded that he take a stand. Why won't he do that? The question you can refer to the Government House Leader. The Premier has spoken multiple times on this and has expressed our opinions clearly on this matter. The Premier has said on multiple occasions that a law like this would never have a place in the province of Ontario. I'm not sure how much clearer he can be than that. He's spoken on two occasions unanimously, Mr. Speaker. And we are now going to move forward. The opinions of this House on two occasions, the opinion of this Premier on multiple occasions on this topic, have been well known, Mr. Speaker. But at the same time, we heard a number of remarkable speeches, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Small Business, who talked about being the first turban-wearing Sikh to being cabinet, Mr. Speaker, who fled the Soviet Union to come to Canada, Mr. Speaker. Those are the types of people that we have in this process. We heard from a member of Milford, who talked about his family leaving to come to a great place, Mr. Speaker. That's what we want to talk about. We want to go and unify the country, not what divides the country. We hope that the opposition would actually join us. Stop the clock. I apologize to the Government House Leader for having to interrupt. I couldn't hear what he was saying. Start the clock. The next question, the member for Oakville. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was a pleasure to speak here today and to ask a question to the Premier. Premier, recently our government made an announcement in support of dental care for seniors. In my writing, many seniors who I have spoken with have raised concern for the last 15 years, the previous government neglected them and ignored their contributions and made life harder. Whether it was increasing electricity costs that forced many individuals to choose between heating and eating or long-term health care waitlines, our government values the contributions that seniors have made for the betterment of our province. Can you elaborate on the support we are providing for seniors as part of this new dental program? Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the all-star MPB from Oakville. He's as popular as anything else, and Oakville, by the way, leading the province. Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank the great leadership from our Minister of Health and our Minister of Seniors and Accessibility on this file here. They're doing an incredible job. As part of our plan to end hallway health care, Mr. Speaker, we're investing in programs that keep seniors healthy in their communities longer. Each year, more than 60,000 seniors show up to emergency departments for help on dental pain and infection. That's unacceptable. But, Mr. Speaker, we're changing that. We're going to make sure that we deliver great dental plan for over 100,000 seniors of low income. We're spending over $90 million to help seniors that they don't have to show up to the emergency room. They can go to their dentist and actually get proper dental care and not worry about a whopping bill. Anyways, we'll talk more on the second question. Supplementary question. Thank you again, Mr. Speaker. And again, my question to the Premier, and I thank the Premier for that answer. As has been previously reported, at least two-thirds of low-income seniors do not have access to proper dental insurance. As a result, untreated oral health issues can lead to chronic disease and lower the quality of life. This is a shocking statistic and speaks to the immediate action that needs to be taken by our government. For far too long, senior health care concerns were considered an afterthought by the previous government. I am proud of the actions and the investments that our government is making to lead the way on this very important issue. Premier, can you describe further on what is provided in this program and other supports our government is committing to seniors of this province? I'd like to thank the member for his question. Mr. Speaker, do you know what's ironic? Is the NDP voted against the seniors on this bill? It's absolutely staggering. They don't want to take care of seniors. We want to take care of seniors. I was shocked, actually, they voted against it. But again, Mr. Speaker, we're delivering to 100,000 low-income seniors $90 million of dental care. And the services covered will include examinations, oral surgery, X-rays, and repairs for broken teeth and cavities. This builds upon the other supports we're providing for seniors, which include the Seniors Community Grant Program funding. That's an important funding mechanism that seniors can go out and have programs up to $25,000 per project that encourages activity. Seniors Active Living Center programs, again, community-based non-residential programs that promote active living. That's about over 300 programs. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Davenport. Thank you. Good morning, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Since day one, this government has tried to drive a wedge between parents, students, and the people who deliver their education. This week, as teachers take job action, parents and students are showing that that tactic won't work. Mr. Ottawa told the CBC, and I quote, I think there are many other areas where the government could explore if it wished to do so, not least of which would be not cancelling a bunch of green energy projects at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars. Speaker, parents and students are standing shoulder to shoulder with teachers to defend public education. Why won't the Premier do the same thing? Questions addressed to the Premier? Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to renewing schools in this province. The member will know that of the green fund that was created, 97 cents the dollar was expended to help improve public schools that was left out of the question, but what was also left out of the question is the fact that our government has invested $550 million this year alone to improve schools and to build new schools. In addition to maintaining over a billion dollars in renewal funding, because after 15 years of the Liberals having left so many schools in a place of disrepair, we are investing in our schools. We are updating our curriculum, and we're giving hope to young people to achieve their full potential in this province. Supplementary questions. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to go back to the Premier again. Parent organizations are springing up across the province. Groups like the Ontario Parent Action Network, which started right here in Toronto, are helping push back against the government's agenda of cuts, breaking down misinformation and distributing information online. As one parent in my community put it, if you care about your kids, you need to care about their teachers. Speaker, with 10,000 teaching positions on the chopping block and the 60,000 courses that are going to go with them, it is no surprise that Ontarians are pushing back. Will the Minister of Education and the Premier take a break from their daily press conferences and start repairing some of the damage that their failed policies have caused? Mr. Speaker, the government's aim is to keep kids in class by getting good negotiated settlements. This morning, the press conference that was noted in a pejorative way was actually to announce five steps were taken to counter the scourge of bullying in this province. Mr. Speaker, we announced that Christina Modest, the MPP, will be from Scarborough Centre. A former teacher will lead initiatives and work to counter bullying in our schools. We announced a province-wide survey to empower students to have a say and to share their voice and their narrative. We announced new training for education workers, professional development to help reduce the scourge of bullying and de-escalate these situations. We announced a review of school reporting practices of bullying in schools and public and Catholic schools. And we announced an evaluation of the definition of bullying. These are the initiatives we're taking to improve safety. And I'd hope every member of this legislature would stand with our government to keep our children safe. Next question, a member for Scarborough Guildwood. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Climate scientists have long estimated that Canada is warming at a rate twice as fast as the rest of the world. Yesterday, the UN released an even further damning report on the inaction of G20 countries, including Canada. It is now clear that the target set in 2015 will be insufficient to prevent catastrophic warming. Mr. Speaker, our communities are already feeling the effects of climate change. Floodings due to rising lake levels, extreme weather, fires, are undermining the well-being of our communities. And yet, we're the lucky ones. In the global south, by 2050, it is estimated that due to heat, drought, and rising sea levels, these places will become uninhabitable. Speaker, through you to the Premier. We are global citizens, and it is our civic duty to take action. Does this Premier and his government believe that climate change is real and what are they going to do to respond? The question is addressed to the Premier, Minister of Environment. Mr. Speaker, and before I answer the question, I just want to say hello to Warren Scott and Daryl Smith who are here from the St. Thomas Fire Department. Thanks for being here today. But listen, Mr. Speaker, I'm not sure where the member opposite's coming from. Her government set the targets that we're agreed upon in Paris for 2030 targets, and we're way on our way to making sure we reach those targets, Mr. Speaker. We have an environment plan in Ontario that we put forward, a living document that we're hoping for others to join in. A member from the Green Party, Mr. Speaker, has numerous times spoken to us about helping us develop a plan for the environment, Mr. Speaker. The NDP have yet to come forward with a plan, Mr. Speaker. They said maybe sometime next year they might have something. It's 2019, Mr. Speaker. It's time to have action on climate, and that is what we're doing through our environmental plan, Mr. Speaker, by increasing the renewables and our fuels, to have an impact assessment across this province, to see how the climate change is going to affect our province, and we can take hold and take focus on how we're going to deal with that, Mr. Speaker. A supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And indeed, we did commit to the Paris Agreement in 2016. Canada affirmed its commitment, but yet this government, Mr. Speaker, has put our plans in reverse. By its actions, it has weakened our commitments to those targets. Today, the youth of this province are taking this government to court because of its inaction on climate change and its refusal to acknowledge that we are in a climate crisis, and we must respond now. Mr. Speaker, through you to the minister, will this minister take these ambitious targets seriously and make sure that Ontario does its part once again to address the issues of climate change and stop denying that it's occurring and making sure that we take this seriously in our policies and in our programs and in our response? Thank you. The minister to reply. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thank the member opposite. Again for that question, and I advise her to Google or internet search, contact my office. We'll send you a copy of our main Ontario Environment Plan, which is doing just that. It's taking action, working on the success of our goals to reach the 30% targets. Ontario leads the way. We're already 22% below the 2005 emission targets in this province, Mr. Speaker. Again, I'll add in. We've added working towards 15% renewable content in our gasoline, which will lower emissions, Mr. Speaker. We have finalized our emissions performance standards for large industrial emitters to ensure polluters are accountable for the greenhouse gas emissions. We're waiting for the federal government to act and approve that, Mr. Speaker. We've issued green bonds of $1.7 billion to capitalize on provincial's ability to raise funds to deal with climate change. Mr. Speaker, we've announced $30 billion to build new subways in the city of Toronto. That alone will reduce emissions by a million times when we work. And, Mr. Speaker, we are doing our work. Bring us more ideas, Mr. Speaker. That's what I ask the members opposite. Let's work together in a nonpartisan faction and clean up our environment. Thank you. Next question, the member for Perry Sound, Muscolka. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. Mr. Speaker, agriculture creates amazing opportunities for economic growth and innovative ways for farmers to create economic solutions for a variety of issues. I'm encouraged that our government is supporting these opportunities through the proposed changes and rules surrounding the biogas sector. Last week, our government launched consultations to identify ways farmers in Ontario can expand the emerging renewable natural gas market. Can the Minister explain why he's looking at making these changes? Questions to the Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member from Perry Sound, Muscolka for that great question. Mr. Speaker, agriculture in Ontario is an exciting frontier for innovation, creative economic, and environmental solutions. That's why we announced that our government will launch consultations to identify ways in which farmers can expand the emerging natural gas market that would make Ontario a North America leader in the biogas sector. These consultations will focus on identifying potential changes that would enable the biogas sector to access new markets for renewable natural gas through red tape reduction. We want these consultations to pinpoint the potential changes that could enable Ontario's $35 million a year biogas sector to grow by 50% over five years. Mr. Speaker, this is an exciting time for agriculture in Ontario. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for his response. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to seeing the many innovative ways in which Ontario can expand its biogas sector. The best part is that we can stimulate economic growth in this sector by cutting red tape and helping the environment. Mr. Speaker, these consultations are a great first step, and I trust you will receive many valuable suggestions over the next while. Will the minister please tell us more about some of the proposed changes our government is considering? Thank you. Thank you again, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for the excellent supplementary question. Our government is proposing new rules for on-farm aerobic digesters to unleash the economic opportunity of the biogas sector while protecting the environment. There are economic solutions for food and organic waste, encouraging the recycling of nutrients, including organic matter, and reducing greenhouse gases. The proposed consultation will include discussions about enabling new on-farm aerobic digesters to be approved faster, easier, and less cost giving farmers a new source of revenue in the emerging renewable natural gas market. Mr. Speaker, these proposed changes would help make Ontario a leader in the biogas sector. This would cut red tape, make life easier for farmers, expand their economic opportunities, and help provide solutions to some of the challenges outlined in our government's Made in Ontario environment plan. The next question, the member for Kingston and the Islands. Thank you, Speaker, and through you, my question is to the Minister of Energy. For the last two days, the minister has quoted a climate conspiracy website that denies the scientific evidence of the climate crisis. In fact, he called it his favourite periodical. Now I understand that the Toronto Star which once referred to Amanda Quote as an unctuous bloviator probably isn't his fave, but this a conspiracy... As the member to withdraw. I withdraw, Speaker. But this a website that has called climate science dishonest has said that global warming has nothing to do with pollution, has called Greta Thunberg mentally ill. It's a conspiracy website that no one has ever cited in Parliament, in the US Congress, in the US Senate, but that didn't stop the minister who told the media he reads it to support both sides of the climate change argument. Would the minister clarify his position to the House? Questions to the Minister of Energy Northern Development of Mines? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a well-studied person, I take every opportunity, whether it's on the internet or sources of literature, to consider different points of view, and indeed, when we think about Ontario, thank goodness that we have those differing viewpoints, because in reality, while the NDP were busy supporting the previous Liberal Government to put some of the most expensive kinds of projects into our system, making it more complex and, more importantly, more expensive, we took the right path. We followed all of the Auditor General's recommendations. We now see a clear path to be able to offer ratepayers a reduction. It started out with taking down 750 projects which had a net present value of $790 million today. That's what net present value means for the benefit of the NDP. That's supported by communities across this province, Mr. Speaker, and I'll be happy to share in the supplementary just how many of those communities there were. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker, and I wonder what the political inspiration was for claiming that there are both sides to an issue when there is really only one. The Minister defended this Government's scrapping of clean energy contracts by quoting this blog that compares policies. Ontarians know that Haightfield conspiracy theories are the wrong foundation for public policy. And the Minister should know better than to look to climate change denial websites to get, I can't say facts here, but whatever it was, when every other Ontarian is looking for leadership to combat the effects of climate change, this Government is undermining progress at every step of the way. When is this Government going to stop extending their policies which are based on climate change denial? Minister of Energy to apply. Minister of Environment. Burt to the Minister of Environment, Conservation Parks. Order. Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker, and, you know, the member opposite, that was just basically untrue what he put forward at this legislature. I have to ask the member to withdraw. I'll take that back, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker. Listen, we come up to a year now that we put forward a plan for the people of this province, the Government of Ontario to work towards reaching our goals of our targets, Paris targets of 30% emissions below 2005. We're at 22%, Mr. Speaker. We've spent the last year beginning implementation that will reap rewards down the way, Mr. Speaker. I've already made mention, but the first of its kind, Ontario, mirrored much like the one that happened in the United Kingdom, Mr. Speaker. This will be an analysis of what is occurring in Ontario due to climate change so that we can become more resilient and respond to the changes that are going on, Mr. Speaker. And the municipalities and communities and Indigenous communities can focus in on how best to deal with this climate action, Mr. Speaker. We're going to continue to fight. Thank you very much. The question this morning is for the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. Minister, communities across Ontario continue to be affected by the ongoing opioid crisis. A recent report co-authored by Public Health Ontario, the office of Chief Coroner Ontario and the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network revealed that between July 2017 and June 18, there were over a thousand confirmed opioid-related deaths in the province of Ontario. We also know that 90% of these opioid-related deaths were accidental. These are staggering numbers. Constituents in my writing of Markham Univille are concerned about the ongoing opioid crisis. Minister, could you please update the members of this legislature on what our government is doing to address the ongoing opioid crisis in Ontario? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member from Markham Univille for his important question. Mr. Speaker, our government continues to take the opioid crisis seriously. Our government has conducted extensive consultation spanning the entire province that has directly informed our new consumption and treatment services model. These consultations saw the participation of experts, healthcare workers, first responders, community leaders, business owners and stakeholders including the opioid task force. Today, we have approved 16 CTS sites in communities with the highest needs across the province. This new model of Mr. Speaker saves lives by helping to reverse and treat overdoses and it connects people who use drugs to primary care, treatment and rehabilitation and other health services. Since the very beginning, our government has remained committed to investing $3.8 billion over 10 years to build a comprehensive and connected mental health and addiction system in the province of Ontario. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the minister for this response. This is reassuring to hear that our government is continuing to take the ongoing opioid crisis seriously. I know that residents in my country are very pleased to hear that we are taking real action to fight the opioid crisis and are providing the necessary services and support to the individuals living in an addiction. Minister, could you please explain to the members of this legislature about the investment we are making this year to address the ongoing opioid crisis. Thank you. Minister? Thank you Mr. Speaker and again I want to thank the minister. Mr. Speaker, based on extensive consultation with experts, we are confident that the model that is brought forward is the right approach to connect people struggling with addiction to the care they need and deserve. Mr. Speaker, in addition to our commitment to invest $3.8 billion over 10 years, our government is investing an additional $174 million this year to address the critical gaps in our system and our communities and caregivers in their communities struggling with mental health and addictions. Mr. Speaker, we recognize that we don't truly save a person's life until we help them beat their addiction. Our overriding priority to ensure that all efforts to combat the opioid crisis is being done is something that we take very seriously and that we need to do. Mr. Speaker, I want to assure all members of this legislature that we are able to create a connected comprehensive and integrated mental health and addiction system for the province of Ontario. Thank you very much. Next question, the member for Niagara Falls. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Today we're joined by professional firefighters from across the province, including two from my riding of Niagara Falls. None of us here will dispute they've got just about the toughest job around. As first on the scene for anything else. Our firefighters have to be at their best when often we're at our worst. Then they'll have to process what they've experienced. Presumptive PDSD coverage legislation championed and first introduced by the new Democrats passed in 2016. Municipalities are now required to submit PDSD prevention plants, but not necessary to follow through on those issues. Will the minister tell the house what concrete steps including funding has the government taken to ensure that our firefighters receive the same standard of post-traumatic stress care no matter where they serve. I leave the question to the Premier. For the minister of labour. Well thank you very much Mr. Speaker. First I'd like to begin on behalf of the Premier on behalf of the government of Ontario and on behalf of every member of the provincial legislature to welcome our professional firefighters who are here with us today. As well Mr. Speaker on behalf of every single person in Ontario every family and every community across the province to sincerely and truly thank them for everything that they do to protect our families across the province. Our government will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with every first responder in the province of Ontario. I know my office and I have had a number of conversations with the professional firefighters and we continue to work with them to send that message that we're going to stand with them every step of the way. Thank you Mr. Speaker and back to the Premier. We're going to find themselves exposed to toxics that can cause cancer at higher rates than other members of our population. These exposures don't just happen at the scene of the fire but continue on their gear and equipment firefighters use at the fire station and even back in their homes with potentially to affect their families. We know that firefighters and first responders are heroes right now guidelines are being created that will help protect the health and safety of firefighters and this is good but only if this government follows through will the minister commit today to implementing through regulation any recommendations this committee makes to keep our firefighters safe on and off the job. Thank you very much again I want to thank the professional firefighters of leadership and their members for being here today. Mr. Speaker as the member opposite likely knows our ministry the ministry of labour training and skills development is currently undergoing and reviewing occupational cancers in fact Mr. Speaker our ministry has commissioned international expert world renowned expert Dr. Paul Damaris. I met with Dr. Damaris last night Mr. Speaker actually at Mars joined the medical community joined many of our friends in the building trades when it comes to cancers related from asbestos and Mr. Speaker when it comes to the section 21 committee that the member opposite referenced I've been attending section 21 committee meetings Mr. Speaker we're going to continue to work with professional firefighters continue to demonstrate leadership and continue to tell them and show them that we stand shoulder to shoulder and thank them for what they do. Next question the member for Paris on the scope. Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the minister heritage sport tourism and culture industries first of all I want to thank the minister for coming to my riding of Paris on the scope to speak to tourism operators last week I know they appreciated speaking with their first hand about the challenges they have faced in the past. I know that Ontario offers the world in one province during the summer this is true you can take part in festivals celebrating any culture on any weekend in Toronto Ottawa and many cities for example I know the minister went to a highland games Caribbean festival southeast Asian festival and a Chinese event all in one weekend in a riding of an opinion minister while that's great in the summer months many people see winter as a time to hibernate I know how do Ontario communities encourage more people to get out and enjoy our province in the winter Minister from I want to say thank you to him for his wonderful hospitality last week when we we took in some local sites and had some great meetings I went to brace bridge with him where they shot the Netflix original the night before Christmas and screened it last week I encourage all residents of Ontario to come and visit Ontario and I want to say thank you to Ontario for their wonderful filming friendly locations in addition we learn of a wonderful skating opportunity for Ontarians if they'd like to visit to the mescoka lakes and winery their acres worth of skating on the cranberries is amazing the truth is Ontario tourism represents about a 34 billion dollar economic imprint in the province of Ontario with over 142 billion dollars open for visitors 365 days of the year and that's why our tourism strategy will focus on making sure that that 34 billion dollar economic imprint continues to grow as we work with the tourism industry association of Ontario and the wonderful thank you very much the supplementary question it's great to hear that Ontario's open for visitors 365 days a year winners a great time to travel around Ontario to ski festivals in my riding the Paris San Mescoka this weekend the CP holiday train visits Mcteer at the end of January Bracebridge hosts their fire and ice festival featuring fireworks a skating trail in the legendary downtown tube run that turns the main street into a tubing hill and in February Gravenhurst hosts the North American Cup original pond hockey classic tournament where four and four hockey is played on the pond and it's great to hear that it's great to hear that the park was born can the minister tell us how she's working with the tourism industry to support winter tourism to communities that traditionally rely on summer tours minister thank you Mr. Speaker the truth is whether you're in the thousand islands whether you go to Niagara Falls or you go to Mescoka you are looking at the city of Mescoka and it's great to hear that we're open for business open for jobs and open for visitors 365 days of the year so we can take in those wonderful opportunities the truth is also in this ministry speaker we host a number of sport hosting events that will continue to roll out as in the winter months as well as in the spring and the fall we're going to continue to work with our film and television operators right across this province to make wonderful province and through Celebrate Ontario we'll continue to fund excellent events like Winter Fest in Vaughan the festival of lights which is happening right now in Niagara and the 20 valley festival that's happening right now in Winter Fest so Mr. Speaker we are a province that is the world in one province but at the same time we are making sure that we are four season destination the world over thank you very much the next question is to the premier yesterday the president of the association of municipalities of Ontario appeared before a legislative committee to warn about the consequences of bill 132 he said that if the premier was going to weaken protections for drinking water while reducing penalties for polluters the municipal official should not face prosecution for any harms caused by the premier short sighted decisions to scrap important water protections Mr. Speaker it is unbelievable that in 2019 we are rolling back water protections to the point that municipal leaders are fearful that they will be held liable for a future disaster that is made in almost inevitable by this government short sightedness will the premier withdraw schedule 9 of bill 132 and stop risking the safety of Ontario's drinking water to the government to respond deputy premier refer to the minister of natural resources and forestry thank you very much thank you to the member for the question I can tell you that from the a r a the aggregate resources act point of view we are making changes that are going to ensure that Ontario has an adequate supply of aggregates over the next 15 to 20 years when there's massive order taking place in the province and protection of water is of a paramount responsibility and of paramount importance and that's why we have made changes to the act that the ability to go below the water table will rest on the province's shoulders not the municipalities so that we'll have a one source point for responsibility for those actions but I want to point out that anyone who does go below the water table after approved will have to go through a rigorous more rigorous environmental assessment than they have before protection of water is paramount in this province thank you the supplementary question I don't understand why this premier is so determined to repeat the same mistakes that led to the walkerton disaster he tried to do an end run he repealed the toxics reduction act he's scrapping nine regulations that limit discharges of industrial water pollution he's overruling plants that protect threats to groundwater due to aggregate extraction and he's reducing penalties for polluters will take another walkerton for this premier to realize that protecting our drinking water is not red tape minister reply minister the environment referred to the minister the environment conservation and parks well thanks very much mr. speaker listen it take objection to the members question there we have not seen any polluters in this province in fact we have tremendously increased our ability to oversee facilities across this province mr. speaker we have increased the amount of monetary penalties that can be enforced in this province mr. speaker for those that are polluting our environment under the previous governments since the beginning of time mr. speaker there's been so many facilities that have been allowed to pollute with no tools available to the environmental environment to deal with monetary penalties mr. speaker and in fact if a business mr. speaker if an individual is being economically benefited from them polluting the environment mr. speaker not only will they be charged the monetary penalty but they can be charged the economic benefit that they also receive from polluting the environment mr. speaker we are holding polluters accountable we are going to be tough with polluters mr. speaker and ensure you the member opposite we are keeping our community safe the next question the member for Oaks Day-Morris Shirlington thank you speaker my question today is for the solicitor general protecting citizens is a fundamental responsibility of government and part of that responsibility is the continued support of the hardworking fire services and firefighters from across Ontario in the work they do keeping our community safe speaker there are a number of resources and resources that fire services rely on when ensuring the safety of the communities they protect these aren't always top of mind for everyone but they have a big impact on fire services ability to do their job could the solicitor general please let us know how our government is supporting firefighters in Ontario in their vital work keeping the people of Ontario fire safe questions to the solicitor general and thank you to the member from Oakville North Burlington you know she's absolutely right it is an issue that the members who have joined us here from the OP FFA understand because they deal with it every day but frankly the general public just assumes that when there is an issue those firefighters are going to come to protect their homes and their families so to them thank you for your engagement and thank you for your participation in your lobby day today you know earlier this summer our government announced a $2.5 million in funding for urban search and rescue and chemical, biological, radiological nuclear and explosive teams more commonly referred to as hazmat teams support for use are in hazmat teams across Ontario ensures that our brave firefighters have the tools they need to keep our communities safe and I think these are important tools when we work we can make our communities safer thank you I thank the solicitor general for her response firefighters are truly everyday heroes who put themselves in harm's way to keep our loved ones and our communities safe when you or I might run away from danger they run toward it that is why it is critical that our government continue to support them in their fight to keep Ontario fire safe speaker can the solicitor general please tell us more about how our government will continue supporting firefighters across Ontario and improving fire safety thank you again our government values the important work that firefighters do is they place themselves at risk everyday to protect our communities across Ontario it's why we will continue to work with firefighters on the front lines of community safety in order to create a public safety regime that puts people first and provides our front line officers and heroes with the tools and resources they need to keep our communities safe that's why I was pleased to speak at the OPFFA's recent legislative conference and this morning continued that conversation with members of their executive as solicitor general I look forward to continuing our strong relationship with our firefighters to support them on their essential work in our communities thank you my questions to the deputy premier deputy premier you would know that your government table yet again rule changes that are quite frankly going to consolidate even more power into the government's hand despite your current record you have used time allocation over 90% of the time that legislation has come through this house you have used the notwithstanding clause in order to change the electoral process in the city of Toronto in the midst of an election so the question I have is a very simple order how does consolidating even more power in your hands enhance the democratic process the question has been addressed to the deputy premier refer to the government house leader the government has used time allocation over and over again in order to speed legislation refer to the government house thank you very much the changes to the standing orders that we are proposing do no such thing as a matter of fact we have been consulting with all members and all parties including the NDP and the liberals and the green party who are supporting the proposed changes Mr. Speaker it's about making the legislature work better it's about allowing the independent members we have a large independent members core here it's about allowing them the ability to speak and speak I suspect that's part of the reason why the NDP is not in favour of some of the changes that we are bringing forward Mr. Speaker I think that when members take a look at the package in front of them they'll be happy about it Mr. Speaker it's about allowing members to defend the speeches that they make in this place it's about making it open it's about making debate more active it's about transparency it's about giving independent members in making this place an even better place for the people of Ontario supplement your question Mr. Speaker to the acting Premier this does no such thing as what you are just trying to say all this does is it allows the government to move legislation through the House even faster than you did before if the liberals and the greens are happy with that and are prepared to support you we'll then shame on them but I can tell you that new democrats will fight you on this because the legislature is the legislature of the people speaker and at no time should the government consolidate power in such a way that takes the power away from the people I ask you again how does this enhance the democratic process when it comes to the people of this province Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker the standing order changes do no such thing as a matter of fact the NDP was cooperating and changing the standing orders and agreed with Mr. Speaker they didn't get their way on something and decided to withdraw support entirely what the member says was absolutely completely wrong we do not give ourselves more powers to pass things any quicker Mr. Speaker what we've done is give the legislature more power to debate bills and to question each other back and forth the member opposite said to the media in a number of instances that somehow the changes that we're making will do that will allow us to pass a bill all in one day well it's completely wrong we haven't been referring forward reason amendments we haven't said that we will allow debate and time allocation to happen in the same day we've added no such thing Mr. Speaker what we've done is give the independence an opportunity to participate more frequently we've changed the rule so that member statements can be viewed by all members of this house and we've increased accountability for the government and for all members of this house so I would hope that the opposition would join with us join with the independence and making this place better for the people of Ontario the next question the member for Whitkey Speaker my question is for the Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues this month is adoption awareness month a month's speaker to celebrate the families that have opened their hearts to children and youth in need of forever homes it's also an opportunity speaker to raise awareness and let more people know about adoption as a way to expand their families last week I was pleased to co-host with my Durham colleagues around table on the state of adoption in Ontario it was a moving experience speaker to hear first hand from adoptive families and their struggles in particular we also heard from many other organizations that they provided their input as well on this important topic can the minister please tell the house how she is modernizing the child care system to help more children find their forever home Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the whip from Whitby for that great question the adoption the adoption counts of Ontario's theme this year is answering the call those who step up to care for children have answered the call and it is our duty as government to do the same that is why we have committed to re-examining the adoption system to protect and the interests of children and youth and make adoption easier for those involved we know that children and youth are not being matched with families as often as they should for example in 2018-2019 there were over 4,000 children and youth in the permanent care of children's aid societies in Ontario who were eligible for adoption yet approximately only 800 of those children and youth were adopted speaker we can do better and we must do better our government is proud to support the great work done by groups such as a parent support network a job for life and Dave Thomas' foundation for adoption whether it is adoption or kinship care creating permanency for children and youth in Ontario is a goal that every member of this legislature supports this supplementary question thank you to the minister for her response and I agree with the minister that we all want children and youth to find their forever homes children and youth speaker have better outcomes when they are in permanent homes rather than group homes they are more likely to finish high school seek higher education and be more emotionally secure than peers who remain without a permanent family and speaker adoption is not just for children teens although more independent still need to love and support that a family can provide to help them navigate life's challenges speaker we also know that children with special needs are also in need of homes and that they need just some support to help them reach their potential can the minister please tell us what steps the ministry is taking to ensure that the voices of children are heard on this issue minister to reply speaker I would like to thank the member and our Durham colleagues for hosting and adoption round table back in September my parliamentary assistant the member for Ottawa West Nippian made a call to all members in this house to host round tables as part of our child welfare review I want to thank him for all the work he has done so far and the continued work he is doing on this file he will be hosting a round table comprised entirely of youth to hear their thoughts on the challenges they faced speaker our government continuously engages with a variety of voices including current and former youth in care like Jane Kovakova from the child welfare path who was here yesterday to make sure all voices are heard for too long our adults and those who have been in the system have made decisions impacting children without seeking their input we know we must do better and we are committed to doing just that next question the member for London my question is to the premier London students are struggling to access French classes speaker the London district Catholic school board recently announced that they will not be offering French classes until students enter grade 4 due to a shortage of qualified teachers in London executive director of the Sons of Communitere de London stated that a lack of resources in French education programs will hurt our Francophone community badly for students learning the language of their culture also benefits brain development concentration memory and intelligence the Thames Valley district school board may end their French immersion kindergarten programs and could scrap the French immersion program currently offered to students in grade 7 all together if the young person is able to learn a new language the more successful they will be learning a new language strengthens the students other language literacy skills are universal we should be encouraging young people to learn French but this government is letting them down what will the premier do to ensure London's Francophone and Francophile community can continue to learn French during their early years I have a question to the premier minister of education thank you very much thank you very much and thank you to the member opposite for the question the way we ensure the linguistic duality in English and French is provided for every student is to invest in the school board in the London Catholic district school board funding is up over 5 million dollars because of our government's commitment to public education in London in middle sex in every region of southwestern Ontario when it comes to French language education it is this government under the leadership of this premier that is investing more in French language education and preservation than any government in the history of Ontario a 60 million dollar net increase year over year we are going to continue to invest working with the minister of francophone affairs to protect French language identity and culture in this province now and into the future thank you that concludes our question period for this morning we have a deferred vote on the motion for second reading of bill 136 an act to enact the provincial animal welfare services act 2019 and make consequential amendments with respect to animal protection call on the members this will be a 5 minute bill ask the members to please take their seats on November 6th 2019 Ms Jones moved second reading of bill 136 all those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be counted by the court Mr. Lecce Ms. Mulroney Mr. Calandra Mr. Fidelli Mr. Ford Mr. Clark Mr. McLeod Mr. DeBolo Mr. Dunlop Mr. Ramanu Mr. Thompson Mr. Downey Mr. Fullerton Mr. Sikarya Mr. Scott Mr. Cho Mr. Rickford Mr. McNaughton Mr. Coe Mr. Bailey Mr. Gill Ms. McKenna Mr. Parsa Mr. Skelly Mr. Piccini Mr. Miller Mr. Osterhoff Mr. Mitis Mr. Hager Mr. Hogarth Ms. Cousindova Mrs. Tangry Mrs. Wye Mr. Cazetto Mr. Antiflopoulos Mr. Crawford Mr. Rashid Mr. Bauer Mr. Cuck Mr. Sandu Mr. Anon Mr. Gamari Mr. Babikian Mr. Sabawi Mr. Yard Ms. Fife Ms. Singh Brampton Mr. Vantoff Mr. Tavill Ms. Sattler Ms. Shaw Mr. Mamakwa Ms. Begum Ms. Taylor Ms. Yermonta Ms. Armstrong Ms. Stiles Mr. Kernahan Ms. Steven Mr. Gates Ms. Gretzky Mr. French Ms. Bell Ms. Morrison Mr. Rikosevic Mr. Harden Mr. Montefarel Mr. Hassan Mr. Frazer Ms. Nguyen Mr. Coutot Ms. Hunter Ms. Hunter All of those opposed to the motion, please rise. One at a time and be counted by the clerk. The ayes are 107, the nays are 0. The ayes being 107, the nays being 0. The motion carries. Pursuant to the order of the House, dated November 25, 2019, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy. We now have a deferred vote on the motion for second reading of bill 138. An act to implement budget measures and to enact, amend and repeal various statutes. Call on the members. This is a five minute bell. That's the members to please take their seats. On November 19, 2019, Mr. Phillips moved second reading of bill 138. All those in favour of the motion will please now rise one at a time and be recognised by the clerk. Mr. Yurek Mr. Leche Mr. Moroni Mr. Calandra Mr. Fidelli Mr. Ford Mr. Elliott Mr. Clark Mr. Smith Mr. Hardiman Mr. Yacobasti Mr. Johnson Mr. Downey Mr. Fullerton Mr. Jones Mr. Sakaria Mr. Scott Mr. Cho Scarborough Mr. Rickford Mr. McNaughton Mr. Cove Mr. Bailey Mr. Pettipies Mr. McDonnell Mrs. Marteau Mr. Osterhoff Mr. Osterhoff Mr. Tanigasa Mr. Harris Mr. Baber Mrs. Hoegar Mrs. Cousindova Mrs. Tangry Mrs. Y Mrs. Carrahaglias Mr. Kuzetto Mr. Pan Mr. Croffer Mr. Rashid Mr. Robert Mr. Kuh Mr. Sandoz Mr. Gamari Mr. Kenapathy Mr. Bebeke All those opposed to the motion please now rise one at a time and be recognized by the clerk. Ms. Shaw Ms. Fife Ms. Singh Brampton-Center Mr. Besson Mr. Tabbins Ms. Sattler Ms. Begum Ms. Taylor Ms. Armstrong Mr. Kernahan Mr. Gates Ms. Gretzky Mr. Miller Mr. Cing Brampton-East Mr. Hatfield Mr. Birch Mr. Arthur Mr. Bergwem Ms. Bell Ms. Morrison Mr. Harden Mr. Monte Farrell Mr. Hassan Mr. Fraser Mr. Kuto Ms. Hunter Ms. Alsamar The ayes are 69, the nays are 38 The ayes being 69, the nays being 38 I declare the motion carried Pursuant to the order of the House dated November 26, 2019 The bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs We have a deferred vote now on the amendment to Government Notice of Motion No. 73 relating to standing order changes Call in the members This is a five-minute bell On November 27, 2019 Mr. Harris moved that Government Notice of Motion No. 73 be amended as follows that the motion be amended by adding the following at the end and that the terms of this motion shall come into force at 12.01 a.m. on Tuesday, February 18, 2020 All those in favour of Mr. Harris's motion will please rise one at a time and be recognised by the clerk Mr. Harris Mr. Lepre Mr. Klandre Mr. Fidel Mr. Ford Ms. Elliott Mr. Clark Mr. Smith Mr. Hardiman Ms. McLeod Ms. Dunlop Mr. Walker Ms. Thompson Mr. Downey Ms. Fullerton Mr. Jones Mr. Sicario Mr. Scott Mr. Cho Mr. Rickford Mr. McNaughton Mr. Coe Mr. Bailey Mr. Pettipies Mr. McDonnell Mr. Puccini Mr. Miller Mr. O'Shaugh Mr. O'Shaugh Mr. Hougar Mr. Cousindoe Mrs. Tangre Mrs. Carr-Haleos Mr. Park Mr. Cazetto Mr. Pang Mr. Crofford Mr. Racheve Mr. Robert Mr. Anand Mr. Sandu Mr. Gamar Mr. Kanapati Mr. Bebeke Mr. Sabawi Mr. Frazer Ms. Nguyen Ms. Hunter Ms. Alsomar All those opposed to the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the clerk. Mr. Bissau Mr. Bissau Mr. Vantos Mr. Sattler Mr. Shaw Mr. Mamakwa Mr. Begum Mr. Yard Mr. Taylor Mr. Montag Mr. Armstrong Mr. Stiles Mr. Kernahan Mr. Steven Mr. Gates Mr. Gretzky Mr. French Mr. Gleber Mr. Morissin Mr. Rikosevich Mr. Hardin Mr. Monteforale Mr. Hassan The ayes are 72, the nays are 35 The ayes being 72 and the nays being 35 I declare the motion carried Are the members ready to vote on the main motion as amended? No! This item will therefore remain on the orders and notices paper This house stands in recess Until 3pm