 It is now time for Question Period, the leader of Her Majesty's Royal Office. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. Yesterday was too little, too late. This government has ignored the hydro-rate crisis for too long. It wasn't a crisis when the Minister of Finance said his bill was going down. It wasn't a crisis when the Infrastructure Minister said Ontario Hydro-Rates will remain competitive. It wasn't a crisis when the Rookie Minister of Energy said he wouldn't even use the word crisis. But then the Liberals lose a long-held Liberal seat, and suddenly they take notice. So, Mr. Speaker, will the Premier thank the member for Scarborough Rouge River for finally opening her eyes up to Ontario's energy crisis? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I will welcome the member for Scarborough Rouge River as a city councillor and welcome to the Legislature Room. Mr. Speaker, you know, yesterday in the throne speech, the Lieutenant Governor read a speech that was an extension of the work that we have been doing for the last two years since we were given a mandate by the people of Ontario in 2014, Mr. Speaker. And we have been working to build this province up. We have been working to make sure that as we see the results of the investments that we have made, that we see the economic growth, we see the job creation, that we make sure that everyone in the province shares in that, Mr. Speaker. And so we did make a decision to take the provincial portion of the HST off electricity rates, Mr. Speaker, but that is but the next step in the changes that we've been making to deal with electricity prices. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. The Premier can tout this plan all she wants. But let's be clear, hydro rates are not going down. In fact, they will go up again on November 1st before this band-aid solution kicks in. If the Liberals were actually serious about tackling the province's energy crisis, they wouldn't have given away $3 billion worth of energy in the last three years. And this government wouldn't have just signed another 12 renewable contracts for energy we do not need. And they wouldn't have continued with the fire sale of Hydro-1. So, Mr. Speaker, will the Premier commit to signing no more contracts for energy we don't need? And will the Premier announce she's going to stop with the reckless fire sale of Hydro-1? Thank you, Premier. Mr. Speaker, well, as I said in my remarks this morning in the legislature, governing is about making choices, Mr. Speaker. It's about making choices to make sure that energy, Mr. Speaker. It's about making choices to make sure that, for example, greenhouses in the Leamington area have the power that they need, Mr. Speaker. We have to continue to invest. It's about choices like, and obviously this is not a choice that the leader of the opposition would make, but to help people who live in Northwestern Ontario get off diesel, Mr. Speaker, in order to be able to connect them to the grid, Mr. Speaker, there needs to be continued investment. So we're making a choice to reduce electricity bills, Mr. Speaker. We're making the HST, the provincial portion of the HST, off electricity bills. We're making sure that in remote and rural communities, Mr. Speaker, not only will they have an 8% relief, Mr. Speaker, they will have a 20% relief because of distribution changes. So, Mr. Speaker, we're making a change that's good for the people of the problem. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. The Premier says governments about choices. Well, the Premier is choosing to give Ontario Hydro away to Michigan, to New York, to Quebec. That is not responsible. And, you know, I realize there's been a lot of attention lately on math scores in Ontario, how students are slipping and students are struggling. But I want to know if the Premier could pass her own government math test. So, Mr. Speaker, can the Premier please tell me, if you take the Ontario Hydro bill and first take away the 10% clean energy benefit, then you add an 8% Band-Aid solution, while at the same time raising rates on November 1st, how does that equal any form of relief? You're raising bills. You're raising... Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I just to be clear, Mr. Speaker, I think the Leader of the Opposition knows full well that as we sell power to other jurisdictions, Mr. Speaker, on balance that is a profit to the province of Ontario. My attempt at patience is not going to last very long. The member from Leeds, Grenville, come to order. Rep. Premier. And, Mr. Speaker, I think that the opposition also knows that it's why we are in an agreement with Quebec in terms of peak and off-peak hours. It's why our officials are talking with Manitoba, Mr. Speaker. I think it makes sense for us to cooperate with adjacent jurisdictions. Thank you. The opposition. By giving way power. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. Since I can't get an answer on hydro, I'll talk about healthcare. Yesterday this government said, I quote, Every person in our province deserves high quality public healthcare. That I don't disagree with. But it's pretty rich coming from a government that has been rationing healthcare for the last three years. It's pretty rich coming from a government that cut 815 million from physician services for patient care. Cutting 50 medical residency positions. Cutting $50 million for seniors' physiotherapy services. And firing over 1,400 nurses in the last year. So yes, this government says that every person deserves high quality healthcare, but this government won't guarantee it. So my question, Mr. Speaker, is will the Premier stand by the cuts we've seen in the last three years? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, in our recent budget that we've increased spending in healthcare by a billion dollars, Mr. Speaker, up to $51.8 billion. So there have been increases in healthcare year over year, Mr. Speaker, consistently. We've increased funding to hospitals by $345 million, Mr. Speaker, in this recent budget. Mr. Speaker, the increased number of nurses since 2003 is over 26,000, Mr. Speaker. So in this system, Mr. Speaker, there are more nurses, more doctors, more personal support workers, Mr. Speaker. So there is money being invested in the infrastructure in health, Mr. Speaker. So a part of the $160 billion over 12 years, we're in year three of that investment. Part of that is going to hospitals and healthcare facilities, Mr. Speaker. So that is the commitment that we have made to the healthcare system in this project. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. The Premier can say all the PR and all the spend she likes, but you can't find a single physician or nurse in the province of Ontario who sees cuts. We've seen time and time again that the Liberal government's scandal, waste and mismanagement are taking funding away from healthcare services. That was evident in the speech from the throne yesterday. There was no commitment to extend the nearly three-year wait at Extend-to-Care Rouge Valley. There was nothing to refer to short in the incredibly long seven-year placement time at the Hellenic Home for the Age of Scarborough. There was zero commitment to reduce the eight-year wait at the E-Hong Centre for Geriatric Care. Mr. Speaker, why is the Premier leaving these vulnerable seniors with no help in healthcare? Mr. Speaker, our investments that we announced earlier this year go far beyond the hospitals and the nurses and indeed the doctors that we continue to support in this province. 75 million new dollars for hospices. Many of those hospices actually in the writings in the constituencies of the opposition parties. Mr. Speaker, we're investing in palliative care and end-of-life care in home and community care. $250 million. But I want to ask a question of the member opposite of the official opposition because he opened the door to doctors. We were proud of the agreement that we had put forward that was endorsed by the OMA Board and endorsed by the President of the OMA. A more than one billion increase in doctors' compensation over the next four years. A more than 10% increase. 5% each and every year for our doctors over the next four years. I'm asking the question in terms of his position in the supplementary, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. This by-election wasn't decided on hydro alone. We heard over and over again about the government's attack on healthcare. Door, please. Start the clock. Please. Mr. Speaker, I see the government is sensitive about their loss in Scarborough Rouge River. The Premier let her minister pick a fight with our province's physicians. He singled out doctors' compensation but implied that overhead was part of salaries. If you counted money that way and included overhead in terms compensation, the highest grade doctor in the province of Ontario would be the Minister of Health of $7.7 million. So, Mr. Speaker, does the Premier believe it's okay to allow the Minister of Health to include staff over? Thank you. Minister? Of course, Mr. Speaker, including my entire office, all the Assistant Deputy Ministers, the Deputy Minister, my overhead would be 99.5%. Mr. Speaker, what I need to know because he talked about Scarborough and the recent by-election, I would like to know whether the member from Leeds Grenville will withdraw. But John? Mr. Transportation Minister? Mr. Speaker, I would like to know from the member opposite whether his party would immediately offer binding arbitration before negotiations. They have a responsibility to the people of Ontario because what we've seen from Scarborough is this Ed question. The party across from me will say what they believe is in our political arbitration prior to negotiations, yes or no. Thank you. New question, the leader of the third party. Thank you very much. My question is for the Premier. Yesterday's thrown speech could have done so much more to give immediate relief to families, to stop the sell-off of Hydro One, to make sure everyone has plenty of work in this province, to make sure our kids have the supports they need to succeed in the classroom. And if new child care spaces are indeed created, making sure that they are not for profit and that parents can actually afford them. Speaker, why didn't the thrown speech have the sort of action that Ontarians need to see? Thank you. Well, Mr. Speaker, let's talk about what was in the thrown speech and I'm happy that the leader of the third party has asked this question because I'm very proud of the results that we were able to talk about in the thrown speech yesterday, Mr. Speaker, the economic growth that we're seeing in Ontario, the job creation that we're seeing in Ontario, Mr. Speaker, that allows us to invest in child care spaces, Mr. Speaker, to give people the options that they need with their youngest children. So the zero to four-year-old Mr. Speaker needs an opportunity, needs a space. We're happy to be able to make those investments, Mr. Speaker. We're also pleased that we're able to give further relief on electricity bills because the member opposite knows that we have the Ontario Energy Support Program in place, Mr. Speaker, but that there's more that needs to be done and we'll be acting immediately to get legislation in place to remove the provincial portion of the HST and I would think that the leader of the third party would be supportive Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the thrown speech said that government has been dedicated to reducing electricity costs wherever possible. I don't think the people of Ontario feel that effort, Speaker, but the Liberals haven't been doing much at all as we all know on the cost side. In fact, they're increasing the cost by selling off Hydro-1. Yet again, the Premier is putting people down, Speaker. The Premier needs to stop the privatisation of Hydro-1 so that families and businesses will get permanent relief. Will she do that? Well again, Mr. Speaker, I know that we've been over this a number of times but I just want to reassure the leader of the third party that the broadening of the ownership of Hydro-1 is about making investments in transportation infrastructure, in transit, in roads and bridges, Mr. Speaker. And again, those are investments that will assure assets that people of the province of Ontario need, Mr. Speaker. This has the Hydro-1, the Hydro-1 changes have nothing to do with the energy prices, Mr. Speaker, the Ontario Energy Board sets those energy prices, Mr. Speaker. And let's look at what we are doing, what we have already done to improve electricity prices. The Ontario Electricity Support Program, Mr. Speaker, it's a program that saves eligible low- to middle-income families an average of $430 a year. The Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, Mr. Speaker, individuals can save up to $1,008 a year, Mr. Speaker. I think the leader of the third party knows that there have been a number of programs in place and we're taking another step. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, people are finding it harder and harder to make a good life for themselves. And they're worried that it's going to be even worse for the next generation, even tougher for the folks that are coming down the line. They need good quality job, Mr. Speaker. Ontarians deserve a $15 minimum wage. Temporary workers deserve the same rights and pay as permanent workers. And people should be able to have the benefits and the stability that comes with the union. But there is nothing in the thrown speech yesterday to offer hope for struggling and struggling families, rather, and young people. When will this premiere take action to improve the quality of work in Ontario? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The plan that we ran on in 2014 and the plan that we have been implementing and will continue to implement and the changes that we are making, Mr. Speaker, are all about helping people in their lives every single day. Whether it is about helping a young student get into secondary and have their tuition free, Mr. Speaker. Whether it is about one of those 100,000 child care spaces for zero to four-year-olds, Mr. Speaker. Or whether it is recognizing that there was need for us to do more on electricity price reduction, Mr. Speaker. We understand that those are things that affect people every single day. That is why we are implementing them. That is why we are acting on them. Mr. Speaker, our plan has been about building this province up before the long-term, because I agree with the leader of the third party that it is extremely important for government to recognize what those long-term needs are to act in the present so that we build that foundation for the future. That is exactly what we are doing, Mr. Speaker. Next question is also for the Premier Speaker, but I would say quite straight up that the Liberal Premier's plans are failing, Mr. Speaker. That is where we are. Across Ontario, they deserve to know, Mr. Speaker, that they are going to get the care that they need and that they won't be waiting for hours in overcrowded hospitals or being treated in hospitals that are literally falling apart. But yesterday's thrown speech has no vision for hospitals. It doesn't even take the most basic action of ensuring that hospital funding keeps up with inflation and population growth. The Premier could have done so much more, Mr. Speaker. New Democrats are going to keep fighting for patients and for hospitals. My question is, when will we see some action from this government? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I know the Minister of Health will want to speak to this in the supplementary, but he will, I know, begin with the $345 million that was included in our budget for hospitals, directly for hospital funding, Mr. Speaker. But I just want to say to the leader of the third party and to the people of Ontario that the plan that we ran that we put in place has meant that Ontario is leading the country in economic growth, Mr. Speaker. Over the last two years, 6% in economic growth, Mr. Speaker. Nearly 600,000 new jobs since the recession, Mr. Speaker. We are leading the way, and the reality is that that accomplishment, because of the investments that we have made, because of the choices that we've made, means that we are able to invest in new childcare spaces. We're able to give people relief on their electricity bills, Mr. Speaker. The plan is working, and it is working for people across the province. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, students across Ontario will be in sweltering classrooms today. In a few hours time, or sorry, in a few months time when things start cooling off in terms of the weather, they might actually have to start wearing their jackets inside their classrooms. It doesn't do anything to address the $15 billion repair backlog for Ontario schools. Ontarians need action, Speaker, and they need that action now. Why isn't the Premier doing anything to fix schools across Ontario? Mr. Speaker, the $1.1 billion investment to repair and renew school buildings on a $1.6 billion in existing funding, a total of $2.72 billion. That $1.1 billion, Mr. Speaker, that is money that is in direct recognition of the fact that school boards need to have additional funding to deal with school renewal, Mr. Speaker. I had the opportunity to talk to one of the folks from one of the parents groups that has been advocating for change. They're very happy about the $1.1 billion, Mr. Speaker. They want to know, they want to know that we recognize that there's an ongoing need and we do recognize that, Mr. Speaker. But the reality is that school boards have acquired more money. They've received more money from this government to repair schools. We understand that there's more to be done. But they are using that money to do those renewals right now, Mr. Speaker. Right now. Mr. Speaker, $15 billion in classroom repairs. $1.1 billion is barely going to touch the problem, Mr. Speaker. I don't understand how the Premier doesn't see that. But look, this province is at a tipping point. That's where we are right now. We know that it can be a great place to live. I think we all know that that's the case. But unless there is some action soon, Mr. Speaker, people are worried that things are only going to get tougher for them and tougher for the next generation. The government has got to start looking out for people. Whether it's the cost of hydro, the lack of good jobs, proper care for patients, or dealing with the high costs of child care, the government is failing the people of Ontario. I know that things can be very... Thank you, Premier. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the leader of the third party that it is very important that government pay attention to people's lives every day and understand the affordability issues that they have in their lives, which is exactly why, Mr. Speaker, we have put in place free tuition for low and middle-income families. It's exactly why, Mr. Speaker, we understand that there's a need for more and more affordable child care, Mr. Speaker, so 100,000 new child care spaces is an important part of that. It's exactly why, Mr. Speaker, 30,000 seniors more every year will have access to the seniors' drug benefit, Mr. Speaker, because we understand that that's an extremely important day-to-day expense for seniors who have to buy medication, Mr. Speaker. It's exactly why we fought so hard to get enhancement to the Canada Pension Plan across the country, Mr. Speaker, because in retirement, people need to have those additional resources. All of those things are in recognition of the fact that people need support. Thank you. Thank you. New question. The member from Lipisee. Thank you and good morning, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Yesterday, the government squandered an opportunity to provide families and seniors with meaningful relief from skyrocketing hydro rates. Instead, they introduced a billion-dollar bandaid that does nothing to actually reduce hydro cost. What they didn't tell us was how they intend to pay for it. Let's face it, they're going to borrow another billion dollars to do this. And that's money that has to be paid back, Speaker, plus interest. So they're either adding this to the provincial debt or they're adding it to our hydro bills. So, Speaker, I ask the Premier, how are you paying for this? Are you adding it to our tax bills or to our hydro bills? Thank you. Well, I think the member opposite should know that as we see the results of the plan that we've put in place, we see the economic growth that's happening, Mr. Speaker. We are in a position to put these dollars into relief for people on their electricity bills, Mr. Speaker. So the member opposite is absolutely wrong when he talks about borrowing to do this. That's not the case, Mr. Speaker. We have made changes. We have put the Ontario Energy Support Program in place, Mr. Speaker. And we are now able to take the 8% provincial portion of the HST on people's electricity bills. And the member opposite, he will see as the public accounts come forward as the province is in much better shape than it was three years ago, Mr. Speaker. The economic growth, as I said, leads the country, Mr. Speaker. We're outstripping the growth that in the United States and other jurisdictions, Mr. Speaker. And we are very happy that we're going to be able to help people across the province with their ... Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back to the Premier. The government has also squandered an opportunity to address the sad state of Ontario's finances. The Financial Accountability Officer confirmed they're attempting to artificially balance the budget through one-time sale of assets only to plunge us back into deficit immediately after the next election. Speaker, the throne speech did nothing to address the government's structural deficit. Nothing to address the fact that Ontario is the largest sub-national borrower on the entire planet. There's nothing to address the more than one billion a month spent on interest payments. So, Speaker, now they're adding this additional billion dollars without explaining how they're going to pay for it. So, I asked the Premier, how do you intend to pay for your government's years of waste, mismanagement, and scandals? Minister of Finance. Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, the member opposite has had a difficult time trying to understand how it is that we're coming to balance because we are. We're taking the necessary steps to balance the books next year. We're growing the economy. Ontario is the highest in the country. We're manufacturing our growing and world pacing, not only in Canada, but around the United States in comparison. We have more jobs than we have before. And our glory over the next year is the lowest expense in 2008, Mr. Speaker, because of the steps that we've taken. The member opposite doesn't understand the degree of reserves and contingencies that we put in place in our budget in this town for ways to make life more affordable for Ontarians. And as we are succeeding, we're also providing for more relief, Mr. Speaker, and we're very proud of the efforts of this Premier and our caucus has taken to improve the economy, notwithstanding the opposition to contrary measures that enables us not to do so. Thank you. The new question. The member from Toronto, Danforth. Thank you, Speaker. In the last election, there was no provincial sales tax on electricity in Ontario. Liberals introduced the tax in 2010. Then, with an election looming, the Liberal government brought in a hydro rebate. Then, the election's over, they took it away. And now with another election on the horizon, the government has introduced another rebate. If history is any guide, if we're playing games with temporary rebates, will the government make electricity permanently exempt from the HST in Ontario? I would suggest from that little rendition that the member for Toronto, Danforth would be happy with the move that we announced in the in the Throne speech yesterday. Mr. Speaker, we will be introducing legislation that I hope, given the stance that the third party has taken, they will be eager to support and will not stand in the way of getting the legislation passed, Mr. Speaker. But we will bring in legislation that would allow us to take the provincial sales tax off the electricity bills, Mr. Speaker. I think, as I say, I think it's something that the member sounds like he's very supportive of. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm sure, Speaker, we will see many wonders in this chamber. Speaker, this temporary rebate will save Ontarians 8% on their hydro bills next year. The problem is each year, hydro rates have been rising by more than 8%. This, in part, is because we have a massive energy surplus here in Ontario. This government has been on a spending spree. Contracting for energy we don't need, can't use and have to pay for. And bills will rise even higher as Ontario or as Hydro One's new private owners demand their profits. What will the government do to stop privatization and rein in Ontario's massive energy surplus so the savings from this temporary rebate won't be immediately wiped out by rate increases? So, the NDP railing against green energy. This is a member of the NDP railing electricity grid. This is a member of the NDP railing against extending power and the grid to people who are First Nations people who are on diesel power, Mr. Speaker. This is a member of the NDP who doesn't think that we should be finding ways to partner with Manitoba, with Quebec to make sure we have clean energy in peak periods, Mr. Speaker. Really, everything that the member has said runs counter to my understanding of how we have a progressive, clean, green energy system in Ontario. Mr. Speaker, please. New question. The member from Northumberland, Quincy West. Well, thank you, Speaker. My question to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Thank you for visiting Northumberland, Quincy West and Prince Edward Hastings last week. It was a great opportunity to meet with local farmers. So, Minister, our government recognized the rural residents across the province who are part each and every day to build a better tomorrow for their children and their communities. Part of the planning for the future means those families must know that they have access to dependable infrastructures such as high speed internet and reliable energy. Yesterday's speech from the throne made it clear that all Ontarians are important. That our government hears the needs of its rural residents. Speaker, through you can the Minister tell this House how our government is assuring a brighter, better future for the people of Ontario communities? Good question. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank my good friend and colleague, the hardworking member for Northumberland, Quincy West for his wonderful question this morning. And I want to thank Mr. Rodoli. We had a wonderful tour last Wednesday. An opportunity for me to be on the kitchen tables in the back concessions of Northumberland and Prince Edward Hastings. And to know the opportunity yesterday's throne speech of course responded directly about Ontarians' concerns about rising electricity prices. And I want to thank the member from Northumberland, Quincy West who has been a real advocate on this file. We have heard Mr. Speaker come January 1st, 2017 we're taking the 8% off the HST of the profits of Ontario families, individuals, farms and businesses. And more importantly, Mr. Speaker, for the hardworking people of rural Ontario an extra 12% off of their R2 designation. Which will help everybody. Mr. Speaker, I have a shock. I stand, you sit. Supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister, Leo for that answer. It's great to hear that this government has a plan to help people get savings on residential electricity bill as part of that plan. While the rebate on electricity price is great news for residential electricity bill I have heard from businesses and they are concerned about the rising electricity prices and how this affects their competitiveness. Speaker, through you to the Minister can you please tell this House how our government is ensuring that businesses stay competitive in our global economy. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, to the Minister of Economic Development and Growth. Minister of Economic Development and Growth. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The member is absolutely right. I think an important part of leadership is listening, Mr. Speaker. And that's exactly what this premier and this government does. In fact, Mr. Speaker, we've listened very carefully to our business community as we've made Ontario the number one jurisdiction when it comes to creating jobs on the regional board of trade to the CFIB. And a small and medium sized business rate across this province when they've told us that energy rates are a bit of a challenge to them, despite all the competitive advantages that we have. And that's why, Mr. Speaker, yesterday we responded to what we've heard. Small businesses across Ontario will benefit from an 8% savings on their energy bill. This will ensure that businesses that are competitive. So our industry across this province will continue to be competitive, continue to lead North America, continue to create jobs, and continue to lead this country. Thank you. Any questions? The members from Scarborough lose their vote. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the premier. It is my honour to stand here in this chamber today to represent the people of Scarborough with a strong and clear mandate. I will fight for lower hydro rates, better access to healthcare, and better transit to Scarborough Rouge Rebound. And because of that, yesterday I noticed a huge omission, Mr. Speaker. There was no mention of Scarborough subway. Mr. Speaker, when will the premier commit to extending a subway no more than 401 in Scarborough? A subway that reaches Scarborough Rouge Rebound? Mr. Speaker, of course I want to begin by acknowledging the question from the new member from Scarborough River and congratulating him on his election to the Sligo Sligo speaker. I think, Speaker, it would be encouraging to all Ontarians to hear that somewhat belatedly there is now a member in that caucus of the opposition caucus that actually supports public transit, Speaker, but what I will say, because, Speaker, we've waited for a long time. We in Ontario, not just as Liberals, but we in Ontario have waited, frankly, for an eternity to hear that a member of the opposition conservative caucus supports significant investments in public transit in this region. That member, I think, would know that in addition to our ironclad commitments, make sure that we extend the Scarborough subway, the Bloor Dam and we would also know that we are in the process of building, go regional express rail, Speaker. So, for example, the extensions of those tracks through the Stovel area on the Stovel line, Speaker, would be servicing people in that part of Scarborough and in the supplementary, Speaker, I'd be happy to expand. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back to the premiere. My predecessor, former Liberal MPP, Basil Berkeson, spoke his true feelings. He said that the Scarborough hospitals do not meet the needs of modern medicine. The Scarborough hospital wasn't in this government's past capital project and it does not seem to be in their future plans. The Liberals will not commit to much needed new hospitals in Scarborough and there was no mention of Scarborough in the Throne speech yesterday. Mr. Speaker, isn't it time for the premiere to stop ignoring the needs of the Scarborough? Thank you. Minister of Term of Care. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I know if the member opposite had been elected six months ago, he would have embraced the opportunity to join me with literally every other member from Scarborough to make an important announcement with the Scarborough. We announced a $10 million increase in operating funds for a new diagnostic imaging corridor within the Scarborough hospital. We announced a $5 million planning grant to build a new infrastructure, capital infrastructure going forward. We announced a $10 million investment for a new ER at Rouge Valley Hospital, Mr. Speaker, and we appointed as our special advisor Mark Rochon, who I know the conservatives did some work for them as well, an individual who knows very well how to manage this process going forward to ensure that the quality of services in Scarborough are top in this province. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the premier. Mr. Speaker, improving healthcare is one of the most important priority for families, for seniors, for all of us, but apparently not for the government. Speaker, today hospitals are overcrowded, nurses and healthcare workers are being laid off, patients are waiting far too long in emergency rooms and even longer for their surgery and the wait time for long-term care has increased 280% since the government came in power. Why is the premier refusing to take real action to strengthen public healthcare and stop the cuts to our hospitals? Thank you, premier. Mr. Speaker, I know the minister of health and long-term care is going to want to speak to the supplementary, but I just want to make it clear, Mr. Speaker, that we recognize the importance of healthcare in people's lives. I mean, there are few things that are more important to a family, whether a child is ill or a senior loved one is ill, Mr. Speaker. So making sure that we continue to reduce wait times, which we are doing, we're committed to that, Mr. Speaker. Making sure that people have access to a primary care provider, Mr. Speaker, a physician or a nurse practitioner. Making sure that local hospitals have the resources that they need, putting $345 million into the budget, Mr. Speaker, an overall increase of a billion dollars. Those are choices that we have made, Mr. Speaker. We have not, as some in this House would have us do, chosen to put all those resources into physician salaries, but, Mr. Speaker, we believe that making the healthcare system work for everyone is the role that government should play. That should be our job. Thank you. Supplementary. But according to the trollspeaker, the government has no plan to solve the overcrowding in our hospitals. No plan to stop the layoff of nurses and hospital workers. No plan to repair the trust with Ontario's physician. No plan to complain about the huge repair backlogs in our local hospitals and, above all, no plan to protect public healthcare as we know it. Why is the Premier offering so little action, so few solutions to fix the silence crisis in healthcare? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, we're making extraordinary investments in our healthcare system right across the province. The Throne Speech Reference Tau. There are roughly 35 new hospital capital activities going on. Many of them new hospitals. Many of them renovations. They're either happening right now. They're in the planning stage as well, Mr. Speaker. We tripled for deferred maintenance. We tripled the funding this year that we're investing to allow hospitals to upgrade their services and the buildings that they rely on to provide those services, Mr. Speaker. The $345 million in new operating expenses for our hospitals. Thousands of new nurses as referenced in the Throne Speech that are working in this province that an increase in the past number of years including an increase in our hospitals. But we're continuing to make that shift into home and community care and providing services where people want them. That means investing in hospitals but also across the system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And welcome back. My question is for the Associate Minister of Education for Early Years and Child Care. Minister, I would first like to congratulate you on your new role. The creation of this office demonstrates the government's commitment to giving our children the best start in life and ensuring Ontario families have the right supports so that kids can grow and learn in a healthy environment. It is crucial to Ontario families to know that they can rely on access to safe and affordable childcare. It means parents can choose to go off to work confident knowing that their child is being well cared for and developing their skills while they're there. In my writing at Berry, I often hear from families about the need for quality childcare. Mr. Speaker, through you to the Minister, what is the government doing to improve quality and affordability of childcare in Ontario? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the member from Berry for raising this important question. I want to thank the member for her hard work and dedication in improving the lives of the residents in her community. I'm looking forward to building on the progress we've made to create a high quality early years and childcare system that is affordable, accessible and flexible for Ontario's hardworking families. Since 2003, we have doubled childcare funding to more than a billion dollars annually. And already this year, we have made a significant new capital investment of 120 million dollars to create 4,000 new childcare spaces. And we're not stopping there. We are also ensuring before and after school programs are available for 4 to 12 year olds in schools where there is sufficient demand. We committed in yesterday's thrown speech to create 100,000 new licensed spaces for infants, toddlers and preschoolers across the province in the next five years. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the minister for that answer. It was great to hear in yesterday's thrown speech that we are committed to helping parents find childcare because parents in my writing and other writings have expressed frustration with the hurdles they face when looking for licensed childcare spaces. For some, it can be a lengthy and costly process to try and find quality care. So, Mr. Speaker, would the minister please explain how the government is simplifying that process and making it easier for Ontario families? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to say we have made significant progress when it comes to providing parents with easier access to quite quality childcare, but we know we have more work to do. In the next five years, we will be doubling the capacity of the childcare system for children aged 0 to 4. That equals to 100,000 new spaces. This means we are investing between $1 to $3 billion in capital to build these spaces and an additional $600 to $750 million in operating dollars. Thanks to the member from Beaches East York for his work, that pushed the need for home-licensed childcare centres and home-child care agencies from charging weightless fees or required deposits to join weightless. This delivers on our promise to make life easier for parents frustrated with costly fees. Mr. Speaker, these investments will provide the essential start to a child's journey of education, supporting their social, emotional, and cognitive development so their children can get the best start in life. Thank you very much. January 1st is a big day for this government. It's the day this government's Band-Aid solution will be applied to Ontario Hydro-Bills. It also happens to be the day that this government's cap and trade scheme hits the pocket books of Ontarians. So according to this government, starting January 1st, an average household will begin to save $130 a year on their Hydro-Bills. But wait a second, Speaker. The government's own projections say the cash and trade cash grab I should say cap and trade cash grab will cost a family $156 a year. The money is simply going in one pocket and out of another. What a shellgate. Speaker, why is the premier trying to fool Ontario families and what is she trying to hide? Very much Mr. Speaker. So I know that the minister of the environment and climate change is going to want to weigh in on the supplementary but let me just be clear that what the member opposite is talking about is not giving people relief on their electricity bills and not fighting climate change. Well Mr. Speaker the choices that we are making are to fight climate change because we believe that all of us on this planet should be taking responsibility for fighting greenhouse gas emissions. That's what cap and trade is about. The party opposite does not have a coherent position on that Mr. Speaker does not believe that fighting climate change is what we should do but Mr. Speaker we are working with leadership across the country and around the world to find ways to tackle climate change and we will continue to do that at the same time Mr. Speaker we believe that reducing people's electricity bills continuing on the path that we have been on because what other programs in place this is the next step in reducing people's electricity bills we believe that that's the right thing to do to help people everyday in their lives Mr. Speaker Thank you Mr. Speaker This government can't wait for the HST Band-Aid solution to show up as a line item on hydro bills across the province but it's interesting to note this government also refuses to show the cost of cap and trade on natural gas and energy bills. As the member from Trinity Spadina said this government supports and I quote openness and transparency but at the right time Sadly Speaker that right time is only when it's convenient for this government's political survival. I must say it's rather self-serving that the throne speech explicitly said that the reductions will be seen on electricity bills yet cap and trade costs will be hidden from natural gas and energy bills Frankly Speaker that's unacceptable Speaker will the Premier commit today that she will mandate the cost of cap and trade to be shown on energy bills in this province Thank you Premier Thank you Mr. Speaker I want to commend the member opposite and her leader for being so consistent consistently inconsistent on sex ed their favor of it and then they're opposed to it I'm carbon pricing they're in favor of it and then they're opposed to it and then they're in favor of it and they're opposed to it it is mind boggling Mr. Speaker so the member opposite listed all of the reductions and measures we're taking to reduce expenditures and she's right but what she doesn't say Mr. Speaker Finish please So her party supports a tax only system which costs $150 increasing cost seven times with anything anyone else in Canada imagines and at the same time because it's revenue neutral you cut all the retrofit programs for farmers, for families, for apartments the electric vehicle subsidy program all the investments in public transit all the carbon offset you cut $8 billion in subsidies to help families while charging $150 of time for carbon compared to a cap and trade system New question Member from Essex My question is to the Premier Ontarians especially young Ontarians want to work they want good paying jobs that they know they'll be valued and where they know they'll be able to meet their needs food on the table, clothes on their back and the ability to build a future for themselves and for their families that's why new democrats believe that Ontarians deserve a $15 minimum wage Speaker will the Premier stand here today and commit to increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour Thank you Mr. Labour Thank you Speaker and thank you to the Honourable Member what you will see when you look around the country right now Speaker is you see that Ontario is leading the way when it comes to the minimum wage not only the minimum wage itself but the way that minimum wage is set Speaker in the past it was unpredictable Speaker Business asked us for predictability those people that are working in those types of jobs Speaker what we did for predictability as well what we did is we went out to the field we talked to experts from the field of poverty from employment law from advocates for people that are working in these jobs Speaker and we came to the conclusion that we could put in a system that was better than the one that was in place when the minimum wage was frozen for years Speaker Ontarians are proud of the system we have in place today Speaker it gives a guaranteed increase based on the rate of inflation supplementary Thank you Speaker hardworking Ontarians whether they're just starting out or whether they're starting over don't think that $15 an hour is too much to ask and no one wants to risk their lives or worry about being fired if they get sick or miss work that's why if someone wants to join a union they should be able to join a union with fewer barriers and when they do join a union they ought to be able to negotiate a contract quickly we think that people deserve jobs that help them into the middle class why wasn't there anything in the thrown speech that does that Thank you Speaker and once again thanks to the member for this question Speaker we know that work is changing the province of Ontario and as a result of that we did something that no other government has ever done in the past Speaker we looked at the Employment Standards Act we looked at the Labor Relations Act and we examined them clearly Speaker in detail in a way that simply hasn't been done before in the province of Ontario Speaker the last time this was looked at was in 1990 and in 2000 Speaker we're determined to bring the legislation that governs Employment Law and that governs Labor Relations Speaker in the province of Ontario up to date so that people that work in workplaces in Ontario and those employers that do an excellent job Speaker and those employers that need perhaps a little bit of work are all bought into the same fold Speaker and Ontario remains an incredible place to raise a family Speaker Mr Speaker my question is for the Minister of Health and Long-term Care I know that health care is a top priority for our government and with yesterday's thrown speech our government has reiterated our commitment to make everyday life easier for Ontarians I know as a member of Kingston and the islands that an important part of this commitment is providing Ontarians with timely access to the health services that they need we have seen major progress in Ontario including reducing wait times for surgeries, increasing the number of Ontarians who have a health care provider, reducing wait times to see specialists and expanding service for Ontarians at home and in their community but we also know there's more work to be done can the Minister of Health and Long-term Care please inform this House of the important investments that our government is making to make everyday life easier for Ontarians Thank you Mr Speaker I want to thank the member from Kingston four of Kingston and the islands for this important question and we are making those investments in our hospitals $345 million, $12 billion capital investment over the next 10 years but I want to acknowledge and thank the member for the extraordinary work and advocacy of the community because I had the honour of joining her about a month ago in Kingston when we were able to announce not only a $2.5 million planning grant for the future capital expansion of Kingston General Hospital but increases in the operating budgets of all three hospitals $7 million almost for Kingston General this year alone an additional $4 million for Providence Hospital this year additional funding for Hotel View and importantly we also announced funding for an incredible program called community paramedic paramedics go into the home they work with seniors to make sure that they can stay independent and healthy longer avoiding those unnecessary trips to the ER and to hospitals Mr Speaker Thank you Thank you Minister for that response I know that healthcare is a top priority for our government in August I was proud to announce that the three hospitals as mentioned in my riding of Kingston and the islands are $14.9 million this year through the health infrastructure renewal fund but I also know that our government is doing more than just investing in hospitals our government has made a commitment to provide Ontarians with the care that they need closer to home the minister of health and long-term care was in my riding as mentioned this summer to announce $13 million investment to ensure that patients in Kingston and the islands have faster access to the right care in the right place now and in the future can the minister of health and long-term care please inform the house of the investments that this government is making to improve and expand home and community care Thank you Minister Thank you Mr Speaker so we're investing $80 million new dollars this year in home and community care and we're also of that we're taking $100 million specifically to invest support for home care clients that have the highest needs and we're providing support for their caregivers as well because we all understand the critically important role that caregivers play with regards to home care Mr Speaker so $80 million of that $100 million is going to support enhanced care $100 million is going to caregiver respite Mr Speaker we're going to have 350,000 additional hours of nursing care more than a million additional hours of personal support workers working 100,000 more hours of rehabilitation and 600,000 additional hours of respite services for caregivers who need it most Mr Speaker Thank you My question is for the Premier the Premier knows that for years rate payers have been crying out desperately for help they help they need on high hydro bills they need to be lifted out of the crisis that this Liberal government has created yesterday the Premier announced that they're going to give them a rebate that amounts to $0.36 per day for the average family all this during a period of time since 2003 that your government has raised electricity rates by over 400% Mr Speaker well the Premier simply admit that yesterday's too little too late announcement was only a band-aid solution and it confirms that they refuse to reverse the damage done by their failed energy policies that are hurting everyone across this great process Mr Speaker it was a pleasure to be back in the presence of the boarder from across the way Mr Speaker let's talk about he referenced 2003 Mr Speaker when we came into office which Mr Speaker if you remember back to 2003 brownouts blackouts unreliable dirty system Mr Speaker we've moved away from that transition lines Mr Speaker we've shut down coal we have a clean green electricity grid in Ontario Mr Speaker and there has been a cost associated with that so what have we done we've put programs in place Mr Speaker eligible low and middle income families save $430 a year the Ontario energy and property tax credit individuals and families save up to $1,000 a year Mr Speaker so Mr Speaker we have put programs in place we're now taking the HST the provincial portion off that's the next thank you back to the Premier Speaker the voters of Scarborough Rouge River sent a clear message to this government that the current chaos in the energy system is all on them they said in no uncertain terms that your government has failed the Premier is promising an 8% rebate on their energy bills yet last November those bills went up 4.3% and this May another 2.5% how long before that rebate is eaten up with continuous energy increases that we know on your own plan are still to come in the weeks, months and years to come under your energy policies can the Premier simply state and admit that she's trying to change the channel but it does not change the fact that more and more Ontario families are facing real energy policy under the failed policies of your government we have energy poverty under the failed policies so let's look at what we are doing because we are doing more than the member opposite as suggested we are rebating the provincial portion of the HST to reduce bills by 8% we are doing that but we are also cutting delivery charges for the most rural and remote customers in the province so that will mean actually a 20% reduction and Mr. Speaker I would think that the member opposite there will be many many constituents of his who will directly benefit from that change because of the distribution changes Mr. Speaker we are also empowering businesses smaller businesses to reduce their bills under the ICI the industrial conservation initiative Mr. Speaker they can reduce their bills by 30% upwards of 30% so Mr. Speaker we recognize that there are costs associated with the investments we have made to have a clean reliable grid Mr. Speaker which is not the case when they were in office they were getting just to address those challenges Mr. Speaker I would think that the member opposite would be supportive of those they are being noted that this house stands recessed until 3pm this afternoon