 Therefore, it is time for Question Period. The member from Prince Edward Hastings. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question this morning is for the Premier. Research completed by the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers really shines a light on the mismanagement of Ontario's electricity system. They poured over data issued by the Independent Electricity System Operator and the Ontario Energy Board, and what was revealed was wildly disappointing, Speaker. It showed the province's exported electricity at a net financial loss of up to $1.25 billion, with a B, billion dollars. That's $1.25 billion. Mr. Speaker, yes or no, will the Premier confirm did the Liberal government lose almost $1.25 billion exporting power? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, let's look at the facts. The fact is that all jurisdictions import and export electricity to the benefit of their ratepayers, Mr. Speaker. That's actually how the system works. Ontario is no different, and with the IESO estimating that electricity exports reduce costs for Ontarians by hundreds of millions of dollars. Sounds to me I'm going to have to pick up where I left off, and I will. The IESO estimates that electricity exports reduce costs for Ontarians by hundreds of millions of dollars every year. So those are cost savings, Mr. Speaker. And this net benefit to Ontario was $236 million last year, Mr. Speaker. That's a net benefit to the people of Ontario because of taking part in importing and exporting electricity to the benefit of their ratepayers, Mr. Speaker. On top of regular trade, we also pursue firm agreements wherever it makes sense to ratepayers in the province, Mr. Speaker. And I know that the Minister of Energy will want to speak more to this in the supplementary. Thank you, supplementary. So, Speaker, the government is saying that the experts, the engineers are wrong, and they know better. This liberal spin is ridiculous. It's like costing $20 to make a pizza, selling eight slices at a dollar a piece and saying you're making money. It's ridiculous. It's absurd. You're not making money. We just wanted the government to come clean here this morning and start to tell the truth on this. Careful of how you word making an accusation. Okay, so sure the government found an export partner, but OSPI's numbers here are staggering. The numbers from the engineers are staggering. We're subsidizing power for Michigan and New York and other neighbouring jurisdictions. And they're poaching our jobs to make matters worse because they're taking our electricity at a low cost. Mr. Speaker, will the Premier admit this government lost over a billion dollars exporting power? Thank you. Minister of Energy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Very pleased to rise. The member from Renfrew and Nipissing Pembroke will come to order, and we're now in warnings. Thank you. You got what you asked for. Carry on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So it is important to note that today, Ontario, is a net exporter of power. And in 2016, the net benefit, Mr. Speaker, of those exports to ratepayers was $236 million, as estimated by the independent system operator. These benefits translate into reduced costs for the ratepayers. The member from Leeds, Grenville, is warned. Finish. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And so since 2013, the net benefit of our exports has been over $1 billion. Mr. Speaker, in savings to Ontario ratepayers. Before, Mr. Speaker, back in the early 2000s, Ontario used to be an importer of electricity. And what was the result? That was when our system was dependent on unreliable and expensive electricity from neighbouring jurisdictions, often forcing us to overpay for electricity. Now, Mr. Speaker, we're making money. We're making sure we put that back into the system to keep costs. Thank you. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, this political spin is absurd. These numbers don't lie. They come from the engineers here in Ontario. In 2016, the province exported a total of 21.9 terawatt hours of electricity at a net financial loss of more than $500 million. And most of this was clean, green energy spilling over the dams at Niagara Falls and other hydroelectric facilities across the province. The engineers noted that over the last few years the total exports represent nearly enough electricity to power every home in Ontario for an entire year. That's the legacy of the mismanagement on the electricity file from the Liberal government. Mr. Speaker, how can this government continue to gouge electricity customers at the same time they're exporting enough electricity at a loss to power every home in the province? So, Mr. Speaker, I know the member opposite used the word legacy. So let's talk about their legacy when it comes to electricity. In 2002 and 2003, Ontario paid $900 million to import electricity from 1996 to 2003. Overall install. Member from Lepin Carlton is warned. Carry on. Mr. Speaker, from 96 to 2003, overall install generation capacity fell 6%. That's like running Niagara Falls dry at the same time demand grew by 8%, Mr. Speaker. That's their legacy. Our legacy, rebuilding a system, making it clean, making it reliable, and bringing forward the fair hydro plan that makes it affordable, Mr. Speaker, will continue to make sure that we keep the best interest of Ontario ratepayers in hand, and they'll continue to misinform those ratepayers, Mr. Speaker. Better not make eye contact with me. The member will withdraw. I'll withdraw. No question. Same member. Thanks, Speaker. And again, my question is for the Premier. The bad news stories on the electricity file come as fast as the water flows over Niagara Falls, Speaker. The Ontario PCs believe in green, clean, renewable power. They believe in is selling it to Michigan and New York at a loss. Let's be a little more specific. We have great made in Ontario power hydroelectric. But last year, the Liberals allowed 4.7 terawatt hours of hydroelectric power to be wasted in Ontario, including the station at Niagara Falls. It's the equivalent of powering nearly 500,000 homes for a year, Mr. Speaker. How did the government mismanage the system so poorly that we're letting green hydroelectric power made in Ontario to be shipped across the border at such a significant loss? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So let's talk about what they're claiming, Mr. Speaker. They like to claim that power is wasted when water is spilled at hydroelectric generating stations, Mr. Speaker. This just shows how little they know about the system. Our advantage of our clean, reliable and flexible system that we have built is that we're able to procure energy on an as-needed basis. This means that we only use the electricity that is produced at the cheapest cost at that time, Mr. Speaker. Any time a generator is not producing electricity, it is because there were cheaper options available at that time. This means that a hydro facility will generate power when it can offer into the market at a low price, and it is not used when it offers too expensive power relative to any other sources. Mr. Speaker, which begs the question, do the PCs really think we should be running these generators at a higher cost to Ontario ratepayers? Probably so, Mr. Speaker. Maybe they'll do that this weekend when they come up with maybe one idea of a loss. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker. What we really need to do here is take the cookie jar off that minister's desk because he's made a mockery of our electricity system in Ontario. It's made a complete mess of our Ontario electricity system. Minister of Education is warned. To make matters worse, I just want to reiterate that Ontario exported 21.9 terawatt hours of electricity at a net financial loss of up to $1.25 billion. That number represents more than 2 million homes worth of electricity that Ontario has sold to neighbouring jurisdictions for a price less than what it costs to produce. Mr. Speaker, what does the Premier say? What does the Minister say to those 2 million electricity customers in Ontario that have to overpay so you can subsidise power to our neighbouring jurisdictions that are poaching our jobs at the same time? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What do I say to all of the 2 million customers that he was talking about, Mr. Speaker? They voted against reducing their rates by 25 percent, Mr. Speaker. That's what I would say to them. They have no plan on actually helping them, Mr. Speaker, and we do. But when it comes to net benefits of the export system, Mr. Speaker, every jurisdiction imports and exports electricity. And we do so, Mr. Speaker, at the net benefit of $236 million in 2016. We did the same in 2015, the same in 2014, the same in 2013, Mr. Speaker. Go back and talk about their legacy, Mr. Speaker. They were importing power at the cost of $700 million a year, Mr. Speaker. And doing it at the same time when we actually saw our use increase 127 percent on coal, Mr. Speaker. We've actually shut down coal. When it comes to a legacy, we've got clean air, we've got a reliable system, and we're working on making this system more and more affordable. On that side, Mr. Speaker, no legacy. Thank you. Final supplementary. Once again, Speaker, we have a minister of energy ignoring the advice of the experts in the energy sector for his own political spin, his own political messaging. If any other company or business sold their excess product at a loss of $1.25 billion, you know what would happen to them, Speaker? They'd be fired. They'd be out of a job immediately. There's no way they would keep their job. Yet this government has the audacity to tell everyone how great they are. Mr. Speaker, everybody can see through this. They've made a mockery of our energy sector. Mr. Speaker, this waste in the system deserves an apology. So, Speaker, will the Premier apologize for signing energy contracts that we don't need in selling energy at a loss for up to $1.25 billion at the same time? Thank you. Thank you, sir. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, let's look at the facts. The facts are, and they still matter in Ontario, $236 million in net benefit to Ontario ratepayers, which, Mr. Speaker, since 2013 have been a net benefit of our exports of over $1 billion in savings to Ontario ratepayers. Let's talk about our trade with our electricity system, Mr. Speaker. It's managed by the experts, by our system experts, Mr. Speaker, our system operator. And it's the market that determines the price of electricity. And we only export electricity when the trade is a benefit to Ontario ratepayers. Our government, Mr. Speaker, will continue to participate in the electricity market, increasing the reliability and the cost effectiveness of our system, Mr. Speaker. It is something that we'll continue to do, and something, Mr. Speaker, we'll continue to work with all of our partners, all of our neighbours, all of our system operators and the experts to make sure we have the best... Thank you. New question? The member from London West. My question is to the Premier. Yesterday, this Liberal government said students who decide to withdraw from college because of the strike will receive a full tuition refund. This has created confusion for students about whether they have to withdraw from college completely or just from the semester. Students have lives outside of class. They may work full-time. They may have kids. They need to know whether getting a tuition refund and restarting the semester in January is an option. Speaker, can this government assure college students that they can withdraw from the semester, get a full tuition refund and be guaranteed a fresh start in January? Thank you. Thank you for your advanced education skills development. Minister of advanced education and skills development. Well, thank you, Speaker. And throughout the strike, I have spent time talking to student leaders, talking to students, understanding what issues they were facing, and the getting a tuition refund speaker was an important priority for students. And that's why I was very pleased to announce that students who withdraw as a result of the strike are entitled to a tuition refund speaker. This is... I think that's fair. In fact, it goes above and beyond what many consider to be fair, Speaker. To answer the member opposite's question, if students... this applies to students who withdraw. They, of course, can come back. Not every college program has a January reentry speaker, so it will depend on the program and the college. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. For a student going to college anywhere in Ontario, but especially in Toronto, a $500 hardship rebate doesn't even cover a month's rent. Add rent onto additional childcare costs, lost hours of work, textbooks that may barely be used, penalties for cancelling flights home, and the many other... The Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation is warned. Finish, please. And the many other out-of-pocket expenses that students have incurred over the last five weeks, and $500 becomes more of a joke than a solution for some students. Mr. Speaker, why is this premier not offering effective help for Ontario college students? Thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, I have to say this is a rather bizarre question coming from a party that rejected every opportunity to get students back to school more quickly. In fact, that's the party speaker who said if they had been in power, the strike would go on as long as it took, Speaker. So that's a pretty bizarre question to now be concerned about students' expenses when last week, Speaker, they were not concerned about students one little bit. Final supplementary. Speaker, $500 is not nearly enough to compensate students for what they have lost during the five-week strike. And for some cramming five weeks of missed content into two weeks is just not possible. Imagine a busy working mom going to college part-time to get a better life, balancing kids in a nine-to-five job. She hardly had enough time for coursework before the five-week strike, and now with the holidays approaching, the premier is asking her to find even more time to cram five weeks of learning into two. Instead of creating more confusion and chaos for students, why isn't this Liberal government offering a program that actually responds to the financial hardships, the personal realities, and the emotional stress that students have experienced over the last five weeks? Thank you. Minister? Well, Speaker, I absolutely acknowledge the stress that students have been experiencing during the stress, and will continue. We are very happy students are back at work today, and we are stepping up to support them as they do complete their semester. So, Speaker, we have established, we have every college has established a dedicated fund to support students for additional costs that they incur as a result of the strike, Speaker, for many students, those courses will go into January. There will be additional costs borne by students, and this fund has been established in certain circumstances. Colleges have discretion to grant more than that. Speaker, in addition, students currently receiving OSAP will be extended to help them if the course goes longer, if the program goes longer into January, Speaker. And thirdly, we very much want to support students to complete their semester, but those who choose to withdraw will have a full tuition refund. Thank you. New question? Again, to the Premier. Speaker, despite her minister's assertions, it is the Premier's inaction that prolonged this strike. Last night, she told students who were angry that she did not get involved sooner that she was acting on advice that she was given. Well, I'm not sure where the Premier gets her advice, but sections four and five of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Act give the Premier every right to involve herself in college business if it's in the public interest. Maybe the Premier can tell us what wasn't about a five-week strike coming to a fair resolution that wasn't in the public interest. Advanced Education and Skills Development. Well, Speaker, it's interesting that the NDP is continuing to refer to that section of legislation. What they have failed to understand is there is another piece of legislation, Speaker, that overrides that, that does not allow government to interfere with the collective bargaining process. Finish, please. So, Speaker, once it became clear that the parties could not reach an agreement that they were at a deadlock, Speaker, we did commit to act. We used every opportunity to quickly pass legislation that would get students back in the classroom. But the NDP blocked it every single time they had the opportunity. On Thursday, we introduced, on Friday, we introduced consent to introduce legislation that was denied by the NDP. On Friday, we introduced legislation and then required unanimous consent to debate the legislation the same day. Again, the NDP blocked the motion over and over. They repeatedly... Thank you. Supplementary. Speaker, the Premier also told students last night that she will be looking into whether or not she had the authority to intervene earlier. The Premier, Section 4 of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Act allows the minister to make binding directives to Ontario colleges as to how they conduct their affairs. Section 5 of the Act allows the minister to intervene in the affairs of colleges if it's deemed to be in the public interest. I find it hard to believe that neither the Premier nor her minister knew that they had this authority. Why didn't the Premier exercise her legislated authority and direct the colleges not to force a contract vote that everyone knew they would lose? Unnecessarily prolonging this strike for as much as two weeks. Thank you. You see it, please? You see it, please? Thank you. Minister. Well, Speaker, as I said earlier, there is overriding legislation. We have very solid legal legislation and we have very solid legal legislation and we have very solid legal advice, Speaker, that the order would have been challenged had we moved it back to work legislation too early. But let's be really clear what this is all about. The NDP are hearing from people that they are not happy that the NDP blocked the legislation and they are... Finish, please. So, Speaker, I will finish up by saying that the College Collective Bargaining Act does not equal applied arts and technology act, Speaker, there are two pieces of legislation. The NDP should be aware of that and they should understand we've pushed it as hard as we could. Thank you. Tonight at the Premier's Town Hall, students were upset. Some were in tears as they described the effect that this five-week strike has had on their learning. Instead of comforting these students, the Premier defended her decision not to intervene. She said what my authority was and I... Stop the clock. Member from Trinity Spadina is warned. You may finish. She said she had an understanding of what my authority was and I acted in good faith on that. Speaker, these are empty words for a young person in tears trying to figure out how to recover from five weeks of uncertainty. Again, Speaker, I ask why did the Premier not use her legislative authority to order the Colleges to reduce the number of precariously employed faculty early in negotiations, thereby removing one of the most significant issues that led to the strike in the first place. In the history of this province for ensuring they have free tuition we are committed to students we are committed to equity of access to post-secondary education for people across the province. We have 50,000 more students applying for OSAP this year than last year. Thanks to this Premier. Thank you. New question from Whitby Oscar. My question is for the Premier. After the Liberal government allowed the college strike to drag on for five weeks, 500,000 community college students are finally returning to their classrooms today. Yesterday I asked the Premier if the Liberal government would commit to matching the college student support fund dollar for dollar. As expected Premier did not provide an answer. Because the Premier failed to show leadership for five weeks during a strike, 500,000 college students at the very least deserve a concrete answer. Will the government commit today to matching the college student support fund dollar for dollar? Minister of advanced education and skills development. Of course we all understand that the PC's protection of collective bargaining is weak to say the least. We lack the process play out speaker. We engaged ourselves as we could to try to find a resolution. One of those things is we're setting up a task force speaker to look at some of the big issues facing the future of our colleges. But we have really listened to the voice of students and I want to thank you to the students who took the time to work with government to identify issues that students were facing and to help us develop those solutions. So let me repeat speaker, we have got a dedicated fund for hardship and the colleges have discretion to go above the $500 cap in exceptional circumstances. Students who choose to withdraw speaker will have their tuition refunded if they choose to withdraw as a result of the strike and in addition speaker, students who are on OSAP will be able to get additional support if the semester goes along. Thank you. Speaker back to the Premier. For five weeks to Premier let the strike drag on. Students weren't in class and were put through unmeasurable financial stress. Some speaker forced to sell their personal belongings to make ends meet. It's time speaker it's time speaker for the Liberal government to finally stand up for students and take tangible action to address their financial hardships. Speaker will the Premier do the right thing today and commit to matching the $500 per student support fund dollar for dollar. Speaker I'm happy to see that the PCs are standing up for students but I have to ask the question, where were they when we made the changes to OSAP Member from Niagara West Glam Brook is warned. Finish please. Speaker where were the PCs when we made the changes to OSAP that expand access to people from all income groups in this province. Where were they when we found a way to get free tuition to 210,000 students the sad reality speaker is that they have they voted against it. They voted against it, they weren't there for students, they weren't there for changes to OSAP that have made Ontario a leader, an international leader in student financial assistance speaker. Thank you. Your question the member from Toronto Danforth We're a very eager and energetic group here speaker as you're well aware Speaker to the Premier. Yesterday I was listening to the Minister of Energy respond to questions about Hydro-1's two rate increase applications the minister praised Hydro-1 for finding savings but Hydro-1 is not passing any savings on to rate payers by decreasing rates. Instead Hydro-1 wants a 20% distribution rate increase. The minister said Hydro-1 is doing a great job as a company. Even though Hydro-1 is currently taking the Ontario Energy Board to court in order to keep 100% of a 2.6 billion dollar tax break that rightly belongs to rate payers. Why does the minister think his job is to praise Hydro-1 and not to defend the interests of rate payers. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you Mr. Speaker. We were very pleased to bring forward the Fair Hydro Plan which actually defended rate payers by reducing their bills by 25% and that member and that party voted against it Mr. Speaker. So it's this party this party Mr. Speaker that is actually defending rate payers. It's this party that's actually working with companies Mr. Speaker. Working with companies to make sure that we can continue to find ways to reduce bills for rate payers Mr. Speaker. When it comes to Hydro-1 they've seen their bills in R2 and R1 designations Mr. Speaker drop by 40 to 50% and it had nothing to do with that party Mr. Speaker. It had nothing to do with that member. It had to do with Mr. Speaker, the company the government and rate payers all working together to come up with solutions Mr. Speaker. That's what we have done on this side. On that side Mr. Speaker they've done nothing. They have a plan that is high in the sky that didn't even talk about helping low income individuals Mr. Speaker and that is something that we have done with all organizations to help all rate payers in the country. Thank you Mr. Speaker again to the Premier. The Minister of Energy cheered when Hydro-1 applied to buy Avista even though this $6.7 billion purchase will do nothing to improve service for Ontario rate payers. This purchase will divert resources away from improving the reliability of grid towards the cost of building an empire for Hydro-1. The Ontario Energy Board said Hydro-1 was making poor use of its existing funds and capital improvements and told it to reduce its revenue requirements. Hydro-1 basically refused. The privatized Hydro-1 is putting private profits ahead of the public interest. Will the Minister stop cheerleading for Hydro-1 and start protecting the interests of Ontario families and rate payers? Again Mr. Speaker it's this party that actually protected rate payers by bringing forward the fair Hydro-plan that voted against rate payers by making sure that they didn't support the plan Mr. Speaker. When it comes to Hydro-1 the acquisition of Avista benefits customers employees shareholders and rate payers Mr. Speaker and it's important to say rates will not be impacted. It won't even affect local jobs either Mr. Speaker. Similar acquisitions are increasingly common Mr. Speaker. Fortis purchased Michigan base ITC and Epcor purchased two water utilities. When it comes to making sure Mr. Speaker that the government is on side of the rate payers it's this premier Mr. Speaker it's this government that will continue to work with our stakeholders will continue to work with the OEB will continue to work with the ISO to have a clean reliable and affordable system unlike the opposition parties that have no plan to do that Mr. Speaker. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is also to the Minister of Energy Minister in my writing I often hear from constituents on the work of this government on the energy file. The constituents in my writing know how critical clean and reliable energy system is to Ontario being a great place to live and work refurbishing at the Darlington and Bruce nuclear generating station will ensure that we have affordable reliable clean energy for years to come. However my constituents sometimes worry that the projects may go over the over the set out budget and will be delayed. Today the financial accountability officer released a report about the province's refurbishing project. Mr. Speaker could the Minister please update the house in my constituents how the refurbishing project is going. Thank you. Thank you Minister of Energy. Thank you Mr. Speaker I also want to thank the member for that question and of course for the hard work that he does each and every day for his constituents and his writing. I also want to thank the financial accountability office for providing their important analysis of the refurbishment project. The FAO report confirms that our government has carefully considered the financial risks of nuclear refurbishments and has built in strong protections and oversight measures Mr. Speaker to prevent cost overruns. The FAO report also makes it clear that there is currently no alternative clean generation which could replace nuclear generation at a comparable cost for Ontario ratepayers. Additionally the report notes that refurbishment is the most cost effective low emissions generation source available to meet Ontario's base load requirements. Mr. Speaker I want to reassure the member and his constituents that the refurbishment of our province remains on budget and on time. Supplementary. Thank you minister. Not only will the refurbishment of Ontario nuclear feed ensure we have a safe reliable clean energy where and when we need it, it will also bring our province and our communities like mine and Northumberland and West significant economic benefits. When it comes to providing a boost to the Ontario growing economy, the refurbishment of Bruce and Ontario globally recognized nuclear supply chain with more than 180 companies in 70,000 jobs across the province. This will have a significant positive impact in my writing on Northumberland and West being just adjacent to Darlington. A few weeks ago our government released a 2017 long long-term energy plan in which we recommitted to a major mandate letter objective mainly refurbishing 10 nuclear plants in Ontario, both Darling and Bruce. Minister, what measures are we taking to ensure this project remains on time and on budget? Thank you minister. Thank you Mr. Speaker. In order to prevent cost or schedule overruns our government has implemented strong protections and oversight measures Mr. Speaker. Bruce Power has invested approximately 13 billion of its own funds and has agreed to take the full risk of cost overruns on their nuclear units. The unit to refurbishment of Darlington is progressing very well and is on track to be completed on time and on budget. In any case the government has established off-ramps that may be used in the event of OPG or Bruce Powers failing to adhere to the approved schedule and budget. We've been very clear Mr. Speaker that we will not proceed if there are significant cost or schedule overruns. While we continue to monitor two other projects or these two projects Mr. Speaker, nuclear power will continue. Will continue to be the backbone of the safe, clean, reliable and affordable electricity system we've built here in Ontario. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Question from the members of the UNICEF of London. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question to the Minister of Health and long-term care. Yesterday during committee the member from Kitchener Center announced that the drug for cystic fibrosis or cystic fibrosis, even though there haven't been any negotiations for the drug at the Pan-Canadian Perm Succo Alliance in two years. Speaker, this government's members continue to make announcements about OHIP Plus giving many hope for them that are suffering from rare diseases and cancer. Unfortunately Speaker, those statements aren't always correct. Speaker, can the minister confirm right now if or can we recover under OHIP Plus or did the member from Kitchener Center agree the member will withdraw? Withdraw. Minister of Health, long-term care. Well Mr. Speaker, I'm happy to stand up and talk about OHIP Plus which I think all of us by now and most Ontarians understand that come January 1st every single Ontarian up to their 25th birthday, proceeding their 25th birthday will have access absolutely free of charge to more than 4,400 medications. Medications like insulin Medications like acne pens. Medications for puffers for those with asthma cancer drugs. In fact I was with the Canadian Cancer Society yesterday and I was with the committee, the organization for rare diseases Accord Mr. Speaker yesterday as well to talk about the availability for the first time free of charge cancer drugs for children and drugs for rare diseases. Mr. Speaker this is an incredible advancement in the expansion of Medicare in this province that I think we all should be very proud of. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker again there is no direct answer to my question but Mr. Speaker when you write policy on the back of an app can statements like those made from Kitchener Centers appear to happen. Either the government has no idea what will be covered under their plan or the promising drugs they know will not be covered in an effort to gain support. Speaker will the minister stop stringing the people of Ontario along and admit right now that their back of the napkin ohit plus plan will cover nothing new nothing more than what's covered for the seniors nothing more than what's covered for the trillium patients of Ontario. Well Mr. Speaker I hope what the member is not saying is that he opposes the biggest expansion of Medicare in this province history since Medicare itself 4,400 drugs will be available so and particularly given his professional background Mr. Speaker we're working with pharmacists we're working with pharma companies I'll accept that we're working with important stakeholders like the Canadian Cancer Society with pediatricians across this province with those that have specialist in adolescent diseases and illnesses 4,400 drugs available there's no upfront payment no co-payment no annual deductible all you need is your prescription and your health number and 4,400 drugs will be available if the member opposite can't support that I'm deeply concerned about how he approaches healthcare in this province. Thank you Your question the member from Hamilton Mountain. Thank you Speaker my question is for the premier a report released last week by Children's Milk Until Health Ontario outlines the serious problems caused by wait lists of up to 18 months for mental health services for children and youth the media reported that Shannon Nagy told her mother at 5 years old that she wanted to die. In grade 6 she missed the entire school year now 20 Shannon says her struggle to get help throughout her childhood did more harm than good. Kim Moran now the CEO of CMHO had to take a 4 month leave of absence then work part time when her 11 year old daughter tried to die by suicide while waiting on a year long list for help when would the Liberal Government finally act to significantly reduce wait lists Mr Children and Youth Services Mr Children and Youth Services Well thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I'd like to thank the member for the question mental health when it comes to young people here in the province of Ontario is a huge priority for this Premier for this Government and the Minister of Health. Mr Speaker a few years ago we invested $100 million into mental health here in the province of Ontario and as we made that investment we also started another process called moving on mental health and what we've been able to accomplish over the last few years is quite remarkable we're really rethinking the entire system here in the province of Ontario Mr. Speaker we've set up 31 almost 32 of the 33 lead agencies across the province of Ontario to better coordinate services on the ground and this is about system transformation the same thing we've done in education the same thing we've done in healthcare the same thing we've done in the energy sector this is a system transformation and Mr. Speaker I assured members that I met last week at the conference that we're looking for massive system change here Good supplementary Mr. Speaker the Minister knows that everything that he just talked about did nothing to do anything to reduce the wait lists children's mental health Ontario has been saying for years that the underfunding of services are putting a huge strain on our hospitals because these kids have nothing else and they reach crisis situations last week's report shows the impact of an 18 month wait list have on education and on the ability of families to be able to continue to earn a living a third of parents have had to miss had their child miss school due to anxiety a quarter have missed work to care for their child the stress continues to mounts up and adds to already very difficult situations I ask again when will this government act so that children with mental health problems can get the help they need when they need it The reason why we are looking for system changes to make sure that young people get the help when they need it the member says that we're not doing anything to address the issue I'll let the member know that as a province we invest almost four billion dollars into mental health almost half a billion of those dollars goes to help young people here in the province of Ontario currently in the province there are 130,000 young people getting services the member says we've done nothing well here's a few things that we've done in the last few years we provided funding for mental health leaders in all 72 school boards providing funding to hire additional 770 community mental health workers across the province of Ontario 144 additional nurses working in schools to identify students that need help and more than 80 new mental health and addiction workers working in indigenous communities we've also expanded our online mental health directory we've sort of built 89 here in the province of Ontario with the progressive conservatives voted against to do exactly what we're doing system change the member from Davenport thank you Mr. Speaker my questions for the minister of education November is financial literacy month financial literacy is an important part of learning and living in the 21st century being financially literate ensures that we know what is happening with the finances in our homes so that we can plan for the future and weather any unexpected expenses during this financial literacy month our government is taking action to ensure that students in Ontario can develop a solid foundation of financial literacy skills this means having the knowledge to make informed financial decisions with confidence and care Mr. Speaker through you to the minister how is our government developing the curriculum to further the development of financial literacy skills in Ontario schools thank you minister of education thank you speaker I'm pleased to rise in the house today to recognize November as financial literacy month and this is a life skill that everyone can benefit from our government is committed to preparing students for success in a rapidly changing economy and technology driven world earlier this November I was at Parkdale Collegiate Institute in Toronto to announce that we are making financial literacy a mandatory part of the grade 10 careers course starting in September of 2018 we know that our young people are better off when they can understand basic money management budgeting or credit our plan for education is preparing Ontario students for the jobs of today and tomorrow this is an important part of our plan to create jobs grow the economy and our new vision for education we remain committed to achievement equity and well-being for all students in Ontario including financial well-being thank you minister financial literacy is a skill that is vital to the success of our students our government is doing more to equip students with the skills they need to compete in an integrated global economy we have never wavered in our commitment to student achievement just this year we launched 29 pilot projects across the province to inform the recently announced enhancements to the career studies course during the pilot projects education partners participated in the process providing important input about new mandatory learning on financial literacy minister can you tell us more about how the new and improved careers studies course will prepare grade 10 students with financial literacy skills thank you minister thank you Mr. Speaker I want to thank the member from Davenport for this very timely question students and teachers felt that the pilots were so successful that we will be expanding the new careers course to all schools across the province starting in 2018 we will be refreshing the careers course to include budgeting so students can map out their pathways plan and then itemize its components to create a personal issues related to credit card debt and collaborate on suggested solutions for acceptable use and OSAP so students can use the new OSAP calculator tool to plan for post secondary education Mr. Speaker Ontario students are among the top performers worldwide in financial literacy education but we are not stopping there Mr. Speaker we are making this a mandatory part of Ontario's curriculum we remain committed to investing in our most valuable resource our students Thank you very much Mr. Speaker my question is for the premier this weekend the premier will be heading to Asia on a trip to China and Vietnam it was in Vietnam where under two weeks ago the prime minister failed to show up at a meeting with 10 other world leaders and jeopardized Canada's position in the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations Given how important the TPP will be for Canadian agriculture including Ontario's grain farmers has the premier raised concerns with the prime minister over what has been interpreted by other TPP nations as a snub at the APEC summit Thank you Well thank you very much Mr. Speaker and on the second part of that question I'm just to assure the member opposite that we are in regular communication we will continue to work very closely with our federal counterparts on all of the trade negotiations Mr. Speaker as we did on CEDA as we are doing on NAFTA Mr. Speaker and as we are doing on the TPP conversation and as the member opposite will know that none of those provisions have been finalized and we will continue to work very closely with the federal government and I will say to the member opposite I'm very pleased to be able to take about 100 companies with us Mr. Speaker that want to develop partnerships Mr. Speaker that will mean more jobs in Ontario more investment in Ontario Mr. Speaker which will again continue to help our economy to grow Thank you Supplementary Thank you very much Mr. Speaker the premier actually has totally lost the point of my question and that is that TPP I agree presents a great opportunity for Ontario's agriculture sector to begin to new markets the premier's government website advertises her upcoming trade mission directly and references Ontario's and Vietnam's participation in the TPP as a key business tie so speaker I have to ask the premier why is she not pushing back at the prime minister to get the TPP talks back on track so that Ontario farmers and agri-food businesses can also on a tremendous market opportunity Thank you Well Mr. Speaker the TPP talks are on track Mr. Speaker you know we're very pleased that there was a preliminary agreement in principle Mr. Speaker and we will work very closely with the federal government and you know Mr. Speaker as we have done as we are doing now in the NAFTA conversations Mr. Speaker I'm acutely aware of two things first of all the opportunities for markets and the expansion of markets that's why I am traveling with companies to China and to Vietnam Mr. Speaker it's why I'm so engaged with businesses here to make sure that they understand what the opportunities are abroad Mr. Speaker but secondly to make sure that in these trade negotiations in these conversations we protect our industries Mr. Speaker that we protect and stand up for farmers here in Ontario and make sure that when there is a negotiation of a trade deal Ontario Thank you New question the member from Thank you Mr. Speaker for the premiere Sudbury has waited eight long years for a pet scanner in December 2015 this government promised to change that our community raised the money we did our work we've done our part actually the first pet scan in Sudbury should have been happening right now but instead we've learned that this government is holding up the process it could be 2019 before pet scans are done in Sudbury why is this premier letting us down again why is she delaying the pet scanner that we should have had eight long years ago thank you premier long-term care thank you Mr. Speaker first of all I would like to thank MPP the MPP for Sudbury for his strong advocacy for both his community and for Northern Ontario Mr. Speaker because Mr. Speaker it was his hard work that resulted in the government providing two sources of funding for the pet scanner Mr. Speaker it was $1 million and annual operating costs for the pet scanner once it's fully operational but that wasn't sufficient because we were quite frankly overwhelmed by the level of community support and the fundraising coming forward on the capital side and we wanted to make sure that capital those capital improvements necessary for the pet scanner were able to proceed and again with the support and hard work from the MPP for Sudbury and capital and the millions of dollars capital investment towards that purchase and towards the necessary capital improvements supplementary Mr. Speaker the good people of the northeast have been calling for equity of access to pet scanning technology since 2009 the Sam Bruno family Cheryl, Frank Mary, Lori Sam's mother Rosina a grieving family that knew nothing about fundraising went on and raised $4.1 million to purchase the scanner Health Sciences North has done everything that they need to do but today my constituents still can get a pet scan done in Sudbury we still have to drive 5, 6, 7, 8 hours on icy roads to get the healthcare we need Frankly, Speaker, we feel like this government never took that problem seriously and now news of more delay just add to the disappointment towards this premier and the government how can the premier defend another years of delay for us to get access to pet scanning technology well Mr. Speaker, again thanks to the hard work of the local MPP the MPP from Sudbury we have made the multimillion dollar capital investment the operating funds as well the people of Sudbury in the surrounding area will not have to wait much longer we're working with the hospital the Bruno family the community supports that are in place this project is on track and will open as expected Mr. Speaker and provide that important service so that hundreds of individuals from Sudbury in the surrounding region in the north will no longer have to travel to take advantage of pet scan technology and I want to again congratulate and thank the MPP for Sudbury for his excellent answer and hard work for many years on this project Thank you Speaker and my question is to the Minister of Research, Innovation and Science now just last week Speaker I understand the Minister made a very significant announcement at a completely sold out Canadian club event quite clearly and the people want to hear this PhD and physicist speak that announcement was regarding the chief science file that he was tasked with in his mandate letter from the Premier and I understand Speaker the objective was to create an office in a position that would be responsible for helping coordinate Ontario's significant science and research assets the officer would advise the Premier and the Minister on key scientific matters and raise the profile so Speaker could the Minister please inform the members of this house of his work on the chief scientist file? Thank you Mr. Speaker I want to begin by thanking the member for East York and beaches not only for his question but also for his advocacy for science and research and innovation a file which I am particularly proud of Mr. Speaker on November 17th Mr. Speaker I was at the Canadian club delivering research on the role of science in the formation of public policy the subject I am quite passionate about I was there that I was able to announce the appointment of Dr. Molly Shorquett as Ontario's first chief scientist Mr. Speaker Dr. Shorquett is a professor at the University of Toronto and an internationally respected and award winning expert in the study of polymers for drug delivery and tissue regeneration Mr. Speaker next month Dr. Shorquett will help Ontario develop a strategic scientific research agenda Thank you Well thank you Speaker and I thank the Minister of Research and Science his mandate was very clear and he very clearly has fulfilled his mandate and I too would like to offer my personal congratulations to Dr. Shorquett and I am extremely pleased and delighted with this bit of news because Speaker our government will now be placing much greater emphasis on science in the formations of all of its policy decisions and I know it gives the residents of my riding of beaches east York a great peace of mind to know that this government will make responsible and well reasoned decisions based on the advice of experts in their fields so to the Minister Speaker could he tell the members of the legislature what the responsibility of the chief scientist will be Thank you Thank you Mr. Speaker again thank you to the member from east York and the Minister of Research and Science Mr. Speaker part of chief scientist responsibilities will be providing expert advice to government to help decision makers tackle some of the greatest challenges our time and our society facing challenges like climate change, aging population, fighting deadly diseases and the impact of transformative technologies it is my pleasure to congratulate Dr. Molly Shorquett for becoming Ontario's first chief scientist to continue a proud tradition of science and research excellence through evidence-based decision making to all my colleagues at the house please reach out to Dr. Shorquett and wish her well on her appointment Thank you Mr. Speaker Thank you very much Mr. Speaker my question to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Life is getting harder for entero patients as they are waiting longer and longer for the care they need today over 2100 people are waitlisted for a doctor and Bruce Grey own sound a 62% increase over last year not only is this a break of your election promise when Kathleen Wynn guaranteed all insurance access to doctors by 2018 sorry but is actually a deplorable record Minister I want to know is matching insurance with the doctor going to be another liberal stretch goal or yet another hollow promise Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Mr. Speaker I'm proud that 95% of Ontarians have access to a primary care provider be that a family doctor or a nurse practitioner in one of our 25 nurse practitioner led clinics and in fact Mr. Speaker since we came into office more than well over I wish I had the exact number but well over 6000 new physicians are practicing in this province in fact I believe we average 1,800 new doctors net new doctors entering practice each year in this province that being said there's no question that there are parts of the province where we do not have an adequate supply of the relevant healthcare providers including our frontline primary care providers and physicians and we're working hard on that we're working on that in a variety of ways with local municipalities we're providing incentives and opportunities for physicians to open with family health organizations and other modalities to increase the use of healthcare supplementary back to the minister of health with all due respect minister you should not be proud until it's 100% healthcare is fundamental to everybody Patricia Russell Kaplan is among the 2,168 constituents who are on an ever growing wait list for primary care physician in my riding Patricia also suffers from ALS a fatal neurodegenerative disease so her access to a doctor is absolutely critical I don't know how many years you would feel comfortable waiting if you were facing a similar predicament minister what is fair about ALS patients like Patricia going 2 years without a doctor will you waste 4 billion dollars on a hydro accounting scheme well mr. Speaker that's rich coming from a party that closed 10,000 hospital beds 10,000 hospitals referred to our nurses as hula hoops going out of fashion out of style mr. Speaker but we have increased in this province the ratio of physicians for every 10,000 Ontarians it's increased from 17.5 physician per 10,000 Ontarians to 20.5 physicians per 10,000 Ontarians and we have dramatically increased the percentage of Ontarians that have access to a family primary care provider and nurse practitioner and we're not done yet we agree 95% isn't sufficient we're going to reach that point where every single Ontarian who wants a primary care provider be that a doctor be that a nurse practitioner will have access to that individual and even more so our patients first act spoke directly to this to make sure that we would attain that goal mr. Speaker Mr. Vergey on a point of order thank you mr. Speaker I'd like to correct my record in response to the member from Prince Edward Hastings I said in relation to the PCs imports power they spent $700 million on electricity cost that was incorrect mr. Speaker I meant to say $900 million in 2002 and 2003 Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker