 It is now time for Question Period, the leader of her master's degree. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. As CTV's Paul Bliss said last week, the Auditor General's report contains probably some of the worst examples of government waste, mismanagement and incompetence that he's seen in his fourteen years at Queen's Park. The stories he added were sure to trigger anger and disbelief. And the Auditor's report details story after story of government incompetence and waste of taxpayers' money. Mr. Speaker, now that the Premier has returned, which one of these examples of incredible scandal, waste and incompetence would she like to apologize for? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And let me just say I am very happy to be back, and I welcome the two newest members of the Legislature, Banye and the member for Niagara West-Bandrook, welcome to the Legislature. And I will just say I will report to the Legislature and to the people of Ontario that the trade missions to Japan and Korea were very successful, Mr. Speaker, about 240 million dollars worth of agreements, Mr. Speaker, and 426 new jobs for Ontario. But beyond that, Mr. Speaker, the over 45 businesses and education leaders that traveled with us to Korea and to Japan made contacts that will lead to research, that will lead to further business, Mr. Speaker, that will lead to benefits for both Ontario and their jurisdictions. So they were very successful, Mr. Speaker. It's great to be back, and I'm happy to talk about the Auditor General and supplementary speakers. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier. That wasn't even remotely an answer. So I'll go back to the question about the Auditor General's report. Let's talk about some of the highlights. The government built upside-down bridges, let me repeat, the government built upside-down bridges. The Auditor General said the cap-and-trade scheme won't actually reduce emissions in Ontario as the Liberals had hoped. The Liberals were forced Ontario to send $466 million to California in the next four years. The government has now wasted $8 billion on e-health for an incomplete system with no end in sight. Mr. Speaker, where do I begin? These stories are incredible. And I would appreciate an apology to the people of Israel rather than another answer that is a diversion. And I know that the ministers are very eager to reinforce what they said last week when the Auditor General's report came out, but first let me just say that we feel very strongly that the Auditor General has a very important role to play in looking at what is happening in government, Mr. Speaker, on making recommendations and providing insight into the work of government. In many instances, the work on implementing the Auditor's recommendations is already underway, Mr. Speaker, because we know that there are challenges. She has identified some of those, Mr. Speaker, but it's important that we work with officers of the legislature so that we can make improvements. It is the Auditor General's job to shine a light on issues within government, Mr. Speaker, to work with ministries to make sure that changes happen. And that's exactly what's underway, Mr. Speaker. Many of the recommendations are already being acted upon. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. The government paid $8 million a year in bonuses to companies that let roads crack and crumble. The Liberals rewarded one company with another $39 million contract after they built a bridge upside down. Wow. The Premier was a former Minister of Transportation. How could she let this happen? Mr. Speaker, does the Premier have any remorse for rewarding a company that built a bridge upside down? Please, explain to the people of Ontario how- Thank you very much, Speaker. Speaker, I want to begin by acknowledging where I was this morning. I was actually in the wonderful community of Barrie earlier this morning, Speaker. Speaker, and in Barrie, I was standing alongside the member of Parliament for Barrie. Thank you. Speaker, as I was saying, I was there alongside the member from Barrie. I was there alongside Mayor Layman from Barrie. All right. If we're going to start, I'll get to it. As soon as I sit down, the member from Nippee and Carlton come to order. And if you'd like, I'll go in the mornings. The signal. Finish, please. Thank you, Speaker. As I was saying, I was there alongside the member, I was there alongside the Mayor. We were there today specifically to announce brand-new year-round weekend GO train service for that community, Speaker. Today is also the day that the brand-new Gormley GO station, delivered on time and on budget, is open and taking trains in Richmond Hill, Speaker. Speaker, both of these examples, both of these examples and so many more are a clear indication of our Premier and our government's determination to build the province up I don't understand why that leader can't see a way to support our initiatives to help his community of Barrie and every city around, every community around this province, Speaker. I've said it before, I'll say it again. He should get on board with our plan. Thanks very much. New question? The Leader of the Opposition. Thanks. Mr. Speaker, to the Premier, since I can't get a justification on the upside down bridge, let's try something else. As of last Friday, the Traumatic Stress Services Workplace Program at the London Health Sciences Centre is no more. It's been cancelled by this government. First responders battling PTSD have used this program and it has incredible results, life altering results. But now, the next closest place for first responders where they can receive treatment is here in Toronto. Mr. Speaker, will the Premier commit to funding to make sure that we can reopen the PTSD program in London? It is essential. Thank you. I serve Labour. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member for that excellent question, because it deals with an issue that I think society has been able to come to grip with in the very, just in the recent past, that obviously I think society should have been paying a lot more attention to, Speaker. What the question is, I understand it revolves around, is that an attempt to ensure that services are available to all workers, Speaker, that end up having to deal with the symptoms of PTSD, is that there are regional centres for those workers to avail themselves of, Speaker. There's one available in London, there's one in Toronto, and there's one in another area of the problem, Speaker, that makes it easier. Speaker, as a result of a decision that was made by that organisation, they have decided to wind up that program. There's still a very strong interest, Speaker, from the Workers' Safety and Insurance Board to ensure that services are provided to people where they need them close to their home, Speaker. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, to the Premier. The Traumatic Stress Services Workplace Program at the London Health Services Sciences Centre was closing because of a $500,000 shortfall in funding from this Liberal government. First responders in London and area and throughout Ontario have been calling the news devastating. These individuals have served our province with distinction and honour, but the government is turning their backs on them when they need help most. Mr. Speaker, the AG report has shown hundreds of millions of dollars in waste. When it comes to our first responders, $500,000 to make sure we have PTSD access for treatment in London. Don't turn your back on these proud first responders. Please ensure, Premier, that the funding is there. Yes or no, will you make sure the treatment is available in London? Thank you. Speaker, thank you again for the supplementary question. Speaker, there's no government in the history of the province of Ontario that's done more for PTSD for first responders than the government of Kathleen's Glen, Speaker. And I think the first responders will acknowledge that, Speaker. Speaker, this is an issue that's plagued us. It's come through the armed forces. We found that the same evidence of post-traumatic stress disorder existed in people that go to work for us on a daily basis. Speaker, our firefighters, our police officers, our paramedics, those who work in our correction system, Speaker, came to us, asked us to take action on post-traumatic stress disorder. Speaker, we put in a presumptive program, Speaker, so that they don't have to go through the typical application process of the WSIB, Speaker. But more than anything, what we've done is put in a prevention program, Speaker, because as I stand today, PTSD is, as we know it, incurable. The best thing you can do, Speaker, is make sure that people don't get PTSD in the first place. Thank you. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier directly. I applauded the government when they finally listened to the opposition calls for legislation on PTSD treatment. But here's the thing, Mr. Speaker. It's one thing to bring legislation in. Order. Mr. Speaker, it's one thing to bring legislation in, but it's all for naught if you can't get treatment. The Minister of Education. Where first responders can get treatment. How disingenuous is that? How inconsistent is that, Mr. Speaker? I can't say that. Please withdraw. Withdraw. Carry on. Mr. Speaker, how does it make sense to say you want better access for PTSD than close the treatment center? Those first responders need somewhere to go. I assume the Deputy Premier will be urging the Premier to do the right thing and not abandon London. So my question is not to pass the buck. My question to the premiers, will you make sure that first responders in the City of London and Southwestern Ontario can get treatment for PTSD and promise us here today the funding will not be cut? Thank you. Minister. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition sells like the rooster taking credit for the sunrise. He knew it happened. He knew it happened. He was around somewhere, but he had absolutely nothing to do with it, Speaker. And that's exactly what's coming up here. When we needed you in this House, Speaker, you weren't here. The Member from Sarnia-Lampton raised this issue and said we need services right around the province. We need you to do something in London to make sure those services are still available, Speaker. You weren't here. The Member from Sarnia spoke up, Speaker. We've been talking with the Work of Safety and Insurance Board, Speaker. They have assured me that what they want is services for our first responders available close to where they live, Speaker. Gentle reminder that you speak to the Chair either through question or answer, please. New question to the Leader of the Third Party. Thank you, Speaker. My question's for the Premier. For months, new Democrats have been raising the concerns that people have with overcrowded hospitals. We asked about hospitals across Ontario running at over 100% capacity. And for months, the government refused to admit that there was a problem that needed solving. Last week, the auditor confirmed that 60% of hospitals in Ontario are overcrowded. And overcrowded hospitals mean more infections and longer wait times. Will the Premier stop denying that hospitals are overcrowded and stop robbing our healthcare system of the resources it needs? Well, Mr. Speaker, I believe if the Leader of the Third Party looks at the budget documents, you will see that in our recent budget, we added $345 million to hospital operations, Mr. Speaker. And on top of that, we have recently announced $140 million for hospitals. We recognize, Mr. Speaker, that hospitals have made very difficult decisions over the last number of years they have held their costs down as the healthcare system has transformed, as we have moved services, Mr. Speaker, from hospitals into communities. But at the same time, we recognize that hospitals have needed increases. That's why the $345 million was in the budget. And that's why $140 million was just announced, Mr. Speaker. So we recognize and we appreciate, as I said earlier, we appreciate the work of the Auditor General and we will continue to work with her to make sure that we make the investments that are necessary so that the healthcare system and all of the services that we deliver can be at the very highest quality, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary. Speaker, an overcrowded hospital means that when a parent takes a sick child to the hospital or a senior has a fall, it means they can't get the care that they need. That's what's been happening in Ontario year after year under this government's watch, Speaker. The Auditor reported and I quote, we saw patients placed on uncomfortable stretchers or gurneys in hallways and other high traffic areas that were never designed for patient care, I quote. This is hallway medicine of the worst kind right here in Ontario, Speaker. The government created this problem. No doubt about it. The government created this problem when they froze hospital funding for four years running, Speaker. And they're making it worse with budgets that still don't keep up with the cost of inflation. Nevermind population growth. Will the Premier stop underfunding Ontario's hospitals? Thank you. So, Mr. Speaker, as I just said in my first answer, we have recognized that there needed to be increases to hospital funding, Mr. Speaker, and we have put those in place. And we understand that all Ontarians deserve high quality healthcare, Mr. Speaker. And that patients come first. And in every decision that we make, Mr. Speaker, we need to make sure that patients are at the center of those decisions. And the transformation that has been going on within the healthcare system are exactly about that, Mr. Speaker, they're about making sure that people get the care where they need it. Now, to the auditor general's report, as I said, it is the auditor general's job to look at the work of government and to make recommendations. And she said, and you know, she talks about certain specific cases that are unacceptable and we agree with that and need to be addressed. But she also said, and I quote, she notes that nine out of 10, and this is emergency room patients, were generally treated and discharged within the ministry target time. Mr. Speaker, that's commendable. The 10% we absolutely have to work on. Final supplementary. Speaker, people have to be able to trust the healthcare system is going to be there for them when they need it. They want to trust that going to the hospital won't leave them sicker, but that's just one side effect of overcrowded hospitals. After years of cuts, things are getting worse. People who are sick or need care are waiting longer because the government doesn't want to admit that anything is wrong. And we just saw the premier once again make an excuse instead of own up to the problem that she created in our hospital system. Will this premier stop pretending that nothing's wrong, truly, truly put patients first and stop the cuts to our hospitals? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would never suggest that our work is done in the healthcare system, Mr. Speaker. I would never suggest that. There is obviously more to do. And Mr. Speaker, I recognize that the quote that I read from the auditor general, that 10% of people are not getting care within the ministry targeted time, that that's unacceptable, that we have to make sure that we work to make sure that that 10% also gets the care within the targeted amount of time, Mr. Speaker. But the reality is that there are changes that have happened within our healthcare system that are positive, Mr. Speaker. There are good things that have happened. And so while I recognize that there's more to be done, we also have to recognize the work that has been done by the hospitals around the province, by the healthcare workers and the administrators to deliver the best care possible to the patients, Mr. Speaker. Since 2003, we've increased our investments in healthcare each and every year. Both the Fraser Institute and the Wait Time Alliance have consistently ranked Ontario as having some of the shortest wait times in Canada. Thank you. Those are good things, Mr. Speaker. Question in the third party. Mr. Speaker, my next question's also for the Premier. I don't think the Premier realizes just how hard life is getting for people across Ontario. Last week, I asked about families and businesses struggling to pay their hydro bills. Instead of listening, instead of trying to understand what this means for people, the minister said, quote, I just don't believe the premise of the question. Will the Premier start listening to what skyrocketing hydro bills actually mean for people and take an important step forward by getting those bills under control and stopping the sell-off of Hydro One? Thank you. You're welcome. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And again, I recognize that there are challenges that people are facing with their electricity bills, Mr. Speaker. It's exactly why we have been taking actions. We have taken the debt retirement charge off people's bills, Mr. Speaker. We are taking the provincial portion of the HST that 8% off everyone's bills across the province. And it seems to me, Mr. Speaker, that that's something that the leader of the third party was calling for before we did it, then we did it, and now it's not something that she can support. Mr. Speaker, we recognize that there's more to be done. I have said that. The Minister of Energy is working. We are working very hard to look at the other things that we can do, Mr. Speaker. But the reality is that the leader of the third party conflates issues. The Hydro-1 issue, the broadening the ownership of Hydro-1, has to do with building transportation infrastructure in this province, which she also, I would have thought, as a member of the NDP, would be supporting, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Speaker, last week I told the story of Sharon, a senior from the Sioux. After question period, I got an email from a senior in Northern Ontario who had heard that story. This senior asked me not to use his name. He uses candles because he's worried about the cost of turning on the lights. He told me about the shame he feels because he can't explain to his friends why he can't meet them for coffee because the Hydro bill leaves so little money left over. Nobody in Ontario, Speaker, should have to live with that kind of worry or feel shame for something that isn't their fault. Will this Premier send a message to every Ontarian who is worried about their Hydro bill and stop the sell-off of Hydro-1, which is only gonna make those bills climb higher? Thank you. Minister of Energy. Minister of Energy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm very pleased to respond. We recognize, Mr. Speaker, that there are families out there. There are seniors out there, Mr. Speaker, that are having a very difficult time paying their bills. And that's why we acted, Mr. Speaker, with the speech from the throne. The speech from the throne brings forward that 8% reduction for all families, for all seniors across the province. There also is the 20% reduction for 330,000 households right across the province, Mr. Speaker, that actually live in rural or remote areas, like Northern Ontario. But we also know, Mr. Speaker, that that doesn't necessarily always cut it and there is room for more help and that's why we have the Ontario Electricity Support Program, Mr. Speaker. That will help seniors up to $45 if they actually heat their homes, Mr. Speaker, with electricity. They can actually then claim that to get $75 back, Mr. Speaker. So we've recognized that. We're acting on that. We've brought forward these programs and the Premier and I know that there are more needs to be done and we'll continue to do that. Final supplement. Speaker, Glow Juicery is a small business in Hamilton that just opened recently. Between May and July, the hydro bill for Glow was $1,400 from July to September, $1,200. Jesse Briscoe is proud of the company that she started, but she's worried that she might have to close up shop and this is what she said about the Premier's hydro mistake. I quote, okay, you say it's a mistake. What are you actually going to do about it? Give small businesses a break. Do something. Anything. That's the desperation that small businesses are feeling in Ontario today, Speaker. So will this Premier take an important step for Jesse and for her small business and for small businesses across this province and stop the sell-off of Hydro-1? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm very pleased to say that this Premier has acted along with this government to make sure that it is better for small businesses out there, Mr. Speaker. Again, that 8% reduction is applying to every small business and farm right across our province. There's also the Save on Energy program, Mr. Speaker, that we encourage every MPP to talk to their small businesses about, Mr. Speaker. They can save significant amounts of money. For example, Donna Lee's Irish Pub and Berry took advantage of the business for refrigeration initiatives through the Save on Energy program, Mr. Speaker. They received more than $2,500 in one-time incentives and they're saving $2,400 annually on energy, Mr. Speaker. Arbor Memorial, Mr. Speaker. The Chesswood Arena. There are many, many businesses, Mr. Speaker, that are saving on energy by contacting their local utility and finding ways that they can enjoy these programs. We're there, Mr. Speaker. We are acting and we know we've got more to do. Thank you very much. Earlier, the Minister of Labor had made a reference to someone's absence and I want to remind all members that you do not make reference in any way, shape, or form of people's presence in the House. And I'd appreciate it if we stayed with that convention. It works well. So make sure that we don't go down that road, please. New question. The member for Kitchener-Cottesville. Premier. While the Premier's looking for new revenue tools to meet infrastructure demands, the auditor's report is clear evidence she needs to only look in the mirror. In case after case, the auditor pulls back the curtain on millions, wasted on poor planning, poor workmanship, lacking oversight and accountability when our money is needed to spend on infrastructure. Speaker, we all heard about the reward contract for the contractor who installed the upside-down bridge trust, but that's just the start. On page 491, Metrolinx paid $4.4 million for the construction of boiler rooms at the GO station. Only problem, the contractor never actually built the rooms due to the design, the consultant failures, leaving us with no boiler rooms, a $4.4 million bill, and another $760,000 grand to the same consultant to actually start over again. Question. Speaker, will the Premier tell us with all the vital infrastructure this province requires? How the heck does this happen? Thank you. Here, here. Here's your transportation. Here's your transportation. Thanks very much, Speaker. I thank the member for his question. A couple of things right off the top. I said this last week when the auditor provided her report. First of all, thank her for the report, except the recommendations in the report. I did stress that over the last five years, which is the window of time the auditor was looking at by and large as it relates to Metrolinx, 275 construction projects have been started and completed by Metrolinx. Of those 275, Speaker, the majority have been delivered under budget or on budget, Speaker. It doesn't mean that we don't have more work to do we do, which is why I stress that day that we are embarking on something known as the vendor performance management system, Speaker, which will help take into account which will help take into account whether or not a contractor has the kind of track record that we want them to have going forward, Speaker. So again, right off the top, I would say a majority of projects delivered on budget or under budget, Speaker. I, you know, we've served the recommendations from the auditor. I'll be happy to provide additional information in the follow-up. Thank you. 13 years later, we're now going to start fixing the problems. The auditor revealed countless examples of contractors being allowed to breach regulations without penalty, while many are paid well beyond approved budgets. Page 483, Metrolinx issued a contractor two payments totaling $1.2 million over the projects approved budget without having the authorization to exceed the budget. Three years later, same project, three more payments of $3.2 million over budget without approval. That's right. Meantime, CN construction charges to Ontario are sometimes 130% higher than other railway standards. Really low. The waste just continues, Speaker. And we, the taxpayers, keep paying for it. Speaker, will the Premier tell us when she will stop looking to taxpayers to bail her out for all the liberal mistakes? Good question. Thank you. Nice work. Thanks very much, Speaker. Last week when I had a chance to respond to a question from the leader of the Conservative Party, very similar in approach to the question I just got today, I had my own list, Speaker. And these are projects I'm going to go through that have been contained in multiple budgets going back over the last three, four years here in this legislature, Speaker. Go Regional Express Rail, LRTs in Toronto, Peel, Hamilton. Go Train Extensions to Bowlinville and to Niagara, Speaker. BRTs in York Region and Durham Region, New Street Cars in Toronto, Union Station Revitalization, Forelaning of Highway 69. The Morrison Bypass, 427 Widening and Extension, 410 Widening, 407 Extension, Phase 1, Phase 2, which will help the people of Peterborough, immensely, Speaker, 417 Upgrades in Ottawa. Speaker, at the end of the day, all of these projects forelaning the Trans-Canada Northern Ontario. Every single one of the projects I just mentioned and many more voted against by that member and by that leader repeatedly, Speaker. That's what the people of Ontario cannot understand. Thank you. Thank you for your support building up this province. Thank you. New question from the member from Heartcare High Park. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Transportation. Last week, the Auditor General found that Metrolinx does not hold its contractors accountable for poor performance. Metrolinx keeps giving contractors that fail second, third and fourth chances. In one case, a contractor failed to show up for work for six months and not only got a second chance, but got 22 more chances. Two months ago, Metrolinx Chair Rob Prichard was reappointed for another term as the chair of the Metrolinx Board of Directors. Did the minister know what was in this Metrolinx audit when he allowed Mr. Prichard another chance as chair? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. Speaker, thanks very much. And I thank the member for the question. As I mentioned in my response to the member from Kitchener, 275 construction projects completed by Metrolinx over the last five years, Speaker. The majority of those delivered on budget or under budget, Speaker, which I think is important to stress. You know, at the end of the day, Speaker, at the end of the day, Speaker, and I said this last week, I've said it already in the House this morning, I'll repeat it now. I accept all of the recommendations as does Metrolinx that the Auditor put forward in a report. We thank her for report. We know that we have more work to do, Speaker. But at the same time, we also know that we have a compelling responsibility to the people of Ontario and the people of this region to deliver on the transit mandate that they give us. They gave us, Speaker, in 2014. It's what we're actually doing. We're putting more service out there. We're getting more shovels in the ground. We are delivering on the commitment that the Premier made to the people of the GTHA and beyond. And we're going to keep doing it, Speaker. Thanks very much. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Speaker, back to the Minister of Transportation. Minister has promised that people who fail at Metrolinx will be held accountable. But no one has been held accountable for presto cost overruns, the disastrous rollout of the Union Pearson Express, upside down bridge trusses, and years of transit planning chaos. The Minister has in fact decided that liberal insiders like Rob Pritchard are doing a just fine job at providing oversight at Metrolinx. Public support for transit investment won't survive more Metrolinx audits like this last one. Public trust depends on accountability and accountability needs to start at the top. Simple question, who does the Minister hold accountable for the failures at Metrolinx? Thank you. Thank you. Speaker, I thank the member for the follow-up question. You know, one thing I mentioned last week, everybody in this House will know I sent a letter of direction to the Board Chair back in March, Speaker, about nine months ago. And as a result of that letter of direction, we now have more transparency around the activities that are taking place. The kind of rigor that's now in place, Speaker, as a result of the report back to something that will help a great deal. But, Speaker, the rest of the premise of the question coming from the member from Parkdale High Park, you know, I got to tell you, Speaker, it sounds like it's all too often the case coming from the NDP, like convenient mythology around whether or not we're actually building or not building. I know that they want to paint a particular picture of what's happening around transit in Toronto and beyond, Speaker. It's just not true. More weekend go train service, a brand new go station, hundreds of more train trips on the entire quarter, LRTs, BRTs, Highway Speaker. There's only one Premier and only one party that's actually interested in building up this province. It's Kathleen Nguyen and the Ontario Liberals. Thanks very much. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Associate Minister of Education for Early Years in Child Care. Minister, I'm proud that our government has made it a priority to improve and expand child care in early years programs in our province. It is encouraging to know that the government is working to address the needs of Ontario families. In my riding of Kingston and the islands, I've heard from parents who say that demand for quality, affordable child care is great. I remember that when my children were young, they went to Play Deck Daycare, Building Blocks, Nursing School, and my grandson now goes to Bay Ridge Drive Child Care Centre. I know how important it is that parents understand that their children will be safe, well looked after, and happy while they're at work each day. Other parents clearly feel the same way, and it's important that parents know that level of comfort and support. Going forward, my constituents would like to know what the government is doing to make sure that those needs are properly met. Thank you. Associate Minister of Education, Mark McCutcher, will be here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the hardworking member from Kingston and the islands for the important question. Mr. Speaker, we are transforming the way we deliver child care in this province and creating 100,000 new licensed child care spaces in the next five years. But, Speaker, this is about much more than just spaces and jobs. This is about improving our early years programs to better serve Ontario families and developing a new vision focused on high quality care for Ontario children. In fact, Mr. Speaker, we've already begun our public consultations to inform our new framework. And recently, I visited Thunder Bay, Moussinee, and Moose Factory Island, and we heard from people in the child care and early years sector. We held consultations, town halls, and I even visited several local child care centres. Speaker, the response has been wonderful. People are enthusiastic and thankful, and we have already received a lot of feedback and advice. We're continuing our consultations in the coming months. I'm glad to say Kingston is one of the cities to attend one of these consultations. Visit ontario.ca forward slash more childcare. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the minister for that answer. It's encouraging to know that we are heading to towns and cities across the province to meet with families and sector leaders, including my riding of Kingston and the island. This will ensure that the government hears from as many families as possible across the province. I know that there's a lot of work still to be done, but people involved in the child care and early years sector are keen to see how the system will be modernised. And parents are eager to see that these new spaces open up. We know that the demand for more spaces is high and that parents are looking forward to more support when it comes to childcare. Like them, we want to ensure that their children have the best possible start in life and that parents are receiving the support that they need to provide for their families. The commitment of 100,000 new spaces is over five years. When can ontario families expect to see these spaces rolling out? We'll see you, minister. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to answer the members' question. I know families and stakeholders are excited about this and so are we. This is a historic investment, one that will benefit all of Ontario, which is why we are moving quickly and thoroughly. Speaker, actions speak louder than words. As we heard in the fall economic statement, we've already taken our first step in creating 100,000 additional licensed childcare spaces by 2022. We're investing an additional $65.5 million this school year to support the creation of 3,400 new spaces for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. This investment promotes early learning and development while helping more parents find quality, affordable care. This is the first step of many. Speaker, unlike the opposition, we have a plan. And I want you to know that we are working tirelessly to build an early years and childcare system that is high quality, affordable and responsive to the needs of parents and children. We're working to get it right. Thank you. New question to the member from Redfield at the same time. Questions to the premier. Earlier this year I asked the then minister of energy why he was hiding the cost of cap and trade price increases on natural gas bills by putting them in the delivery charges on rate pairs bills. Sadly at that time the minister put crass political calculations before sound public policy. Now the auditor generals in the auditor generals latest report, it was revealed that in a broad survey a staggering 89% of respondents thought it was important to disclose the cost on the natural gas bill. Speaker, will the premier be open and transparent for once? Disclose the true cost of their cap and trade on natural gas bills and order the OEB to include it as a separate line item on those bills. Thank you. Mr. Energy. Mr. Energy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased to rise and to once again talk about this issue that we've been talking about. We talked about a few months ago, Mr. Speaker. The decision on how to present cap and trade on consumers bills was made by the OEB. It was made by the Ontario Energy Board, an independent and arms length regulator for the province's energy sector, Mr. Speaker. It did so based on extensive consultations with consumers, with utilities, environmental stakeholders, Mr. Speaker, and including over 40 written submissions. So in their decision, Mr. Speaker, the Ontario Energy Board highlighted that cap and trade costs are part of doing business of delivering natural gas to home businesses. To quote the board, Mr. Speaker, in the OEB's view, separating out cap and trade related costs as a line item on the bill is inconsistent with the manner in which all of the other ongoing costs of operating the utility are reflected on the bill, Mr. Speaker. The government does not have the legislative authority to make this decision. The OEB does, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. It's included in other jurisdictions and the government does have the authority of issued more than 90 directives. One more won't change it. On page 182 of the auditor's report, it goes on to say that the costs of cap and trade should be revealed because it would help educate the public. The government refusing to disclose it is what I would call their cash and charade scheme is just further evidence that this plan is not about reducing greenhouse gases, but simply a way to take more money out of consumers' pockets. The auditor general wants the premier to reveal the cost on bills. Natural gas companies want you to reveal the cost on their clients' bills, and consumers want the cost revealed on their bills. I say to the premier, stop playing politics, do the right thing for once, order the OEB to include it as a separate line item on natural gas bills. Mr. Speaker, it's very interesting that, you know, they want to get themselves involved with a quasi-judicial organization when they don't like something, but when they do like something, Mr. Speaker, they don't want anything touched. That's very, very unique of the PC party, Mr. Speaker. But, you know, let's be very clear, Mr. Speer. The OEB regulates the natural gas sector in Ontario with a strong mandate to protect the public interest and ensure that consumers receive reliable and cost-effective natural gas service. Their decision on the presentation of cap and trade costs was made after extensive consultations with stakeholders, Mr. Speaker. I know in the first question, Mr. Speaker, I mean the member from Prince Edward Hastings come to order. Finish, please. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As that quasi-judicial regulatory body with a mandate to protect consumers, it's just like the federal government, Mr. Speaker. They can't dictate terms to the Supreme Court or to the Bank of Canada or expect that decisions will be in the favour of the Ontario Energy Board, Mr. Speaker. The Ontario Energy Board has the authority to do this and they did the consultations and this is their decision, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. Good question to the member from Kitchener Waterloo. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Last week, Statistics Canada released their long-term perspective on the youth labour market. It shows that young Ontarians are less likely to be employed full-time than they were in the 1980s. If they can find work, it is often precarious work. It is increasingly difficult for the young people of this province to establish themselves. Life is becoming more unaffordable. Costs are going up and wages are staying flat. When is the government going to wake up to the realities facing young people and make the changes that will allow them to stay and prosper right here in the province of Ontario? Thank you. Minister of Economic Development and Growth. Minister of Economic Development and Growth. Mr. Speaker, this government cares deeply about the challenges of young people finding their way into the workplace. That's why we're leaders globally when it comes to creating experiential learning experiences for those young people. Why we're leaders and she would know this being from the Waterloo area and leading co-op programs. And that's why, Mr. Speaker, we came forward with a youth employment strategy that's provided 30,000-plus young people with an opportunity to work. That being said, there are still challenges. But, Mr. Speaker, we can't ignore the fact that just last week we saw that our unemployment rate in Ontario has dropped to the lowest level in eight and a half years. The lowest level since May of 2008, 6.3%, Mr. Speaker. That's something that we can be proud of as Ontarians, something all of us can take advantage of. At the same time, we're going to work to get their employment down even lower, so more and more of those young folks will have opportunities in the future. Thank you, supplementary. Back to the Premier. Young Ontarians right across the province are hurting. They are leaving school and not finding work. The youth unemployment rate is higher than 30% in barrier. 17% in Hamilton, 16% in London. To make matters worse, wages are actually declining. According to the stats Canada, young full-time employees are making less today than they were in the 1980s. Mr. Speaker, the numbers don't lie. Premier, it's getting harder to live in Ontario and build a good life for young people of this province. Will the Premier admit that the status quo isn't working and take an important step by raising the minimum wage to $15? Thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, we're going to continue to build this province up. We're going to continue to invest in infrastructure. We're going to continue to ensure that we can grow this economy. We've seen 660,000 net new jobs created since the global recession. Three-quarters of those are in the private sector. 76% of those... Never from Niagara Falls. For 76% of those 660,000 jobs created since 2003, Mr. Speaker, 76% earn above-average wages. 90% are full-time jobs. 90%, Mr. Speaker. As, Mr. Speaker, that our young people will have for many generations to come, we've still got work to do. The unemployment rate for youth is still higher than we'd like. There still are some people being left behind. Our job now is to ensure that they also share in the prosperity of this growing economy. Thank you. No question, the member from Starr-Bornor. Merci, Monsieur le Président. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister for Franco and Affairs, the Honourable Marie-François Leland. In June 27, when the minister was given her mandate, she announced that our government had made a request for observer status in the International Organization of the Francophonie. This was a first important step in order to bring our Francophonie outside our borders. I know that the minister went to Madagascar last week for the Francophonie summit. And we are honoured that Ontario's request to become an observer state within the organisation was accepted. Mr. Speaker, can the minister update us on the decision made during this summit? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, I'd like to thank the member for Tobuco North for his excellent question. Our government has decided to promote the French language as well as its culture. And of course, its strong identity within the province and on the international scale. While I was at Madagascar, Ontario was welcomed as being a member of the Francophonie. Thanks to the vitality of our Francophone institutions, all members of this organisation knew that Ontario had a place within the organisation. This is why we were given observer status. This is a vote of confidence towards our government and will allow us to further advance the French language. This is a historic moment for Ontario, particularly for Franco-Ontarians. Thank you, Madam Minister. I thank you for your devotion to the Francophone community and to the French language. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to congratulate the minister for having represented our province in the organisation, having one of the best education systems in the world, involving many French language schools, and bilingual universities, as well as having an excellent economy and a diversified Francophone community. It's clear that Ontario will be a solid partner within this organisation. For my part, I'm very proud to have an active Francophone community in my riding of Etobicoke North. Mr. Speaker, can the minister speak further of the advantages of observer status within this organisation? Thank you again to the member for Etobicoke North, Mr. Speaker. I'm very proud of Ontario's work within this organisation. Our member status is opening doors for Ontario to diversify its commercial activities around the world, in business, in exports, and will allow us to build relationships with members of this organisation. We hope to achieve our target of 5% Francophone immigration to Ontario. This will allow us to bring more Francophone students from abroad, and they will be able to study in our post-secondary educations in French. Mr. Speaker, in short, our observer status in this organisation is a great step forward for all Ontarians. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, to the Premier. Recently, the Minister of Energy put a stop to the RRP2 projects due to the power not being needed in the province. There is also no need for power from the Nation Rise Wind Project in my riding, either. A project with scored nothing but zeroes on all the rated criteria and should not have been imposed on the unwilling host of North Storm Island. The Premier made an attempt to apologise for a mistake in the energy file but keeps implementing her failed policies, making her policies spring holiday. We'll North Storm Island see some substance in the Premier's apologies and have the Nation Rise Wind Project cancelled. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm very pleased to once again rise and speak to the importance of renewable energy in this province, Mr. Speaker. We've invested as a government to ensure that we can eliminate coal. We haven't had a smog day in this province, Mr. Speaker, since 2014, and you know what, Mr. Speaker? That's because of the fact that we had to invest heavily in renewable energy, Mr. Speaker, to rebuild a system that they left in tatters. Now, I understand, Mr. Speaker, when we're looking at renewable energy and wind around the province, Mr. Speaker, there are concerns coming forward from the community, and I understand, Mr. Speaker, that the ISO is the entity that looks after those contracts, Mr. Speaker. And I know they get all in a huff, Mr. Speaker, on that side when you talk about energy because they are the pro-coal party, Mr. Speaker. They're the ones that want to go back to coal. We, on this side, will continue to work with communities, will continue to work with the ISO to find solutions to continue to have a clean, green, and reliable system, Mr. Speaker. Being back to the premier, the Nation Rise Wind Project had no municipal council support resolution, no municipal agreement with all project communities, no budding landowner support, and no First Nations agreement, a complete and utter failure in the rating criteria score, yet it was approved. North Stormont is an unwilling host as thousands of letters that I'll soon hand over to the premier will demonstrate. The LRPD projects are yet to break ground and there's still time to cancel those. Those are the hosts that have nothing to do with them. Will the premier listen to Ontarians as she committed and show some integrity and cancel the Nation Rise Wind Project? And I'm going to need two pages. Thank you, minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The LRPD one process really tried to strike the right balance between early community engagement and achieving value for ratepayers by putting an emphasis on cost, Mr. Speaker. And I do have to say that the MPP from Glendiary Prescott Russell has been a very tire advocate on behalf of the constituents that we met with today, Mr. Speaker, to try and find solutions, Mr. Speaker. That's what we're doing on this side of the House, Mr. Speaker, is trying to find solutions. Because the one thing that the MPP from across the way didn't talk about, Mr. Speaker, is that even when a contract is offered the process is not over, Mr. Speaker. Maybe he should learn about the process and actually do some investigating with the IESO. His project developers must obtain all required licenses and approvals, Mr. Speaker, such as the Renewal Energy Approval or an Environmental Assessments before they can start construction on the projects, Mr. Speaker. The environmental approval process includes additional community engagement requirements and provides further opportunities for communities. That's something that this member knows and is working with these groups, Mr. Speaker, to make that happen. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. For months, my constituents have written letters, signed petitions and even sent their hydro bills to the Premier and Minister of Energy calling for relief. Businesses in my community are struggling to keep the lights on. For Kebab and Curry, the lights may be off permanently if relief from skyrocketing hydro bills doesn't come soon. Other area businesses say that the cost of hydro is their number one barrier to expansion. The number one barrier to bringing more jobs into my community. Will the Premier take immediate action to reduce the cost of hydro so that businesses in Windsor can continue to operate and expand? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we already did. Mr. Speaker, we've brought forward the speech from the throne. They're going to see an 8% reduction, Mr. Speaker, on all other bills, and that's for small businesses. And for those businesses that are actually a little bit bigger, Mr. Speaker, that actually use one megawatt of power, they will now qualify for the ICI program, expanding and lowering their businesses, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that they can do it by up to one third. And it's not just us saying this, Mr. Speaker, it's the Ontario Chamber of Commerce who is applauding this decision that we brought forward, Mr. Speaker, because they are going to see more businesses now expanding their businesses, growing their jobs in our province, Mr. Speaker, and this is good news for many of them. There's many programs that we have also out there, Mr. Speaker, to help small businesses. Mr. Speaker, to talking about those programs when we get into the supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, again to the Premier. Every time someone in my writing opens the hydro bill, they're reminded how this liberal government is failing them. They're making them choose between heating and eating, between paying their hydro bill and taking their medication. And come Christmas time, they'll be reminded when they open your bill, the one that you send to them because you're not providing support to them to explain to their children how they don't have gifts under the tree. With the winter upon us, life is only going to get more difficult for the hundreds of families in Windsor who are already struggling to keep the lights and heat on in their home. Community programs like Keep the Heat do all they can to help people pay their hydro bills, but with a 12% increase in applicants from last year, there simply isn't enough money to go around. Speaker, will the Government Act and Energy Costs Under Control stop the sell-off of Hydro One and ensure that hundreds of people in Windsor can heat their homes too? Thank you Mr. Speaker. We do recognize and emphasize that families that are having difficulty with paying their hydro bills and that's why we acted very quickly when I took over as Minister to make sure that in the speech from the throne that we have an 8% reduction coming for all families. On top of the debt retirement charge that we all already eliminated plus the programs that we've put in place like the Ontario Electricity Support Program that helps families. We had 145,000 families sign up by the end of October. We're looking forward to getting the numbers for November, but there is room for more and I do encourage them to contact their local utilities to find out if they qualify for this program. As a Government, we're continuing to invest to make sure that we can help and all businesses right across the province. I know on the first question we were talking about Windsor Mr. Speaker, Windsor up to 11,000 net new jobs year over year Mr. Speaker and that's due to the great work that we've been doing as this Government. We're continuing to do that. We'll continue to invest and find out. Thank you. New question. The member from Beaches East York. Well, thank you Speaker. My question is to Minister of Research, Innovation and Science. Now Speaker, you don't need to be a nuclear scientist to know that this Government is working hard to encourage new technology sectors that will encourage yield, exponential job growth and economic growth in Ontario but it helps. One such area is clean tech Speaker. Today Ontario has 35% of Canada's clean tech companies and I believe that clean tech is an industry that will help us build a better future for all Ontarians and I want to give shout out to my friend Brian Watson who's the coordinator of Clean Tech North a networking organization for all the very stakeholders in clean tech. Minister, Speaker, I understand that the Minister is working hard on a clean tech strategy that will strengthen Ontario's position as a leader in this sector and I would like to ask you if the Minister would form the House on our strategies for new clean tech growth sector. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker and I want to thank the hard working member from Beaches East York for that very important question. Mr. Speaker, I'm glad to inform the House that Ontario has the highest concentration of environmental and clean tech companies in our country Canada. The clean tech sector plays a critical role in keeping Ontario's economic economy competitive worldwide. Going forward, my ministry will be working close collaboration with other ministries to find ways clean technology can improve recycling power production water and wastewater solutions. Mr. Speaker, our government is working with industry partners to reduce environmental harm and create an industry sector that is friendly to emerging technologies. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Well thank you Speaker and thank you to the Minister of Research Innovation Science for the excellent work that he is doing to expand clean tech in our province. And it's great to see the minister is assisting companies on the cutting edge of new technologies, creating jobs and cementing Ontario's leadership in this newly emerging marketplace. After all, creating jobs and growing the economy is a huge priority for our government and a priority that we on this side of the House are making good on. Speaker, will the minister inform the members of the House on the very specific clean tech programs that are helping grow the vital sector in Ontario? Minister? Thank you Mr. Speaker. And I once again thank the member from Beachers East York for his advocacy for our knowledge-based economy in this province Mr. Speaker. Since 2003 our government has committed over 436 million dollars in 1100 clean tech and bioeconomy projects. Because of those investments Mr. Speaker, the clean tech sector has grown to generate 8 billion dollars annually and to have 30,000 companies with 65,000 employees. Mr. Speaker, some of our industry parties include Trojan Technologies, a leader in ultraviolet purification of water, Electrovia, a global leader in developing advanced lithium ion battery solutions and Ensign, a biofuel developer that is helping manage CO2 pollution in our province of Ontario. Mr. Speaker, our government will continue to invest in technology so that we can protect our environment and grow our economy in the meantime. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. My question is the premier. It's been 11 years since this legislature passed accessibility for insurance with disabilities act. Yet today, over a third of a million students with disabilities continue to face far too many barriers when they try to go to school, college or university in Ontario. The House of 22 respected community organizations wrote the premier urging her to finally say yes to create an educational accessibility standard and tear down those unfair barriers. Premier, on October 31st, you told this House you were considering this. We would agree to do it today. Mr. Speaker, as the member has said, I have already indicated that I think this is important. I had a meeting with David Lepofsky, who is I know mentioned in the article Minister of Education and the Minister of Responsibility for Accessibility has also met with David Lepofsky and many other groups. We recognize that as we have developed standards in other areas as a health standard is being developed that also there needs to be a standard developed in the education sector. Thank you Speaker. Back to the premier. You've had 10 years and you spent $1 billion on knee health registry. I hope this isn't going to be another fiasco like that. This government's continued in action on this file is inexcusable. This government has no comprehensive plan to ensure that our education system will become fully accessible by 2025 as the Accessibility for Interim with Disabilities Act requires. The AODA Alliance has pressed you for over half a decade to agree to develop the standard under the AODA to tackle these barriers. Can you tell a third of a million students with disabilities and their families what's the hold up after the five years of this issue being before your government? It's interesting since we came into office in 2003 and when we came into office under the previous premier there was legislation that was in place that had no teeth Mr. Speaker would have produced no result in terms of accessibility and we scrapped that and started again Mr. Speaker that has over time developed standards has put in place acceptable standards across our society Mr. Speaker there's a lot more to do which is why we are working in the health sector right now Mr. Speaker there are billions of dollars that are spent within the education system whether it's on special education Mr. Speaker or the $1.1 billion in additional funding that is going into building and renovating schools Mr. Speaker which goes towards building schools that are more accessible because the reality is when many of the schools that were built and particularly in the Toronto District School Board where there are many old buildings that are still being used as schools they were not up to standard Mr. Speaker they were not accessible in any way and so we recognize that there's more to be done and there will be an education standard developed Mr. Speaker Thank you Mr. Speaker good morning to you back in June the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services announced that nine service Ontario offices across the province were under consideration for possible closure including the Blind River Office which is part of my writing Valdoma Manitoulin a very successful Keep Our Service Ontario Open rally was held in Blind River and the government announced that these closures have been suspended pending revaluation and reconsideration here we are six months after the original announcement and we have yet to see a cloud of concern hanging over these many communities we have seen the government overturn and flip-flop its decision in the past such as the Guelph Service Ontario office I ask again one more time can you confirm that no further service Ontario offices will be closed taking away these much needed services from our communities Thank you Government Consumer Services Thank you Mr. Speaker and I would like to say thank you to the member opposite for the questions we as a government are committed to make the best decision possible regarding delivery options for service Ontario and we continually refining services and service delivery options to better match the customer demand we are also examining the decisions to close those certain service Ontario location as we want to provide the very best service for our customers the decision will be determined as mentioned before on a case by case basis as the locations and questions are all unique in circumstances there is no one size fits all sets of criteria that would be appropriate for all locations Speaker customer service is and will continue to be our top priority Thank you Mr. Speaker thank you very much I would quickly like to introduce from Northern Hospital CEO Wade Petraniak the CEO of the Dryden Regional Health Centre Nicole Haley the CEO of the Espanola Regional Hospital and Health Centre and Fabian Ebert from the Smooth Rock Falls Hospital Thank you Mr. Speaker I would like to correct the record on Thursday afternoon in a address to the family that donated the land where St. Albert School was for the purpose of helping the needy in the community that was the original purpose that ended up being donated for a purpose of a park it was actually St. Clemens Church which was donated by the Law Heap family to be used by the community free of charge Thank you all members are able to correct the record there are no deferred votes this house stands recessed until next week