 They are seeing no further introductions. It's now time for question period. The leaders and magistrates will now present. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. This government loves to paint a rosy picture about the state of Ontario's economy. But yesterday a report on CBC confirmed that Ontario has the second worst economy for young people in the country. The second worst in the country. Mr. Speaker, why are the Liberals failing on Ontario's youth and the next generation? Why are they not giving young people hope and opportunity in the province of Ontario? Well, I appreciate the question. I recognize that all of us are concerned about ensuring that Ontario grows, inclusively, for all. We are outpacing the G7. We're leading away in Canada. We outpace the average of the United States. Growth and jobs in our economy have been over 100,000 annually, over 720,000 since the depths of the recession. These are important factors. More importantly, we need to continue to invest in our young people. That's why we invest heavily in skills and training. That's why we've taken more steps towards university and college and post-secondary. That's why we've put more into trades, all of which is helping our young people succeed. We recognize that youth unemployment has been a dramatic issue across the world, including the United States and other parts of Canada. We need to lower that unemployment rate for our young people. We need to foster experiential learning. I commend our Deputy Premier, who has taken an edge story and has done just that. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I was hoping I'd get a response from the Minister of Finance about this report that says, it's not just the world, here in Ontario, the second worst in Canada in terms of young people and the economy. That's not a record you should be proud of. That's whatever the government's been doing for 14 years. It's not working for young people. You know, the report, Mr. Speaker, part of Generation Squeezes' Code Red campaign noted that in recent years, full-time earnings have fallen for young people in Ontario by $4,600. That's putting young people below the national average when it comes to income for full-time work. This is causing young people to put off important milestones according to the report. Mr. Speaker, this is not encouraging for Ontario's youth. The second worst economy for young Canadians is in the province of Ontario. What is this Minister of Finance going to do about that? Will he make sure young people are not let down in this province? Mr. Speaker, we all recognize that we need to invest in skills in our highly trained workforce to ensure that our young people are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow. The member opposite has oftentimes gone back to glory days of assembly-line work, with smokestacks and manufacturing of the past. We need to embrace the future, Mr. Speaker. They may want to go back to coal. They want to go back to the days when people weren't as skilled and as trained for the necessary jobs of tomorrow. We're doing that, Mr. Speaker. We're doing that through the work that's being done by all universities across Ontario and the leadership taken by Kitchener Waterloo, Toronto and Ottawa on new innovations, on new techniques in agri-food processing and clean tech. Clean tech, which is a future for many young people that our member opposite actually does not agree with, Mr. Speaker, and we need to ensure that our young people are prepared for those future opportunities, only why would... Mr. Speaker, again to the Minister of Finance, I'm shaking my head at that response. It was absurd. We get a response on coal. When we have a CBC report here, Generation Squeezed, talking about the fact that young people are struggling in Ontario more than almost anywhere else in Canada, where you've seen full-time earnings have fallen by $4,600, where there's jobs available in Ontario that this government's not equipping young people for. The Chamber of Commerce report showed that we lose billions each year for jobs available in Ontario that young people aren't equipped for. And so rather than talk about coal or something, nothing related to the question, what I'd appreciate is an answer from the Minister of Finance on this report that was published in the CBC that shows young people in Ontario are falling behind. What is the Minister of Finance going to do to make sure young people in Ontario aren't put last in Canada by this government? There goes my birthday present. Minister of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, the fact is youth employment actually rose 7,500 in February 2017, and youth unemployment rate actually went down by 1.7%, but more can be done, Mr. Speaker. That's why we are trying to reduce the skills gap with high-skilled workforce. And I got to say, Mr. Speaker, the Employment Ontario Network has now helped approximately 1 million Ontarians, many young people, from 2015 to 2016, including 122,800 employees across Ontario. We're investing $173 million in 2016-17 to offer a range of programs that support apprentices, employers, and training delivery agents. And in April of 2015, the government also invested $55 million over three years to help the next generation of skilled tradespeople. And as a result of the government's investments and support of the apprenticeship programs, new apprenticeship preparations have grown by 17,100 and more than 25,000 in 2015-16. More needs to be done, Mr. Speaker. We are doing our utmost, and we put so in the budget with... Thank you. Sorry. New question to the members from the House of Representatives. I have a status for women. Can I count on the minister's support for my bill requiring that judges be educated about how to properly handle sexual assault cases? Minister. The Minister for Community Safety and Services. Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. It gives me great pleasure. I thank the member for her question. Sexual assault is a very, very serious issue that demands attention from all level of government. And I have to say, as the Attorney General has said before, this is a non-partisan issue, Mr. Speaker. The Attorney General has made it clear that we are actively looking into what more can be done about sexual assault education for judges. The Chief Justice, as reassured the Attorney General that the ongoing education of our judiciary is critically important to public confidence in the system. The court has provided education on issues related to sexual assault and violence against women for over 30 years. I also know that Ontario judges have expressed to the federal training programme... That's her. ...have access to the federal training programmes offered by the National Judicial Institute and can directly benefit from these new support. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary. Well, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to go back to the Minister for the Status of Women because I know she in particular must be aware of the importance of this kind of training. There are still incredible stigmas attached to sexual assault. Sexual assault is chronically under-reported in Canada with about 90% of women never bringing their cases forward. Our judges should have the tools they need to treat these cases with the utmost sensitivity. So I've spoken with many women and victim service organisations and all of them support mandatory sexual assault law training. This is a nonpartisan issue. So we must protect women from being re-victimised, especially after having the bravery to come forward about their experiences in the first place. Since the Attorney General has not been clear where he stands on this issue, I'm wondering if I can count on the support of the Minister responsible for the status of women to convince him of the importance and help move these changes forward. Again, I thank the member for her question and I have to say I think the Attorney General has made it very clear that we are actively looking into what more can be done about sexual assault education for judges. We are actively looking into more about what more can be done and as the member has mentioned and we're saying this is a nonpartisan issue. So Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question and we'll look. Thank you very much. I want to hear the final supplementary. Well Mr. Speaker, I believe the Minister for the Status of Women was trying to answer my previous question so I will go back to her again. I want to share a story that Rona Ambrose shared in the Federal Parliament. It's that of a Halifax taxi driver who was acquitted of sexual assault charges. The judging question ruled that clearly a drunk can consent. We know that not to be true as countless legal experts have torn that ruling to shreds. We can't have such basic mistakes being made in our courts. So Mr. Speaker, will this government mandate sexual assault training before Ontario has a case as egregious as was in Nova Scotia? Thank you very much for the supplement. Mr. Speaker, you know I have to say that this is a very important issue and I think that we all agree and I know a colleague here in the House the member from Davenport as also and is a strong advocate for this. I want to say thank you to the member actually from Davenport for her interest in this very important area. And as a member of this House she has the right and responsibility to raise important issues affecting her constituents and we look forward to renewing... Member from Lapton, Kent Middle Sex, come to order. Finish please. And I have to end by saying actually I look forward and I think we all do look forward to reviewing the bill once it is stable in the legislature and the ongoing dialogue and debate. Member from Dufford, Caledon, come to order. You have a wrap up sentence please. Well, and again I'll say as a member of this House as a woman, as a mother I know how this issue is sensitive and important and I know that we can do more. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Good question, the leader of the third party. Thank you Speaker. The Premier said this week that reports of some residents in Toronto seeing their rents double is unacceptable. This morning I called for unanimous consent to pass a bill that would make this unacceptable practice illegal now. The Premier's Liberal Government said no to stopping the unfair gouging right away. Why? Well thank you Speaker and happy birthday. The Premier has been clear many many times the Minister of Housing has been clear that we are moving forward with a plan to address unfair increases in rental costs. She has made that clear Speaker. The NDP know that we have said that and we're actually happy that we're on the same page when it comes to helping families who are feeling the pinch of a rental market struggling to keep up with demand Speaker. I can tell you that our plan will go further and do more than the NDP is proposing. So the political games that are being played Speaker are not particularly helpful. We are looking forward to introducing a bill that will actually address a larger problem. Once again after 14 years of doing nothing this Premier and her Minister of Housing have admitted that there's a problem. This morning we did something very simple and we asked for the Premier's Liberal government to close the 1991 rent control loophole today to protect tenants from unscrupulous landlords. This should have been a no brainer Speaker. Are the Liberals allowing more renters to be ripped off while we wait for their bill because they fear that supporting the bill currently before the House won't give them enough political credit. Well thank you Speaker and thank you to the leader of the third party for the question. Again as the Premier has said and made clear many many times along with myself we will be bringing in forward we'll be bringing forward a plan that addresses these unfair increases in rental costs right and as I've said time and time again in this House and outside this House sooner rather than later you know Mr. Speaker there's a whole host of things that we will be bringing forward we will the plan of the of the third party is a one issue a one issue only idea we have been looking at the RTA the residential tenancy act since last June Mr. Speaker so that we're bringing forward a very robust change. This one issue it's the issue that people are getting double rent increases in terms of this issue sadly it's what Ontarians what do they have to say to those people who will see their rents double in the coming days the coming weeks while the Liberals drag their feet to score some political points before the next election thank you well thank you Speaker you know it's wonderful that the NDP have finally come to the table to talk about this we've been working on this Mr. Speaker for many many many months they rent control the RTA since last June we've been looking at this so Speaker why don't we just stop the games on the other side and move forward together let's help on to finding people a good place to live thank you Speaker my next question is my next question is for the acting Premier look the Premier and her minister have admitted that renters need help apparently they've been working on it for a year well in the meantime time has been ticking and people are losing their apartments because of economic evictions but given the chance to do the right thing this morning they said no and I guess they said no because there's just not enough in it for them will the acting Premier tell us how many Ontarians are going to lose their apartments due to excessive rent increases while they wait for the Liberal Government to do the right thing Mr. House Mr. House well thank you Gaines Speaker thank you to the leader of the third party for doing dialogue because it allows me to be able to stand up thank you Speaker because it allows me to remind the leader of the third party that we are going to do more than simple rent control that is a key part of what we're bringing in the expansion of rent control but we have been studying the whole host of surrounding issues through the residential tenancy act Speaker and we'll be moving forward with some pretty significant changes in the near future Mr. Speaker I really wish the politics would stop on the other side I really wish that the party opposite the third party would stop playing politics and really focus on making sure people have a good place Well Speaker since the Premier and her party refused to allow a bill to pass today that would protect renters and they seem unconcerned with the number of people that will be hurt by liberals to finally do the right thing Will the acting Premier at the very least tell renters that the liberal bill when it eventually gets here will in fact be retroactive and cover the folks receiving rent increases this week and next week out for their own political interests Thank you Mr. Speaker please Mr. Speaker please Thank you Minister Well thank you Speaker Hang on Minister Well thank you Speaker What I want to talk about now is that looking at the whole residential tenancy acts since last June and tailed us travelling across Canada talking to landlords, talking to tenants about what needed to be changed we will have a robust package of change that we'll bring forward along with expanding rent Mr. Speaker it's just not as simple as doing one you have to do a whole bunch of them but while I'm at it Mr. Speaker I can walk through a whole list of things that this government has done to ease the burden on renters and affordable housing we've made secondary suites legislation we've passed inclusionary zoning we've frozen the municipal tax on rental property we've doubled the maximum refunds Mr. Speaker we're collecting data we're working with the federal government to get it done New question to the leader of the third party When there is a crisis the government has to act quickly and there is a crisis and we're concerned with doing what's best for the liberal party as opposed to what's right for Ontarians she refuses to tell people what she's going to do or when she's going to do it but renters are suffering right now instead of playing politics at the expense of hardworking Ontarians will the liberals commit today to retroactive legislation that will protect renters now facing huge increases and the loss of their homes Thank you You stated please Thank you Minister Thank you Speaker Happy birthday as well Speaker again I'll go back to what the deputy premier started with her comments the premier has made it clear many times that we're moving forward with a plan to address unfair increases in rental costs the NDP know that the third party knows that we appreciate that we're on the same page we're delighted that they're on the same page with us when it comes to helping families who are feeling the pinch of the rental market and who are struggling who are struggling to keep up a market that's struggling to keep up with the man but speaker as we said at the outset our plan will go further and do more than what the NDP is proposing you know it's not the first time we've seen the NDP play political games on certain issues like this Thank you Thank you Speaker and good morning and happy birthday Speaker my question is for the deputy premier this morning Big trouble for GTA employer Kisco freezes has more than 200 employees here in Toronto that saw their hydro bill go up $100,000 last year $100,000 According to their president they don't qualify for the government's hydro scheme he said quote we get nothing back Hey Speaker how many more jobs is this liberal government going to chase out of Ontario before they do something for our job creators Thank you Mr. Speaker very pleased to rise and talk about our plan Mr. Speaker the one that's actually going to help 500,000 small businesses and farms right across the province Mr. Speaker and let's not forget too that the minister of economic development and I were just in Brampton this morning talking about how another company is going to be saving 20% Mr. Speaker $2 million on their electricity bill and all of this Mr. Speaker is part of our Ontario fair hydro plan Mr. Speaker a plan that is actually going to be put into effect by this summer Mr. Speaker to make sure that we can help everyone right across the province unlike the party opposite Mr. Speaker that has no plan that they once had a five point plan and then a three point plan and now Mr. Speaker they have no plan no plan for hydro no plan for Ontario Mr. Speaker we are the government that acts and helps businesses Thank you Supplementary Speaker this is the government that has bungled this file like no other file that we have ever seen and they have the audacity to stand here and expect us to clean it up for them their plan has so many holes in it and it's like Swiss cheese Mr. Speaker Kisco freezes creates jobs here in Ontario they actually go over there and create jobs at their suppliers as well they source their corrugated containers their plastic and most of their supplies right here in Ontario but their CEO told Global News this week more and more businesses are going to pack up and move to the United States we know there is a coalition of concern manufacturers on Ontario hanging on by a thread so why doesn't your latest scheme help fix that for those employers here in Ontario Thank you Mr. Speaker very pleased to rise and talk about that specific company they qualify now Mr. Speaker thanks to our program because they actually have 600 kilowatts of power and we confirmed with their electric company that they qualify for the ICI program so we have a plan that's helping businesses they have no plan Mr. Speaker they're too busy writing hockey policy and not worrying about the people of Ontario we are worried about the people of Ontario we are making sure that we are addressing this issue Mr. Speaker and helping these businesses we're building infrastructure the 427 Mr. Speaker the Minister of Transportation is working hard that this business will see access to this we're making sure that they got access to the ICI program Mr. Speaker they can keep talking about hockey policy we'll keep working for the people of Ontario New question, member from Toronto Denton Speaker for the second time in about a week the Minister of Energy has defended outrageous salaries for hydro executives sorry, the Minister of Energy the CEO of the privatized hydro one now makes six times the salary of his predecessor and the CEO of OPG made over $2 million last year even though the CEO of Hydro somehow somehow makes due with less than a third of that but the Minister of Energy thinks it's okay for CEOs to extract these outrageous salaries from their customers is this why the Minister thinks it's okay for private investors to drive up hydro bills so they can extract outrageous profits from the right cares of Ontario Thank you Thank you Mr. Speaker please to rise and comment once again on recognizing that yes Mr. Speaker we've all acknowledged that these are high salaries Mr. Speaker but when it comes to OPG the one individual that the honourable member mentioned this is the individual that is actually running our nuclear facilities we want to ensure that we have the best in the world to make sure that our nuclear facilities stay safe Mr. Speaker we also want to ensure that we have our nuclear facilities on refurbishment right now at Darlington Mr. Speaker that they're on time and on budget and the work that our executive team and OPG is doing Mr. Speaker is keeping them ahead of schedule and under budget Mr. Speaker there's no plastic news because all of those savings Mr. Speaker go back to rate payers and when you're talking about salaries Mr. Speaker we're not even talking about a scent that would be on anybody's bills Mr. Speaker we're looking at making sure that we're taking 25% off all bills Mr. Speaker and we're going to do that come summer thank you very much Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker back to the Minister of Energy the values of those who think these outrageous CEO salaries are acceptable are the same values of those who think it's acceptable to drive hydro bills up to the point where people have difficulty paying them Ontario used to have a hydro system that reflected our public values but the PCs and the Liberals have replaced this with a system based on different values a system based on private profit not public good will the Minister restore the public values of Ontario's hydro system and stop the sell off of hydro one Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker the system that he's talking about Mr. Speaker with when they were in power and when the Conservatives were in power Mr. Speaker their system they let it actually disintegrate Mr. Speaker they let it fall apart Mr. Speaker we had to invest $50 billion let me say that again $50 billion to ensure that we have a reliable system Mr. Speaker now they want to go back to the way it was it's like they want to be like the PCs Mr. Speaker and bring back coal we actually eliminated coal Mr. Speaker that is like taking 7 million cars off the road investing member from Hamilton East on the creek come to order thank you Mr. Speaker this government is not looking back Mr. Speaker this government is looking forward we're creating jobs we're building Ontario up for everyone Mr. Speaker we won't look to the past like our opposition parties I have a question for the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Mr. Minister one of the things that Ontarians really appreciate is the safe clean fresh wholesome food that they can get at their local grocery stores across Ontario they love the fact that they can go into a grocery store and be assured that you have local farmers producing food that is produced locally provides jobs and they can eat that local food I know that recently some people have said what more can we do to ensure that we not only invest in our local farmers like Willamdale farms up there in Brantford and our local green grocers to make sure that Ontarians appreciate the locally grown cabbages, beets, potatoes and carrots and not always depend on foreign thank you Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs well thanks very much Mr. Speaker I want to thank the member from Eglinton Lawrence for that question this morning I've had the opportunity to tour the members riding and what is always very impressive is the number of backyard gardens in many of the homes in the Roddick and Eglinton Lawrence buying and supporting local food creates jobs and supports economic growth in communities right across the province all 107 members in the south should be extremely proud that we have 52,000 family farms in the province of Ontario we produce more than 200 different foods and commodities that cater to the diversity of our population Mr. Speaker since it's obsession with then Foodland Ontario bread is turning 40 this year and serve as our government's primary tool to inform Ontarians of the many local food options that have access to what buy and or groceries increasingly in eating out Foodland Ontario is one of the most recognized brands in the world today so Mr. Speaker supplementary yes and I know that Foodland Ontario is celebrating its 40th year and if you're talking about backyard gardens you'll see in my writing what's being grown now in the backyards is garlic because garlic is now selling for $400 a bushel so therefore they see the opportunity to have that locally grown garlic replace that foreign garlic that is no good so we got to encourage local food I want to say that in my local grocery store Lady York there was somebody complaining about cauliflower from California for $10 I said forget the California cauliflower you can buy a bag of Ontario potatoes for $2.99 $10 well thanks very much Mr. Speaker I appreciate the supplementary for the member from Anglican Lords and perhaps we should have an emergency debate this afternoon whether tomato is a fruit or a vegetable but all of us here today are particularly proud of what's grown in Ontario and Ontario is to take this opportunity to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Foodland Roga and for my friend the member from St. Catharines who's a high tech guy I encourage everyone to also join the conversation online using hashtag Foodland 40 or hashtag love on food hashtags at chicken all the ways 40 ways to celebrate the food that will be featured throughout the year Mr. Speaker thank you very much Mr. Speaker my question this morning is to the energy minister a very sad story for my riding a constituent in the town of Glencoe lost their house to a fire on January 8th of this year but what followed in February was salt in the wound a hydro bill for delivery of absolutely no energy in the amount of $35 but Speaker what really set off alarm bells was the following month when this constituent received yet another bill this time for $193 and 55 cents in which stated that Hydro One read the meter on February 28th 2017 to be clear Hydro One claimed to have read a meter that was not there and presented a bill on the basis of this fictitious reading Mr. Speaker does the Liberal government think it's right to charge someone for Hydro whose house was burned down and no longer exists Thank you Mr. Speaker Thank you Mr. Speaker and that is a problem that should Order please the member from Renfrew Nipissing Pembroke come to order Thank you Mr. Speaker as I was saying that's awful for that family and one of the things I would suggest Mr. Speaker is that they follow up with Hydro One because Hydro One has been correcting those issues Mr. Speaker that's the one thing that they've been doing Thank you Mr. Speaker that's the one thing they have been doing Mr. Speaker is enhancing their customer service and when you hear things like this Mr. Speaker of course no one agrees with it and that's why Hydro One has been acting quickly to ensure that they can fix and correct issues like this Mr. Speaker Supplementary the bill that followed the fake meter reading isn't just an issue for this constituent it actually has cost for all taxpayers in Ontario as well through the Ontario Electricity Support Program taxpayers were on the hook for almost $100 on top of the almost $200 the rate payer was charged Speaker how can this Liberal government expect people to trust that energy prices are fair for families and businesses when people are being told their distributor is reading a meter that no longer exists executive salaries are through the roof and the cost of cap and trade is hidden Thank you Mr. Speaker once again you know we feel for that family and of course hope everything is working well for that family again as I'll say Mr. Speaker Hydro One recognized in the past the new management team recognized in the past that their customer service needed improvement the ombudsman actually brought forward many recommendations that the Hydro One management team and Hydro One staff have been acting upon Mr. Speaker I again would encourage my friend opposite to have that family call Hydro One immediately and that will something that will be rectified as quickly as possible Mr. Speaker because it is one of the important things that Hydro One is doing Mr. Speaker and the team there is very proud to say that they're working to change that dynamic and I would hope that he tells them to follow up Mr. Speaker thank you New question Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the acting premier after a ten year TIC host study conducted across Ontario revealed that Corkscrew Island located 20 kilometers southwest of Canora has the highest infection prevalence of Lyme disease ever reported in Canada a research study last year determined that Lyme disease was found in eight species of ticks with 41% testing positive for Lyme a disease with no cure this research is a bombshell for people living in the northwest and despite its author sending a copy to the Ministry of Health and long-term care last November the government has not so much as even notified the public about it the people in Canora and across the northwest are worried about contracting Lyme disease and far too many are already suffering with this debilitating disease why is this government not acting on a health crisis particularly affecting northerners Thank you Minister of Health and long-term care Minister of Health long-term care Mr. Speaker this Lyme disease is a disease that is affecting many parts of this province and many Ontarians it's an important issue and it's the reason why in July of last year Ontario launched the combating sort of action plan which is a 10 step education and awareness plan partly to deal with this specific issue that has been referenced with regards to the north is to help Ontarians understand the risk that exists in many parts of this province including in the north but also the steps that they can take as individuals as parents as owners of animals as well because this is a disease that affects and animals and domesticated pets but certainly when it comes to human infection there are important measures that can and need to be taken to prevent as well as individuals are infected Mr. Speaker Thank you Speaker what we already know about this about chronic Lyme disease is that it is a horrific disease with the potential to affect every system in the body and that it can result in paralysis we also know that the most effective prevention of Lyme disease once a tick has been attached for more than 24 hours is to quickly treat it within 72 hours after it's removed the problem is that the government doesn't have a strategy in place to treat Lyme disease and not all physicians are versed in the best treatment options nearly three years ago in 2014 this house passed a motion from the member from Algoma Manitoulin calling on the government to create a comprehensive and integrated Lyme disease strategy for Ontario that happened Minister the risk of Lyme disease is at potentially crisis levels in Canora when is this government going to develop not just an awareness plan but a concrete and robust strategy on Lyme disease to protect the people in the Northwest and families all across this province Thank you Mr. Speaker We've seen it please We've seen it please Thank you Minister Well thank you Mr. Speaker and it is true that Algoma Manitoulin has been very vocal about this issue we've had many conversations I think in a collaborative way I'll be meeting with him and some stakeholders that are concerned about this issue in the coming weeks Mr. Speaker but we also in addition to that action plan that I referenced and there is federal action as well taking place because this is an issue that doesn't just affect Ontario but last year we also created a Lyme disease stakeholder group to lead a review on existing Lyme disease issues we are working with Public Health Ontario to update on all elements of Lyme disease prevention as well as treatment education and awareness including of health care professionals I agree with the member opposite that this is a multifaceted issue the minister of climate change reminded me that when it comes to the north climate change plays an aspect we need to look at it in a multifactorial way New question to the member from Durham My question is for the minister of children and youth services we know that this government has shown time and time again their commitment to supporting children across this great province as the MPP for Durham I am grateful that the government continues to support special needs so that children's centres like Grandview can help children and youth succeed two of Grandview's satellite locations are located in my riding of Durham one in Port Perry and the other in Bowmanville the staff and families I have met are formidable and I am extremely supportive of the important role they play in our community but despite all their great work the families supported by Grandview are constrained by the amount of space available for treatment there is an overwhelming need for an expansion of Grandview that brings all locations together under one roof Speaker through you to the minister can you please share what you will be doing to make sure that Grandview has the space to expand their services and continue to do great work that they are doing in support of our children Minister of Children and Youth Services Well thank you Mr. Speaker and I want to take a moment just to thank the member for his question you know as a former chair of a school board and the work he has done around FASD he is a strong advocate for the children in his community of Durham Mr. Speaker since 2008-2009 my ministry has invested over 312 million of capital funding into Children's Treatment Center and I want to take a moment to recognize the great work that Grandview is doing and I also know that many of my colleagues including MPP Dixon and MPP McCharles also recognize the important work that they do and my most recent visit to Grandview I met with family, staff and children they shared stories with me on the incredible growth that is taking place in their region and the supports needed for the children at Grandview they also stressed that there just wasn't enough space to deliver the type of services that children need they wanted to do more but they couldn't Grandview's capital request continues to be one of my top priorities and a decision will be coming soon Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the minister for sharing your experiences with the staff, children and families of Grandview I would have to agree with you it is truly a remarkable center they are doing great work to support young people in Ontario I mentioned earlier Grandview has two satellite locations in my riding and I see first hand the great work being done by the staff to support young people in Durham Speaker through you to the minister can you tell us about your most recent visit to Grandview Grandview's Children's Center and share some of the incredible things they are doing to help young people to succeed Thank you again and happy birthday Mr. Speaker as soon as the legislature recess for winter break I made it a priority to get out there and to visit Grandview Children's Center and Mr. Speaker it is truly a remarkable center the staff at Grandview do great work every day and I'd like to thank them for their dedication to helping children they help young people increase their ability to participate at home, at school and the community and they prepare them to achieve their goals for adulthood I value the services provided by Grandview and their continued commitment to providing support for children, youth and families Mr. Speaker as a government we want to make sure that we provide the types of supports that allow for young people to reach their full potential and that families are supported Thank you Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker since the premier is in calling with today I'm going to ask the minister of transportation about Highway 26 the member knows full well he's not supposed to make that kind of reference and I would ask him not to do it again carry on Mr. Speaker by not completing the five-laning of Highway 26 at the east end of calling with for job creation and economic development if this section of highway was completed the town could extend Sir Sanford Framing Drive to Highway 26 a move that would spur significant commercial development in the area this issue with the highway has been unresolved now for over a decade and that's totally unacceptable I've written the minister several occasions about this matter but apparently common courtesy has gone out the window because I can't get a response to the question so I ask when will the minister commit to finishing this section of Highway 26 and will he state when the work will take place Good job Thank you I thank the member opposite for his question I think he and I have chatted about this perhaps informally I'm aware of the challenges around Highway 26 in the calling wood area in fact I've had the opportunity to meet with the mayor regarding this particular stretch of highway I know that MTO has also been working closely with the municipality and I understand the challenge but it's a challenge that goes beyond calling wood speaker as that member may be aware prior to 2003 for many many years there was chronic under investment and infrastructure in every corner of this province and that means that since 2003 in particular in the last four years we are playing both catch up and keep up I'm happy to respond with additional information on the follow up question but I do appreciate the member's advocacy Thank you The history of this was during our last two years in office we started the realignment of Highway 26 within a month of coming to office in 2003 you took the bulldozers off the highway they remained off the highway for over a decade finally when Donna Kansfield came along mainly because she had a place up in calling wood she put the bulldozers back on and you got most of the realignment but you failed to do the section at the east end of calling wood that goes into calling wood it remains it doesn't look very nice for tourists coming into the gateway of the Georgian Triangle and there's a number of jobs held up about some 70 jobs with various businesses that want to move forward their properties are frozen right now by your ministry they can't move forward it's a bit of an eyesore the council and mayor Mr. Speaker the minister are at wit's end there's a culvert or a bridge that's falling down your ministry said get some boards in there to prop it up, it's going to cave in someone's going to get hurt it's unfinished bit Minister Thanks very much Speaker, I thank the member for the follow-up As I mentioned in my first answer I'm aware of the challenge the ministry will continue to work with that community not only in calling wood but in every corner of Ontario we will continue to make sure that shovels are in the ground, that they stay in the ground and that we can keep building Speaker but it is interesting to note from the heckles coming on the other side of the House Speaker there are members on that side who have literally been talking to me for close to three years to demand that we spend more ironically only in their riding Speaker and every single year for those three years those members including the one asking that question have voted consistently against the budgets from this side of the House Speaker, in just a few weeks we're sure the Minister of Finance will stand up and deliver another budget that will dedicate billions towards highway construction and expansions I sincerely hope that member and his team finally support our budgets to build their communities up as well as ours Thanks very much Speaker The member from Niagara West Landbrook will come to order order please No question the member from Stop the clock I'm not going to entertain back and forth The member from Timmons James B new question My question is the Minister of Health Minister I was very surprised on Friday when I was up on the James Bay to find out that we're going to be shutting down the Air Orange helicopter base in Moosenee this summer As you know there's new equipment that's been put in that base as has been across this province but for some reason the base of Moosenee the only one that they're doing this way is shutting down the base for two months this summer to take the helicopter away from maintenance we're not doing that anywhere else in the province when we shut down bases when we do the maintenance on helicopters why are we shutting down Moosenee and will you help us turn that around Thank you Minister of Health Walter and Kevin Mr. Speaker I greatly appreciate the member opposite raising this issue with me I believe we had a similar situation a year ago where there was the potential for a pause in the operations of an aspect of Orange's work in Moosenee but we were able quite frankly with cooperation and collaboration with the member opposite we were able to come up with a solution that resulted in seamless and continuous Orange operation and another model to address that so I'm not familiar with all of the details of what's being proposed for this summer I appreciate the fact that the member has raised it with us here in the legislature I will pursue more information and see if there is an opportunity to look at this required maintenance in a different way Supplementary to the minister last year minister the issue was it was due equipment and we had to train the pilots so obviously you got to train them before they can fly them so we made accommodations in order to allow that to happen fair enough in this case we're maintaining the helicopter every so many hours we have to do routine maintenance to make sure that those machines are safe to fly for both the pilots and the crew along with patients my point is if we're not shutting down bases across Ontario and I'm not advocating we should why then are we allowing Air Orange to shut down the Moosenee rotary wing base to maintain helicopters when we don't do that anywhere else in the province can you please look at it turn this around thank you minister well thank you and again I appreciate the question so I know it is a different situation then it was last year one was training this is maintenance but I referenced last year because I think that we were heading in a similar direction in terms of the potential or perceived disruption that would occur during that training period I referenced it because I think that perhaps there might be an opportunity here I know that hospital officials have been consulted I know that local officials have been consulted by Orange with regards to this which I think we all agree that maintenance is certainly required but I'm I will look into this in more detail speak to the member opposite to see to provide the best possible solution that we can Mr. Speaker thank you thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the minister of labour one year ago today first responders across Ontario celebrated as our government passed bill 163 supporting Ontario's first responders act since then I have heard from firefighters paramedics and police officers from Kingston and the islands who have benefited from this piece of legislation providing I know this increased level of support and heightened advocacy for mental health has had a significant impact on the lives of our communities first responders and those who are closest to them first responders help keep my community safe and are always there for us when we need them the most and this legislation was a big step forward for Ontario to make sure that they get the help and resources they need right away Mr. Speaker through you to the minister who made this year since 163 becomes law and please give a round of applause for our first responders who are here with us today thank you minister of labour thank you Speaker I want to thank the member for that very important question and her own personal involvement in this issue Speaker we know that mental health in the workplace is an issue that demands the attention of everyone that's employers employees union and the government and the public and the public and the public and the public and the public and the public we knew it was going to do something to help people in this province because it provides a sense of security for those first responders and for their families it ensures faster access to the WSIB treatment and the resources Speaker I'm proud to stand in the house of women who receive quicker access to benefits and the services that they need to get better Speaker I visited with paramedics this morning Halton police Oakville fire we should be all proud of what we did a year ago I'd like to thank the minister for his answer I'm thrilled to hear that this legislation has also helped so many people across Ontario I think we can all be extremely proud that these efforts are felt in every single community across this province it's encouraging to know that individuals felt confident that they could come forward and that there would be help on the other end for them and I've spoken to chief Charbonneau from the paramedics of Frontenac county about this and he's been pleased with the measures that have been taken it says a lot about the importance of eliminating the stigma around mental health and how our efforts in this area are working in the last year first responders in my community in 1963 that requires them to create PTSD prevention plans I know they've been hard at work on these plans in my riding and as well across the province can the minister please tell the house more about these efforts as these responders in each of our communities are putting these plans together thank you minister thank you speaker and thanks again for that question for the member from Kingston and the islands PTSD speaker unfortunately the cure to PTSD continues to elude us so we need to put a tremendous amount of effort into preventing PTSD in the first place when we passed the bill included in the legislation a requirement that all employers of first responders filed their prevention plans with my ministry as of April 23rd of this year I'm looking forward to seeing those plans seeing how we can highlight some of the best practices within those plans ensuring that information right throughout the province I want everyone to benefit from the plan speaker I want everyone to submit the best plan they possibly could that's why I'll be putting them online posting them publicly speaker this is the next step in keeping our first responders in Ontario healthy and safe giving them the dignity the respect they deserve and thanks again to the house particularly the member from Parkdale High Park for what she did to make us all work together on this thank you thank you very much mr. speaker my question is to the minister of housing under this government the waiting list for affordable housing has grown by 45,000 families every day we hear from people who are having trouble affording a place to live yet this government is allowing money that was supposed to go to social housing to be wasted and misused despite the fact that I pointed that out repeatedly social housing money at the housing services corporation has gone to luxury vacations bottles of wine, fancy dinners and many trips to Europe in 2014 a provincial appointee who was supposed to provide oversight resign after it was revealed he was billing the XSC thousands of dollars every month through his consulting firm as well as getting paid to be chair of the board if this government is on top of the housing file can they explain how they have failed to fill this provincial appointment after two years minister of housing there we are well thank you speaker certainly Ontario is answering the call to provide more affordable housing across the province I want to touch on a couple of things since taking office we've committed more than 2.4 billion to affordable housing I think the total now is for housing in general it's about 5 billion dollars this government into housing across Ontario and I know that about 1.4 billion of that into housing in Toronto alone this is quite a U-turn from the previous PC government that abandoned any responsibility to support municipalities with delivery housing I can tell you speaker that those investments that this government has made those investments that this government has made have helped create over 20,000 affordable housing and more than 275,000 repairs to social and affordable housing units we're acting on this back to the minister and I believe he missed the question the first question Mr. Speaker every dollar that social housing services corporation gets is a public dollar that was intended to provide social housing we've heard from housing providers across Ontario that they could have saved substantial amounts of money that they weren't forced to buy through the housing services corporation the City of Toronto found that they could have saved 6.3 million dollars in a single year if this government would allow them to purchase natural gas at the best price that means that in the three years since I raised this issue Toronto alone could have had approximately 19 million dollars more for social housing enough to reopen 380 of the units that they boarded up because they're not fit to live in when Toronto community housing is closing an average of one unit a day why does this government refuse to let them save millions by simply buying the same product for a cheaper price thank you minister thank you Speaker and thank you to the member for that question again I'll go back to what I said at the opening of my initial response that Ontario is answering the call to provide more affordable housing across the province we know that when people have a house, a home, they're healthier they're able to pursue employment and better equip to participate and contribute to their communities so I'll go back and say since 2003 this government has put 5 billion dollars into affordable housing Speaker, twenty-two million dollars has been provided to Oxford County for example I can go on, I can go on Speaker, the long list of things that we've done for example one of the most exciting things that we're able to announce is 1.1 billion dollars strange how I get to hear you point of order the minister of government and consumer services very much Speaker and on a point of privilege I would ask everyone to join me in recognizing my friend and colleague the minister of community and social services Dr. Helena Jasek for being the recipient of the 2017 Canadian Helen Keller award for her work in assisting Ontario's deaf and blind community I'll stand to recess until 1pm this afternoon