 It is now time for Question Period, the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Energy. We know the Liberal Party took $1.3 million in donations from renewable energy companies. We know the Liberal government gave those 30 companies energy contracts for power that Ontario did not need. And we know the Liberal government will overpay $9.2 billion for renewable energy contracts already signed. So Mr. Speaker, my question is, rather than cast blame on others, rather than try games of diversion, I want a simple question to answer. Can the Minister of Energy explain and reconcile did this government take $1.3 million in donations for the Ontario Liberal Party in exchange for contracts that were overpaid by— No, no, no, no. That's it. That'll do. Minister of Municipal Affairs, I just said stop, and you continue to stop. That is not an acceptable section of your question. It will be withdrawn. Withdraw. Minister of Energy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the member for the somewhat of a question. But when it comes to election financing, Mr. Speaker, our goal with election financing reform has been to change the way that politics are done in Ontario. We believe that the public interest must be paramount, Mr. Speaker, and that's why our caucus and our government has taken the step to look at making sure that we continue to hear from the general public over the summer. But Mr. Speaker, when it comes to fundraising, Mr. Speaker, I find it very interesting that the member, the leader of the opposition, held a steak dinner for $5,000 per person, Mr. Speaker, and of course then a golf tournament at $2,000 per person. So that's $7,000, Mr. Speaker, for a little bit of golf and steak, Mr. Speaker. I won't take any lessons from people who like to throw stones in glass houses. Thank you. There are two points I'm going to make right now very quickly. Number one, we're not going to, I'm not going to allow the drop to the bottom on this circumstance. I'm going to ask everyone to choose their questions and answers delicately. If I continue to hear the kinds of accusations that are taking place, I'm going to pass questions and pass answers. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, again to the Minister of Energy, it was the auditor general who said that Ontario, because of this government, has overpaid $9.2 billion. That's the independent legislative oversight saying this government has overpaid by $9.2 billion. So the question is, why did we overpay so much? Why is Ontario made such an error in judgment? Why did this government take us down this path? Why are we selling power at a loss? The Minister of Energy's talking point is there's net revenue of $230 million. That's not profit. The energy could have cost hundreds of millions, billions of dollars. We are losing. We are subsidizing Pennsylvania, Michigan and New York, and I can't get a straight answer from this government. All I get is attacks. All I get is diversions. I want the government to answer, reconcile the fact why they're subsidizing other states. Why are they supporting our competition, Mr. Speaker? Mr. Speaker, I'm very happy to answer the member's question once again. The heavy lifting was done by this government, Mr. Speaker, to get rid of coal. We're not the key sea party, the pro-coal party, Mr. Speaker. We are very, very happy to ensure that we don't have to send out warnings anymore to let people know that they can't go outside to breathe. And when it comes to... Let me stop the party. This is noticed to both sides. If I must, I will move to warnings. Don't it down? Mint? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The opposition left our electricity system in disrepair, Mr. Speaker, and we had to do the heavy lifting to fix it. But when we're talking about our neighbors to the south and our neighbors around us, Mr. Speaker, the leader of the opposition has his facts incorrect, Mr. Speaker. Ontario's 2015 average industrial electricity prices, $8.35 in the south, $6.35 in the north, were lower than New York, which is $8.72, were lower than Pennsylvania, which is $9.59, Michigan $9.13. I look forward to more of this in the supplementary, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again to the Minister of Energy, and I appreciate the Minister of Energy's artistic spin and talking points. But the reality is, the Ontario Liberal Party took $1.3 million in donations. We have now given away six, according to some estimates, since 2009 we have given away, here this, $6 billion. Stop the clock. Chief Government WIP will come to order. Please finish. Mr. Speaker, I understand this is a touchy topic for this government. They're embarrassed of their own record. They have given away, since 2009, $6 billion. And they should heckle. They should be upset about this because it's embarrassing for Ontario. They have turned our energy policy into the laughing stock of North America. And I stress, Mr. Speaker, can I please get an answer? Why are we subsidizing companies in Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania? Why are we creating and giving away surplus energy? Can I get an answer rather than attacks and diversions? Please answer questions. Next one. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased, once again, to rise and answer the Leader of the Opposition's question. The only one that should be embarrassed, the only party that should be embarrassed, Mr. Speaker, is that party and the system that they left for us to actually take over, Mr. Speaker. We had to ensure that we built a system that's reliable, that's safe, and that's clean, Mr. Speaker. And we've just done that. And when it comes to residential prices, Mr. Speaker, in the largest cities in North America, Toronto is a $161 average monthly bill. That's lower, Mr. Speaker. The New York, Detroit, Boston, $289, Mr. Speaker, in New York City, $177 in Detroit, $300, Mr. Speaker, in Boston. What's important about the U.S. state that the Leader of the Opposition loves referring to, Mr. Speaker, is that they all still rely on coal. We don't, Mr. Speaker. We eliminated it. New question. Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Energy. Despite the Liberals trying to undermine the Auditor General, we finally got to see the government's books. And there was some very interesting items in the public accounts. For example, the Ontario Energy Board spent nearly $12 million on the Ontario Electricity Support Program, the OESP rebate for low-income households. And of that $12 million spent on the OESP, $9 million went to consultants. Mr. Speaker, that's $9 million that went to high-price consultants instead of families that needed it most. Why did it take $9 million worth of consultants to hand out a rebate? Please answer the question. For once. Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased to rise and answer this question because we're very proud of the OEC program, Mr. Speaker. It's a brand new program, and it's designed, Mr. Speaker, to offer support through those who need it most. And in order to receive this benefit, Mr. Speaker, $45 for families, up to $75 for seniors, for those that heat their homes with heat, and of course, Mr. Speaker, those that have to plug in with medical devices, they need to apply for the program. And here's what the opposition doesn't get, Mr. Speaker. They need to know about it. So what we've done, Mr. Speaker, is we've ensured that the OEB is working on a program to ensure that this ad campaign lets as many people in this province know about the program. In 10 months, Mr. Speaker, 10 months, 145,000 families have now signed up for this program. That's one-third of all people who are eligible. We're going to continue to work hard, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that every family knows about this program rather than this party just shaking their fist at it. Thank you very much. When I'm seeking to have everyone heard on both sides, each side are having their own people interrupt the question that's being put or the answer that's being put. I'm going to start moving towards everybody that's even deciding that they want to interject. Put your name on the docket for a question. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, again, to the Ministry of Energy, I didn't realize that it was a subsidy program for liberal consultants and ad people. This was meant for low-income families. That's what this is about. This is money meant for low-income families, not high-priced liberal consultants. Not only did the liberals spend $9 million on consultants, here this, Mr. Speaker, they spent another $2.5 million on ads that government can't pass up an opportunity to pat themselves on the back using taxpayer dollars. Mr. Speaker, wouldn't that $2.5 million, wouldn't that $9 million be better used on low-income families for once do the right thing? Thank you. The Minister of Children and Youth Services will come to order. The Minister of Education will come to order. The member from Glen Gary Pruska, Russell, will come to order. And the Minister of Government and Social Services, Customer Services, will come to order. I've got a good memory. And if it continues, I'll move to warnings. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I'm very happy again to rise and answer that question, because we are doing the right thing, Mr. Speaker. We are bringing forward a program that's actually helping 145,000 families right across the province. And that's why this government is doing everything it can to inform Ontario families of this program that they are eligible for, Mr. Speaker. And here are some of those initiatives that we've pursued so far, so advertisements in print, radio, and bus shelters, slips in the ODSP and the Ontario work checks, bill inserts from local utilities, partnerships with food banks, libraries, and MPP offices, requiring that all utilities include a link on their website. Mr. Speaker, we're doing everything we can to make sure families know about this program, because we know it's important that they receive this support, Mr. Speaker. These efforts are reflected in the results. In just 10 months, Mr. Speaker, we have a third of the eligible customers that are already online. Mr. Speaker, that's 145,000 families receiving this benefit. I hope we see more. And I hope this actually gets more families signing up. Mr. Speaker, back to the Minister of Energy. And no matter the justifications, no matter the spin, I don't buy for a second that it was appropriate to spend $9 million on liberal consultants instead of low-income families that can't pay their hydro bill. I don't buy for a second that this government should have spent $2.5 million on ads instead of low-income families. They just don't get it. They're that out of touch. They think everything's rosing on terror, that people can handle their hydro bills. People are an energy poverty, and I'm tired of the government being oblivious to it. Here's the fact, Mr. Speaker, only 137,000 applicants out of the 500,000 that are in need got approved. 137,000. You're leaving. You're leaving hundreds of thousands of Ontario families in need because you decide. This government decided to take care of liberal consultants and admin instead of the people of Ontario. Mr. Speaker, how does this government justify that? Thank you. The member from the PN Carlton will come to order. Minister? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It seems the only way that the Leader of the Opposition knew about this program was by the ads that we put out, Mr. Speaker. You know what? The Leader of the Opposition continues to offer no clear plan on the energy sector. We have a plan. We're making sure that we're helping those in need, Mr. Speaker. The Leader of the Opposition criticizes the government over legal challenges, but wants to tear up renewable energy contracts and expose Ontario to billions of dollars in liability, Mr. Speaker. He was against a carbon tax. When he ran for the leadership, now he's in favour of a carbon tax. Now he says he's concerned about the cost. Excuse me, Mr. Speaker, for families, but doesn't want to spend money informing families about what programs are available. Well, Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we have a plan and we're acting on it. Mr. Speaker, my priority as the Minister of Energy is to ensure that Ontario's have an affordable access to clean, reliable electricity, and that's what we're going to continue to do, Mr. Speaker, unlike the pro-poll party. Thank you. A member from Bruce Gray Owensown will come to order, the member from Prince Edward Hastings will come to order, and the member from Nipissing will come to order. I have a memory. No question. The member from Kitchener, Waterloo. Very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Acting Premier. When did the Liberals and Ed Clark first start discussing the privatization of e-health assets? I want to be very, very clear, the Premier has been very, very clear, Ed Clark has been very clear. I want to be clear, e-health is not for sale. Personal health information is not for sale, because they want to make a party out of this, but I tell you, we take our responsibility. The member from Hamilton, East Stony Creek will come to order. We take our responsibility for the health of the people of Ontario very seriously. We think we can do better using the digital tools that are available to us through e-health and beyond, Speaker. The arrangement with e-health comes to an end at the end of 2017. Now is the perfect time to take stock, to understand the value we have, and understand how we can improve the value of e-health in this product, Speaker. It is saving a billion dollars a year now, Speaker. We think we can do even better with a more robust e-health. Thank you. A supplementary. We know you can do better as well, and we've also heard this all before. On November 5th, 2015, the Deputy Premier said, we are looking at other assets. Since then, nothing major has been put on the auction block, until last week, when the Minister of Health asked Ed Clark to start looking at Ontario's e-health assets. Has the government been planning to privatise our e-health assets for the last 11 months? How much clearer I can be, but let me try. E-health is not for sale. It will not be for sale. Personal health information is not for sale. It will not be for sale. So no matter how much the NDP wants to stir up, I can assure them that they are going down a path that simply is their path and their path alone. E-health is not for sale. Personal health information is not for sale. Thank you. Thank you. Last November, the Deputy Premier said we are looking at other assets. That same month, Ed Clark spoke to the Toronto Board of Trade, and he said this about digital medicine in the province of Ontario. I say, and I quote, open them up, link them more closely to the private sector, turn them into exporters. It does beg the question, has Ed Clark been working on the sale of e-health assets since last November? Ed Clark has not been working on the sale of e-health ever before, ever now, or ever in the future. E-health is not for sale. Personal health information is not for sale. Thank you. Good question. The member from Kitchener wanted it. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Again, back to the acting Premier. So the Premier claims that she wants to improve digital health care options. But the Minister of Health didn't write to Ed Clark asking for ways to improve digital health assets. That did not happen. Instead, he asked Ed Clark to figure out how much money the government could get for selling them off. Can the government explain why they need to know how much money they'll get for selling off e-health in order to improve it? Thank you very much. Well, Mr. Speaker, I would suggest that the member opposite actually review that letter because it's very clear e-health is not for sale. E-health will not be for sale. No matter how many times the question is asked, the answer is the same. E-health is not for sale. Personal health information is not for sale. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you very much. Well, that letter contains the same language that used when they wrote about Hydro-1. And that wasn't for sale either. If you want to improve education, you don't need to ask how much money you can get for selling all the schools off. But the Premier seems to suggest that in order for Ed Clark to improve our digital health assets, he needs to figure out how much they're worth on the open market. It doesn't make sense, Mr. Speaker. Even with liberal math, it doesn't add up. What is the government actually interested in? And why do they need to know how much cash they can get from our e-health assets? Thank you. Speaker, as I said earlier, the mandate of e-health does come to an end at the end of 2017. So the prudent thing to do, Speaker, is for government to look at the asset that has been created through e-health, Speaker, because we want to do even better with the opportunities of the digital age when it comes to health. Speaker, that is the right thing to be doing. We are already saving a billion dollars a year thanks to the progress made on e-health. We think we can do even better, Speaker. It's better value for money, and more importantly, it's better healthcare for patients. It's fewer unnecessary tests. It's fewer trips to the doctor, Speaker. We think we can do better, and we want to maximize the potential of digital health e-health, Speaker. Thank you. Final supplementary. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, the Minister of Health wrote to Ed Clark asking him to figure out, and I quote, the value of our existing digital health assets. He was asking how much they would be worth if the Premier sold them. Now the Premier says this is all about the best digital health strategy possible. The problem is that isn't what the Liberals were saying last week. If the government is truly concerned about improving digital health strategies, why are they so interested in how much money the Premier can get for our e-health assets? The people of this province want to know. The people of this province want to know that e-health is not and will not be for sale, that personal health information is not and will not be for sale. And what they want, Speaker, is a third party who actually holds us to account, but doesn't continue to stir the pot on something that clearly is not our attention, has never been our attention, Speaker. Thank you. New question. A member from Elgin Middlesex. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Deputy Premier. Speaker, wait times for knee and hip replacement surgery is on the rise in southwestern Ontario. The real wait time in London is longer than what is posted by this government. Wait lists are growing longer, very quickly, and Londoners are now told that their surgery wait time will be at least 11 months, 15 months in Strathcroy. And that is waiting months or years, waiting to see their surgeon. Last winter, I raised in this legislature the issue of over 500 cancelled surgeries for knees and hips in London St. Thomas, Woodstock and Strathcroy from January to April due to a lack of funds. Patient's quality of life has deteriorated, causing undue hardship and an increase in health expenditures. Now wait times are expanding due to this government's rationing of care. Speaker, will the government act now and properly fund knee and hip surgeries in southwestern Ontario? Well, Speaker, I can assure the member opposite that wait times is something that we put a very high priority on. In fact, when we took off as Speaker, we didn't measure wait times. Nobody measured wait times. Now we know what wait times are, Speaker, and we are focused on getting those wait times down further. We have made significant investments, but we are the first to admit, Speaker, that the job is not done. There is more to do when it comes to reducing wait times. And that's exactly the focus of our wait time strategy, Speaker. So we have funded an additional 77,000 hip and knee replacements, Speaker. Since 2003, our government has invested almost $2 billion for more than 3 million additional procedures to reduce wait times. Is there more to do? Absolutely. Thank you. Supplement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's shown last week in media that wait times are no better today than they were when they started their strategy in 2005. They're failing the people of London and southwestern Ontario with their strategy. And, Mr. Speaker, on top of this, Ontarians deserve some transparency to the system. The wait times posted by the government do not include the amount of time it takes to see the surgeon. The government keeps that information secret. It distorts the reality of how rationed our healthcare system has become. Patients in southwestern Ontario deserve better. Many are waiting months and years just to see the surgeons on top of the additional wait time to get the surgery. Speaker, will the minister and this government be open and transparent and release the true wait times they're hiding from the public? Thank you. I am, because every time everyone says something, I'm going to get you. The member from Renfrew come to order, and the member from Stormont Dundas, South Wing Gary, come to order. Carry on. Well, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to correct the member opposite's assertion that wait times are not better in the southwest. They are. Hip replacements are down 15% for the 90th percentile, and hip replacements are knee replacements down by 32%. So there is progress being made. Is it enough? The answer, Speaker, we acknowledge that we still have a challenge. And when it comes to what is known as wait time one, that is from the time of referral to the time of consultation, Speaker, that is part of the plan to measure the entire wait time. We started with wait time two, from consult to procedure. Focusing on wait time one is the next step in improving transparency when it comes to wait times. Thank you. Question? The member from Dickelbel. Thank you, Mr. President. My question is for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Two weeks ago, I shared with this House that the good people of Gogama and Metogamy First Nation had reached a tipping point, with the lack of action to clean up the Macamee River following the sea and derailment. On Thanksgiving, the entire village of Gogama and First Nations of Metogamy, younging all, they all came out and they blocked their road peacefully when they should normally have been enjoying Thanksgiving with their families. Chief Navvo of Metogamy First Nation, as well as Gogama Fire Chief Mike Benson are here today. They make the long trip up from up north to Queensborough Park to hear you answer this simple question. Will the Minister order the cleanup of the Macamee River? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And the short answer is yes. The process to get there is I have to follow the laws of Ontario, and I want to welcome the chiefs and thank them and their colleagues for coming down today, is that we have a process to go through. That there are studies and assessments that are required by CN, which are reviewed and enforced by the Ministry. We have to ensure that the proper testing is done because much of this oil that may be residual will be in sediment and the removal of it has to be done prudently so it doesn't cause unintended negative impacts on fish and fish health. It also has to involve fully the First Nations and the citizens of Gogama, and we work through the proper process with Sudbury Public Health and the members of the support. I just want to conclude by saying I think our relationship is collaborative on this. I appreciate your leadership, and I thank you for raising the issue again today. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. In the short term, winter is coming in the North. There's going to be five feet of ice on the McImmy River, and then the next stop will bring the oil further down, maybe into. Beautiful Menesin Aquilake. I don't want this to happen. For anyone who takes the time to come to Gogama, to come to the McImmy River, all you have to do is look, you will see dead fish. All you have to do is throw a rock or stir the bottom and you will see oil coming up to the top. I'm not the only one. Thousands of people have signed from 81 different communities than Ortiz Ontario Municipal Associations, the Town of Timmons, the Algoma District Municipal Association and many more are passing motions to urge the minister to act now before the winter comes and more oil gets down into the river further into the lake. We are looking at another gas scenario speaker and I don't want this. Will the minister order CN today to start cleaning the river? Thank you. Minister. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker and through you to the member opposite again, thank you for raising the issue. CN has already cleaned up a great deal of the oil in the river and has spent a great deal of money doing so. So the first major cleanup on two separate occasions because the great tragedy of this is this is not one go gamma incident, it's been two and one is too many and two is a ridiculously great number and we now are working with the federal government on rail safety issues as well because one of the most important things is to prevent this from happening again. The next phase of that was to go back and do very direct studies, Mr. Speaker, to figure out where in the river system this oil exists and now we're trying to figure out how that can be best extracted. Answer. I will hold see an account, I will be meeting with them in a couple of weeks. I said I would report on the progress of that and I will continue working hand in glove with you to ensure we get this full. Thank you. New question? The member from, yes. Take it away. I'm glad we agree, Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Tourism is an important economic driver. In 2013 numbers indicate that tourism supported over 362,000 jobs and generated over 28.5 billion of economic activity in Ontario. Wow, that's awesome. In June 2016 the Ministry released Ontario's Tourism Action Plan, aligning the specific actions items the government will undertake immediately to enable a positive environment for industry growth. Ontario's festival events in particular attract tourism, create jobs and support economic growth. The Ontario government recently launched Celebrate Ontario 2017. Last year Celebrate Ontario supported an increased performance schedule which included in a 28% increase in tourism. Mr. Speaker, through you to the Minister, can you tell the members of the House about how Celebrate Ontario supports tourism? Thank you, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. I would like to thank the hardworking member from Northumberland-Quinney who asked for his excellent question and for his advocacy for events and attractions in his writing. Speaker, Ontario's festivals and events attract tourists, create jobs and support economic growth. Every year they support tens of thousands of jobs in Ontario and generate millions of dollars in revenue. That's why our government continues to make strategic investments in festivals and events. Since 2007 Celebrate Ontario has invested $153 million in more than 1,900 festivals and events across Ontario. This year our government is supporting over 200 festivals and events to celebrate Ontario 2016. According to past recipients, every $1 of funding results in $18 of visitor spending. That's spending in communities right across our province. That's money going directly into the local economy, creating jobs and supporting economic growth and contributing to the quality of life of Ontarians and visitors alike. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A supplementary member of Northumberland-Quinney West. Thank you, thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the Minister. It is fantastic to hear how I reaching and how successful our governments celebrate Ontario fund is. A number of successful festivals were held in my writing on Northumberland-Quinney West, including the West Bend Arts Festival Theatre in Trent Hills, float your fanny down the Ganon in Port Hope. It's great to see that rural and northern Ontario festivals and events have been added as target sector given the importance to these communities. The members of this House know that funding from Celebrate Ontario helps festival events, organisers, offer new experiences, reach new audiences and generate more economic activity in their communities. Mr. Speaker, through you, to the Minister, can you tell the members of this House about what's new with Celebrate Ontario in 2017? Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to begin by thanking the hundreds of organisations and thousands of volunteers who organise the festivals and events that attract tourists, support tens of thousands of jobs and generate millions of dollars in revenue for communities across our province. As part of the commitment made in Ontario's Tourism Action Plan, we have reviewed the Celebrate Ontario programme and based on input, we've made improvements to further streamline the application process. Things like reintroducing multi-year funding, integrating marketing support as an eligible expense and applying a rural and northern lens to events that play a vital role in smaller communities. This year, applicants are encouraged to apply for funding for events in 2017 that promote Canada and Ontario's 150th anniversary. I want to let members of the House know in particular that this year's applicants have until November 8th to apply for both the Celebrate Ontario 2017 category and the Celebrate Ontario 2017 multi-year category. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No question, the member from Perth Wellington. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Finance. By cancelling the slots at Racetrack programme, the government left the horse racing industry a shadow of its former self. Racetracks, horsemen and local economies are still struggling. The deaths of 13,000 horses and the loss of thousands of jobs rest on the shoulders of this government. Speaker, instead of apologizing, the government plowed ahead with its misguided modernization programme. It's going to put even more of the industry out of business. Ontario racing has a plan that could bring some stability. Speaker, we still need to remember the proposed funding will not come close to the previous revenue sharing agreement. Uncertainty will persist. Speaker, will the Minister ease that uncertainty and commit today to keeping the doors open at all 15 of our races? Thank you. Can you see it, please? Thank you. Minister of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question and I think we all appreciate that we want a very sustained horse racing industry in the province of Ontario. And it's why we have made a commitment for long-term sustainability of the horse racing industry. We've taken steps to support a stable industry by providing the appropriate funding, by extending the government's $100 million annual funding programme by two years, Mr. Speaker. And the OLG will establish a future long-term funding arrangement with the industry. And as I said, Mr. Speaker, we've also passed legislation to integrate the operations of the Ontario Racing Commission with the OLG and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. All of which promotes and allows the industry to benefit from a centralized marketing resource and its expertise to expose more Ontarians to the thrills of horse racing. We are taking every step necessary to provide a sustainable industry because we're partnering with that industry in an appropriate manner, Mr. Speaker, in conjunction with members of the industry. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. It's obviously the minister has not spoken to anybody in the horse racing business. If the minister is truly serious about the future of horse racing, why did he make it such an insignificant part of his modernization plan? Speaker, this government seemed determined to create winners and losers, but mostly losers. Funding or no funding, the losers seem to be the smaller tracks and those who rely on them. If the government allows slots to leave tracks, racing areas like Ajax Downs will be in jeopardy. That could spell the end of the quarter of horse racing in Ontario. Speaker, does the minister believe it's modern to wipe out a vital industry in rural areas? Mr. Speaker, it's vital to provide the appropriate support to maintain long-term sustainability of the horse racing industry. And that is why we are very much working in conjunction with the stakeholders from the horse racing industry to provide us the recommendations necessary to move forward, Mr. Speaker. And we all recognize that we want a much more broadened and more effective racing industry in the communities across Ontario. It's why we've taken the steps that we've taken. It's why we've made the commitments for long-term funding. It is why the horse racing industry is working with the province of Ontario. And, Mr. Speaker, it is why we're taking their recommendations in the recommendations that we make and put forward at this time. Thank you. Question to the member from Oslo. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And my question is to the Acting Premier. Today, frontline mental health workers from Opsu will be here to call for government action to keep people safe on the job. Workers in the mental health sector are put at risk every day. Hundreds of physical assaults against staff are being reported every year. And that is not okay. Every frontline mental health worker needs to be able to go home safely to their families at the end of their shift. Workers need to know when will this liberal government step up and take real steps to prevent violence against workers and patients in the mental health sector. Thank you. Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the member for that excellent question. And it's a very important question because we take incidents of workplace violence and workplace harassment very, very seriously, Speaker. And the nurses and the employees at work in our mental health facility, Speaker, they provide the highest quality of care for Ontarians. And we're committed to, while they are providing that care, Speaker, we're committed to ensuring that they work in safe conditions. To help with this goal very specifically, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care and I announced the leadership table some time ago, Speaker. The workplace violence and healthcare roundtable. It's comprised of key stakeholders, including those people that do such a wonderful job in the mental health facilities. It includes patient advocates. What they're doing, Speaker, is they're looking at the root causes of violence against healthcare workers. And where we began very, very specifically, Speaker, is with the nurses in those facilities. Speaker, the Union Opsu sits at that leadership table. I know they've expressed recently how successful this program has been and how they plan to remain committed to it, Speaker. Thank you. I look forward to adding more on the supplementary. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Again, to the acting Premier, frontline mental health workers have reached a tipping point. They cannot carry on facing hundreds of assaults and incidents of workplace violence against staff day after day every year. The people who work so incredibly hard to provide mental health care need to see real action from this government to protect them on the job. They deserve answers today. Will the government's leadership table on workplace violence prevention consider each and every recommendation from frontline mental health workers, those who do the job, and provide a funding package to pay for the implementation of these health and safety initiatives? Thank you. Minister. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you once again to the honourable member. Speaker, Opsu sits at the leadership table. They're right there. They are not afraid to express their opinions. Believe me, Speaker, I've been at some of the meetings and they've expressed recently how successful they think the process has been today, Speaker. Both the Ministry of Health, my ministry, the Ministry of Labour have been working with Opsu to make these facilities as safe as possible. We remain committed to that goal, Speaker. The process is going well. Based on the advice of the table, whatever the recommendations are that the table comes up with, Speaker, we're going to develop a plan to make hospitals safer, mental health facilities safer. Speaker, I have offered to visit Wait Point myself. I will be quite happy to go up there, speak with the folks. I'm awaiting the invitation to be accepted, Speaker, but certainly we're committed to making sure that those people that do such a wonderful job for us, work in safe working conditions, Speaker. Thank you. Thank you. New question. The member can now report. So thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Attorney General. This week is access to Justice Week in Ontario. Justice System is an important part of our democracy and plays a crucial role in people's lives every day. In my writing of Davenport, many of my constituents are reliant on legal aid organizations like West Toronto Community Legal Services to access the justice system. They understand the importance of equal access to our justice system and justice services, regardless of financial means, geography, ethnicity, sexuality or gender identity. Mr. Speaker, can the Attorney General tell us about our government's efforts to help increase access to justice system in Ontario? Attorney General. Thank you very much. Thank the member from Davenport for asking a very important question. Speaker, access justice is an important challenge and I recognize that we have a lot of work to do. A key part of helping people access justice services like legal advice is enhancing affordability. That's why, Speaker, our government continues to invest in legal aid. Our 2014 budget included the largest infusion of new funding toward financial eligibility in legal aid Ontario's history. $95.7 million of new funds, Speaker. This past April marked a third increase to the legal aid eligibility threshold, making it possible for additional 400,000 more people to access legal aid services. Once our strategy is fully implemented, an additional 1 million low-income Ontarians will be eligible for legal aid services. That's more than the current number. I look forward to sharing more information during supplementary. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Attorney General for his response. I am pleased to hear that our government is taking steps to ensure more people have access to important legal services by investing in legal aid. I believe it was 400,000 more people that the Attorney General spoke of. I'm also aware of the growing opportunity to use technology and digital innovation to increase access to justice. These modernization initiatives aim to enhance access to justice by making the justice system and services more user-friendly like other updated public services like online drivers license renewal. Can the Attorney General elaborate on his ministry's efforts to increase access to justice using technology and digital innovation? Thank you, Attorney General. Thank you very much, Speaker. It's very much my commitment that justice services be accessible and user-friendly. This means examining current processes and procedures that are largely paper-based and are delivered in person. While we are only at the beginning, Speaker, the Ministry of the Attorney General has taken some important first steps to modernize the justice system like our court process. Earlier this year, we launched an online service where parents can start to update straightforward child support payments electronically without having to go to the court. We've also increased remote video capacity in our bill course and correctional institutions. In addition, we have introduced e-filing for all small claims available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I believe that there is so much more we can do to use technology and digital innovation to increase access to justice for everyone in Ontario, and I look forward to working on that important issue. Thank you, Speaker. No question. The member from Scarborough-Rose River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education. Last week, I attended a community meeting at St. Gabriel-Larramond Catholic School in my writing. The meeting was part of the Ministry of Education Accommodation Review process. I learned there that you are asking school boards to consolidate as many students as they can in larger schools and close as many small schools as possible. No consideration is given to the distances these kids have to travel to the new school. No consideration is given to the school that a school with a larger number of students limits the potential for kids to participate in school sports. No consideration is given to the students with special needs. Why would you put students and their families through this type of abuse? Thank you. I want to thank the member opposite for this question. I fully understand that when school boards have to make decisions about schools, that it's a very difficult conversation that they have to make. It's a difficult conversation to have with communities, with parents, and there is concern. That's why, Mr. Speaker, we have a process to consult with communities, to consult with parents, and it seems as if the member opposite is participating in that particular process. Mr. Speaker, I'm also a member from Scarborough, so I know that there are difficult decisions that have to be made because we don't want to have funding empty class spaces. We want our funding to be invested in students and in their outcome and in the learning supports that they need. So that's what we're focused on when school boards have to make very tough choices around schools. They have a process in which to do so. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back to the minister. I heard from one mother at the consultation about her child with special needs. She's worried he will not get the attention he needs as a larger congested school away from home. To realize that these are kids and they're not just some small objects. Why would you treat them like objects? As one of the best education systems in the world. And we are continuing to invest in our education system. Mr. Speaker, our graduation results have moved from 68% to 85.5%. We are very much investing in our schools and investing in our students, including our students with special education. We invest $2.7 billion in special education needs for our students. What's important here is that the school boards are conducting an appropriate process of inviting input from parents, from the community, so that they can make an informed decision about their schools. That's what's happening. I would encourage the member opposite to participate in that process and do what is in the best interest of our schools and the students. And Mr. Speaker, we have one of the best education systems and we're going to continue to fund it. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the acting Premier. According to the public accounts, the government spent nearly $12 million on consultants and advertising for the new Ontario Electricity Support Program. Two months ago, the Ontario Energy Board reported that only 25% of the estimated half million households that are eligible for the OASP had actually enrolled. So three out of four eligible low-income families endured a cold winter paying the highest electricity rates in Canada without receiving any help from the OASP. After spending all the money on consultants and advertising, why was enrollment so low? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again, I'm very pleased to rise and talk about the OASP program, Mr. Speaker. It's a brand new program, Mr. Speaker. It's only 10 months old and we have 145,000 families, Mr. Speaker, already enrolled in this program. But we want more because we, like the member from the third party, do agree that we need to have more people on this program, Mr. Speaker, because it is there to help folks that are having a hard time meeting their electricity bills on a monthly basis, Mr. Speaker. And let's be clear, Mr. Speaker, that this program is run by the quasi-judicial OEB organization and this comprehensive OASP ad by that we're talking about, Mr. Speaker, was done by the OEB, Mr. Speaker, and it's consisting of print, radio and bus shelter advertisements, Mr. Speaker. We want to ensure that we continue to work with MPP offices, with food banks, Mr. Speaker. We're looking at every way possible to ensure that we can get the message out that this program is there and this program is there to help, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. Thank you, Speaker, and again back to the Acting Premier. Not only is the OASP enrollment very low, the Ontario Energy Board also reported that despite assistance programs, families that are eligible for the OASP are still having trouble paying their bills. The number of OASP eligible families that could not pay their bills jumped by 25% last year, and the average size of these unpaid bills was $650, a 70% increase from two years ago. Money is clearly making its way to consultants and advertisers, but it is not making it to the people who are in need. What will the Acting Premier do to increase the OASP enrollment and to increase the amount of assistance available to those families? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Once again, I'm very pleased to rise and discuss what we're doing as a government to ensure that we're helping families right across the province, Mr. Speaker, with their electricity bills. First off, I know we're going to be debating a little later, Mr. Speaker, Bill 13, to ensure that families right across the province will see an 8% reduction on their bill for 330,000 families whether in rural or remote parts of our province, Mr. Speaker, or even folks in the northern part of my province where I'm from, Mr. Speaker. We'll see a 20% reduction, Mr. Speaker. And this is on top of the OASP program in which they can qualify for up to $45, Mr. Speaker. It is a sliding scale, and I encourage every MPP, I encourage everyone to talk about the OASP program to ensure that these families can get on it, Mr. Speaker, because we do have a great program. We have many programs in place. $650 in some cases with difficulty with paying their bills. The LEAP program, Mr. Speaker, helps families with a $600 emergency fund to help pay their bill, Mr. Speaker. We have many programs that help families right in this province. New question. A member from Branton, Springdale. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Speaker, I was pleased to hear that yesterday the minister made an announcement on the use of segregation in our provincial jails. Segregation is a complex issue that nearly every jurisdiction is working to address, both within Canada and abroad. Last year, our government set out to review the use of segregation in Ontario's correctional facilities with a view to improve the conditions in segregation units and to explore alternative options. I understand that through this process the ministry consulted with mental health professionals, correctional staff, the embedspin, the Human Rights Commissioner, civil liberties groups, and a number of other stakeholders and experts. This resulted in a number of immediate action items that the minister announced yesterday, in addition to the appointment of an external reviewer to further inform Ontario's approach moving forward. Can the minister please elaborate on the province's plan for segregation reform? Question. Thank you. Thank you very much, Speaker. I want to thank the member from Branton, Springdale for this important question. After an internal review and extensive consultations with a wide range of experts on this issue, it's becoming clear to me and to our government that in order to truly reform segregation in Ontario a more thorough and comprehensive review into our correctional system needs to be conducted. And that's why yesterday I announced that we'll be appointing an independent external reviewer to take what we've learned in our internal initial review to build upon these findings. This will include advice on reducing the number of people held in segregation, the length of time individuals spend in segregation, and also, Speaker, importantly, exploring alternatives to segregation with a focus on vulnerable inmates, those with acute mental health issues, as well as improving the conditions for those individuals who are held in segregation. The reviewer will submit a final report which will be made public and inform the provincial implementation plan as soon as possible. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the minister for his response. Reducing the use of segregation is a key part of a broader system-wide transformation. To truly address this issue we must continue to focus on addressing infrastructure and staffing challenges, providing greater health supports and improving rehabilitative programming. That's why I'm pleased that in addition to the appointment of an external reviewer, important changes were announced to improve the conditions of those currently in segregation, but also to take a look at the broader issues facing our system. This includes an assessment of existing capital infrastructure across the province, a review of current data collection practices to ensure that data is collected efficiently and consistently across the system, and work being done with the Ministry of Health and Care within the province, and those with mental health issues. Can the minister expand on the initiatives announced yesterday as a part of our government's broader transformation of corrections? Thank you, Minister. Thank you very much, Speaker. Again, I remember from Brampton Springdale. Thank you for the supplementary. So, Speaker, we've identified several changes that affective immediately will improve the living conditions for those in segregation. And this includes establishing limits on the use, better managing individual cases and improving the conditions in terms system-wide transformation in our correctional system. And while the review is being conducted, we are taking action, Speaker. In fact, we've hired since 2013 over 1,100 new correctional officers. We've also hired 36 new mental health nurses. We've invested in body scanners that are being deployed in our institutions, $9 million there that is reducing contraband into our institutions, as well as recently opening in London, the regional intermittent center, 112-bed facility that is reducing overcrowding in the London Area Detention Center. Speaker, we're committed to making change to segregation, but also to overhauling the entire correctional system. Thank you. New question from the member from Heliburton, Fourth of Lakes Rock. My question is to the Minister of Energy. We've heard the minister claim that the government is responding to the hydro crisis, but it turns out that most rural Ontarians living in smaller towns do not qualify for the government's new rural or remote rate protection program. So residents in my right of Heliburton, Fourth of Lakes Rock are in desperate need of relief. Thousands of rural constituents have signed my petition calling on the government to reduce hydro prices. And yet most people in towns like Kinmount, Norland, Kovaconk, Omimi, Bethany, Wilberforce, Gooderm, West Guilford, Woodville and Kirkfield will receive absolutely no relief from skyrocketing hydro bills. By leaving our medium density towns out, the government is actually increasing the energy poverty that they have unleashed on the people of Ontario. So how can the government claim to be helping rural residents when so many towns won't qualify? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I hope she is telling those towns that they will qualify for eight percent, Mr. Speaker. 330,000 families across the province in rural, remote parts of our province, Mr. Speaker, will receive that 20% benefit. That's a fact, Mr. Speaker. We've been saying that all along. And for those that actually live in towns, Mr. Speaker, that aren't in rural, remote rates in areas of the province, Mr. Speaker, they will receive eight percent. On top of that, Mr. Speaker, we already removed the debt retirement charge. Mr. Speaker, that's helping these families with $70 a month. Then we have the OESP program, Mr. Speaker, which they don't seem they want to promote, Mr. Speaker. We do, Mr. Speaker. We're very proud of this program. We're here that we understand, Mr. Speaker, that there are many families that are having a difficult time. The OESP program, Mr. Speaker, helps them. I sure hope that they promote that with these families, Mr. Speaker, because it is a benefit for them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary. Well, again to the Minister of Energy. So not long ago, all Ontarians received a 10% reduction on their hydro-rules courtesy of the Ontario Clean Energy Bill of Benefit, which this government decided to cancel. They've now replaced it with something that benefits some, while leaving the vast majority of Ontarians in the cold. Only around 137,000 Hydro-1 customers have qualified for the Ontario Energy Support Program. That's 137,000 when there are 1.5 million on Hydro-1 customers in rural Ontario alone. So it's a laughable substitute for real support for rural Ontarians. Will the minister admit that their new plan leaves rural Ontarians worse off than they were before? See the case? You see the case? Thank you. Minister? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The only time rural Ontarians were worse off is when they were in power and left a crumbling sister, Mr. Speaker. But here on this side of the power, on the side of the House, Mr. Speaker, we're making sure that every family gets that 8% reduction, Mr. Speaker. We're making sure that they can qualify for the OASP program, Mr. Speaker. And if they don't qualify for the OASP program, Mr. Speaker, we're making sure that we can actually help these families and look at programs that are available, Mr. Speaker. We have six programs that are helping families right across the province, and we work with organizations like the United Way, Mr. Speaker. I met with the executive director of the Bruce County United Way, Mr. Speaker, and she talked to me about... Member from Simcoe Gray, second time. Carry on. So we're working with organizations like the United Way, Mr. Speaker, to talk about how we can even improve some of the programs that we have, Mr. Speaker. They're on the front lines. They have great ideas, Mr. Speaker. It's great for us to actually have those conversations and continue to find ways to actually help families right across the province, and that's what we're doing, Mr. Speaker. Any questions? Member from London West. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the acting Premier. Speaker, Londoners are not only waiting for hip and knee replacements. We also have a growing crisis with spine surgery wait times in London, which is just getting worse under this liberal government. My constituent, Beverly Rodriguez, waited six months for an MRI. Then she waited another six months to see a surgeon, and now she's being told she'll have to wait up to nine more months to actually get the surgery she needs. She wrote to me and said, in the time I have been waiting, my symptoms have worsened, and I have increasingly experienced a tremendous amount of pain, which has caused me to go to emergency four times. My life has deteriorated. Speaker, I have met with the London Health Sciences Centre. I have met with surgeons. I have met with the Southwest Lynn, and most importantly, I have listened to Londoners. My question is, what has this liberal government done to address wait times in London and help people like Beverly? Thank you. Thank you very much. Well, Speaker, again, I can say that we are very focused on reducing wait times for patients. It's something we've been doing since we came to office. We began to measure for the first time wait time speaker, and we're making specific investments to bring those wait times down. I'm going to be the first to say we continue to have a challenge with wait times, but we are addressing them. And in the last budget, Speaker, which the member opposite voted against, Speaker, the budget invested more than $345 million to publicly funded hospitals to provide better access to high quality healthcare, including an additional $50 million specifically to improve access and wait times for hospital services, including hip, and knee, and spine speaker surgeries. So we are focused on the issue. We have not solved the issue, but we are working very hard and very diligently on this issue. Supplementary. Again, to the acting Premier, Speaker, people should not have to live with excruciating pain while waiting up to two years for spine surgery. Wait times are growing in London because this Liberal government refuses to provide proper funding for surgeries in our city. When will the Liberals stop ignoring people in London? People like Beverly Rodriguez and start to properly fund healthcare, allocate increased money for more surgeries so that people can get the surgeries they so desperately need? Thank you. Well, Speaker, the Minister of Health is today at a meeting of health ministers from across the country, the provinces, the territories, and the federal health minister. Yesterday, Speaker, the Minister of Finance spoke very publicly about our need to receive more money from the federal government to do exactly this kind of work. So, Speaker, we are moving forward, we are making investments as we can, and we are working collaboratively with other health ministers across the province to improve funding for healthcare from the federal government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And my question is for the Associate Minister of Education for Early Years in Childcare. Minister, across Ontario and in my riding of Ottawa South, families are benefiting from the implementation of full-day kindergarten. During the school day, parents can rely on knowing their children are in a safe learning environment. Speaker, it is important to remember that many families have to get up early in the morning or are unable to pick up their children immediately after school. So, Mr. Speaker, to the Minister, what is the government doing to make sure that families have access to childcare outside of school hours? Great question, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member for this very important question. Mr. Speaker, we all know that life today can be busy and challenging for parents, and the reality is that juggling a job, a family in childcare can be stressful, and often means heading to work early in the morning and picking up kids after the school bell has rung. That's why we are building an early years in childcare system that is flexible, high quality, and meets the needs of parents and children. This means starting September 2017, expanding before and after school care to better support more Ontario families. So, with the introduction of Phil Day Kindergarten school boards, we'll now be required to provide before and after school care for four and five-year-olds where there is sufficient parent demand for children starting at age four and going all the way to age 12. I think this is fantastic. And if a school seeks an exemption, there must be a proven consensus between the local school board, First Nations, and the local service system manager that before and after care is not required at that school. Mr. Speaker, I know this is going to help thousands of Ontario families. Thank you. Thank you. The member from Key and Carlton, point of order. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I was remiss and just was notified that my page, Dilla Mineri's father, is here all the way from Greeley, which is inside the city of Ottawa. So I would like to welcome, on behalf of all members, Troy Mineri to the legislature today. Thank you. The Minister of Children and Youth Services on a point of order. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to take a minute to recognize Jamil Javani, who's here. Join us, a law professor at Osgoode and a great community organizer and a good friend. Welcome to the legislature. Thank you. Mr. Chancellor, point of order. Thanks very much, Speaker. I also was remiss earlier. I didn't have the chance to introduce a couple of guests. Timor Irmakov, who's a resident of Vaughan and also Ghazal Haidhainari Haidhainari. Hopefully, I haven't looked at that too badly. Thanks very much, Speaker. Thank you. I have the Minister of Energy on a point of order. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to correct my record. During... It is a point of order. Thank you. During question period, the leader of the opposition asked me a question and I responded at some point by saying, families that heat their homes with heat, obviously. That's what they do. What I meant to say is, family that heat their homes with electricity. Thank you. Thank you. There are no further... There are no further points of order that are not points of order. This house stands recessed until 3 p.m. this afternoon.