 Thank you. It is now time for our question period. The member from the Community Party. My question is to the Premier. Given the OPP ITO's multiple references to David Nicolle in his alleged role as head of the Ontario Public Service IT department with respect to the deletion of emails and the destruction of hard drives in the former Premier's office, in particular his poor judgment and his gross insubordination of Peter Wallace, the Cabinet Secretary, and his disreputable orders to his staff, does the Premier agree that Mr. Nicolle should step aside as head of the Public Services IT department until the end of the OPP investigation? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I know that the member opposite understands that there is an investigation ongoing and we learned of allegations last Thursday about a particular individual who was staff in the former Premier's office and I really believe, Mr. Speaker, that we should let the investigation unfold. Good supplementary. There are clear passages and exchanges that put Mr. Nicolle's impartiality in the OPS at risk. For example, after a meeting on January 30th, Mr. Nicolle met with Tom Stenson, a manager of information technology services for the Cabinet Office, and Ralph Gitt, a senior analyst, and told him to give Mr. Livingston administrative rights to the computers. Mr. Nicolle told them the request came directly from the Premier's office, but Mr. Stenson told police he had never heard of such a request in 27 years as he worked for the OPS and that such a request is usually reserved for IT personnel. He said that was an unusual request and I don't think that's been done anywhere. Mr. Nicolle told the police that Mr. Hume told him on January 31st to go ahead and provide the access to Mr. Livingston. Mr. Hume does not recognize the position or the right to approval. Finally, the person at the centre of this scandal said Mr. Nicolle gave me some sort of act to assess, but I didn't know anything about it and what to do. Thank you. These revelations are damning. Thank you. I know that the Government House Leader is going to want to speak to some of the details, but Mr. Speaker, I will just say again, there is an investigation ongoing and it is very important that all of us in this House, I believe, allow that investigation to unfold as it should, Mr. Speaker. We have taken extraordinary actions to open up this process, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that there was a committee in place with a scope that was able to look at all of the issues involved in the relocation of the gas plants. Mr. Speaker, that was something I took on. I committed to. I have done that, Mr. Speaker. There is an investigation going on. We need to let it unfold. Thank you. Final supplementary. Premier, it is clear that this individual, Mr. Nicolle, has put his own personal and his friends' political David Livingston's interest beyond that of the public service. There is, I think, a very clear line between being loyal to the public service and having integrity within the province and actually giving unfettered access to a rogue hacker to get inside the Premier's office as this individual clearly did and as the OPP ITO clearly demonstrates. I am asking the Premier to be responsible today. I am asking her to put the people first. I am asking her to do the right thing and have this individual step aside until the Justice Committee completes its work and until the OPP conclude their investigation. That is the right thing to do. Will you do the right thing and continue to do what Liberals do best and try to pied from the public? Thank you. Thank you. Premier. Government House Leader. House Leader. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think we all enjoyed that episode of Nippee and Carleton CSI. But the fact of the matter is, Mr. Speaker, there is an OPP investigation going on and I think we leave it up to the OPP to conduct that investigation. If the Honourable Member wants to take a look at the court document that she's quoting, I would direct her to Appendix D, involved person. There is one person that the allegations which are not proven, Mr. Speaker, is directed against. That's the former Chief of Staff of Premier Dalton McGinty. Other people involved that she's raising today, let's look at the list. We have the Member of Provincial Parliament for North Bay, the Member of Provincial Parliament for Cambridge, the Member of Provincial Parliament for Toronto, Danforth. The point being, Mr. Speaker, there is a long list of individuals that the OPP have spoken with to reach a conclusion which is in this document, something that has not been proven yet against the former Chief of Staff. I'm beginning to hear some heckles that I find very dangerously close to unparliamentary and I will call the person on it the next time I hear it. You cannot say indirectly what you're not supposed to say directly and it's not going to happen. New question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. There are a number of similarities between how you handle the gas plant scandal and how you handle other people who challenge you. You and your cabinet said the gas plant cancellations would cost 40 million, but the Auditor General said it was 1.1 billion. You and your cabinet said we have all the documents, but the Privacy Commissioner said the documents were destroyed by liberal operatives. And now the OPP tells us that 24 computers were wiped clean right in your own offices. When our leader Tim Houdak and our energy critic, the member from Nipi and Carlton, called you out, you ran to the lawyers to silence them. You don't want people to know the truth. Stop the clock please. The Minister of Training, College and Universities will withdraw. We'll also come to order. Carry on, please. You don't seem to want people to know the truth or us to get to the truth. My simple question, Premier. What is it that you're hiding? Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and I know the Minister of Government Services is going to want to comment, but I want to just say that when I came into this role, I said that we were going to open up this process, that we were going to have all of the questions that were being asked answered. We were going to provide documentation, Mr. Speaker, and that's what we've been doing. And beyond that, we have changed the rules around document retention, Mr. Speaker, around training of staff. We have opened up this process, Mr. Speaker. We have worked with communities to change the rules around signing of energy and infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, we have done what I said we were going to do, and we have gone beyond that, Mr. Speaker. And I am happy any day to debate matters of truth, Mr. Speaker, to look into that and to have those discussions, Mr. Speaker, and I welcome that debate. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Premier, I'm sensing a pattern here. During the gas plan scandal, you knew one thing, but told the public the opposite. And now you're trying to silence our leader, Tim Hudak, and our energy critic. When the member from Aurora exposed that your government had lost control of orange, out come the lawyers from high-profile liberals. When I disclosed the financial mess you've gotten us into, you came after me with what have been proven to be false accusations as confirmed at the Estimates Committee last night. Now, several hardworking, conscientious people have come forward because they're tired of being used as political pawns, and you go on a witch hunt. Premier, this is not something a witch hunt or a scapegoat will solve. You will do anything to protect yourself. So I ask you again, specifically, what is it that you're hiding? Thank you. Government health leader. Speaker, I am very proud of the fact that the Premier sought legal advice because the facts are very, very clear, Mr. Speaker. We have a court document that was released last week, which contains very serious allegations, yet unproven, Mr. Speaker. I think we all have to be very prudent against an individual over some activities that happen under the former Premier's watch, under the former Chief of Staff watch. And when the leader of the opposition tries to claim anything different, he is not stating, he is not saying it based on fact, Mr. Speaker. And I am very pleased, Mr. Speaker, that the Premier of this province would call him out on it. And you know what, Mr. Speaker? I encourage the Honourable Member to look at the court documents, Mr. Speaker, and see the case that is there, and he will realize the error of his ways. And Mr. Speaker, we certainly look forward to an apology from him and for them to cease and desist with what they're bringing. Thank you. I don't supplement you. Thank you, Premier. You just claimed to be new and different. But after lawsuits, false contempt threats, and witch hunts, it's clear you've changed. You now will do anything to protect yourself. On a personal note, I would have expected this sort of partisan scheme from former Premier Dalton McGinty. No member of the civil service should be put in a situation where they are asked to do the pre-election, promotional work of the Liberal Party. By being involved in this scheme, you, Premier Wynn, have squandered any benefit of doubt you may have once had. There's a pattern here of delete, destroy, and deny. We saw it through the gas plant hearings. We're seeing it through the two OPP investigations. We're seeing it in your Pan Am debacle. We saw how you handled the two finance fumbles. Premier, I'll ask you again. What is it that you're hiding from us? Thank you. Do you see anything? Do you see anything? Thank you. The members will come to order. The members will come to order. Carry on. Mr. Speaker, the member has a gall to talk about deny. You know what, Mr. Speaker? Perhaps he should look at one section of the court document. I'd like to quote to him here. I believe a sentence line 153 it begins. In June 2011, Greenfield South Power Corporation began the construction of the power plant in Mississauga. In September 2011, a provincial election campaign began and the Liberal Party of Ontario promised to cancel the construction of the plant in Mississauga if they were elected. The Ontario Progressive Conservatives and the New Democratic Party also made similar promises if elected. On October 6th, the Liberal Party won the provincial election. They won the spirit of Mississauga. Now wait for it, folks. Even though, wait for it, even though they made the same promise during the election, the opposing parties accused the Liberal Party of canceling the power plant only to secure a seat. Thank you. Third party. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. The Premier may have showed up yesterday, but she failed to answer many questions. I guess there's a reason it's not called answer period, Speaker. So I'm hoping she can do better today. Can the Premier tell us what services Peter Feist was providing to the Liberal Party up until last Sunday? Thank you. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And as I said yesterday, the individual about whom the leader of the third party is talking was someone who did provide services, occasional services to the Liberal Party up until Sunday when we discovered that he was still providing those services. No, there's not been providing services to my office or to the government, Mr. Speaker. Those services had ended in January of 2013. Thank you. Supplementary. Speaker, the Premier's argued that Mr. Feist is not under investigation and there's nothing unusual or suspicious about the fact that he was paid by the Ontario Liberals as recently as last week. If Mr. Feist had nothing was doing nothing wrong at all, if he had nothing wrong that was being done, why was he then suddenly fired this weekend, Speaker? Thank you, Speaker. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, I've attempted over the last couple of days and last Thursday when these allegations were first made, Mr. Speaker, to simply make it clear what we know and what we have done. And the fact is, last Thursday when the allegations were found, we did an internal investigation. Come to order, please. There were allegations about one individual who was the former Chief of Staff or Chief of Staff in the former Premier's office. When we discovered, Mr. Speaker, that this man who was this company that had been involved, Mr. Speaker, providing services in the former Premier's office was still providing services to the OLP. We terminated that relationship, Mr. Speaker, and that happened on Sunday. Thank you. So, Mr. Speaker, then I just want to make sure, will the Premier at least tell us specifically whether his alleged role in the illegal destruction of gas plant records was a factor in his determination on Sunday? Mr. Speaker, to be clear, the allegations were made and they sent her on the former, the Chief of Staff of the former Premier, Mr. Speaker. We have said that repeatedly and the leader of the third party knows that that is what is in the documentation. We determined that this company was still providing services periodically to the Liberal Party, Mr. Speaker, and that relationship was terminated. The police are doing their work and we need to let that work continue, Mr. Speaker. We need to let that investigation, we need to let that process unfold. Thank you. New question. The leader of the third party. For the Premier as well, Speaker, police records indicate that government staff were concerned. They were concerned by David Livingston's attempts to wipe computers clean with the alleged assistance of Peter Feist. Did any staff raise these concerns with the Premier? Mr. Speaker, I wasn't the Premier at that point. Mr. Speaker, there was another Premier. There was a former Premier. The former Premier was in the office when... Premier. The allegations, the allegations as the leader of the third party knows are centered on the chief of staff of the former Premier, Mr. Speaker, and that person did not work for me, has not worked for me, and has not been in my office since I took office on February 11th, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary. Last June, when the privacy commissioner first raised serious concerns about the illegal deletion of emails and computer records, the Premier said she'd fixed the problem. Yet the Premier also says that she was as surprised as anyone about allegations in the OPP documents nearly six months later. If the Premier was taking steps to fix the problem, how then, Speaker, is it possible that she's never heard one single thing about an unauthorized individual roaming the halls and accessing people's computers? Thank you. So, Mr. Speaker, let's be clear. What I did was I took the advice of the privacy commissioner, Mr. Speaker, and we've taken a number of actions to make sure the document retention in this government is as it should be, Mr. Speaker. We sent a directive. I sent a directive to all political staff, Mr. Speaker. We developed mandatory training programs. We appointed chiefs of staff accountable for record keeping. We improved archiving requirements. My office worked with the integrity commissioner and the information and privacy commissioner, Mr. Speaker. And the Accountability Act, Mr. Speaker, would prohibit the willful deletion of records. So that is the action that we have taken, Mr. Speaker. And I will just say that on June 13, 2013, Dr. Anne Kevukian, who is the information and privacy commissioner, said, I have commended Premier Kathleen Wynne's government's approach to dealing with this issue, referencing the staff training program she instituted and the memos circulated by her chief and staff. Final supplementary. Speaker, people have heard promises of change and accountability from this premier. But families stuck with the bill for this scandal, the song remains the same, unfortunately. When I said I wanted the premier to show up for work, I assumed that she'd actually do her job and answer some straightforward questions. Does the premier expect anyone in Ontario to believe that over an entire year, not a single human being, not one single person raises the issue of Mr. Livingston or Mr. Faced or the activities that were going on right under her nose? Mr. Speaker, the former, the chief of staff of the former premier was the chief of staff of the former premier. He did not work for me. I just want to let the leader of the third party know what Dr. Kevukian has said again. She's the information privacy commissioner, July 26, 2013. She said, I think on a go-forward basis the government really is looking to change things. The government is dedicated to opening up access to government data. That is what we're dedicated to, Mr. Speaker. That is why we've made the changes that we have made. Those are actions. That is why we will continue to make the changes that will hold us accountable, Mr. Speaker, and will provide the opportunity for the public and members of the opposition to have the information that they asked for, Mr. Speaker. That was our commitment and that is what we have delivered on. Thank you. New question. The member from Kitchener, Conestoga. My question is to the Premier. Premier, yesterday when you were asked about your working relationship with Peter Fast, you said, quote, I had not learned of his existence until the last few days. I hope you can see why no one believes you. We're talking about the life partner of the former Deputy Chief of Staff who worked for both your caucus and your party. Now I understand if the Premier is suffering from another one of her bouts of selective amnesia. We all know this happens quite frequently when she's under pressure, but I'll give you another chance to set the record straight today. Premier, do you seriously contend you just learned of the former Deputy Chief of Staff's boyfriend who was employed by your caucus and your party over the course of four years? Hard to believe. Thank you, Premier. You know, Mr. Speaker, you know, again, we can like that question. I may have made light in previous answers, but Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious matter. I refer to that appendix, Mr. Speaker, where there's one individual, the former Chief of Staff, who police are looking into, there's allegations that are not yet proven. There are all sorts of other individuals involved. There are reputations on the line. Mr. Speaker, this is a police investigation. And for that honourable member to stand up here today and try to enter into a serious matter, a serious investigation is quite frankly beneath him, Mr. Speaker, and it's really the whole party, Mr. Speaker. This is supposed to be the party of Bill Davis. I mean, look at what some of the media are saying about what they're doing. The Globe and Mail, April 1st, the Conservative leader's aggressive attempts to score points without the facts to back them up are reminding Ontario voters why they haven't warmed up to him, Mr. Speaker. And I would say that. Thank you. Supplementary. Premier, you know, when the Premier can choose win and win not to remember critical facts, I think it's clear. She's no longer suffering from selective amnesia. She's suffering from the ability to tell the truth. The member will withdraw. So last week, we learned senior Liberal staffers in your government right now, including Lauren Ramey and Jason Larger-Quest told the OPP that they knew their computers had been tampered with. Yet, you continue to claim you had no idea what was happening in your own office as evidence needed for a criminal investigation being destroyed all around you. So I would like to know when this information came to light to key members of your transition team, including Tom Allison, Monique Smith and Greg Sobera. When did these individuals become aware that Peter Fass gained access to 24 government computers to your office, and when did they learn that email information related to the gas plan scandal had been destroyed? This isn't a game. This is an OPP investigation. There's a one person who has been named the former chief of staff. There are other people. The Honorable Member, if he truly is an Honorable Member, will allow the OPP to do their work. The fact of the matter, Mr. Speaker, is that their tactics so far, let me share some other quotes here, Mr. Speaker. The Ottawa citizen yesterday said the PCs asked repeatedly whether Premier Wynn's computer was among those white-white, which makes little sense. The police are crystal clear that they're interested in computers in Premier McGinty's office, where Premier Wynn did not work. The Toronto Star, Houdak went far beyond what the facts show. The Toronto Star, again, every time a leader the opposition to a room of reporters have actually read the police document and can see how he's deliberately misreading it, the Tory leader risk diminishing his long-term credibility, Mr. Speaker. That is what the media are saying. Thank you. Your question, the member from Toronto, Danforth. Thank you, Speaker. A question through you to the Premier. Is the Premier aware that one of the key people interviewed by the OPP over the deletion of government records has been put in charge of keeping government records while that investigation is ongoing? Premier. Government services. Mr. Speaker, again, Appendix D, the Honourable Member should look at Appendix D of it. It highlights one individual who is the subject of these allegations, the former Chief of Staff to the former Premier. It mentions other individuals that are involved in this, Mr. Speaker, including the member from Toronto, Danforth. Let us allow the police to do their work. They put forward a document which was very clear, Mr. Speaker, that they have an interest in the former Chief of Staff. They are serious allegations, Mr. Speaker. Everyone admits that. But they are simply allegations, Mr. Speaker, and I think it would be the prudent course for all of us to respect the OPP's work to allow the OPP to reach their conclusions and from there to see where it takes us in terms of the justice system. Mr. Speaker, and that Honourable Member is undermining it with his questions and allegations here today. Supplementary. My, my, my, my, my, my, Mr. Speaker. It may be that the Premier is aware that I never had a chance to chat with the OPP, but I would be happy to talk with them and fill them in on my perspective anytime. That is the Premier explaining, putting one of the key figures in the ongoing police investigation. Mr. Speaker, there is an OPP investigation going on. I have read that document. It's available. I tell the Honourable Member, it's available on the STARS website. Perhaps if he doesn't have an account someone will lend them their passwords. Sorry about that. But the fact of the matter is, Mr. Speaker, what that document says is that there is one individual who they believe they have their allegations committed a very serious breach and that is the former chief of staff. There are dozens and others of other people that they perhaps have interviewed or have come into the story, Mr. Speaker. They have reached, or they are in the process by going to court and talking about one individual and that's it, Mr. Speaker, and to stand up here with these drive-by smears about the other people named in this document, which as I say, including yourself, Mr. Speaker, is beneath the office that he holds. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Children and Youth Services. Minister, in my riding of Scarborough Guildwood, I am privileged to meet families and to listen to their concerns. One concern that I frequently hear from parents is that they want to know that the right services and supports are in place for their children. Speaker, this becomes even more important if their child is living with autism. We know that the prevalence of autism is increasing. As a government, we must continue to take action to help families that face these additional challenges. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please tell me what we are doing as a government to ensure autism services are continually improving and expanding so that they are made available to more young people and their families. Thank you, Minister Children and Youth Services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker I thank the member for a question, especially today on World Autism Awareness Day. Thank you to all the members for wearing the ribbons today as we move on with autism. I have met some remarkable young people and their families with autism so I am certainly aware of the challenges that the families face and the individuals. Each child with autism is unique and we require unique services. Unfortunately, we know as well that the prevalence of the disease continues to grow. CDC reports now that 1 in 68 children will be diagnosed. Not that long ago, it was 1 in 150. So it is an increase in our numbers. While we continue to increase our investments we know that there is more work to be done. We are currently reviewing the advice of our clinical expert committee in conjunction with what we heard from our families and this advice will be critical as we move forward to ensure that our families and children are properly supported. Thank you. Minister, thank you for that answer. I too have met these remarkable young people in my riding of Scarborough Guildwood who have autism. The people of Scarborough Guildwood will be happy to know that we will be following the advice of experts and families to address some of the challenges faced by families caring for young people with autism. As a government, it is important that we continue to listen to their concerns and ways to deliver services more effectively and to reduce weightless. In Ontario, there has been real progress over the last decade in improving diagnoses and bolstering individual services. While the prevalence of autism is increasing our government continues to increase our investments. I know that we have recently taken a number of steps to help children with autism. Mr. Speaker, through you to the minister what is our government currently doing to help children and youth with autism? Minister? Thank you again, thank you for the question and I will be meeting with many from autism Ontario this evening. Today we are launching the autism parent resource toolkit. This online resource will help increase parents and caregivers understanding of autism and the range of programs and supports available for children and youth and their families. The kit is a one stop resource to help families identify, plan for and access programs and supports for their child to help them navigate the many great programs and services that we have. We have also recently announced as you know our new special needs strategy which will also help families caring for young people with autism. As part of the strategy we will be introducing a new developmental screen to help identify risks to a child's development as soon as possible which is absolutely critical. This will help families sooner to the services they need. With this strategy and all our connections we will ensure that our families and children with autism are probably supported. Thank you. The question is for the premier. You named your transition team on January 29, 2013. David Livingston and your transition lead, Manique Smith, were said to have had close, frequent contact. We are here to represent the people of Ontario and they want to know why you have not asked Mr Smith and your senior transition staff if they knew about Peter Face deletion of emails. Minister of Government Services. Mr Speaker, again this has come about because of a court document or a document provided by the police of the courts that was made public last week. The document is very clear Mr Speaker that it involves allegations, unproven allegations and we have to be against the former Chief of Staff to Premier McGinty about events that took place under the former Premier's watch. Mr Speaker, those are the facts of that court document. I believe it's 111 pages and I invite the honourable members to read it. In fact Mr Speaker, I invite all honourable members to read it because the reviews out there, the reviews aren't that great. Let me tell you what, I'll keep going. Let me tell you what the Toronto Star also said yesterday. The Leader of the Opposition and the Seraph Scenarios of Premier Wins' Premiership. The Globe and Mail had an editorial yesterday, Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader. Selective passages, here's the truth. Premier you keep insisting the problem was a lack of rules but your own party introduced legislation to outlaw the deletion of official records. You just choose to ignore it. Premier, the problem here isn't the absence of rules. It's the absence of character. You say you've answered tough questions but you refuse to search out answers for yourself. The gas plants scandal derailed the former government. How can it be that you never even asked your senior team about the status and whereabouts of gas plants? Was your guiding policy don't ask? Don't tell? Mr Speaker, the honourable member mentions a piece of legislation in fact her party voted against Mr Speaker so I don't think we're going to be getting any less but listen Mr Speaker let me continue with some more of the quotes of how your version of events is playing out there. The Leader of the Opposition, Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak is on thin legal ice Globe and Mail editorial yesterday. The Leader of the Oppositions claim that Premier Winn was personally behind any wiping of government computers and evidence to support such an allegation goes too far the Globe and Mail yesterday. The Leader of the Oppositions reckless allegations against Premier Winn are reminders of previous mistakes the Globe and Mail yesterday. We have the Ottawa citizen Mr Speaker, trail of evidence in gas plant probe ends before Premier Winn's government starts March 28th. Detectives have found no evidence that any computers in the Kathleen Winn's office were accessed. Ottawa citizen March 28th, Toronto Star March 29th, a close reading of the 111 pages of OPP documents provides no hint yet of answer for priority when Premier Winn was Premier and Mr Speaker I can go on. Thank you very much Mr Speaker so David Limitstein went to long lengths, this question is to the Premier David Limitstein went to long lengths to destroy something on the Premier's, something on the computers in the Premier's office according to the OPP he was doing this in February and March of 2013 after the Premier won the leadership what was on the computers that David Limitstein and Peter faced were erasing? Thank you Premier Minister of Government Services Mr Speaker again I mean we're hearing conservative CSI we've got NDP CSI I mean this is a serious matter Mr Speaker let us allow the Ontario Provincial Police to undertake their work they went to court Mr Speaker in order to get warrants and a document was filed with the court which was subsequently made public that document is very clear there is one individual the former Chief of Staff to the former Premier of which there are allegations yet unproven against Mr Speaker I think the prudent course would be a solution to move forward but you know Mr Speaker and perhaps I have to wait for the supplementary but I'm happy to read some quotes into the record about their performance on this and maybe Mr Speaker I'll wait for the supplementary as I see your statement Supplementary Thank you very much Mr Speaker again to the Premier the OPP seem confident that they have software that they will be able to recover what's deleted on some of these files and learn about what we will be able to find once the OPP is able to retrieve these files does she have anything to say with respect to that Premier House So Mr Speaker let me continue let me continue Toronto Star March 30th the leader of the NDP indulged in conventional opposition mischief by implying police were now focusing on questions about the period after you were sworn in and became Premier a clear misreading of the OPP document as I said Mr Speaker we have 111 pages which point clearly there's an interest Mr Speaker in pursuing allegations against one individual the former Premier's former chief of staff over events that took place under his watch these are unproven allegations Mr Speaker we are talking about people's reputations we are talking about a complicated matter which is being looked into by the Ontario Provincial Police and I think the group of course for all members of this legislation Mr Speaker is to allow the Ontario Provincial Police to undertake their work and to not interfere through questions like this in the legislature Thank you Mr Speaker my question is for the Minister of Natural Resources in May of 2012 the Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced that the federal government would stop funding to the experimental lakes area in Northern Ontario and close it down the ELA is the only freshwater research facility of its kind and it is vital to researchers in Ontario Canada and around the world it has been operating for over 45 years some of the experiments there have continued for decades providing invaluable research as someone who is a strong advocate of the environment it is important to me that research like this continues and I was apprehensive when the federal government announced that it was pulling out all its financial support as planning closed down the facility yesterday I was pleased to hear that Ontario signed a long-term agreement with the International Institute of Sustainable Development as a new operator Speaker for the Minister please tell the members of the House about the important research that is being conducted at the experimental lakes area Thank you Minister of Natural Resources Thank you Speaker and I'm pleased to rise in the House today and I want to thank the member from Ottawa Arlene for asking this important question members quite right the experimental lakes area is a world renowned research station that provides us with invaluable data for the community unfortunately it was something the federal government was prepared to walk away from and close but our Premier Kathleen Wynn stepped up to make sure that this would not happen in our province this facility attracts scientists from around the world who conduct research that informs pollution reduction information, climate change strategies and protection of freshwater ecosystems Speaker in the 1960s research at this facility determined that phosphates were a killing pollutant in the 1970s they determined the impacts of acid rain with respect to the impacts on freshwater lakes Scott Vaughn the President of the IISD had this to say he said this agreement opens a fresh new chapter in the life of the experimental lakes and the promise of many important exciting new research possibilities ahead our government recognized the important Thank you Supplementary Thank you Speaker and thank you all for joining us and thank you to the members of the House about this unparalleled research facility undoubtedly it is very important it is a very important research facility and I'm glad to hear our government signed an agreement with the IISD to keep the ELA operating I was pleased to hear yesterday that through this long term agreement our government will provide funding of up to two million dollars per year to ensure that this research can continue as well I understand as part of this agreement to the member of the ELA advisory board and ensure that research is carried out in an environmentally responsible way. Speaker, can the minister please update the members of the House about the timeline of the agreement for the experimental lakes area and let us know if the facility will be open for the 2014 field season? Thank you, minister. Thank you again and to the members of the Ottawa Orleans. Since the 1960s ELA has been important to identifying emerging threats to our environment and understanding important challenges to our ecosystems and I'm certainly pleased and thrilled that the researchers will be able to begin their work in time for the 2014 field season. In particular they'll be conducting some research with respect to tiny particles referred to as nano particles and nano silver with regard to garment manufacturing and how that impacts our environment. And I need to say, Speaker, Dr. Orhill had said this in the Globe and Mail. He said I'm just thrilled. I'm so happy. I'm speechless right now. He said we've been working to rebuild the ELA. Initially we had hoped to convince the Harper government to reinstate federal funding but basically that was never going to happen and we needed a solution. The solution is right here with our government, this premier and she made it happen. Thank you. Thank you. You have a question? The member from Huron, Bruce. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the premier. Premier, your government is acting like it's a government with something to hide. The alleged activities of Mr. Faced is just the latest and largest bombshell to drop. But as we've seen, you've got plenty of secrets, like the secret budget deficits, like the secret BLTs, like the secret leaking teams. And we know you wanted to hide the details of the gas plant scandal that ended up costing taxpayers $1.1 billion. But who knows what else was on those hard drives, Premier? Can you tell this House if Mr. Faced, or anyone else for that matter, deleted other secrets, like orange secrets, e-health secrets, at that the people of Ontario deserve to know? Premier? I got the house back. I want to see the highway 407, Dr. I think the prudent course is to allow the Ontario Provincial Police to undertake their work. And in terms of opening up the government, Mr. Speaker, I am very, very proud of the record of our Premier when it comes to opening up the government. When it comes to the gas plant issue, Mr. Speaker, as has been pointed out in this legislature, was this individual who wrote to the auditor general even before she became Premier to ask for him to look into the matter, he restructured the committee. As a government, we provided over 326,000 pages to the committee, including 30,000 pages from the Premier's office. Mr. Speaker, we've taken action both of a legislative and a non-legislative variety in terms of addressing issues around document retention, Mr. Speaker. And Mr. Speaker, if any party should be explaining them, perhaps that, the Conservatives should be explaining why their candidates never appeared in front of the Justice Committee to talk about it. Thank you. Supplementary? Back to the Premier. You talk a lot about transparency and openness and what you aspire to do. But Premier, I can tell you Ontario taxpayers are worried their Premier is either incompetent or complicit. You can talk the talk, but you don't seem to want to walk the walk. But to be fair, you said earlier just moments ago, and I paraphrase, you are having to say the truth any day. So Premier, I'm asking you, not the House Leader, in the name of openness and transparency, can you confirm today that files related to other scandals, like e-health and orange, were not also destroyed? Mr. Speaker, let's talk about openness, Mr. Speaker. Just for once, Mr. Speaker, will the Opposition Party admit what we all know from YouTube, from press releases, from the Twitterverse, Mr. Speaker, that in the last election, it was the Progressive Conservative Party that promised if they were elected, they would cancel the gas plan. For heaven's sakes, Mr. Speaker, the police acknowledged in the document again on October 6th, the Liberal Party won the provincial election. The Liberal Party won the seat in Mississauga, even though they made the same promise during the election. The opposing parties accused the Liberal Party of canceling the power plan, only to secure a seat in parliament. Mr. Speaker, it's time that the Progressive Conservatives... Mr. Speaker, it's time that the Progressive Conservatives acknowledge the fact that they made the exact same promise going into the last election. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Serious unanswered questions were raised by the consumer groups at the Ontario Energy Board hearings, looking into Ember's request for a 40% increase in natural gas prices. These groups are requested special sessions to examine in detail whether the company acted responsible in its practices. But their request for these special sessions were denied by the Board. Can this government explain why their agency that is supposed to protect Ontario families, seniors and businesses refuse to take a serious look at this unprecedented 40% rate hike application? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I know that the severe weather conditions, the cold of this past winter, did increase the demand for gas across North America. This was not just an Ontario situation. This was a North American situation. And it resulted in higher prices across the continent. So we have to look at what has happened in the context of the weather and what was happening in other jurisdictions, Mr. Speaker. And we understand the impact that that has on families. And that's why, Mr. Speaker, it's very important that people know that there are a significant number of programs in place to reduce the costs of energy, Mr. Speaker. The Ontario Clean Energy Benefit, the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, Mr. Speaker. The Northern Ontario Energy Credit and the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program. And that one in particular, Mr. Speaker, provides financial support for families having trouble to pay their bills in the immediate term, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Here is what the Consumer Council of Canada wrote in its submissions on March 18th regarding the application for a 40% increase. The board needs to fully understand why these amounts are so large and what specific factors contribute to the accumulation of these amounts. But the Ontario Energy Board flatly refused the Council request. Why is the government content to stand on the sidelines and allow this outrageous increase without any serious examination of whether it is warrant or not? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to say that I share the concern because of the shortage and because of the weather that there was an increase across the province and across the continent, Mr. Speaker. I'm very well aware of that and I share that concern. But in terms of what the OEB decided and what the groups who came to speak to the OEB asked for, so consumer groups who intervened in the process, the Vulnerable Energy Consumers Coalition and Consumers Council of Canada, they submitted that the board should consider approving the rates on an interim basis and then allow consideration for smoothing, allow more consideration for smoothing, Mr. Speaker. And that is in fact what the OEB decided. So Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that the submissions that were made to the OEB in this difficult situation because of the cold winter, that those submissions were heard and that that is what the OEB decided. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Research and Innovation. On Terry's ability to compete on a global scale in this knowledge-driven economy depends greatly on our ability to harness the research strength and enhance the aptitude of post-secondary students to deliver on our entrepreneurs' ideas. I know that I have many talented young people in Scarborough ageing who require the necessary resources to move their ideas into the market, generate significant job creation. At 64 per cent, Ontario has one of the highest rates of post-secondary education in the world with almost a third of Canada's youth-owned enterprises located here in Ontario. This means that we need to provide the best emerging young entrepreneur with the guidance and assistance they need. Therefore, it's also important that we provide a variety of questions to help these young entrepreneurs. Mr. Speaker, to you, to the Minister, what is our government doing to support the transfer of knowledge and innovation from post-secondary to economy? Mr. Speaker, I thank the member from the Scarborough Ageing Court for that very important question. Our government recognises the importance of connecting youth with the tools, experience and entrepreneurial support they need to succeed in their employment and also to establish their own business. Our Youth Innovation Fund does this by helping post-secondary students commercialise their innovative ideas. Through this fund, we have invested $20 million into our campus-linked accelerators to provide workspace investments and mentorship to our youth, and a $10 million investment in our internship programme that provides graduate and PhD students in our universities to work on joint industry academia projects. Mr. Speaker, helping young people find jobs as part of Ontario government's economic plan to invest in people to create jobs and to help them in their everyday lives. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased to hear that government will be continuing to invest in programmes to support our youth. With the increase in competition, it is now more important than ever to provide with the training and tools and skills they need. That's why I'm doing my part, Mr. Speaker, that I'm hosting the Youth Entrepreneurship Workshop this Saturday to support Asian court youth. Our province success is directly linked to the success of our young people. It is imperative that we build a strong foundation for young entrepreneurs throughout the entire commercialisation process, from the development of the prototype to sourcing the first customers and solving the real business needs. Mr. Speaker, through you to the Minister, what other initiatives does our government plan to take in place to support young entrepreneurs with their innovative ideas? Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I want to thank the member from Scarborough Aging Corps for that important question, and also I want to congratulate her on her initiative. I actually, lastly, attended that event, and it was a very successful event, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to helping our students and young people to succeed by providing programmes that develop their entrepreneurial spirit. These programmes provide our youth with the opportunity to explore various facets of entrepreneurship. Examples include, Mr. Speaker, our summer company programme that provides hands-on business and training mentoring for our students, and our experiential learning programme that helps science, technology and engineering students receive the training and experience they need to succeed and turn their ideas into commercial products and services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government understands the important role you play in our economic growth, and we help them to find jobs and participate in the economic growth of our province. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question this morning is to the Premier. As you will know, Ontario's Auditor-General has estimated that your political decision to cancel the power plants will cost taxpayers over $1.1 billion, further burdening our children and our grandchildren with your political debt. We also know that computer hacker and data mastermind Peter Faist worked for your caucus and your party with you as leader for over one year. In fact, even the police who are investigating the matter have said that Faist was the guy who was hired to illegally wipe these computers clean. Premier, people at home are demanding accountability. Why are you more interested in burying the scandal and protecting your own political interests than you are about getting to the bottom of it and holding people to account? Mr. Speaker, sometimes you just don't know where to begin, but let's go back to the facts, Mr. Speaker, something that they don't really care about over there. And that is, Mr. Speaker, that there was a document that was produced in court that was made public last week, which talked about an individual, the former chief of staff, of which there are serious accusations for some activities that happen under his watch and under the watch of the former Premier. Those are the facts, Mr. Speaker, and by standing up with question after question after question, it doesn't change those facts, Mr. Speaker. And again, you're not doing well out there. Let me share some of the quotes again. The Globe and Mail yesterday, the Conservative leader's aggressive attempts to score points without the facts to back them up are reminding Ontario voters why they haven't warmed up to them. Ottawa citizen yesterday, the PC's asked immediately whether Wynn's computer was among those white, which makes little sense. The police are crystal clear that their interests in computers in McGuinty's office where Wynn did not work. Thank you. Supplementary. Speaker, well, back to the Premier. Premier, I don't know how you and your senior transition team were involved in the illegal document destruction that the OPP is now investigating. But my hunch and certainly that of the literally thousands of Ontario residents who have contacted my office alone regarding this matter, is that where there is smoke, there is fire. Ontario residents want someone to be accountable. Very odd, please. Premier, Ontario residents want someone to be held accountable, and they are asking for people to be thrown into jail over this Premier. You became Premier on February 11, 2013, and at the same time, computer hacker and data guru Peter Faist was working away for the Liberal Party prior to the legally white clean a series of computers and email accounts destroying important public documents and records. Premier, how much time do you spend each day trying to cut the various... Excuse me. Stop the clock. The member will withdraw. withdraw what? Come on, House Leader. You know, I just want to make it clear, Mr. Speaker. These aren't my words. This is how you guys are doing out there with the media. Let's go to the Toronto Star yesterday. The Leader of the Opposition went far beyond what the facts showed. Toronto Star yesterday, the Leader of the Opposition is inventing fanciful scenarios about the first days of Wynn's Premiership. Globe and Mail editorial yesterday, I commend everyone to read it in full, but let's give you a few highlights. Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak is on thin legal ice. It goes on to say the Leader of the Opposition's claim that Premier Wynn was personally behind any wiping of government computers when there is no evidence to support such an allegation goes too far. It goes on to say the Leader of the Opposition's reckless allegations against Premier Wynn are reminders of previous mistakes, Mr. Speaker. Let the facts speak for themselves, Mr. Speaker. I invite the members to review the document and the facts. Thank you. New question? The member from London West. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Speaker, it seems that each week, new Democrats are standing up holding this government to account for deep cuts to health care in London. Last week, we highlighted the crisis in mental health services. Before that, we raised concerns about cuts to St. Joseph's health care. Now Londoners are bracing for more cutbacks, this time at London Health Sciences Centre, including the loss of 27 nurses and 41 cleaners. Does the Minister truly believe that the elimination of these nursing and cleaning positions will not have an impact on hands-on quality care in our community? Great choice. Thank you, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Speaker, what I would like to know from the member opposite and from her party is whether or not they support our transformation in health care, Speaker. Our system is under transformation. We are moving services out of hospital where it's appropriate and safe to do so. Speaker, this transformation involves really building up community support so that people can go home from hospital as soon as they're safely able to do that. This transformation, Speaker, is working. We are seeing the results of those investments in the community. Our hospitals are also working. I've never said this is easy for hospitals, but the hospitals themselves support this transformation. In fact, I was very pleased when London Health Sciences went out with this announcement that they made very clear that these changes would have no impact on patient care. Transformation is underway. We need to support transformation if we care about universal single-tier health care. Thank you. Supplementary, the member from London Fanshawe. Speaker, nurses have been sounding alarm bells about the quality of care in London for almost two years, Speaker. They have lodged hundreds of complaints about inadequate care levels, and now things are going to get much worse with these 27 nurses being laid off. The hospital is facing deep deficit, and they have no choice but to make cuts to patient care and hospital cleanliness. Speaker, at what point will this minister realize that it's misleading to tell Londoners? The member will withdraw. Oh, I withdraw. At what point will this minister realize, continually sending this message to Londoners that patient care won't be affected in the face of more layoffs? Question. More layoffs won't affect patient care. Thank you, Speaker. Minister of Health, long term care. Well, Speaker, I think once again we have to go to the facts. The facts are that no layoffs are anticipated as a result of this plan. And when it comes to nurses, when it comes to nurses, Speaker, in Ontario, we now have 20,500 more nurses working, Speaker, than we had just 10 years ago. We are continuing to invest in nursing. We are continuing to bring our hospitals so that they are safe and they are effective. And when patients can receive services outside the hospital, that's where they prefer to receive those services. So, Speaker, I perhaps will send this over to the member opposite. I think it's important she knows what's going on in London. And what's happening in London is we're working more in the community, and hospitals are becoming more efficient. Thank you, and the question to the member from Oak Ridge is Markle. Thank you, Speaker, and my question is for the Minister of Education. Minister, every year your ministry provides funding to school boards through the grants for student needs, which supports our quality education workers in addition to important programs and infrastructure projects. Minister, this funding is critical to ensuring we continue to make progress in student achievement and build our reputation for international success. However, I understand there have been some changes as of late. Minister, can you please inform this House what the changes are in this year's grants for student needs and how those changes will impact schools, students, and families in my community? Thank you, Minister of Education. Yes, thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member from Oak Ridge is Markle for that question. Speaker, education is one of our most valued services, and Ontarians expect our government to invest wisely in our schools and students. Over the past 10 years, Ontario has become a global leader in education and a highly successful model for other jurisdictions, and we're very proud of our education record. For the 2014-15 school year, we are providing stable funding through the grants for students' needs of $22.5 billion to help boards keep up with costs while also providing increased funding to complete the role in September of full-day kindergarten. We've also committed to a three-year investment in ongoing school renewal of approximately $1.25 billion to make sure that things like roofs and boilers get reflected. Supplementary. Thank you for that response, Minister. My community has been pleased to welcome full-day kindergarten over the last four years and is looking forward to this upcoming September, which will be the final year of the rollout for this program. In my great writing of Oak Ridge is Markle, 17 more schools will offer the program beginning in the next school year. As of this coming fall, my writing will already have full-day kindergarten in 51 schools that will serve almost 4,800 students in 192 classes. We know full-day learning is the best start we can give our kids and it is one of the most important investments we can make in Ontario's future prosperity. Can the Minister please update this House of the status of the rollout of full-day kindergarten across Ontario? Thank you, Minister. Yes, thank you. I'm delighted that we're going to be able to complete the rollout of full-day kindergarten this September. When we finish the rollout this September, we expect we'll have about 265,000 children in full-day kindergarten taking advantage of the program. And one of the changes this year is the funding is no longer outside the regular grants for students' needs. We've rolled the funding for full-day kindergarten. Inside the grants for students' needs, which signals to the school board sector, many of whom are here today, that this makes the program permanent and that the full-day kindergarten students will be funded like every other single student in Ontario. Yes, sir. Can the Minister of Finance on the point of order? To speak of point of order, I rise to inform the members and for that matter the public that I have tabled Ontario's long-term report on the economy with the House just moments ago. This report is an essential part of our government's commitment to greater openness and is one more part of the Fiscal Transparency and Accountability Act that our government introduced in 2004. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. The members from the AJAX Pickering on a point of order. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise on a point of order and through you and that is to welcome to the legislature today Pickering pages Simon Hopkins' mother, Fiona Hopkins, his father, Duncan Hopkins, brother Colin Hopkins and grandparents, Diane and Graham Kinghorn. They're sitting in the members' gallery today. I'm sure Simon is honoured that I have his family here this morning showing their support at the legislature as he fulfills his role as page on this special day as page captain. I welcome you all to Queen's Park and I have to tell you, I share with my colleague in Pickering, East Barbara, when that time goes away. Thank you. And the family lives in my room. Great. The minister of the environment on a point of order. I know that you would want me to introduce Kathy Burtnick, who is the chair of the Niagara Catholic District School Board and is in the members' gallery. Thank you. You're members from Timmons, Genes, Green, on a point of order. Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I just, for the record, the standing orders are fairly clear that you cannot see anything that is not true in this house. The government house leader repeated today that New Democrats actually said during the last election that we would cancel those gas plants. I just want to read the quote in order to clarify that New Democrats have said that they would not do both who decked. That's not a point of order. The member from Leeds-Grenville on a point of order. Thank you, Speaker. I seek unanimous consent that the sponsorship of Bill 5 and act to freeze compensation for two years in the public sector be transferred to the member for Nipissing so that we can freeze everyone's pay across the entire broader public sector, not just MPPs. The member from Leeds-Grenville is seeking unanimous consent that a sponsorship of Bill, the member from Leeds-Grenville is seeking unanimous consent that the sponsorship of Bill 5 and act to freeze compensation for two years in the public sector be transferred to the member from Nipissing so that we freeze everyone's pay across the public sector. Do we agree? No. I heard a no. There are no deferred votes. This house stands recessed until 3 p.m. this afternoon.